What’s inside… FAnews Magazine April 2025

What’s inside… FAnews Magazine April 2025

April arrives with a mix of caution and curiosity in the financial services and insurance space. In this edition, we dive into employee benefits and retirement, where themes of longevity, flexibility, and early withdrawals dominate. There are clear indications of a definite shift in the industry - clients want more control, and advisers are being called to step up, not only as educators but also as guides in uncertain times. Employers, too, are rethinking healthcare and group benefits to better serve a workforce demanding more than just the basics.

While there’s a temporary sigh of relief - no major natural catastrophe events have rattled the short-term insurance space - this calm should not lull us into complacency. The conversation around climate resilience, sustainability, and the shrinking insurability of risks is more intense than ever.

The question really is: how do we ensure the industry stays relevant, responsive, and resilient?

We also spotlight AI, automation, and the digital evolution in this edition, from the role of the claims handler to the rise of predictive analytics, and how legacy systems might just be the biggest threat to innovation.

And while we’re talking about change, we launched our brand-new FAnews website on the day we celebrated our 27th birthday—two wonderful milestones that we, as a team, are very proud of. Please visit our new website and let us know what you’d like to see more of, and whether you like it as much as we do.

Before I sign off, don’t forget that the CPD deadline looms on 31 May. If you haven’t started, or still have boxes to tick, now’s the time to get moving. Here’s to staying ahead, staying informed, and staying ready - whatever comes next.

Enjoy the read, until next time!

Below, we have highlighted some of the articles in the April edition. There are more, so be sure not to miss out on the ones we have not highlighted below.

CPD Articles

Short-term (IISA Approved)
Managing automated claims decisions in a POPI environment
Do we need a cyber risk pool?
Next-level broking: how to advise clients on rampant exclusions and un-insurability
A vehicle is more likely to be hijacked than stolen
Climate change in 2025: the impact on financial services
How can (re)insurance support the transition to clean energy?

Life, Investments, EB, Healthcare, etc (FPI Approved)
Safeguarding your business: the role of third-party due diligence
Wealth building 101: why financial advisers must fight against knee-jerk investment decisions
FSCA and PA's review promises to breathe new life into funeral industry
Flexibility vs. cost: the battle for the best employee benefits
The default option: managing retirement fund investments
No easy money: how financial advisers can steer clients through the Two-Pots withdrawal minefield

The list of articles worth reading continues…

In the news
Outlook 2025: Insurers must embrace collaboration beyond their lane
No desks, no borders: what remote companies do right
Beyond titles: what makes a great leader?
From grudge to necessity: the true value of insurance

Profile
Supporting clients through grief: the role of empathy in insurance
Transforming Employee Benefits
A new chapter for Momentum Insure
Emerald Risk Transfer: bridging the coverage gap in the mid-corporate space
How MCA is helping employers
Enhancing service and growth in Bryte’s broker network

Regular Features
Material non-disclosures and the Medical Schemes Act 1998

Regulatory
COFI: a game-changer or just a case of hurry up and wait?

Technology
How will AI and digitalisation change the claims handler's role?
Advisers in the age of AI: navigating change
The cost of legacy tech

Investment
Rethinking debt: from liability to opportunity

Healthcare
SA’s healthcare crisis: systemic misalignment, not public vs private

Life
Gen Z’s choices: no car, no home, no problem for the industry

EB
The power of Employee Benefits consulting in today’s market
Industry buzz around umbrella trusts
Prioritising employee wellness: a sustainable approach

Retirement
The longevity curveball: can alternative investment bridge the retirement funding gap?
Nigeria’s pension reform journey: lessons for South Africa

Our editions can be found here...

Editor's thoughts: