As medical cover costs increase many people are unable to afford even an entry level option on a medical scheme. There are other options in the market which provide at least some cover for basic medical needs. While people may be familiar with...
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A man is not a financial plan
Having spent a weekend speaking to over 2000 young women about their finances, the most tweeted comment was “a man is not a financial plan”. This statement resonated not only with the young women in the audience but many of the men working at the...
What Pravin’s budget means to you
This budget puts very little back into the pocket of ordinary South Africans and indirect taxes such as the fuel levy and sin taxes will add pressure to our pockets. We take a look at two hypothetical South Africans and what the budget means to...
Buy a house or save for lobola?
"I have just paid off my car and now I must decide whether to buy a property or start saving for lobola and buy the house after I am married. The problem is that I cannot afford both and I need to do one of the two. I am currently renting a flat at...
What to expect from your financial adviser
If one of your New Year's resolutions is meet with a financial adviser and put a financial plan in place, you need to know exactly what you can expect from your adviser. Financial adviser Warren Ingram who was nominated as the FPI 2011 Financial...
The best way for your money to travel
Whenever I land overseas I withdraw some cash at the airport ATM using my credit card. However on my last overseas trip I discovered that my Mastercard was not accepted at the airport’s ATM’s which were all on the Cirrus network. It was a good...
Five safety tips for shopping online
Online shopping is making our lives a lot easier and saving time fighting queues at shopping malls, but it has its own set of risks. Brian McGrory, Head, Consumer Debit Products at Visa identifies ways to keep your shopping safe. Christmas is...
Is your favourite brand shrinking?
Your favourite brand of toothpaste, chocolate, chips, rice or tomato sauce may be costing you the same, but are you getting the same amount of product for your money? As consumers watch their pennies some manufacturers are shrinking the amount of...
What people are buying online this holiday
If you are looking for gift ideas here are some interesting stats from kalahari.com on what people are buying this festive season. Also a big increase in the number of people shopping online. Kalahari.com expects online sales growth of up to 30%...
Are we shopping ’til we drop?
This week I was in Johannesburg and was amazed at how busy the shops were. I was told, although I have not confirmed this, that when fashion store Zara opened in Sandton City recently it did a turnover of R2 million in one day. Admittedly Sandton...
Previous Articles
Tips to get your finances in order for 2012
Every year the same tips circulate about how to get your finances in order, but every year they are worth reading. Even if you just follow one tip, it is a step in the right direction. John Manyike, head of financial education at Old Mutual suggests the following...
Medical aids limit medications to cut costs
In the course of writing the following article for the Mail&Guardian I discovered that medical aids are cutting back on the medications they will pay for as part of their chronic cover. Someone for example who is on Lipitor for hypertension may find next year that...
10 ways to avoid financial disaster this festive season
The head of consumer education at one of the banks was blowing off some steam earlier this week as she lamented about how people never plan for the festive season. “This is an annual event, we know we will be spending money, this does not come as a surprise yet every...
14 random things you can get fined for
Did you know that if your car gets stuck you can be fined for obstructing traffic, that having a sticker of another country on your car when crossing the border is illegal and using your fog lights on a clear day will cost you R500? The Automobile Association of South...
Buy a car or pay off the bond?
“I am 29 years old and I have managed to save R100 000 with which I was planning to buy a new car (cash). However I realised that the car I am using is still in a good condition and is paid up and I can still use it for 2 more years. I have a home loan but I do not...
How to save R150 000 in seven years
"I am 23 years old and I earn R7000 a month. I want know where and how much to save so that I can buy a car worth R150 000 by the time I am 30 years old. I am thinking of buying a house too but I am tired of borrowing a car. At least my parents are still providing a...
Would you pay more for a restaurant meal than a Will?
It would appear that some South Africans are prepared to pay a couple of hundred rands for a restaurant meal, yet are not happy to pay an expert the equivalent to draft their Will, a vital document that speaks for you when you are gone. Recent affluent[1] and high net...
Retrenchment benefits increase
Those facing retrenchment or retirement can look forward to better tax breaks from this year, with retrenchment or retirement tax-free payments increasing from R30,000 in a lifetime to R315,000, effective from the 2012 tax year. This is according the Ron Warren,...
Kicking off a financial plan with a lump sum
“I am ready to formulate a financial plan and want an idea of where I should be investing my money for a real return. Once I have my lump sum should I buy a property, purchase shares in a start-up company that looks very promising or invest in shares on the JSE?” asks...
How your piggy bank savings can pay for your festive spending
When my husband opened his FNB account at the end of last year he opted for a "Bank Your Change" savings account which is linked to his transactional account. Each time he uses his bank card, the transaction is rounded to the nearest R5 and the difference is credited...