Just read an article online about how in these tough times one of the positive outcomes is that people seem to be investing more into their retirement funds. The bad news, though, is that it is still usually too little to enable most people to retire financially secure. Of bigger concern for me, however, is that not only are most people contributing too little, but on top of this, most people are probably not taking enough risk on their...

I read with interest the comments from “experts” telling people to resist yesterday’s interest rate by not reducing their bond repayments. This makes a lot of financial sense but the comments from readers of the article clearly shows just how cash-strapped many people are and for many, even this cut will not be sufficient. (Although this is difficult to understand given that we are almost back to where we were just before...

On the face of it, the Discovery Credit Card and Pick n Pay tie up is very attractive; pay for my Pick n Pay shopping with my Discovery Card and get cash back from Discovery every month (depending on my Vitality status of course). And it works – for the past year or 2 we have been getting back a few hundred rand each month. I know that Discovery and Pick n Pay have struck some sort of deal and I know that Discovery’s whole aim is to...

Just a quick follow up on the post about Fundisa – I just received my transaction SMS from them…so far I have invested R1200 of my own money…the transaction statement reads as follows: The balance at 04 May is R1,209.56 (investment) and R518.00 (grant). Nedgroup Investment…i.e. there is currently R1727 in the account that would be paid to a tertiary education institution… Not too shabby!

There are few things that bug me more than seeing people being ripped off by insurance companies. I have just come across an advert for an education plan by one of the large SA insurance companies…for just R150 per month for 10 years…blah blah blah…stay far away from these policies – they are expensive and restrictive. As far as I am concerned people who want to save for their children’s education should first get rid of...

All the while that this debate has been going on the market has risen…for anyone who invested at the low in Nov/Dec last year there has been a 22% return from the ALSI already… I think there is a danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water here…equities are the most likely asset class to give you real returns over the long term…but they can be very volatile in the short term…and so the best way to think...