3 Steps to Buying Your First House
“Happiness is… buying your first home” (Anon) Few things in life can compare to the joy of finally crossing the threshold of your first home. If you are like most of us, you have been dreaming of this day for years and years – it has finally arrived! The financial...
Key Facts About Ukraine
Ukraine has made the headlines due to the ongoing tensions with Russia. In this map infographic, we examine Ukraine from a structural point of view. The modern state of Ukraine was formed nearly 30 years ago after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then,...
Three Reasons You Shouldn’t Wait to Talk to Your Kids About Money
"The first step to teaching your kids how to handle money is being a good example" (Dave Ramsey) In today’s world, everybody needs a healthy appreciation of money and how to manage it. This is not just for practical reasons. Financial issues are a major cause of...
The Different Ways to Invest: What Does It All Mean?
South Africa has a very sophisticated savings and investment industry. The country’s financial markets, regulation and product range are world class. However, ordinary investors don’t always appreciate what their options are. A study by Old Mutual in 2018 found that...
Quotes of the month – What the NFT?
"A non-fungible token (NFT) is a non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain, a form of digital ledger, that can be sold and traded” (Wikipedia) “To buy NFTs or not to buy NFTs?” …that’s a question many investors must be asking themselves as “NFT hype”...
Investing: Men and Women See Things Differently
“Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.” (Katharine Hepburn) All of us sometimes make decisions that are not in our best interests. This is because we are affected by psychological...
Three Reasons an Insurer Could Cancel Your Policy
“Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure.” (James Altucher) When you take out an insurance policy, you are entering into a contract. And, with all contracts, there is always a way for it to be cancelled. For the insured person, this...
Don’t Let Delays in the Master’s Office Leave Your Family in Financial Distress
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago” (Warren Buffett) Whilst the first and most important step in your estate planning is always to have in place a professionally drawn and regularly updated will (“Last Will and...
Budget 2022: The Minister of Finance Wants to Hear from You!
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has invited the public to share suggestions on the 2022 Budget he is expected to deliver on Wednesday 23 February 2022. The Ministry of Finance: “As usual, the budget allocation always aims to strike a balance between competing...
Quote of the Month – Don’t Cash In Your Retirement Savings
Vickie Lange, Head – Research, Best Practice & Academy at Alexander Forbes: “A common reason given by members for not preserving their retirement savings is that they are too low to warrant the trouble and expense of a preservation fund. A total of 58% of those who...
Red-Carding the Myth of The Rational Investor
“If there’s no meaning in it, that saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn’t try to find any.” (The King, Alice in Wonderland) There has been an interesting debate taking place in the world of sports psychology for nearly 20 years. The question is whether the...
Three Ways to Leave a Legacy, And Not Just an Estate
“What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” (Lin-Manuel Miranda) Financial planning is mostly about thinking about how you want to live your life. But you shouldn’t neglect to consider what will happen after you are gone. Estate planning...