About Verandi
A quiet room for considered reading on money
Verandi was founded on the view that adults deserve a calm, unhurried space to read and think about household financial matters — without sales pressure, product placement, or the noise of a seminar hall.
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How Verandi came to be
Verandi began as a reading circle in 2019, meeting fortnightly in a borrowed conference room on Cecil Street. The founders — a small group of adults who had each, at different points, found themselves without a sensible place to read and discuss household money matters — wanted something that did not exist: a programme that covered the subject seriously, without pushing any particular product or provider.
The early sessions were informal. A chapter would be distributed by post, participants would arrive having read it, and the hour or so of discussion that followed was, by the accounts of those who attended, more useful than anything they had found elsewhere. The format was unhurried by design. There was no stage, no presenter, no upsell at the close.
By 2022, Verandi had formalised its three core programmes — the Daily Money Habits Reading Series, the Long-Term Planning Conversations Workshop, and the Singapore Retirement Reading Overview — and moved into its current reading room at The Octagon. The space seats small groups comfortably and is arranged for conversation rather than presentation.
Verandi operates on a simple premise: that most adults over forty have encountered enough financial noise in their lives, and what they value is not more information but a thoughtful structure in which to read, reflect, and discuss. The programmes are designed around that premise, and nothing else.
Founded
2019
as a fortnightly reading circle
Cohort size
8–14
participants per programme
Programmes
3 active
reading series and workshops
Format
Reading-led
materials sent in advance, sessions are discussion
Mission & Values
What we hold to
Impartiality above all
No products are recommended, no providers are favoured, and no commercial arrangements exist with financial institutions. The reading material is chosen for educational clarity, not sponsorship.
An unhurried pace
Programmes are spaced to allow time between reading and discussion. There is no pressure to make decisions, form opinions quickly, or arrive at any particular conclusion.
Participant privacy
What is shared within a cohort stays within it. We do not record sessions, and participant details are held only for programme administration. No information is shared commercially.
Educational scope only
Verandi does not hold a financial adviser licence and does not offer regulated financial advice. The programmes are structured purely as educational reading and discussion, within that scope.
The People
Those who run the reading room
Margaret Lim
Programme Director
Margaret developed the reading series format and selects the material for each programme. She spent twenty years in adult continuing education before founding Verandi.
David Krishnan
Content & Reading Lead
David researches and writes the reading materials, ensuring accuracy on Singapore-specific topics such as CPF structures and SRS frameworks. He holds a background in financial journalism.
Susan Chew
Cohort & Enrolment
Susan manages cohort coordination, enrolment enquiries, and the scheduling of all sessions. She is the first point of contact for those considering a programme.
Programme Standards
How we hold our programmes to account
Pre-distributed reading materials
All reading is sent to participants before the session, reviewed internally for factual accuracy and appropriate scope before distribution.
No regulated advice — by design
Programme facilitators are trained to keep discussions within educational scope and to redirect questions that cross into regulated territory to appropriate licensed professionals.
Data protection practices
Participant data is handled under Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act. Enrolment information is used solely for programme administration.
Annual material review
Reading materials are reviewed each year against current CPF structures, SRS regulations, and other Singapore-specific frameworks to ensure accuracy.
Post-cohort feedback review
After each programme, participants are invited to share written feedback. This is reviewed by the programme team and used to adjust future sessions.
Registered Singapore entity
Verandi is a Singapore-registered education programme organiser operating from The Octagon, Cecil Street, in the central business district.
Our Expertise
Financial education that sits outside the sales cycle
The Singapore household — particularly for adults in their forties, fifties, and beyond — carries a set of financial considerations that are genuinely specific to this context. The CPF Life payout structure, the formation of the Retirement Account, the supplementary role of the SRS, and the patterns of intergenerational household finance are topics that affect most residents here, but that are rarely addressed in a disinterested, reading-based format.
Financial seminars and webinars exist in abundance, but the majority are shaped — whether openly or not — by the commercial interests of those delivering them. The product is often education; the underlying purpose is frequently sales. Verandi operates differently. There are no referral arrangements, no affiliate structures, and no financial relationships with any product provider. The programmes exist solely to support adults in reading, understanding, and discussing the subject matter.
The reading-led format also reflects something practical: adults over forty have often already encountered a great deal of financial content delivered as presentation. They have sat in rooms where someone has spoken at them for an hour. What they frequently describe as missing is the opportunity to read something carefully, at their own pace, and then discuss it with a small group of peers in a room that has no commercial agenda. That is what Verandi's programmes are designed to provide.
Material accuracy is taken seriously. Singapore's retirement and household planning landscape changes regularly — CPF policy evolves, SRS limits are adjusted, and the terminology of long-term planning shifts. Verandi reviews its reading materials annually to reflect current structures, drawing on publicly available MAS and CPF Board documentation rather than any provider's interpretation of it.
Join a Reading Cohort
Considering a programme? We are happy to talk it through first.
There is no obligation in asking. If you would like to understand more about the format, the schedule, or whether a particular reading series suits where you are, reach out and we will arrange a brief conversation.
Get in Touch