Remember the days when you went to buy a coffee and the cup only came in one size? Now most coffee-shop chains offer you a choice of small, medium and large. This is not because research has found that people have very different consumption needs,...
Last week I attended the Momentum Risk Summit and one of the things that struck me was the extent to which medical technology will be able to predict our future health outcomes. We know that if we have an existing illness such as diabetes, we will...
Steven Nathan, CEO of low-cost investment company 10X Investments highlights the three biggest investment anomalies and how to avoid them. When asked why the majority of South Africans fail to reach their retirement goal, most industry players will...
By Mark MacSymon, Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Manager at Private Client Holdings An increasingly common issue in South Africa these days is adult children still being financially dependent on their parents. This is due to low entry-level...
By Mike McDougall, CEO of the Actuarial Society of South Africa Faced with empty wallets and rising costs, thousands of South Africans are placing their faith in ‘get rich quick’ schemes that lure desperate consumers with promises of unrealistic...
The winds of change – from the growth in anti-establishment movements to ageing populations – are causing red flags to flutter and require investors to diversify their approach, according to former head of the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund and...
As times get tougher, don’t fall into the credit survival trap. The latest figures from the Old Mutual Savings and Investment Monitor show a sharp deterioration in the financial stability of higher-income earners. The survey, which interviews 1 000...
By Craig Gradidge, CEO of Gradidge Mahura Investments The conversation over the first five months of the year was dominated by the prospect of a ratings downgrade by S&P at the beginning of June. For many the downgrade was a forgone conclusion,...
Lizo bought two Robben Island commemorative gold coins in 2011, after being advised that they would be a good investment. He bought the two 1/10oz gold coins for R5 000 each from The South African Scoin Shop at Clearwater Mall in Roodeport. “I was...
In order to provide lower-cost medical cover, most medical schemes offer plan options where co-payments apply for certain procedures. These procedures tend to be elective surgeries such as a colonoscopy or joint replacement and are clearly defined...
The buy-and-hold investment philosophy, upon which Warren Buffet built his fortunes, maintains that the key to successful investing is to identify a good, quality company, buy it at a reasonable price and then hold it over time irrespective of short-term market...
Rainfin CEO Sean Emery frequently holds investor meetings with his family who are all investors in small businesses funded through funding platform RainFin. “My mom is an investor and she always asks me “am I making money” and “am I helping people?” That sums up the...
Take comfort – this is not the global financial crisis, writes Fred White, Head of Balanced Funds, Sanlam Investment Management On Friday morning the British Pound declined by 12% between a midnight high of $1.50/GBP (when a victory for the “Stay” campaign was seen as...
By Jacky Fick, head of Cell C’s Forensic Services Every few months, concerns are raised around online scams and theft as a new wave of victims come forward. It can leave one feeling very vulnerable and uncertain. But a little knowledge goes a long way in this fight....
By Werner Gerber, Audit Manager BDO South Africa “The fundamental purposes of the European Union are to promote greater social, political and economic harmony among the nations of Western Europe. The EU reasons that nations whose economies are interdependent are less...
I recently tested a beta version of a new retirement calculator created by Sanlam Employee Benefits for their corporate clients to assist new employees in selecting their retirement fund deductions. While the calculator needs some work, it presented an interesting...
The focus around higher interest rates has mostly been the effect it will have on our debt repayments, but what we forget is that higher rates are really good for savers who, for a long period of time, have received less and less interest on their cash deposits. Since...
Applying for a home loan is stressful for most people, but this simple financial process can become disproportionately complex for entrepreneurs or freelancers ‒ people who have uncertain or unpredictable income flows. The rigorous affordability assessments required...
Esther van Schalkwyk, senior tax consultant at BDO South Africa unpacks some of the important aspects of cellphone allowances and highlights the value of proper tax planning. Many employees receive a cellphone allowance in some form or other as part of their...
Should you throw all your spare cash into paying off your mortgage before even thinking about investing? As most mortgage repayments are set over a 20-year period, we looked at three possible scenarios in terms of accelerating mortgage repayments and investing in...