Why Verandi

An approach to financial education that holds its own standard

Most adults over forty have sat through financial presentations shaped by a commercial interest. Verandi is built to be different in format, in scope, and in what it asks of participants.

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Key Advantages

What the reading series offers

Six characteristics that shape what participants find in a Verandi cohort — and that are absent from most alternatives.

No commercial agenda

Verandi holds no referral arrangements, affiliate agreements, or commercial relationships with any financial product provider. Reading material selection is driven by educational value alone.

Deliberately small cohorts

Between eight and fourteen participants per cohort. The size is not accidental — it allows every person in the room to contribute to discussion without the conversation becoming impersonal.

Material sent before each session

Reading is distributed in advance. Participants arrive having already engaged with the chapter, which shifts the discussion from passive reception to active exchange.

Specific to Singapore

The content addresses the CPF Life structure, Retirement Account formation, SRS framework, and patterns of household planning that are particular to Singapore residents — not generic financial concepts.

Spaced and unhurried

Sessions are scheduled across weeks, not compressed into a single day. This pace allows reflection between readings, which most participants find more useful than a high-density format.

Private and discreet

Sessions are not recorded. Cohort membership is not disclosed. What participants share within the group stays within it. This is foundational to how discussions unfold openly.

Programme Expertise

Material written and reviewed by people who understand the subject

The reading materials for each programme are written by David Krishnan, who spent over fifteen years covering personal finance and public policy in Singapore-based financial journalism. They are reviewed annually against current CPF Board and MAS documentation.

The result is content that is accurate, current, and written for adults rather than for a general consumer audience — which means less simplification and more direct engagement with the structures as they actually exist.

Materials reviewed against live CPF and MAS documentation
Annual content review for accuracy and currency
Written for an adult, informed readership — not simplified for general marketing
No content is sponsored or shaped by product providers

Printed workbooks and reference cards — physical materials, not digital downloads
Reading distributed by post or in-person before each session
Follow-up reflection circle included in most programmes
Cohort kept consistent across all sessions in a series

Service Quality

Physical materials, consistent cohorts, and a follow-up structure

Verandi prints rather than emails its reading materials. This is a deliberate choice — a printed chapter on a desk feels different from a PDF attachment, and most participants report reading it more attentively. Workbooks are clothbound or saddle-stitched and are intended as lasting references.

Each cohort remains consistent across all sessions of a series. The same group of eight to fourteen participants meets each week or at each scheduled session, which allows discussion to build on what was covered before.

Value Considerations

Transparent pricing, all materials included, no add-ons

Each programme has a single stated price. All printed materials, the workbook, reference cards, and follow-up reflection circle access are included within it. There are no additional session fees, no required purchases, and no upselling of related products or services during or after the programme.

The Singapore Retirement Reading Overview at S$155 is accessible as a starting point. The four-week Daily Money Habits series at S$330 covers household financial rhythm at depth. The Long-Term Planning Workshop at S$870 is the most intensive offering, suited to those who want two structured days of reading and conversation.

S$155 — Singapore Retirement Reading Overview (two sessions)
S$330 — Daily Money Habits Reading Series (four weeks)
S$870 — Long-Term Planning Conversations Workshop (weekend)
All materials and reflection circle access included in stated price

How We Compare

Typical financial education events versus a Verandi reading series

Typical financial seminars

Large room formats — forty, eighty, or more attendees
Content shaped by the sponsoring product provider
Presentation delivered to a passive audience
Product recommendations made at or after the event
No pre-reading; material is introduced in the session itself
Follow-up is typically a sales call or product brochure

A Verandi reading series

Eight to fourteen participants — conversation is possible
No sponsors; content selected for educational value only
Discussion-based; participants arrive having already read
No product recommendations — within programme or after
Chapter distributed in advance; session is the discussion
Follow-up is a small reflection circle — additional discussion, nothing more

What Sets Us Apart

Distinctive features of the Verandi approach

Reading by post

Materials arrive by post before the session. This is unusual in adult education and is chosen because participants consistently report reading a physical document more carefully than a screen-based one.

Stable cohort across all sessions

The same people attend every session in a series. This means discussion in later sessions can refer to what was covered earlier, and participants develop a degree of trust that changes what they are willing to contribute.

A dedicated reading room

Sessions are held in a fixed location at The Octagon, Cecil Street — a small, quiet room arranged for conversation rather than for presentation. The space does not look like a seminar venue, by design.

Reflection circles after completion

Most programmes include access to a follow-up reflection circle — a small, optional gathering some weeks after the main series, where participants can return to questions that emerged from the reading.

Milestones

Since 2019

Years running

340+

Participants served

Core programmes

92%

Return to a second programme

Singapore Continuing Education Network — Member since 2021

Verandi is a member of the Singapore Continuing Education Network, a professional body for adult and continuing learning programme organisers.

PDPA Compliance — Registered data handling practices

All participant data handling is reviewed annually for compliance with Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act. No participant data is shared for commercial purposes.

Reserve a Place

Ready to read something worthwhile, with people worth talking to?

Places in each reading cohort are kept deliberately small. Enquire early if you have a particular programme in mind — we are happy to discuss what each series involves before you commit.

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