Here’s the thing about the lighthouse – it’s focus is always offshore. At the time of writing this article, the world is still flailing under the storm of the Coronavirus and the conditions have caused us all to rethink many of the foundations in our lives that we once thought secure. Just like the view from the lighthouse, the seas can go from calm to savage in a matter of hours, the visibility can decrease from […]

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In light of the difficult times recently, Southern Africa has been awash in low interest rates. When South Africa significantly cut its base interest rate from an already-low 6.25% down to 4.25%, it officially became the lowest interest rate the country has ever had. In late 2019, the Bank of Namibia’s Monetary Policy Committee reduced the rate to 6.5% from 6.75%, then lending rates at Bank Windhoek were slashed further come 2020. Interest rates, particularly interest […]

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Most of us are chronic under-savers even in the best of times. Yet with the current economic environment, lots of previously hypothetical concepts like ‘what if I’m retrenched or have my salary cut?’ are far more concrete – and, unfortunately, more likely to happen. There’s never been a time when saving is more important, but there’s also likely never been a time when it’s more difficult. Do you want to put something away for a rainy […]

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Most Sub-Saharan African countries are chronic ‘dis-savers’. But, you don’t have to be. Before we look at the options, let’s take a snapshot of recent events. Last July, the South African Savings Institute gave the country a wakeup call when it said that the average household rate had fallen from 0.5% per month in 2018 to 0.4% in 2019.  While 2020 figures are not out yet (at the time of this blog) anywhere in the continent, […]

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Current investors have seen more ‘interesting times’, more black swans and market freefalls, than any other generation gone before. From the 2008 global financial crisis, followed by the longest bull run in history, to Brexit, several downgrades for South Africa and then the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s investors have run the gamut. Their emotions have run the gamut too, whether they realise it or not. Our brains on investing Like being chased by a lion or falling […]

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The last few years have seen more market volatility than anyone could have predicted, with the icing on the cake being the COVID-19 pandemic. But the best and worst thing about markets is their cyclical nature. All markets recover, eventually. We know what to do when there’s a downturn and experience has taught many investors some hard lessons with recent stock market crashes. But what about an upswing? What do you do when the markets recover […]

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Oh, the ironies of life…  One of South Africa’s most contentious laws regarding annuities states that a retirement fund may not be completely withdrawn in a lump sum, but a minimum of two thirds must be invested into a compulsory living annuity in an attempt to aid preservation of retirement money. Even those who are well informed about their retirement money sometimes forget this element of their annuities. Then along came the Coronavirus pandemic with global […]

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Communication around your finances is crucial if you want to be more mindful and intentional around wealth creation. There are some conversations that will help you ascribe meaning to your money, and these should happen early on in your planning process (and regularly thereafter). Then there are conversations that will facilitate the actioning of your financial plan and will be important when you need to make changes to your portfolio. Here is a quick guide to […]

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Depending on your level of investing savvy, you may or may not be comfortable with the term ‘commodities’. As our global systems currently enter one of the toughest times experienced in over a hundred years, you may hear this term bandied about a fair amount. Essentially, commodities are the basic building blocks of the global economy, upon which most other goods are created. They fall into two broad categories – hard and soft. Hard commodities are […]

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Anything of any value takes time. Likewise, creating wealth is a long-term process. Well-structured investment strategies have always taken uncertainty into account. Patience, resilience and a robust strategy are imperative to weather the global investment storm that has been raging in recent times. As you embark, or continue, upon your journey to great financial security, it is important to wholly understand the investment landscape. This is one of the areas where having an adviser you trust […]

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