Should I stay or should I go? (#241)

Many people take their first wobbly steps into the financial world because they understand money is meant to do something. What exactly that “something” is, is often left to someone else to figure out. However, once they start learning about the financial environment for themselves they realise there might be products better suited to their needs.

Moving a lump sum away from a provider you’ve trusted for a few years is a daunting process. Even if your reasons are sound, it’s not an easy decision to make. 

In honour of the brand new tax year, we spend this week’s episode helping Carmen decide what she should do with her existing high-cost retirement product. We hope the discussion will help you decide what to do with an investment product that no longer suits you.

We apologise for the ear worm. 

This week’s show is also the last of our shows sponsored by OUTvest. We are deeply grateful to them for their support.

Also remember tomorrow at 11:00, Bobby from AJM Tax will talk about how the tax changes announced last week will affect your pocket. Join the Facebook community group to watch it live and ask your questions.

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Carmen 

Do I keep pumping money into my high cost actively managed RA at Old Mutual (I like the idea of money going somewhere that I do not think about)?

Do I transfer the current balance to my low cost EE and let it sit there and grow (along with the increased monthly premium plan)...but then continue the R3500 contribution to OM (which will likely have even higher fees because now my base amount is R0).

Do I reduce my RA contribution to Old Mutual to the minimum R500 per month (so that I don’t incur an “admin fee”) and increase the RA amount to my EE RA immediately by R3000 per month?

Do I get outta dodge re: Old Mutual RA and move alles completely?

Ancillary reasons for sticking with an actively managed fund at a big investment house are: not to have all my eggs in the EasyEquities basket; my personal risk insurance side is sitting with Old Mutual (disability, illness etc) and my OM is invested in other items than my EE portfolio (bit of diversification); keep contributing to one RA up to age 60 and only pull from it from 65...and other RA only pull from later.

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Win of the week: Nalisa

I started this email about four months ago, and listening to this week's podcast made me decide to get it done. Especially when pet expenses came up! 

To clarify, I'm a vet and best you believe my creatures are on insurance! Yes, I'm a vet and proper medical care is still expensive for me! Akina, my eldest, decided to go ahead and twist her spleen (after hours, fucking typical) and the resulting bill came to about R20 000, and the medical aid paid me back in under a week.

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