For many in Singapore, the CPF Ordinary Account (OA) functions like a dependable hawker centre meal—it reliably meets your basic needs without any surprises.

For those under 55, the first S$20,000 earns a 3.5% interest rate. From age 55, the first S$30,000 earns 4.5%. The remaining balance earns the base rate of 2.5%.

However, if you are seeking to add more variety to your passive income stream, the Singapore Exchange presents a few interesting options. Specifically, three companies listed on the SGX offer dividend yields that exceed the CPF OA base rate. All three hold cash reserves and carry no debt. Cash does not guarantee anything, but it provides a company with the time needed to continue paying dividends. What each company does with that time determines the outcome.

Info-Tech Systems Ltd (SGX: ITS) and Credit Bureau Asia Ltd (SGX: TCU) have reported their full-year results for the period ending 31 December 2025. VICOM Ltd (SGX: WJP) reported its results for the quarter ending 31 March 2026. These three sets of figures are not directly comparable.

Is a first-year dividend reliable?

Info-Tech Systems provides cloud-based accounting and human resource software to small and medium-sized enterprises across Singapore, Malaysia, and the wider region. In 2025, revenue increased by 29% year-on-year (YoY) to S$56.5 million, up from S$43.7 million. Profit attributable to owners rose by 22% to S$15 million. This figure was impacted by one-off costs of approximately S$2.9 million related to its IPO listing and relocation to Malaysia. Excluding these costs, adjusted profit grew by 46% YoY to S$18 million.

The board declared a second interim dividend of S$0.0155 per share and proposed a final dividend of S$0.0195 per share. Total dividends for 2025 amounted to S$0.035 per share, representing 60% of net profit after tax. At a share price of S$0.985, Info-Tech shares offer a dividend yield of 3.6%. This surpasses the 2.5% base rate and exceeds the 3.5% earned on the first S$20,000 in your CPF OA.

The dividend payout cost roughly S$9 million. Free cash flow of S$15.7 million more than covered this payout, although it declined from S$17.6 million a year ago due to an increase in receivables and higher capital spending. Cash holdings climbed to S$67.3 million from S$29.7 million, though net IPO proceeds accounted for most of this increase rather than retained earnings. Info-Tech carries no debt. 2025 marks the company's first year of paying dividends as a listed entity, and a single year does not constitute a track record.

How does a dividend increase when profits decline?

Credit Bureau Asia (CBA) supplies credit and risk information to banks and government bodies throughout Southeast Asia. In 2025, revenue edged up 0.7% YoY to S$60.1 million. The Financial Institution Data segment grew by 3% to S$28 million, driven by higher volumes of new credit applications. The Non-FI Data segment slipped 1.3% to S$32.1 million, following weaker demand for global credit risk reports. Profit attributable to owners fell 4.4% YoY to S$10.7 million, largely due to lower interest income and a weaker US dollar.

Despite the profit decline, the dividend still increased. A final dividend of S$0.022 per share brings the total 2025 dividend to S$0.042 per share, a 5% increase from S$0.04. At a share price of S$1.07, CBA shares offer a 3.9% dividend yield. Free cash flow is the lifeblood of dividends, and CBA generated S$27.2 million of it. Cash and bank balances stood at S$46.5 million, with treasury bills and money market funds adding another S$24.7 million. The group carries no debt. However, this cash flow should be interpreted carefully. CBA operates its bureaus through partly-owned entities across Singapore, Cambodia, and Myanmar, meaning the group's free cash flow does not all belong to shareholders.

Does the highest yield have the strongest backing?

VICOM tests and inspects vehicles in Singapore and is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Corporation (SGX: C52). VICOM produced the strongest quarter of the three companies. For the first quarter of 2026 (1Q2026), revenue rose 11.5% YoY to S$37.2 million. Operating profit surged 33.7% to S$12 million, with the operating margin widening to 32.4% from 27%. Net profit attributable to owners jumped 33.6% YoY to S$10 million. Cash stood at S$59.9 million as of 31 March 2026, and the group carries no debt.

The free cash flow tells a more challenging story, coming in at S$2.2 million for the quarter compared to S$4.5 million a year ago. Capital expenditure of S$11.6 million on the Jalan Papan integrated testing centre absorbed the difference. VICOM declared no dividend for the quarter, as the group distributes dividends at the half-year and full-year marks. Management pointed to fading growth drivers. Installations of ERP 2.0 On-Board Units are slowing as the programme nears completion, and demand for Oil and Gas testing felt the impact of the Middle East conflict in March.

At a share price of S$1.85, VICOM provides a 4.5% dividend yield, the highest of the three. However, this largest yield is supported by the thinnest quarterly cash generation and the most immediate growth drivers nearing their end. The S$59.9 million cash pile provides VICOM with room to manoeuvre while it completes the Jalan Papan facility.

What does the additional yield demand from you?

Your CPF OA is like a reliable, everyday meal at the hawker centre—you know exactly what to expect, and it can sustain you daily. A dividend, in contrast, asks you to underwrite a business. You must ask where the cash that pays that dividend comes from. The follow-up question is even more important: what must the company spend to keep generating that cash? Then, work out what happens to the payout once the current growth driver runs out.

Info-Tech, CBA, and VICOM each provide a different answer. You must decide which answer you can live with before the extra yield makes that decision for you.