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....
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Why sorting out your paperwork should be a New Year’s resolution
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...
The story of a scam
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 summary of the JSE in 2016
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.
Better to own a car or to simply Uber?
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...
How to evaluate your current retirement annuity
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...
Business trends that will grow in 2017
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,...
Value vs Growth – are we at an inflection point?
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...
Tens of millions owed for reversed debit orders
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...
Less SLOW Lounge for FNB customers
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...
Previous Articles
Why save for a holiday when you can borrow?
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...
Why does a 13th cheque not give me double my usual take-home pay?
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...
Over half of top shopping apps collect users’ personal information
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...
Five ways to spot a top wealth management business
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,...
Investing Demystified Part 5: Implementing the Investing Demystified portfolio
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...
How to select the right medical plan for your needs
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...
Spouses need to review their finances
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...
Investing Demystified Part 4: The simple portfolio to suit your risk
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...
How the JSE has changed over time
By Geoff Blount, MD, BayHill Capital Looking at the JSE super sectors, it is extremely interesting how their contributions to the JSE Top 40 index have changed over time. In part, this reflects the changing fortunes of the sectors in the South African economy, but...
Teamwork could lower our medical costs
Medical practitioners need to be incentivised to keep us well, rather than getting paid just when we are sick. Three weeks ago my son cut his finger badly and it needed to be professionally bandaged and assessed for stitches. I popped down to my doctor’s rooms and...