If you are a government employee, you need to be wary of advisers who recommend that you resign in order to access your pension before retirement. Many commentators have attributed the spate of government employee resignations, just before...
You are Here >
Home > My Retirement >
Sort out your admin
In the final episode of Change in your Pocket, we highlight the importance of dealing with various admin issues before you get married. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6attRo6UGUQ&feature=youtu.be – Video supplied by BrightRock Welcome to the...
Government employees are not affected by retirement reform
The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has issued a notice to members and pensioners that the new Taxation Laws Amendment Act will not affect their pensions or benefits. As a defined-benefit pension fund, the benefits of the GEPF are already...
High income earners’ retirement reform conundrum
With retirement legislation set to change from 1 March 2016, high-earning executives with annual salaries above R1.27 million who are pension and provident fund members, may be affected by the newly introduced annual contribution cap of R350 000....
How much tax will I pay if I cash in my pension?
Willie writes: I am planning on leaving my employer after 25 years and I want to cash in my pension fund of R2.1 million. How much tax will I pay? I am 50 years old. Maya replies: When you resign and cash in your pension, the tax is worked out on a...
How you should be blowing your year-end bonus
Regard Budler from Momentum explains how much of your year-end bonus you can add to your company retirement fund for maximum tax benefit. For those fortunate enough to receive a year-end bonus, the burning question is: “How do I spend this money?”...
Retirement reform going ahead
By Vickie Lange, Institutional Best Practice Specialist at Alexander Forbes Last year the tax changes to all retirement funds and the retirement benefit changes to provident funds (together known as T-day changes) which were originally scheduled...
Should you cash in your pension to pay off debt?
I was recently asked by a young woman if it would make sense for her to cash in her pension, settle her debts and start all over again. It sounds like a good idea: on the one hand you have debt with interest as high as 25% per annum and on the...
Government Employees Pension Fund adopts clean-break principle
Six years after the clean-break principle was introduced into legislation in 2009, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has introduced the principle allowing the non-member spouses of pension-fund members to access their share of pension...
Saving for retirement
In Episode 5 of Change in your Pocket, we look at the various options available when it comes to saving money for your retirement. https://youtu.be/UIyKKLfYcyo – Video supplied by BrightRock Welcome to The Change Exchange, where we are helping you...
Previous Articles
Using your pension to secure a home loan
A pension fund is usually the largest asset owned by an individual and it makes sense that it could be used to provide collateral for a home loan, especially for a first-time home owner. This benefit also encourages individuals not to cash in their retirement funds...
Millions owed in unclaimed benefits
Around R20 billion of pension fund assets remains unclaimed by an estimated 3.5 million pension fund members or their beneficiaries. This is according to the Financial Services Board (FSB) which recently held a round-table discussion to address the issue of unclaimed...
Sleepwalking to retirement
Proposals by National Treasury aim to simplify retirement savings and reduce costs. National Treasury recently released its latest paper on retirement reform entitled Retirement reform: lowering charges and improving market conduct in which it makes recommendations...
Retirement annuity tax loophole to be closed
By Tanya Lochner, fiduciary specialist at Glacier by Sanlam In the foreseeable future retirement annuities will no longer fall outside of your estate for estate duty purposes, so bear that in mind when you do your estate planning. Since 2007, a retirement annuity (RA)...
The impact of debt on our retirement
Debt is the main reason people withdraw their retirement benefits when changing jobs, according to key findings of the 2015 Sanlam Benchmark Survey, a comprehensive annual review of South Africa’s retirement industry. After interviewing thousands of retirement fund...
The impact fees have on your living annuity returns
For most people, cost is a primary consideration in almost every purchase decision. Except, it seems, when it comes to critical financial decisions, such as buying a savings or investment product. Many South African retirement investors therefore also overlook the...
Aggressive investment needed for sufficient retirement outcomes
What levels of real growth are needed for a comfortable retirement outcome? Are retirement funds investing aggressively enough to achieve this? Barend Ritter, Portfolio Manager at Sanlam Investments, takes a stand and makes a case for equities. In order to secure a...
Big corporate salaries don’t make you rich
While many professional women earn impressive salaries and contribute towards corporate pension requirements, Citadel Advisory Partner Kirsten Smit says that it's important to build wealth outside your job. Many women believe they can only become as wealthy as their...
Retirement reform myths: time for a rethink
The phased reform of South Africa's retirement sector may have a far-reaching impact on retirees – especially those who have not recently assessed their strategy. While many of the mooted retirement reforms will only be implemented next year, one of the first changes,...
Should you use tax-free savings accounts for retirement?
South Africans are now able to invest up to R30 000 a year in tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs). The aim of these savings accounts is to encourage South Africans to save for medium-term goals and emergency funding, reducing our reliance on debt and the temptation to...