Who We Are
My name is Dave Crawford and I have been teaching people about improving their retirement prospects since 1992. I am a member of the Financial Planning Institute (a Certified Financial Planner) but I have chosen not to register to sell financial products to the people I teach. I hope that what we teach them enables them to buy products, and deal with financial advisors, by themselves from a position of knowledge.
The Financial Sector Control Authority (the old Financial Services Board) has published a credo about the purchase of retail financial products, which is called "Treating Customers Fairly". They say "there is information asymmetry between retail financial consumers (that's you) and financial firms."
We believe that the only way to deal with this is to help you — the consumer, the individual, the employee, the retirement fund member — learn enough to make up your own mind about what you should and shouldn't do.
We provide retirement seminars to many organisations that employ many people. We counsel departing employees and we help new employees get off on the right foot with their retirement preparation. This service is also available to individuals.
Our Team
Dave Crawford
CFP® — Founder
Retirement educator since 1992. Certified Financial Planner who deliberately chose not to sell financial products — so his only interest is yours.
Mike Byron
CFP® — Legal Expert
Certified Financial Planner and lecturer in law at Natal University. Brings legal and regulatory expertise to retirement planning education.
Cliff Barnes
CFP® — Training Specialist
Certified Financial Planner who also trains financial intermediaries. Combines deep product knowledge with a talent for clear, practical teaching.
Our Partners
We work with FQ Financial Skills, who are experts in trustee training and other areas of pension expertise. This team has worked together for over twenty years with remarkable success across many projects.
Our courses and counselling are available in English, Afrikaans, and appropriate vernacular languages — delivered by Bheki Phakati and Wilber Nomvete who ensure we can reach members in their home language.