Retire Smart: Contributions, Tax Breaks & Cash Flow
Episode description
In this episode Warren Ingram and Pieter de Villiers discuss the intricacies of retirement fund contributions, tax benefits, and investment strategies for individuals nearing retirement answering your questions. They speak to the importance of understanding contribution limits, maximizing tax benefits, and the need for liquidity in retirement.
Question:
"Hello Honest Money team, I have a question regarding which in your opinion is the better long term (15 years or more) approach: Contributing more than R350k per year to your provident fund or only contributing up to R350k and putting the rest in to a tax free savings account? From my own research there seems to be merit in both, but I'm still unclear on what the optimal solution could be. I would appreciate your opinion on this. Thank you and regards, Gert Kruger."
Takeaways
- You can contribute up to 27.5% of your taxable income to retirement funds.
- Over-contributions to retirement funds can be rolled over for tax benefits.
- Tax-free savings accounts have strict contribution limits and penalties for over-contribution.
- Maximizing contributions to retirement funds is generally advisable for tax benefits.
- Liquidity is crucial in retirement for unexpected expenses and lifestyle choices.
- Flexibility in accessing funds is more valuable than strict tax efficiency.
- Diversification helps mitigate concentration risk in retirement planning.
- Endowments can be beneficial for high-income earners due to tax advantages.
- It's important to balance tax planning with overall investment strategy.
- Life events can impact financial decisions, so having accessible capital is essential.
Learn more about Prescient Investment Management here.
Have a question for Warren? Don't forget to voice note your questions through our WhatsApp chat on (+27)79 807 8162 and you could be featured in one of our episodes. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more Financial Freedom content: @HonestMoneyPod