Sue Torr
If you own shares in a business or are the owner of key person cover, note that the proceeds of business assurance policies are exempt from estate dutiable provided that the policy is correctly structured.
A well-constructed financial plan should help you use good debt strategically to increase your net worth. Remember, not all debt is bad – good debt, such as a home loan, can be leveraged to build equity in your property so
It is also important to determine whether the scheme’s annual contribution increases have been out of kilter with the rest of the industry. Again, look at the scheme’s contribution increases over the past three to five years. If they have
If an employee becomes permanently disabled, he/she will need to take ill-health retirement from the fund and leave the fund. In doing so, the proceeds of the disability benefit will be lumped together with the retirement benefits and may be
When leaving employment before formal retirement, preserving your accumulated retirement fund benefits in a preservation fund structure may be an attractive option although it is important to understand the other available options.
Where you hold REITs in a retirement fund, you will not be liable for tax on distributions, and the ability to reinvest and compound these before-tax distributions within your retirement fund over a long period of time is a significant
Life insurance policies can be used to create liquidity in your estate and to make financial provision for your spouse and/or beneficiaries. However, as with other estate planning tools, it is essential to correctly structure your policy so that it
Avoid using your salary increase as a reason to live a more expensive lifestyle. While you may be tempted to buy a more expensive car or live a more lavish lifestyle, consider the lost opportunity costs of not investing the
As with all approved retirement funds, investors can save up to 27.5% of their taxable earnings into an approved retirement fund on a tax-deductible basis, up to the annual maximum of R350 000.
