When it comes to investments, it’s important to stay focused on the bigger picture – even though the effect of recent political events in South Africa may have you itching to move your investments out of the market and into cash. The instinct to do this arises from the fact that cash investments are readily […]

It’s never too early to start planning for your retirement, and help is at hand if saving for the future ever feels confusing or overwhelming. The key is to think like a wilderness explorer and always be prepared! Be open to what could happen in your autumn years. For example, if you live to the […]

In the aftermath of South Africa’s downgrade to junk status by two major ratings agencies, it is feared that the country will begin a self-reinforcing downward spiral. Until the end of 2016, Azar Jammine, the director and chief economist of Econometrix, felt that the nation was experiencing a “slow erosion, not a huge slump.” However, […]

A death is often a traumatic enough event, without the added burden of dealing with estate matters. Unfortunately, many people underestimate the costs related to death, especially the smaller fees that quickly add up. Consequently, loved ones sometimes find themselves in situations where they have to sell valuable assets in order to settle the outstanding […]

Positive steps to regulate and improve the conduct and professionalism of the financial planning industry have been made over the past months and are now coming to a point where it will impact our clients. These steps have been called the Retail Distribution Review (RDR). On the surface, RDR is looking to turn the commission-based […]

One sneaky fact about retirement, that many of us often overlook, is that it arrives faster than we expect! Essentially, we are never too young to think about our retirement investments inside of a healthy financial portfolio. As you read this blog, please also bear in mind that each person’s retirement goals are unique and […]

The South African landscape of junk status is looking rocky and, in a time like this, it is important to stay informed about what is happening and how it could affect you. Political risks from South Africa’s cabinet reshuffle on the last day of March 2017 have been labelled accountable for Standard & Poor’s (S&P) […]

In a land of inequality, education has a greater value than ever before and it can pave the path of success for children. However, many parents are financially crippling themselves in order to offer what is considered the ‘best’ education for their offspring, when this is arguably not wholly necessary. In an unstable political and […]

Over the past year or so the financial planning industry has been positioning for significant reform and regulation around fees for financial advice, and Fin24 recently published an article on the Retail Distribution Review (RDR). The first phase of RDR is expected to bring South Africa a step closer to making direct payment for financial […]

America is a massive global economy. Whilst we can all agree that whatever happens over there will certainly affect our economy and investment opportunities (local and offshore), you may have some questions as to how it affects us. Brian Kantor, chief economist and strategist with Investec Wealth, recently published his thoughts online on the BizNews […]

January may begin with resolutions for the year ahead – but March begins with Tax Resolutions for the next tax year. We promise ourselves to be a little more organised, a little more prudent and try to minimise our contributions the next time around. BusinessTech recently said that with the many challenges small business owners […]

The Budget for 2017 has been presented to parliament and is awaiting final approval, but if all goes through as planned, here are some key issues that may affect your financial planning for the year – as well as your investment portfolio. Significant announcements New 45% tax rate for those earning more than R1.5 million […]

Some people are amazingly good at bringing order to chaos and organizing their lives in such a way that makes the rest of us simply stand and gawk, thinking ‘How do they do it?’. Finding just the right amount of order in your life will not only help you minimise waste – but it will […]

In an article recently published on Moneyweb Today (by Paul Leonard, CFP, Regional Head, Citadel), several points were made that succinctly provided useful insight for those considering the options about investing in a TFSA, and deciding whether or not it would be the most appropriate savings vehicle. Before making any final decisions, it’s always best […]

The best gifts are the one’s that show deep consideration for the recipient. That means that Valentine’s Day is not just about flowers, chocolate, biltong and a cute travel mug… it’s about knowing your partner and buying them something that they would truly love! So here are some pointers for this Valentine’s day for expressing […]

Every year we see an internal migration of individuals and families between the major cities of South Africa – mostly for work reasons. These decisions are sometimes thrust upon us due to simple economics, but other times we are able to explore the opportunities and the pros-and-cons of living in a new city. But how […]