ETF blog logo

ETF: No to tax, yes to fees?

Kristia van HeerdenETF Blog, Latest

We deal with a tax question almost weekly on The Fat Wallet Show. This is hardly surprising. South Africans in higher tax brackets are vocal about how little their tax contributions get them. Public hospitals and schools often lack infrastructure and aren’t well run. Those who can afford it resent subsidising public institutions while having ...
The Fat Wallet Show with Kristia van Heerden

Podcast: Diversification by weighting

Kristia van HeerdenLatest, The Fat Wallet

Risk factors are a big consideration when I make investment decisions. Generally, I consider sectors, regions, currency and asset allocation when deciding between ETFs. I’m by no means claiming these are the only risk factors, but these are the ones I understand. Considering I only invest once a year, it’s kind of nuts how much ...
The Fat Wallet Show with Kristia van Heerden

Podcast: Investment clubs

Kristia van HeerdenLatest, The Fat Wallet

We often speak to people who want to set up investment clubs. I like to fly solo, especially when it comes to money, so I never really paid attention to it. Of course, now that I might have to set one up, they suddenly seem a lot more interesting. We’ve been chatting to Njabulo Nsibande ...
The Fat Wallet Show with Kristia van Heerden

Podcast: The index weighted by love

Kristia van HeerdenLatest, The Fat Wallet

Fat Wallet regulars know that index-tracking products are at the heart of our investment philosophy. Even Simon, with his individual shares and trading accounts, prefers having at least half of his portfolio invested in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs are financial products that track the performance of an index. If you struggle to understand what an ...
The Fat Wallet Show with Kristia van Heerden

Podcast: Structuring your pay cheque – Part Two

Kristia van HeerdenLatest, The Fat Wallet

Last week, we spoke about the basic concepts you need to understand to make good financial choices. We recap those this week, because understanding these concepts will change the way you think about your money. To recap, they are: Interest Inflation Compounding Assets Indices and index-tracking products We also discuss the different types of expenses ...
ETF blog logo

ETF: Are cheaper ETFs better?

Kristia van HeerdenETF Blog, Latest

The local ETF market continues to expand. Greater competition in the space achieved what greater competition always achieves - lower prices. We’ll never complain about low investment costs, but having so many similar ETFs to choose from is causing some anxiety. If two index-trackers track the same index, the one with a lower TER will ...