Validity of Trusts Questioned
A recent article in Moneyweb states that the validity of more than 85% of trusts on which legal audits have been conducted, can be questioned. Prof Willie van der Westhuizen, head of trust […]
Industry News
Legal precedent set as Odendaal’s assets forfeited in Steinhoff fraud battle
The SARB has forfeited to the state cash totalling R42m from Berdine Odendaal’s bank accounts, as well as her R18m property in Paarl’s Val de Vie estate.
Read moreGovernance of Ombud Schemes
The Short-term Ombudsman’s 2013 annual report contains an interesting perspective on regulation of the various Ombud schemes. The Financial Sector Regulation Bill originally proposed a so-called single Ombudsman’s structure. This envisaged that all […]
Healthcare panel Investigates Private Sector
A panel, headed by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, started a market inquiry in January this year to investigate concerns about private healthcare. A Business Day Live report states that the reason for […]
The New Threatened Species
In May 2014, the Department of Education and Training published a list of the top 100 scarce skills, based on specific criteria. The document is sub-titled: Call for Comments on the National Scarce […]
Fraudulent Medical claims amount to billions
Legalbrief Today reported on a statement by Discovery Health’s CEO, Dr Jonathan Broomberg, that fraud in the medical schemes industry is estimated to cost SA between R8.22bn and R43.2bn. One of the latest […]
Simplified Advice
It has long been my contention that, unlike the socks I buy at Woollies, there are few products which can satisfy clients’ needs with a “one-size-fits-all” approach, particularly in the financial services industry. […]
FSB Outlook for the next 2 years
Improved customer service and fair advisor remuneration will be key features of the new financial services landscape. Jonathan Dixon, Deputy Executive Officer of the Financial Services Board’s Insurance Division, made some interesting comments […]
Medical Schemes Brokers Fee Increase
The Minister of Health has determined that the current capped maximum fee of R69 plus VAT will increase to R71,07 plus VAT with effect from 1 February 2014. This increase of 3% should […]
Demarcation Proposals Under Fire
The proposals by National Treasury to find a solution to what it regards as a threat to medical schemes did not find favour with all in the industry. An article in the Financial […]
Update on Health Insurance Products
National Treasury (“NT”) released the Second Draft Demarcation Regulations for further public comment at the end of April. These Regulations specify which types of health insurance policies are permissible under the Long-term Insurance […]
Insurer Fees to be Outlawed
The FSB published a letter inviting comment from the industry on a practice that it intends declaring an undesirable or irregular practice. Some insurers charge policyholders a fee in addition to the premium […]
Insurance Laws Amendment Bill 2013 Postponed
The information below is taken from a media release issued on the National Treasury website. National Treasury announced on Tuesday that the Insurance Laws Amendment Bill, 2013, which was tabled in Parliament on […]
Behind the Survey
We recently came across a media release of a survey titled SA advisers unprepared for regulatory change. We approached them for clarity on certain issues, and provide our questions, with their responses, below: […]
Power of Attorney and Mental Incapacity
What happens to a power of attorney when the principal’s mental capacity starts to diminish and he/she loses the capacity to act? This is not only important for your clients – many of […]
Crime and Punishment
This article, by Paul Resnik, was published in the April edition of the FinaMetrica newsletter. UK regulator fine for unsuitable advice It seems to be inevitable that the past behaviour of banks raises […]
Client Care – how are we really doing?
Two conflicting headlines in recent industry newsletters raise the question whether clients are treated fairly by the industry. “Complaints to (Long-term) ombudsman reach record number.” “South African consumers are very satisfied with the […]
