Investing When Economists Are Confused
We all knew that the Covid-19 pandemic would upend everything, and now there is much speculation (and no certainty) as to why Americans are resigning from their jobs in “huge, unprecedented numbers”. Whether or not the same trend will now be mirrored in the rest of...
Quote of the Month – Lessons From History
Manpreet Gill - Standard Chartered: “[In the global financial crisis] the global equity index fell almost 60% from its October 2007 peak to its March 2009 trough. “Looking back at history, we now know that the correct action for a buy-and-hold investor with a...
Your Website of the Month: New – How to Renew Your Car Licence Disc Online
Here’s some really good news for all of us motorists dreading the annual challenge of queuing to renew our car licences. The Road Traffic Management Corporation has launched an online payment gateway allowing us to register, renew, and pay for our licence discs on the...
Property Sellers: Why, How and When to Choose Your Own Conveyancer
“A great deal is at stake in the transfer of fixed property. It is generally the largest single asset that a person owns and the transaction for the purchase or sale of a fixed property is probably the most important contract undertaken by individuals” (Law Society of...
What’s The Biggest Lesson You Can Learn from Warren Buffett?
“My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest" (Warren Buffett) Warren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors alive today. His record of successful investment decisions made him, for some...
Three Tips for Leaving a Financial Legacy
"If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed” (Edmund Burke) If we have achieved any level of success in life, it is natural that we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy some its fruits. Having spent a...
How to Avoid the “Big Stick” if You Owe SARS Money
"Speak softly and carry a big stick” (U.S. President Franklin D Roosevelt) It’s a frightening prospect owing the Taxman money. SARS may (or may not) “speak softly” but it definitely carries a “big stick” – a very big one. It has extensive debt collection powers, and...
Quote of the Month – Curb Your Optimism
Stuart Podmore (Schroders) – “Markets have been volatile in recent years, but overall returns have been unusually strong. Because the outcome has been good, in that investors’ portfolios have risen in value, it’s only human to make the assumption – incorrectly as it...
What Exactly is Sasria, and Are You Covered?
The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining” (John F. Kennedy) The South African Special Risks Association (Sasria) is a state-owned entity with an interesting history. It was initially formed in 1979 as the Special Risk Insurance Association following the...
Do You Know the Four Kinds of Tax You’re Paying on Your Investments?
"Every advantage has its tax" (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Unfortunately, building your wealth does not come without cost. Besides the fees that you have to pay on any investment, you also need to think about where and how you are being taxed. South African investors need to...
Your Will and A Practical Plan for Your Loved Ones
“Where there’s a will, I want to be in it” (Anon) Whether you are young or old, healthy or ill, single or attached, you should have a will (“Last Will and Testament”). Without one, you die “intestate”, which means you forfeit your right to decide who inherits what,...
Quote of the Month – What Do You Value?
Chris Tisdall – Allan Gray “Each rand that flows into our lives (be that into a bank account or as cash into our pocket) offers us a financial choice: how to put it to best use. We can use it to pay off yesterday’s debts, to cover today’s expenses, responsibilities...