Employee Benefits is a broad term incorporating Pension and Provident Funds, Medical Aid, Health & Wellness, Gap Insurance, Asset Management and Financial Planning amongst others and although separate from each other, all are intertwined.
A more detailed look at each of the components is set out below:
Retirement Planning
Only 6% of South Africans manage to retire on an income which allows them to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle and this is primarily due to the fact that they:
Start saving too late
Save too little
Do not preserve retirement savings when changing jobs
Therefore, the lack of a living income is self-inflicted to a large extent but aggravated by increased longevity and a low-interest rate environment. It is generally accepted that the target income in retirement is a pension equal to 75% of the final remuneration earned and to attain this, one needs to save 15% of earnings for a period of 40 years. A replacement ratio of 75% is thus Advisory Services yardstick in terms of investment strategies and contribution levels with communications to fund members having these fundamental concepts as a focal point.
It is an undisputed fact that an Employer sponsored group retirement fund is the best investment vehicle for the average employee in South Africa because:
- The contributions are tax deductible
- The asset build-up is tax-free
- The lump sums taken are taxed at concessionary rates
We provide independent advice around these issues based on many years’ experience and expertise.
Retirement Fund Consulting
- Benefit design
- Benefit reviews
- Benefit comparisons
- Industry surveys
- Death benefit disposal
- Administration reports
- Adjudicator complaints
- Fidelity cover
- Advice/guidance on acquisitions and terminations
- Retirement planning
- Risk benefit selection and structuring
- Risk benefit revision
- Accreditation of Administrators
- Accreditation of Asset Managers
- Secretarial services to Private Fund Trustees and Manco members
- Umbrella fund selection
- Ex-Pat offshore retirement savings and medical aid solutions
- Ex-Pat repatriation services
Investment Tracking and Asset Monitoring
We facilitate independent investment consulting advice and monitor and report on benchmarks and performance as well as comparisons relative to peer groups.
Advisory Services plays an important role in tracking and monitoring your Funds’ investments and assisting with the development of:
An appropriate investment strategy
Development of an investment policy statement
A default strategy
Portfolio/product selection involving active, passive and multi-manager investments
Arranging investment presentations
Asset manager accreditation
Fund Governance
Advisory Services places great emphasis on governance and applies the following three principles in our relationships with clients:
- To guide
- To educate
- To protect
We ensure clients are kept informed of legislative and legal developments which impact on retirement funds, always bearing in mind the provisions of Pension Fund Circular 130 and the principles of King 4.
We assess client training needs at Trustee, Employer and Member level and provide the relevant training.
“We will not necessarily tell you what you want to hear but will certainly tell you what you need to know”.
Legal
Advisory Services facilitates and develops the following:
Drafting of Fund Rules
Drafting of Trustee Resolutions
Drafting of Rule amendments
Arranging and scrutinising Policies of Insurance
Arranging all risk, reinsurance and investment contracts
Communication
Communication is a vital component in the modern retirement fund landscape particularly in respect of defined contribution arrangements where the investment risk sits with members. We focus on linking investments to attainment of replacement ratios and ensure that members are kept informed to enable them to make informed choices.
- Benefits statements
- Benefits summaries
- Newsletters
- Member booklet
- Group benefit presentations
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