by
Glenn Hickling
|
April 2025
There is an old proverb that says “The cobbler’s children have no shoes”, meaning that someone who has a certain skill is so busy attending to the needs of others that they forget to attend to their own needs.
We all work in the financial services industry and what we do is intimately tied up in an estate planning process. We know that our BrightRock policy is not sold to our policyholders without taking into account the financial needs of those people who are dependent on them, hence, the need for a will is also discussed.
Do you really need a will?
A will ensures that your assets are divided among people or organisations you choose. It also ensures that you have the opportunity to nominate the person (or institution) that you wish to distribute your assets (executor). Importantly, your will is evidence that those people mentioned are important to you.
What happens if you die without a will?
If you have failed to draft a will, then your assets will be distributed in terms of the Intestate Succession Act 81, 1987. The distribution of your assets then takes place in terms of a prescribed formula. It is then possible that people who you never intended to benefit get a bite out of your assets.
Get a will today to ensure your assets go to the correct people
Don’t let yourself be the proverbial cobbler, get yourself a will today to ensure your loved ones inherit your assets.