Have you ever wondered why the rich keep getting richer? It has a lot to do with compounding. This is where your money makes more money when you are doing nothing. For example, you have R100 000 in a unit trust fund which is invested in the stock...
Video: Should I buy a second-hand car?
Maya Fisher-FrenchJul 28, 2022
If you want to be a millionaire, you should buy a second-hand car! In the book The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, the authors studied the behaviour and habits of America’s millionaires. One thing that they found...
Video: Financial priorities and how to set them
Maya Fisher-FrenchJul 14, 2022
When it comes to our financial priorities, there are so many things we want to achieve, such as paying off debt, building emergency savings, investing for our children’s education, paying off the mortgage and still having enough to save for...
Video: Saving for your children’s education
Maya Fisher-FrenchJun 30, 2022
There is one thing all parents have in common: a desire to give their children a better life, which means that saving for your children's education is crucial. We want our children to stand on our shoulders, and one of the best ways to do that is...
Video: Get financially fit for your next holiday
Maya Fisher-FrenchDec 7, 2021
After living in lockdown for over 18 months, many of us just want to go on holiday. Like any major expense, if you plan for it, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Many tourist destinations and establishments are offering great specials, making it...
Video: Plan for retirement
Maya Fisher-FrenchNov 23, 2021
Retirement is something we can plan for ‒ and the better our planning, the more we get to enjoy our retirement years. In this video, I am joined by Guy Chennells, Head of Product at Discovery Employee Benefits, who will give us some tips around...
Video: Five things that derail your wealth
Maya Fisher-FrenchNov 9, 2021
The difference between someone who is financially secure and someone who is not, often has more to do with avoiding wealth destruction traps than earning a bigger salary or having a windfall. If you want to be financially free, you need to avoid...
Video: Become a farmer without a farm
Maya Fisher-FrenchOct 26, 2021
As a smart person once said, diversification is the only free lunch. And if the current coronavirus crisis has taught us anything, it is to make sure our investments are diversified. The idea behind diversification is that it spreads our risk. When...
Video: Five ways to trick yourself into saving
Maya Fisher-FrenchOct 12, 2021
Behavioural scientists have found that we feel loss far more greatly than gain, which is why the idea of cutting back on our lifestyle makes us very unhappy. We feel the sacrifice immediately but only reap the benefits in the future. While it may...
Video: Home loan tips
Maya Fisher-FrenchSep 28, 2021
Buying a home is a major financial commitment. While the rate of interest on a home loan is lower than for other forms of credit, the length of time it takes to pay off the loan means you end up paying a hefty interest bill. By reducing your...
Previous Articles
Video: Being rich vs being wealthy
Sep 14, 2021
In his book The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel writes about the difference between being rich and being wealthy. He defines riches as an income you earn, because that allows you to take on the debt to buy that R800 000 car or R40 000 handbag. Wealth on the other...
Video: Marriage and money
Sep 7, 2021
When couples marry, including Customary Marriage, they will automatically be married under community of property, unless they sign a separate antenuptial contract. This is seen as a way to protect women, especially those who stay at home to raise the family. The term...
Video: Your money behaviour
Aug 31, 2021
Have you ever wondered how your money behaviour compares to that of your peers? Where do they save? What do they spend their money on and how much debt do they have? On this edition of Money Matters, we chat to Akash Dowra, Head of Client Insights at Discovery Bank,...
Video: Five tax myths
Aug 24, 2021
Many employees don't understand the complex tax calculations made by their companies and they often question these deductions. According to tax specialist Tanya Tosen, there are five key things an employee needs to understand when it comes to their tax. Myth one:...
Video: Money is different for women
Aug 18, 2021
Did you know that 80% of women will manage their own finances during their lifetime, either because they have remained single, gotten divorced, or been widowed? And the reality is that money and finances are different for women. Why? We know from South African salary...
Video: How to change your money habits
Aug 10, 2021
We know from studying history, that entire generations can share a similar money attitude or behaviour based on a major financial event that their generation experienced. People who grew up during the great depression of the 1930s, and those who grew up during World...
Video: The true cost of a fancy car
Apr 20, 2021
The decision on how much to spend when purchasing your car is possibly one of your most important financial decisions. In fact, banks say that the main reason they turn down home loan applications is due to affordability, and the main culprit is usually car finance....
Video: Set goals for money success
Apr 14, 2021
The key to achieving our money goals is to use psychology to set us up for success. When it comes to our money goals, behavioural economist Erik Vermeulen says we need to set specific long-term goals, but also have built-in intermediate success measures to make our...
Video: Investing in bitcoin
Apr 6, 2021
Whenever we see a surge in the price of bitcoin, I get a lot of queries from people asking how they can invest. The problem is that people are lured by the prospect of high returns rather than actually understanding what they are investing in. A sure way of telling...
Video: Understand your electricity bill
Mar 30, 2021
The cost of electricity will increase by 15% in April. That is triple the rate of inflation which means a bigger portion of our budget will go to paying for electricity. It is worth taking the time to understand how your electricity is charged for and to find ways to...