At a new year's party, a family member introduced me to a friend and mentioned to them that I work in the investment industry.
The guy leaned in and asked, “So what will the stock market do this year?”
To which I replied “There’s no way to be sure, and it’s not something I focus on when investing”
“How about the economy, will it grow again in 2019?... ››› more
It's not long until the schools break up for the holidays and the festive season will get into full swing.
Whilst this time of year gives you time to spend time with friends and family, it can also be an expensive time of year.
So how can you save money over the festive season?
How about skipping a holiday and staying at home?
Read on to find out more…
The festive season is an e... ››› more
If you've been thinking of buying a new car, think again.
Buying a new car is generally a bad investment because it depreciates in value quickly and has high monthly costs.
Like most bad investments you make, the decision to buy a new car is ultimately driven by your emotions. You want to be the envy of your colleagues, friends and family pulling up in a spanking new vehicle.
Slick car... ››› more
Earlier this week I spoke to a new parent who only earns R8,000 a month. With a three month old baby, she was concerned that she wouldn't have enough money for her child's education when the time came to send the child to school.
She could only afford to save R1,200 a year for her child's education and put her first lump sum savings into a 32 day savings account that gave her a measly 5% inter... ››› more
If you want to start investing but you don't know where to start. I want to show you five ways to save enough money so that you can start investing your money as soon as possible.
Most people believe that it's difficult to save your money but this isn't true. You just need to take a good look at your financial situation and the services at your disposal to find the money you need.
Sometim... ››› more
There are so many things you need to consider when planning for your retirement.
Of course, there's the obvious retirement planning concerns, like how much you earn and how much debt you have but there are other factors that could leave you scrambling around trying desperately to build up your retirement savings.
To help you prepare for your retirement, I've found 20 of the most common ret... ››› more
What if I told you there's a simple way to knock six years off your bond repayments and save R302,084.63. in the process?
Would you believe me if I told you that you can pay your bond off faster, without increasing the amount you pay each month?
In fact, you won't have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle at all. I've found a special solution to help you do just that. Just wait un... ››› more
Rich South Africans pay expensive lawyers, accounts, tax planners and investment managers to ensure they legally pay as little tax as possible.
Now I know what you're thinking: “That's great, but not everyone can afford these expensive advisors.”
Well I've got good news for you: You don't need the help of expensive accountants, tax advisors or investment managers. Because all the tax inc... ››› more
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a car auction. I saw people snatching great car deals that even baffled the commission-incentivised auctioneer! Some of the cars were literally selling for about half of what I knew the retail value to be. I was stumped... I know they say “In war, there are no winners”… But believe me, after what I saw - in bidding wars - there certainly are. Today I'll reve... ››› more
“Francois: I read your article on using ‘buy limit orders' to buy shares at lower prices and decided to do it. But something seems to have gone horribly wrong. I tried buying R5,000 worth of shares with a limit price of 51c. But when I checked my account it only traded about R500 worth. My cost per share, after brokerage, is now 67c per share. What's going on???” - BM
The right tools, u... ››› more
I see this question often. If you've been wondering how you can get your investment portfolio started quickly if you don't have R10,000, this guide is for you!
A solution that could help you save up R10,000 in as little as four months!
I recently had a chat with my colleague Aiden Sookdin.
He told me about a programme he’s running to help people free up as much as... ››› more
If you've been reading Trading Tips (TradingTipsSA.co.za) regularly, by now you should have:
• Essential trading rules to not blow your trading portfolio
• A few profitable trading strategies to follow
• Tips on how to boost your trading success
But where on earth do you find the money to start using these tips to trade for your
retirement?
I'm going to address this issue today so yo... ››› more
First, I want to thank you for your questions on the Investors club. Every question you ask, helps me get an idea on what you need to trade more successfully. This year I want to make sure I answer as many of your burning questions as possible. And starting today, I thought we'd address this question from Markus.
“How can I save some money every month to trade Forex?"
Freeing up money to trad... ››› more
Water shortages are becoming a serious problem in South Africa. The lack of rain and ongoing heatwave is making the problem much worse. Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal are in the middle of water restrictions while water reservoirs in the Western Cape are 20% lower this year.
The department of Water Affairs blames the water problems on poor planning, budget constraints and supply management challeng... ››› more
Financial planning involves everything from having adequate insurance cover to preparing for your retirement.
Having adequate savings is a cornerstone to successful financial planning.
So what are your options when it comes to saving? And how can you make it work for you?
Read on to find out…
Why savings are such an important aspect of financial planning
Savings are cru... ››› more
Financial planning involves all aspects of money management for today and for your future.
Everyone needs to support themselves. This involves buying food, paying rent or a bond, and putting petrol in the car.
But once you get your essential spending done, you should be putting your money into savings and investing the rest.
So what is the difference between savings and investing?
Let'... ››› more
When you're young, you have hopes and dreams for the years that lie ahead. Retirement seems a far off notion that you won't have to worry about now.
As you age and you creep closer to retirement age, the reality dawns that you may not be in a financially sound position to ever retire. Things aren't quite like you envisaged them.
But you can make changes now that will help you live a comforta... ››› more
Agora founder Bill Bonner explains the basics of building wealth as, “Keep it simple. Keep it cheap. And keep at it.”
Bill also mentions that “success depends on habits, personalities, and luck.”
Now I can't change your personality or give you luck. But what I can do is share with you the three most basic habits for building wealth.
In fact, these three habits seem so simple, y... ››› more
Here's a little something that I'd like to share with you today.
We all have cars, and so we can relate.
I was able to save R6,096 which I added to one of my trading portfolios all thanks to Aiden Sookdin...
This is a very good life-hack to have. In fact, if I can also help you with your trading by you saving money to trade, then I'll be happy to write these kind of life-hacks to you..... ››› more
It's probably not a surprise to learn that many South Africans haven't adequately prepared for retirement and have little or no savings.
Saving for retirement is something that you need to do. How else are you going to support yourself when you're older?
You may think you don't have enough money to save towards retirement, but chances are you do.
Read on to find out more…
Stop was... ››› more