A 23-year-old wants to do the right thing with her money and not end up a casualty of ‘bad debt’. Nthabiseng has just graduated and started her first job. She still lives at home and is currently using her parents’ car. “I am caught in between...
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Should you just hand back the keys?
You have bought the car of your dreams but within a year or two you realise that the installments, petrol and insurance are all just unaffordable. The car of your dreams is now giving you nightmares – so what can you do about it? One option is...
Listen: How to contain that eating-out spend
In this week's My Money, My Lifestyle podcast, Maya Fisher-French (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo Makhu (@womanandfinance) discuss budgeting for eating out, shoes and all those other luxuries, and they also look at what you need to be aware of when you...
The difference between medical scheme cover and health insurance
By Riaan Oosthuizen, Alexander Forbes Health consultant As financial intermediaries we are often asked why medical scheme cover is so expensive compared to health insurance. Three main factors influence this. Underwriting and open enrolment The...
Listen: How to choose an ETF without analysis paralysis
Why would a parent want their kids to take on car debt? Maya Fisher-French (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo Makhu (@womanandfinance) discuss the other side of the “black tax” in this week’s My Money My Lifestyle podcast, and also provide a remedy if...
When to pay that car deposit
One of the more frequent questions I get asked is whether it makes sense to pay an upfront deposit when buying a car. It seems that dealerships are advising customers not to pay the deposit upfront, but rather to make a lump-sum payment 24 months...
Video: Car Insurance
The main reason we take out car insurance is so that we are covered in the case of an accident. However, if your car was not in a roadworthy condition at the time of an accident, or you were under the influence of alcohol, your policy might not pay...
Should you renegotiate your mortgage rate?
Even a 0.25% reduction in your mortgage rate could save you tens of thousands of rands, but how open is your bank to the discussion? Personal finance blogger Steathy Wealth wrote last year about how he managed to save himself R83 000 by asking his...
Listen: The three-step debt repayment plan
Want to start paying off your debt but just don’t know where to start? Maya Fisher-French (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo Makhu (@womanandfinance) provide a step-by-step guide. To join the conversation send us a voice note to 064 554 3959.
New FSCA investigator gets tough with scamsters
New regulatory powers make it easier to investigate financial fraud. The new director of investigations and enforcement at the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), Brandon Topham, made it clear in a media briefing recently that he will be...
Previous Articles
Video: Buying a car
If you are considering buying a car, try save up so that you can put down a deposit. This will reduce the total cost of the car. By saving up a deposit, you could qualify for a better interest rate. A bank will view the fact that you were able to save for a deposit as...
Public servants can retire early – with conditions
In his budget address on 20 February 2019, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced an early retirement scheme for public servants whereby members of the Government Employees Pension Fund could take early retirement from the fund without penalties. According to the...
Listen to this before you give the car keys back
Is your dream car causing you nightmares? Do you just want to give the keys back? Maya Fisher-French (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo Makhu (@womanandfinance) discuss the dos and don’ts when it comes to giving your car back. To join the conversation send us a voice note to...
Stick with blue-chip multinationals
By Preston Narainsamy, Investment Professional at Marriott Asset Management Despite a backdrop of robust economic growth in 2018, market returns across the globe were disappointing. The decline was driven by a slowdown in economic activity coupled with investor fears...
Video: Investment returns
We invest our money because we want it to grow or give us an income. But depending on what you invest in, there are different types of investment returns. Interest income is probably the best understood: it is what you earn when you deposit money with a bank or buy a...
Beware of your financial adviser asking you to move your investments
It is not uncommon for investors to move their investments from one insurer or asset manager to another. Whether it is because of the promise of better returns, to lower costs or just not being happy with the current company, investors do move their investments from...
Listen: Do you really get 55 days’ interest-free credit on your credit card?
Are banks racist? Do you really get 55 days’ interest-free credit on your credit card? Should I buy an apartment or a car – asks a 23-year-old. Maya Fisher-French (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo Makhu (@womanandfinance) discuss this week’s headlines in the Personal Finance...
The fight against illegal debit orders
Why has it taken banks so long to take action against illegal debit orders? FNB recently issued a press release stating that it would reverse all debit orders and refund customers who have been victims of ProCall and Mzansi illegal debit orders. Absa Bank followed...
Video: Travel Insurance
An unavoidable expense when planning a holiday, particularly if you're going overseas, is travel insurance. If you have booked your flight using your credit card, you might have automatic travel insurance benefits. However you need to read the fine print. Free basic...
Learn from ordinary South Africans how to turn your finances around
How do you turn your finances around? This is probably the question asked most frequently by people who are feeling overwhelmed by their financial situation. The answer is simple: start taking control of your money rather than letting your emotions control you. The...