With the fuel price at record highs, many motorists may be rushing to sell their fuel-guzzling vehicle and to replace it with a more fuel-efficient car. But you should be careful not to make a costly knee-jerk decision. If you were planning on...
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Fuel price hikes: how you can save
With recent fuel price hikes delivering a shock to all of our budgets, every little bit of savings counts. It now costs motorists over R1 000 to fill up a 50-litre tank of fuel. At a pump price of R21.60 per litre, for a reasonably fuel-efficient...
How much does it really cost you to buy a car?
Ernest North, co-founder of Naked Insurance, recommends that before you decide to buy a car, you take into account all of the costs that come along with owning a vehicle. Buying a car is exciting, whether it’s a brand new model or a preowned beauty...
What to do if you cannot afford your car payments
As lockdown drags on and job cuts continue, more and more people are facing financial difficulty when it comes to paying off debt. Many people have asked for advice about what they should do if they cannot afford their car payments. The bottom line...
Listen: Advance payments on your car finance
We did this podcast a year ago, about paying off your vehicle and home loan sooner – but I thought it was worth sharing again, as Absa has now released updates on its banking app for car finance. Absa car finance customers can use the app to pay in...
Struggling with car debt? Take action now!
According to the Experian Consumer Default Index, repayment of car debt has shown a marked deterioration as the extended Covid-19 lockdown puts South Africans under more financial pressure. Marc Friedman, CEO of car sale platform Weelee.co.za says...
Competition will cut car ownership costs
Freedom to have your car repaired by a non-dealer will increase competition and reduce the cost of repairing and insuring your car. A couple of years ago when I was buying a second-hand car that didn’t have a service plan, I discovered what a...
Tips for a successful used car purchase
Ernest North, co-founder of AI-driven insurtech Naked, looks at some of the steps to follow before committing to a used car purchase. Numbers from TransUnion show that South Africans financed around 79 000 used vehicles in the first three months of...
Video: The true cost of a fancy car
The decision on how much to spend when purchasing your car is possibly one of your most important financial decisions. In fact, banks say that the main reason they turn down home loan applications is due to affordability, and the main culprit is...
When does it make sense to have a travel allowance?
If you are required to travel for work there are several ways to claim for this expense. You can receive a travel allowance or be provided with a company car. In the case of a travel allowance, the employer would normally pay a set amount, for...
Previous Articles
Fancy new car or a fabulous retirement?
Khwezi Jackson, investment consultant at 10X Investments, explains how buying a fancy new car could sabotage your retirement funding. Seeing a headline, ‘Spending R10,000 per month on a new car’, got me thinking: Why would anyone spend that much money every month to...
The best way to settle your car finance
Advance payments on car finance do not work the same as on your home loan, so it’s worth understanding how to make the most of it. Any debt that you pay off sooner than required will save you money on interest. However, you need to understand how advance payments work...
Listen: What you need to know about car finance
How does a balloon payment work? What questions should I ask my dealer? Can I settle my car finance early and what happens if I want to give my car back? Maya (@mayaonmoney) chats to vehicle financing expert Henry Botha of Absa Vehicle and Asset finance to answer...
Video: Car and handbag insurance for women
I always maintain that actuaries never lie, and women on average pay less for car insurance than men, so is it true that women are better drivers? In light of Women's Month, I am speaking to Christelle Colman of Elite Wealth Assets Insurance to explain why women pay...
When your credit shortfall insurance leaves you short
Despite having credit shortfall insurance, many policyholders find themselves out of pocket when it comes to claiming because they don't properly understand how the cover works. In its 2019 annual report the Ombud for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) found that 49% of...
How new drunk-driving law will affect your car insurance
The days of having a beer after work and driving home will soon be over – and that’s not just because of the lockdown restrictions. Once South Africa’s strict new drunk-driving laws have been passed, drivers won’t be allowed to drink alcohol at all. Currently, it’s...
Video: Should you use your home loan to buy a car?
Home loans are usually the cheapest form of financing and it may seem like common sense to use this lower interest rate to pay for shorter-term debt like car finance. In theory you save money by paying a lower interest rate, however, most people forget that a car is...
Listen: Buying a car? Here’s what you need to know
While her current car has been a reliable mode of transport, Mapalo faces the reality that after eight years, it is time to buy a new one. What car should she consider? How does she work out her affordability and should she put down all her savings as a deposit? Maya...
The balloon payment shock
One of the more common questions we receive from readers about car finance is regarding a balloon payment. In many cases it seems that consumers eager to buy a car sign on for a financing agreement that they do not fully understand. When we talk about balloon payments...
Why motor insurance claims are disputed
When the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) released its annual report recently, it was unsurprising that complaints around motor vehicle insurance are the most common, at over 48%. Of these complaints, 18% of motor vehicle insurance disputes were resolved in...