By Shaun Ruiters, head of Retail Strategy and Solutions at Sanlam Investments. The first quarter of 2015 was once again dominated by strong returns in the equity markets, both locally and globally. Locally the FTSE/JSE All Share Index delivered...
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Delayed parenting: how to avoid a financial ‘bottleneck’
There may be very good reasons to postpone starting a family, but it’s also important to consider the potential financial implications when you make this call, says Karin Muller, head of Growth Market Solutions at Sanlam. People are delaying having...
How to sell your car privately
As people’s budgets come under increasing pressure, the number of people who can afford to buy new cars is dwindling fast. With banks financing two used cars for every new car purchase, the second-hand car market is booming. If you want to sell...
Better to buy to rent or invest in property stocks?
You may spend your holidays thinking about owning coastal property, or maybe you're considering increasing your property portfolio with a number of buy-to-rent assets. Dale Peckover, wealth manager at AlphaWealth considers whether it's a better...
How to score using your loyalty programme’s rewards
Too much month at the end of your money? It might be time to start really paying attention to your loyalty programmes so that you can get the best value for your money. Recently FNB announced that eBucks members had earned R5 billion in eBucks...
Intergenerational wealth management
David Leslie, a director of Belmont Asset Management in Cape Town, takes a look at the concept of intergenerational wealth management. Intergenerational wealth management is an approach to wealth management that spans different generations within a...
Tweet your complaint to resolution
You have a complaint against a financial services company and you are frustrated beyond belief. So, you find their Facebook page and post your tale of woe along with all the relevant information. Stop. Have you thought about the full implications...
Court mediation available to over-indebted consumers
Consumers in Gauteng and the North West who are not able to pay their debts and who are being taken to court by credit providers can now request the magistrate to refer the matter to court mediation. Magistrates will also encourage parties to go...
Big corporate salaries don’t make you rich
While many professional women earn impressive salaries and contribute towards corporate pension requirements, Citadel Advisory Partner Kirsten Smit says that it's important to build wealth outside your job. Many women believe they can only become...
What to do when you fall behind on repayments
Lindi wrote to me looking for advice regarding her car repayments. She had fallen behind on her repayments to BMW Finance as her business was in financial difficulty. She wanted to find out if she could hand back the car to the financial...
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The best gift my mother ever gave me
I was fortunate growing up to have a really great mom. She was the kind of person one thinks of when you say “mother”. She was a really involved parent – she made the pom-poms for sports day, sewed pretty dresses for me, came to all the parent-teacher meetings, and...
Is ‘affluenza’ threatening the survival of your business?
By Andrew Ratcliffe, Director of Private Client Holdings, a family office that specializes in generational wealth management. Family businesses constitute the world’s oldest and most dominant form of business organisations. In fact, according to a white paper produced...
Am I obliged to leave my estate to my family?
By David Knott of Private Client Trust, the fiduciary services division of Private Client Holdings, and a member of the Fiduciary Institute of South Africa In many countries around the world there are forced heirship laws in place which have evolved over many years of...
The case for offshore still remains compelling
By Lourens Coetzee, an Investment Professional at Marriott Demanding equity valuations and a subdued outlook for growth in South Africa suggest investors may need to increase their offshore exposure to ensure an acceptable investment outcome. Marriott believes the...
Why a marriage contract saves you tax
A marriage contract is not just about divorce; it defines what happens to your finances while you are married. Not formalising your relationship could cost you more than you realise. When Melanie and John decided to get married after living together for 29 years, it...
Do household savings really impact SA’s economic growth?
According to the National Development Plan (NDP), the South African economy needs to grow by 5.4% or more to create enough jobs to redress inequality and resolve the country's stubbornly high unemployment rate. In order to reach and sustain this target, South Africa...
Paying for someone else’s mistake
If someone jumps a stop street and crashes into you, you could find yourself liable for damages. When Chantal’s car was written off by a driver who jumped a stop street she was confident that the driver’s insurance would cover the full damages to her vehicle as her...
Investigate your body corporate
Buying into a sectional title scheme requires more than understanding just your own finances. You’re ready to buy your first home, you’ve saved up the deposit, got financing approval and done your homework on the area where you want to live. The perfect home comes up...
Santam launches new safety app
Between 1 December 2014 and 5 January this year, there were 1 118 fatal road accidents recorded, resulting in 1 368 fatalities. Such frightening statistics have prompted short-term insurer Santam to develop an app which is designed to help your friends and family make...
How to cut your fuel bill
The fuel price increase on 1 April was unfortunately no April Fool’s joke. Motorists are now paying an extra R1.62 per litre of petrol, which means that if you fill up your 50-litre tank twice a month, you're now spending an additional R160 per month on fuel. It is...