The Indices have returned the following: JSE All Share                                                      20.64% All bond Index                                                   15.49% Money Market (STEFI)                                         5.58% Listed Property                                                 37.18% Inflation                                                              5.60% JP Morgan Global Bond (USD)                             2.11% MSCI The World Index (USD)                           13.93% With this in mind it is interesting [...]

We invite you to contact us should you wish to find out more details regarding the changes to your medical aid cover and cost during 2013 and whether your current option is still the most appropriate for you. Please remember that you are only able to change your medical aid cover once per year and [...]

Medical Aid Costs As most of us with medical aid cover are now reviewing the cover we have and the cost increases we face for next year, it seems appropriate to consider whether we will be able to continue to enjoy this cover into our retirement when we may require it most. As a benchmark [...]

Ons blog hierdie week is vir die eerste keer in Afrikaans. Die rede hiervoor hou verband met ons onderwerp, aangesien ‘n groot aantal van die slagoffers van Herman Pretorius se Ponzi-skema lede van die Afrikaanse gemeenskap is. Herman Pretorius het die Relative Value Arbitrage Fonds bestuur wat geklassifiseer is as ‘n verskansingsfonds. Hierdie fonds was [...]

With global growth muted at best, resource prices down and unions piling on the pressure to increase wages at above inflation levels, it has not been a good year for the resource sector. Year to date the sector is down over 10% and valuations are historically cheap – some with good reason. Lonmin has been [...]

Many of you may have heard of the Fiscal Cliff but few people seem to understand exactly what this refers to or what it could imply. Here are some of the facts you need to know. The end of this year will bring with it the expiration of tax cuts put in place by presidents [...]

Investors are often confused when a portfolio with an excellent return over one year could have a poor return since the inception of the investment. In line with this certain funds may have stellar returns over 1, 3 and 5 years in one month and only a few months later indicate a dismal performance over [...]

  Since the start of this year the South African Banking sector has been a driver of returns within the All Share Index. While most of the banks have delivered in excess of 15% year to date, there is a clear outlier in the shape of ABSA Group LTD. The reason for this clear underperformance [...]

For those of us contributing diligently toward our retirement we generally believe that by starting early, contributing as much as possible and choosing funds with good performance track records we are doing all we have to... but are we really? We rarely pay close attention to the costs we incur when choosing our investment platforms [...]

This month has been a turning point in the global market. Pessimism has returned and some would say with good reason.  Europe is undeniably in a recession which does not bode well for its trading partners, including South Africa. Couple this with a new socialist French president who is fundamentally opposed to the austerity measures [...]