The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) is a defined benefit fund. This means the pension received by a member has nothing to do with the investment performance of the fund. A member's pension payout is determined according to the GEPF...
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The two-pot retirement system explained
On 29 July, National Treasury released its draft legislation on the so-called two-pot retirement system. It highlighted that “the proposal does not include allowing immediate access to retirement funds, but rather moves to a system that can more...
Video: Compounding turns time into money
Have you ever wondered why the rich keep getting richer? It has a lot to do with compounding. This is where your money makes more money when you are doing nothing. For example, you have R100 000 in a unit trust fund which is invested in the stock...
Listen: The proposed two-pot system for retirement funds
On 29 July, National Treasury released draft legislation around early access to pension funds and the so-called “two-pot” system. This draft legislation aims at addressing two key challenges facing retirement savings: improving retirement outcomes...
Listen: Living to 100
More and more people seem to be living to 100 and beyond. Scientists are predicting that the average life expectancy in the UK will hit 100 in 2064. Even today, the chance of a 50-year-old woman living to 100 is almost 1 in 10. For some people that...
How retirees can reduce their tax
It often comes as a surprise to pensioners that they are still liable for tax. The bottom line is if you receive an income above a certain amount, it will be taxed, but there are certain measures that can be used so retirees can reduce their tax....
How to make your living annuity income last
Retirees who primarily live off a living annuity income are often haunted by the question: How do I make my income last throughout retirement? “There are four rules that are essential long-term drivers of success for living annuity investors,” says...
Immediate access to retirement funds unlikely
Retirement reform paper calls for comment but no move on immediate access. Retirement fund members hoping to access their retirement funds for urgent financial relief will be disappointed by the retirement reform paper issued by National Treasury...
How ‘bad timing’ affects retirees’ income
Retirees need to work with their financial advisers to carefully determine the structure, size, and affordability of their future pension withdrawals, particularly in a volatile market environment, says Jean-Pierre Matthews, product head at Matrix...
Video: Plan for retirement
Retirement is something we can plan for ‒ and the better our planning, the more we get to enjoy our retirement years. In this video, I am joined by Guy Chennells, Head of Product at Discovery Employee Benefits, who will give us some tips around...
Previous Articles
Retirement diversification in action
Rocco Carr, Business Development Manager at Glacier by Sanlam, explains how we should be thinking about different layers when it comes to retirement diversification. What does diversification mean? The dictionary meaning of diversification comes down to the process of...
What happens to your GEPF pension after five years?
As a financial journalist I often come across misinformation spread by unscrupulous financial advisers when it comes to the Government Employees Pension Fund. Most of these untruths relate to members’ funds at retirement, as the financial advisers are hoping for the...
Beware bad advice at retirement
Many members of the GEPF are being given bad advice by financial advisers, who are telling them that they should resign from the GEPF before retirement. Members of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) are being approached by financial advisers and being...
How tax works on your retirement fund
One of the most common complaints I receive from pensioners is that they pay tax on their retirement benefits. While one can sympathise with the plight of pensioners who often struggle to come out on their retirement income, one needs to understand the tax structure...
Treasury’s solution to early withdrawal
As part of its ongoing retirement reform process, National Treasury is proposing the introduction of a two-bucket retirement system to provide for shorter and longer-term needs. John Anderson, executive at Alexander Forbes, says it may work along the same percentages...
The NSSF will not meet the needs of South Africans
While noble in its aim, the establishment of a National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is largely unworkable. In August, the department of Social Development issued a Green Paper on Comprehensive Social Security and Retirement Reform, which outlined a “super fund” to...
Do you have an unclaimed benefit with the GEPF?
The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) is concerned with the increase in the number of unclaimed benefits and wants to pay them out. If you are a former government employee who did not claim a pension on retirement, it is possible that you have money owed to...
Nothing shocking about new retirement fund emigration rules
South Africans seem to live in constant fear of the government going after their savings. New tax rules for emigrants' retirement funds is just the latest development to fuel this anxiety. Andre Tuck, Senior Investment Consultant at 10X Investments, has a close look...
Proposed additional exit tax leaves industry experts confused
Tax Consulting SA gives the lowdown on a new draft tax bill which essentially proposes an additional exit tax on retirement funds. It is not uncommon for National Treasury and the South African Revenue Services (SARS) to propose, and subsequently gazette, amendments...
GEPF establishes complaints handling office
If you are struggling to get your claims processed or not receiving your benefits, help is at hand with the recent establishment of the Government Employees Pension Ombud (GEPO). The state is the largest employer in the country, and the Government Employees Pension...