Tag: retirementplanning

With geopolitical conflict, elections, oil prices and inflation risks dominating headlines, it is easy to believe everything is beyond your control. However, that is not the case. The most important drivers of long-term investment success are often the factors you can control. They start with understanding how you behave when markets feel uncomfortable.

Retirement planning is often framed as a question of how much you save. Most people contribute to a Maximising. However, very few understand how to use it strategically. For many investors, retirement annuities function as a routine savings vehicle. People contribute consistently without considering the structural role these products play in a broader wealth strategy.

For at least three decades, South Africa’s financial services industry has raised the alarm about the urgent need to increase consumer savings. Yet little has changed. The elephant in the room is clear. Unless we meaningfully close the gap between product availability and true independent advice, this will not change.

Estate planning and retirement planning rarely appear in the same discussion. This separation often obscures the importance of retirement and estate planning as a connected process. This is because they focus on different life stages. People often treat them as separate aspects of financial planning. However, it remains important to consider your retirement funds when constructing your estate plan.

More people are starting to save for retirement in their twenties, however, many still feel financially unprepared for the future. According to our 2025 Retirement Insights Survey, the average starting age for retirement saving is 27.