Unclaimed benefits | Support for central tracing, not central control
Retirement funds back efforts to make unclaimed benefits easier to find but say transferring billions in retirement assets into a central fund goes too far.
#employeebenefits
When it’s your money, who should decide?
As employers hand more responsibility for retirement and healthcare benefits to staff, the industry is rethinking how to balance freedom with better financial decisions.
Why retirement advice isn’t changing behaviour
Access to education and information has expanded, but the challenge is turning member engagement into better financial decisions and outcomes.
Retirement fund arrears rise to R8.33bn despite R1bn in recoveries
Late-payment interest now accounts for almost half of arrears, suggesting unpaid contributions are remaining outstanding for longer.
The next frontier for employee benefits is integration
Sanlam’s Benchmark report argues that improving member outcomes increasingly depends on linking financial advice, healthcare, and risk benefits.
Alexforbes’ pivot to independent advisers starts paying off
Strong retail flows, rising adviser numbers, and expanding support capabilities suggest the group’s push to win over IFAs is beginning to deliver measurable results.
Two-pot’s hidden effect: members are staying in retirement funds
While billions have been withdrawn through the two-pot system, Alexforbes says more members are remaining connected to retirement funds long after leaving their employers.
Alexforbes delivers record assets as underlying profit jumps 22%
Despite a decline in headline earnings, Alexforbes delivered strong underlying growth, with record assets, rising retail inflows, and expanding umbrella fund assets.
COFI will test whether retirement funds are truly member-first
Old Mutual Corporate says the real COFI test is cultural: funds must start with the member outcome and build governance around it.
Employers offset above-inflation pay increases by cutting benefits
Hybrid working, guaranteed bonuses, and fully paid parental leave are less common, even though employees rate them highly.
Death claims test trustees as section 37C meets real-world complexity
From disputed dependants to contested deaths, trustees are judged on how they investigate and explain their decisions.
Bonitas transition proceeds as administrators outline plans amid legal uncertainty
Sanlam and Momentum outline how they are managing workforce, operations, and risk as the Bonitas transition proceeds despite an unresolved court challenge.
Sanlam links health and wealth in advice model shift
The group plans to combine healthcare and financial data to refine risk assessment and product pricing.
Amendment Bill reshapes parental leave and UIF benefits
The draft Bill converts the Constitutional Court’s interim remedy into law, creating a single, shared parental leave entitlement and widening rights for adoptive parents.
CMS says GEMS cannot cut 25% reserve requirement
The comment comes amid a growing standoff between organised labour and GEMS after the scheme announced a 9.8% contribution increase for 2026.
Two pots showing results, but success hinges on preservation and education
Industry experts say that small, unclaimed pots left behind by members pose a growing challenge that must be managed to protect long-term retirement outcomes.
Alexforbes launches umbrella fund solution: Alexforbes One
Alexforbes has launched Alexforbes One, a new umbrella fund aimed at providing a unified solution for employers, intermediaries, and members.
