What is a life file and why does everybody need one? Our world is fast changing especially because of the COVID-19 epidemic of the past number of years. We have become a lot more aware of our mortality – more so than most could have ever imagined before this pandemic. We face an uncertain future. Political upheaval and financial uncertainty are adding to our stress. At EFS we believe these factors present an even more compelling […]
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A living will
A living will is a legal document that sets out your wishes for your healthcare when you cannot share them yourself. It guides your family and healthcare providers when you are not in a condition to make decisions or express your wishes. The document gives instructions for not being kept alive through expensive life-support or other artificial medical interventions when there is no hope of recovery and death is inevitable – for example, if someone is […]
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The importance of a will
Holistic financial planning should ideally be done in a specific order. In a recent blog, we wrote about temporary and permanent disability income protection as the foundation of a sound financial plan. The next component is a will. It is estimated that approximately 70% of working South Africans don’t have a will. If you don’t have a will you die intestate which means that the Intestate Succession Act determines who inherits what. This should be avoided! […]
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Don’t Underestimate your Will Power
Avoid the heartache and headache! This year, National Wills Week is from 17th to 21st September, and is a time when participating attorneys in South Africa will draft basic wills for free. If you haven’t already written a will, this presents the perfect opportunity to do so before it’s too late. Writing a will could make an enormous difference to your family in the future, and it is an easily achievable goal that will give you […]
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6 Estate Planning Tips
In the wake of the 2018 budget, there are recent changes that could affect your estate, especially with regards to paying VAT, Master’s fees and estate duty. Here’s a quick snapshot! The good news is that executor’s fees remain at 3.5% of your total assets, plus VAT. However, as you’re likely all too aware by now, VAT has increased from 14% to 15%, which means that if your executor has registered for VAT, you will feel […]
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A woman’s will
Happy Women’s Day for tomorrow! In celebration of Women’s Month I wanted to share an article that focuses specifically on a financial planning aspect that is often overlooked for women. Recently, the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (Fisa) discussed some important financial planning considerations for women that highlighted the need for an up-to-date will. It is estimated that at least half of the estates reported at the Master’s Office each year are of people who died […]
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Will you be misunderstood?
Wills need to be worded very carefully to avoid confusion and misunderstanding during an already emotionally difficult time (and especially so when leaving property behind). Intentions can be easily misconstrued when layman rhetoric is interpreted in a legal manner. Even fairly straightforward sounding clauses can be interpreted differently. When it comes to property, you can assign several different rights to heirs. There are some presumptions in our law that will favour one outcome over another and […]
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WILL POWER
MOST ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR A MEAL THAN A WILL From our experience, it would appear that many are prepared to pay a couple of hundred bucks to eat out, yet squirm at the thought of paying an expert to draft their last Will and Testament, a vital document that speaks for them when they are gone.Perhaps the reluctance is more from the uncomfortable fact that we don’t ever really want to die, but […]
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