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.

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FPI Approved Qualifications from MBSE

The Financial Planning Institute provides its members with a list of approved training providers. Moonstone Business School of Excellence (MBSE) is one such provider who complies with the FPI’s requirements in terms of […]

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South Africa – Budget 2016… some thoughts

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan pulled several rabbits out his Budget hat on Wednesday, February 24, when he delivered the first Budget Speech of his current, second term. However, the rabbit one marked ratings […]

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Discount for Burglar Alarm

An interesting case was published in the December Short-term Ombud’s Briefcase. Mr. J submitted a claim against his insurer for contents stolen from his home during a burglary. The insurer rejected the claim […]

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Unjustified Fees

The charging of “broker” or “policy” fees (section 8(5) fees) in the Short-term industry appears to be a common occurrence. The Regulator frowns upon unjustified fees, and it will be addressed under RDR. […]

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A Greener South Africa

A Greener South Africa – Why opt for nuclear power when Mother Nature already provides the answer in abundance? The January 2016 edition of Country Life carried an article titled Solar Karoo about Kalkbult, near […]

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Provident Fund Decision Overturned

An apparently hastily scribbled note from National Treasury titled, Proposal on Postponing the Annuitisation Requirement for Provident Funds for Two Years, confirmed industry concerns that the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, which was promulgated […]

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Social Grants and Funeral Insurance Premiums

The government proposes to amend regulations concerning deductions from social assistance grants by making an affordability assessment a prerequisite to entering into any agreement to provide funeral cover to the beneficiary of a […]

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Notes on Due Diligence

Failure to conduct a proper due diligence procedure is often used by the FAIS Ombud to find against financial advisers. Advisers involved in property syndications and Ponzi schemes, in particular, often felt the […]

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FSB 2015 Annual Report

In response to media speculation about possible reasons for the delay in the publication of its 2015 Annual Report, the Regulator published the following press release: The Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) requires […]

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ASISA Introduces New Cost Comparison Standards

In a media release by the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) on 10 February 2016, it announced details of a new “meaningful” basis to allow consumers and advisers to compare charges and […]

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Sole Proprietors: Did you Know?

Those who remember the good old days of Chappies bubblegum might like to chew on these extracts from an interesting document published on the FSB website: There is no legal distinction between the […]

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The Importance of Material Disclosures

In a determination dated 18 December 2015, the Ombud ordered the Respondents to pay R273 715 to a complainant for “…failure by the financial services provider to update the sum insured under the business […]

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One swallow a summer does not make

The result of Tuesday night’s match, and the way the team played, came as a huge relief to anxious fans who were becoming rather despondent after the euphoria of the success in the […]

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Treasury Heeds FICA Criticism

Legalbrief Today reported on Thursday on the National Treasury’s response to criticism that certain aspects of the proposed amendments to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act are impractical and too onerous. Quoting from a […]

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Addressing Unintended Consequences

The financial services industry faces massive changes which need to be managed very carefully to avoid disruptions which it may never recover from. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) recently […]

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