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.
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What a weekly workout can teach us about retirement
Exercising regularly is only the starting point for Discovery’s argument that everyday behaviours can have a lasting effect on earnings, debt, and retirement security.
OPFA introduces dedicated form for section 13A complaints
Retirement funds are expected to submit fuller, better-documented complaints when pursuing employers over unpaid contributions and missing contribution schedules.
Unclaimed retirement benefits – a problem that won’t go away
Better member data, stronger engagement, and AI-assisted tracing may improve future outcomes, but billions of rands in legacy retirement savings are likely to remain unclaimed.
No checklist for proving a permanent life partnership, says Adjudicator
Continuous cohabitation and joint bank accounts are relevant but not decisive when trustees assess whether a claimant was a permanent life partner.
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.
Defined-benefit pension conversion dispute turns on fund’s rules
The fund’s calculation was found reasonable by an independent actuary, but the OPFA held that the rules did not authorise the conversion method.
Conduct Standard deadline nears for benefit administrators
From 6 August, administration agreements and outsourcing arrangements must comply with the last deferred provisions of Conduct Standard 2 of 2025.
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.
Treasury’s crackdown spreads beyond municipalities
Municipalities that fix their governance failures could regain funding within weeks, while provinces and national departments are now facing the same scrutiny.
Former Robben Island CFO loses bid to unfreeze pension benefit
The ruling found sufficient prima facie evidence for withholding but did not determine whether Karabo Ramela committed fraud or caused the claimed losses.
What the two-pot system reveals about financial resilience
Former FSCA Deputy Commissioner Astrid Ludin argues that the reform has become an unexpected indicator of South Africans’ vulnerability to financial shocks.
What happens when clients stop behaving their age?
Sanlam’s latest Benchmark suggests economic shocks, disrupted careers, and health risks are reshaping how clients across age groups make financial decisions.
Treasury intervention lays bare concentrated municipal debt
Just 10 of the 69 affected municipalities account for more than R21.6bn in arrears to utilities, retirement funds, SARS and other creditors.
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.
COFI at the heart of FSCA’s 2026 regulation plan
The Authority’s three-year roadmap also outlines upcoming reforms affecting financial markets, retirement funds, payment services, and cross-sector regulation.
Death benefit ruling puts Mutsila judgment into practice
Although the retirement fund misapplied section 37C, the OPFA found the same outcome was equitable after applying the Constitutional Court’s guidance.
