Question:
I have a pension preservation fund and a provident fund, and I'm considering consolidating my retirement vehicles. Can I move these tax-free into an retirement annuity fund? Kind regards
Answer:
Jessica,
Yes, you can now move both a pension preservation and a provident fund to a retirement annuity, free of tax. Be aware though that a provident fund is a more flexible retirement savings vehicle than an retirement annuity as it allows you take out your entire savings as a cash lump sum at retirement. Once you transfer a provident fund to a retirement annuity, this falls away. With a retirement annuity fund (as with a pension preservation fund), you are only allowed to take up to one third as a cash lump sum; you must use at least two-thirds to purchase a compulsory or living annuity.