Frequently Asked Questions
DWD Financial Planners helps individuals, families, and businesses make informed financial decisions for a secure future. We offer expert financial planning, retirement solutions, investment management, and risk protection — all tailored to your goals and lifestyle.
We’re based in Winchester Hills, Johannesburg South, and proudly serve clients across South Africa. Whether you prefer in-person meetings or virtual consultations, our team is here to assist you wherever you are.
Anyone who wants to make smarter financial decisions can benefit from a financial planner. Whether you’re starting your career, saving for retirement, managing wealth, or protecting your family, professional guidance ensures your money works efficiently toward your goals.
We’re an independent financial planning firm, meaning our advice is unbiased and tailored solely to your best interests. We focus on long-term relationships, transparency, and strategies designed for your specific financial needs — not generic products.
Not at all. At DWD Financial Planners, we help people at every stage of life. Whether you’re just starting out or already managing significant assets, our role is to create a plan that helps you grow, protect, and enjoy your wealth responsibly.
If you’re earning an income, paying off debt, investing, or thinking about retirement, you’re ready. Financial planning helps you clarify your goals, structure your finances, and make confident decisions — now and for the future.
You can book a consultation by calling 083 783 3369 or emailing info@dwdfinancialplanners.co.za. During the first meeting, we’ll discuss your current situation, financial goals, and how we can tailor a plan that suits your needs.
Yes. Our financial advisors are fully accredited, qualified, and compliant with South African financial regulations. We adhere to the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) requirements, ensuring professional and ethical advice at all times.
Absolutely. We offer convenient virtual consultations for clients who prefer to meet via video or phone. You’ll receive the same personal attention and professional guidance — wherever you are.
It’s our promise to you. We don’t just help you manage money — we help you build a financially confident life. Every recommendation we make is designed to create lasting stability and peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Financial Planning & Retirement
Financial planning is the process of setting goals for your money and creating a strategy to achieve them. It helps you manage income, expenses, savings, and investments so that you can live comfortably today while preparing for the future.
A financial planner helps you calculate how much you’ll need for retirement, choose the right investment vehicles, and create a plan that balances growth and security. At DWD Financial Planners, we design retirement strategies tailored to your lifestyle and income goals.
A Retirement Annuity is a long-term savings plan that allows you to invest for retirement while receiving tax benefits. It’s ideal for individuals who are self-employed or who want to boost their retirement savings beyond their employer’s pension or provident fund.
The best time to start is now. The earlier you begin, the more time your money has to grow through compound interest. Even small monthly contributions can make a significant difference over time.
If you change employers, you can transfer your pension or provident fund into a Preservation Fund. This keeps your savings invested and tax-protected until retirement, without losing the benefits you’ve built up.
You’re allowed one withdrawal before retirement, but it’s generally recommended to keep your funds invested. Withdrawing early can reduce your long-term growth potential and affect your future retirement income.
Everyone’s needs are different, but as a rule of thumb, you should aim to replace around 70–80% of your final salary through retirement income. Our advisors use financial modelling tools to calculate exactly how much you’ll need based on your lifestyle and goals.
A Living Annuity provides a flexible income during retirement by allowing you to draw a percentage of your investment each year. At DWD Financial Planners, we help you balance withdrawals and growth to ensure your funds last throughout your lifetime.
Both are retirement savings structures. Pension Funds pay out a portion as a lump sum and the rest as a monthly income, while Provident Funds allow members to withdraw the full balance as a lump sum. Our advisors can guide you on which option best suits your situation.
We offer independent, personalised advice — not one-size-fits-all solutions. Our team focuses on helping you build long-term financial security with transparent guidance and ongoing support to ensure your retirement plan stays on track.
Wealth & Investment Management
Wealth management is a comprehensive approach to growing, protecting, and transferring your assets. It combines investment planning, tax efficiency, estate structuring, and risk management to help you achieve lasting financial security.
A professional wealth manager provides expert advice to help you make informed investment decisions. At DWD Financial Planners, we ensure your portfolio aligns with your goals, time horizon, and risk appetite — helping you grow your wealth confidently.
We provide access to a range of investment options, including unit trusts, retirement annuities, tax-free savings accounts, and direct investments. Our recommendations are based on independent research and tailored to your financial objectives.
Diversification means spreading your investments across different asset classes — such as shares, property, bonds, and cash — to reduce risk. A diversified portfolio helps protect your wealth from market volatility while maintaining growth potential.
Your ideal strategy depends on your goals, time frame, and comfort with risk. We start with an in-depth financial assessment to understand your situation, then design an investment plan that matches your needs and preferences.
A financial planner looks at your entire financial picture — including budgeting, retirement, insurance, and estate planning. An investment advisor focuses specifically on managing and growing your investments. At DWD, we combine both for a holistic approach.
Yes. We help you structure your investments to minimise tax through options such as Tax-Free Savings Accounts and Retirement Annuities. Our tax planning expertise ensures your wealth grows efficiently and sustainably.
Private wealth management is a specialised service for high-net-worth individuals seeking personalised investment strategies, estate planning, and asset protection. We provide discreet, expert guidance to preserve and enhance your legacy.
We review your portfolio regularly — at least annually, or whenever your circumstances change. Continuous monitoring ensures your investments remain aligned with your goals and market conditions.
We’re independent and client-focused, not tied to any product provider. Our goal is simple — to help you make confident financial decisions with advice that’s transparent, strategic, and built around your long-term success.
Risk Cover & Insurance
Risk cover protects you and your family from financial loss caused by unforeseen life events such as death, disability, or critical illness. It ensures that your loved ones are financially supported and your financial goals stay on track, even when life takes an unexpected turn.
We provide a range of insurance solutions including life cover, disability cover, critical illness protection, income protection, and funeral cover. Each plan is tailored to suit your personal and financial circumstances.
Life cover is a policy that pays out a lump sum to your beneficiaries in the event of your death. It helps your family maintain their lifestyle, settle debts, and cover future expenses such as education or living costs.
Disability cover provides a payout if you become permanently or temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury. This ensures you can continue meeting your financial obligations even if your income stops.
Income protection cover replaces a portion of your income if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury. It helps maintain your day-to-day living expenses while you recover, giving you financial stability during uncertain times.
Life cover provides long-term protection and pays a large lump sum to your beneficiaries, while funeral cover pays out quickly to cover immediate funeral and burial costs. Both play an important role in a complete financial protection plan.
The right amount of life cover depends on your income, debt, dependents, and future expenses. Our advisors help calculate a suitable cover amount to ensure your family’s financial security without overpaying for unnecessary protection.
Financial risk management identifies potential risks — such as loss of income, illness, or debt exposure — and develops strategies to reduce their impact. At DWD Financial Planners, we design personalised plans to safeguard your assets and ensure financial continuity.
Yes. Your insurance needs may change as your life evolves. We recommend reviewing your cover annually or after major life events like marriage, buying a home, or having children. DWD Financial Planners can help you adjust your policy to keep your protection relevant and effective.
We’re independent advisors who work with reputable insurers across South Africa, ensuring unbiased recommendations. Our goal is to give you complete peace of mind with protection that truly matches your needs and budget.
Estate & Tax Planning
Estate planning ensures your assets are managed and distributed according to your wishes after your death. It protects your loved ones, reduces legal complications, and helps preserve your wealth for future generations.
We provide comprehensive estate planning services, including drafting wills, creating trusts, and structuring your estate to minimise tax. Our advisors work closely with you to ensure your legacy is protected and your estate is handled efficiently.
A will outlines how your assets should be distributed after your death, while a trust allows you to manage and protect assets during your lifetime and beyond. Trusts can also provide tax advantages and greater control over how your wealth is passed on.
Trust taxation refers to how income and capital gains within a trust are taxed. Proper structuring ensures your trust remains compliant while minimising unnecessary tax burdens. Our experts assist in setting up and managing trusts with optimal tax efficiency.
Estate duty is a tax charged on the total value of a deceased person’s estate. The current rate is generally 20% on estates up to a certain threshold, and 25% on larger estates. We help clients structure their assets to reduce estate duty liabilities legally and effectively.
Tax planning involves structuring your finances to reduce your tax obligations while staying compliant with the law. Through retirement annuities, tax-free savings accounts, and efficient investment structures, we help you keep more of what you earn.
Yes, your retirement annuities and investment policies form part of your broader estate plan. We help you align beneficiaries, ownership structures, and payout options to ensure smooth transfer and minimal taxation.
It’s never too early to start. Whether you’re building wealth, starting a family, or nearing retirement, having an estate plan in place ensures your loved ones are cared for and your assets are protected from unexpected events.
Yes. A will is only one part of estate planning. An estate planner helps you manage all aspects of your financial legacy — including trusts, taxes, and asset protection — ensuring your estate is well-structured and compliant.
We combine professional expertise with personal attention. Our independent advice ensures your estate and tax plan reflect your values, goals, and family’s best interests — giving you peace of mind that your legacy is secure.
Employer & Business Financial Services
We provide a comprehensive range of financial solutions for companies, including pension and provident fund setup, group life and disability benefits, business assurance, and key person cover. Our goal is to help employers support their teams while protecting business continuity.
A Provident Fund is a retirement savings plan that allows employees to contribute a portion of their salary, often matched by the employer. It provides financial security in retirement and helps employers retain valuable staff through meaningful benefits.
Both funds are designed for retirement savings. A Pension Fund pays out a portion as a lump sum and the rest as monthly income, while a Provident Fund allows full withdrawal as a lump sum. Our advisors help employers and employees choose the right structure for their needs.
Business Assurance is insurance that protects a company from financial losses caused by the death, disability, or critical illness of an owner, partner, or key employee. It ensures business stability and continuity during difficult times.
A Buy and Sell Agreement is a legally binding contract between business partners that ensures a fair and smooth transfer of ownership if one partner passes away or becomes disabled. DWD Financial Planners helps structure and fund these agreements for long-term security.
Key Person Assurance provides financial protection if a critical employee, director, or owner can no longer work due to death or disability. It covers potential losses and helps the business remain financially stable during a transition period.
These benefits provide employees and their families with financial security in the event of death or disability. Offering group benefits boosts staff morale, loyalty, and retention while demonstrating your company’s commitment to employee well-being.
Trustee Training equips retirement fund trustees with the knowledge and skills to manage employee benefit funds effectively. We offer tailored workshops that help trustees stay compliant, informed, and confident in their decision-making.
A Section 14 Transfer is the process of moving retirement fund assets from one approved fund to another, such as when companies change providers. We handle all administrative and regulatory aspects to ensure a seamless, compliant transfer.
We combine financial expertise with hands-on service. Whether you’re setting up employee benefits or protecting your business’s future, we deliver independent, transparent, and results-driven advice designed to safeguard both your company and your people.