“Are RSA retail bonds still a good choice of investment over a 3 or 5 year period. And what interest rates are the offering at this stage?” writes Peter who is 65 years old. Maya replies: If you are simply comparing interest rates to a bank deposit...
"I'm sitting with some cash and would like to invest it so I can get good returns on it. I have no knowledge of the investment game but I am looking at a long term investment. I've noticed the buzz around Capitec Bank and I would like to ask you if...
Homeowners can reduce the term of their home loan and the total that they pay in with careful budgeting and clever tricks. A house is usually the biggest asset that you will buy in your lifetime, but it's made affordable by the 20-year term of...
Due to significant increases in share prices, some participants in company share schemes are receiving payouts of hundreds of thousands of rands. If you are one of those lucky individuals, you need to use this opportunity to build your wealth base...
Unexpected medical costs can wipe you out financially so insuring for hefty medical bills is an important part of your financial plan. Medical schemes are fairly expensive and have been seen as the preserve of higher income earners. Fortunately...
Whenever you read anything about investing you hear words like volatility, risk and growth assets but how exactly does this affect your investment returns? There are two types of investors: one group is very risk averse and prefers to stick to...
While it is very important to keep track of your day to day expenses as well as your longer term financial goals, you also need to ensure that your financial administration is up to date. If you need to urgently get hold of vital paperwork do you...
One thing all financially savvy people have in common is that they have a good handle on their money. They know how much they are worth, what they spend each month and where their money is going. They have savings goals and they understand their...
In an effort to improve household savings which have declined over the last fifty years from over 6% to a negative 0.05%, National Treasury has made proposals which will allow investors to invest in a range of investment products tax-free. These...
By restructuring the way we save for retirement we could halve the cost of retirement savings vehicles. The current model of annual fees and a lack of preservation is unnecessarily driving up retirement costs according to Anton Gildenhuys, head of...
A significant valuation gap has emerged in equities between consumer and retail sectors and resources which, according to Alexander Forbes’s Global Large Manager Watch, has resulted in divergences in returns between fund managers of over 10% in the last year - a...
The National Debt Mediation Association (NDMA) was created as a non-profit centre where consumers can lodge complaints about credit providers as well as issues with the debt counseling process. However, Magauta Mphahlele, CEO of the NDMA, says they were receiving many...
After working for his company for 24 years, Joseph was offered a voluntary retrenchment package. Due to his years of service the package is attractive with the company effectively offering him a year’s salary. Joseph is not part of the union and he wants to fully...
There are two questions I am always asked by fellow journalists. Firstly why on earth did I leave the lucrative world of stock broking to become a journalist and secondly as a journalist why don’t I write about shares and the markets. The simple answer is that all of...
PODCAST The recent Western Cape Relative Value Arbitrage Fund (RAVF) scandal that led to suicide shooting of Julian Williams by his associate, Herman Pretorius, is estimated to have lost investors around R1.8 billion. While investors, and financial advisers who...
With so many articles and books written about "women and money" one may ask the question as to why we have this focus on “women and money” -surely money is gender neutral. The reality is that despite all the advances women may have made in the workplace, they remain...
“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 exciting and...
Higher house prices and stricter lending criteria by the banks have pushed homeownership out of reach of many ordinary South Africans on a single income. But if you really wanted to own a house would you be prepared to share the responsibility with a friend?...
FNB property economist John Loos gives an overview of the residential property market The FNB House Price Index showed a further slowing in its year-on-year growth rate in August, from a revised 7.8% rate in July to 6.6% in August. The further slowing in the...
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 have and whether...