In light of the difficult times recently, Southern Africa has been awash in low interest rates. When South Africa significantly cut its base interest rate from an already-low 6.25% down to 4.25%, it officially became the lowest interest rate the country has ever had. In late 2019, the Bank of Namibia’s Monetary Policy Committee reducedContinue reading “What the low interest rate means for you”
Category Archives: MARKET
Ways to save when times are tough
Most of us are chronic under-savers even in the best of times. Yet with the current economic environment, lots of previously hypothetical concepts like ‘what if I’m retrenched or have my salary cut?’ are far more concrete – and, unfortunately, more likely to happen. There’s never been a time when saving is more important, butContinue reading “Ways to save when times are tough”
Are you a savings statistic?
Most Sub-Saharan African countries are chronic ‘dis-savers’. But, you don’t have to be. Before we look at the options, let’s take a snapshot of recent events. Last July, the South African Savings Institute gave the country a wakeup call when it said that the average household rate had fallen from 0.5% per month in 2018Continue reading “Are you a savings statistic?”
How to emotionally distance when investing in tough times
Current investors have seen more ‘interesting times’, more black swans and market freefalls, than any other generation gone before. From the 2008 global financial crisis, followed by the longest bull run in history, to Brexit, several downgrades for South Africa and then the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s investors have run the gamut. Their emotions have runContinue reading “How to emotionally distance when investing in tough times”
Tips for when markets recover
The last few years have seen more market volatility than anyone could have predicted, with the icing on the cake being the COVID-19 pandemic. But the best and worst thing about markets is their cyclical nature. All markets recover, eventually. We know what to do when there’s a downturn and experience has taught many investorsContinue reading “Tips for when markets recover”
Living annuities and how they affect your living
Oh, the ironies of life… One of South Africa’s most contentious laws regarding annuities states that a retirement fund may not be completely withdrawn in a lump sum, but a minimum of two thirds must be invested into a compulsory living annuity in an attempt to aid preservation of retirement money. Even those who areContinue reading “Living annuities and how they affect your living”
Does your wealth creation strategy need more love?
February is the month of love, but it’s also the first real month of the year for most of us, once we’ve got back into our routines and come back to grips with life after the holidays in January. As a result, you may be thinking of how to get your 2020 goals going, especiallyContinue reading “Does your wealth creation strategy need more love?”
What you need to know about the new ‘expat tax’
One of the hardest aspects of working with tax and tax law is that the rules change slightly every year – making it tricky dice to roll without an expert on your team. There will be a new law soon that legislates how much tax you as a South African must pay on money youContinue reading “What you need to know about the new ‘expat tax’”
What’s the state of your budget?
Each year we are presented with our president’s State of the Nation address and the finance minister’s budget speech around the same time. The SONA is closely linked to how money is spent; it’s a powerful reminder for us to consider the close link between our lives and our budgets! Good finances begin and endContinue reading “What’s the state of your budget?”
Shan Nissiotis 