What to read in the first-quarter 2016 edition (volume 66) of Personal Finance magazine, on sale for R32.95 in retailers.
Money lessons for life. Even the most diligent parents may flounder when it comes to teaching their children money skills. It takes a set of sound principles, plus confidence and consistency, to instil financial discipline.
A change of plan. Changes to the laws governing retirement funds and how your retirement savings are taxed will force you to revise your financial plan.
Bridging the retirement income gap. Moving retirement savings to low-risk assets as you approach retirement is a common strategy for preserving the value of your savings. But this creates another risk: that you won’t have enough money to buy the pension you need. New research suggests a different strategy for aligning your savings with your income.
Credit-cover cover: good to go? Many of us hop on a plane to an overseas destination thinking – or, rather, hoping – that the travel insurance we receive courtesy of our credit cards will be sufficient if something goes wrong. But the limits and exclusions on automatic credit-card insurance may leave you significantly exposed.
How to dispute your tax assessment. If you think the South African Revenue Service has erred in its assessment of your tax obligation for the year, you can lodge an objection and, if necessary, take it through a dispute-resolution process. Strict rules and time limits apply, so it's worth being prepared.
Mixing active and passive funds to manage costs and risks. The original idea behind splitting your investments between a core of passive funds and actively managed satellite portfolios was to reduce costs. Now, the core-satellite strategy is being used to reduce risk. We report on the options for combining passive and active funds, or building entirely passive portfolios.
Suing your doctor. If you have a valid negligence case against a medical practitioner, there are several routes you can take in the quest for compensation … but don’t expect an easy ride.
Measuring your attitude to investment risk. How much investment risk you can and should tolerate is one of the most important issues facing investors and financial advisers. We report on initiatives to align the risk you can afford to take with the risk level of the products you invest in.
Fund profile. The Mazi Capital Prime Equity Fund celebrated its fifth anniversary with a second-place ranking over five years to September 30, 2015 in the South African equity general sub-category, out-performing its competitors and the benchmark, while taking relatively low risk.
Vehicle security. Thieves are deploying a variety of cunning technologies to steal our vehicles and their contents. Staying a step ahead of the bad guys isn’t easy.
How Personal Finance’s (imaginary) share portfolios performed. In 2015, once again, optimism and perseverance triumphed on the JSE.
The nature of the beneficiary. Can you nominate only a natural person as a beneficiary of your retirement savings, or can you, say, nominate a charity? Pension fund lawyers are at odds on the issue.
A strong will. Making or amending your will calls for a cool head, so don’t rush to act at a time of emotional upheaval. Take a deep breath and obtain advice.
Recession obsession. While we quibble over whether we are officially in a recession, we risk overlooking the economic pointers that really matter.
Plus … Unit trust performance, PlexCrown Fund Ratings, tax guide and annuity rates.
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