The evolution of financial advice: why empathy matters as much as expertise
As financial advice shifts beyond technical solutions, advisers are increasingly valued for their ability to guide clients through behaviour and life’s defining moments.
Author: Moonstone Information Refinery
Avoiding permanent loss: why downside risk is back in focus
Stonehage Fleming argues that in an uncertain environment, limiting losses and managing concentration risk may matter more than capturing every phase of market upside.
RAF faces claims surge if form falls
SCOPA says the RAF 1 form may have kept claims out of the system, leaving the Fund exposed to a wave of unrecognised liabilities if it is set aside.
Prudential Authority warns of AI-accelerated cyber attacks
Financial institutions must move beyond monitoring and focus on resilience, containment, and recovery under compressed timelines.
Fintech is booming – but regulation, risk, and trust will decide who wins
Rapid growth in South Africa’s fintech sector is giving way to a tougher phase shaped by regulation, competition, and the race for customer trust.
FirstRand won’t challenge FCA motor-finance redress scheme
The group rules out litigation, despite maintaining that the scheme is unfair and disproportionate.
Santam shifts core insurance systems to the cloud
The move of its Guidewire platform marks a change in how policies and claims are processed and managed.
High Court reinforces CPA: conduct, not contracts, determines liability
The judgment shows that misleading representations and failing to disclose material facts can ground liability, regardless of contractual terms.
Trip cancellation cover: what it pays, and what it won’t
Understanding the limits of cancellation insurance is key to avoiding unexpected losses on non-refundable travel bookings.
Draft AI policy scrapped after fake citation findings
Minister Solly Malatsi pulls the draft framework following confirmation that it includes unverified, likely AI-generated sources.
Discipline, not distress: South Africans rethink how they spend
From weight-loss drugs reshaping grocery spend to online betting redefining entertainment budgets, South Africans are spending more deliberately – and differently.
Tribunal dismisses R824 000 claim over delayed fund credit transfer
The FST rejects the member’s loss calculation based on assumed money market returns, affirming that the fund’s rules limit accrual to bank interest.
Death claims test trustees as section 37C meets real-world complexity
From disputed dependants to contested deaths, trustees are judged on how they investigate and explain their decisions.
Behaviour outperforms income in financial well-being measure
The Franc Wealth Index finds that financial planning, emergency savings, and consistent investing are most closely associated with stronger financial outcomes.
Audit quality strained by weak judgement and rising tech risks, IRBA finds
Inspections highlight persistent gaps in professional scepticism and the growing challenges of integrating technology into audits.
CPD deadline looms – make the final hours count where it matters
With 31 May approaching, advisers face a tighter window and higher stakes – choosing CPD that delivers practical value, not just compliance.
PA publishes revised public disclosure standard for insurers
The revised draft standard sets out detailed qualitative and quantitative public disclosure requirements and is open for comment.
