"Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing." (Warren Buffett) Choosing a retirement property involves considering location, cost, amenities, and healthcare services. Often, retirees prefer not to deal with the hassle of property maintenance and opt to stay in a...
The Big Question: Should You Buy a Home or Rent One?
“Home is not a place; it’s a feeling.” (Cecelia Ahern) Deciding whether to buy or rent your home may be one of the most important financial decisions you’ll ever make. Ultimately, the choice comes down to a combination of financial variables and personal factors,...
Three Pot System 101: What You Need to Know Before 1 September
“Change is not a gate we pass through; it is the definition of life.” (Millie Florence) The good Supporters of the change believe that introducing an accessible savings pot can provide salvation for those in financial crises, like the one caused by the Covid pandemic....
Why the Marshmallow Effect Could Derail Your Retirement Plans
“One must learn to give up momentary, uncertain, and destructive pleasure for delayed, restrained, dependable pleasure.” (Sigmund Freud) What is the marshmallow test? The test was devised by Walter Mischel, a Stanford University psychology professor, in the 1960s....
Busting the Post-Retirement Jargon
“Often, when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” Fred Rogers Retirement planning 101 If you’re part of a pension or provident fund or have a preservation fund and/or a retirement annuity, you can withdraw up to...
Demystifying Retirement Planning Lingo
We all dream of a happy retirement, but making it a reality requires early planning. A good rule of thumb is to stash away at least 15% of your pay check before taxes right from the start of your career. Depending on your situation, this might involve diving into some...
Need to Know: Annualised Returns Versus Internal Rates of Return
"Returns matter a lot. It's your capital." (Abigail Johnson) Let’s start at the beginning – Annualised returns The annualised rate of return on investment represents the average yearly return you would have received over a specified period. It expresses an...
The Differences Between Life and Living Annuities
New beginnings After working for forty years, the time has come to make really important decisions about how you’ll manage your retirement funds to ensure that your golden years are all you’d hoped for. When you retire, you must transfer two-thirds of your retirement...