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One of South Africa’s most contentious laws regarding annuities states that a retirement fund may not be completely withdrawn in a lump sum, but a minimum of two thirds must be invested into a compulsory living annuity in an attempt to aid preservation of retirement money.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 are well informed about their retirement money sometimes forget this element of their annuities. Then along came the Coronavirus pandemic with global […]
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Financial wellness mindsets for life’s autumn
Autumn is a precious time of year and is perhaps an altogether more positive metaphor for another special time: the tail end of middle age when we are far from elderly, but far from young. You look up one day and realise that while you were busy building a life with your family, or perhaps pursuing a fulfilling career, the years rolled by more quickly than you thought. There’s still time on the proverbial clock, but […]
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Offshore investing and the new expat tax
As of 1 March 2020, an amendment to the South African Income Tax Act will have definite ramifications on the lives of South Africans living and working abroad. Now that this infamous ‘expat tax’ is in effect, SA expats are now obligated to pay up to 45% of their foreign income to the taxman when it exceeds R1 million per annum, which includes any fringe benefits provided as part of the job. But what about investors? […]
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The NHI: What we know so far
South Africa has just had its annual Budget Speech, with one of the many controversial topics not addressed being the National Health Insurance scheme. Yet President Ramaphosa stated very recently that he expects it to be fully rolled out within the next five years. The NHI was initially to kick off on 1 March 2020 but is currently years away from full implementation, with much still unknown about how NHI will actually work. So, what do […]
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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, especially your financial goals, rather than romance. However, there is a way to think of both. In honour of the month of […]
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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 you do not earn in and from South Africa. On 1 March, the new section 10(1)(o)(ii) of the Income Tax Act (known […]
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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 end with good budgeting – when you have a good budget and stick to it, you’re often 90 percent of the way […]
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Global macro trends for SA investors to watch in 2020
Every investor has their own unique style when it comes to the rigorous decision-making process that goes into what to include in their portfolio and how to weight it. January, with the fresh perspective that comes from a break and a new financial year pending, is often the ideal time to take a look at investment decisions from a new angle. One of the most useful ways to do that is the big picture look at […]
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Four ways to invest differently this year
As much as we dislike the idea of New Year’s resolutions, January can bring with it a welcome burst of drive and energy to try and improve things from the previous year. When it comes to improving your investments, instead of focussing on maximising returns (which is never fully in our control), try focussing on the way you invest. Try out these four tips to unleash your best inner investor yet in 2020: Grow your patience […]
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The investors’ tax guide for the 2020 year
In the last few months of the year the personal income tax season hangs over year-end busy-ness like a shroud. Then, the new year begins right away with business’ financial year end looming. The last thing most of us want to think about in January is more tax. But really, January is the best time to start thinking about tax – when you are comparatively freshest, to give you the most time and preparation possible to […]
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