Andrew Kemp, head of asset consulting at Liberty Corporate, gives Maya on Money the low-down on Alpha and Beta. Maya on Money: What do Alpha and Beta mean to an investor? Kemp: Alpha and Beta are two investment terms which are often bandied around...
What you need to know about trading derivatives
Fiona ZerbstJun 5, 2011
When the JSE partnered with Deutsche Bank to launch International Derivatives (IDX), an asset class allowing South African investors to trade single stock futures (SSFs) on internationally listed companies, investors revelled in the opportunity to...
Why is life-stage investing a good idea?
Fiona ZerbstJun 4, 2011
Simply put, investing when you're 20 and investing when you're 45 are two completely different ball games. It's good to know that, increasingly, retirement funds are taking this into account and offering members a "life-stage" investment option,...
Who gets your retirement fund benefits when you die?
Fiona ZerbstJun 3, 2011
If you've nominated someone other than a dependant as the beneficiary of your retirement fund, your wishes might not be honoured when you die, even if you've made that person the sole beneficiary of your estate. This is because pension fund...
A revolutionary home ownership concept
Fiona ZerbstJun 2, 2011
First-time home buyers and self-employed potential buyers struggle to enter the property market. Nearly 50% of employed bond applicants are declined every month and about 58% of self-employed applicants can't secure home loans, which is not good...
What the Good Card has to offer
Fiona ZerbstJun 1, 2011
The Good Card is a charitable initiative that lets you earn passive income while you help those less fortunate. It's really a Visa cash-back card, and R45 of your monthly subscription fee of R289 goes to a charity of your choice. At the same time,...
Twelve tips for buying a used car privately
Fiona ZerbstJun 1, 2011
FNB and the Automobile Association (AA) offer these really helpful tips that could save you money in the long run. Used cars have to pass a roadworthy test – ask for proof of roadworthiness. All legitimate vehicles have three main identity numbers,...
An alternative to losing your home
Fiona ZerbstJun 1, 2011
What do you do if you can't keep up with your bond repayments and you're facing having your home repossessed? You could sell, but what if you owe the bank R1 000 000 but you can't get your asking price and the best you can get is R800 000? Selling...
Investing for inflation: part two
Fiona ZerbstMay 29, 2011
The first choice for most retirees is to purchase an inflation-linked annuity that will pay a set income for life that increases with inflation. This provides predictability and you know that you have enough income to meet your needs for the rest...
Investing for inflation: part one
Fiona ZerbstMay 27, 2011
It's no secret that inflation is set to rise. This is bad news for everyone, but especially for pensioners, who need their retirement savings to generate an adequate real return while preserving capital, or at least minimising the risk of loss....

Previous Articles

Jargon buster: absolute return funds
May 26, 2011
Rob Zagey, manager of fund research and development at Stanlib, explains what Absolute Return Funds are. "Absolute Return Funds are unit trust funds that use a variety of investment strategies to accomplish the following: Target a return over a defined investment time...

Why socially responsible investing affects you
May 25, 2011
The environment wasn't the only thing to suffer with BP's oil disaster. Investors – including more than 1 000 institutions that owned portfolio stock in BP to the combined asset value of $2,7-trillion – took a serious hit. BP lost more than half its market value,...

Jargon buster: beneficiary funds
May 24, 2011
A beneficiary fund is a specialised type of pension fund that was introduced in 2009 by the government. It exists exclusively to receive lump-sum payments, known as death benefits, on behalf of minor dependants. It was introduced specifically to replace umbrella...

What should be in my financial plan?
May 8, 2011
Pay off debt: It is always best to pay off high interest debt like your credit card. If you want to use your credit card for convenience set up a debit order so that it is paid in full at the end of every month. Emergency fund: Everyone should have an emergency fund....

How do I start investing?
Apr 30, 2011
You need to take your personal circumstances into consideration but here are some points to consider: Beware of cash: Over time cash will not keep up with inflation so unless you are only saving for one or two years, it is best to invest in a growth asset like...

Deciding between a unit trust or an ETF
Sep 8, 2010
I recently wrote about how a R200 a month investment became worth R35 000 by just investing investing in Satrix 40, an index-tracking exchange traded fund. I mentioned that the returns could have been even better if I had selected one of the top performing unit-trust...

The secret to creating wealth
Sep 8, 2010
Earlier this week I was interviewed on radio about savings accounts for children. I related a story about the savings account I opened for my son -- a story I have written many times. For the last eight years I have invested R200 a month into Satrix 40, the latest...