In line with our theme on alternative asset classes, in this week’s podcast Maya (@mayaonmoney) and Mapalo (@womanandfinance) discuss investing in gold. Is gold a good investment? What role should it play in your portfolio and how do you go about...
The Council for Medical Schemes has confirmed that COVID-19 falls under the prescribed minimum benefits as defined in the Medical Schemes Act. According to Neil Kirby, Director and Head of the Healthcare & Life Sciences practice at Werksmans...
Like many ad-hoc property investors, Colen has largely fallen into property investment by accident, grabbing opportunities as they arose. He has built a property portfolio of five properties which has put him under financial pressure. His Money...
Busang wrote to say that he has no debt and R600 extra each month that he wants to start investing for the long term. He wanted to know which unit trust or exchange-traded fund would be the best option. For anyone who is starting to save or invest,...
While tens of millions of Americans were losing their jobs, the stock market in April produced its best monthly return in over 30 years. Sean Markowicz, strategist in the Research and Analytics division at Schroders, looks at what’s behind this...
Investors are increasingly looking to non-financial assets to provide further diversification. We have previously discussed Fedgroup Impact Farming, where investors can buy into farming of beehives, blueberries and even solar energy. We have also...
If your debt counsellor is not registered, or not contactable, or not providing you the required service, then you can transfer to another debt counsellor. All you have to do is approach a new debt counsellor and complete the application form. It...
By David Shochot, CEO: Stylo Investments Proponents of active management argue that this style of investing adds value in a bear market. They argue that with sharp market falls and with asset price volatility, the flexibility of an active manager...
Say you have been working hard at improving your credit score by settling outstanding debts and you are now paid up and you want to buy a house or a car. How long before that reflects on your credit score to the extent that you are now considered a...
Don’t expect a blanket premium relief, but if you are struggling, contact your medical scheme for options. If you are struggling to meet your medical scheme contribution this month, don’t hold out for a blanket offering of a premium waiver. Medical...
With the economic fallout expected from COVID-19, investors have either seen their portfolios seriously hurt or are too afraid to enter the equity market now. Sitting in cash is an option, but what if markets recover and investors lose out on potentially higher...
While you are sitting in lockdown, now may be the time to turn that WhatsApp group into a stokvel. In her book Stokvels: How they can make your money work for you, author and financial educator Palesa Lengolo writes, “I have watched how some stokvels start...
Any financial journey cannot progress unless your partner is on board. If you share a household, you share your finances. Money is a highly emotional topic; it is cited as the number one reason for divorce. So, having a relationship where you can speak openly about...
75% of South Africans who earn at least R10 000 a month belong to one or more of the 100-odd loyalty programmes in South Africa. While loyalty programmes are popular, are they really working for you or just cluttering up your wallet with another card or your cellphone...
Last month, the South African Reserve Bank cut rates by 100 basis points and this led to many questions about the mechanism of interest rates. We unpack how interest rates work both for borrowers and savers. What is the difference between the repo rate and the prime...
Most parents make supreme sacrifices to provide for their children. Research shows that mothers in particular will put their children’s needs before their own. We want to offer our children the perfect world where they want for nothing, where they never feel shunned...
Financial and strategic advisory company Fluence Capital is now offering pro-bono support and guidance for South Africans facing the potential loss of their business due to the COVID-19 shutdown. “Many companies tend to wait until the last minute to seek help when...
This Mother’s Day I will have been a mom for 20 years, as my son celebrates his 20th birthday this week. Being under lockdown and living through COVID-19 has been a huge teaching and learning opportunity when it comes to raising our children to become responsible...
Home loans are usually the cheapest form of financing and it may seem like common sense to use this lower interest rate to pay for shorter-term debt like car finance. In theory you save money by paying a lower interest rate, however, most people forget that a car is...
Financial markets are no place for gambling on a single share or even a single asset class, says Tlotliso Phakisi, Investment Analyst at Cannon Asset Managers. One of the most famous poker games ever recorded took place at the 2008 World Series of Poker, where...