Market-linked products pay you less when markets fall — often exactly when you need income most. A 20% market correction can reduce your monthly income by a fifth overnight.

South African CPI averages 4–6% per year. If your income stays flat, you lose purchasing power every single year. After five years at 5% inflation, your income buys roughly 22% less.

Interest income is taxed at your marginal rate — up to 45% for high-net-worth retirees. For every R100 earned, SARS may take R45 before you see a cent.

If your investment does not generate enough return to cover both income and inflation, you are eating your capital. Many retirees only discover this five or ten years in — when damage is already done.

Watch the Full Explanation

This video explains the retirement income problem in more detail and shows how the calculator works in real-world South African retirement planning.

Whether a president declares war, an aircraft flies into a building, or global markets collapse overnight, the monthly return does not move. 12.8% per annum, paid as 1.07% every month. The income risk described above simply does not apply to this product.

Advisors are not permitted to make fund selections on behalf of clients. Everest removes that burden entirely — no quarterly rebalancing decisions, no fund switches, no compliance grey areas. One product, one outcome.

Traditional portfolio management demands quarterly reviews and ongoing repositioning. With Everest, once the investment is placed it does precisely what it promises. That frees up meaningful time for both advisor and client to focus on other planning priorities.

Every rand invested goes to work from day one. No upfront deductions. Our commissions are paid by Everest — not from the client's capital. I encourage every prospective client to check what their current advisor is taking at entry. After 27 years the answer still surprises people.

Returns are declared as dividends, attracting Dividend Withholding Tax at a flat 20% — not marginal income tax. For clients in the 41–45% tax bracket, this difference alone is over R25,000 per year on a R1 million investment. Your calculator result already reflects this saving.

Clients who hold for the full five-year term receive an additional 10% special dividend — a deliberate offset against purchasing-power erosion. It rewards patience and partially addresses the inflation risk. It is shown in your calculator result as the "Est. 5-Year Bonus."

Why is a fixed income so valuable when I retire from a voluntary fund?

When you retire from a voluntary investment there is no regulated drawdown structure protecting you. A fixed income product removes the guesswork entirely. You know on the first of every month exactly what is arriving in your account. My clients stop watching markets. They stop calling in a panic when the JSE drops 8% in a week. The money still arrives. That peace of mind is worth more than most people realise until they experience it.

Why does it matter that the return is not linked to markets?

Everest's returns come from the underlying performance of private-equity businesses, not from a share price. A president declaring war does not change what a mining company, a franchise group or a medical practice earns that month. The 1.07% still arrives. This product has been in operation since 2016 and has not missed or varied a single monthly payment — through COVID, load-shedding crises, rand volatility and global market corrections.

Why is dividend tax better than income tax for a high-income retiree?

South Africa's top marginal income tax rate is 45%. Interest income is taxed at your marginal rate. Everest's returns attract Dividend Withholding Tax at a flat 20% — deducted before the money reaches you, nothing further to pay. On a R1,000,000 investment, the difference between 20% DWT and a 45% income tax rate is over R25,000 in tax saved annually. Over five years that compounds into a material benefit that most clients do not fully appreciate until they see the numbers side by side.

What does 100% fund allocation mean — and why should I care what my advisor is taking?

Many products charge upfront fees — sometimes 1% to 3% of your capital — before a single rand is invested. On R500,000 that is up to R15,000 gone on day one. With Everest, your entire investment goes into the fund immediately. Our commission is paid by Everest separately — not from your pocket. In 27 years of practice, when clients ask their current advisor to show them exactly where the fees come from, the answer is often a surprise.

Why are there no fund choices and no quarterly meetings — isn't that a red flag?

Not at all — it is one of the product's most underappreciated strengths. As a licensed advisor I am not permitted to make ongoing fund selection decisions on a client's behalf without specific mandates. Products that require regular fund switches put both the advisor and the client in a legally complex position. Everest is a single structured product. The investment is made, the dividends are paid, and there is nothing further to decide. In 27 years I have learned that simplicity and transparency are genuinely valuable.

What is the five-year bonus and does it actually protect against inflation?

At the end of the five-year term, clients who held for the full period receive a 10% special dividend net of DWT. On R1,000,000 that is an additional R80,000. Over five years, South African CPI averages roughly 4 to 5% per year — so purchasing power erodes. The 10% bonus is a deliberate partial offset to that erosion. It rewards patience. More than 90% of my first clients who reached maturity chose to reinvest — which tells you everything about whether that trust was well placed.

What happens if I need my money before the five years are up?

This is the most important question to ask before investing — and I always raise it myself. Early withdrawals are only considered in special circumstances, subject to up to 120 days' notice and potential penalties. Exiting before 36 months may have adverse tax consequences. I only recommend this product for clients who have sufficient liquid reserves elsewhere so this capital can sit undisturbed for the full term. If you cannot confidently say you will not need this money for five years, this is not the right product for you at this time.