Our Discovery Store footprint has expanded beyond Sea Point with a new Discovery Store in Umhlanga and our third store opening in Stellenbosch next week. These stores are a platform for you to engage with your clients about their wellness and how to get the most value out of their Discovery products. It is a one-stop shop for your clients to do one or all of their wellness assessments.

Our Discovery Store consultants are also available to help clients register on the Discovery website, activate all their benefits, ensure they are getting maximum cash rewards, give advice on fitness devices, and much more. This results in improved awareness of their health, better understanding of their products, greater rewards and more loyalty to you, and to Discovery.

We are open this December

With just one month left in 2015, you may still have many clients who have not earned enough Vitality points to enjoy the benefits that come with a higher Vitality status in 2016. We’d like to partner with you to help them get there. We are open and ready to assist your clients who live in the Western Cape or Durban, or will spend time there this holiday season. You’ll find our contact details and answers to your most common Discovery Store questions here.

The enhancements to SmartAdvice are in final development, with the release scheduled for Monday, 7 December. The enhancements include the introduction of the Active Integrator, the annual inflation increases for 2016, a revamped Invest Proposal and the new Discovery Choice Dynamic Asset Optimiser Fund of Funds.

Please note: Applications cannot be submitted electronically between 15:00 on Friday, 4 December and 08:00 on Saturday, 5 December, while the systems are being upgraded. After the upgrade no applications finalised on SmartAdvice 5.9 will be accepted for electronic submission.

SmartAdvice version 6 will be available on Monday, 7 December. You can upgrade to it when you open SmartAdvice. You will also be able to update SmartAdvice through the CD, a copy of which we will deliver to each franchise.

Please note: All applications finalised after 15:00 on Friday, 4 December on SmartAdvice 5.9 will not be accepted for electronic submission. Please finalise and submit all applications before 15:00 on Friday, 4 December.

As part of Discovery's commitment to help with intermediary education and make our intermediaries more proficient, we will run the normal FPI/ CFP training course to help those wanting to write the FPI exams. The course is also suitable for anyone wanting to update and improve their knowledge. [70% of the class normally consists of those who have already passed, and are just on the course to refresh their knowledge.]

Note that those intermediaries attending the course for a second time get a 20% discount on fees; those attending a third time get a third off! We even have a student who is attending for the 16th time!

The schedule for the Gauteng lectures follows. All dates fall on a Friday morning and the lecture runs from 09:00 until 11:00.

29 January

5 February

19 February

4 March

11 March

15 April

13 May

27 May

10 June

24 June

22 July

12 August

19 August

2 September

The venue will be the Auditorium at Discovery Head Office for all the lectures, apart from the one in bold, which will be in The Forum.

The cost is R3 050, a mere 7.5% increase from last year! Also, remember the discounts mentioned above for those attending lectures for a second or third time.

Please note that a Cape Town course will only be run if we have 20 confirmed bookings, so make sure to respond quickly! Times and venues will be confirmed once we have sufficient people.

The sessions will involve tax and estate planning, detailed business assurance, capital gains tax, detailed practical calculations, offshore tax, local and offshore trusts, laws of marriage, wills and estate duty calculations, retirement tax matters, FAIS and general compliance issues, a lecture on health, a lecture on investments, and discussions of old exam papers.

Anyone wanting to attend, please email harryj@discovery.co.za to book your place, as seating is limited.

Please note: for those wanting to write the exams, the FPI enrollment process closes in early January. Please contact the University of the Free State and enrol formally as a matter of urgency.

We have a new Health Updates 2016 app that shows the product and benefit enhancements of Discovery Health Medical Scheme for 2016. It is aimed at clients, employers or financial advisers who want to get an overview of the benefits and plans the Discovery Health Medical Scheme offers.

The app was designed for desktop PCs and tablets, and it features video presentations in English and Afrikaans. The information can be watched together or individual topics and plans can be singled out for viewing. The app allows for one-on-one viewing or for projection to an audience. Download the app now onto your tablet, Mac or desktop: http://www.dhmsupdates.co.za

All vehicles, except brand-new vehicles, insured by Discovery Insure need to complete a pre-inspection within five days of your clients’ Plan commencement date. The inspection is at no cost and your client can complete it with the Discovery app or at any Glasfit branch. Clients can submit proof of their Glasfit inspection by emailing it to insuremaintenance@discovery.co.za.

The pre-inspection is needed to assess any pre-existing damage to the vehicle and to make sure the vehicle details are correct. If the pre-inspection is not completed within the required time frame, your clients’ claims may be rejected.

Clients who select the smartphone-enabled DQ-Track

From now onwards, clients who choose the smartphone-enabled DQ-Track need to follow the above process for their vehicle pre-inspection.

Clients who select the standalone DQ-Track

Clients who choose to have the standalone DQ-Track can follow the above process or have their pre-inspection done at the same time as their DQ-Track installation, as long as the following is adhered to:

• Clients need to make their DQ-Track installation appointment within 14 days of their Plan’s commencement date, even if the actual appointment date is for a later date.
• If the client cancels this appointment, they have five days from the date of making the cancellation to complete a vehicle pre-inspection, by using the Discovery app or by getting it done at a Glasfit branch, and to submit proof to Discovery Insure.

Please make sure your clients understand the importance of their vehicle pre-inspection when adding vehicles to their Plan. Remember, if the pre-inspection is not completed within the required time frame, your clients’ claims may be rejected.

Active Rewards

From 1 December 2015, all Discovery Insure Vitalitydrive clients can benefit from Active Rewards. With Discovery Insure Active Rewards, clients can get a free coffee, smoothie or parking voucher for every 100 km of event-free driving. Every driver can earn one Active Reward every week. Once they achieve a consecutive event-free 100 km of driving, clients can choose a reward from any of our partners: vide e caffè, KAUAI, KaChing or Admyt (available from February 2016). For more information on this amazing benefit, please read our Active Rewards one-pager.

Please note: Uber no longer forms part of Active Rewards, but Classic and Executive Plan clients still benefit from up to 25% (and up to 40% with Discovery Card) off their Uber spend. We have updated our electronic sales brochures and unique-feature flyers with this change. Please make sure to point out this change to your clients because the printed copies might not contain the updated information.

Vehicle panic button

If your clients have installed and activated the smartphone-enabled DQ-Track, they can use this panic button for in-vehicle emergencies. They simply press their smartphone’s power button repeatedly, in quick succession (at least three times), while their smartphone is connected to their tag. An alert will be sent to Discovery Insure. The smartphone will vibrate and they will receive a notification to confirm that the alert has been sent. As soon as Discovery Insure receives the alert, we will contact the client immediately and dispatch assistance if needed. If we cannot reach the client, we will immediately dispatch emergency assistance.

If you have any questions, please call our dedicated call centre on 0860 66 55 44 from 8:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, or email inland servicing Insureinlandintermediary@discovery.co.za and coastal servicing at Insurecoastalintermediary@discovery.co.za

Discovery Insure Ltd is an authorised financial services provider. Registration number 2009/011882/06. Limits, maximum fuel and Gautrain spend limits, terms and conditions apply. Go to www.discovery.co.za for more details or call 0860 751 751.

All you need to do is sell a Discovery Life policy before 31 December 2015 and your clients can receive an extra 32% life cover at no additional premium. After three years, your clients can buy this extra cover, free of underwriting, at a discounted rate, based on their Vitality status.

And to support your sales over this period, we are launching stings and squeezebacks (advertisements) during the English Premiership League games, showcasing the CoverBooster special offer.

This special offer ends in one month, so tell your clients about it today! For more information about this special offer, refer to the CoverBooster technical document.

Discovery Invest currently offers the existing Dynamic Asset Optimiser, which is a unique asset allocation structure wherein clients can either select an aggressive, moderate or conservative risk profile, depending on the client’s risk preference. View the list of frequently asked questions for more information on upcoming enhancements.

The three risk-profiled Discovery Choice Dynamic Asset Optimiser Fund of Funds will be available for investment on SMAD from Monday, 7 December 2015, and will be available under the Discovery Funds tab. Fund fact sheets will be available for the three risk-profiled fund of funds under the Interactive fund fact sheets tab at www.discovery.co.za.

Download the latest update on Investment Integration matrices for 2016.

Below are links to documents that illustrate our structured products and their performance.

Discovery Capital 200+ (July 2014 and March 2015 tranches)

Both tranches of the Discovery Capital 200+ achieved positive performance during November. The July 2014 tranche has a performance of 9.60% since its start, which means that investors are on track to double their investment values. The tranche, which opened in March 2015, is also included. Read more about the performance of the Discovery Capital 200+.

Discovery 140:40 Accelerator (December 2013 and April 2014 tranches)

The Discovery 140:40 Accelerator uses a formula to provide exposure to investments in various asset classes and indices in different market conditions. This includes bond and treasury futures, as well as a range of offshore indices, commodities and cash.

Developed market equities and futures were positive over the past month. However, this was offset by the significantly negative performance of gold, commodities and emerging market equities. This led to a small negative growth in the Discovery 140:40 Accelerator over the short term on both tranches.

See the performance review of the Discovery 140:40 Accelerator for more information.

Discovery Global Property+ (December 2014 tranche)

The Discovery Global Property+ has a performance return of 15.58% since its start, which was less than a year ago.

Discovery Enhanced Yield Fund (May 2015 tranche)

The Discovery Enhanced Yield has provided investors with capital protection over the past few months, in the same time period when markets have dropped.

Discovery Europe High Five Fund (October 2015 tranche)

The Discovery Europe High Five has performed exceptionally well since its start, with a performance of 20.61% in less than two months.

Please note that the Discovery Capital 200+, Discovery 140:40 Accelerator, Discovery Global Property+, Discovery Enhanced Yield and the Discovery Europe High Five Fund are all five-year structured products. Also note that short-term movements are not a reflection of future performance.

Have you and your clients completed your Vitality Health Check this year? If not, do it before 31 December 2015 and earn up to 12 000 Vitality points.

Do your Vitality Health Check by the end of the year

Simply find the nearest accredited Vitality Wellness centre or pharmacy, and book a Vitality Health Check for you or your clients today. The Vitality Health Check includes a weight assessment, cholesterol test, blood pressure test, and blood glucose test. If you or your clients are members of Discovery Health Medical Scheme, the cost of the yearly Vitality Health Check will be covered from your Screening and Prevention Benefit.

Here are the Vitality points you and your clients can earn when you do your health checks by the end of December

You and your clients will earn 500 Vitality points for each health check. Plus, 2 500 bonus points for every result in a healthy range. Earn up to 12 000 Vitality points in one go!

Book a Vitality Health Check for you or your clients today and give your Vitality status a boost!