“What to expect when you’re expecting”, the latest American blockbuster that was released in South Africa in June this year, put the spotlight on the journey by parents-to-be as they prepare to become parents for the first time. This is both an...
How financially healthy are you?
PODCAST How do you measure your financial health? By the amount you earn or the amount you save? Does your sense of financial wellness come from the car you drive and the house you live in or do you measure it by the amount of emergency savings you...
Starting a property portfolio
Isaac shows how with discipline and a goal it is possible to build up a portfolio of properties on a limited salary that will one day pay you an income. It is important however to make sure that you do not over extend yourself and risk losing your...
How to have that holiday you are “desperate” for
A recent survey conducted by Groupon South Africa found that while people are desperate to go on holiday over 50% said they simply cannot afford it as holiday accommodation is too expensive and the current tough economy is holding them back. A...
Women and finances
By Samantha Matthew, Investment analyst, Glacier by Sanlam In the last few decades women have made strides in almost every facet of life – from politics, to education and the workplace - no longer content to sit in the background; we have seen...
Invest in debt clearance before retirement
Pieter van Zyl, Director at FinFive, shares his view on why debt clearance is the first step in a solid investment strategy In today’s uncertain economic environment, planning for your financial future has never been more important. As the cost of...
Where to invest my R3000 per month?
“I am currently saving R3000 in my Investment Advantage account with Absa and R200 on my 32days notice account with ABSA. I feel that I'm earning little interest in those accounts and I would like to invest in shares,” writes Godfrey who is living...
When should you guarantee your capital?
Structured funds that guarantee investors’ capital tend to be very popular after a market crash. Typically investors that get caught up in the market hype have full exposure to the equity markets and therefore suffer heavy losses when the markets...
Managing cash flow for a small business
James is an estate agent who focuses on both commercial and residential property leasing and sales. He recently moved from Durban and started his own agency in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. “I have a challenging situation. I have no cash...
A bank for children and their grandparents
Bidvest Bank’s offering is perfect both for the young and old. Grandparents often want to open a bank account for their grandchildren to encourage them to save. The problem with many existing products is that there is always a monthly bank fee that...
Previous Articles
Budgeting for the self-employed
One of the questions I am often asked by self-employed people is how to budget. Most self-employed people tend to live in a world of feast or famine. When times are tough they skimp, beg and borrow, but when times are good they spend like the good times will never...
How to help your children buy their first home
At the moment estate agents are calling this a buyers’ market as property prices have come off their highs and interest rates are at historic lows. However many young first-time buyers are not able to take advantage of favourable market conditions due to the fact that...
When small businesses thrive
My brother is my hero, for the simple reason that every day, as a small business owner, he makes a difference. Three years ago he made a massive leap of faith by leaving his employer to start his own business, today he employs six people and has a turnover in excess...
Creating wealth from your first holiday job
How a 22 year old accumulated R360 000 through saving and investing. A wise man once said that thrift is a form of income. What he meant was that it is what you do not spend rather than what you earn that will determine your wealth. Twenty-two year old Rob, who...
The power of the debit order
A monthly debit order is undoubtedly one of the most powerful investment tools. It creates a savings discipline as it goes off your account before you have spent your money on consumables. But now studies show that, rand cost averaging, which effectively is what you...
Surviving the squeeze
What we can learn from our parents who survived the inflation beast of the 1980’s There is no doubt that our day to day living expenses are becoming increasingly more expensive as necessities like electricity, travel and food take a bigger bite out of our salary each...
It is never too early to talk about money
I was recently relating a story to a friend about a conversation I had with my two boys aged 7 and 11 where they had grilled me on financial matters. They wanted to know if we owed money on our house and if our cars were paid off. They wanted to know what taxes were...
How the banks’ service and products stack up
We sent our new City Press intern Liziwe Ndalana to do some field research on opening a bank account. Liziwe’s experience highlights how important service is to us as customers. Liziwe was so impressed with Absa’s service she was nearly convinced to switch banks,...
BEE Shares: What’s hot, what’s not
Many of our readers are shareholders in BEE share schemes such as MTN and Sasol, but are these good deals, should you hold onto them and should you invest now if you missed the opportunity? Maya Fisher-French speaks to Craig Graddige of Gradidge-Mahura Investments who...
Paying for roads through fuel
Fuel levy would need to increase by R1 to fund roads As Gauteng drivers protest against e-tolling, a debate on the merits of tolls versus increased fuel levies has been unleashed across the media, twitter and dinner tables. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan may have put...