So many Trustees have found themselves in court due to Trusts not managing a Trust properly as required by the Trust Property Control Act No 57 of 1988. A Trust can have a many benefits but Trustees need to understand: What the purpose of a Trust is. The costs of running the Trust. What are [...]
While looking at the performance over the previous 12 months (or any time period for that matter), we need to be cognizant of the base that we are working from. You might have heard investor gurus talk about “Coming off a low base” or “Coming off a high base”, but what does that actually mean? [...]
Most people think estate planning is something you should think about when you enter the last stages of your life. The question is: is it? Is it not more important what happens to your assets during your lifetime? When does estate planning become important? Estate planning is important when you are alive and well; when [...]
Equity. Shares. Stock. It all sounds the same, and when your adviser speaks about these things interchangeably you might be left in the dark if you don't stop and ask what she's actually talking about. By asking and understanding how your money is making money you will go a long way in developing your own [...]
It is never too early to start planning for your retirement and it is important to obtain the right retirement advice as early as possible. The reality is that a large number of people, employed or even-self-employed, retire on less income than they would like. Countless studies have tested what level of income is [...]
Diversification. We often hear investment gurus talk about diversification. How necessary it is, how it is achieved and how you are benefiting from it. They talk about this as if you understand 100% what they are saying. For those who still feel as though your adviser is talking Urdu when saying the word diversification, let’s [...]
As a client you need to have peace of mind that, we as financial planners, focus on understanding your financial needs because we have taken the trouble of understanding you as a person. It is our goal to take all your financial aspects into account and only then to design an appropriate financial plan and [...]
A few weeks back, we tried to answer the questions: How Much should I save? We talked about the following 4 points: 1) What are you saving for? 2) Defining your time horizon 3) Defining your savings ability 4) Implementing and monitoring your plan It holds true in financial markets that the longer your [...]
For most people money comes like a turtle and goes like a rabbit. And our Minister of Finance pulled a rabbit or two out of his hat when he delivered the Annual Budget Speech on 25 February 2015. Mr. Nene and his cabinet had one clear message - when it comes to your money and [...]
People often ask themselves the question - Why do we pay tax? We might not all agree with the government, but one thing we can agree upon is the tax- free savings accounts implemented since 1 March 2015. Tax–free investments in a tax efficient vehicle have been implemented to encourage households to save for the [...]
