Retirement Investing - Maya Fisher-French - March 2011

Whose responsibility is it to ensure a secure retirement?

Despite the billions of Rand that is made out of the retirement industry, members, who ultimately pay the fees receive very little advice. As a personal finance journalist, the most frequent question I receive is: I am resigning from my company, what should I do with my pension fund? The question I want to ask is why am I getting these questions? Is it because the member does not trust the advice provided by the fund or is it simply because there is no advice? .

31 March 2011 - Finweek

Death a factor

A shocking fact of life in South Africa that seldom really rings alarm bells is an average life expectancy barely in the mid-50s, whether through HIV/AIDS or other risks peculiar to this country. The last population estimates by Statistics SA reported life expectancy has been in slow decline in SA since 2001, with estimates for 2010 at 53.3 years for males and 55.2 years for females.

Thursday, 13 Jan 2011, Financial Mail - Ruan Jooste

For retirement, start early and plan soberly

While low interest rates and the strong rand will boost consumer confidence over the next 12 months, Metropolitan Employee Benefits (MetEB) says it will continue its strategy of protecting assets. This has resonated with the broker market and helped the company increase its market share to about 12% — excluding the recently added Momentum merger portion. .

26 January 2011 - Business Report

Market moves in favour of low-cost service providers

THE health of the employee benefit industry is closely aligned with the health of the economy, with the health of people's retirement planning being even more closely aligned.

This parallel growth tends to leave employee benefit companies jostling for market share, especially when the market is experiencing declining national employment levels - as happened over the past two years.

According to Kenny Meiring, head of broker sales and marketing at Metropolitan, established employee benefit companies have lost market share while newer ones without high- cost legacy systems gained. That claim is disputed.

Mixing oil and water

It is five months since we last heard from life offices Metropolitan and Momentum on their merger talks There are still some more hurdles to jump: the shareholders of both companies will vote on September and the investigations by the competition tribunal and the Financial Services Board are still taking place.

Metropolitan Employee Benefits (MetEB) clinched its second consecutive Imbasa Yegolide (Golden Trophy) POA Award for Best Risk Manager of the Year

John Melville, Chief Executive of MetEB, says the award recognises the progress that the company has made in its group risk business over the past six years, and its leadership in fields of risk modelling. MetEB is the fastest growing risk manager in the industry having grown 20% p.a over the past seven years and 9% during the recession in 2009.

June 27, 2010 - City Press

Recession cuts into retirement funds!
Featuring: Kenny Meiring

The recession is shrinking the retirement funds industry. Three quarters of South African pension funds have less than 100 members. This decline may be partly attributed to the failure of small businesses.

May 31, 2010 - POA (Principal Officers Association) Imbasa Yegolide Awards ceremony

Metropolitan Employee Benefits wins prestigious Risk Manager of the Year Award for the second year running!

On Monday 31st of May at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg Metropolitan Employee Benefits was awarded the prestigious POA (Principal Officers Association) Imbasa Yegolide Award for Risk Manager of the Year: Underwriting

Focus on Metropolitan Employee Benefits

Featuring: John Melville, Kenny Meiring, Thinus Alsworth-Elvey, Robert Likhanya Francesco Joshua, Morne Nell, Tajudan Parkar & Clinton Prins.

METROPOLITAN Employee Benefits (MetEB) celebrates its 15th birthday this year and would like to build on its track record of consistent growth in an industry characterised by low margins, rising costs and weak profitability.

Fokus op Metropolitan Employee Benefits

John Melville, Kenny Meiring, Thinus Alsworth-Elvey, Robert Likhanya Francesco Joshua, Morne Nell, Tajudin Parkar & Clinton Prins.

METROPOLITAN Employee Benefits (MetEB) vier vanjaar sy 15de bestaansjaar. Die maatskappy wil nou voortbou op sy geskiedenis van bestendige groei in ’n bedryf wat gekenmerk word deur lae marges,
stygende koste en swak winsgewendheid..

April 11, 2010 - Pensions World

Industry must continue to address issues while we wait for the way forward on the proposed National Social Savings Scheme
Featuring: Kenny Meiring

South Africa's employee benefits industry has changed radically over the past few years caused by the need to protect retirement members' interests.

Some with-profit pension increases beat inflation over the long term
Featuring: Metropolitan

In times of uncertain stock markets, guaranteed annuities (pensions), with their steady income flows, become increasingly popular. The only problem, however, is that when interest rates are low, guaranteed annuities can be just as dangerous as investment-linked living annuities (Illas), which are exposed fully to the vagaries of stock markets.

19 February 2010 - Budget 2010 - Opinion

Shy on retirement
Featuring: John Melville

Government’s immediate priorities, rightfully so, are to create jobs through the expanded public
works programmes and bold new initiatives such as the proposed subsidy to companies in the
private sector that employ young school-leavers.

19 November 2009 - Business Day - by Edward West

Staff benefits unit sees 'flight to value'
Featuring: Kenny Meiring

METROPOLITAN Life's employee benefits division was likely to this year continue its eight-year track record of consistent growth in an industry characterised by low margins, rising costs, and weak profitability among pension fund administrators.

Metropolitan employee benefits head of sales and marketing Kenny Meiring yesterday said he expected new business to increase by about 25% this year, a time when "there is a flight back to value and people want the best possible deal".

Inspiring confidence
Profile: Kenny Meiring

THE RETIREMENT INDUSTRY has been overhauled from many sides - including amendments to the Income Tax Act and Pension Funds Act - instilling greater fiduciary duties on trustees, greater governance standards and more robust regulatory oversight. However, the one issue largely overlooked is costs, which could have minimised the damage to retirement fund members in the current economic environment.

Back-to-basics approach prudent in difficult times
Featuring Kenny Meiring

As analysts ponder global prospects, China recently officially and without warning entered a bear market, losing 20 percent in a few weeks. As the reality set in, sparking a huge global sell off, the country just as quickly rebounded. It is, as Kenny Meiring, Head Broker Sales & Marketing Metropolitan Employee Benefits, points out, a sobering reality that markets these days are not for the faint-hearted

MetEB administered fund - THACSA - proves effective member communication is key
Featuring Renier Grosch & Clinton Prins

Tourism, Hospitality and Catering Pension Fund (THACSA) scoops IRF Communication Award

The Tourism, Hospitality and Catering Pension Fund (THACSA) recently received a Special Recognition Award at this year’s Institute of Retirement Funds annual conference in Durban for best practice in training and engagement with organised labour.

First steps to social security
Featuring Tajudin Parkar

Proposed government scheme has stirred up a hornet's nest in the retirement fund industry

South Africa's retirement funds industry is taking the first formative steps to prepare the ground for the introduction of the government's mooted social security legislation.