Towards the end of 2011, when the gold price had reached heady peaks of nearly US$2 000 per ounce, I received regular queries from readers asking how they could invest in gold. Many people bought gold coins at the time, hoping to cash in on the...
Rand cost averaging: how to minimise risk in a volatile market
Guest AuthorMay 7, 2016
By Duane Littler, Executive of Business Development at PPS Investments In times of current market volatility, investors should ‒ among other risk mitigation strategies ‒ reduce the risk of buying assets at the top and (as a result of emotions...
Ratings downgrade: already priced into market
Guest AuthorApr 21, 2016
By Dr Adrian Saville, Citadel Chief Strategist During the course of 2016 we believe there is a very good chance that at least one of the major ratings agencies will downgrade South Africa to sub-investment grade. However, there are a number of...
The two shares that have masked the JSE bear market
Guest AuthorApr 8, 2016
Geoff Blount, MD of BayHill Capital, finds that the underlying trend in the JSE has been negative since early 2015. Given that the South African economy has been limping along for at least three years, the strong stock market has confounded...
Tracking your MTN Zakhele shares
Maya Fisher-FrenchApr 2, 2016
Xolani asks: I have had 20 shares in MTN Zakhele since their inception. I am in no hurry to cash them but would like to track their progress and maybe try to diversify my share portfolio by buying other shares with a portion thereof. My aim is to...
Phase in or take the plunge?
Maya Fisher-FrenchMar 3, 2016
Nervous investors may be considering phasing-in their investments, but does it make sense? At the time of writing this article, the market was down around 15% from its high in April 2015, the rand continued to fall to the dollar at 35% weaker than...
Budget 2016: What do the Capital Gains Tax changes mean?
Guest AuthorFeb 25, 2016
By Hedley Lamarque, Certified Financial Planner at BDO Wealth Advisers If you have been planning on cashing in an investment (such as shares or unit trusts) in the short term, then it would be better to do it before the end of February 2016, due to...
Investing in Europe and Japan without the risk
Maya Fisher-FrenchFeb 11, 2016
Unpacking Investec’s latest offshore investment product: the China Seas Basket I am normally not a big fan of structured products. Historically, these products have been expensive, with costs hidden from investors through creative pricing. Even as...
Finding the right investment for your stokvel
Maya Fisher-FrenchJan 15, 2016
Strategic Six Savings Club is a group of five 34-year-olds who set up a stokvel nine years ago with the aim of building long-term wealth through saving and investing collectively. With contributions starting at just R250 per month, the group has...
An easy investing platform
Dineo TsamelaJan 7, 2016
So you finally decide to venture into the world of shares and market movements, but where can you find a platform that is friendly for the beginner investor? Often eager investors give up when they are faced with a trading or investing platform...
Previous Articles
Have I got the right investment?
Dec 26, 2015
Makabongwe writes: I believe in investing for growth but I don't have sufficient knowledge about unit trusts. Currently I have invested in Allan Gray unit trusts via debit order. I am worried that I have not selected the correct funds, namely the Stable fund and...
What the Treasury musical chairs means for investors
Dec 16, 2015
By Dr Adrian Saville, Chief Strategist, Citadel On Sunday evening, President Zuma delivered a second major surprise to capital markets in the space of just five days by announcing that, after receiving numerous representations to reconsider the appointment of David...
The economy: what to expect in 2016
Dec 10, 2015
By Sanisha Packirisamy (Economist) and Herman van Papendorp (Head of macro research) at MMI Holdings. Global central banks to remain in the spotlight We are likely to see a further desynchronisation in major global economies in 2016 as a firmer growth outlook and...
This year’s BEE winners and losers
Dec 4, 2015
Craig Gradidge reviews the current BEE share offerings for black investors. It has been another interesting year for investors in public BBBEE share schemes. As with previous years there were clear winners, non-performers, and a number of losers. This reiterates the...
The tax implications of investing for your children
Nov 27, 2015
Investing for your children is a generous act of foresight and certainly opens up future opportunities for them. However, you need to be aware of the tax implications of investing money on behalf of your children. This is the view of Carla Rossouw, tax specialist at...
How much tax will I pay on my investment?
Nov 15, 2015
Dihemo asks: I have R50 000 I want to invest but I want to understand how tax works on investments. Maya replies: Tax is an important part of investing. There are three taxes that are deducted when you invest. Income tax on interest Any interest earned on your...
Turning a 21st birthday into a legacy
Nov 13, 2015
Johanna writes: My daughter is turning 21 and she has asked that instead of organising a party for her she would love to invest the money for herself. What is the best investment to consider as currently we have unit trusts and a share account with FNB. We are looking...
Trading requires time, not expensive training
Nov 11, 2015
You don’t have to spend a fortune to become a trader, but you do need to spend time. When asked about his biggest financial mistake, Money Makeover candidate Dipolelo admitted that taking out a loan to buy software that claimed to teach him to invest on the JSE, was a...
Should quality company growth be highly valued in today’s abnormal cycle?
Nov 8, 2015
by Clyde Rossouw, Portfolio Manager, Investec Asset Management Good businesses are more expensive than they have been in the past, but ironically far more valuable in today’s world. The reason for this is simple. In a world bereft of growth opportunities, growth is...
Equities: hitting a Chinese wall
Oct 17, 2015
Before raising the white flag, it is worth pointing out that the global economy survived a worse scenario four years ago, writes Patrice Rassou, head of Equities at Sanlam Investments. A last-ditch volte-face agreement by Greece to EU austerity measures and...