Not all investment products are created equal. This week, listener JP was struggling to understand why his RA was performing so poorly while his tax-free account was making money. The answer is important for everyone who holds more than one investment product. This week we help you (and JP) work out what exactly you should ...
ETF: Commodity ETFs in your portfolio
Commodities tend to give investors a sense of security. Gold is especially popular during political and economical turmoil as the current COVID rally is making abundantly clear. The presence of a tangible asset at the other end of the transaction is comforting to those who are at all times geared for the apocalypse. While it’s ...
Podcast: How to invest BIG money
Those of us slowly building a portfolio every month accept our investments will be determined by our overall strategy. This strategy would include our ultimate financial goal, plans around asset allocation, diversification, tax planning and future drawdown management. We understand we have to consider these variables throughout our portfolio, including our retirement products. New money ...
ETF: Understanding the CoreShares Global Property ETF
Fortunately the abysmal performance of the local property sector is not the symptom of a global problem. The CoreShares S&P Global Property (GLPROP) exchange-traded fund (ETF) offers property lovers an opportunity to enjoy the security of a physical investment and steady income in developed economies. Unlike local ETFs that invest heavily in commercial real estate ...
Podcast: Help me help my parents!
The financial services industry has done nobody any favours. Not only were many of our parents sold retirement products with exorbitant fees, they are also offered the same awful choices now they’ve reached retirement age. They have learned the hard way you can spend your life doing everything right and still lose because of bad ...
ETF: Understanding the CoreShares S&P 500
For investors in a market with only 153 listed companies, access to an index tracker that gives one instant access to 500 companies is a boon indeed. When that tracker costs only 0.39% of your investment—as the CoreShares S&P 500 (share code: CSP500) does—all the better. The S&P 500 index has been around since the ...
Podcast: Workplace pensions vs RAs
You may not be very happy with your workplace pension fund. In this week’s episode, we think through some of the things you can do to remedy that situation. Pension funds, like all other retirement products, have to be Regulation 28-compliant. That means you don’t have much control over what’s inside. However, you can control ...
ETF: Bond ETFs, yields and junk status
With a wider variety of bond ETFs available, local investors can tinker with asset class exposure down to the region. But the relationship between price and income can be confusing. In this post, we explore what bonds are, the relationship between price and yield and how South Africa’s sovereign debt downgrade affected these instruments.
Podcast: The medics tribute show
There seems to be a battle for dominance raging between medical professionals and engineers on this show. This week we happened to receive emails from four healthcare professionals. Considering what’s happening in our hospitals at the moment, we decided to dedicate this week’s show to these heroes. Listen/download here. Subscribe to our RSS feed here. Subscribe or ...
ETF: Finding the right ETF
"What should I buy?" This is the question we hear most often from first-time investors. It's an understandable impulse to leave the choice up to somebody else, but it matters that you make this decision on your own. Investing is about your financial security. You work for your money, and then your money works for ...