SARS pays back R10bn, but some taxpayers’ refunds are being withheld

Taxpayers should inform SARS if they have been unemployed for a full year or longer, to avoid being flagged as non-compliant.

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The future of financial advice in SA

The SuiteBox client engagement and support tool delivers video meeting and digital signing capabilities to financial advisers. Rapid advances in fintech provide a host of solutions that streamline the delivery of financial advice, […]

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FSB Regulatory Updates

The FSB published the following information on draft documents for comment in its FAIS Newsletter 24. Conduct of Business Returns (CoBR) The draft FAIS CoBR was published for comment on 6 December 2016. Comments were received from […]

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In good faith

A case study recently published by the Short-term Ombudsman reiterates the basic principle that short-term insurance is a contract entered into in good faith and that there was no obligation on an insurer […]

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Trends in Motor Insurance

At the launch of the 2016 Annual Report from the Short-term Ombud, she elected to deviate slightly from the usual statistical analysis to highlight some interesting trends from the report with particular reference […]

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The Demise of Churning?

The good news is that the Regulator now understands that not all replacements are bad. One must question the rationale behind making the receiving insurer accountable for assessing whether a replacement is justified […]

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Information Regulator Update

The Regulator held a media briefing on 20 September to bring the media up to speed on developments in her department. Regulations Draft Regulations were published for public comments on the 8 September 2017 with a […]

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New ombud system proposed

The ceremony at which Jack Nicholson received his Oscar for “As good as it gets” was the same one where “Titanic” dominated all the categories. Nicolson, with that wicked smile of his, opened […]

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Technology and Compliance

A recent article by Patrick Cairns in Moneyweb provides an interesting perspective on the role of technology in the ever increasing challenge that compliance is becoming. The advent of Twin Peaks means that […]

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Updating of Policy Wording

A noteworthy comment from the SAIA September newsletter: The Short-term Ombud indicated that Insurers’ policy wording and claims philosophies are not updated and aligned to changes in technology and criminal behaviour. For example, […]

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The client’s right to know

Last week, we reported on the Phoshera judgment by the FSB Appeal Board where it concurred with the view of the FAIS Ombud that the rejection of a claim was warranted on the […]

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Too many eggs in one basket?

“Catch-22 is any paradoxical, circular reasoning that catches its victim in its illogic and serves those who have made the law.” One of the options in the Merriam-Webster dictionary reads: “A situation presenting […]

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Benefit payments from life insurers

ASISA reports that, despite strong economic headwinds, South African life insurers honoured claims by policyholders and beneficiaries worth R458 billion in the year ended 30 June 2017. This represents a 9% increase in benefits paid, compared […]

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Herman Pretorius RVAF Update

A recent article in “Die Burger” reports on the first liquidation and distribution accounts in respect of the Herman Pretorius/Relative Value Arbitrage Fund matter. In total, the RVAF handled investments totalling R2.2 billion, and […]

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FAIS Ombud Actions Queried

Two issues in the recent Phoshera appeal again saw the Appeal Board ask questions about the FAIS Ombud’s decisions. “This appeal is filled with procedural anomalies. First, there is the question of condonation […]

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