Temple Alliance

15/10/2026

Should you skip the RA and just invest in a discretionary account?

We got an email asking exactly that recently. So we worked through it.

There are fair arguments on both sides. An RA locks your money away until 55, but it also gives you a tax deduction and tax-free growth. A discretionary investment gives you flexibility, but no deduction.

The numbers and the assumptions behind them are in our latest article which you can read here: https://insights.templealliance.co.za/should-you-have-an-ra

What would you do with an annual tax saving: invest it or enjoy it?

Retirement annuities offer real tax advantages, but your money comes with restrictions. When an RA works in your favour, and when it may not.

08/10/2026

Most financial planning quietly assumes there's a second adult to fall back on: another income, another caregiver, another person who knows where the important documents are.

If you're raising children on your own, that assumption doesn't hold. It isn't a smaller version of a two-parent plan. It's a different plan.

Our latest article covers:

Why one income changes how much cover you need
The difference between naming a guardian and deciding who manages the money
Why disability and income protection matter as much as life cover
Five next steps if it all feels like a lot

It's written for single parents, but two documents we've created help any parent of minors. The Family Financial File is the overview of who your family is, where the money is, who to call and what you want. The Life Folder holds the confidential detail and is kept as a hard copy only.

Read the full article:

Single-parent finances aren't half of a two-income plan. Guardianship, income-protection gaps and why the emergency fund matters more with no backup.

01/10/2026

Myth: you need a finance degree to read your investment statement.
Truth: you need five questions.

Swipe through for the jargon nobody ever translates — ETFs, TER, benchmarks, TFSA vs RA, and more.

📖 Full guide, Investment Jargon, Actually Explained, is link in bio.
📅 Want to know how it applies to you? Book a consultation — also link in bio.

Temple Alliance (Pty) Ltd | Authorised FSP No. 45325 | For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.

25/09/2026

The fee that pays for itself.

Good financial advice isn't a cost you absorb — it's a cost that works. The right guidance, at the right time, can mean the difference between a plan that merely exists and one that actually gets you where you're going.

A compass doesn't make the journey for you. It just makes sure you're not wasting time walking in the wrong direction.

We've unpacked what good advice is actually worth in this week's Insight. Read the full article — https://insights.templealliance.co.za/the-fee-that-pays-for-itself

24/09/2026

Rooted in what came before. Growing toward what's next.
Happy Heritage Day.

18/09/2026

Today marks the last day of National Wills Week (14–18 September 2026) — a national initiative raising awareness around the importance of having a valid, up-to-date Will.

If you don't have a Will in place, or haven't reviewed yours in a while, our team can help you draft or update one properly — one that reflects your actual wishes and holds up when it matters.

Reach out to get started.

https://templealliance.co.za/

17/09/2026

📉 COVID crash. 📈 2022 bear market. ⚡ 2025 tariff shock. 🛢️ Two wars involving Iran. All in five and a half years — and markets finished higher every time.

Here's what actually happened:

🇺🇸 The S&P 500 fell 34% in five weeks during COVID — the fastest bear market in modern history — then fully recovered by August 2020
📊 The 2022 bear market wiped out a quarter of the S&P's value before a new bull run began that October
🛑 A war between the US, Israel and Iran broke out in February 2026, sending oil past $100 a barrel — markets bounced back within months
🇿🇦 Closer to home: the JSE Top 40 returned 47.7% in 2025 alone (dividends included) — nearly three times the S&P 500

Read the full breakdown of every crash and recovery since 2020 — and what it means for how you invest through the next one:

A timeline of every major market crash and recovery since COVID-19 — what caused each one, which stocks won and lost, and what the pattern actually teaches you.

14/09/2026

🏠 or 📊 — which one's actually funding your retirement?

"Rather buy property" is close to a reflex in South Africa. But two assumptions sit underneath it that almost nobody checks:

❓ Will it really be worth a lot more by the time you need it?
❓ Will the rent actually be enough to live on?

Our latest article tests both against the real numbers, then walks through the situations that come up again and again:

🏡 The paid-off family home
📦 Downsizing at retirement
🏘️ A buy-to-let portfolio
👪 An inherited property
💰 Already maxed your RA deduction

Read the full comparison here:

South Africans default to property as the safe retirement investment. An honest comparison of the tax, costs, liquidity, and diversification of each.

03/09/2026

Most families never have this conversation until a crisis forces it. 💬

We've written a practical guide on talking to your parents about money, care, and what comes next — 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 👇
📄 Where the important documents are
📝 Whether the Will is up to date
🏥 Medical aid & gap cover details
💰 The retirement income picture
🏡 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 — 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.

How to talk to your parents about money, care, and what comes next — 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 — check this out 👇

Two years and three withdrawal windows in, we broke down what the data actually shows:

💰 Average withdrawals have dropped to around R9,300 — mostly covering shortfalls, not splurges

🔁 By window three, most claims were repeat withdrawals — it's becoming a habit for many households

🧾 There's no tax-free portion on a savings withdrawal — it's taxed at your marginal rate from the first rand

✅ 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.

What three withdrawal windows reveal about how South Africans actually use the two-pot retirement system, and the real tax cost.