Planning Topics
South Africans generally feel happy and are flourishing. That’s according to the findings of the Happiness Survey, which was undertaken at the end of 2023 by Nedbank in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Based on over 10 000 data points, the Happiness Survey, which is…
TradingPRO entered the financial services space in 2017, with a single goal in mind: to provide the best experience to traders, regardless of their knowledge of the financial markets or investing potential.With established offices in Asia and Nigeria, and imminent expansion plans in Mexico,…
You have probably heard of Warren Buffett, the “Oracle of Omaha”. Among the top 10 richest men in the world, with a fortune of about $136 billion (R2.5 trillion), he is regarded by the investment fraternity as little less than a god.Investment experts hang on to every word that emanates from his…
By: Pearl ScheltemaAs property prices continue to climb and economic conditions tighten, South Africans are increasingly turning to co-buying as a viable path to homeownership. This collaborative purchasing trend is transforming the property market, offering a solution to the affordability crisis…
By Dennis PedersenWhen it comes to online shopping, customers aren’t the only ones who can fall victim to scams. Many scams target businesses and sellers instead, therefore anyone selling goods online must know how to avoid being impacted and what to do if their business is affected.In fact,…
By: Schalk MalanDespite paying out more than double the funds to policyholders and beneficiaries than the government spent on social welfare in 2022, life insurers are ranked among the least trusted financial services providers. A 2022 survey by the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA)…
Old Mutual welcomes the recent signing of the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill by the President, a significant step forward for retirement savings in South Africa. The Bill paves the way for the implementation of the Two-Pot Retirement System on September 1, 2024.“There are significant long-term…
Although there is still no evidence of the direct effect of the outcome of the national elections on South African financial markets, it seems negative global sentiment contributed to the large contraction on the JSE and the sharp depreciation of the rand exchange rate last week. Global equity…
February 2024 marked the end of the 5-year investment term for numerous Section 12J investors. The Section 12J tax incentive became popular in 2014, and ended with Treasury not being prepared to extend the incentive beyond the June 2021 sunset.Investors now facing two harsh realities. First, they…
POLITICAL parties are gearing up for coalition talks as the governing ANC looks set to fall well short of a majority for the first time in 30 years of democracy.With results in from most of the polling stations, the ANC had received 41.8% of the votes, a precipitous drop from the 57.5% it secured…
Brand Finance says MTN retains top spot as Africa’s Most Valuable BrandMTN, the telecommunications giant, has maintained its position as the African continent's most valuable brand. This is despite an 18% decline in brand value to $3.6 billion (R67bn), according to a new report from Brand…
By: Nicola MawsonUnknowingly, people often leave their digital fingerprints all over the internet, through surfing and downloading free software, which leaves them open to being attacked by cyber criminals.South Africa, said Craig Pedersen, director at TCG Forensics, is on the verge of being…
By: Sanan PillayYou can now invest up to 15% in private markets and 10% in hedge funds in South African retirement funds. This follows international trends, where it’s relatively commonplace for retirement funds to invest more than 10% in alternative assets. While the regulation changes pertain to…
MANY trustees are advised to distribute all trust income and capital gains to beneficiaries to escape the high tax rates in trusts. Even though a trust carries the highest income tax rate (a flat rate of 45%) and capital gains tax rate (a flat rate of 36%), when trust distributions are considered,…
The release of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) 2021 results in May 2023 revealed that 81% of South African Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning in any language. South Africa experienced the largest declines of all countries who participated in the study in 2016…
By Amanda Catto, Kirsten Smit and Leah SeforDivorce is a life-changing event for any family, but it need not be a devastating one. In a recent holistic divorce workshop hosted by Citadel, a panel of experts reached the consensus that life can be good after divorce, especially if it is managed well…
PENSION Fund Adjudicator Muvhango Lukhaimane has ruled that the Sanlam Umbrella Pension Fund set aside and rework a death benefit allocation that it had paid out to a deceased’s spouse and two minor children, while four complainants, who were the deceased's children, were allocated only 1% each.The…
By: Jashwin Baijoo and Michelle PhillipsIN A bold and unwavering move, the SA Revenue Service (Sars) has intensified its compliance focus on both small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and high wealth individuals (HWIs), showcasing its non-discriminatory approach to ensuring tax compliance…
Consumers did not get the much hoped for reprieve from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) which failed to bring down interest rates last week. Frank Blackmore, the lead economist at KPMG said the announcement was expected, with the SARB’s monetary policy committee (MPC) unanimously voting to…
JARGON buster aims to give simple, plain English explanations for typical words and phrases used in the financial industry, in particular, words relating to guaranteed life annuities and living annuities. This week, we look at the letter: VVVoluntary purchase annuityThis refers to a life annuity…