The importance of a financial adviser in your life and wealth journey.

Yvonne Velthuysen • April 3, 2025

Industry studies estimate that professional financial advice can add up to 5.1% to portfolio returns over the long term, depending on the time period and how returns are calculated. But for most investors who choose to work with an advisor, advice is not just about investments. It's also about helping you pursue your goals, grow your wealth, and take care of the people who matter most to you.

Here are 3 ways a good advisor can help make a difference in helping you reach your goals.

1. Works with you to create a personalized investment plan
When you work with an advisor, you generally receive support from a dedicated professional who can help you bring your plan to life. An advisor will ask you about your personal and financial goals, and work with you to help answer questions such as:

Are your spending and cash flow appropriate?
What does financial protection mean to you, and how important is it?
What does growth mean to you, and how important is it?
Are your investments aligned with your preferences?
How will you manage your investment portfolio?


Together, you can develop a documented investment plan that articulates your long-term goals, short-term needs, risk tolerance, and personal values. This plan can act as a guide for future decision-making, and provides the advisor with information necessary to help you devise and document an appropriate asset allocation and, if applicable, a tax-sensitive investment strategy to help you invest in the asset classes and accounts that best suit your objectives and risk tolerance.

Having a documented investment plan can be a big help in staying the course in times of uncertainty or volatility and can help an advisor provide the guidance and encouragement you may need to stay on track to avoid the sometimes costly mistakes investors can make during volatile markets.

2. Can help identify opportunities to help protect and grow your assets
An advisor who understands your long-term goals is well-positioned to help you identify strategies and techniques that can help you grow and protect your wealth.

This may include:

Retirement income planning. Preparing for your future needs is essential to ensuring you can maintain your lifestyle throughout your lifespan.
Tax-smart investments. Reducing the amount you pay in taxes can potentially help extend the life of your retirement savings and open up options for more growth.


3. Builds a relationship with you to better plan for your specific needs
By getting to know you, your family, and your feelings about investing and your future, an advisor can better plan for your specific needs and help you adjust, amend, or extend your plan to keep it relevant as your circumstances change. An advisor can also help you evolve your plan as you prioritize new goals or manage life events, and help you manage risk and consider opportunities as markets or tax laws change.

By scheduling regular check-ins, perhaps quarterly or semiannually, an advisor can help you to review whether your objectives and needs have remained the same or whether circumstances require you to update your plan.

This can also be an opportunity for the advisor to connect you to specialists with experience with estate tax planning and personal trust services, to help develop a plan designed to help you keep more of your money and may be able to help protect your legacy for generations to come.

A good advisor is a partner on your financial journey
Financial advice is more than just numbers and investments. It's a process that can help you make a plan, chart your progress, and hopefully achieve your personal and financial goals—while feeling more confident along the way.

Why wait? Connect with one of our professional advisors today.

Smart money moves: How to create financial habits that last longer than your New Years resolutions!

By Geo Botha • December 4, 2025
I recently signed up for one of my bucket list items, the demanding Comrades Marathon. It’s something that I always had in the back of my mind, and I said to myself that if I ever where to take on the 87km beast, I am going to be prepared. So, as I successfully entered and received my number, I immediately did 2 things: 1) I got a coach: Someone who is experience and can guide me week by week, month by month leading up to the Ultra Marathon 2) I got a training partner : After using all my persuasion skills, I convinced a friend to join me on this journey. Not only for the comradery, but more as an accountability partner, to make sure I show up for training even though I might not feel like it For many of us, we want to make sure 2026 is our best year yet, not just physically, but financially as well. How can we be more productive and make more money or at least manage it better? In his Book Atomic Habit, James clear writes about the ‘Commitment device’ in chapter 14. A Commitment device, also referred to as the ‘ Ulysses pact’ is a choice you make in the present, that controls your actions in the future. It is a way to lock in future behaviour, bind you to good habits and restrict you from the bad ones. Some examples include: - Eating out of smaller plates – to limit calorie intake. - Unsubscribe to emails and apps – to waste less time - Setting up an outlet timer, to cut off the Wi-Fi at 9pm per night - to limit social media or series binging. - Keep your phone in another room when working – to avoid distractions When it comes to your finances here are a couple of things you can try to make 2026 you most financially rewarding year yet. - Automate your investments: Remove the temptation to spend your money by setting up debit order for the money to be invested as soon as it hits your bank account - Appoint a financial partner – this can be an advisor, friend or spouse: his person must be strict and diligent and keep you to your goals. Schedule quarterly calls to go through your investment accounts to see how much it has grown - Buy groceries only twice a week: We almost always buy things we don’t need – limit your number of visits to the store - Let you partner hide your credit card during the week and have an x amount of cash available. This might sound harsh but can be extremely effective as we swipe or tab often without thinking. There’s so many examples of how we can adjust our behaviour by setting up ‘ Commitment devices. I’d like to hear your favourites so please send them through to geo@bovest.co.za and let’s help each other to make 2026 memorable and profitable. Geo Botha CFP® Marketing Director

2025 - Reflection and a Personal Testimony.

By Yvonne Velthuysen • December 4, 2025
Dearest clients and colleagues. While I was contemplating about this month’s topic, I felt led to share the following testimony with all of you. I really hope it will encourage you and call you to action. Before I begin, I am sure you will get enough information about the markets and politics from my colleagues, so I am happy to divert and continue my story. Just a bit of background. I have been on diamond Vitality status with Discovery for many years. I have faithfully done my yearly check ups every year and also the specific tests that Discovery requests. I slipped up after Covid with my mammogram and pap smear and I didn’t know I had to do a colonoscopy. Just before my birthday in July, I had severe stomach pain. I am not a person who likes to visit a doctor but here I certainly learned a lesson. If you have pain, your body is telling you there is something wrong, so don’t be tough, just go and check it out. I was diagnosed with colon cancer. EVERYTHING changes in an instant. The way you look at life, your values, how you see people, your relationship with your Creator and Saviour. Everything happened so fast and I had to go in for major surgery. After 10 days in ICU, fighting for my life and a couple more days in the surgical ward, I was discharged. So many things were going through my mind. Will I see Christmas again? Will I ever be strong enough to enjoy life again? Will I see my children and grandchildren again? Will I have to go for chemotherapy and radiation? Doubt and fear started to slowly enter my mind. The battle is in the mind. Then breakthrough! My tests came back and I was clear. No cancer in my body. Surgery was successful. Oncologist was happy. I do have to be monitored regularly, but praise God? Here I must elaborate. I have a strong support group who carried me in prayer. I have faith in our Almighty God who still heals today. Bovest as a company also supported me phenomenally. Thank you to all 🙏  My message for all of you is the following: please go to the doctor if you have pain or discomfort. Please do your mammogram, pap smear, prostate and colonoscopy tests regularly. Prostate test now is just a blood test. Please make sure your severe illness and income protection cover is in place. You really need it. Speak to your advisor about it. Don’t be like an ostrich, prevention is far better than cure. Surround yourself with positive people. Spend time in the Word. It is alive and it is healing to your body, soul and spirit. You are welcome to reach out to me anytime. May you have an amazing 2026 and please look after yourself. Kind regards Yvonne