Kurt Hughes

Managed death claim settlements under Section 37(c) of the Insurance Act, ensuring compliance through validation of nominations, legal heirship, and assignments. Validating death claim request across all products, Discretion and Retirement Products Guiding beneficiaries through the claims process

Death Claim Specialist - SYGNIA

(2025-09)

• Managed death claim settlements under Section 37(c) of the Insurance Act, ensuring compliance through validation of nominations, legal heirship, and assignments.
• Validating death claim request across all products, Discretion and Retirement Products
• Guiding beneficiaries through the claims process
• Reviewing documentation such as death certificates, beneficiary forms, wills, and IDs, for completeness, authenticity and consistency.
• Verifying eligibility and confirming who is entitled to receive benefits once confirmation is received
• Coordinating payouts for life insurance policies, annuities, retirement plans, or survivor benefits
• Ensuring legal and regulatory compliance with state, federal, and company rules
• Resolving issues like missing beneficiaries, disputes, or incomplete paperwork
• Communicating clearly and sensitively with families, attorneys, brokers and internal teams
• Receive and register death claim notifications
• Explain the claim process, documentation, timelines, and settlement options to nominees, legal heirs and brokers.
• Review submitted documents
• Follow up on pending requirements with brokers or executors telephonically or via email.
• Ensure data privacy, confidentiality, and ethical handling of sensitive information and keep clear and accurate records for all claims.
• Draft clear, compassionate communication for approvals, partial settlements, or rejections.
• Coordinate payout processing after claim approval.
• Verify nominee/legal heir bank details.
• Make sure the correct amounts, including interest and additional benefits, are paid out.
• Communicate settlement details and closure confirmation to beneficiaries.
• Check that the Executor / Executrix has been loaded on the Maters Website
• To do a consumer trace check on the Executor / Executrix personal information
• Verify the bank details for all Estate Late bank accounts to ensure their validity prior to the release of any funds.
• Once all requirements are met and received, a Microsoft Teams Virtual meeting is conducted with the Executor, Executrix, or authorised representative to confirm their identity and ensure direct communication.
• Anti–Money Laundering (AML) checks are carried out on all beneficiaries to ensure funds are paid to legitimate recipients.

Administrator - SYGNIA

(2023-07 - 2025-08)

• Process Retiral request when client retires (1/3 – 2/3) investing and paying out.
• Process preservation (provident or pension) investing or withdrawals.
• Process requirement documents e.g., Recognition of Transfer
• Process pre-Retiral documents when client request
• Apply for tax directives via ITAX before any payments to clients are made.
• Process bank verifications via Nedbank online or telephonically to ensure clients bank accounts are valid.
• Ensure all documents received are valid and meet the standard requirements.
• Contacting intermediaries and clients with regards to client pre-Retiral request i.e. To ensure we apply for the correct Tax Directive
• Assist beyond my role call and be flexible where assistance is needed urgently within the workplace, in the discretionary team I assist with coding if there is a high influx of work.
• General enquiries relating to broker and client enquiries.
• Client Liaison and information management: interpretation, communication, and implementation of finance instructions.
• Manage the financial transactions daily and attend meetings as well as chair meetings in the absence of the manager and report back to the Head of Department.
• Do filing and shredding daily, to ensure good practice by protecting client personal information by adhering to the POPI act.
• Follow up on queries and ensure that the case is closed before moving on to the next case.
• Process Unit Transfer request from SYGNIA to other financial Institutions and internally
• Attend to queries relating to client Section 14 / 50 Transfers via email or telephonically with the broker / receiving fund.
• Attend to client tax queries via email or telephonically with the broker.
• I also did general enquiries generating tax certificates and value statements for brokers and clients.
• I also communicate with clients and brokers telephonically pertaining to enquiries or following up on requirements.
• Load ITA88 penalties as instructed by SARS.
• Process death claims, post-retirement product for Living annuities.
• Provide updates to the Client Relationship Management (CRM) team and assist with queries where required.
• I also process Cessation of Residency claims for international claims on all Pre-Retirement products.
• I process and have a good understanding of ill health, Divorce and Maintenance Order processes.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of Unit Transfers, CFDP transfers and E-Transact processes as part of my daily operational duties

Senior Administrator (Promoted) 01 October 2015 - OLD MUTUAL WEALTH (Fairbairn Capital) Pinelands

(2012-05 - 2023-08)

• Manage the day to day operational duties as Acting Manager in the absence of the manager
• Process Retiral request when client retires (1/3 – 2/3) investing and paying out.
• Process preservation (provident or pension) investing or withdrawals
• Process Retiral in when client wants to invest his retirement money
• Process requirement documents e.g. Recognition of Transfer
• Process Pre-Retiral documents when client request
• Apply for tax directives via ITAX before any payments to clients are made.
• Do bank verifications via Hyphen, Nedbank online or Telephonically to ensure clients bank accounts are valid
• Ensure all documents received are valid and meets the standard requirements
• Knowledge of Galaxy and Investment Frontier product
• Contacting intermediaries and clients with regards to client Pre-Retial request i.e. To ensure we apply for the correct Tax Directive.
• Updating and capturing client information using IBC, Omunet, GCS and doing client search on ITC (Systems used within Old Mutual)
• Assisted beyond my role call in various departments and have been very flexible where assistance was needed urgently with in the work place
• Intermediary and fee changes
• Beneficiary updates and creating work for the Incomes department on AWD
• Galaxy New Business department I assisted with coding
• General enquiries generating tax certificates and value statements for brokers and clients
• Client Liaison and information management: interpretation, communication and implementation of finance instructions
• Manage the financial transactions on a daily basis and
• Supports the manager with the Budget by ensuring that the unit's budget is not over or underspent
• Set up meetings for the unit and takes minutes in meetings
• Attend meetings as well as chair meetings in the absence of the manager and report back to the Head of Department.
• Do filing and shredding on a daily basis
• Follow up on queries and ensure that case is closed before moving on to the next case

Administrative Consultant - OLD MUTUAL WEALTH (Fairbairn Capital) Pinelands

(2012-05 - 2023-08)

• Fairbairn Capital maintenance
• Vast Knowledge of Galaxy and Investment Frontier product
• Main responsibility is to manage the return mail
• Contacting intermediaries and clients with regards to client updates ie: address and contact details
• Updating and capturing client information using IBC, Omunet, GCS and doing client search on ITC
• Assisted beyond my role call in various departments and have been very flexible where assistance was needed urgently within the work place
• Intermediary and fee changes
• Beneficiary updates and creating work for the Incomes department on AWD Galaxy New Business department I assisted with coding
• I also did general enquiries generating tax certificates and value statements for brokers and clients
• I also communicate with clients and brokers telephonically enquiries
• Load ITA88 penalties as instructed by SARS
• Process Unit Transfer request from Old Mutual Wealth to other Financial Institutions
• Deal with queries from the MANCO relating to unit transfer queries
• Process client monthly income request on their retirement living annuities
• Attend to queries relating to client living annuities via email or telephonically with the brokers
• Attend to client tax queries via email or telephonically with the broker

Sales Associate - RUNNING ROOM (Canada)

(2010-03 - 2011-12)

• Collaborate with store manager and staff to accomplish sales goals
• Assess customers' needs using gait analysis
• Research and implement Product Knowledge
• Receive Product
• Clinic Group leader and guest speaker

Wealth Management - Old Mutual Wealth Management Programme NQF Level 4 (2015)

Grade 12 (STD 10) - Westridge Adult Learning Centre (2005 - 2005)