
Old Mutual sees rise in retirement savings preservation under two-pot system
The system appears to be changing member behaviour at exit from employment, even as most eligible members continue to make withdrawals.

The system appears to be changing member behaviour at exit from employment, even as most eligible members continue to make withdrawals.

IRFA also sets out how exit withdrawals now work when a member resigns and has already withdrawn from the savings component in the tax year.

Withdrawal activity has spiked again at the start of the new tax year, with data showing repeat claims are becoming entrenched and raising concerns about long-term retirement outcomes.

Old Mutual findings and industry commentary show gambling is reshaping spending, eroding savings, and drawing policy attention, with implications for employers and advisers.

The system introduced limited access to savings components, but it did not change the longstanding withdrawal restrictions applicable to RAs.

The Revenue Laws Amendment Act settles the treatment of provident and provident preservation fund members aged 55 or older on T-day.

The three-year countdown starts only when SARS formally recognises you as a non-resident – a difference of months can affect access and tax outcomes.

The retirement funds correctly refused multiple savings component withdrawals and early access to vested benefits.

The fund would be acting ultra vires if it paid a savings withdrawal while the member’s and employer’s contributions remained unpaid.

The two-pot rules redefine ‘pension interest’ at account level, meaning funds must deduct awarded sums proportionally from the savings, retirement, and vested components.

Outgoing Adjudicator Muvhango Lukhaimane says the system has laid bare long-standing non-compliance with section 13A of the Pension Funds Act.

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.

Examining international retirement models reveals key lessons, from managing early withdrawals to ensuring disciplined investing and the critical role of financial advice.

It is also open to discussions on letting members transfer all their vested savings into their retirement and savings components.

The two-pot system has changed how members check balances and withdraw funds, but evidence shows the reform alone won’t fix long-term retirement shortfalls.

Despite fears of mass withdrawals, early data shows most members are preserving their two-pot savings – a shift that could leave South Africans up to four times wealthier in retirement.

Even after record withdrawals, retirement fund assets expanded in the third and fourth quarters of 2024, driven by movements in financial markets.