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 may have different investment vehicles inside their retirement investment plan. This post refers specifically to living annuities – and can be […]
Author: anthonyb@timslatter.com
Junk Status – A Fallen Angel
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) downgrade of the country’s international credit rating to junk status and the subsequent currency crash. In spite of Jacob Zuma’s attempts […]
Do High School Fees Equal High Quality Education?
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 economic climate, in which certain human rights are sadly still far from inalienable, most parents understand that it is important to […]
What will Trump your investments?
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 website. The article presents some insightful graphs and specific trends that may not interest everyone, but certainly paint the scene in […]
Should you have a tax free savings account?
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 for us to meet and assess your investment plan based on your financial needs analysis – but these pointers should help […]
Valentine’s Gift Ideas
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 your appreciation! EXPERIENCE OVER EXPENSE The best gifts are memories, not expensive trinkets. If you plan it right, your entire Valentine’s […]
The Cost of Living in South Africa
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 exactly can you make informed decisions without relying mostly on hearsay or the perceptions of friends and colleagues. Which cities are […]
Medical Aid vs Dread Disease Cover
If you are paying for both Medical Cover and Dread Disease Cover… you may ask yourself why? The cost of living keeps rising and in the year ahead we can expect more increases that will put pressure on our hard-earned and diligently saved resources. This doesn’t have to be bad news – it can encourage us to improve and tailor our financial planning to meet the changes and test our flexibility! That means going back to […]
Lessons Learnt from Investing in 2016
Having recently read a report from the CEO of PSG Asset Management, Anet Ahern, here are a few key pointers that our top minds in the investment sector will be carrying with them as we start 2017. 1. The best investment decisions aren’t always the most comfortable During the first two weeks of 2016, a few of the top investment vehicles were down between 8% and 10% – the worst start to a year ever. All […]
Slow Down. Appreciate.
If you’re anything like me, you may find that after you’ve had a holiday… you feel like you need a holiday! Our pace of life is currently so fast that even when we’re on holiday, or trying to take things a little slower, we don’t actually get to relax or rest as much as we would like. As a result, we find ourselves making decisions and choosing to speed life up so that we can simply […]