Lars Kroijer, author of Investing Demystified and a former hedge fund manager, has created a five-video series to explain investing, why you can’t beat the market, and why that fact is important. So if you don’t have the time to read his 200-page...
Last month I spoke at a women’s day event held by Alexander Forbes about the importance of women, especially married women, having their own financial affairs in order. The most interesting part for me was speaking to the many women after the event...
No fee increases, higher taxes In the medium-term budget policy statement, government committed to absorbing the 8% increase in university fees for students from households earning R600 000 or less a year. That means the majority of university...
Sharon Coppola, Senior Executive Risk and Compliance at Experian South Africa, unpacks the myths and truths behind credit reports and credit scores. As more South Africans seek ways to manage their personal finances during the current economic...
10X Investments kicked off its campaign to #StopDaylightRobbery by causing quite a stir at Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton. Shoppers and lunch-time restaurant goers were greeted by the sight of a life-sized household scene, complete with furniture,...
There has been a lot of talk about the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) which aims to provide transparency around financial advice and products, but how do customers really feel about it? At a roundtable discussion on RDR hosted recently by...
Actuaries working to find a solution to the problem of education costs in South Africa just don’t see free tertiary education as viable. The Actuarial Society of South Africa has cautioned that while all students should be able to access funding to...
An election process, whereby MTN Zakhele ordinary shareholders are able to elect whether they would like to receive cash, MTN Group shares, MTN Zakhele Futhi shares or a combination of these options in exchange for their MTN Zakhele shareholding,...
The new maximum interest rates do not apply to existing credit cards In May 2016, amendments to the National Credit Act came into effect which set new maximum interest rates which can be charged on a loan based on the repo rate. In many cases this...
Research finds that the tax-free savings account is still misunderstood. If there’s one thing the financial industry is good at, it is complicating things that should be fairly simple. Tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) were meant to be really...
A landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court on garnishee orders will not be applied retrospectively. Last month, the Constitutional Court issued its ruling relating to emolument attachment orders (known as garnishee orders) in a case that had been brought before it...
The recent launch of a new product provider that aims to bring a 5G network to the market has raised hope among those South Africans who make significant use of internet services. We take a look at what the new company will offer and what you need to do to get a fibre...
If you are a Liberty customer you may want to take advantage of discounted shares in the new Liberty property listing. Towards the end of this year Liberty will be listing its premium property portfolio which includes the iconic Sandton City. The Liberty Property...
You don’t have to have a lot of money to invest in order to work with a financial planner. With changes to the way financial advisers are remunerated, some industry commentators believed that it would negatively affect younger investors who do not have large amounts...
Worldwide, there is increasing interest in second citizenships, especially among business people and the wealthy, including many South Africans. The desire to hold the passport of another country is driven by various factors: you can select the passport of a country...
By Dave Mohr & Izak Odendaal, Old Mutual Multi-Managers The JSE All Share Index remains trapped within its two-year trading range of between 46 000 and 55 000 points, meaning that dividends and stock picking generated most of the returns for local investors. In US...
by Nthati Khumalo, Tax Compliance Trainee at BDO South Africa The High Court recently held that Mr Julian Brown must submit a response to a SARS lifestyle questionnaire or suffer the consequences. SARS may in terms of the Tax Administration Act (the TAA), in...
There is a big difference between knowingly investing in a high-risk technology business and being sold misinformation. I recently wrote about a group of companies: AllQuotes, BuyDirect and MiBiz, which fall under a parent company called FinGroup. I wrote about...
Debt review is not as simple as handing over your bills to a debt counsellor – you have to keep track of your credit provider statements Three years ago Linda (not her real name) and her husband went under debt review. Like so many young couples, the allure of easy...
Money is a big issue for many couples, so much so that it is the main cause of divorce. Yet finding an equitable way to manage the household finances is a bit like finding the holy grail. The main issues for couples around money are: a discrepancy in the amount each...