I hear this type of comment so often as I go through the financial planning process with my clients. But most of these clients are already over the age of 50 and my response to them is, even if they had, they probably would have waited another 20 or more years before taking any steps to follow my advice.
The unfortunate reality is that, in this material world full of bright shiny things which are continuously and aggressively marketed via so many sources, it is almost impossible for a 20 something year old to visualise a life in retirement. They join the consumer world and spend what they earn and very often spend more than they earn and so they start the downward slide into the "debt trap". After all can one really compare the feeling of "personal success" when discussing one's new vehicle purchase, i-phone or plans for a trip abroad with that of discussing your financial plan over dinner with friends?
Statistics show that few people are adequately prepared for retirement. Even if you belong to a company sponsored pension fund it is unlikely that there will be enough in the fund for you to survive once you have retired. It is vitally important to take ownership and control of your retirement plan and start saving towards a stress free, happy and secure retirement from the day you start earning an income.
How do you start saving for retirement?
A perfect starting point is to join a retirement annuity fund or RA as they are more commonly referred. Anyone, whether they are employed, self-employed or a member of a pension or provident fund, can join an RA and make contributions to it.
How does an RA work?
The "new age" R.As are extremely flexible and allow you to make monthly or annual contributions and even suspend contributions should you lose your job or having financial difficulties and then start up again, all the while offering a wide range of investment funds for you to select to be invested in.
What about tax?
Your contributions to an RA are tax-deductible up to the greater of
- 15% of non-retirement funding income (income other than your monthly salary), or
- R3 500 less any current contributions to a pension fund, or
- R1 750
The above limits will increase substantially in 2015 and I will explain this in detail in an article closer to this date.
What benefits are payable by a RA?
- You cannot access your RA savings until you reach the age of 55 years: Unless the total value of your RA savings is values at less than R7 000 or you have emigrated and the SA Reserve Bank recognizes your emigration, you cannot access your RA savings until you have reached the age of 55 years.
- Disability benefit: If you become permanently disabled before age 55, you can receive a disability benefit. The options available regarding your disability benefit are the same as for the retirement benefit - see below.
- Retirement benefit: This can be taken at any time after you reach age 55 and you don't need to link it to your retirement from your employer. You can take a cash portion of up to 1/3rd of your RA savings, but the balance must be used to purchase a pension. However, if your total RA savings amount is less than R75 000, you can take the total in cash.
- Death benefit: If you die before your retire, your savings in the fund are paid as a death benefit to your dependants and/or nominees. They can either use the benefit to purchase a pension or take all or a portion of the amount in cash.
- Tax consequences: It is vital to remember that there are tax consequences whenever you take cash out of an RA Make sure you completely understand the tax consequences prior to completing your retirement forms or you may be in for a nasty shock.
What are the advantages of an RA?
- Subject to specified limits, your contributions are tax-deductible so effectively you are getting SARS to help you save!
- You can add life assurance and disability cover to your RA policy – but in my experience this can be an expensive way of having insurance so make sure your financial adviser has done a proper cost comparison.
- You can increase or decrease the amount you contribute, making them very flexible.
- Your savings amount in the RA is not seen as part of your estate. If you go bankrupt, your RA will be safe from creditors and the value of your RA is not subject to estate duty on your death so it can often be effectively used in estate planning.
- Another major benefit is that the investment growth in an RA is not taxed so you, the investor, get the benefit of compounding your gross investment returns over the entire life of the RA Initially, on smaller amounts, this benefit may not seem like much. Over time, however, it is a huge advantage if you compare this to other investments i.e.: unit trusts wherein returns will be taxed at your own rate of tax, which could be anything from 18 percent up to 40 percent. That's quite a large slice off the top of your savings!
Which RA should you join?
RA's have historically left much to be desired regarding transparency of costs. However, the RA's of today, like all other financial products are required to be transparent in their cost structures. Be sure you understand the costs of your RA and do not feel awkward about asking your financial planner to explain how the cost structure works and what fees she is earning. The fees you are charged can have a major impact on the long term net investment return on your savings and you owe it to yourself to not only understand the fees but be satisfied that they are competitive for the product and services you are receiving. The market out there is competitive, so your best option is to consult an independent, qualified and experienced financial planner who will help you to identify, clarify and document your goals and objectives and then determine which RA product will be most likely to give you a realistic prospect of achieving them.
When should I start?
If you are serious then you need to start now! i.e. today, not tomorrow.
Submitted by Janine Player CFP®
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