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FISA Focus Newsletter – Edition 2

 

Dear members

Welcome to the second FISA newsletter, with its new name of FISA FOCUS as decided by you, the members!

In this issue, we have our usual cartoon by Colin Daniel, this time on the FPSA® theme. Good luck to all those sitting the exam this year. I strongly believe that education is the key to a thriving fiduciary industry and I am sure that those who managed to attend the FISA conference in Gauteng last month found it to be of great educational value.

Also in this issue we have two articles on trusts and another on offshore bank accounts. This and future newsletters will be available on the website and we will send you a link once they are up.

I do hope you enjoy the read. Feedback will be welcomed!

AngeliqueFiduciary regards

Angelique Visser
Chairperson

We commissioned Colin Daniels once again to create an exclusive cartoon for our newsletter and hope you enjoy it! In terms of our agreement with Colin, please note this should not be used elsewhere.
FISAcartoonSep2013 update

WINNER!

Congratulations to Sylvia Sampson, based in Johannesburg, who submitted the winning name for the FISA newsletter. A copy of the FISA endorsed textbook, Estate Planning & Fiduciary Services Guide, is on its way to you. Thanks to all the others who also submitted names. The FISA Secretary, Aaron Roup, circulated the suggestions to all members, and the winning name was determined by majority vote.

FISA CPD Conference

If you have not yet visited the conference round-up on the FISA website, please click on the below links to see what it was all about.

Oliver PhippsJointly-Owned Bank Accounts in the British Isles

Oliver Phipps, a FISA member and Solicitor in England with Lester Aldridge LLP, writes about the possible pitfalls and planning strategies required for jointly owned bank accounts in the British Isles. Read More.

Franscois van GijsenA Comedy of Trust Errors 

Franscois van Gijsen CFP®, FPSA®, discusses the outcome of a legal audit he was asked to perform on a family trust. Franscois is Director of Legal Services at Finlac. Read More.

Cheryl HowardTrusts – The Lull Before the Storm? 

Cheryl Howard, MD of Cheryl Howard & Associates, discusses the renewed focus on the taxation of trusts and reminds readers of five main reasons for forming a trust, tax considerations aside. Read More.

AlfieRegional Q&A

We chat to Alfie Bester, FISA Councillor for the Western Cape about his vision, plans and events for the Western Cape region.

Q: Tell us about recent highlights in the region.

A: Our last two regional meetings, in June and September, have focused on the upcoming FPSA® exams that many members will be writing in November. Some of the exam moderators made presentations at the FISA meetings on Ethics and Estate Planning, as well as Wills. Feedback has indicated that members found this information exceedingly useful.

Another highlight has been the growth in Western Cape membership, which currently stands at 165 members. I believe this is partly as a result of the move to supplant the old accreditation system with the FPSA® designation, something on which the Master of the High Court has indicated his offices will place a premium. The membership growth bodes very well for the future of the fiduciary profession.

Q: What are upcoming events of interest to members?

A: Our next regional meeting is scheduled for 3 December. On this occasion we will be reporting back on the National FISA Conference held in Gauteng in September and I will also update members on items of relevance from the last Council meeting.

Most importantly, we will also have feedback from those who wrote the FPSA® exams in November. I would like to wish all Western Cape candidates the best of luck.

Q: What is your vision for the Western Cape region?

A: The vision is simple. It is to grow member numbers further and encourage members to write the FPSA® exam, so that we can raise the bar and level of expertise in the industry. The benefits of being a member must enhance the service levels rendered by member practitioners to their clients.

Q: Tell us about your fiduciary background.

A: I started in the profession in 1974 with Barclays Trust in the Western Cape (later FNB). In 1982 I joined Findlay & Tait, the law firm. Following their merger with Bowman Gilfillan a joint venture took place with Maitland Trust in 2001. I then headed up Maitland Trust in Cape Town until 2009 when I joined Citadel Fiduciary Limited.

I am a specialist generalist, if such a thing exists! My specific focus is on estate planning and structuring, including offshore.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to tell members?

A: Yes, to become compliant. There is such a raft of legislation nowadays that we all need to be on our toes and become increasingly proficient and professional.

Study Guides

FISA has had an overwhelming response to the recently published study guide on Wills drafting, written by Louis van Vuren, Chairmain of the FISA education committee. We will shortly make available a second study guide on Ethics. Please contact FISA Secretary Aaron Roup on email secretariat@www.fisa.net.za if you would like to order a copy.

Join FISA on LinkedIn!

Please join us on LinkedIn. The FISA LinkedIn group is exclusive to those who join it and it’s an ideal forum to discuss industry issues with each other. We also post up articles of interest. If you don’t yet have a LinkedIn account, click here to follow the easy steps to create a profile. You can also visit the LinkedIn Help Centre for tips and guidance.

PS. You can also follow Angelique Visser, FISA Chairperson, on Twitter for regular industry updates.

Call for Newsletter Articles

FISA is always looking for interesting articles to use in the newsletter or the media. So if you would like to write an article on a fiduciary topic, please send it to secretariat@www.fisa.net.za

And remember that you can earn CPD points in the process. A published article of at least 750 words will earn you 3 CPD points (verifiable). Any article that is not accepted for publication in an industry publication will still earn you 3 CPD points, but has to be recorded as unverifiable and is, of course, subject to the limitation on unverifiable CPD. Please see the CPD Programme Charter on the FISA website.

Please follow these important guidelines:

  • Length – ideally 750 words (max 1000)
  • Content – technical and informative
  • Style – plain English, no jargon and be objective
  • Provide case studies, examples or calculations where possible
  • Provide your full name, title and company
  • Please also provide a high-resolution head and shoulders colour photo (300 dpi/at least 1 MB)