MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES When last did you hear this saying? Probably when you were a child, a few decades ago…This expression has slowly been silenced by the loud announcements in our consumer driven society. All the messages that are pumped through the media and social networks tell us to consume; not to save and re-use. Yes, times are tight and money certainly doesn’t grow on trees, but we have developed a mentality of exploring […]
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HOW TO BUILD A STRONG INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (III)
Hindsight is 20:20; we can always view what we’ve done with a comprehensive view than before we did it. Whilst you can’t change the decisions that you’ve made, you can change the decisions that you’re going to make in the future. When building an investment portfolio, the third key consideration that you must bear in mind is: review. Look back at the investment choices that you’ve made and decide if they are worth repeating or if […]
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THE LARGER THE GAIN, THE LARGER THE RISK For those in the southern parts of South Africa, there are rainy days ahead. Easter normally signposts the temperature drop and increased saturation in the air. Rain begins to fall, animals slow down and all too often our waistlines begin to explore the other side of the belt buckle… Rainy days are ahead. We’ve heard it plenty of times, but are you prepared? Not for the cold, but […]
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BASIC INSTINCTS Every winter we begin to see a profusion of pallid tree-dwelling rodents, squirreling away nuts and seeds for the cold season. This is a lovely illustration of wise investments for the future: simple, natural and too true to life. The reason for this can be put down to instinct, but ask yourself – what about the first family of squirrels, how could they have known of the three-month scarcity of food? I think it’s […]
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MASTER THE 30 DAY RULE Do you know what the 30 Day Rule is? Not? Want to know what your kids want most? Then this article is definitely worth a read! There are hundreds of saving tips out there but there was an article written on thesimpledollar.com just months before the recession of 2009 that had some simple, fresh and ingenious suggestions to saving money. I’ll share five of these with you know, as I did […]
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5 TIPS FOR HEALTHIER KIDNEYS
Whenever we see an article with a list of ways to improve something, we seem to jump to the points and skip the first bit out… I hope you don’t do that here! Healthy kidneys are important when applying for any kind of risk cover, so naturally an article about keeping your kidney’s in great health would be read fast! So if you’re actually reading this intro and not just jumping through points one through five, then […]
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DOES THE STRENGTH OF THE RAND AFFECT MY INVESTMENTS?
My last article highlighted six main factors that affect the strength of the rand. It’s been really well read and seems to be quite a frequently asked question. Further effects of the exchange rate fluctuations are felt in offshore investments. Today I’d like to take a look at the considerations that a change in currency makes on offshore investment portfolio considerations. In the same article from Discovery’s website, they looked at three investment portfolio scenarios that […]
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NECESSITIES, NICETIES AND NOT-JUST-YETS…
BREAKDOWN YOUR EXPENSES It’s hard not to notice how fast our current economic landscape is changing. Jobs are harder to get, and harder to keep. Although things may look tough for everyone else, they don’t have to for you! How is this possible?With wise and creative financial planning! I’d like to share with you how you can begin approaching your monthly budget in an objective manner. I call it the Three N’s. Basically you break down your expenses […]
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A PENNY SAVED… If you’ve heard this saying used once too many, then you’re not alone! But the truth is, it’s right on the money. The best way to accrue wealth is to save and invest in a combination of short, medium and long-term options. As we mentioned in a previous article, diversification is a key element to a successful investment portfolio, but how do you start to save pockets of money to direct into these […]
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ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE STORM?
Bruce Cameron, finance writer for Personal Finance, recently published an article highlighting the concerning statistics that most South Africans, who are currently employed, may be seriously under-assured for death or disability cover. His opening paragraph reads as follows: “The vast majority of 13 million employed South Africans are ignoring the fact that, if they die prematurely or are permanently disabled, their families will not be able to maintain their standard of living – in fact, most […]
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