Tag: retirement savings

National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) provided important feedback at the recent sitting of the Standing Committee on Finance as part of the parliamentary process regarding the much anticipated two-pot retirement system.

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.

With the increased cost of living, managing your money in your retirement years can be a challenging exercise for many. Running out of money during one’s retirement years is a prime concern for many retirees.  Although people have reasons to be concerned with the rise of economic pressures and the cost of living, consumers can lessen the risk of running out of money in retirement with proper financial planning and sound money management tools. 

In today's dynamic and evolving business landscape, the concept of retirement is undergoing a profound transformation. The traditional notion of leaving the workforce at a certain age and entering a state of relaxation is being replaced by the exciting concept of "unretirement”.

Whether through resignation, retirement or retrenchment, people change jobs all the time. Unfortunately, most of them cash out their pension funds when they do – and it’s one of the biggest reasons why only 6 out of every 100 South Africans end up with enough money to retire, according to the South African Treasury.

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.

We have announced the findings of our inaugural Retirement Insights Survey, the first retirement research of its kind conducted by an integrated financial services provider in South Africa. Against the backdrop of widespread belief that South Africa lacks a savings culture, the survey unveils some reasons for disparities in retirement savings beyond apathy or income.

South Africa commemorates Youth Day on 16 June 2023. With this in mind, we thought it prudent to tackle the importance of establishing good financial habits from an early age. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word habit as “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up”.

The proposed "two pot" retirement system would allow people to have the best of both worlds – early access to a portion of their retirement funds, should it be necessary, while still preserving a significant portion for when they retire. The changes are set to take effect on 1 March 2024, but without further draft legislation being published in February, there are concerns that industry players will not have time to implement changes to meet this deadline.