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TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR CURRENT DOCTORS
MBCHB 2020
Final year in general is a nightmare, final year during a pandemic? Even worse.
As medical students, we’re often not as clued up on aspects of life outside of medicine, purely because the course is so hectic and offers little in terms of free time to indulge in other interests, let alone financial planning and adulting in general.
That’s where having a financial advisor comes in. I chose to sign with Ruan and the Graduate Wealth Team because they made finance make sense.
Ruan took time to explain the core concepts of what good financial planning entails and presented the pros and cons of each available product, making it easy to navigate through the financial jargon and settle on products that best suited my financial goals. He made an effort to ensure that the products I decided on were aligned with my personal preferences.
Coming into my internship knowing that my financial planning was already sorted was a huge relief and it allowed me to settle into a new work environment with one less thing to worry about.
I’m happy with the service I’ve received from Ruan and his team and I’d definitely recommend them!
Dr Kaamilah Joosub
Going from having parents/ bursary/ student loan being your financial platform to earning a salary (and a big one at that) sounds fun initially! Until you hear words like medical insurance, emergency fund, HPCSA fees, retirement!
A financial advisor needs to be someone you can feel comfortable to speak to openly, someone you believe will always have your best interests at heart. There isn’t really a right or wrong person, but I found this comfort in Graduate Wealth and specifically in Ruan.
Besides him replying to messages way way way outside of ‘work hours’, he is always willing to sort out any issue, leaving me at ease to focus on my career and not on my finances!
Dr Lynette Upman
Final year is a stressful period in one's academic career. Medical aid, life cover, income protection, etc. is the last thing on your mind. Your number one focus is passing the year and becoming a doctor. However, financial planning is very important and you want to make sure to start your medical career with those things in place, which is where Ruan and Graduate wealth come in.
Right now it might seem like you don't need a financial advisor and you think you'll do these things on your own and at your own time in December or early January next year. However the first month of internship is so busy that you might not get the time to do so.
Make the right choice now, set up an appointment with Ruan, he explains things in a simplified way and helps you choose products catered to your individual needs. Protect yourself, protect your career.
Dr Amanda Muchocho
Starting a new job and relocating are two massive events in your life. Not even talking about all your financial responsibilities that are all of a sudden being thrusted upon you.
Ruan and his entire team made this transition so much easier. Not only the financial planning part, but talking through the pitfalls of work contracts, tax returns and even purchasing a car or a house.
I never expected it to be so easy to call on someone for support or advice. Even with me not even being in the same city. Ruan and his team is one call, whatsapp or email away.
I would highly recommend him and his team in your journey to becoming a healthcare professional.
Dr Heinrich JV Rensburg
Heading into internship was extremely overwhelming. I did not know where to start. Everything had pages and pages of overwhelming information and I struggled to wrap my head around everything.
The sessions arranged by Graduate Wealth really helped breaking everything into a very concise and easy to understand format.
Working with Ruan, the packages got tailored to suit me perfectly and the fact that I didn't have to sit through an abnormally long process of sorting out documents to actually register for the various things was amazing since I could focus on studies.
Dr Yeyang Xu
It is amazing to have someone you can trust to always want the absolute best for you and your future helping you with your finances.
It was also great to have all my financial admin sorted prior to starting a hectic first few months of internship and being able to whatsapp Ruan with any uncertainty and always getting great customer service.
Ruan is very professional and always eager to assist with any concerns. I highly recommend Ruan and Graduate Wealth
Dr Leon Louw
From the first time I met Ruan, until today, he made financial planning manageable for me. I am delighted that throughout the year he continued coming to explain all about Graduate Wealth and what they have accomplished.
It is the first and adequate decision I took for myself and my family. I am covered financially, health-wise (by medical aid), and life insurance for me and my family. Graduate Wealth has been supportive throughout the entire journey.
I admire that Graduate Wealth is not marketing a company but working with different companies to help people like me. They intend to help people to accomplish the best financial plan possible.
It is best to analyse your options with the information that they assign to you about benefits from each corporation.
Dr Mojalefa Motloung (NMFCMP)
It is an understatement saying there is absolutely no time during internship for anything besides work. You don't have time to think about your finances or future hence the importance of having these basic first financial steps in place BEFORE starting your internship. Knowing that a firm foundation for my finances was already established by the time I received my first salary gave me one less thing to worry about.
There is no one better than Ruan to help you start your financial journey. From having multiple financial advisors approach me since starting my internship, no one has given better advice, guidance or proposal of products than him. He truly has a great understanding and insight into our line of work and how to appropriately protect our current finances and prepare for the future. You really will do yourself a favour in more ways than one to decide to have Ruan as your financial advisor.
I cannot describe how glad and relieved I am that Ruan and Graduate Wealth are the one's guiding me in making responsible financial decisions.
Dr Cara Brisley
Getting to have someone like Ruan and his team by my side during this dynamic financial change in my life was the right decision. Ruan is helpful, dependable and accountable.
Dr Nox Mphambukeli
I can only speak from my own experience from the elation of finding out where you are placed to the first day stress when you start work as a doctor. Finding out where I was placed was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Together with the celebrations of finishing your studies and becoming a doctor, all part of the experience.
Unfortunately after all the celebrations comes a lot of admin. SARS registration, IN numbers, bank accounts, insurance, retirement plans etc. All these things will take time from you which you will have very little of before you start working. Once you start working it will be a constant struggle to get these things sorted.
Luckily Ruan and Graduate Wealth are there to make things easier. They make everything as easy as possible handling all the admin associated with your personal finance and staying in contact with you throughout the process. They made sure all my personal finance and insurance paperwork was sorted months before my first payments.
Ruan is always ready to respond to any problems that might arise and follows up to make sure everything is sorted. Ruan and Graduate Wealth definitely made the transition to a working adult as easy as possible. I would recommend their services to anyone who is serious about their personal finance and insurance.
Dr Adriaan Vorster
It's very important if not “CRITICAL" to have a financial advisor considering our line of work and the long working hours to be specific. One hardly has time to do anything and get to handle life changing decisions such as financial planning.
I chose Ruan Nel because of his expertise when it comes to financial planning. He gets to monitor and reassess your investment performance, insurances etc as we may not always have the time to do that.
So far I have not had any bad experiences with Ruan. I have him on speed dial to assist me with anything regarding financial Planning.
He always answers. 👌🏾
Dr Katlego Lephalo
I was impressed with how organised Graduate Wealth was in my final year. They are up to date with the financial status and important documentation concerning interns and therefore they are able to give you valuable advice.
I like the fact that they give you advice on what they think is best but also give you all the other options and explain them to you so that you can make informed decisions on your own They are also quick to react to your requests and changes you want to make if needed
I highly recommend Ruan from Graduate Wealth
Dr JJ Lombaard
So it’s that time of your life where you are stressed out because you’re in the transition process, from being a student to being an employed individual with more responsibilities. Finances are part of the stressors that come with this change.
When I got to this stage, I had minimal knowledge about finances. Ruan helped me a lot during this time. As an expert in finance, he guided me towards the right direction, which allowed me to make good financial choices.
I started working with him in my fourth year and all has been good. As an intern, you do not have time to deal with all aspects of your life by yourself. I am grateful to have someone appropriately handle my finances for me so that I do not have to stress about it. That has made a very significant impact in my life.
Dr Yenziwe Mbambo
When becoming an intern your plates are suddenly overwhelmed with new experiences, choices, decisions and admin and you don’t need, nor want and then the extra stressor of trying to get your finances in check.
I could navigate internship slightly more easily knowing that Ruan had my finances under control. I happily signed with Ruan because he takes the time to explain everything to you, over and over, until you understand and are able to make an informed decision. He’s always a message away and willing to answer any questions you have (even the silly ones).
So the best advice I could give you is sort out as much as you can for internship during med school and the biggest of those being your finances. I comfortably watch the debit orders go off every month because I know that my money is going to the best possible place it can and I wouldn’t have that without Ruan. He always has your best ‘Interest’ in mind.
- Dr Jasmine Coulon
Final year is tough enough, without the additional stress of making big financial decisions on your own. It felt impossible to focus on End of Blocks, while simultaneously wondering if it's worth joining a medical aid.
Ruan and Graduate Wealth have done an exceptional job of simplifying and clarifying truly pivotal concepts so that I could make the best choices for me and my future; without distracting me from studying. It was such a pleasure to study for finals with as few distractions as possible and once I qualified it was a relief knowing Ruan was just a phone call away to help with any queries I had (from buying my first car; to drawing up a monthly budget).
I am immensely grateful to Ruan; and would definitely recommend him and Graduate Wealth to all doctors.
Dr Raeesa Khan
The journey through medical school is one with less financial literacy. I started my journey with Ruan in my 3rd year and I couldn’t be happier with his financial advice and how he imparts his knowledge and skills.
He is always prepared for our sessions and patient with me. He takes his time to teach and not only do I know where my money goes and how my current wealth is structured, I am well equipped on how to manage my finances moving forward.
Dr Spha Sambujana
Internship is difficult!! There are a lot of new adjustments, especially if like me, you are moving away from home for the first time. The responsibilities of your job, all the new found responsibilities of adulthood. You have a lot of plates you’re trying to keep in the air.
It helps to know you have someone who is qualified and someone you can trust to manage all of your financial matters. Someone who knows what it’s like to work with interns and someone who knows what mistakes we make as interns
I would recommend signing with Ruan. You have so much to worry about, might as well have one less thing to worry about.
Dr Khotso Khokho
You are about to become a professional in your field and you definitely need a professional in their field to help you through the tough adjustment of working life. Ruan will give you peace of mind that money cannot buy.
Planning your future will not take away from your present so enjoy the moment and definitely plan for the future.
Dr Refiloe Mokoena
MBCHB 2019
During final year I had to decide which financial adviser I was going to make use of. I am extremely happy that I chose Ruan and the GraduateWealth team. They have made dealing with all the admin that comes with “adulting” effortless. They are always available to help with any issues that I haveand dealt with them swiftly. I would, without a doubt, recommend their services to anyone.
Dr Nandus Pieterse (MBChB)
Ok…. One thing I appreciate now as a working individual is that prior to even working I was ready. I knew which hospital plan I was insured with, which income protect, etc. Seeing my colleagues struggle with all this, on top of settling into a new environment and overall space of being an intern looked very stressful, but I had peace. I like that everything was explained in a way that I understood and although GraduateWealth gives their plan of action, they also provide you with other options so you can make an informed decision. They give you a platform to change whatever doesn’t work for you, while ensuring that whatever decision you make is an informed one. There isn’t much in terms of approach to what or how black tax works, but they’ve proven not only understanding it but also put in effort in learning what it’s all about and how to make sure that you don’t end up with the short end of the stick… In summary I would say I recommend Ruan Nel because: 1. Planning ahead 2. Information, information, information. 3. Flexibility and always willing to learn and work around his client’s needs 4. As a millennial, I appreciate that he is literally 1 text away.
Dr Naledi Chabanku(MBChB)
GraduateWealth and Ruan Nel has given met total peace of mind when it comes to my finances.
Dr Mzamo Mnguni (NMFCMP)
I decided to use GraduateWealth compared to the other companies due to their ability to individualise and their knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the different products. Ruan helped me to understand and has been available whenever I needed assistance. In retrospect, especially with so much happening in the beginning of the internship year, GraduateWealth eased a lot of the burden.
Dr Brandon Daffue (MBChB)
I decided to become a client of GraduateWealth in my fourth year already. My older sister and her husband are clients of Ruan’s partners, Hardus and his wife, Liezl – so I knew already that they were very happy with their service. I could see from the beginning that Ruan was someone that I could work with: he is honest and to the point, working by the rules while using the system to his and his client’s advantage as best he can. It is easy to see that he knows what he is doing from his broad knowledge of the financial world, but also from experience. I felt like he understood and agreed with my financial goals, giving advice where he saw my plans could be improved. I also really enjoy the fact that he is innovating and understands my financial needs (and wants) as a young professional. Although I completely trust my finances in his hands, he also doesn’t put himself above his clients, making him very approachable. GraduateWealth is a company that is entirely transparent and honest in their way of business. I don’t ever feel like just another client in their system bringing them an income – they put effort into individualising every person’s portfolio to your specific needs. When everyone around me in final year started to panic about the financial responsibilities that would suddenly fall on our shoulders the next year, I felt like I was on an island of security and peace – one that Ruan put me on by having long ago already gone through everything with me and guiding me through every phase and decision to be made. Now, as a young professional, I sleep soundly at night knowing that, even though I feel that I don’t know much about finances myself, my finances are in very good hands with Ruan and GraduateWealth. They also made sure I know of and understand everything being decided by myself. Being a client of Graduate Wealth puts me in a position where I don’t have to make any of the daunting financial decisions by myself, and I know my finances are being spent responsibly – and also smartly.
Dr Jana van der Walt (MBChB)
Final year is no joke! You have the biggest and baddest exams of your life coming up soon! (Don’t worry, most of you will be ok 😉). I know nothing about financial planning. The only thing I know is how to take blood and put up drips (which is what you all should know!). Ruan Nel is a man that I trust because I have seen so much of him over the years as a medical student. He started interacting with us from 4th year and he is always keen to offer advice whenever needed. So far, I have had no problems with him as my financial advisor / broker as he only has my best interests in mind. R40 000 a month is a very nice salary to start off with! But that doesn’t mean you buy the fancy Merc or BMW immediately. Start saving from day 1. Graduate Wealth’s policy encourages you to save for a rainy day which is important especially with our profession! Take care and all the best for the rest of the year!
Dr Rohin Rama (MBChB)
When Ruan asked me to write something on why I chose to work with him, it actually was a very easy choice to make. Ruan assisted me by making me understand the financial gibberish and breaking down each and every term that I didn’t understand. He helped me make sense of what seemed to be simple differences in the way you invest money which actually has a huge impact on the outcome. He went through the different options and products available on the market and those which would be relevant to Interns out there. He has a great personality and has the ability to work well with medical doctors and understands their financial needs. Ruan was patient and gave me the time I needed to decide on what products I wanted and he was also ready to answer questions or meet as many times as I needed before I had finally signed. He allowed me the time to think and also adapted certain products to match my personal preferences and made signing with him a very simple and easy step.
Dr Waseem Ismail (MBChB)
When you’re an intern at the biggest hospital in Africa, during a pandemic, the last thing you want to worry about are your finances. That’s where Graduate Wealth comes in. A one stop company for all your needs. It’s important to do your research when choosing a financial planner so that you can find a fit that is right FOR YOU. We all come from different financial backgrounds and have different financial goals. You need a financial planner who understands this and has the knowledge to help you achieve your dreams. Graduate Wealth offers all of this. Unlike some financial planners, they also offer diversity. Because the company isn’t affiliated with one specific financial institution, they are able to offer you the best deals on pretty much anything from a range of financial institutions. Another great advantage is that Ruan doesn’t really have office hours. This helps a lot when your profession doesn’t allow you to be available during normal office hours. This allows for ease of communication and your problems get solved quickly as Ruan is almost always available to help. This is why I chose Graduate Wealth. This is certainly the perfect fit for someone in the medical profession
Dr Boitumelo Mofokeng (MBChB)
I’m sure by this time all of you are trying to figure out where you going to do your internship, how much you going to earn and what model of the car you going to drive??? But some of the most important questions to ask is if you have life cover? Do I have medical aid? Do I have a financial plan? Who is going to handle my taxes?? How to plan my retirement annuity?? Do I have savings account to build my mom a House?? The Internship program can be so busy that sometime you don’t even get a change to handle your paperwork, hence I advise that you take advantage of the services provided by Ruan. I have decided to use Ruan as my Guy for simple reasons, he sits with you and guide you through your financial decisions, and he allows you to have a final say on how you want to handle your portfolio. He comes to your level and builds a relationship with you. There is so much to say to you around financial planning, buying a new car and at the same time making sure you have enough funds to take care of your family, you know how it goes Black tax(Smile), but if you listen closely to the sessions offered by Ruan , you can have the basics to be able to make an informed decisions. With Ruan as your Guy, the paperwork is done on your behalf ofcos with your consultation, and with your busy schedule that’s a relief and you have someone to trust after you have known him for a full year and more for others. You get an advantage of someone with the experience of working with new interns for quite a while and knows their different financial needs and remember with Ruan the decisions are always yours. My last advice is don’t wait for internship to make financial decisions because that will be too late. I wish you well on your last few months as students and may you all have a successful academic year.
Dr Simon Lebetsa (NMFCMP)
So, final year, if we are being Honest is a jungle. If it’s not trying to pass school, it’s trying to stay calm and breath through it all. Now given the added pressures of applying for posts and wondering where to go over and above people’s opinions on different institutions and then all of a sudden- you are taken into a whirlwind called finances! (And you thought a differential diagnosis was the pits) When I first met Ruan, I would be lying if I said I trusted him completely. If anything, I had my doubts because everyone was just coming from every direction and knowing whom to talk to and trying your level best not to be taken advantage of was a challenge for me. I attended a few of those extra sessions Ruan would host (mostly because I was bribed by food lol). But attending them opened my eyes to a different world that I knew nothing about- kind of like moving from theory and MIMA to clinical rotations. Ruan not only taught us good financial management, but him also bringing input from other people in real estate really helped to see that not everything is as cut out in stone as we think. Sitting down with Ruan and his very thick portfolio that most of us didn’t read (I read the summary) and the way he just explained how certain products worked and what they had to offer in comparison to other products was not only insightful, but it was necessary. Over and above that, he doesn’t coerce you into taking a certain product but rather allows you the platform to make your own decisions and to also be able to come back to him should you have any other questions. I have no doubt in my mind that working with Ruan has helped me a lot. And seeing some colleagues in internship who haven’t even started thinking about retirement and all these other things makes you appreciate someone who came to you when you were still a student and helped you to make decisions that not only impacted tomorrow, but the future years to come.
Dr Nametso Mokgosana (MBChB)
Being a final year student, soon to be a graduate and part of the working, tax paying society, is definitely a stressful time. You are overwhelmed by all the paperwork that needs to be sorted out, millions of decisions to be made. And on top of that you need to pass exams in the time of a global pandemic. I chose Graduate Wealth to assist me with my financial decisions because they have a few decade’s experience with young professionals. They helped me make an informed decision and did not only promote products they are affiliated with.
Dr Maréza Brink (MBChB)
As a medical student you need to know how to spend your time wisely. The little time I had to spend on things other than medicine, I must admit, definitely didn’t include anything to do with finances. From the first day Ruan from Graduate Wealth came to speak to us, he made a really great impression and I realized I will need someone like him once I graduated. My parents advised me to speak to lots of different people and then choose the person that I’m most comfortable with – definitely Ruan! Now I’m a doctor, at last, and the salary was quite a shock in the beginning (and still is). I often tell my parents how rich I feel, which is obviously an illusion, and I know this thanks to Graduate Wealth. They really gave us as students a very good overview of everything financial you need to know and think about. I now realize how precious the time is away from work, although Ruan probably can’t say the same. I frequently contact Ruan after hours and it’s never a problem for him. I also feel like I can ask and trust his professional opinion. As a medical doctor you need to know how to spend your time wisely. And with Graduate Wealth by my side I can spend my time and money wisely
Dr Karien Janse van Vuuren (MBChB)
Personally I only realized towards the end of my studies that there are my aspects of my life that I have neglected. Of which financial planning was probably the biggest and needed to be sorted out quickly. I decided that a financial planner would be a good place to start getting my finances in order. There will be a huge number of financial planners that will present their offerings to you in your final year and for me, I believe most of them can give you good advice. What it was about for me, was to find someone that I am comfortable with, that is willing to go the extra mile for me. Someone that will be able to answer all my questions as I grow my financial knowledge. GraduateWealth and Ruan Nel offered all of this with ease. Ruan took time to help me set up a financial plan for my specific plans for the future. He never forced me to take an existing plan and helped build my own plan according to my needs. I am very happy with the service and help that I have received so far and I feel happy and peaceful about everything. I can also contact him at any stage to review and ask more questions, which helps me a lot.
Dr Jana Jacobs (MBChB)
Using Ruan Nel, representing Graduate Wealth, as my financial adviser helped me ease into the life of a financially responsible junior doctor, but he offers so much more than just his financial expertise. He obviously knows everything about the different car loans, home loans, investments, retirement annuities and all the things you need to plan out your life but it’s the personal touch that made me choose him. He helped me tailor my investments to fit my very different, but specific, short- and long-term goals for my personal and financial future. He’s willing to adapt to the style of how one likes to conduct business and respects your time (limited as it may be). Even when I needed advice on a topic outside of finance, Ruan went out of his way to set up a meeting for me with one of his many expert contacts. There are many Jack of all trade (but master of none) financial advisors out there who claim to do it all, but doctors understand the importance of specialists. Ruan is the specialist for advising doctors on finance.
Dr Vince de Beer (MBChB)