In South Africa, less than 10% of individuals are financially independent after retirement, with an increasing number becoming dependent on social grants from government – hence the importance of analysing the asset composition of high net worth individuals who have achieved financial independence. To achieve the aim of this study, it was first necessary to define net worth and to develop a theoretical framework of the assets and liabilities included in the measurement of an individual’s net worth and how these assets and liabilities should be valued. A definition of high net worth individuals was then formulated. Secondly, the factors influencing the asset composition of high net worth individuals, as well as selected demographic factors that influence net worth, were investigated. Finally, following a quantitative approach, data collected from the liquidation and distribution accounts of deceased individuals were analysed according to the developed framework. The results of this study suggest that are indeed differences in the contribution of the different asset types when measured using the mean, relative contribution and importance of the asset class in comparison with total assets. Further analysis revealed that the richest individuals included in the survey invested more in shares than the other groups for whom immovable property was the primary asset. Based on the analysis of selected demographic factors, the findings indicated that for many of the dependent variables, the asset used most by respondents in that group was not the same asset that made the highest contribution to the net worth of the individuals in the group. / Business Management / M. Com. (Accounting)

In South Africa, less than 10% of individuals are financially independent after retirement, with an increasing number becoming dependent on social grants from government – hence the importance of analysing the asset composition of high net worth individuals who have achieved financial independence. To achieve the aim of this study, it was first necessary to define net worth and to develop a theoretical framework of the assets and liabilities included in the measurement of an individual’s net worth and how these assets and liabilities should be valued. A definition of high net worth individuals was then formulated. Secondly, the factors influencing the asset composition of high net worth individuals, as well as selected demographic factors that influence net worth, were investigated. Finally, following a quantitative approach, data collected from the liquidation and distribution accounts of deceased individuals were analysed according to the developed framework. The results of this study suggest that are indeed differences in the contribution of the different asset types when measured using the mean, relative contribution and importance of the asset class in comparison with total assets. Further analysis revealed that the richest individuals included in the survey invested more in shares than the other groups for whom immovable property was the primary asset. Based on the analysis of selected demographic factors, the findings indicated that for many of the dependent variables, the asset used most by respondents in that group was not the same asset that made the highest contribution to the net worth of the individuals in the group. / Taxation / M. Com. (Accounting)

Wealth, well-being and the standard of living of the population are among the most important topics of economic policy and statistics. This diploma thesis deals with statistical concepts of wealth measurement, especially the wealth of households. The aim of the thesis is to introduce various indicators that deal with the mentioned issues. This thesis will describe Gross Domestic Product, Household Consumption, EU-SILC Survey, or Alternative Indicators Assessing the Living Standard of the Population. The most important indicator characterizing the wealth of households will be the net worth of households. On the presented indicators I will describe the development of wealth of households in the Czech Republic since 1993. Another part of the thesis is focused on describing the relationship between net worth and other indicators of wealth through cointegration analysis of time series. In this cointegration analysis, the ADL model and the EC model will be used. The last part of the thesis is aimed at the international comparison of the wealth of households within selected European countries. For this comparison will be use a cluster analysis to build clusters of states with a similar household wealth.

This research looks at the best practices applied by forensic investigators in conducting lifestyle audits on white collar crime suspects. The researcher explored, firstly, how a lifestyle audit relates to white collar crime investigations; secondly, the best practices in performing lifestyle audits on white collar crime suspects, and lastly, the various sources of information available to forensic investigators when conducting a lifestyle audit of a white collar crime suspect. As lifestyle audits will serve as an investigative tool in future forensic investigations into white collar crime, this study’s aim was to understand and create an awareness of the current best practices applied by forensic investigators within private sector forensic investigation practices while conducting lifestyle audits during white collar crime investigations. It also makes available research data regarding the concept of lifestyle audits in white collar crime investigations, the implementation of these audits, the benefits, and the best practices of these audits. The general purpose of this study was to provide practical recommendations on the best practices for lifestyle audits for forensic investigators within private sector. / Criminology / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

財富管理源起於私人銀行，服務對象為高淨值資產之客層。金融監督管理委員會為促進國內金融環境發展健全，於2005年2月間頒布「銀行辦理財富管理業務應注意事項」、2005年7月間頒布「證券商辦理財富管理業務應注意事項」、2006年1月核准「人身保險業辦理財富管理業務」。規範人身保險業從事財富管理業務之範疇，歸納為人身保險業針對高淨值客戶，透過人身保險業務員，依據客戶需求，提供資產配置或財務規劃等服務，而高淨值客戶之條件，由人身保險業自行依據經營策略訂定。 隨著人口老化、財富愈趨集中、經濟環境之變遷，金融控股公司資源整合與金融監理相關法規逐漸完備等因素，人身保險產業由擅長提供人身保險商品，延伸至理財規劃及資產管理諮詢服務，也延伸經營管理相關問題，本研究就國內人身保險業經營財富管理業務，針對人壽保險公司實施財富管理業務提出建議： 1、加強財富管理業務之風險管理：應加強經營財富管理相關業務的經營風險辨識，進而提出有效的風險管理制度與政策。 2、強化內部稽核制度有效性：在兼顧經營效率下，建立有效稽核制度，使企業成為一個有機體。 3、確實瞭解客戶並落實客戶風險告知：一套瞭解、認識、接近客戶並取得客戶信任整合流程，是發展財富管理業務的關鍵。 4、提升業務人員教育訓練及專業培養：專業知識、教育訓練、管理規範及資訊系統輔助，使人員服務品質提升，更可以有效傳遞並確保客戶權益。 5、強化保險商品創新與財富管理市場定位：以人壽保險產業深入服務優勢，搭配商品服務及通路創新，以獨特性及附加價值，奠定財富管理定位。 同時亦探討現行保險監理機關監管財富管理必須重視的議題，如何明確定義人壽保險業者經營財務富管理業務檢查要點，修正財富管理業務需有獨立權責部門規定及開放投資型商品設計及管理費議題。本文同時評估現行人身保險業者經營財富管理業務之效益評估，並作為監理機關監管財富管理業務時參考。 / The “Wealth Management” service was created by private bank. It is designed to serve the customers with high net worth. In order to improve the financial environment to be well managed and to be wealthy developed, the Financial Supervisory Commission Committee announced the terms of “The Notice of Wealth Management Business for Banks” in February 2005, “The Notice of Wealth Management Business for Securities” in July 2005. The “The Rules for Life Insurance Companies Hosting Wealth Management Business” had been permitted to be announced in January 2006. It defined the business scope for life insurance companies to promote the wealth management business. The purpose of the wealthy management service sold by life insurance companies is targeted to serve the life insurance customers with high net worth. Through the life insurance sales, the life insurance companies can offer the capital allocation, financial planning based on customers’ request. For the criteria of “High Net worth” customers, it can be defined by each life insurance company. Due to the average age of population is becoming higher, wealth is becoming to be concentrated, economic environment situation is changing intensively, the financial holding companies integrated the resources, the rules of financial supervision is becoming completed, such kinds of change offer the opportunity for life insurance companies to extend their business scope to the territory of the consultant service for financial planning and wealth management. Such kind of change creates some administration and management issues. So the purpose of this study is to survey the current situations of wealth management business of life insurance to try to find the suggestions for the below topics. 1.Empower the risk management for wealth management business: How to empower the risk identification capability to propose the effective rules and policies for risk management. 2.Improve the internal audit mechanism to be more effective: How to establish or improve the internal audit mechanism without affect the business and company operation. 3.Learn more about the customers and solid executing the risk notification to customers: How to establish an effective SOP for realizing the customers’ exact requirement, approaching the customers and getting the customers’ trust. 4.Enhance the sales education training to enhance the service quality and empower the business competition ability: By integrating the IT resources and business management to establish an organized/effective sales education training package for improving the sales knowledge and business domain know how. 5.The enhancement for life insurance product creativity and clear marketing positioning ability/core competence for wealth management business: Taking the advantage of the existing sales network, combining the creative product, service and channel profile to establish the specialty and core competence. Meanwhile, this study tries to highlight some key issues like “the important topics shall be focused by the insurance supervision institute”, “the definition of the check points for the wealth management business of life insurance companies”, “how to revised the relative rules to request the wealth management business must be performed by the independent department”, “release the permission for the designation of Investment-oriented merchandise and management fee”. This study also makes the performance evaluation for the wealth management business of life insurance companies. It would be the valuable reference data for the relative supervision institute of government.

This research looks at the best practices applied by forensic investigators in conducting lifestyle audits on white collar crime suspects. The researcher explored, firstly, how a lifestyle audit relates to white collar crime investigations; secondly, the best practices in performing lifestyle audits on white collar crime suspects, and lastly, the various sources of information available to forensic investigators when conducting a lifestyle audit of a white collar crime suspect. As lifestyle audits will serve as an investigative tool in future forensic investigations into white collar crime, this study’s aim was to understand and create an awareness of the current best practices applied by forensic investigators within private sector forensic investigation practices while conducting lifestyle audits during white collar crime investigations. It also makes available research data regarding the concept of lifestyle audits in white collar crime investigations, the implementation of these audits, the benefits, and the best practices of these audits. The general purpose of this study was to provide practical recommendations on the best practices for lifestyle audits for forensic investigators within private sector. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

It is a well-known fact that criminals derive an income from their illegal activities, live lavish lifestyles, flaunt their wealth for all to see and acquire luxury goods. It is also a well known fact that criminals living from the proceeds of crime do not want to not want to keep financial records of their transactions or illegitimate business for fear of being detected by the authorities and to escape being taxed. It is also a known fact that criminals do not declare income from criminal activities for income tax purposes to the revenue authorities for fear of the illegal origin of the income being made known to the investigating authorities and law enforcement. During the investigation of financial crimes, such as tax evasion and money laundering, it may be required that the amount or value of money, income or assets accrued by a subject is determined in order to determine for instance their liability to pay tax. This research project examines the Net Worth method as an indirect method to circumstantially quantify income during the investigation of financial crime. / Police Practice / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

It is a well-known fact that criminals derive an income from their illegal activities, live lavish lifestyles, flaunt their wealth for all to see and acquire luxury goods. It is also a well known fact that criminals living from the proceeds of crime do not want to not want to keep financial records of their transactions or illegitimate business for fear of being detected by the authorities and to escape being taxed. It is also a known fact that criminals do not declare income from criminal activities for income tax purposes to the revenue authorities for fear of the illegal origin of the income being made known to the investigating authorities and law enforcement. During the investigation of financial crimes, such as tax evasion and money laundering, it may be required that the amount or value of money, income or assets accrued by a subject is determined in order to determine for instance their liability to pay tax. This research project examines the Net Worth method as an indirect method to circumstantially quantify income during the investigation of financial crime. / Police Practice / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

It is twenty-one years since South Africa’s democracy and the majority of South African households can still be classified as poor, despite the various interventions by Government to reduce poverty and inequality. The measurement used to determine the financial status of a household at a given point in time is its net equity in accordance with its Statement of Financial Position, calculated as its assets owned less liabilities owed. This study aimed to identify the selected significant factors that affect a South African household’s net equity value. In order to achieve the aim of this study, a heuristic model consisting of two components was developed. The first component considered which assets and liabilities should be included in determining a household’s net equity and how these assets and liabilities should be valued. The second component identified the selected factors that influence a household’s net equity. The heuristic model was applied to the empirical data using three phases. Firstly, the net equity value was calculated for each household. This was followed by an analysis of the selected factors that significantly influence household net equity. The last phase was performed to determine the effect of the identified selected factors in explaining the difference between households that have above average net equity values and those having below average values. The results of the study indicated that 11 selected factors significantly influence the net equity value in the South African household’s Statement of Financial Position. Seven of those factors significantly explain between 28,3 percent and 38,1 percent of the differences in the net equity value of a household when comparing the households with above average net equity value with those with below average values. This is useful information for policy makers in identifying the selected factors that will most significantly increase the net equity value of a household with a net equity value below the South African average. / Centre for Accounting Studies / M. Com. (Accounting Science)

It is twenty-one years since South Africa’s democracy and the majority of South African households can still be classified as poor, despite the various interventions by Government to reduce poverty and inequality. The measurement used to determine the financial status of a household at a given point in time is its net equity in accordance with its Statement of Financial Position, calculated as its assets owned less liabilities owed. This study aimed to identify the selected significant factors that affect a South African household’s net equity value. In order to achieve the aim of this study, a heuristic model consisting of two components was developed. The first component considered which assets and liabilities should be included in determining a household’s net equity and how these assets and liabilities should be valued. The second component identified the selected factors that influence a household’s net equity. The heuristic model was applied to the empirical data using three phases. Firstly, the net equity value was calculated for each household. This was followed by an analysis of the selected factors that significantly influence household net equity. The last phase was performed to determine the effect of the identified selected factors in explaining the difference between households that have above average net equity values and those having below average values. The results of the study indicated that 11 selected factors significantly influence the net equity value in the South African household’s Statement of Financial Position. Seven of those factors significantly explain between 28,3 percent and 38,1 percent of the differences in the net equity value of a household when comparing the households with above average net equity value with those with below average values. This is useful information for policy makers in identifying the selected factors that will most significantly increase the net equity value of a household with a net equity value below the South African average. / Taxation / M. Phil. (Accounting Science)