Many investors rush for the exit at the same time, causing a whip-saw effect in asset prices.
The Rand is particularly vulnerable to this as one of the major currencies.
Emerging market (EM) investors can use it as a proxy for less liquid EM currencies, and use it to hedge as it has the benefit of straddling trading hours in parts of Asia and America.
There are two ways for you to get ... ››› more
Let me ask you a serious question…
How many of you believe you have enough money to last your retirement?
Well when you consider that over 50% of South Africans aren't confident they will be able to draw an income in retirement, I'm going to assume not many of you.
You see, a standard retirement annuity is simply not enough to generate the income you need, for the retirement you want... ››› more
It's simple, lending money to government is a guaranteed income bearing investment.
Most investors fail to recognise the value in this form of investing. Yet, it's hugely important if you want to bank more than just capital profits on your investments.
If you lend money to someone, you want to know that you're lending it to a person who can pay it back, along with the interest you charge.
... ››› more
In the last three weeks, one question constantly comes up in conversation with my friends, “What do you prefer, unit trusts or ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds)?”
My quick answer is always ETFs. But then I'm bombarded with follow up questions asking, “What's the difference and why do you like them so much?”
So, today, I want to put these questions to rest and explain once and for all, why... ››› more
I thought you may be interested in reading my answers to some of the recent trading questions I received on from traders on our investing club, www.investorsclub.co.za
If you have a question of your own, simply sign up (it's FREE) and ask away. Either I or one of the other FSPInvest experts will answer your trading and investing questions within 72 hours.
Q: How much do I need to make an ... ››› more
Unit trusts are solid investments. They deliver safe, long-term gains and take the worry of investing your money off your shoulders.
But what makes a good unit trust?
Let's take a closer look at what you should be looking for when deciding on a unit trust investment.
It all starts with what you want...
Before you invest in anything, you need to know what you expect to achieve from ... ››› more
I'm sure that you've heard so called experts around the braai tell you exactly what to invest in next, “My Uncle's boss's sister bought this share and today she's a millionaire.” Well, if that's where you get your investment information from then I'm seriously concerned.
You see its important to know what you're talking about when it comes to investing your hard earned money. That's why to... ››› more
Imagine this…
You invest your hard-earned cash into a fund to help grow your retirement portfolio, but in a mere 2 days, the fund you've invested in loses 66%.
This happened to investors in the Third Circle MET Target Return Fund in December.
What's more, Asset Managers who invested in this fund also lost a fair chunk of their portfolio.
That's why today I want to share the three red... ››› more
If you want to invest in unit trusts, you'll soon find out that there are a large number out there to consider.
So where should you look to find out everything you need to know about a specific unit trust?
You need to look at its fact sheet…
What is a unit trust’s fact sheet?
All unit trusts have a fact sheet. As well as for unit trusts, you’ll also find fact sheet... ››› more
If you fancy buying gold stocks as you see a recovery coming for the sector or to gain exposure to the gold price, it can be difficult to know which ones to buy.
One way to get around this is to buy into a unit trust that invests in gold stocks for you.
So what should you look at when weighing up different gold unit trusts?
Read on to find out…
The ins and outs of gold unit tr... ››› more
If you want to invest in tracker funds, you have two options available to you. You can invest in exchange traded funds (ETFs) or you can invest in passively managed unit trusts.
So which is the best option for you?
Read on to find out more…
The differences between ETFs and unit trusts
There are a lot of similarities between ETFs and unit trusts.
Both these types... ››› more
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are growing in popularity the world over. Since their introduction in South Africa, they have attracted a lot of investment and the number available continues to grow.
So what are the advantages of investing in them? And are they a good alternative to unit trusts?
Let's take a closer look…
The benefits of ETFs
There are a number of benefits to ... ››› more
You can use unit trusts to gain exposure to shares on the stock market, but this isn't the only option for you have with this kind of fund.
You can also invest in fixed-interest unit trusts too.
So what are fixed-interest unit trusts? And what type of fixed-interest funds are available to invest in?
Read on to find out…
The ins and outs of fixed-interest unit trusts
... ››› more
Whilst you may opt to invest in one or two actively managed unit trusts where the fund manager tries to outperform the market, there is a place for passively managed unit trusts in your portfolio.
Passively managed funds aim to track the performance of the market.
So how should you go about choosing tracker unit trusts?
Read on to find out…
The ins and outs of tracker unit trusts
... ››› more
If you're looking for a simpler way to invest, unit trusts are a good alternative to investing directly on the stock market.
A unit trust fund manager makes all the decisions for you, but you still need to decide what types of unit trusts to invest in.
So what are the most common types of unit trusts available?
Let's take a closer look…
The benefits of investing in unit trusts
... ››› more
For some investors, the idea of putting a large proportion of their investment money in equity unit trusts doesn't appeal. This is usually due to the higher risks associated with investing in shares.
As well as using unit trusts to invest in shares, you can also invest in unit trusts focusing on bonds.
So how should you go about deciding how to split your unit trusts between shares and bonds... ››› more
Not all unit trusts are managed the same. The fund manager either actively manages the unit trust to try to beat its benchmark or passively manages the unit trust aiming to track the performance of its benchmark.
As an investor, there are a few things you need to consider before deciding which unit trust management is for you…
The downside of actively managed unit trusts
Fund... ››› more
Unit trusts can be a great investment vehicle. They're easy to invest in and you don't have to pick individual stocks.
But you still need to make some decisions. You need to decide which types of unit trusts you want to invest in.
If you want exposure to the South African stock market, you have four different types of funds to consider…
How SA equity unit trusts work
With ... ››› more
For some people, the term Artificial intelligence (AI) sparks excitement. For others, it may seem worrying and controversial.
Many people embrace new technology as the key to building a better future for the world. Or as an instrument that can provide better productivity, more consistent results and reduce the perception of ‘human error'.
Every single day, people strive to build the lat... ››› more
When it comes to investing, it's important to build up a diversified portfolio. By diversifying, you reduce the overall risk of your portfolio.
Unit trusts can help you to diversify your holdings. And there is one type of unit trust in particular that could help you achieve diversification easily.
This type of unit trust is a fund of funds.
Read on to find out more…
What is a fund... ››› more