lets-talk-about-retirement Let’s talk about retirement

It’s important to understand the impact of COVID-19 on your retirement investments and income.

Investors have more control over their finances than they think. With the right advice and solutions, there is much we can do to improve our current – and future – situation.

The lead-up to retirement

While Sanlam always advocates the importance of staying calm, we acknowledge that those on the verge of – or in the process of – retiring, have immediate and valid concerns and that they may not have enough time to make up the losses they’ve suffered.

Delay retirement if you can. If this is not possible, perhaps your skill set allows you to offer a service that will bring in an income for a while longer. Retiring a little later will not only give your capital time to recover, but will also mean that you’ll be drawing an income from your capital for a shorter period of time. If drawing an income is the only option, try to keep the income for the first couple of years as low as possible to protect your capital.

If you have a few years to go until retirement, continuing contributions to a retirement annuity (RA) is a smart move. Markets are showing signs of recovery and investors feel more comfortable investing now than they did a few months ago. Not only will you continue building your capital base and reaping the benefits of compounded interest on your savings, but you will also continue to enjoy the tax deductions offered by an RA. Remember that your retirement benefit saved in a retirement fund is protected from creditors; and estate duty is not payable on the benefit either. Our RA offers you the flexibility to change your regular contributions and your underlying investments.

Investments and income after retirement

For many of us, one of the most important decisions we’ll make in terms of retirement, is the selection of a suitable retirement income solution – one that will provide a sustainable income for the rest of our lives.

Much has been written about increasing longevity – people are living longer in societies across the globe. This, together with the low-return investment environment we’ve experienced in the past few years, pose a real concern for investors. Glacier Invest believes that the traditional ways of constructing a portfolio will no longer deliver the returns which retirees drawing an income, will need. This led to the development of the Glacier Invest Living Annuity Income Solutions, a first-of-its-kind approach to portfolio construction.

This offering was not created in response to the recent pandemic and ensuing market conditions. It has been in the making for the past two years and was the culmination of much research into portfolio construction, with a specific focus on those drawing an income in retirement.

_{Glacier Financial Solutions (Pty) Ltd is a licensed discretionary financial services provider, trading as Glacier Invest FSP 770.
Sanlam Multi-Manager International (Pty) Ltd is a licensed discretionary financial services provider, acting as Juristic Representative under Glacier Financial Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
The Glacier Investment-Linked Living Annuity is underwritten by Sanlam Life Insurance Ltd and administered by Glacier Financial Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
The Personal Portfolios Retirement Annuity Fund is administered by Glacier Financial Solutions (Pty) Ltd.}