03/09/2026
Most families never have this conversation until a crisis forces it. π¬
We've written a practical guide on talking to your parents about money, care, and what comes next β plus a free "Life Folder" template they can fill in themselves (no need to hand over passwords or bank statements to anyone).
Here's what to ask about π
π Where the important documents are
π Whether the Will is up to date
π₯ Medical aid & gap cover details
π° The retirement income picture
π‘ Their care preferences
Plus one thing worth knowing on its own: a Power of Attorney doesn't cover incapacity, and most banks require their own version signed in person β before it's needed, not after.
Read the full guide: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/conversation-with-parents
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Talking to Your Parents About Money | Temple Alliance
How to talk to your parents about money, care, and what comes next β before a health crisis forces the issue. A practical guide for South African families.
27/08/2026
If you don't understand the two-pot system, you're not alone β check this out π
Two years and three withdrawal windows in, we broke down what the data actually shows:
π° Average withdrawals have dropped to around R9,300 β mostly covering shortfalls, not splurges
π By window three, most claims were repeat withdrawals β it's becoming a habit for many households
π§Ύ There's no tax-free portion on a savings withdrawal β it's taxed at your marginal rate from the first rand
β
When withdrawing is actually defensible, and when it isn't
Read the full breakdown: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/two-pot-two-years-on
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
The Two-Pot System, Two Years On | Temple Alliance
What three withdrawal windows reveal about how South Africans actually use the two-pot retirement system, and the real tax cost.
26/08/2026
π Last week we wrapped the Cornerstone Series β ten weeks, ten life stages, ten free guides.
Thank you for following along! Here's the full series if you'd like to catch up on any edition:
π― The 30s β the financial foundation everything else depends on
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-30s
βοΈ The 40s β the decade of reckoning
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-40s
π The 50s β the decade of finalisation
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-50s
π± The 20s β the decade most people waste, and can't afford to
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-20s
π° The First Big Raise β before lifestyle creep does it for you
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-first-big-raise
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ For Families β protecting the people who depend on you
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/for-families
π
For Retirees β making your money last as long as you do
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/for-retirees
π Nearing Retirement β the window where decisions carry the most weight
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/nearing-retirement
πΌ For Those With Lump Sums β what to do when a large amount of money arrives unexpectedly
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/lump-sums
π§ Saving for Children β the long game most parents start too late
https://insights.templealliance.co.za/ready-for-kids
We're not going anywhere β from this week we're publishing a new standalone article every Thursday, you'll find the links right here on Facebook and on LinkedIn. Same practical, South African-focused approach, new topics every week.
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Financial Planning in Your 30s | Cornerstone Series | Temple Alliance
Financial planning guide for South Africans in their 30s. Covers life cover, income protection, Wills, retirement contributions, TFSA, and emergency funds. Written by Temple Alliance Financial Services.
20/08/2026
π Edition 10 of the Cornerstone Series is live β our last one in this ten-part run.
This edition tackles a big question: are you financially ready for kids? Inside:
π° The real monthly cost of a child
πΌ The income gap around birth
π‘οΈ Debt and cover worth sorting first
β
A short readiness checklist you can work through today
We've also posted a summary of every book we recommended across the series, with the one takeaway from each. Check it out here: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/reading-list
Cornerstone as a series is complete, but we're not slowing down β a new article every week from here, announced right here on Facebook and on LinkedIn.
Read Edition 10: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/ready-for-kids
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Ready for Kids? The Income Math Before the Decision | Cornerstone Series | Temple Alliance
A financial readiness guide for South African couples considering children. Covers the real monthly cost of a child, the income gap around birth, debt and cover to sort out first, and a practical readiness checklist. Written by Temple Alliance Financial Services.
13/08/2026
An inheritance. A retrenchment payout. A bonus. However it arrives, the instinct is the same β do something with it immediately. That instinct is almost always wrong.
Edition 09 of the Cornerstone Series β For Those With Lump Sums β is live now. The core advice: park the money somewhere it can earn a reasonable return for 90 days before making any investment decision. It's not delay for delay's sake β decisions made under grief, anxiety, or excitement about a windfall consistently produce worse outcomes than decisions made once the dust settles. (Two exceptions: high-interest debt and retirement fund transfers after retrenchment, which has its own 90-day legal deadline.)
From there, we cover preservation funds vs cash after retrenchment, the CGT questions to ask before selling an inherited asset, and why investing a lump sum all at once beats phasing it in roughly seven times out of ten.
Read it here: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/lump-sums
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
What to Do With a Lump Sum in South Africa | Cornerstone Series | Temple Alliance
What to do with an inheritance, retrenchment payout, or bonus in South Africa. Covers the 90-day rule, preservation funds, CGT, retrenchment tax, and lump sum investing. Written by Temple Alliance Financial Services.
06/08/2026
The five to ten years before you retire matter more than almost any other stretch in your financial life β and it's often the stretch people plan for the least.
Edition 08 of the Cornerstone Series β Nearing Retirement β is live now. It covers sequencing risk (why a market drop right before you stop working can be far more damaging than the same drop a decade earlier), how to use your last few years of higher earnings to their full tax advantage, and how to build a retirement budget around what will genuinely change.
Read it here: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/nearing-retirement
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
03/08/2026
Ever caught yourself comparing your portfolio to someone else's, or making a snap decision because you were scared of missing out? You're in good company β these are exactly the habits this article from Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management unpacks, framed as the "seven deadly sins" of investing:
πΈ Sloth β not doing enough research before investing
πΈ Greed β fear of missing out driving the decision
πΈ Pride β thinking you'll always get it right
πΈ Lust β falling for an investment and holding on too long
πΈ Gluttony β over-diversifying to the point it works against you
πΈ Envy β constantly comparing your portfolio to others
πΈ Wrath β letting emotion take the wheel
Their takeaway is a good one: it's rarely a lack of information that trips investors up β it's emotion. π
π https://www.canaccord-wealth.com/intl/professionals/insights/seven-deadly-investing-sins?utm_source=canaccord_wealth&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=seven-deadly-investing-sins
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
The seven deadly investing sins | Canaccord Wealth
Fear, greed, overconfidence and FOMO can derail even well-made investment plans. Paul Derrien, Divisional Director, explores seven common investing mistakes and how disciplined portfolio management can help investors stay focused on long-term goals.
30/07/2026
Retirement isn't one plan. It's a different plan for every person reading this.
Edition 07 of the Cornerstone Series β For Retirees β is live now. It's built around a simple idea: the standard retirement rules are a safe average, but nobody actually lives an average retirement. Your health, your family history, and what you actually want the next 20β30 years to look like should shape your income strategy, not the other way around.
Read it here: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/for-retirees
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Retirement Income Planning in South Africa | Cornerstone Series | Temple Alliance
Retirement income planning guide for South Africans. Covers safe drawdown rates, living vs life annuities, inflation protection, longevity planning, and healthcare costs. Written by Temple Alliance Financial Services.
29/07/2026
Tomorrow, a new edition of the Cornerstone Series lands: For Retirees β Making Your Money Last As Long As You Do.
It's for anyone already living off their savings. It covers why a 4% drawdown rate is a starting point (not a rule), the living annuity vs life annuity decision, and why healthcare costs deserve their own line in a retirement budget. Link to follow tomorrow.
Six editions in so far:
π Your 30s https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-30s β the financial foundation everything else depends on
π Your 40s https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-40s β the decade of reckoning
π Your 50s https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-50s β the decade of finalisation
π Your 20s https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-20s β the decade most people waste, and can't afford to
π What to Do With Your First Big Salary Increase https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-first-big-raise β before lifestyle creep does it for you
π Family Financial Planning https://insights.templealliance.co.za/for-families β protecting the people who depend on you
Catch up on any of them before tomorrow's edition lands.
Start here: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Financial Planning in Your 30s | Cornerstone Series | Temple Alliance
Financial planning guide for South Africans in their 30s. Covers life cover, income protection, Wills, retirement contributions, TFSA, and emergency funds. Written by Temple Alliance Financial Services.
14/07/2026
Four weeks into the Cornerstone Series, and we've covered a full run through adulthood so far:
π The 30s β the foundation everything else depends on. Life cover, income protection, Wills, TFSAs, and the emergency fund that makes the rest possible.
π The 40s β the decade of reckoning. Your retirement number gets real, sequence risk enters the picture, and estate planning stops being optional.
π The 50s β the decade of finalisation. Less room for error, more precision β optimisation, protection, and getting the last stretch right.
π The 20s β the decade most people waste, and can't afford to. Why starting at 22 instead of 32 can be worth millions, and the car finance trap that quietly costs more than people realise.
Whichever one you're in right now, there's an edition written for exactly where you stand. Catch up before Thursday's Edition 5 lands.
Start here: templealliance.co.za/cornerstone-series
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd
Plan for tomorrow today