Studies show that interactions with therapy animals can decrease stress in humans. Playing with or petting an animal can increase levels of the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin and decrease production of the stress hormone cortisol. With 5 November around the corner I thought I would share some safety tips for pets and animals to reduce their … Read More
Investing in your child’s education is often one of the most important yet challenging saving endeavours you can undertake and as a parent you don’t need any reminding of the urgency to start planning and saving today.Having a baby has financial implications and most new and future parents need to start saving straight away if … Read More
Christmas is almost around the corner. If you want to survive the holiday season without sapping your bank account, now is the time to start planning. The number one rule for spending money is this: Have a plan, but don’t just have a plan – stick to it!Draw up a budget If you’ve read my … Read More
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month, the second most common cancer (after skin cancer) in women in South Africa. According to the National Cancer Registry, 1 in 33 women are at risk of developing breast cancer.Men can also develop breast cancer although they are at a significantly lower risk with 1 in 1249 developing this … Read More
The Department of Energy recently announced that 93 grade petrol will decrease by two cents per litre from October 7. There will, however, be increases in 95 unleaded, diesel and illuminating paraffin. The department noted the main reason for the price hike was the weakening of the rand against the dollar.The price of 95 ULP … Read More
Looming interest rate hikes in South Africa should theoretically lift savings rates by boosting returns, but in reality they will only make it harder for heavily indebted households to repay loans, leaving little extra money to set aside. “As a country we save way too little,” said Rian le Roux, an economist at Old Mutual. … Read More
Loads of people are doing it nowadays, but not everyone understands why it’s important. Blogging is a powerful marketing tool for your business – if you want to grow and sustain online communication (and business…) with your clients and customers, then this is an elemental piece of the puzzle.There are multiple ways to increase your … Read More
With the introduction of tax free savings accounts (TFSA), people have been wondering what sort of benefits they provide. So what are the main reasons to consider a TFSA?The first reason would be to replace the interest exemption in our tax laws. It was specifically stated that with the introduction of the TFSA, there would … Read More
While it seems like a simple question there are many considerations that need to be accounted for when asking: Can I retire on R2 million?It is important for a financial advisor to provide a client with guidance regarding questions that have been asked, but also to provide answers to questions that the client hasn’t thought … Read More
Your finances can use some spring cleaning as much as your house does. Last week we went over some budgeting and account handling ideas, this week we continue with some more ways to get you feeling financially refreshed… Review recurring costs We become accustomed to recurring fees to a point of comfort. Maybe it is … Read More