Life Chapters, Money Choices

What happens when memory starts to change, and the people around us are not sure what to say or do?
In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Kim Potgieter and Michael Avery are joined by Dr Ryan Fuller, specialist geriatric psychiatrist and founder of the Memory Care Group, for a compassionate conversation about dementia, family responsibility, capacity, financial decision-making and dignity.
Dementia is often spoken about as memory loss, but as Dr Fuller explains, it can affect far more than recall. It can change judgement, behaviour, emotions, safety, money decisions and the structure of family life. These changes can place families, spouses, adult children, caregivers and advisers in deeply sensitive positions, especially when questions of capacity, power of attorney and future care arise.
Kim reflects on the difficult moments financial planners face when they begin noticing changes in a client’s understanding or behaviour. How do you raise a concern without taking away a person’s dignity? Who should be involved? And what happens when the family has waited too long to speak openly?
This conversation is not about fear. It is about planning early, protecting choice and having the discussion while it can still be a discussion. Because when families talk sooner, they give themselves a better chance of acting with care, clarity and respect.
🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

What happens when the home that once held your whole life no longer fits the life you are living now?
In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter are joined by Financial Planning Specialist Jason Appel for a thoughtful conversation about one of the most emotional and practical decisions many people face in later life: whether to stay in the family home, rent, buy outright or consider life rights in a retirement estate.
The family home is rarely just bricks and mortar. It carries memories, routines, identity and years of life lived. But as children leave home, health needs change, costs rise and community becomes more important, the question of where to live can no longer be avoided. It becomes both a financial planning conversation and a deeply personal one.
Together, Michael, Kim and Jason unpack the differences between outright purchase, renting and life rights, and explore why each option needs to be considered in the context of your health, family, finances and future care needs. They discuss the emotional pull of the family home, the value of community, the importance of planning before a crisis, and the peace of mind that can come from understanding your choices clearly.
This is not an episode about finding one perfect answer. It is a conversation about asking the right questions early enough, so that decisions about home, care and money can be made from a place of choice rather than pressure. Because where you live in the next chapter is not only a property decision. It is a life design decision.
🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

How prepared are you for a diagnosis you never saw coming?
It is a confronting question, but one that sits at the heart of meaningful financial planning. Many people think about financial planning in terms of investments, returns and retirement, only to discover that serious illness brings a different set of questions.
Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter speak to Glen Baker, former portfolio manager at WealthStrat, about being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and how it changed the way he thinks about time, work, family, friendship and money.
They discuss the financial realities of serious illness, including medical aid, income protection, dread disease cover, hidden costs and the paperwork that often comes with claiming. They also talk about the importance of having the right people around you, from family and friends to colleagues and a financial planner who understands both the numbers and the human side of money.
Financial planning is not only about protecting your future. It is about making sure that when life changes, you and the people you love have the support, structure and breathing room you need.
🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

What would happen to your family if you died last night?
It is a confronting question, but one that sits at the heart of proper estate planning. Many people believe that having a signed will means everything is taken care of, only to discover that a will is just one part of a much bigger picture.
Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter speak to Financial Planning Specialist Maryanne Leicher about why estate planning is not only about death, tax or who gets what. It is about making sure the people you love have access to cash, understand your wishes, know where assets are held, and are not left trying to make difficult decisions while grieving.
They discuss the difference between will and non-will assets, the importance of beneficiary nominations, liquidity for a surviving spouse or partner, family conversations around money, and why a letter of wishes can help bring clarity to deeply personal decisions.
A will matters, but it is not enough.
🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

Few institutions are as generous, emotional, or enduring as the Bank of Mom and Dad.
In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter are joined by Financial Planning Specialist Tom Brukman for an honest conversation about the financial and emotional realities of supporting adult children.
From helping with university fees, rent, medical aid, and everyday expenses...
To recognising when support quietly becomes dependency...
To balancing the needs of adult children, ageing parents, and your own retirement security...
They explore why so many families find themselves caught between love, responsibility, and financial reality.
This conversation unpacks the hidden cost of ongoing support, the long-term impact on retirement security, and why money conversations within families are often the hardest to have.
Along the way, they reflect on the lessons children learn from watching their parents, the importance of transparency, and how well-placed boundaries can strengthen, rather than strain, family relationships.
Sometimes the most loving thing a parent can do is not give more.
It is helping their children build the confidence, independence, and resilience to create a life of their own.
🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.