Daily Maverick Articles #Financial Planning

In most cases, some form of retirement savings is available through group schemes offered an employer. Unfortunately though, sometimes the people that set these up take a chance, and hide details in the fine print. Let's take some time and discuss what you should look out for, and uncover the truths hidden underneath.

The idea of planning for retirement can seem like quite a daunting task, and often times, people leave it a bit later than they should. Then when it comes to crunch time, it can lead to much anxiety and stress. Let's take some time and discuss ways to circumvent this problem, should you find yourself in it.

The phrase "make your money work for you" is thrown around very often, but most people don't really grasp the concept fully, or have the knowledge of what to do and what resources are available. Let's take some time and discuss what structures you can put in place to ensure a healthy financial standpoint and in turn "make your money work for you".

As we've discussed many times before, nothing in my line of work is "one size fits all"; everyone has a unique set of circumstances that must be taken into consideration when they make decisions. You need to be in a solution which works in line with your own goals and targets. A specific factor in this regard is deciding what type of annuity option to choose. Let's take some time to discuss the differences between living and life annuities, and where the strength lies within each option.

This industry is mostly filled with people who are eager to do the necessary for their clients to help them grow and achieve financial success. However, as with many other professions, every now and then there tends to be a snake in the grass. Let's take some time and discuss what you should be looking out for and how to go about picking the right options.

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.

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.

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.