Rumours are circulating about corruption around tax refunds, though it's unclear exactly how this is possible within the current tax administration system. Administrative delays and poor service delivery in any organisation create fertile grounds...
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Tax refund delays causing frustration
Tax practitioners have been raising concerns about tax refund delays, while SARS says it is dealing with the challenges. While 90% of tax returns are processed without further verification by SARS, those taxpayers who are identified for further...
Why the NHI Bill is unworkable
Jacqui Nel of Aon South Africa looks at some of the issues surrounding the implementation of the NHI Bill. On 12 June 2023, Parliament passed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, and many stakeholders in the healthcare industry are concerned...
A financial plan for raising a special-needs child
How do you provide for a special-needs child who might be dependent on you not only for the rest of your life, but for the rest of theirs as well? My son was diagnosed with high functioning autism at the age of six. The condition has an impact on...
Counting the cost of loadshedding
Earlier this year the Reserve Bank estimated that the cost of loadshedding to the economy is as high as R900 million a day. Apart from the impact that loadshedding is having on the economy's ability to grow, the cost of loadshedding is being felt...
When the cure kills
Will higher interest rates do more harm than good? Rising interest rates appear to have had little impact on inflation, but higher interest rates are placing South Africans under significant financial pressure. The current interest rate cycle has...
Teaching a student how to budget
If your kids ask you to increase their allowance, rather take the opportunity to teach them how to budget. My youngest started university this year and is living on campus. We gave him an allowance to cover his various expenses including additional...
Is “cash stuffing” a good idea?
Many years ago, when I was trying to pay off my debts and get my finances under control, I used the technique of “cash stuffing” (in those days, we called it “the envelope method”). This was essentially a way of going back to cash and avoiding...
How the Discovery WELLTH Fund works
Discovery Health is offering members a once-off additional benefit called the WELLTH Fund, to be used to cover additional costs incurred in preventative screening. Research by Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) found that general health checks...
Understand the preventative screening benefits of your medical scheme
Most medical schemes will tell you that they ensure the health of their members by providing preventative screening benefits that are paid for from the risk portion of the scheme. What this means is that certain health tests are paid for not by...
Previous Articles
PayShap can reduce cash payments
PayShap could be a game-changer in South African banking, effectively eliminating the need to make cash payments. From a banking customer perspective, PayShap is simply another payment channel to add to the various options already available. One can decide whether to...
Do you have money regrets?
Young people just starting out on their financial journey can learn a lot from the money regrets of older people. Research commissioned by Sanlam that interviewed more than 5 000 South Africans, found that more than half would advise their young selves to think of...
Time to analyse your banking fees
If you feel your banking fees are too high, you may need to review your banking behaviour. The recent Solidarity Bank Charge Report rates FNB as one of the best value-for-money banks, with the average middle-class customer able to bank for less than R100 a month....
Beware these fraudulent companies
Over the last few months, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has issued several warnings against fraudulent companies and individuals that it believes are putting people’s hard-earned money at risk. None of these companies or individuals is a registered...
GEPF targeted in disinformation campaign
Over the last month the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and its fund manager the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) have been the centre of what appears to be a disinformation campaign. This has been fueled by social media posts claiming that there is an...
How to manage family demands
National Treasury’s response to Eskom can be a lesson on managing family demands. You get a call from a family member who urgently needs money for some emergency. Your finances are stretched, and you have already provided support to the person. How do you handle the...
Why small decisions matter
When it comes to our financial health, small decisions that we make every day can have a big impact. Have you ever wondered why those pants just seem to be getting tighter each year even though you’re not really eating that much more? Or why your credit card balance...
Delays in winding-up estates leave families in the lurch
In an act of frustration, the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) recently issued a press release raising concerns about delays in winding-up estates. FISA called on all banks “to investigate why it takes months to provide basic information to Executors to...
Choices and financial freedom
Have we become so caught up in a world of material desires that we've lost sight of what truly brings us joy and freedom? The fear that prevents us from leaving jobs we hate, keeps us holding onto unhealthy relationships, or stops us from taking that leap of faith, is...
Top stock picks for 2023
Five investment analysts from FNB Wealth give their top stock picks for those wanting to put some money into equity markets. Last year was a tumultuous year in global equity markets, and while the JSE eked out a positive return in rand terms, it still moved backwards...