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Income ProtectionYour investment strategy should reflect more than the latest market movement or investment product. At Garden Route Life & Investment Brokers, we provide independent, advice-led investment guidance designed around your objectives, time horizon, financial circumstances, and appetite for risk.
Whether you are building wealth, preparing for retirement, reviewing an existing portfolio, or considering local and offshore investment opportunities, our role is to help you make informed decisions within a structured, long-term investment strategy.
We do not believe that good investment advice starts with selecting a product or trying to predict the next market movement. It starts with understanding: what you are investing for; how long you have to invest; the level of risk you can reasonably accept; your current investments and financial position; your income and liquidity requirements; your retirement objectives; and how the investment fits into your broader financial plan. Only once these factors are understood should individual investments, funds or platforms be considered. Our objective is not to promise investment returns. It is to provide independent investment advice, specialist portfolio guidance and an investment strategy aligned to your mandate and long-term goals.
Based in George and serving clients across the Garden Route and South Africa, GRLI combines specialist investment expertise with access to a broad range of investment platforms, funds and solutions.
How We Can Help With Your Investments
Investment Portfolio Reviews & Second Opinions
Already invested but unsure whether your portfolio is still right for you? An investment portfolio review provides an opportunity to step back and assess whether your current investments remain aligned with your objectives.
A review may consider:
- current asset allocation;
- level of diversification;
- risk exposure;
- local versus offshore exposure;
- investment costs and fees;
- duplication across funds or providers;
- performance in the context of the portfolio mandate;
- retirement objectives;
- tax considerations where relevant; and
- whether your circumstances or goals have changed.
You do not necessarily need to move an investment simply because you request a second opinion. The first step is understanding what you currently hold and whether there is a reason to change it.
Retirement Annuities & Retirement Planning
Preparing for retirement requires more than choosing a Retirement Annuity.
The appropriate strategy should consider how much you need to accumulate, how long you have available, your contribution strategy, existing retirement savings, investment risk, and the income you may eventually require in retirement.
GRLI can assist with investment planning around:
- Retirement Annuities;
- preservation funds;
- retirement investment strategies;
- retirement income planning;
- capital preservation; and
- reviewing existing retirement investments.
The purpose is to connect the investment decision to the retirement outcome you are working towards.
Unit Trust Investments & Discretionary Investments
Unit trust investments can provide access to professionally managed portfolios across a wide range of asset classes, investment styles and risk levels. Rather than selecting funds in isolation, GRLI considers how individual investments work together within the client’s overall portfolio.
Depending on your requirements, this may include:
- unit trust investments;
- discretionary investments;
- multi-asset portfolios;
- equity investments;
- income-orientated investments;
- endowment structures; and
- other appropriate investment solutions.
Fund and platform selection should follow the investment strategy, not define it.
Tax-Free Savings & Long-Term Investing
Tax-free investment structures can form part of a longer-term savings and investment strategy for qualifying South African investors. GRLI can help assess where a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) may fit within your wider portfolio, taking your investment horizon, existing savings, retirement planning and other investment structures into account.
The goal is to consider the role of the investment within your broader plan rather than viewing it as an isolated savings product.
Local & Offshore Investments
Diversifying internationally can provide access to markets, industries, companies and currencies beyond South Africa. However, offshore investing also introduces additional considerations, including currency movements, investment jurisdiction, platform structure, estate implications and the role that offshore exposure should play within the overall portfolio.
GRLI provides guidance on local and offshore investment strategies based on the client’s objectives, risk profile and existing portfolio. For investors considering international diversification, offshore exposure should form part of a deliberate investment strategy rather than a short-term reaction to market or currency movements.
Meet Our Investment Specialist
David Pfaff – Director / Investment Specialist / Head of Investment Division
David Pfaff has specialist experience across investment analysis, portfolio management, retirement investments, and local and offshore investment markets. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and Honours degree in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management, with additional financial-services qualifications and experience in discretionary investment management.
David’s investment background includes portfolio analysis, asset allocation, local and offshore equities, retirement funding and advising private clients. His role at GRLI is to help clients structure and review investment portfolios around their objectives rather than simply selecting individual products.
David Pfaff
Investment Specialist
Your Investment Risk Profile
Investment decisions should reflect the level of risk you can tolerate and the level of risk required to pursue your objectives. GRLI uses risk profiling as part of the investment-planning process to help determine an appropriate portfolio approach. Your risk profile should consider factors such as:
- your investment timeframe;
- financial objectives;
- capacity to absorb investment losses;
- need for income or access to capital;
- investment knowledge and experience;
- reaction to market volatility; and
- other assets and financial commitments.
Broadly, investment mandates may fall into three risk approaches:
Lower-Risk / Capital-Preservation Profile
Designed for investors who place a greater emphasis on protecting capital and limiting volatility. This approach may be more appropriate where the investment timeframe is shorter, capital preservation is particularly important, or the investor has a lower tolerance for market fluctuations. The trade-off is generally lower exposure to growth assets and therefore potentially lower long-term growth.
Moderate / Balanced Risk Profile
A balanced strategy typically combines growth and defensive assets. It may suit investors who have a medium- to long-term investment horizon and are prepared to tolerate some market movement in pursuit of longer-term growth. The objective is to balance capital growth with an appropriate level of risk and diversification.
Higher-Growth Risk Profile
Growth-oriented portfolios generally hold greater exposure to assets such as local and international equities. They may be appropriate for investors with longer investment horizons who have both the capacity and willingness to tolerate greater short-term market volatility. Higher growth potential also means accepting greater fluctuations in portfolio value.
Important: A risk-profile category should not be selected in isolation. Your investment timeframe, financial position, objectives and capacity for loss should all form part of the assessment.
Our Investment Policy
Transparency is an important part of our investment approach. GRLI aims to use appropriate investment platforms and structures where costs, fees and underlying investments can be clearly understood and reviewed. Our investment process considers:
- your objectives and investment mandate;
- appropriate asset allocation;
- risk and diversification;
- investment-platform suitability;
- underlying fund or manager selection;
- costs and fees;
- local and offshore exposure; and
- ongoing portfolio review.
We have access to investment solutions from a range of established South African and international platforms and investment managers, allowing the investment strategy to be considered around the client’s needs rather than a single provider.
Risk Profiles
Our particular preference are our risks profiled and mandated funds such as our Finsolnet Funds where 3 distinct risk profiles are accommodated:
CPIX 2-3%
For the investor with a low risk tolerance. Ideal for retirement capital and an alternative to money market. Remains within Prudential Guidelines at all times.
CPIX 4-5%
Has a higher exposure to equity and is considered for a moderate risk profiled investor who can tolerate some volatility.
CPIX 6-7%
For the investor who believes in the long term benefits of equity exposure and is not affected in the short term by market fluctuations. The funds have high exposure to equity both local and international.
Investment FAQs
Who May Benefit From an Investment Review?
An investment review may be valuable if your investments are spread across several providers, you are unsure whether your current portfolio still suits your objectives, or you simply have not reviewed your strategy recently. It can also be particularly useful when approaching retirement, receiving an inheritance, bonus or significant lump sum, selling a business or other major asset, considering offshore investment, or reassessing the level of risk within your portfolio.
You may also want an independent second opinion before making a change, or to bring your investments into a broader financial plan. You do not need to wait until something is wrong before reviewing your investment strategy.
What does an independent investment adviser do?
An independent investment adviser helps assess your objectives, financial position, risk profile, and existing investments before recommending an appropriate investment strategy. The focus should be on the client’s needs and portfolio rather than starting with a particular investment product.
When should I review my investment portfolio?
An investment portfolio review can be useful periodically or after a significant change in your circumstances, such as approaching retirement, receiving an inheritance, selling a business, changing income, or reassessing your financial goals. A review does not automatically mean that investments need to be changed.
What is a Retirement Annuity?
A Retirement Annuity is a South African retirement-funding vehicle designed to help individuals build savings for retirement. Its tax treatment, contribution rules, investment options, and access restrictions should be considered as part of a broader retirement strategy.
What are unit trust investments?
A unit trust pools investors’ money into a portfolio managed according to a defined investment mandate. Unit trust investments can provide exposure to different asset classes, markets and investment strategies and may be used as building blocks within a diversified portfolio.
Should I invest offshore?
Offshore investments can increase diversification and provide access to global markets and currencies, but they also introduce different risks and structural considerations. The appropriate level of offshore exposure depends on your objectives, investment horizon, existing assets and risk profile.
How is my investment risk profile determined?
An investment risk profile considers more than whether you describe yourself as conservative or adventurous. It should consider your investment timeframe, objectives, financial circumstances, capacity for loss and ability to tolerate fluctuations in investment value.
Who May Benefit From an Investment Review?
An investment review may be valuable if your investments are spread across several providers, you are unsure whether your current portfolio still suits your objectives, or you simply have not reviewed your strategy recently. It can also be particularly useful when approaching retirement, receiving an inheritance, bonus or significant lump sum, selling a business or other major asset, considering offshore investment, or reassessing the level of risk within your portfolio.
You may also want an independent second opinion before making a change, or to bring your investments into a broader financial plan. You do not need to wait until something is wrong before reviewing your investment strategy.
Ready to Review Your Investment Strategy?
Would you like to speak to our specialised investment brokers over the phone? Just submit your details, and we’ll be in touch shortly. You can also email us if you would prefer.
For Businesses: Do you have questions about how Life & Investment Brokers can help your company? Send us an email and we’ll get in touch shortly, or phone 044 874 5497 between 08:30 and 16:30 Monday to Thursday and 08:30 and 16:00 on Fridays — we would be delighted to speak to you.