It has been an exciting few weeks with local government elections. America also has their presidential elections due in November 2016. The results locally as well as globally affect hugely what we perceive the future to hold and gives rise to questions such as - Where must one invest? Are our investments safe? Do we [...]
When investing, an important question you should be asking yourself is “How long do I need to invest for” or “When will I need my money back”. If we were to completely disregard your emotional tolerance to risk and assume everyone is risk-neutral, then your investment horizon alone can determine what type of investment is [...]
So you have made the first step in realising the need for a Last Will and Testament, but who do you appoint as the Executor of your Estate? Should it be your surviving spouse, your children or some other family member? First, let us look at some of the basic work involved for the Executor: [...]
In part 1 we illustrated the tax savings benefit of contributing towards a Retirement Annuity (RA) as opposed to a Discretionary Investment (DI). The primary difference is that you contribute towards an RA with pre-tax money whereas you contribute towards a DI with after-tax money. Please click here if you would like to read part [...]
Intestate Succession is a term not often understood by people but it will be applicable to your loved ones if you die without a valid Last Will. Under the provisions of Intestate Succession Act, the two main features which play a role in identifying your heirs are: Consanguinity (family), and The degree of kinship. Here [...]
So here’s the thing.: Robo-Advice is the word predominant in a lot of conversations today. With technology at my fingertips why do I need a financial advisor? Why do I need an advisor? I can do everything online. What is the point of asking for guidance where to invest? Just choose two or three funds [...]
We know that when you engage with a financial advisor, you not only commit your finances to a long term strategy, but also your emotions. We can easily and objectively measure financial performance: Did you achieve your savings goal? Are you on track to retire comfortably? However, measuring and managing your emotional performance is, well, [...]
Retirement is a very important event in one’s life, not only from a personal point of view but also from a financial point of view. Everyone wants to know: When can I retire? Can I sustain my current lifestyle during retirement? How much capital do I require at retirement in order for me to receive [...]
There is a belief that it is advantageous to have more than one financial adviser. However, we are of the opinion that it is more beneficial to choose one financial adviser (or company) that you are comfortable with and build the relationship with him/her (them). Developing a financial strategy may be difficult when you have [...]
You may have heard that you should contribute towards a Retirement Annuity because of the tax deduction that you enjoy on these contributions. This is great, but, it goes far beyond this. The government implemented a tax relief on Retirement Annuity contributions to urge households to save more towards their retirement. This boils down to [...]
