By Rob Spanjaard, Director: Rezco Asset Management. In the fog of confusion caused by the chaos at Eskom, we lose sight of what the government has done really well in the area of power generation. Perhaps this could provide a model to get out of...
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Is South Africa heading towards a tax revolt?
Taxpayers have been pushed too far. South Africans are becoming more belligerent about tax amid growing concerns at the apparent waste of taxpayers’ contributions through highly controversial government spending. Some commentators have speculated...
Hundreds of South Africans fall victim to loan scam
It was only when Patricia received a call from Wonga’s head of communications that she realised she had been the unwitting victim of a phising scam that has so far conned over 200 people into parting with their money. Two weeks ago Patricia...
The impact fees have on your living annuity returns
For most people, cost is a primary consideration in almost every purchase decision. Except, it seems, when it comes to critical financial decisions, such as buying a savings or investment product. Many South African retirement investors therefore...
Aggressive investment needed for sufficient retirement outcomes
What levels of real growth are needed for a comfortable retirement outcome? Are retirement funds investing aggressively enough to achieve this? Barend Ritter, Portfolio Manager at Sanlam Investments, takes a stand and makes a case for equities. In...
When a car becomes a debt trap
If you can no longer afford your car, it's time to take action. Here are your options. Lucky wrote to me to find out whether or not he should sell his BMW for a loss as the cost of the car is having serious consequences on his other financial...
How best to structure the sale of a business
Chris Norris, an Audit and Assurance Partner at BDO South Africa, provides some insight into the finer financial realities of selling a business or company. Quite often, the net proceeds receivable by the owner from the sale of a business are...
Is life insurance really for life?
The inefficient structure of existing life insurance products impact value and sustainability of cover for clients. BrightRock’s needs-matched life insurance addresses these shortcomings by pricing cover correctly for the term and trajectory...
Finding hidden gems in tough times
Samantha Pauwels, portfolio manager at Cannon Asset Managers, gives investors pointers to finding hidden market gems. It seems like just last month that the oil price slipped to fresh lows and the expected benefit was widely discussed in local...
Keeping your cellphone costs manageable
Cellphones have become an indispensable part of our lives. Unfortunately, those cellphone bills can become all too costly, all too quickly. Here is a basic summary of some good options to help keep those costs down. Looking at cellphone contracts...
Previous Articles
Caution needed during this ‘risk-on’ party
By Shaun Ruiters, head of Retail Strategy and Solutions at Sanlam Investments. The first quarter of 2015 was once again dominated by strong returns in the equity markets, both locally and globally. Locally the FTSE/JSE All Share Index delivered stellar returns of...
Delayed parenting: how to avoid a financial ‘bottleneck’
There may be very good reasons to postpone starting a family, but it’s also important to consider the potential financial implications when you make this call, says Karin Muller, head of Growth Market Solutions at Sanlam. People are delaying having children for...
How to sell your car privately
As people’s budgets come under increasing pressure, the number of people who can afford to buy new cars is dwindling fast. With banks financing two used cars for every new car purchase, the second-hand car market is booming. If you want to sell your car privately,...
Better to buy to rent or invest in property stocks?
You may spend your holidays thinking about owning coastal property, or maybe you're considering increasing your property portfolio with a number of buy-to-rent assets. Dale Peckover, wealth manager at AlphaWealth considers whether it's a better idea to just buy into...
How to score using your loyalty programme’s rewards
Too much month at the end of your money? It might be time to start really paying attention to your loyalty programmes so that you can get the best value for your money. Recently FNB announced that eBucks members had earned R5 billion in eBucks since the inception of...
Intergenerational wealth management
David Leslie, a director of Belmont Asset Management in Cape Town, takes a look at the concept of intergenerational wealth management. Intergenerational wealth management is an approach to wealth management that spans different generations within a family. We often...
Tweet your complaint to resolution
You have a complaint against a financial services company and you are frustrated beyond belief. So, you find their Facebook page and post your tale of woe along with all the relevant information. Stop. Have you thought about the full implications of doing so? Most...
Court mediation available to over-indebted consumers
Consumers in Gauteng and the North West who are not able to pay their debts and who are being taken to court by credit providers can now request the magistrate to refer the matter to court mediation. Magistrates will also encourage parties to go for mediation on any...
Big corporate salaries don’t make you rich
While many professional women earn impressive salaries and contribute towards corporate pension requirements, Citadel Advisory Partner Kirsten Smit says that it's important to build wealth outside your job. Many women believe they can only become as wealthy as their...
What to do when you fall behind on repayments
Lindi wrote to me looking for advice regarding her car repayments. She had fallen behind on her repayments to BMW Finance as her business was in financial difficulty. She wanted to find out if she could hand back the car to the financial institution and what the...