Fulufhelani Mashapha recently published her book Mind Your Cents - A Practical Approach to Financial Freedom. Fulu had asked me to read her draft copy and to write the book’s foreword, and I took the opportunity to interview her about her...
You are Here >
Home >
Listen: Knowledge is power
What do you not know about your finances that may be hurting you? Knowledge is power, so isn't it time to find out? A couple of months ago, a friend of mine sent me the link to neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman's podcast on the effects of alcohol...
The best way to fund your holiday
Therèse Havenga, Head of Business Transformation at Momentum Savings, sets out how much a holiday can really cost you if you don’t plan ahead. I usually sleep too late when it comes to booking a holiday. I’m so task-oriented at work that holiday...
How interest on your credit card really works
Interest on your credit card is calculated differently in South Africa from how it works in various other countries. Social media is full of tips on how to maximise the interest-free period on your credit card. The problem is that credit cards in...
Make your stokvel work harder for you and your community
A stokvel is more than just a savings group; it helps people build wealth and make their communities stronger. The end of the year is “stokvel season” – a time when most members receive their payouts. It’s also a great time to take a closer look at...
Buy Nothing Day
We are all being inundated by Black Friday specials. My inbox is full of both press releases and offers from retailers. But how many people know about Buy Nothing Day? Buy Nothing Day was set up as a protest against consumerism. It is held on the...
Find your unclaimed benefits on the Standard Bank app
Standard Bank has made it easier for clients to access previously unclaimed dividends, pension, and insurance benefits. In collaboration with the unclaimed benefits tracing company Robin Hood, Standard Bank has made the process of claiming these...
Criminals using AI to target retirees
Criminals are now using AI to create sophisticated phishing emails, build hacking tools and uncover weaknesses in IT systems. While the world marvelled last year at the ease with which artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT completed tasks for...
The AI bullet train
Technology in general, and AI in particular, is moving ahead at breakneck speed. We need to make sure we are on the train, not hit by it. I recently attended the SingularityU South Africa summit, sponsored by Old Mutual. Listening to speakers like...
Inflation explained: Why your bills feel higher
There are several reasons why your personal inflation rate probably doesn't match the consumer price index, which is the "official" inflation rate. When the official inflation figures for June were released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA),...
Previous Articles
Borrowing from your salary
Earned wage access is the concept that workers should be able to access a portion of their monthly salary before payday. Is it a good idea? What do you do if you have an unexpected expense during the month or find yourself a bit squeezed? In a perfect world you would...
Absa launches Ultimate Banking for the middle-class segment
Absa has launched its Ultimate Banking proposition as a one-stop banking solution for its customers, at an attractive monthly fee. Absa customers currently using a Gold transactional account should consider switching to Absa’s recently launched Ultimate account. The...
SARS clarifies tax on two-pot withdrawals
Anyone who intends to withdraw from the savings pot of the two-pot retirement system from 1 September 2024 must be registered for tax. Those who are not registered must register before they apply to their relevant fund. If a person is not registered for tax, the...
Rate cuts: What can we expect over the coming year?
Optimism for rate cuts varies between banks, but don’t expect a rate cut windfall. The aggressive rate increases since November 2021 have brought significant financial stress to consumers, especially those with large asset-based loans such as mortgages and car...
The dark world of insurance fraud
Murder for insurance is not that common, but insurance fraud comes in many different forms. Anyone who doubts that insurance companies pay out on death claims, should read Killer Cop, the Rosemary Ndlovu story. Over a period of six years, she had family members...
Are you paying advice fees but not getting ongoing financial advice?
If you have an investment policy or product, the adviser who sold you that product is most likely receiving ongoing advice fees or commission. These fees are deducted from your investment returns, and you should be receiving ongoing service from that adviser. Yet many...
Listen: The Dollar Life Plan: Diversifying with dollar-based life cover
While most of us are aware of the importance of diversifying our investments globally, we don’t often think about diversifying our risk cover. Taking out life cover in US dollars is one way to leave a legacy in a hard currency that should maintain its value. In the...
How does the interest-free period on your credit card work?
Most credit card companies try and hook you by saying that they give you 55 days interest free on your purchases. In fact, most credit card holders don’t get any interest-free period on their credit cards. This is because if you don’t pay your card in full on due...
Investment opportunities punted via social media are scams
Reputable and regulated financial services providers will never sell investments via a WhatsApp group, Telegram, a social media platform, email, or an unsolicited random phone call, so you can be sure that investment opportunities punted via social media are scams. As...
Make your first paycheque count
If you can start to manage your money responsibly as a student or new job entrant, you will be able to start to build long-term wealth. The key to wealth is not how much you earn, but how much you spend. Brenda wanted some advice on how to manage her money. She is...