Of course, you want to manage your finances well to secure a brighter future, but where do you begin? There are so many financial choices and complicated investment strategies to learn about, and market conditions are always changing. It can be hard to find your way around the complex world of financial planning. Consider getting help from a financial adviser. 

A professional can help you connect your money choices with your life goals and the things that are most important to you. A financial adviser is especially helpful when you go through major life changes – like getting married, having kids, buying your first car or house, sending your children to university, starting a business, or retiring. Your financial needs change at each life stage, and you also need advice during challenging times – like losing your job, getting divorced, seeing your home or business damaged by a natural disaster, or becoming incapacitated.

A financial adviser can become your anchor against the shifting tides of financial uncertainty. 

Navigating the complex world of personal finance

We all have different aspirations, and we all approach finances differently. Before making any recommendations, a financial adviser will do a holistic assessment to understand your needs, goals, and aspirations to create a financial plan to achieve them. Your goals might include a comfortable retirement or ensuring that your loved ones will be looked after when you no longer can. Your financial adviser can help you diversify your investments not only across asset classes but also across accounts, individual funds, and product providers. 

In times of market volatility, when you are perhaps panicking and want to change your investment strategy, or when you’re going through an emotionally trying time and can’t see all the angles clearly, your adviser will always be there to help you make the best decisions for your situation. 

How a financial adviser can help

• Setting goals
  A financial adviser will consider your current life stage and circumstances to help you identify and prioritise your goals and aspirations. Your adviser will take your current income, spending, assets, and debt into consideration to draft a financial plan that contributes towards, tracks and achieves your goals.   
  
  
• Saving
  An adviser can create a savings plan to meet your goals over the short, medium, and long term. They will help you draw up a reasonable budget to keep track of your spending and free up income for investment purposes. They can help you choose the appropriate investment vehicle for various savings and investment needs, from an emergency fund to a retirement portfolio.
  
  
• Investment advice
  An adviser can help you choose investments that fit your lifestyle, goals, age, and level of comfort with risk. 
  
  
• Risk cover
  With short-term insurance options, advisers can help you protect your assets against loss or damage. They can also help to make sure that your loved ones will be taken care of financially in the event of your death, and protect your income or earning capability in the event of a critical illness or disability, with long-term insurance options. 
  
  
• Retirement planning
  An adviser can guide you through efficient savings and investment choices when you’re planning for your retirement. They’ll also help you prioritise your contributions to retirement planning to ensure that you have sufficient capital to maintain your lifestyle after retirement. Remember that contributions to retirement funds are normally tax deductible up to 27.5% of the greater of your taxable income or remuneration, capped at R350,000 per tax year. Tax benefits exceeding this amount may roll over to the next tax year.  
  
  
• Taxes
  An adviser can help you invest in a tax-efficient manner and make you aware of any tax deductions that are available.
  
  
• Estate planning
  An adviser can help you draft a will to ensure that your wishes are fulfilled after your death and your assets are distributed as you want them to be. They can also assist with estate liquidity calculations, to ensure that your beneficiaries will not have to sell assets to cover administrative costs.
  
  Bear in mind that financial planning is a lifelong journey. You will most likely work with the same financial adviser for many years, so make sure you choose someone you’re comfortable with. 
   

If you’re a young professional, a medical professional, or over 55, you can benefit from a range of Nedbank private banking services. Talk to your relationship banker about working with a knowledgeable financial adviser to realise your financial aspirations.