Many South Africans are unaware that they qualify for a medical tax credit if they belong to a medical scheme. We have always had a tax benefit for contributions to a medical scheme. In 2012, SARS changed this benefit from a tax deduction to a...
You are Here >
Home >
Video: Saving for your children’s education
There is one thing all parents have in common: a desire to give their children a better life, which means that saving for your children's education is crucial. We want our children to stand on our shoulders, and one of the best ways to do that is...
Working remotely: what are the tax implications?
If you are working remotely for a foreign company, lawfully meeting your tax obligations can become complex. Martin Bezuidenhout, expatriate tax attorney at Tax Consulting SA, explains. The Covid pandemic brought about a lot of changes in terms of...
Staying the course in crazy markets
Roné Swanepoel, Business Development Manager at Morningstar Investment Management South Africa, knows that many investors are currently unsure as to what to do in these difficult markets. She recommends biting the bullet and staying the course. Two...
Is your car under-insured?
Used car prices have been increasing due to shortages, with the result that your vehicle could well be under-insured, according to getWorth CTO Mark Ridgway. If your car is insured and you suffer a total loss, where the car is stolen or written...
Save as you swipe
Several banks now offer a feature where you can “save as you swipe”, effectively creating a digital “change jar” into which you can save small amounts without even noticing it. FNB recently announced that its retail customers had accumulated over...
Petrol price: parsing the pain at the pump
Petrol stations across the country were jam-packed on the last Tuesday of May as motorists waited in line to fill up ahead of the following day’s record increase in the petrol price. Old Mutual Wealth Investment Strategist Izak Odendaal analyses...
Listen: Living to 100
More and more people seem to be living to 100 and beyond. Scientists are predicting that the average life expectancy in the UK will hit 100 in 2064. Even today, the chance of a 50-year-old woman living to 100 is almost 1 in 10. For some people that...
You could have building cover without realising it
Deshni Subbiah, chair of the Short-term Insurance Committee of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA) explains that homeowners may have building cover without even realising it. If you are repaying a home loan but didn’t take out...
Loadshedding: counting the cost
South Africans are counting the cost of loadshedding – and it is significant. These are the findings of a survey conducted by InfoQuest/TrendER, a leading South African online research company. The survey interviewed 300 respondents, nationally...
Previous Articles
Death benefit: what you need to know
After the death of a loved one, you may be entitled to a death benefit. Rita Cool, certified financial planner at Alexforbes takes a look. During what is a very emotionally-charged time, the paperwork which nominees are required to complete in order to claim a death...
Listen: Managing the end-of-life transition
In this third part of a series of conversations around life transitions, Maya (@mayaonmoney) speaks to Louis van der Merwe of WealthUp about the biggest transition of all: death – or what could be called the "end-of-life transition". Death is a part of life. Whether...
Is medical insurance the solution to high medical premiums?
With many South Africans unable to afford medical schemes, medical insurance is filling in the gap. But you need to be aware of its limitations. Medical schemes are becoming increasingly unaffordable for the average South African household. Statistics show that only...
What does the rate hike mean for the economy?
Carmen Nel, economist and macro strategist at Matrix Fund Managers, delves into the implications of last week's 50 basis-point rate hike by the Reserve Bank. At Thursday's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) hiked the policy...
When to switch to a fuel-efficient car
With the fuel price at record highs, many motorists may be rushing to sell their fuel-guzzling vehicle and to replace it with a more fuel-efficient car. But you should be careful not to make a costly knee-jerk decision. If you were planning on buying a car for the...
How retirees can reduce their tax
It often comes as a surprise to pensioners that they are still liable for tax. The bottom line is if you receive an income above a certain amount, it will be taxed, but there are certain measures that can be used so retirees can reduce their tax. Most retirees would...
Listen: Planning for a lifestyle change
The Covid pandemic forced many people to reflect on their lives. Not only did we stand still for a moment to take stock, but many people realised that there's maybe a different way to live our lives, prompting some to make a major lifestyle change. In the second part...
Improve your credit score
Whether you want to buy a property or a car, most South Africans need credit to do so. And, strange as it may seem, knowing how much credit you qualify for and how you can improve your credit score may just be critical to your ability to continue improving your life...
How to make your living annuity income last
Retirees who primarily live off a living annuity income are often haunted by the question: How do I make my income last throughout retirement? “There are four rules that are essential long-term drivers of success for living annuity investors,” says Shaun Duddy,...
Avoid the debt collection agency
Missing one or two payments on your debt obligation is not a train smash, but once you miss three payments in a row, you are now in default. This means you will receive a negative listing on your credit record and in many cases your debt will be handed over to a debt...