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...
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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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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....
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....
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...
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...
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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...
Flood damage: are you covered?
The flooding across KZN has caused major damage to property. The good news is that most short-term insurance contracts will provide cover for weather-related incidents, which includes flood damage. According to Fanus Coetzee, Head of Claims at Santam, comprehensive...
Listen: Ageing with dignity
This is the first in a series of conversations that Maya (@mayaonmoney) will be having with financial planner Louis van der Merwe of WealthUp around life transitions. This first chat is around ageing. Whether you are the adult child of an elderly parent, or even if...
Is inflation bad for the economy?
Kyle Wales, portfolio manager at Flagship Asset Management, gets into the nitty gritty of how inflation works and explains why it is bad for economic growth. For the last year opinions around the future path for inflation have been divided into two camps. In the first...
Surge in death claims during Covid third wave
The Association of Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) recently released death claims figures which left no doubt as to the true impact of Covid-19 when it comes to mortality rates. Industry-wide figures from South African life insurers show that there was a...
Your personal information is never safe
With multiple breaches of personal information, consumers should assume they are compromised. Once again individuals’ personal data has been compromised, this time through a breach at credit bureau TransUnion South Africa. This follows a compromise of credit bureau...
Listen: What should financial advice cost?
Good financial advice is worth paying for. We can probably all agree on that. But when we buy a traditional financial product sold to us by a financial adviser, do we know how much it is really costing? And how do we know we are getting good advice? In this podcast...
RSA Retail Bonds: attractive interest rates for monthly investments
Last month National Treasury announced a welcome new addition to its range of RSA Retail Bonds. RSA Retail Bonds are interest-linked investment products issued by National Treasury that provide attractive, above-market interest rates for those who want to save for up...
Capitec is no longer the “cheap” bank
Capitec has introduced a rewards programme and implemented fee increases as it focuses on becoming a fully-fledged bank. Capitec has always marketed itself as a simple, no-frills bank. In 2009 it repositioned its brand to expand its customer base beyond the...
Make the most of tax incentives beyond TFSAs
By now, we should all be aware of the tax incentives offered by government to encourage savings via tax-free savings accounts, but Jaco van Tonder, head of Advisor Services in South Africa at Ninety One, urges us not to forget the other tax incentives that we should...