On 9 August, the new limits on how much a lender can charge for credit insurance came into effect. Credit insurance is usually required when taking out a loan; the policy assists in the repayment of the loan if you die, are retrenched or become...
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Bitcoin: cutting through the hype
By Mike van der Westhuizen, Portfolio Manager, Citadel, and Nishlen Govender, Investment Analyst, Citadel Recent Bitcoin mania has raised a heated debate as to what the world’s largest cryptocurrency (by market capitalisation) is actually worth....
Running your business as a personal piggybank could scuttle future growth
By Gary Palmer, CEO at Paragon Lending Solutions Death and taxes – the two certainties in life. While we spend a good portion of our time working out, eating right and minimising personal risk to avoid the former, getting too clever in avoiding the...
Should you be investing in clothing retail stocks?
You may be aware of the clothing retail sector’s golden decade that South Africa has just experienced. However, with consumer confidence in the economy at lows not seen since the 1980s, clothing retail stock prices have tumbled to levels that look...
Investing in retirement
Finding a balance between market returns and a guaranteed income in retirement When you retire from a pension fund or a retirement annuity fund, you are only allowed to take one-third of the value of your fund in cash; the remaining two-thirds must...
US tech sector: continued run-up or correction coming?
Since the infamous “dotcom” meltdown nearly two decades ago, people have tended to question any sort of extended run-up in technology-sector stocks. Stephen Dover, executive vice president and head of equities at Franklin Templeton Investments and...
Electric cars and oil prices: should investors be concerned?
By Kevin Murphy, Schroders What is more likely to cause a long-term collapse in oil prices – the electric car or the humble combustion engine? If you were to judge solely by media coverage or perhaps even by gut instinct, you might well answer ‘the...
The big opportunity in European stocks
By Chad Fichardt, an independent finance and technology communications specialist. Over the last few years South African investors have seen the importance of diversifying their portfolios. Money invested on the JSE has hardly grown since the...
A long-term view of the rand
South Africans are all asking where the rand is going ‒ a valid question given that investors wish to preserve and grow their investments in rand and dollar terms. According to William Fraser of Foord Asset Management, this is an attainable...
Time to put on our big-girl panties
Women remain financially vulnerable, and it’s time we did something about it. I was reading recently that women are tired of being spoken to differently about finances – treated as if they are different from men. This is an important point. There...
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How to avoid forex trading scams
Daichi Hoang is the webmaster of Best Forex Brokers based in Sydney, Australia. He provides the following advice to help traders avoid risky forex scams and understand the true merits of forex trading. If you are one of the many people in South Africa attracted by the...
Can a mistress inherit from a married man’s estate?
Marilyn Monroe, Marla Maples, Michelle McGee, and Kristen Stewart – all successful women in their own right, with one controversial commonality – they were mistresses to married men. The term ‘mistress’ is an inflammatory one – a name as complicated as its legal...
Tax tips for freelancers or sole traders
We’re one month into tax filing season, and millions of South Africans are planning to file their annual returns within the given time frame. For many people who have left corporate employment to start a home-based business or join the gig economy, this will be the...
Are you trading with an unregulated forex broker?
By Daichi Hoang of bestforexbrokers.com. If you currently trade forex or have been thinking about it, the broker you choose to deal with will have a lasting impact on your experience. Pick the wrong one and you might be putting your entire capital at risk. For any...
Treasury’s plans for income earned overseas
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has published its proposed amendment to tax the income of South Africans working overseas. If this amendment to the foreign employment income exemption is passed, it may come into effect in 2019. Tertius Troost, tax consultant...
Stressed out about money
The middle class is stressed out financially, but how much is a result of our lifestyle choices? Seven out of ten middle- and upper-income earners say that they are experiencing financial stress according to the annual retirement study conducted by the Sanlam...
Could tech wearables change our money habits?
For the last few days I have been trying out the Sanlam MNA NAM bracelet which is marketed as a fashion accessory that makes you think about money. There are two aspects to the bracelet which has been designed by top South African fashion designer Laduma Ngxokolo. The...
Buy-aid schemes: an alternative to bank rewards programmes
I have to confess that the concept of a buy-aid scheme is new to me, yet it is an industry with a turnover of well over R1 billion and annually pays out in the region of R130 million in bonuses to members. Cape Consumers, which recently re-branded as Bsmart, is the...
Don’t neglect your share portfolio
By Geoff Blount, MD, BayHill Capital Half the year has gone, so it’s a perfect time to assess your share portfolio. Many investors who run their own portfolios via their stockbrokers often end up with a “neglected portfolio” or become frustrated with the performance...
If you fall behind on maintenance payments your pension may be at risk
Your retirement fund can be attached for both arrears and future maintenance payments. One of the main benefits of a retirement fund is that your investment is protected from creditors – that is unless you fall behind on your maintenance payments. If a member of a...