Three Books for the Holidays
With the festive season around the corner, it’s time to think about taking a rest, putting your feet up, and perhaps spending some quiet time with a good book. There are many really useful books about personal finance available. Here are three recommendations to keep...
6 Ways to Achieve Financial Freedom
Let’s be honest, we all desire financial freedom. Who doesn’t dream of retiring early, travelling the world and indulging your hobbies, all the while knowing your loved ones are taken care of? While this may seem like some far-off pipedream, the heart-warming truth is...
Why You Need to Watch Out for The Butterfly Effect
Covid-19 has upended almost every aspect of our lives, and it continues to do so. We all know now when we travel that there may be havoc at some airports, as the airlines are understaffed. The markets, meanwhile, continue to be taken on a veritable rollercoaster...
What is This Volatility Risk People are Always Talking About?
In the Covid crash, from 20 February to 23 March 2020, the S&P 500 fell 34%. This was the fastest 30% decline in stock market history, and it was caused by the massive uncertainty of what would happen as governments started to impose lockdowns. As the market dropped,...
It’s Wedding Season – Three Questions to Ask Before You Marry
“Marriage is a matter of more worth / Than to be dealt in by attorneyship” (Shakespeare) Wedding Season is well and truly upon us, and if you (or anyone near and dear to you) is busy planning for marriage (note that we are talking “civil marriage” here, “customary...
Put Stocks, Rather Than Socks, Under the Tree This Christmas
These days, we are all under more financial pressure than usual. Inflation and a weaker rand are taking their toll. Use your 13th cheque So, if you are lucky enough to be getting a 13th cheque this year, you might want to think about the most meaningful things you can...
Should I Buy a Holiday House?
12 months of bills for one month of fun Realistically, how much leave do you take every year? Most people only manage a couple of weeks. Even if you’re one of the lucky few who can take more, it’s still unlikely that you’ll spend more than a month on holiday in one...
Why do we Even Have Bull and Bear Markets?
Last year, shares in the company that owns Facebook – Meta Platforms – were up over 23%. So far in 2022, they have lost more than 60%. This is just one extreme example of how market conditions have changed. Last year, almost everything seemed to be going up. This...
Creditors: How to Secure Your Claim with a Notarial Bond
You should always take as much security for your claims as you possibly can before advancing credit or lending money to a debtor. That’s because if your debtor fails and is “liquidated” (if a corporate) or “sequestrated” (if an individual), without security you will...
Why You Should Sign a Power of Attorney Before You Emigrate or Travel
If you are emigrating, or perhaps just going overseas for an extended holiday or work contract, you may well leave behind some form of “unfinished business”. Perhaps you own a property, other assets or bank accounts needing attention, or have outstanding...
Get Rich & Stay Rich: 8 Mistakes Wealthy People Never Make
“Many folks think they aren’t good at earning money, when what they don’t know is how to use it.” (Frank A. Clark) Getting rich isn’t as hard as it sounds. Years of consistent, calculated investing are almost guaranteed to fill up your coffers. For many, the trickier...
Loss Aversion and Lifestyle Creep – How Behaviour Influences Saving
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Don’t be biased towards short term loss ‘Loss aversion’, from an investment perspective, refers to our tendency to avoid losses over acquiring gains. For example, we all know that...