It’s not for nothing that cyber crime and hacking was considered 2019’s number one “major risk” by the world’s largest insurer, Allianz, in their latest Risk Barometer Survey. These days, it’s not if the security of your electronic identity and assets will be tried by a criminal, it’s when.
Continue readingIs your portfolio overly concentrated?
A well-balanced, diversified portfolio is a joy for all seasons, giving something no matter what various markets or asset classes are doing. An overly concentrated portfolio is the opposite, a ticking time bomb volatile to fluctuations in macroeconomics and other influencers of the share price.
Continue readingRunning on empty – is it time to fill up your tank?
Are you the type of person who puts in a little petrol here, a little petrol there, or enough to last you the week based on calculations you’ve done of what you need, or are you someone who fills your tank up every time you visit the garage?
Continue readingThree reasons why you need an emergency fund
There are always bills to pay and money needed for something or another, and few things seem as boring and unnecessary than an emergency fund. While you can enjoy the rewards of spending on, say, a good winter coat, or can see the benefits of saving for something like university for the kids, emergency funds are, by nature, never seen.
Continue readingTips for a less taxing tax season
‘Tax season’ elicits in most people the kind of shudder you’d imagine ‘open season’ to elicit in hunted animals. We all hate doing our taxes and, because of this, we often postpone the inevitable, sometimes with horrible consequences like penalties and waiting hours at SARS.
Continue readingSoil is not enough – what does it mean to be truly rich?
Last month we talked about interest rate risk – the risk of your investment devaluing and you losing money due to changes in interest rate. In a sense, this is about an investment’s possibility of flailing due to macroeconomic conditions. This month, we’re going to look at credit risk.
Continue reading5 ways to keep you and your money warm this winter
It’s a cold world out there this June. As the thermometer temperature drops, the price of fuel and cost of living keep rising… but it’s not all doom and gloom.
Continue readingTaking an interest in interest rate risk
Education around the basics of wealth creation and preservation is like a good, solid diet packed with healthy food staples, it can help you enjoy healthy finances for years and create a strong foundation for building your future.
Continue readingA shout out to dads
It’s Father’s Day time, and we would like to honour the men, and the women too, who have been parents to us. Our dads.
… And by ‘Dad’ we don’t necessarily mean our fathers. Ever seen the Omo Father’s Day advert that went viral on YouTube? It showed a little boy reading a Father’s Day card, with all the important things dads do listed in it like providing financially and teaching right from wrong, to his grandmother. She was his ‘Dad’.
Continue readingThe retirement you know will be gone by the time you retire
One of the most important reasons to save throughout our working life remains retirement. It’s shocking how few people afford themselves the ability to live with dignity and independence, without sacrificing a huge drop in standard of living.
Continue readingDelicious savings – how to eat for a week on four meals
With tough economic times all around, a lot of us are trying to cut unnecessary expenses. Be that as it may, we still need to eat and feed our families. Yet who has the time to play chef and work a fulltime job? And who wants to eat mediocre meals just because the economy is […]
Continue readingLearning from others’ (big) mistakes – notes from Steinhoff
For those who tell you not to worry so much and just invest in anything, no need to do much research, you need only say one word: Steinhoff.
Continue readingSaving cash on the big day – what to do before ‘I do’
Love is always in the air… for someone you know, if not yourself. No matter how strong the bond, weddings can quickly become the bane of many flourishing romances.
Continue readingMother knows best… what moms can teach you about money
It seems fitting that May hosts both Workers’ Day and Mother’s Day… because who works harder than Mom? A mother is always there when needed, always willing to see the best in you and is a constant source of comfort and wisdom.
Continue readingYour starter guide to alternative investments
In the wake of very lacklustre JSE performance and plenty of uncertainty, many investors have started considering thinking… alternatively.In a nutshellAlternative investments are different to the standard stock market approach; investing in assets outside the usual asset classes or in companies outside of the JSE-listed crowd.
Continue readingMindfulness matters: how about a quarterly review?
Earlier in the year we spoke on the importance of mindfulness in our busy, digital world. Unfortunately, many of us have grand intentions at the beginning of the year, eating healthily and meditating and generally trying to get the year off to a good start, but after a few weeks that dedication peters out.
Continue readingThe true cost of load shedding
Load shedding has cost all of us over the past few weeks, but do you know exactly how much?Neither did we, until we did a little digging. Cost to the economy at large
Continue reading… Okay, but what are your parents’ retirement plans?
We often think about our own retirement plans, but these are actually not the ones most likely to hit you first. More urgent is the concept of knowing your parents’ retirement plans.
Continue readingCan finances be a family affair?
Throughout the year there are clusters of holidays and long weekends when family comes to the fore. These moments are often an opportunity to step out of the frenetic hamster wheel of life, we now have long weekends and, for some, religious holidays to spend with those nearest and dearest to us. Which got us thinking – how much does your inner circle feature in your finances?
Continue readingOn the road: the best road trips for the long weekend season
It’s that time of year coming up again when the public holidays flow thick and fast for South Africa. With a country as beautiful as ours, the ideal solution could be a road trip. Here are some of the best to get you out of the city and on the road. Got three days? Enjoy […]
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