Tag: personalfinance

Most parents spend decades building generational wealth, but few spend the time preparing the next generation to manage it. That is often where things fall apart. We are very good at transferring assets, but we are not good at transferring judgment.

With geopolitical conflict, elections, oil prices and inflation risks dominating headlines, it is easy to believe everything is beyond your control. However, that is not the case. The most important drivers of long-term investment success are often the factors you can control. They start with understanding how you behave when markets feel uncomfortable.

If you're eager to get into the stock market because you've heard it's a fast track to wealth, think again. The reality is that most individual stocks result in losses over the long term. This finding emerged in a recent article by Hendrik Bessembinder, which analysed the investment outcomes of 29,754 common stocks listed on the US public markets from 1926 to 2025.

South Africa should carefully assess how short-term instalment products are interpreted before Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) data shapes access to mainstream credit. The country could risk turning BNPL into a product that shuts people out of mainstream credit rather than helping them into it. This could happen if BNPL data enters credit-scoring systems that were never designed to interpret this type of product fairly.

We live in a world of information overload, and it can be challenging to know what is real and what is not. When it comes to money, social media is littered with "finfluencers" who present information and share "secrets" about managing and growing money. Some of it is real, while much of it is fake. As a result, it can be very difficult to know the difference.

The role of the nine-to-five is changing, and South Africa’s financial reality reflects this shift. According to the South African Reserve Bank, household debt levels remain high at around three-quarters of disposable income. Meanwhile, savings rates remain persistently low. This leaves many households with little room to absorb shocks, build long-term security and provide for retirement.

The book arrives at a time when many women are seeking ways to strengthen their financial independence and build a more secure future. Financial Confidence for Her Wellbeing is a practical guide that helps women build a stronger relationship with money. It also gives them the confidence they need to make informed financial decisions.

The concept of delayed gratification – resisting an immediate reward or temptation to receive a bigger or better reward later – is not a new one. However, modern life makes discipline harder than ever. We now live in a world shaped by on-demand convenience, algorithm-driven marketing, relentless social pressure and easy access to short-term credit. In this environment, ignoring fleeting trends becomes difficult.

A sudden medical emergency nearly cost my life. However, thanks to prudent financial planning, hospital bills became the least of my worries. I used to think I had time and health on my side. I trained hard, stayed active and monitored my health closely. By most measures, I was doing what people are supposed to do. Then, one evening in November 2022, after a completely ordinary day, my body gave way without warning.

Housing market data has shown a broad rise in the house price/rent ratio over some years. This trend would point to relative affordability shifting in favour of the rental option over buying. However, there is far more to consider in the “rent vs buy” debate. We recently saw the release of StatsSA’s House Price Indices for December 2025. This release completed the house price performance picture for last year.