In the May 2017 issue of ASA, I wrote an article on the power of compounding, the inspiration for this being my recent exposure to retirement modelling. As mentioned, those models are wrought with assumptions, and one of those assumptions is inflation. The importance in understanding inflation and its debilitating effects should encourage us to…
In my May article I suggested that one of the biggest challenges to innovation and business progress is simply finding the time to think, research, experiment and develop new ideas. The notion of carving out 20% time, à la Google, is a pipe dream for most. So I thought it would be interesting to figure…
We all love awards. We love the pomp and ceremony. We love the recognition by our peers. We love being able to provide our clients with that independent and expert assessment of our excellence in investments. But should we rely on them? Many of us will have heard of our local awards through the media…
A parable is a story often employed in biblical texts and is used to illustrate a moral lesson. One that struck me recently is about three talents, which I have adapted into a scenario below. Imagine a business owner who calls in three managers, all of whom are all at different levels. He presents the…
The South African tax system is based on a progressive system when taxing individuals. The Finance Minister announced a new tax bracket in the 2017 budget for taxing individuals that earn in excess of R1 500 000 per annum taxable income, taking the maximum marginal rate of tax up to 45%. This new tax bracket…
Chartered accountants’ daily job entails working with numbers and finances in its many forms, for example auditing and analysing financial records, financial reporting, taxation, and so much more. As financial professionals, we also offer financial advice to big corporate companies – however, we seldom get proper financial advice when it comes to our own personal…
I bought my first annuity when I was 22. Few questions were asked; I was actually flattered that a big company contacted me to set up a portfolio with them. For the last two years, we haven’t had a financial broker, for several reasons: bad service, their inability to answer real questions, and our own…
The Modified Flow-through Principle is a special provision in statement 100 paragraph 3.4.3.1 of the B-BBEE codes that reads: ‘Where in the chain of Ownership, Black People have a flow-through level of participation of at least 51%, and then only once in the entire ownership structure of the Measured Entity, such Black participation may be…
Uncertainty is a Certainty Don’t just do something, stand there! Income is not wealth Regulating Crowdfunding in South Africa Uncertainty is a Certainty Just 88 days into the New Year President Jacob Zuma announced a major cabinet reshuffle, prompting a surprisingly quick downgrade from ratings agency S&P Global Ratings (S&P). In one week the rand…
How to make digital deliver for banking in 2017 From tech to tech start-up How running to standstill won’t get you ahead of the pack Cyber- security saves financial organisations HOW TO MAKE DIGITAL DELIVER FOR BANKING IN 2017 2017 is the year that retail banking needs to deliver on its digital promises to customers…