The Association of Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) recently released death claims figures which left no doubt as to the true impact of Covid-19 when it comes to mortality rates. Industry-wide figures from South African life insurers...
Your personal information is never safe
With multiple breaches of personal information, consumers should assume they are compromised. Once again individuals’ personal data has been compromised, this time through a breach at credit bureau TransUnion South Africa. This follows a compromise...
Listen: What should financial advice cost?
Good financial advice is worth paying for. We can probably all agree on that. But when we buy a traditional financial product sold to us by a financial adviser, do we know how much it is really costing? And how do we know we are getting good...
RSA Retail Bonds: attractive interest rates for monthly investments
Last month National Treasury announced a welcome new addition to its range of RSA Retail Bonds. RSA Retail Bonds are interest-linked investment products issued by National Treasury that provide attractive, above-market interest rates for those who...
Capitec is no longer the “cheap” bank
Capitec has introduced a rewards programme and implemented fee increases as it focuses on becoming a fully-fledged bank. Capitec has always marketed itself as a simple, no-frills bank. In 2009 it repositioned its brand to expand its customer base...
Make the most of tax incentives beyond TFSAs
By now, we should all be aware of the tax incentives offered by government to encourage savings via tax-free savings accounts, but Jaco van Tonder, head of Advisor Services in South Africa at Ninety One, urges us not to forget the other tax...
Why local is currently better than offshore
Rehana Khan, Portfolio Manager in the 4Factor team at Ninety One, makes a case for investing in domestic rather than offshore assets at the moment. The increase in offshore investment limits to 45% for Regulation 28 funds not only provides a...
Better tax compliance means fewer tax hikes
When it comes to increasing tax revenue, it's better to find ways of improving tax compliance, rather than raising taxes. There is a paragraph in the 2022 Budget Review that reads, “an increase in annual expenditure of about R50 billion would...
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...
Five mistakes people make with their TFSA
Since 2015, South Africans have been able to contribute to a tax-free savings account (TFSA). This account was introduced to encourage a savings culture in South Africa. Although the uptake of this savings vehicle has been relatively good, many...
Previous Articles
What does the Russian invasion of Ukraine mean for markets?
Mansoor Narker, Research & Investment Analyst at Glacier by Sanlam, analyses the possible effects that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could have on our investments. After weeks of amassing armed forces and supplies around the border of Ukraine, Russian President...
Beware hidden costs on your credit card
A pensioner was shocked to discover that a TymeBank credit card comes with a mandatory fee for compulsory credit insurance. It is good financial management to check all the costs involved when taking on credit, and this is exactly what pensioner Iain MacKinnon did...
Listen: How stokvels can create intergenerational wealth
Stokvels are a truly African solution, helping people manage their cashflow and achieve their goals. But are we doing enough to harness the power of group savings? Could stokvels be used to build wealth, fund children’s education, and even leave an asset to provide...
Is “Buy Now, Pay Later” good for your pocket?
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has taken the world by storm, and has now hit online retailers in South Africa. What is it all about, and is it good for consumers? If you regularly shop online, you will notice that there has been an exponential growth in different payment...
10 key highlights from the 2022 Budget Review
Jean du Toit, Head of Tax Technical at Tax Consulting SA, picks out 10 key points from finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2022 Budget Review speech. Tax rates have not been increased Government refrained from increasing personal income tax rates. The Budget Review...
Listen: How to grow wealth and not your tax bill
Maya (@mayaonmoney) speaks to financial planner Terence Tobin (@terencetobin) of Rich Ideas about ways to cut your tax bill whilst growing your investments. Terence unpacks the pros and cons of retirement annuities, how to use a tax-free savings account for tax...
Beware sexually transmitted debt
National Debt Advisors caution South Africans against sexually transmitted debt in light of the global prevalence of love fraud. The airing of Netflix’s most recent true-crime documentary, The Tinder Swindler, shone the spotlight on the prevalence of love fraud. The...
What you need to know about taking out a student loan
If you are looking to fund your child’s tertiary education, or you are a student needing to borrow money, a student loan is the most cost-effective option. It also has more flexible repayment periods and can help a student build up a credit record. We spoke to several...
Make money from lettuce
There is something very attractive about the idea of investing in “good” assets such as bees, macadamia nut trees and even lettuce. We know these are healthy for us to eat (plus bees are great for the environment) and we can make a decent return at the same time. It...
Should you fix your interest rate?
Higher interest rates are a certainty this year, so in light of this, would it be wise to fix your interest rate now? The only prediction we can make for 2022 is higher interest rates. Globally inflation is raising its ugly head and news from the US Federal Reserve is...