Articles

Trust Fund Assistance and Help

Trusts

Professional Trust Fund Assistance Could Help Safeguard your Family’s Future It is a sad fact that many of those who have done what they believe to be their very best in order to secure the future of their loved ones in the event of their death, often fail to achieve little more than providing their families with a temporary respite from the resulting financial pressures. Unless properly managed, the value of a cash legacy can soon be eroded as a result of inflation, taxation and various financial obligations, consequently leaving beneficiaries with far less than had been the intention... read more

Deceased Estates Management

Estate Planning, Executor Services

Choosing Who Will Best Manage Your Deceased Estate Most men select a brother or a long-standing friend for the role when they are choosing a best man to support them on their wedding day. When, at a later stage, the married couple are planning to celebrate the baptism of their child; they will normally be equally discerning when deciding who will act as its godparents. In both cases, the choice is one based upon trust and the knowledge that, with just a brief rehearsal, each of the parties will be able to fulfil his or her roles flawlessly. It... read more

Estate Planning and Handling

Estate Planning

Estate Planning and Handling Best Left To a Legal Specialist Abraham Lincoln is credited with a phrase that has since gained the status of a proverb. The 16th president of the United States is said to have uttered words to the effect that any man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client. The comment was, of course, intended to cast doubts upon the wisdom of such a decision, given the complexities of the law, rather than to imply diminished intellect. Almost everyone is likely to concur with “honest Abe’s” sentiment and be only too... read more

Deceased Estates

Estate Planning

The Administration of Deceased Estates in South Africa Most people are aware of the importance of making a will and the need to appoint someone who is responsible to act as the executor. Beyond that, however, unless they have already served in the capacity of an executor, they are unlikely to know a great deal about the actual administration of deceased estates and may also be distracted by stress and grief when called upon to undertake this process. In South Africa, where the individual concerned has drawn up a valid will, the process will then be governed by the... read more

Trusts

Trusts

Trusts can Protect your Assets and Assist with Estate Planning A simple search of the dictionaries and online sources will quickly reveal that there are a variety of ways in which they define a trust. Unfortunately, most of these definitions are couched in legal terms that can present difficulties for the layman. Perhaps the simplest way to describe it is as a relationship in which an individual, referred to in legal terms as the trustor, allocates the right to manage his or her property and financial assets to a second party. This may be an individual or a group.... read more