Sanlam Glacier Retirement Annuity Review 2024

The Sanlam Glacier Retirement Annuity has safeguarded the wealth of numerous South Africans and is poised to continue doing so for future generations. It stands as one of the most favored retirement annuity options in South Africa, owing to its consistent year-over-year improvement in returns. Glacier, a subsidiary of Sanlam Ltd, serves as a broker for Sanlam’s retirement products, which can be accessed through Glacier or Sanlam’s Cumulus Echo.

Your investment strategy will be tailored based on how you want to structure your finances both now and during retirement. Apart from your contributions, the benefits of Sanlam’s Glacier Retirement Annuity include access to top-tier retirement planning experts in South Africa and the opportunity to leverage certain tax advantages associated with retirement annuities.

Sanlam Glacier Retirement Annuity Summary

Sanlam’s Glacier Retirement Annuity is a versatile retirement plan that grants clients access to a wide range of thoroughly researched and renowned investment choices. To enroll in this plan, you need to commit a minimum lump sum of R100,000.00 and make a monthly contribution of R1000.00. However, if you prefer smaller contributions, you can start with as little as R2500.00 or go up to R15000.00 for occasional investments.

Once you’ve made your contribution, you can select from various investment options and direct Glacier on how and when to invest your funds. The Sanlam Glacier Retirement Annuity offers investment opportunities managed by reputable collective management firms, providing exposure to diverse asset classes. These investments can include buying stocks in publicly traded companies, investing in mutual funds, or saving through other means.

Who should invest in Glacier Retirement Annuity?

Glacier Retirement Annuity lays out the type of investor that qualifies in investing in this annuity. When investing in to the Glacier Retirement Annuity, you need to appreciate that:

1. You are investing for a long period and in some cases for a lifetime. By investing in the Glacier Retirement Annuity you will only have access to your retirement annuity when you reach the age of 55.

2. Risk comes with every investment so you must appreciate it. Your capital can be affected by unexpected market behaviour as a result crippling your investment. However, history has proven time and again that retirement funds tend to generate positive results over time more often than not

3. Inflation is a risk that comes with investing. Your capital investment’s purchasing power is swallowed by inflation each year. However, Glacier aims to ensure that your capital is well invested in inflation-beating funds at all times.

How Glacier Retirement Annuity works

Glacier Retirement Annuity is an open investment source for retirement. You get to choose to contribute a lump sum or make monthly instalments towards your retirement.

When contributing to your investment, you will have to choose the fund that you want your contributions to be invested in. With the help of a financial advisor, you will be able to make an investment decision that suits your retirement needs

Upon retirement, that is any age that you have chosen, which should be at 55 years or above, you will receive 33.33% of the value of your savings as a lump sum.

The remaining 66.67% of your retirement savings will be invested in one of the two Glacier living income annuities of your choice, and the proceeds from the investment will then be given to you as regular income.

What happens when you die?

Death is an inevitable event that one can face at any time. Should you die before the retirement age of 55:

• Your dependents may benefit from the money that you have invested.
• The board of trustees will take into account your wishes and all your dependents’ needs when you die.
• Benefits are either going to be paid as a lump sum or transferred to a post-retirement product from Glacier to provide regular income to your beneficiaries.

Tax benefits

When investing in annuities, you would expect your investment handlers to take advantage of the tax benefits that are available for retirement annuities, of which Glacier does so well.

When investing in Glacier Investment Annuity you get the following benefits:

• At retirement, there is no tax charged on the amount that is transferred to the post-retirement product that provides you with an income during retirement.
• There is no Capital Gains Tax to your annuity investment.
• You don’t have to pay tax on any interest earned or dividends issued.

Taxation is a very sensitive issue when investing for retirement; this is because every single cent in proceeds from investment matters. So Glacier makes it a point that they take advantage of the tax benefits available for retirement annuities in South Africa. 

Investment options from Glacier Retirement Annuity

Through the Glacier Retirement Annuity, you get to have your money invested in some of the best investment options available. You can have your money invested in local and offshore funds, risk profiled investment funds, ETFs and other instruments via the Glacier stockbroking service. 

Competitive Advantages of the Glacier Retirement Annuity

• You benefit from tax deductions based on your contributions.
• Have the flexibility to pause and resume payments when your financial circumstances change.
• Should you become permanently disabled before the age of 55 your benefit is paid out the same way you would have received it at 55 years.
• You can move your retirement savings to another company without incurring any penalties.
• When you retire your investment will further generate living annuities.

Competitive Disadvantages of the Glacier Retirement Annuity

• The minimum monthly contribution is higher when compared to those of competing companies such as Discovery which has contributions starting from R500.00.
• You need to wait for the retirement age to access your money even when you no longer earn an income.

Conclusion

Glacier Retirement Annuity is a very thoughtful retirement package that seeks to provide consistent income for its members at retirement.

When you retire, two-thirds of your income-generating product is invested in either the Glacier investment-linked living annuity or lifetime income plan, which generates a life long income for members. 

The Glacier Retirement Annuity is a step ahead of most of its competitors. The retirement product has shaken the annuity investment market in South Africa through its offering. For a solid retirement investment, Glacier retirements annuity is simply one of the best options there is in the republic.