Tag: credit score

Despite economic turbulence in South Africa, the repo rate has remained two basis points lower than it was before the pandemic’s onset in March 2020. This, combined with high approval rates amongst the banks, has created favourable home loan lending conditions for buyers.

We have partnered with the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) to make the dream of home ownership a reality for first-time homebuyers who may not have been able to attain a home loan in the past. This has been made possible through the government introduced Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) that looks to close the ‘gap’ in the homebuying market.

For most Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), funding and loans are vital to their ability to purchase equipment, expand the business and maintain cash flow through challenging times. But to maximise their chances of getting the loan, it’s vital that that they do their homework before approaching a funder.

In the wake of the pandemic, many face the reality of their meticulous credit records being negatively affected by the whirlwind of last year’s economic instability. Landlords and tenants alike have been affected due to income loss, leading to missed bond payments, downsizing and, unfortunate, if unavoidable evictions.

Applying for a home loan is the most important step on the home buying journey, but many first-time applicants are in the dark about what the banks – the institutions with the power to approve these home loans are looking for. The process is relatively straightforward, provided you have all your financial affairs in order.

Given the dire economic circumstances, coupled with ongoing challenges facing businesses, it has never been more important for employees to be prepared both from a financial and personal perspective to deal with unprecedented changes, while still maintaining focus at work.

The COVID-19 crisis is having a profound impact on South Africa’s economy with the GDP forecast to contract by as much as 7.1% in 2020, to an all-time low of roughly -8.5%. A wide range of industries came to an abrupt halt during the national lockdown, with businesses across the board struggling to stay afloat – mass job cuts, and for many others, pay cuts, loom.

With the lockdown period having significant ramifications on personal finances, many consumers are asking about available options to assist in better managing their money. One option is debt consolidation, which in the right circumstances can improve current cash flows and save costs.

Bank hackers, email phishing scams and identity theft are synonymous with fraud in the financial sector. According to a statement by the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), more than R 800 million were lost over the last couple of years in South Africa due to fraud.

South Africans’ appetite for credit shows no sign of abating according to the latest Consumer Credit Market Report released by the National Credit Regulator. The total value of new credit granted increased from R120.08 billion to R123.64 billion for the quarter ended September 2017, an increase of 2.96% when compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 5.21% year on year.