By: MICEL SCHNEHAGE Property developers, investors and parents are taking advantage of a massive backlog in student housing to enter what could potentially be a lucrative investment. There also appears to be a growing trend in the number of private investors and parents climbing on…
By: CANDICE PAINE The merits of offshore diversification are old hat to most serious investors, but what is potentially a problem is the manner-often a knee jerk reaction in which most investors go about getting this exposure. What we have seen over time, borne out…
By: CRAIG AITCHISON While early reaction in the Eurozone seems to have resulted in the worst of the European sovereign debt crisis being averted, the long-term ramifications will be widely experienced by ordinary citizens across the globe, including millions of South African pension fund members….
By: INGÉ LAMPRECHT Balanced unit trust funds have seen significant inflows over the past few years on the back of generally good performances. Also, amidst growing uncertainty and volatility, many investors have decided to leave decisions around asset-allocation to the professionals. According to the Association…
By: SIMON PEARSE When investing for retirement, age 30 to 60, the aim is to accumulate capital. All investment income is re-invested, often tax free. The post-retirement phase, age 60 to 90, differs as the investor draws an annuity from the investment. The real threat…
By: INGÉ LAMPRECHT Is the underlying asset class of a unit trust a true reflection of the downside risk investors are faced with? Not necessarily. In fact, the risk spectrum of unit trust funds within the same subcategory in the local unit trust market can…
By: FELICITY DUNCAN According to the Association for Savings and Investment SA (ASISA), South Africans have over R1 trillion invested in collective investments. These funds make up a substantial portion of South African retail investors’ savings, and therefore picking the right unit trust is one…
By: PATRICK CAIRNS For many people, investing is scary. It seems complicated and convoluted, and there are so many things one needs to try to understand. As a result, we receive many requests from readers wanting to know where they should put their money. Given…
By: ROBIN GIBSON What do you do if you have woken up in your mid-50s and realised that you have less than ten years to go until you retire? This question from a reader outlines such a scenario, which we will try to address. Question…
By: INGÉ LAMPRECHT Every one per cent of additional annual returns or fee savings can sustain your retirement income level from a living annuity up to 12 years longer. The calculation is based on a 5% initial income drawdown that keeps pace with inflation, a…