As a financial journalist I am increasingly concerned about misinformation provided to members of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF) by unscrupulous financial advisers. A recent example is a reader who was told by an adviser that on...
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Reclassification of inward-listed ETFs – what it means for you
The market is alight with speculation over a statement which quietly crept into Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's recent medium-term budget policy statement around the reclassification of inward-listed financial products. National Treasury has made a...
Early access to pensions mooted
Legislation will be introduced to allow early access to one's pension, but it's not an end-of-year bonus. In the medium-term budget address, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni confirmed that National Treasury will be introducing legislative changes to...
Is your retirement fund safe from plunder?
Many South Africans believe that their retirement funds are under attack. Financial planners are inundated with queries from concerned clients and some are even stopping their retirement contributions. Is this fear well founded or an over-reaction...
Should pensioners worry about interest-rate cuts?
By Mica Townsend, Business Development Manager at 10X Investments Most pensioners who live off interest from savings have had their incomes dramatically reduced by the interest-rate cuts of the last few months, but this is not the only ‒ or even...
Video: Do I have to purchase an annuity at retirement?
Chris is about to retire and wrote to us asking what he should do with his provident fund. A provident fund (unlike a pension fund or retirement annuity) allows you to take the full lump sum at retirement; you are not forced to purchase an annuity....
Should you be worried about prescribed assets?
The debate around prescribed assets grabs headlines from time to time, but when you cut through the hysteria there is largely a consensus that pension funds could be used to boost infrastructural development in South Africa. The important question...
Temporary change to living annuity drawdown percentages
By Jenny Gordon, Head: Technical Advice Investments, Product and Enablement at Alexander Forbes From 1 June to 30 September 2020, retirees with a living annuity will be able to draw down between 0.5% and 20% of the asset value of their living...
What the crash means for your retirement
The market collapse highlights the need for good financial planning in retirement. The market collapse on the back of the coronavirus pandemic has created a buying opportunity for those who are still investing towards retirement, but it comes at a...
Q&A: Retirement
Do I have to purchase an annuity at retirement? When I reach retirement age, must I invest my provident fund in an annuity, or can I just build a unit trust portfolio with an asset manager and draw a yearly “salary” of not more than 4%? Will there...
Previous Articles
Listen: Building a retirement portfolio
The last four years of poor market performance highlighted the risk of relying on capital drawdown in retirement. In this final edition of our Investment Series with Marriott Income Specialists, Maya (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo (@womanandfinance) discuss how to start...
Video: Your retirement income options
If you are a member of a pension fund or have a retirement annuity, two-thirds of your final retirement amount must be used to purchase a retirement income. You can select between a guaranteed life annuity or a living annuity. What is important to know is that once...
Video: Retirement annuity rules
A retirement annuity is a great, tax-efficient way to save for your retirement, but they do come with certain rules. Many people investing in retirement annuities are not fully aware of these restrictions. Firstly, you cannot access your retirement annuity until the...
Q&A: Retirement
We answer some reader questions about retirement funding: some want to invest, and others want to cash out. We look at the pros and cons. Listen to Maya and Mapalo Makhu discussing this topic in the My Money, My Lifestyle podcast. How much tax do I save by investing...
Listen: The tax implications of cashing in your pension
How much tax do you save by investing into an RA? What is the tax bill when you cash out? Why is it a bad idea to use your pension to settle your debts? If you’re thinking about cashing in your retirement fund or starting one, listen to Maya (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo...
No more pension “debt” on divorce
The long-awaited amendment to the Government Employees Pension Law dealing with divorce debt has been signed into law. With very little fanfare, a very important piece of legislation was put into effect regarding the calculation of divorce benefits for members of the...
GEPF benefits are guaranteed
I recently attended a briefing by Abel Sithole, the Principle Executive Officer of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF), on the state of the fund's finances. What occurred to me during the discussion was how much better off GEPF pensioners (and those GEPF...
Your retirement income options
There are two main options when it comes to purchasing an annuity income: a guaranteed life annuity or a living annuity. If you are a member of a pension fund or have a retirement annuity, two-thirds of your final retirement amount must be used to purchase an annuity...
Public servants can retire early – with conditions
In his budget address on 20 February 2019, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced an early retirement scheme for public servants whereby members of the Government Employees Pension Fund could take early retirement from the fund without penalties. According to the...
Beware of your financial adviser asking you to move your investments
It is not uncommon for investors to move their investments from one insurer or asset manager to another. Whether it is because of the promise of better returns, to lower costs or just not being happy with the current company, investors do move their investments from...