Saving – Saving for an emergency, and other stuff
Saving – Saving for an emergency, and other stuff Once you’ve contributed towards your retirement fund you should also put some money away for a rainy day. In normal speak “a rainy day” is called an emergency savings fund. Saving is setting money aside for things you need to pay for in the near future. […]
Retirement savings – Take a tax break!
Retirement savings – Take a tax break! Take-home message: Contributing to a retirement fund can help you save for retirement while also reducing the amount of tax you pay over your lifetime. The South African government really wants South Africans to save money for retirement. The main reasons are to reduce the burden on Government […]
What to cover – your funeral or your life?
What to cover – your funeral or your life? Take-home message: If you have a bit of extra money, consider contributing towards life insurance instead of a funeral plan. Losing a loved one is tough enough without those left behind having to worry about financial burdens. For this reason, many South Africans opt for a […]
Savings – Saving for the medium term
Savings – Saving for the medium term Take-home message: When saving for the medium term, it’s better to invest in a unit trust instead of a savings account. Right, you are contributing towards retirement and emergency funds. So what’s next? Perhaps saving for something big like a new car or a deposit on a house. […]
Unclaimed benefits – What’s in the Government Employees Pension Fund’s pot?
Unclaimed benefits – What’s in the Government Employees Pension Fund’s pot? The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) is Africa’s largest pension fund with 1,2 million active members, and approximately 450 000 pensioners and beneficiaries. In the 2021/22 financial year, the fund reported unclaimed benefits and interest provisions of just over R2 billion owed to pensioners […]
Retrenchment – How to make the best of it
Retrenchment – How to make the best of it Worry. Sadness. Anger. Confusion. Being retrenched causes a range of emotions for you and your family. And on top of it all, there’s a lot of admin to attend to. Knowing what to expect can help you gain some control over the situation. Once your employer […]
Retirement savings – Who benefits if I die young?
Retirement savings – Who benefits if I die young? Have you ever wondered what happens to your retirement savings if you die before reaching retirement age? What do you think: The retirement fund keeps your money and re-invests it. The retirement fund trustees split your money among themselves. None of the above. Definitely no. 3! […]
Retirement savings – Is there an unclaimed benefit with your name on it?
Retirement savings – Is there an unclaimed benefit with your name on it? South Africa has a pot of R47 billion worth of unclaimed benefits. Could some of it be yours? An unclaimed benefit can be claimed in perpetuity. By law, any unpaid benefits in a retirement fund must stay in the fund or be […]
Investing – How to beat inflation
Investing – How to beat inflation In the old days, if you shopped around, you could get a 5-litre tub of yogurt for R25, but these days it’s never the case. And every time you go to the shop two litres of milk cost a bit more. That feeling that everything is getting more and […]
Investing – So, what’s the alternative?
Investing – So, what’s the alternative? Do you remember the five traditional asset classes: cash, debt instruments, equity, property and commodities? Well, there’s more … An asset that does not fall into the above categories is called an alternative asset. Alternative assets include private equity and hedge and infrastructure funds and they are all considered […]
