B2B Central

Financial Planning

26 Feb 2015

FISA comment on National Budget 2015

By Janice Roberts

Closing down the abuse of retirement annuity contributions to avoid estate duty In a budget with few surprises the Minister of Finance announced several tax increases and measures to prevent tax leakage. From an estate planning perspective, the tax rate for trusts is increased from 40% to 41%, while the corporate tax rate of 28%...
26 Feb 2015

Strides to boost small business to be praised, but higher marginal rate a concern

By Janice Roberts

High to middle income earners and consumers of alcohol and cigarettes suffered the brunt of the pain meted out by the government in the 2015/16 Budget speech, but the government also made important strides to simplify tax compliance for small businesses, said Deloitte on Wednesday. Additional sources of tax revenue might have been increases in...
26 Feb 2015

SA corporates worse-off

By Janice Roberts

South African corporates will be worse off under the abolition of section 6quin tax credits which is likely to dampen trade and investment into Africa. The section 6quin tax credit arose as a result of extensive lobbying by local corporates, who were subjected to high withholding taxes in other African countries on service fees charged...
26 Feb 2015

What the Minister of Finance said and what it means for you

By Janice Roberts

Our national budget is, in many respects, no different to our own personal household budgets. Karin Muller, head of Sanlam Growth Market Solutions, explains: “Over the last couple of years consumers have experienced greater pressure on their wallets, as our income has not been able to keep up with the increased prices we’re paying for...
26 Feb 2015

Finance Minister introduces measures to support a positive environment for small and medium businesses

By Janice Roberts

By Kobus Engelbrecht, Marketing head for Sanlam’s Business Market South African small and medium businesses need a supportive environment for optimal efficiency. To this end, the Minister of Finance announced several initiatives which, if implemented effectively, will go a long way to create such an environment, says Kobus Engelbrecht, marketing head for Sanlam’s Business Market....
20 Feb 2015

Nene needs a magic wand to conjure up wealth

By Janice Roberts

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene will need to reach deep into his top hat to conjure up magic on February 25 when he presents the National Budget Speech for 2015/16. His unenviable task? To conjure up wealth out of very little. “The Minister faces a tough undertaking and will need to be a master magician if...
20 Feb 2015

Lower inflation and investment returns

By Janice Roberts

The steady decline in the international oil price in recent months is starting to filter through to the South African economy environment in the form of lower fuel costs and, in all likelihood, a period of significantly lower inflation. While this has the majority of consumers breathing a sigh of relief, for investors a declining...
18 Feb 2015

The role of an executor

By Janice Roberts

Most people understand the importance of a will, but many people overlook a very important element; the appointment of an executor. An executor is someone who you nominate to carry out the instructions of your will and help to handle your estate. Kobus van Schalkwyk, Head of Legal at Standard Trust Limited says, “Even if...
18 Feb 2015

Topping up a retirement annuity

By Janice Roberts

When, Why and How? By Hugo Malherbe, Product Development Executive at PPS Investments Have you ever wondered why, at this time of the year, you receive a plethora of emails from investment businesses recommending that you top up your retirement annuity (RA)? The short answer is that the 2014/15 tax year closes on 28 February...
16 Feb 2015

How to take your career in wealth management to the next level

By Janice Roberts

Many experienced wealth managers either find themselves frustrated by the restrictions of working within a large financial services company, or out on a limb as an independent advisor. There is a middle way. By Alex Cook, CEO, GCI Wealth The past few decades has seen explosive growth in the numbers of wealthy individuals globally. By...
16 Feb 2015

2015 World Cups highlight inadequacy of sportsperson’s insurance in SA

By Janice Roberts

With major sporting events such as the IRB Rugby World Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup taking place in 2015, it can be expected that some players may become injured while performing their chosen sport. This risk was recently highlighted when Springbok captain, Jean De Villiers, suffered a horror knee injury in the final...
13 Feb 2015

Three key factors for retirement readiness

By Janice Roberts

How do you know if you can retire financially secure? People tend to be overly pessimistic about retirement. Perhaps this is because we feel the need to hold on to our savings with a vice-like grip, afraid to invest it in anything “riskier” than a money market portfolio, for fear of it disappearing into the...