Reward programmes are becoming an integral part of our day-to-day financial management. It is no longer simply about getting a discount on your next purchase; these programmes have evolved so that you can now earn really meaningful rewards, which...
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Does the CPI reflect the “real” inflation rate?
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is supposed to reflect the spending patterns of the average urban South African across various categories of goods and services. Each of these categories (food, fuel, education, rent, insurance etc.) has a fixed...
Slow economic growth is the real issue
Rising prices and interest rates are relatively mild by historical standards, so why are we feeling so stressed? A lack of economic growth is why. While rising prices and interest rates may be draining our pockets, for middle- to upper-income...
SARS auto-assessment: what you need to know
Tax season has started, and while ordinary taxpayers have in theory until 24 October to file their returns, if you receive an auto-assessment, you only have 40 business days to verify and update the information. An auto-assessment is a...
Use your medical tax credit to cover your medical expenses
Many South Africans are unaware that they qualify for a medical tax credit if they belong to a medical scheme. We have always had a tax benefit for contributions to a medical scheme. In 2012, SARS changed this benefit from a tax deduction to a...
Working remotely: what are the tax implications?
If you are working remotely for a foreign company, lawfully meeting your tax obligations can become complex. Martin Bezuidenhout, expatriate tax attorney at Tax Consulting SA, explains. The Covid pandemic brought about a lot of changes in terms of...
Save as you swipe
Several banks now offer a feature where you can “save as you swipe”, effectively creating a digital “change jar” into which you can save small amounts without even noticing it. FNB recently announced that its retail customers had accumulated over...
Petrol price: parsing the pain at the pump
Petrol stations across the country were jam-packed on the last Tuesday of May as motorists waited in line to fill up ahead of the following day’s record increase in the petrol price. Old Mutual Wealth Investment Strategist Izak Odendaal analyses...
Loadshedding: counting the cost
South Africans are counting the cost of loadshedding – and it is significant. These are the findings of a survey conducted by InfoQuest/TrendER, a leading South African online research company. The survey interviewed 300 respondents, nationally...
What does the rate hike mean for the economy?
Carmen Nel, economist and macro strategist at Matrix Fund Managers, delves into the implications of last week's 50 basis-point rate hike by the Reserve Bank. At Thursday's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the South African Reserve Bank...
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Your personal information is never safe
With multiple breaches of personal information, consumers should assume they are compromised. Once again individuals’ personal data has been compromised, this time through a breach at credit bureau TransUnion South Africa. This follows a compromise of credit bureau...
Capitec is no longer the “cheap” bank
Capitec has introduced a rewards programme and implemented fee increases as it focuses on becoming a fully-fledged bank. Capitec has always marketed itself as a simple, no-frills bank. In 2009 it repositioned its brand to expand its customer base beyond the...
Better tax compliance means fewer tax hikes
When it comes to increasing tax revenue, it's better to find ways of improving tax compliance, rather than raising taxes. There is a paragraph in the 2022 Budget Review that reads, “an increase in annual expenditure of about R50 billion would require either a two...
Why interest rates are rising
The normalisation of interest rates is set to be a major theme for global financial markets in 2022, says Carmen Nel, economist and macro strategist at Matrix Fund Managers. Normalisation of interest rates means different things in different economies. In the...
The ‘silent’ changes affecting South Africans who are emigrating
The transition from the old emigration regime to the current regime ‒ ceasing of tax residency ‒ came with some relief. However, there were some changes that went largely unnoticed. By Lovemore Ndlovu, SARS and Exchange Control Specialist at Tax Consulting SA, and...
Vote for your GEPF trustees
The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) will be holding its elections for new trustees from January to May 2022. GEPF elections are held every four years and are an opportunity for pensioners and members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and...
Five ways to boost your income and financial knowledge
Angelique Ruzicka shares five ideas for how you can improve your financial knowledge and possibly boost your income. Boosting your income, especially during a pandemic, can feel nigh on impossible, especially when costs are going up and you’ve been told there’s no...
Financial tools to keep you on track in 2022
Advances in technology mean that it’s now so easy to keep track of your finances and achieve savings goals, using smartphone apps, websites, and other online financial tools, says Angelique Ruzicka. If you’re still using Excel or some other rudimentary means to keep...
Savvy ways to use your bonus
Many companies are cash strapped due to the impact of Covid-19, but if you are one of the lucky few who got a bonus or windfall this year, it will be tempting to spend it to celebrate surviving another tough year. However, money experts recommend being a bit cautious,...
Delivery scams on the rise
Cybersecurity researchers are urging consumers to be on the lookout for delivery scams following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and in the lead-up to the holidays. This comes after Mimecast’s threat-hunting team detected malicious emails and spoofed web pages...