Newsletter:

Subject:	RA deadline getting closer
Date:	05 Feb 10

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Retirement Annuity deadline time is drawing nearer. Our Equinox Retirement Annuity fund offers individuals an easy way to save for retirement or to boost your existing retirement savings. The savings on a direct investment through our platform are not to be underestimated.

As we all know, February is the end of the tax year. In order to take advantage of tax breaks offered with retirement annuities for this year, we need to receive the investment amount together with the required documents for processing by February 23rd.

If you are already a member of our Equinox Retirement Annuity Fund you should complete our ‘additional contribution form’ (available on our public website), which should be submitted to us via fax or email. You should then make your payment into our Retirement Annuity fund bank account. These bank details are on our application form.

If you wish to join our Retirement Annuity Fund, you are required to complete our ‘RA application form’ (available on our public website) and send it to us. We will also need your FICA documents.

Both existing and new investors are welcome to call our offices for assistance with the documentation process. Our telephone number is 0860 378 466.

Investors who should take note of this deadline include those who have contributed less than the maximum tax deductable amount during 2009, those who receive a large part of their salary in commissions, and those who are not members of a pension or provident fund (most people in this category are self employed).

In other news, as usual there is a range of interesting articles to read on our website. We have highlighted some of them below. In addition, take time to visit the 'Docs and Fund Manager Reports' section of our home page, where we post newsletters from leading fundmanagers. Some of these articles are well worth reading.

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The ‘picture show version’ of what is going on in the US economy
At a presentation last week, Kevin Lings, Chief Economist at Stanlib ran his audience through a presentation he appropriately called ‘What Now?”

More at http://www.equinox.co.za/article_2448.html

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2008 was a free-fall; 2009 was a bungee snap-back; so what will 2010 bring?
Tony Gibson, a founder member of Coronation and a former CIO of the company writes that in the present investing environment it would seem that a portfolio of intrinsically undervalued global equities will prove to be the only sensible investment which will produce attractive income and capital returns to long-term investors.

More at http://www.equinox.co.za/article_2445.html

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South African Collective Investment Schemes valued at R786 billion
A press release from Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (Asisa) has announced that the value of the collective investments industry is now R786 billion, with inflows of R125 billion during the course of 2009.

More at http://www.equinox.co.za/article_2441.html

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Best Regards
The Equinox Team

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