
Quality, not quantity, counts as far as social media marketing is concerned
I don’t have many followers on social media. Am I doing something wrong? Should I just close my account? The number of followers that financial advisers have is not a reflection of how likely they are to attract prospects from social media marketing. According to many social media experts in the financial service space, the […]

Regulatory Exams – Payment critical to secure seat
“I have registered online via your online booking system to write the Regulatory Exam. Do you need proof of payment, before my booking is secured?” Once you have registered you will receive an email confirming your booking, it will include the date, time and venue of your exam. However, payment must be made within 24 […]

Not all is fair in love and… wills
As we celebrate the month of love, the 3.5 million South African couples who are living together but are not married should be aware that when it comes to legal affairs, not all is fair in love and wills. This was underscored in a recent dispute involving a long term girlfriend who wanted to claim […]

Rebuilding the retirement savings – Employers play huge role
Last year, at the height of the pandemic, many businesses were forced to make remuneration cuts to salaries of employees, with the first casualty often having been occupational retirement savings vehicles. This resulted in many people having to pause their retirement contributions. Now, as 2021 kicks off, the trend is shifting, with many employers resuming […]

SARS affords itself a 30-day advantage
“SARS has awarded itself a 30-day interest-free holiday on taxpayer money.” According to Moneyweb, the law now allows the revenue service to reduce the amount of interest it must pay a taxpayer in the event of an overpayment. A “sneaky” new amendment in South African tax laws now gives SARS a 30-day interest-free ‘holiday’ when […]

How you can benefit from the Skills Development Levy
Do you, as an employer, understand why you are paying a Skills Development Levy (SDL)? Do you know that this gives you access to funds for training? Many business owners just see it as a compulsory payment of 1% from their monthly payroll, and that’s it. “Many employers don’t realise that they are able to […]

What does 2021 hold for Fintech?
“Each year, at AlphaCode, we use our vantage point of the fintech landscape to share what we expect this year. We had no idea last January that a whole new world awaited. One that would include global lockdowns, Zoombombing, covidiots, closed borders and quarantining,” Dominique Collett, head of AlphaCode, Rand Merchant Investments’ fintech division mentions […]

Human Touch plays huge role in Financial Services future
Despite digital technologies being set to significantly enhance processes, dedicated advisers and front-line staff will remain key within financial services According to Avaloq‘s financial industry report, front office staff such as client advisors and relationship managers will continue to be in high demand, particularly those that can blend digital expertise with strong client understanding. “Technology […]

Massive increase in unsecured debt as real income shrinks across all income bands
While payment holidays and lower interest rates provided South African consumers with significant short-term relief in 2020, DebtBusters’ latest debt index shows that real incomes have shrunk by up to 20% over the past four years and consumers reliant on unsecured debt were faced with a debt burden when payments recommenced. DebtBusters’ Q4 2020 Debt […]

FSCA Guidance to insurers on Contingent Business Interruption claims
A recent media release sets out the FSCA’s current position on certain aspects of Contingent Business Interruption Insurance (CBI) cover as well as its expectations of non-life insurers and policyholders in respect of CBI claims, in order to ensure that the processing of these claims is not unduly delayed and in line with the legal certainty […]