Tag: lifestyle

Conversations around black tax – the obligation placed on those who achieve a degree of financial success to provide for their extended families and communities – need to be centred around families rather than individuals. Frank conversations that involve clearly communicated boundaries are imperative to dealing with the emotional aspects of money management.

Finding the right balance between short-term financial needs and your retirement prospects is possible with careful consideration of the various implications and good planning. Some people don’t want to stop working, while others can hardly wait to switch to a lower gear. Either way, there’s no escaping the necessity of planning for retirement.

We have announced the findings of our inaugural Retirement Insights Survey, the first retirement research of its kind conducted by an integrated financial services provider in South Africa. Against the backdrop of widespread belief that South Africa lacks a savings culture, the survey unveils some reasons for disparities in retirement savings beyond apathy or income.

In previous years, insurance advisers may have been seen as the ‘middleman’. Often, they were regarded as a form of salesman, primarily selling clients insurance policies on their properties and possessions, as well as assisting them with the claims process.

People are always on the go, juggling work, family, and social commitments and it is not uncommon for them to neglect their physical health. Modern lifestyle habits such as poor dietary choices, sedentary lifestyles, stress, and exposure to environmental pollutants have significantly increased chronic diseases and health issues.

Retirement planning is one of the most important parts of your financial journey, but it is often neglected or postponed until close to retirement age. Starting to plan for retirement is easier when you are still young, and you have few financial responsibilities.

Despite South Africa’s political turmoil and energy crisis, there is still significant interest from international property buyers who are drawn by the country’s inimitable lifestyle and the fact that that they can get considerably more bang for their buck here than in comparable areas abroad.

Current market conditions allow pensioners to secure 30% higher income that is guaranteed for life, than they could at the start of this decade. This is a window of opportunity for pensioners to lock in certainty of income for life, against an increasingly uncertain and volatile future.

You’ve most likely heard the term ‘underwriting’ mentioned in insurance ads and weren’t sure what it meant and why it’s important. Underwriting is a key element of life, critical illness, and disability insurance. It forms the basis of what premiums you pay and what you are covered for.

The National Budget Speech is here, and South Africans are ready to face the reality of increased costs across the board. Rising fuel prices, growing inflation, increased interest rates and the inevitable surge in food prices all seek to cripple household finances.