Episode 4 of the Change In your Pocket series deals with protecting your biggest asset: your future income. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQHqXXrhaoc – Video supplied by BrightRock Welcome to The Change Exchange, where we are helping you find...
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Voluntary withdrawal from debt review
You can withdraw from debt review if your financial situation has changed significantly or you only have your mortgage left to pay. Earlier this year new guidelines were issued as part of the National Credit Amendment Act (NCAA) around when a...
Alarming increase in ‘payday’ loans
The DTI’s decision to delay the implementation of the NCA Amendments relating to affordability tests has caused a delayed crisis of larger proportions. Many South African consumers have experienced an inexplicable increase in the invasive marketing...
Using your pension to secure a home loan
A pension fund is usually the largest asset owned by an individual and it makes sense that it could be used to provide collateral for a home loan, especially for a first-time home owner. This benefit also encourages individuals not to cash in their...
Setting up an emergency fund
Watch Episode 3 of the Change In your Pocket series for advice on setting up an emergency fund. https://youtu.be/zreJg6744II – Video supplied by BrightRock Welcome to The Change Exchange, where we're helping you find ways to make the most of out of...
Funeral cover vs life insurance
Albert Theyse, Head of Sales at O’Keeffe & Swartz explains that life insurance covers the important long-term needs for your family in the future when you are no longer around to provide ongoing financial security. Funeral cover provides the...
Tell your money where to go
Watch Episode 2 of the Change In your Pocket series for tips on how to draw up a budget. https://youtu.be/x8yK7_RgzyU - Video supplied by BrightRock So you’ve just landed the job of your dreams along with that salary bump that’s going to solve all...
Common mistakes around trusts
There are several common mistakes around trusts, particularly when a trust has been set up for estate-planning purposes, to protect assets from creditors and for potential tax savings, writes Sumesh Somaroo, audit and assurance partner at BDO...
Cellphones: to contract or not
I have always had a cellphone contract. In fact, I am embarrassed to admit that I recently had to ask someone how to buy pre-paid data. The thing is, I got my first cellphone back in the dark ages when phones where the size and weight of a brick...
Market turmoil: don’t panic!
By Carl Roothman, Head of Retail Business at Sanlam Investments We are well aware that an adviser’s job is never done. No matter how thoroughly you explained to your clients what to expect from the equity market, when markets suddenly fall and...
Previous Articles
How much should I be spending?
So you’ve just got your first pay cheque and the temptation to go and blow the whole lot on a new wardrobe or a deposit on the car of your dreams will be huge. But you know that you also have to pay those boring expenses like rent, food and petrol. So how should you...
Taxpayer-unfriendly changes to Tax Administration Act proposed
Proposals contained in the Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill of 2015 would dramatically decrease the amount of time in which the Commissioner is permitted to issue a reduced tax assessment, writes David Warneke, Director and Head of Tax Technical at BDO South...
Common mistakes to avoid when drafting a will
If you have a will, you’ll have the last word on what should happen to the fruits of all your hard work when you are gone, right? Not quite, says Sanlam Trust legal adviser, Clive Hill. Wills have split up families, turned siblings into prime enemies and wasted...
The dubious world of credit insurance
Chickens are coming home to roost for the credit insurance industry. Last month the National Credit Regulator (NCR) referred the financial services arm of JD Group to the National Consumer Tribunal for the mis-selling of credit life policies, highlighting the type of...
Is a wealth tax likely for South Africa?
Professor Matthew Lester weighs in on a wealth tax and whether it is a solution to South Africa's revenue needs. The Davis Tax Committee (DTC) believes that a wealth tax for South Africans is not the universal solution to South Africa’s revenue needs. This is the view...
Millions owed in unclaimed benefits
Around R20 billion of pension fund assets remains unclaimed by an estimated 3.5 million pension fund members or their beneficiaries. This is according to the Financial Services Board (FSB) which recently held a round-table discussion to address the issue of unclaimed...
The ins and outs of financial emigration
Jules Galpin from The Sable Group’s Money Migrate service addresses some questions often asked about the grey area of financial emigration. What is the difference between emigration and financial emigration? If you emigrate without properly notifying the South African...
The One Rand Family: lessons from a social experiment
The One Rand Family project followed the experience of a relatively well-off family living on cash only ‒ in fact R1 coins ‒ for a month. If you haven’t followed the trials and tribulations of the One Rand Family aired on e.tv during July, it’s really worth catching...
How to make a difficult decision
Managing our finances involves a lot of tough decisions and we often put off making those decisions because they seem so overwhelming. But often, it's the procrastination that can end up costing more than making a non-optimal decision. So here are some tips to help...
How to make some extra cash
Cutting expenses isn't the only solution when it comes to balancing your budget; you can also try to find ways to boost your income. Here are three suggestions. With everything from interest rates to tax to electricity and petrol increasing faster than our salaries,...