The most reliable way to forecast the future is to try and understand the present - John Naisbitt. One of the biggest criticisms of the retirement industry, which is being driven by societal changes, is that the future is so unpredictable that it is almost impossible to save for retirement. Therefore, the quote by Naisbitt offers a solution (albeit a vague one) to the biggest challenge that currently exists in the retirement industry. The solution does make sense if we take a

The role of beneficiary fund trustees in protecting the interests of minor beneficiaries cannot be underestimated. By doing their fiduciary duty, trustees play a critical part in changing children’s lives by helping them be financially resilient and as self-sufficient as possible as they approach adulthood. It can be a complex job. There are lots of tricky cases and, although the law governs decisions, trustees do often have final say. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the dep

At FirstRand Limited’s AGM on 28 November 2019, a total of 99.9% of shareholders voted in favour of a climate risk shareholder resolution that requires the bank to adopt and disclose a policy on fossil fuel lending by end October 2020. FirstRand is the second South African company to table climate risk-related shareholder resolutions. The first was Standard Bank in April 2019. Unlike the Standard Bank board, the FirstRand board endorsed the resolution (ordinary resolution 6)

The recent twitter hashtag #SalaryDepression was an apt illustration of the collective low mood many people are experiencing when it comes to money matters, as we feel financially stretched to the limits. While a recent Sanlam survey shows most South Africans do prioritise saving for education, it’s often the end goal that can seem insurmountable. This is exactly where a financial intermediary can play an invaluable role in guiding people with a plan and tools to track educat

S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) has unfortunately revised its outlook for South Africa to negative. As a result the ratings of all financial institutions in the country will also be revised to negative. This is in line with S&P’s policy not to rate finance institutions higher than the long term outlook for a country. While the decision is regrettable for a country working hard to kickstart its economy, Capitec says it will maintain its unwavering focus of helping South Africans si

Private market investing is becoming mainstream in South Africa (SA) as investors shift to assets such as private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure. Institutional investors, high net worth individuals as well as regular investors are seeking inflation beating investments after a sustained period of low JSE returns. Private market assets, also referred to as alternative asset investments, refer to those not traded on a public exchange. All SA investors can n

‘Keep It Real’ - A Gryphon Op-Ed Series: Part 3 of 5 ‘A meaning which fits the theme of "that's the way the money goes" involves pawning one's coat in desperation to buy food and drink, as "weasel (and stoat)" is more usually and traditionally Cockney rhyming slang for "Coat" rather than throat and "pop" is a slang word for pawn. Therefore, "Pop goes the weasel" meant pawning a coat. Decent coats and other clothes were handmade, expensive and pawnable. The monkey on the table

History is one of investors’ greatest teachers, offering rich lessons and valuable guiding principles. But this aspect of investing is very much a level playing field – the past is “open access”. The distinction of the skilled investor lies in the discipline of applying the lessons and principles from history to the future. As Wayne Gretzky – widely regarded as the greatest ice-hockey player ever –eloquently puts it: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has