The key to achieving our money goals is to use psychology to set us up for success. When it comes to our money goals, behavioural economist Erik Vermeulen says we need to set specific long-term goals, but also have built-in intermediate success...
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Anger over high-cost investment products
A blame-game is starting with complaints about overpaid financial advisers and expensive product options. Readers have provided numerous examples of high-cost investment products sold by advisers working for large insurance firms. Clients are angry...
Finding a more equitable credit model
The Save2Buy model is a hybrid between a lay-by and more traditional credit. In a world where credit has become a way of life, is it possible to find a system that allows someone to purchase an item and have use of it whilst paying it off, but...
Can you bag a cheap deal on an overseas holiday?
Taking an overseas holiday is still possible but this can come at great risk to travellers’ pockets, finds Angelique Ruzicka. Differing social distancing rules and travel bans imposed by countries and airlines have done much to disrupt the global...
Video: Investing in bitcoin
Whenever we see a surge in the price of bitcoin, I get a lot of queries from people asking how they can invest. The problem is that people are lured by the prospect of high returns rather than actually understanding what they are investing in. A...
Listen: Investigating crypto scams
In this My Money, My Lifestyle podcast we delve into the world of crypto scams which seem to be mushrooming everywhere, despite repeated warnings from our authorities. How do these crypto scams work? How do people get lured into parting with their...
Video: Understand your electricity bill
The cost of electricity will increase by 15% in April. That is triple the rate of inflation which means a bigger portion of our budget will go to paying for electricity. It is worth taking the time to understand how your electricity is charged...
When does it make sense to have a travel allowance?
If you are required to travel for work there are several ways to claim for this expense. You can receive a travel allowance or be provided with a company car. In the case of a travel allowance, the employer would normally pay a set amount, for...
FSCA issues crypto health warning
The FSCA wants to warn the public that if something goes wrong with your crypto investment, you are not likely to get your money back and will have no recourse against anyone. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has noted with concern the...
Video: Tax-free savings
Do you know how much tax you save by investing in a tax-free savings account? Sanlam Investments did the maths and found that you can save hundreds of thousands of rands. So why pay tax when you can make money? To recap: you can invest up to...
Previous Articles
Fancy new car or a fabulous retirement?
Khwezi Jackson, investment consultant at 10X Investments, explains how buying a fancy new car could sabotage your retirement funding. Seeing a headline, ‘Spending R10,000 per month on a new car’, got me thinking: Why would anyone spend that much money every month to...
In search of a low-cost credit card
For the last 14 years I have been the happy owner of a Virgin Money credit card. The card has zero annual fees which made it a perfect credit card to hold for emergencies rather than using for day-to-day spending. In my case I also used it for booking travel such as...
Video: The true cost of cashing in your pension
Do you know the true future cost of cashing in your pension? The long-term consequences are not reversible and will leave many financially destitute when it comes to retirement. This video, as part of a member education series for the Government Employees’ Pension...
Video: How to grow your side hustle
In any crisis there is opportunity. Lockdown created new market opportunities as customers became open to trying new brands through e-commerce. Research has already identified that post lockdown, people are less likely to return to major shopping centres, preferring...
Listen: Talking to your children about money
How do you teach your children to manage money? It starts at home, says 13-year-old Alidzulwi Tshikosi, author of Not being authentic can be costly - a warning tale of a young man who uses credit to live beyond his means and which ultimately destroys his...
Unmarried couples and death – how to protect yourself and your partner
David Knott of Private Client Trust explains how unmarried couples can protect themselves in the unfortunate event that one partner dies. Many unmarried couples mistakenly believe that they are protected as “common law” spouses. However, South African law does not...
Video: Make sure you receive your retirement benefits on time
As you enter retirement, one of your biggest risks is a delay between when you receive your final salary and the first payment from your pension. This video, as part of a member education series for the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF), explains what you need...
Video: Changes to provident funds
On 1 March 2021 the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill of 2020 came into effect. It contains changes that have a direct impact on the members of provident funds. These changes are part of a process to simplify the retirement fund industry and bring provident funds in line...
Don’t ignore your credit providers
The Credit Ombud wants to remind consumers that there are ways to ease the woes that come with being unemployed while having debt, and you shouldn’t just ignore your credit providers. If you’ve just lost your job or have had your salary reduced due to the Covid-19...
Supporting your retired parents
Many retirees have not saved enough to meet their financial needs, leaving children with the burden of supporting their retired parents. A retirement survey by Sanlam found that 51% of retirees cannot make ends meet, and one-third do not have enough money to cover...