Need quick access to capital? Use your equity portfolio as collateral to secure finance

Investors needing quick capital to grab what could be an unmissable opportunity often find themselves having to liquidate an investment portfolio to sidestep the cumbersome and sometimes drawn-out process of applying for a bank loan.

But market conditions may not be particularly conducive to selling, and there is the added disadvantage of capital gains tax (CGT) being triggered when assets are sold.

Sanlam Private Wealth's equity-backed finance offering provides an efficient opportunity for clients to access immediate finance without having to cede fixed property or sell a portfolio.

You may need bridge funding or working capital for a particular project, or you may want use our equity-backed finance offering to buy a house instead of taking out a mortgage loan from a bank.

Alternatively, you may have a concentrated single stock position and wish to build a diversified portfolio. For example, a JSE-listed company director may have a need to diversify offshore but could be reluctant to sell the shares of the company of which they are a director because it would trigger a significant CGT event.

The transaction would also need to be reported on the Stock Exchange News Service and could send the wrong signal to the market.

Benefits of equity-backed finance

Fast access to capital

Should you have a short-term cash flow need, Sanlam Private Wealth's equity-based finance option will enable you to: 

• Take advantage of investment opportunities; 
• Avoid unnecessary tax implications if you sell shares; and
• Retain an optimal portfolio mix without having to liquidate your portfolio.

Portfolio diversification 

You can leverage your existing portfolio to invest in alternative stocks or offshore investments, providing a natural rand hedge to your South African investment portfolio.

An alternative source of business funding

If you own a business, Sanlam Private Wealth's equity-backed finance facility allows for more cost-effective funding for: 

• Seed capital to start a business — you won’t have to use private equity or venture capital 
• Short-term working capital needs — you may need to fund income-enhancing assets.

Peace of mind and portfolio continuity

Your assets continue to be managed by a team you know and trust.

The assurance of real-time pricing

You are informed of your risk at all times, and Sanlam Private Wealth can react immediately to changes that may affect the value of the assets provided as collateral for the loan.

A highly competitive rate

The rate Sanlam Private Wealth offers is linked to the prime interest rate and is competitive with the best in the market.

We keep our margins tight as our main focus is to provide a service to our clients. There are no origination, service or cancellation fees.

Flexible repayment terms

Interest is capitalised from day one, as long as you don’t breach a predetermined level. The loan can be repaid at any time (it is not locked in), without penalties. 

Easy administration 

Sanlam Private Wealth's facility is simply structured as an addendum to an existing investment mandate.

How it works 

• You can use your existing equity portfolios as collateral for a loan. The top 100 companies by market capitalisation listed on the JSE, selected listed international investments, unit trusts, exchange traded funds and bonds qualify as collateral.
• The amount you can borrow depends on the level of diversification, volatility and liquidity of the shares in your equity portfolio. The value of your portfolio is monitored on a daily basis, and as long as your loan — as a percentage of the value of your portfolio — remains below a predetermined level, there are no collateral requirements.
• If your loan (including unserviced interest) exceeds this predetermined level, additional collateral will be needed. 
• The predetermined level also depends on the level of diversification, volatility and liquidity of the shares in your equity portfolio.
• The minimum portfolio required to act as collateral is R1m. There is no requirement to service the loan. Interest is calculated daily using the outstanding balance and capitalised monthly.
• The criteria used to determine the interest rate charged include the size of the portfolio, the duration of the loan and the quality of the collateral offered (for example, the concentration, liquidity and volatility of the instruments in the portfolio).

For more information, visit sanlamprivatewealth.sanlam.com.

About the author: Gerhard Erasmus is head of equity-backed finance at Sanlam Private Wealth. 

This article was sponsored by Sanlam Private Wealth.