No doubt over the last couple of months you would have heard the renowned Christmas song ‘When a child is born’ many times and if you are expecting the birth of a child soon or recently had a child it may have had special significance for you. At the very least it might have reminded you that as a parent you will have to shoulder some pretty important responsibilities, not the least of which is their education.

At the very early stages of their life, you may not even be considering the future cost of their education but you can take it from us that the right time to start providing for education, is when a child is born! 

So why is this so? Well, a good education, one that will really give them an advantage, even 10 years from now, will not come cheaply and will add a significant chunk to your family budget – and there are many reasons that a good education is the best thing you can give them too. 

What are the benefits of a good education?

There are major benefits derived by children with a higher level of education. Amongst these are…

Better career opportunities – You may be aware that only 14% of learners in South Africa will go to university, and you may say well many people who don’t go to university still succeed, but do you want to decide now to remove a massive portion of the best careers that your child might have to choose from? More career choices could mean a better chance to be hired and enjoy a more fulfilling career.     

Better earning potential – According to research done all over the world, people with higher levels of education and more skills have a much better chance of being hired, earning more money and earning more throughout their working careers.

Better solution-finding skills –  Whether it’s science, business, or the arts research also shows that a higher level of education helps your child develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As we well know, it is solutions-driven people who are the most sought-after in many careers.

Better well-being and emotional Intelligence – It is not all about making more money and being smart either. Education at higher levels generally means better and happier schooling with better interactions leading to improved health and well-being. In a world where we will be utilising very high forms of Artificial Intelligence – Emotional Intelligence gained by improved social skills may count for a lot!

How do you benefit from investing now?

As investors, we understand the power of compound interest and know only too well that the sooner we start saving the more our investment in our child’s future will be worth, but there are other advantages too. 

Remember that if you make the right investment you will be able to draw on it annually to pay your school fees in advance and many learning institutions reward this with a substantial discount on your fees. It’s one way to teach your children early on that it pays to save and that having money makes money!  

Also, it’s a good idea to be covered for the worst-case scenarios like if you die or succumb to a critical illness that prevents you from working and continuing to contribute to the fund. Our ‘Educator’ policy covers such eventualities and can be added to whatever else you are planning as your legacy for your family.  

30 years of watching great education pay off

For 30 years Hereford Group have been assisting individuals and businesses to build a better future through making the right decisions early in life. Some of our best clients today are those who benefitted from their parent’s foresight and commitment to giving them a better chance in life through higher education. 

We also know that everyone is unique, with differing financial circumstances, so talk to one of our Financial Advisors today about the best education policies that you can set up in accordance with your current portfolio and affordability. It’s all about time though and the time to start providing for education is when a child is born!