Cash out or preserve?
Withdrawal claims from retirement funds: Cash out or protect your investments
Explained by our expert
About me
Isabella holds a BCom Honours in Actuarial Science from the University of Cape Town and works at the intersection of investments, quantitative analysis and product development at Sygnia Asset Management. She began her career as a Junior Quantitative Analyst at Sygnia in February 2024 before being appointed Investment Product Specialist in January 2025. Her actuarial background gives her a strong analytical foundation, which she applies to developing investment solutions and helping make complex investment concepts easier for members to understand.
Video Transcript
On leaving employment, you can take cash from your savings pot and possibly your vested pot, subject to tax, or preserve that money by transferring it to another retirement fund. Money in your retirement pot must generally be preserved and cannot be taken as cash before retirement. Taking cash for short-term financial relief will reduce the amount available to you in retirement. If you can, preserve your money in a preservation fund or transfer it to a new employer's fund.
