Tag: retirement fund

Imagine you’re on a highway with guardrails providing a safety barrier that keeps you from going off course. These guardrails guide you safely to your destination. However, when you reach retirement, the guardrails come off, leaving you uncertain. Which direction should you take to ensure the rest of your journey is safe?

Employee benefits such as a retirement fund, healthcare insurance, medical scheme membership, group life and disability benefits are pre-negotiated and agreed upon as part of the employment process and contracting. Typically, these benefits remain in place until the employee-employer relationship concludes through resignation, dismissal, retrenchment, retirement or death.

From 1 September 2024 South Africans with retirement funds have the option to participate in South Africa’s two component retirement system. Qualifying consumers with tax directives will be able to access approximately R100 billion in retirement savings.

With the 1 September implementation deadline looming, South Africa’s ‘two-pot’ retirement reform is fast coming to the boil. While President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the new Pension Funds Amendment Bill, for many employers and labourers there remains much uncertainty. This has prompted us to offer a clear explanation of why this legislation has been drafted but, more importantly, how it will affect employers and employees directly.

With the President signing the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill into law on 1 June 2024, this means the signing of the Pension Funds Amendment Bill is imminent, and the Two-Pot retirement system is confirmed to roll out as proposed on 1 September 2024.

Hiring registered businesses is more than just cost-and-time savings, it’s for the greater good of the country. As much as addressing South Africa’s dire unemployment rate is critical, building industry role players recommend that businesses and members of the public tread carefully when securing the services of unregistered contractors.

If you’re saving for your retirement, both retirement annuities (RAs) and tax-free investments (TFIs) are good investment choices. But which one offers the best tax benefits? The answer depends on your investment goals and unique circumstances. While there are tax benefits associated with both RAs and TFIs, the benefits are structured differently, and the product rules and restrictions are quite distinct.

Retirement is one of those phases of life that invites many perspectives. For some, it's the golden horizon they've been dreaming about, and working towards, their entire career - a chance to finally kick back, relax, and spend their days doing whatever they want.

Finding the right balance between short-term financial needs and your retirement prospects is possible with careful consideration of the various implications and good planning. Some people don’t want to stop working, while others can hardly wait to switch to a lower gear. Either way, there’s no escaping the necessity of planning for retirement.

Nobody enjoys paying tax, but since it’s our legal obligation, we may as well make the most of it by legitimately saving where we can. Because tax savings - even if fractional - compounded over prolonged periods of time can contribute significantly to any person’s financial position.