Tag: Allan Gray

While we will all face the inevitability of death one day, many of us find it scary to confront our own mortality. But good estate planning is a critical aspect of broader financial planning; without it, our dependants may be left in a precarious financial position. 

Optimism, the idea of hopefulness, or confidence about the future success of something, is a feeling that may be understandably absent from South Africans’ lives at the moment, especially amidst negative news headlines and a lack of certainty about the future.

Talking about finances at work can seem like a taboo subject, especially given that conversations about salaries, bonuses or saving for retirement usually take place behind closed doors. If you are a member of a group savings scheme through your employer, such as a pension, provident or umbrella fund, you may have burning questions about how this will impact your retirement.

Many of us would like to put money aside for saving and investing but struggle to remain committed and disciplined each month. Being part of a savings club is a great way to reach your financial goals. Saving can be difficult on your own, but South Africans have always been creative when it comes to solving problems. To help us get into the habit of regular saving, over 11.5 million of us have joined savings clubs and stokvels.

Your friends and family may offer you financial advice with good intentions, but you should be wary of basing your investment decisions purely on stories shared 'around the braai'. People love to give advice, especially the people closest to us – our family and friends. And while we are often able to be circumspect, sifting out what is irrelevant to us, it can be difficult to resist taking financial advice from family and friends, especially when they appear to have done well for themselves.

According to the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem of South Africa: A Strategy for Global Leadership Report, researched and produced by the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute...