Sue Torr
If your parents are fortunate enough to still have each other, it’s important to have conversations about what would happen in the event of one of them passing. Depending on the nature of their retirement income, the death of the
Remember, retirement annuities are government-incentivised funding structures, are designed to encourage individuals to save for retirement and, in doing so, alleviate the burden of the state. As a result, retirement annuity benefits must be distributed amongst one’s financial dependants in
With July being National Savings Month, now is a good time to review your various savings accounts. If you’re contributing towards a tax-free savings account, check your contributions and make sure that they fall within the annual limit of R36
Differing value systems when it comes to money can create enormous tension in your relationship, especially when children enter the mix. In preparing for marriage, use probing questions to explore your partner’s financial value system. What does financial freedom look
If a couple is married in community of property, both spouses remain jointly and severally liable for all the debt in estate, including any debt that was incurred before the date of marriage. Upon the death of the first-dying spouse,
Appropriately timing the sale of your primary residence is imperative, not least of all because the decision can be a hugely emotional one which can become more overwhelming with age. Further, if your retirement plan is dependent on some or
While many people tend to use the term Living Will and Advance Healthcare Directive interchangeably, there is a fundamental difference between the two documents. Whereas a Living Will is essentially an instruction to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment where
Endowments also offer tax benefits to investors with a marginal tax rate of more than 30% as it will reduce the tax payable on investment growth. However, it is important to bear in mind that endowments have restricted investment terms
If you know your workplace value, be sure to negotiate a market-related salary. Remember, many of your employment benefits – including your pension fund contribution, group life cover, income protection benefits and bonuses – are linked to your income, so
Generally speaking, you may not make additional contributions to your preservation fund except if the money originates from another retirement fund. Also, if you have been awarded a share of your ex-spouse’s pension interest in terms of Section 7(8) of
