We all know and love coach Rassie Erasmus’ bomb squad as it gives our team an edge against all opponents. This strategy has not only revolutionized the game, but has also been copied by teams at all levels.
And I believe this is a tactic you can use if you fall short of your retirement savings goals.
I think about this a lot when I sit with investors who are behind on their savings. The tendency is to feel like you’re in damage control, playing catch-up, managing the first run that didn’t go according to plan.
That’s the wrong frame. You have, at 40 or 50, with a shortage, a bomb squad that hasn’t arrived yet. And the other part belongs to the one who makes the best use of it.
First, check the scoreboard
Before you can deploy anything, you need to know what you’re working with.
Many investors say “I haven’t saved enough” but they haven’t calculated what “enough” actually means to them. Calculate how much monthly income you will need after retirement, taking into account what you already have, how many years you have left, and how big the difference is.
Once it is measured, it can be managed. You can build a game plan around a number. You can’t build anything based on emotion.
stop giving easy punishments
The second step is to stop making the problem worse. High-interest debt, habitual lifestyle spending, and early withdrawals from retirement savings all assume you can’t afford to lose.
I’m not suggesting that you take away the joy from your life. But if there is not enough money available for retirement, your money needs to be spent more deliberately. Which debt is costing you the most? What expenses have become unexamined habits?
Every rand redirected towards savings is a new forward coming onto the field.
deploy your tax weapons
This is where your bomb disposal squad comes into play.
Contributions to a retirement annuity, pension or provident fund are tax-deductible up to 27.5% of your remuneration or taxable income, subject to an annual limit of R430,000. If you’re not maximizing it, you’re taking one of your most powerful players off the field for no reason.
Any tax refund or savings should go directly back into retirement savings, not everyday spending. Otherwise, the tax system gives you the difference and tries to impose lifestyle expenses.
Your tax-free investment account is ready to become another player. The growth within it is free from income tax, dividend tax and capital gains tax.
Think of it not as an emergency fund, but as a long-term asset. Think of this as a player you want on the field for the entire match, not someone you keep substituting every few minutes.
Your RA and your TFSA, used together, are a tremendous second-half combination. It’s not always glamorous, but it’s not nice to punish either. And yet, anyone who watches rugby knows that scoring points can win a match.
Make the substitutions that decide the match
If your original retirement plan is no longer working, you may need to make changes.
This is not a failure. This is planning.
In rugby, a good coach does not wait until the 79th minute to make a substitution if the game is slipping. The same applies to your financial life.
Retiring two to five years later is one of the most powerful adjustments available. This gives your investments more time to grow, reduces the number of years your capital needs to last, and allows you to continue contributing.
This does not mean that you remain in your current role. Mentorship, guidance or part-time income all matter.
Other replacements are: reviewing your current financial plan, increasing monthly contributions, directing bonuses toward savings before absorbing lifestyle expenses, paying off debt before retirement, and being realistic about the monthly income you’ll actually need after you stop working.
don’t try miracles
There’s one thing Racy never did: panic. He trusted the game plan.
When investors realize they are behind, some want to take a big hit and fix everything at once. I understand the impulse. But chasing scarcity with excessive investment risk is rarely a good idea.
A strategy that matches your age, time frame, and risk tolerance will outperform a desperate one in the long run. Being too conservative also has its own risks, as inflation quietly destroys cash-heavy portfolios.
Play your structure. Trust your bench.
Get a coach in your corner
A financial planner can’t change the past. Sadly, we don’t have a magic wand or some secret investment that will double every three years without any risk. If someone tells you they do, please run – preferably faster than the open-field winger.
A planner can help you make better decisions from here. A proper retirement plan can model different scenarios.
Seeing these scenarios clearly can be incredibly empowering. It turns fear into action.
final whistle
The Springboks don’t win because they had a great first half. They win because they execute a brutal second-half plan to dominate for the full 80 minutes – freeing up a bench the opposition has not prepared for.
If you’re behind on retirement savings, it’s just your halftime score. Be honest about the numbers, deploy your financial “bomb squad,” and work on a strategy with a planner. The last whistle belongs to those who have the second part.