A regular feature in the financial media is clients complaining about the fees that they need to pay their financial advisors. Rudi Barnard, Executive Director of Efficient Wealth, speaks to Willem Basson about the importance of paying for professional, specialist advice.
In total, interest rates have increased by 2% during the current hiking cycle in South Africa (SA). In November 2021, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) started the hiking cycle by increasing interest rates by 0.25%. Many South Africans hoped that these types of increases would continue, especially after a similar increase was made by the SARB in January 2022. But since then, these hopes have faded. Last week, the SARB decided to increase interest rates by 0.75%, after not too long ago increasing rates by 0.50%.
The idea of a loved one passing away is never an easy thing
to think about. Unfortunately, death is as part of life as life
itself, and part of life’s journey. With the occurrence of this
unfortunate event emerges the handling of the deceased’s
estate.
Holistic financial advice considers you as a whole, looking at your wealth, health, and happiness. It also factors in how you fit into your network of family and friends. Remember, we are connected to, and even depend on, other people, who in turn have similar bonds with us. If a financial advisor excludes any of these aspects from a holistic financial plan, the results will be sub-optimal and possibly completely unsuccessful.
Have you ever tried to find the proverbial investment needle in a haystack? In a world with more than 41 000 exchange-listed companies, at a combined market value of more than USD 80 trillion, global investing decisions can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. How do you approach this vast listed landscape to preserve and grow wealth over long periods?
In an interesting interview, the Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), Kuben Naidoo, provided some more guidance about cryptocurrency regulations in South Africa (SA). We have long since held that more regulation is necessary in the cryptocurrency environment, but more of the right type of regulation.
Until recently, the rand has remained resilient against the United States (US) dollar. But during the past couple of weeks, the pressure has simply been too much for the rand to bear, causing it to depreciate to levels around R17.00. In the past, the rand’s demise was primarily driven by bad local politics, which led to bad policies, which, ultimately, led to negative sentiment.
In June, BankservAfrica released another set of dismal monthly salary data for South Africa (SA). The Take-home Pay Index (BTPI) showed that, during the month of May, the average real monthly salary (removing the effect of inflation) in SA was only R14 696; this plummeted by 6.7% since May 2021.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported last week that, during the month of May, household prices increased by roughly 6.5% year-on-year. Higher inflation was partly driven by a low base effect, but more so by higher fuel prices, which have been increasing owing to the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as the sanctions imposed by the West. Fuel prices in May of this year are 32.5% higher than they were a year ago.
A landmark ruling by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has delivered some good news for couples married out of community of property and without the accrual system. The ruling stipulates that neither party will walk away empty-handed when they get divorced.
