The move by banks to make it easier for individuals to reverse unauthorised debit orders has been an important step in maintaining the integrity of the banking system, especially after increases in illegal debit orders where syndicates would obtain...
By David Crossley, CFP® BDO Wealth Advisers You have received your first payslip, online or in an envelope from your finance department. You open it up and realise you have no clue what’s going on. It could be your first payslip, or maybe you’ve...
The secret to a successful resolution is to keep it simple and to break it down to something manageable. Financial change starts one step at a time. Instead of saying “I am going to be debt free,” rather select one debt that you are committed to...
Recently the MD of a small company asked me if I thought they should provide employee benefits such as life cover and retirement funding for their employees. Currently the company leaves that entirely to each employee to sort out for themselves....
I often receive emails from people who are trying to locate their pension benefits from an employer several years after they have resigned, and I often wonder how people lose track of their money – that is until this week. Over the last few years I...
Almost every week we receive emails from people who have been caught out in a scam. There are so many rogues out there using charm and manipulation on desperate people looking for better returns. Tammy is one such victim and she kindly, and...
A series of big, usually unexpected, events shaped the financial markets in 2016. Samantha Pauwels, Portfolio Manager at Cannon Asset Managers has put together a summary and analysis highlighting the tumultuous year.
If you are looking for ways to save in 2017, you might want to consider tossing your car and Ubering instead. MyTreasury.co.za, which helps South Africans find the best savings account to match their needs, crunched the numbers to see when it makes...
By Tracy Jensen, Chief Product Architect at 10X Investments A retirement annuity (or RA) is a pension fund for individuals, and one of the ways to save for retirement. In principle, it is a voluntary, tax-efficient savings tool to help you achieve...
Jurie Hanekom, chairman of leading windows and doors manufacturer, Swartland, a successful family-owned enterprise, offers some insights into what he believes are the top business trends for 2017. Focus on Millennials Also known as Generation Y,...
Over the long term, value-styled investing outperforms growth-styled investing. However, for the last seven years, both globally and in South Africa, value investing has underperformed. Dr Andrew Dittberner, CIO at Cannon Asset Managers believes this recent trend has...
Disputed debit orders could lead to the collapse of the entire debt counselling industry unless the Department of Trade and Industry takes urgent action. The entire debt counselling industry could collapse, destroying over 5 000 jobs and leaving an estimated 238 000...
How many SLOW Lounge visits will you qualify for? My husband and I both travel frequently for work and the SLOW Lounge offers a little bit of respite from the general chaos and mayhem of airports, so we tend to maximise our usage most months. The FNB initiative with...
We’ve lost the plot when it comes to borrowing and saving Recently I had a conversation with a young woman who, along with her husband, is under debt review. She told me that they had just let their lifestyle get ahead of them – they bought a house, went a bit...
By Cathie Webb, Director, South African Payroll Association As the Christmas season approaches, some lucky employees will be looking forward to a bonus or a 13th cheque. Frequently, however, people express surprise that their 13th cheque doesn’t translate into double...
More than half of the top 60 Android shopping apps collect users’ personal information through trackers, a new study finds, with South African favourites LetGo and OLX among apps with the highest number of trackers. The result is from a privacy risk assessment on...
By Roger Eskinazi, head of wealth management, AlphaWealth I have spent 25 years working in wealth management, many of these for some of the most reputable companies. They all claim to have the best people, a proprietary investment process, competitive fees,...
Lars Kroijer, author of Investing Demystified and a former hedge fund manager, has created a five-video series to explain investing, why you can’t beat the market, and why that fact is important. So if you don’t have the time to read his 200-page book, these videos...
If you are considering moving medical schemes or looking to take out a medical scheme plan for the first time, you need to consider the viability of the scheme as a whole and then select the plan that best suits your needs. The health of the scheme Jill Larkan, head...
Changes to the taxation of estates could leave a surviving spouse with a hefty tax bill. Last month the Davis Tax Committee (DTC) issued an update on its tax recommendations especially around so-called “death taxes”. Some of the key recommendations are to remove...