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...
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....
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
The normalisation of interest rates is set to be a major theme for global financial markets in 2022, says Carmen Nel, economist and macro strategist at Matrix Fund Managers. Normalisation of interest rates means different things in different...
Angelique Ruzicka shares five ideas for how you can improve your financial knowledge and possibly boost your income. Boosting your income, especially during a pandemic, can feel nigh on impossible, especially when costs are going up and you’ve been...
Advances in technology mean that it’s now so easy to keep track of your finances and achieve savings goals, using smartphone apps, websites, and other online financial tools, says Angelique Ruzicka. If you’re still using Excel or some other...
Ryan Booysen, MD at DG Capital Forex, stares into his crystal ball to predict where the rand will go in 2022. The rand ended 2021 on the back foot, after the Omicron announcement and subsequent global kneejerk reaction of isolation and red-listing the country. And...
Jashwin Baijoo, Legal Manager, Africa Tax and Compliance at Tax Consulting SA, warns all non-compliant taxpayers that SARS could be coming for them sooner rather than later. In media statements in recent months, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has made clear...
A question that I often receive is whether it's a good idea to use one's lump sum on retirement to pay off short-term debts, such as car debt or one's credit card. For example, Ntombise recently wrote to me: “I have just retired from work and expect a lump sum...
Victoria Reuvers, Managing Director at Morningstar Investment Management South Africa, looks at how financial markets performed in 2021. As a runner, the change in seasons gives me time to reflect. Autumn is my favourite season, and always reminds me that change is...
Retirement reform paper calls for comment but no move on immediate access. Retirement fund members hoping to access their retirement funds for urgent financial relief will be disappointed by the retirement reform paper issued by National Treasury last month. In the...
As if the last two years were not tough enough, there is no silver lining awaiting us in 2022. In 2021 we absorbed further fuel-price increases, a 15% hike in electricity costs, and an interest-rate increase of 25 basis points – and this is only the start. It is...
Many financial advisers are using life products to supplement medical costs. While current legislation does not allow for cover like critical illness insurance to be marketed as a product to cover medical costs, for most policyholders, that is exactly what it is used...
Many companies are cash strapped due to the impact of Covid-19, but if you are one of the lucky few who got a bonus or windfall this year, it will be tempting to spend it to celebrate surviving another tough year. However, money experts recommend being a bit cautious,...
Medical schemes remain unaffordable for many working South Africans. According to Gary Allen, chief executive at Sanlam Health, an individual should not be spending more than 10% of their income on health cover. Considering that a basic hospital plan can set you back...
The GEPF's investment mandate has consistently delivered above-inflation returns, outperforming its benchmark over five years and resulting in a financially sound fund. South Africa is one of the few countries where the state pension is guaranteed by government, and...