Newsletters

Why Most Traders Lose Money – And Investors Don’t There’s been a proliferation of market trading apps in recent years, mostly backed by a message that making money through trading can be easy. The evidence, however, is quite the opposite.  In this article we look at why almost nobody makes money from day trading, and…

What Kind of Dog Investor Are You? In the wild world of investing, everyone has a bit of a dog in them. Some sniff out every opportunity, others guard their bones fiercely, and a few want a calm walk in the park.  The key is understanding your inner dog and allowing it to inform your…

Is There Ever Such a Thing as a “Normal” Stock Market? There is no shortage of things for investors to worry about at the moment, and the rate at which markets have swung up and down this year shows just how much uncertainty there is.  But how abnormal is what’s been happening? In this article,…

The US and You: Why What Happens in America Impacts Your Portfolio As the world’s most powerful economy, what happens in the US has a big impact on markets around the world. In fact, what happens in South Africa’s markets is often more about what’s going on in the US than what is appearing in…

How Fit Are You Financially? Your financial health is just as important as your physical health. Yet, while many South Africans work hard to stay fit and eat healthy, they never take the time to check whether their finances are in good shape.  Part of the reason may be because it’s difficult to know what…

Does Your Debt Die With You? Unfortunately, your debts don’t just disappear when you die – but they don’t necessarily attach themselves to your loved ones either. Your estate must follow the letter of the law in dealing with all your financial responsibilities before anything is distributed to your heirs.  That’s why it’s so important…

When it Comes to Investing, Debit Orders are Your Friend When you see all the debit orders flow out of your account early every month, remember that they are your friend. Or at least some of them are.  Investing via debit order is one of the biggest life hacks around as there’s no temptation to…

How to Keep FOMO Out of Your Investment Strategy The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a powerful emotion for many people. And when it comes to investing, it can be a dangerous one. This is because FOMO creates a strong urge to act impulsively – which can have negative long-term consequences. Disciplined investors are…

A Comprehensive Shield: Risk Cover is More Than Just Life Insurance Many people shy away from life insurance because they view it as a tax on their current income in order to benefit someone else when they are no longer around. But personal risk cover is about a lot more than simply leaving a windfall…

Burgernomics: Decoding Currency Values with the Big Mac Index The Big Mac Index, created by Pam Woodhall and first published in The Economist in 1986, offers an easily digestible way (pun intended) to assess currency values and the purchasing power parity (PPP) between countries.  Comparing the price of a McDonald’s Big Mac in different currencies…