Tag: pension fund

The loss of a family member or a loved one is a challenging and an emotional life experience. The days and months following the death of a loved one can often go by in a blur. Help and guidance are essential for families to get their affairs swiftly in order. Putting financial issues off to later will not only leave families with unnecessary financial constraints but it can also lengthen the process of winding up an estate.

Generating long-term economic growth and employment is the most sustainable way to boost tax revenues and stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio, especially if augmented by the reduction in government spending and the restructuring of spending towards investment.

Much confusion and debate seems to exist in the market regarding the changes to the access to retirement benefits (pension preservation funds, provident preservation funds and retirement annuity funds) on emigration. The concept of ‘emigration’ and the SARS approval process (via MP336b) falls away from 1 March 2021 and is replaced with the concept of an individual ‘ceasing to be a resident for tax purpose’ in South Africa.

Even after the final reforms are in place investors will remain free to be their own worst enemy. Almost 10 years after National Treasury embarked on its mission to strengthen South African retirement savings, as reflected in the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill of 2020, the final reforms are scheduled to come into effect on March 1 but, unfortunately, fund members will still be free to sabotage their own retirement.

Currently controlling more than US$110 trillion (more than 20 times the US federal budget), the power the asset and wealth management industry has in shaping the future is unparalleled. With global assets under management projected to grow by up to 5.6% per annum to US$147.4 trillion by 2025, it can shape a future which is better for investors, shareholders, the economy and the wider society.

An employer cannot unilaterally change an employee’s retirement age. Should the employer do so and terminate the employee’s employment, the dismissal may constitute an automatically unfair dismissal and amount to unfair discrimination.

An interview with Dave Crawford, Proprietor, Planning Retirement, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing how important it is for employers to provide education and training to inform employees about the issues that will face them when they retire.

Employers spend a lot of money providing retirement and other benefits to employees, and yes, it is a cost of doing business. Medical schemes are well known and well appreciated, yet retirement funds are valued less by employees due to a lack of understanding.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters rapidly rose up the corporate agenda in 2019, such that ESG is now a mainstream issue across all areas of corporate life, including in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Our M&A in 2020: The New Normal report takes a closer look at this key trend that has come to the fore in the past 12 months due to increased awareness of climate change, unease with globalisation, and pressure from activists and consumers.

The temptation to retire early and adopt a life of leisure can be particularly seductive as you enter your fifties and sixties, especially after many years spent with your nose to the grindstone. But can you afford it?