Having just returned from a beautiful timeshare week at Sabie River Chalets, it was quite an adjustment getting used to the cooler winter evenings. With the Easter holidays behind us, we hope we have managed to avoid the third wave of Covid. Although it is still too early to tell, it is comforting to see the numbers keeping relatively low. I am sure that most of you who are over 60 have now registered for the vaccine and look forward to getting a little closer to putting this virus behind us.

Life at Chartered is gradually normalising as we have more staff in the office daily. The toll of working from home has been more extensive than most people have realised, and although working from home was novel, there is no doubt that we work more efficiently in the office. We have discussed our working model going forward and have agreed that a hybrid (work from the office and home) type arrangement has its benefits, although the bulk of our staff’s time will be in the office. This is very much role-specific, where support staff could spend more time working from home.

Something that challenges us on an ongoing basis is forever increasing regulation in our industry. At Chartered, we have embraced this and recognise the importance of protecting you and your personal information and ensuring that our business is protected. I know that our ongoing requests for updated proof of residence can be most frustrating for you, and we have been working on simplifying our process. The one snag with streamlining this process is that it requires increased technology skills, which many of our older clients struggle with. We will be sending you an email in the months ahead of where you can upload things like your ID and proof of residence directly onto our server, saving you having to print these and bring them in every year. We are also looking at ways to assist you with online signatures, saving you on printing costs. We will share more with you in the months ahead as we refine these opportunities.

Congratulations to our very passionate Kim on her new book Midlife Money Makeover. This book hit the shelves in all major bookstores at the beginning of April and has climbed the bestseller list in Exclusive books every day. Kim has been planning this book for the last few years, and lockdown became the perfect opportunity to complete it. Thank you to all of you who have shared your valuable stories inspiring Kim in her learnings and writings. I would encourage you, your family, and your friends to read this book filled with many inspiring and valuable money lessons.

Enjoy our latest newsletter where Tom, the Director in charge of our Cape Town office, shares some valuable insights on Provisional tax. Philene, our senior legal adviser in Chartered Legacy, continues her three-part series on a Will’s importance. Lastly, Wade, head of the Wealth Creation division, shares the importance of financial planning in your 20s and where one starts.

Look after yourselves and enjoy your warm homes as winter approaches.

Warm regards,
John