Many of us have either been the victim of unscrupulous building contractors or know someone who has been. My sister was one of those victims; despite hiring what she believed to be a reputable project manager to oversee her renovations, she was...
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Buy your franchise with a tax deduction
Under section 12J of the Income Tax Act, investors can invest in qualifying venture capital companies (VCCs) and receive a 100% tax deduction on the amount invested, as long as the investment is held for a period of five years. This has been a...
The best bank account for a student
With my son starting his first student job, he needs to upgrade from his kid’s bank account to one that provides a few more transactions. Part of this exercise was to identify what a student, or any young person, needs from a bank account and then...
Advice for provisional taxpayers who have missed the tax deadline
By Jeremy Burman of Private Client Holdings Are you a provisional taxpayer who recently awoke in the dead of night in a cold sweat with the realisation that you missed the 28 February 2018 provisional tax deadline? Or do you have a sinking feeling...
Beware Bitcoin scamsters
As the returns from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies hit stratospheric levels, Bitcoin scamsters have crawled out of the woodwork to take advantage, as the lure of big profits makes people less cautious and more willing to hand over their money...
TIP: harnessing the power of black capital
New transformation fund offers black investors an opportunity to diversify their savings while building a new class of African businesses. We all know that the key to transformation in South Africa lies in the creation of black businesses across...
Why you shouldn’t be holding out for debt forgiveness
There is a misconception that debt intervention proposals currently being considered could mean that some debts are likely to be written off. The high levels of indebtedness in South Africa have led to parliamentary hearings, held by the portfolio...
Have the courts made it easier for people to become overindebted?
Last week the Western Cape High Court issued a judgement which set aside certain sections of the National Credit Act which it argued “unreasonably and unfairly discriminates against the section of the population that largely consists of the poorer...
Traders share their secrets to success
*This content is brought to you by Sanlam iTrade. In sharing the stories of their trading successes ‒ and failures ‒  the winners of the iTrade #TradeMyWay competition reveal the reality of DIY trading, which is not about getting rich quickly but a...
Student loan or home loan?
A reader recently wrote in, asking whether it would be better to pay for her child's university education from her access bond, or to take out a student loan. A student loan can be very cost effective and in most cases, you would be paying around...
Previous Articles
Is retirement even possible?
I recently had a very interesting conversation with Lourens Coetzee of investment company Marriott, who said that the industry is coming to the realisation that retirement, in the way that we currently understand the concept, is no longer feasible. As we start to live...
Why I should take trading advice from my 13-year-old
Testing out the iTradeGlobal demo platform on a teenager I still remember a conversation I had with my then 11-year-old son in January 2016. As we were hiking in the Drakensberg he told me he wanted to buy some oil. He had been listening to the news and told me, “Mom,...
From dental surgeon to professional trader
*This content is brought to you by Sanlam iTrade. Trader Alok Khadaroo provides some valuable tips he picked up on his journey from extracting teeth to extracting profits through trading I have not always been a full-time trader. In fact I studied dentistry and...
Staying safe when shopping online
Last week my son attempted to sell an electronic item on Gumtree. In the past I have only sold furniture on Gumtree and it has overall been a good experience. However, what I quickly discovered was that selling electronic goods brings out the scamsters in full force....
Bitcoin: the tax question
Christopher Renwick, Attorney at Tax Consulting SA investigates the tax implications of making money from cryptocurrency. Although usually behind the global curve, South Africa seems to be keeping pace with the current Bitcoin trend. This is positive, as we are living...
Starting to invest at 70 with success
*This content is brought to you by Sanlam iTrade. An iTrade investor proves that you are never too old to start investing yourself, but why wait? I farmed in the bushveld and had a red brahman Stud. When I was 70 years old, I realised I will have to do something to...
Six key take-aways from Warren Buffett’s 2017 annual letter to shareholders
There is always a frenzy to devour and dissect Warren Buffett’s shareholder letter and extract the freshest pearls of wisdom. This year was no exception, even though the pickings seemed a bit slim. On more leisurely reading, says Steven Nathan, 10X Investment chief...
Make money creating and selling your own online course
The e-Learning industry is booming and it’s possible to make money putting together an online course and selling it. However, you have to get into the mind of the student and fulfill your promises, otherwise it won’t be sustainable. If you’re skilled at teaching...
Debt is a trap, no matter who you borrow from
I recently wrote about readers who were complaining about loan shark tactics that got them trapped in a perpetual cycle of debt. Since writing the article, I received several comments from readers who argued that the actions of some micro-lenders were no different,...
Cost effective cover for your domestic worker
*This content is brought to you by Simply Financial Services. There are approximately 1 million people employed as domestic workers in South Africa. And yet, according to Namhla Duma, Director at Premium Domestic Services, insufficient salary was the biggest challenge...