A recent Supreme Court of Appeal decision, which declared an email will to be valid, gave me pause for thought. Are "e-wills" the wills of the future? Jacinta Bassuday, manager of Legal, Standard Executors and Trustees Limited, set about explaining...
The best way to define outperformance when it comes to investing is by way of an example. In the investment world, a fund manager aims to outperform a specific benchmark that his or her fund's performance will be measured against. In that way, a...
If the executor of your will is not especially dynamic or able to drive hard to finalise a testamentary process, it may be time to find a new one. This is because some estates now take more than two years to wind up and a diligent executor needs to...
The ombudsman for long-term insurance mediates in disputes between members of the long-term insurance industry and policyholders. The service is free and the ombudsman helps to resolve disputes quickly, through mediation and with cost-effectiveness...
If you're divorced, or in the process of getting divorced, the issue of pension fund benefits is one you may want to think about. Remember that pension interest forms part of your spouse's assets, so you may be entitled to a claim, depending on...
South African "semigrants" – those people relocating to different parts of the country, rather than emigrating – are mainly moving for economic reasons, according to a survey undertaken by First National Bank. Relocation for work, or better...
If you're buying or selling a property, here's something you may not have thought of: are your taxes up to date? If they're not, you can delay the transaction and even lose the sale – and on top of that, be liable for the agent's commission....
A new global report says the wealthy want to carry on working, not retire. According to the latest Wealth Insights report, The Age Illusion: How the wealthy are redefining their retirement, released by Absa Wealth (an affiliate of Barclays Wealth),...
An effective early-warning system is the best personal risk-management tool you can have. Your personal safety should be your first concern – not the premium discount you get if you don't have an alarm. But you need to make sure you use your alarm...
The National Treasury Department has gone out of its way to get South Africans to save. You can simply walk into your nearest Pick n Pay branch and purchase RSA Retail Savings Bonds – and there are no charges, commissions or costs involved. They...
Coastal retirement seems like everyone's idea of paradise: beach walks, dips in the ocean and, of course, the view. But is your plan to buy a property that will appreciate in value so you can sell it later on? Or are you thinking of staying put for good? "Retirees...
Before 2007, we had little protection against unscrupulous lenders who took advantage of those of us ignorant about budgets. If we didn't have healthy spending habits, we were often taken for a ride. But the National Credit Act (NCA) has since put a stop to reckless...
It goes without saying that not all Top 40 exchange traded funds (ETFs) are alike. You need to consider what you expect from them before you include them in your portfolio. As with unit trusts, ETF managers use the Top-40 benchmark for their standard products, but not...
With white-collar crime on the rise, you might want to keep an eye on your bank statements and salary slips every month. The life insurance industry and the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (Asisa) are urging people to be aware of an increase in...
When the global financial system was in meltdown not too long ago, the resilience of Islamic banks began to attract attention. Why were these banks able to weather the storm? The suggestion that a banking system is more stable without interest-bearing assets is a...
When it comes to car insurance excess, a lot of us are stumped. What do we pay? When do we have to pay it? How can we avoid paying it? Simply put, excess is the amount you elect to pay in order to self-insure, which you agree to when you take out an insurance policy....
RAFI-based products, particularly ETFs, have made a good showing recently and people want to know more about them. RAFI stands for "Research Affiliates Fundamental Indexation". Research Affiliates is a California-based financial services company that has registered...
Couples argue about money more than almost anything else and these conversations are often fraught and unresolved. In fact, it's safe to say you probably have the same conversation with your partner over and over again, with variations. Here are some tips on how to...
If you could choose to buy products from companies supporting fair trade and campaigning to end testing on animals and child trafficking, would you do so? What about companies that reduce their carbon emissions and opt for cleaner, greener technology? Research...
It really depends on your needs. Nedbank, Capitec and FNB seem to be the banks offering some of the best products. But you need to understand your banking profile first. Capitec can be cost effective if you do not do a lot of transactions in a month, but when I...