Financial services industry specialist Freda du Toit, executive director of SDT Financial Software Solutions, will speak on using technology to improve service and efficiency in the retirement funds industry at the upcoming Marcus Evans conference "Alternative Investment and Administration for Retirement Funds".
SDT is also a silver corporate sponsor of the event, which will be held from 7 to 9 June at the Park Hyatt in Rosebank, Johannesburg.
Several changes to the retirement funds industry were made public in 2005, including the recommendation that the rules governing pension funds should be changed to allow for a portion of assets to be invested in socially responsible investments, new reporting standards for trustees, and the consideration of other types of investments. Government also introduced plans to reform the industry in favour of greater regulation, to penalise companies for dishonest practices, and to overhaul the industry's image.
"In light of these changes, industry players need to know about what lies ahead, what is expected of them, and what their future roles and responsibilities will be," says Du Toit. "With administrators now also being able to invest more due to the recent reduction of tax on pension fund earnings, they need information on available investment opportunities for retirement funds. The aim of the conference is to enlighten delegates to make the right decisions and make the most of their pension fund."
"It is important for the industry to maximise benefits available through technology, while at the same time reducing administration costs," says Du Toit. Key topics to be discussed at the conference include transferring knowledge among stakeholders; sharing information; exploring new technologies available to the industry; and opportunities to use technology to reduce costs.
* For more information, visit http://www.marcusevans.com/events/CFEventinfo.asp?EventID=10947
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