Daily Maverick Articles

As we've spoken about before, death is never an easy topic to talk about, but every now and then, life forces you to face the music. It is, however, important to arm yourself with the relevant knowledge. Let's take some time to understand death benefit payouts and their relevant tax implications.

Bank interest rates have been very good this year and many received a nasty surprise when they realized how much tax is payable. By restructuring the investment so that you pay CGT rather than income tax, you can reduce your tax bill significantly.

As someone who used to be employed as a teacher many years ago, and still work with many to this day, I'm quite familiar with the types of pension funds that are available in an already underpaying profession. Let's take a look at home you could structure your affairs to give you the best returns and most longevity.

Tax free investments are such a great vehicle for saving money, as its perfect for long-term saving. Many people underestimate the value of such an investment, but there's more than what meets the eye. Let's discuss certain things to take note of and realise just how valuable these investments can be.

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes", and unfortunately the older you get, the more those two factors can loom heavily over you. However, with some strategic work you can ease the tax burden on your retirement income quite significantly. Let me walk you through some ways to circumvent this issue.

We all love our kids, and one of our main goals is to watch them grow up and be successful, even until after we're gone. However, with special needs children, the situation is way more nuanced. Let's take some time and discuss the most efficient ways to ensure the care of your special needs child should you pass away.

Ensuring that you have enough money when you retire can be a daunting, and quite challenging process. Let's discuss retirement products, weigh up some pro's and con's, discuss the relevant income streams and how to manage the money, all while helping you set yourself up for a stress-free, prosperous retirement.

To retire is easy; having enough money to sustain you post-retirement isn't quite as easy. However, with some clever planning and strategic thinking, you can ease the tax burden and lower your portfolio's overall risk, resulting in more, safer money for your future.

Something I come across very often is that people more advanced in their years really struggle to keep up with the cost of living in our ever-modernising world. This is often due to the fact that their retirement monies aren't structured in such a way to ensure sustainability. Let's take a look at how some savvy decision making can increase your pension, and with that, your quality of life.

One of the biggest hurdles I see many people face, especially in their later years, is the burden of life insurance premiums, and wanting to scale down on their cover. Many people think that they've figured out a great solution, but in the long run that turns out not to be the case. Let's take some time and discuss how to go about analysing quotes by assessing what you get vs what you need, and understanding premium patterns.

As daunting as it can be, something to think about when investing and reviewing current investments is about what would happen when you die. It's intended for the transfer to be as smooth as possible, but the right structures need to be put in place. Let's discuss what measures you can put in place to ensure that your loved ones are taken care of and have one less thing to worry about should you pass away.

A question we often ask ourselves is "Do I have enough, or at least the correct, medical cover?" Way too often people overpay for some new and fancy policy, but the difference between what they pay versus what they get out of it is mind-blowing. Let's take some time and discuss the basics of medical aid and how to choose the cover that is best suited for your needs.