Author: Hereford Group

We’re well into the holidays now and even as you read this you could be on the beach, or at the pool soaking up the Sun. Well, we all need a well-earned break but don’t underestimate the potential danger of the harmful UV rays emitted by the Sun. 

Sure, we all love to go home with a golden brown tan, but the price you pay for it may be a life-threatening and financially crippling one too. Yes, we are referring to Skin Cancer, the critical illness commonly induced by overexposure to the Sun.

Take precautions

We have been told repeatedly in awareness campaigns to apply a strong Suntan lotion, water resistant and at least a factor of 50+ when in the Sun. We also need to cover up if exposed for a long period.

This may sound extreme but the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) reports that Skin cancer is the most common cancer with about 20,000 reported cases every year and 700 deaths – in South Africa alone!

Protect your family and your finances

Skin Cancer is also one of the many Critical Illnesses that can leave you financially destitute if you are not protected against the losses incurred by exorbitant extra medical bills and a potential loss of income. 

Talk to your Financial Advisor about Critical Illness Cover, a lump sum paid out to assist you in dealing with such unexpected occurrences, – and Income Protection Cover. These policies can save your lifestyle and your future so let’s ensure that your fun in the Sun never ends in financial ruin!

Prioritise financial security

Hereford Group has, for over 30 years, experienced the worst-case scenarios that can befall our clients, so we build an element of protection into every wealth portfolio. Talk to us today about yours – and let’s review the year past and make some solid plans for the year ahead.

Many thanks to all our clients, friends and service providers who have supported us in 2024. As we say, ‘how you make your money is your business – but maximising it is ours,’ so, together, let’s make 2025 your best year yet!

Once again, we are on the threshold of the holiday season and as much as we think of it as a time of relaxation and merriment, we can’t ignore the sobering statistics we hear every year about fatalities on the roads.

Last year 1,427 people died in road accidents in South Africa over the 2023/24 festive season. Road deaths are not the only causes of fatalities either. All travel carries with it an element of risk, and although we should not be put off it by this we should, especially if we have families, ensure that we take the necessary precautions to try to avoid these outcomes and have everything in place to protect our families in the event of the worst-case scenario. 

Be prepared – an old motto!

The old Boy Scout’s motto of ‘be prepared’ simply makes sense. If you are travelling on the roads, you are reminded every year to take a safety check on your vehicle to ensure it is up to scratch which would include things like having good tyres and unimpaired vision etc. but you also need to ensure your legacy is intact! 

Ensure that you have a legally binding and compliant will and remember to update it before travelling if anything changes. Even more importantly, if you are not sure that the finances you have accumulated until now will leave your family comfortable when they no longer have your income to rely on, take out Life insurance.

It is the most affordable insurance, and the payout can be substantial even if you die sooner than you had planned for. Providing that the beneficiaries are named, it also pays out instantly, something your family will be grateful for as the wrapping up of estates can be lengthy.

Get a Hereford Group refresher!

Why not come in and visit your Hereford Group Advisor before travelling, not only to ensure you are covered to travel but to review the past year and make some plans for the new year ahead?

Talk to us today. We are here to serve you and looking forward to being of assistance. Happy holidays and travel safely! 

In November many men grow moustaches as a light-hearted initiative to raise funds and create awareness of a serious subject – Prostate Cancer and other men’s critical illnesses. We have written quite extensively on this subject in the past and more can be found in our insights pages.

It is also a month we are made aware of those suffering from disabilities as we celebrate South Africa National Disability Rights Awareness Month. Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these, and it could be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime. 

Unfortunately, disability is often caused by an accident or critical illness that renders one unable to continue working – at least for some time.  

What can we do about it?

These commemorative anniversaries should always remind us that we may face short-term, long-term or even terminal illness but we can at least ensure that we are financially able to get through it and still give ourselves (or at least our families) a great future. It just takes the right planning and structuring of our financial portfolios.

It is a good idea to be fully armed with a couple of policies that can make life a lot easier if we face prolonged critical illness – or are made disabled during our lifetime. Critical illness (or Dread Disease) cover and income protection coupled with disability cover will not only assist with what can be crippling medical bills but enable us to continue earning as we have been in the past – and most importantly, avoid eroding the financial wealth we have created up to this point!

30 years of knowing

For over 30 years Hereford Group Financial Advisors have been structuring wealth creation profiles for individuals and companies, tailor-made to their unique specifications, and always with an element of income protection included in the mix.

Talk to us and let us do the same for you, because fortunately, despite the things that life might throw at us that we can’t control, with our financial knowledge and experience most outcomes are in our control! 

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We recently observed ‘Wills Week’ when we were reminded of the vital importance of creating a Will. Ensuring that it is fully compliant and legally binding, however, is often overlooked. 

Furthermore, there are many inclusions to a will that could make a big difference to your family if certain unexpected circumstances arise, so the question is ‘’will your Will be what your family really need?’’

What makes it compliant?

Firstly, to ensure that your legacy will be observed in the way you want it to be, a Will should preferably be drawn up by an Attorney or a Financial Institution that fully understands and implements important legalities of the document itself, like who should sign it, credible witnesses etc.

Important inclusions 

The Will must include a comprehensive list of your assets and your chosen beneficiaries, and it is essential to appoint reliable, financially capable guardians for children – plus a qualified, experienced Executor to distribute the inheritance of minors and administer the expedient wrapping up of the estate. 

With effective inclusions and astute estate planning, you can even prevent your family members from losing their inheritance to their creditors should this arise.

Life Insurance and Estate planning is essential

Having drawn up an effective, legally binding will, the next thing you need to do is ensure that your family is financially protected when you’re no longer around – and there’s no better way to achieve this than through taking out effective Life insurance. 

It is the least expensive cover with potentially the largest payout and, providing your beneficiaries are named, it is paid out instantly on your death – unlike many other aspects of your estate.

Consult the professionals 

At Hereford Group we believe in the efficiency of effective Estate Planning and this is why it is an important division of our company. We can ensure that the wealth that we assist you in creating will also protect and be enjoyed by your family long after you are gone.  

Talk to us if you need expert advice on all matters relating to Wills and Estate planning. We are with you, in the living years – and beyond.

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