Why is travel insurance so important

According to recent statistics, 5.5 million South Africans travelled abroad in 2016, showing that travel has become a part of many people’s lives — be that for business or leisure. A vacation can be an enriching experience that allows us to step away from our daily lives to relax and, enjoying it with added peace-of-mind […]

Rent out your home this holiday season

Many South Africans choose to take advantage of the public holidays and the warm weather by visiting loved ones or going on an adventure over December and January. However, expenditure over this festive season can quickly add up if you’ve planned a well-deserved break. It, therefore, can be worth renting out your house for the […]

Holiday Home Considerations

Although the demand for holiday homes in South Africa lost some momentum at the start of last year, according to the FNB Holiday Town House Price Index for February 2018, a renewed year-on-year growth acceleration was demonstrated in the results of the last half of 2017. In fact, the demand for holiday homes in South […]

Who pays the difference?

Good health care is not always easily obtainable and quickly becomes a costly experience. Many people who have health cover policies sometimes expect to have more cover than their policy actually includes, and they are saddled with high shortfall bills; they land up paying the difference between the medical cover rate, and the cost of […]

Time to Review your Medical Cover

Towards the end of every year, many medical schemes announce their annual contribution increases for the following year. This makes these last few months of 2018 the perfect time to review your cover and make any necessary amendments, as, until the start of December, most medical aid providers will allow you to change plans or […]

Make a Mental Note

“Without mental health there can be no true physical health” – Dr Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Brock Chisholm was a psychiatrist who asserted the notion that mental and physical health are linked, and an increasing amount of evidence highlights the impact that mental illnesses — particularly depression […]

The Lowdown on Inheritance and Donations Tax

Understanding how your (or your loved one’s) possessions and wealth are treated when you pass away is crucial to how you plan for what will happen to them. This blog is aimed at breaking down an incredibly paper-heavy, jargon-filled process! When a taxpayer dies, all their assets are placed in an estate, which is commonly […]

How to Reduce Estate Costs

Death can be an expensive affair and it is easy to underestimate the costs involved, especially as some unconsidered fees can quickly add up. As well as the funeral expenses, those left behind can be liable to pay mortgage bond cancellation costs, appraisement costs, Master’s Office fees, legal fees, costs of realisation of assets, bank […]

Truths About Trusts

Did you know that a trust is not simply: a trust? There are many different classifications of trusts in South Africa, such as ownership trusts, bewind trusts and curatorship trusts. Trusts can either be created during a person’s lifetime, which is known as an inter vivos trust, or set up according to a person’s will […]

Don’t Underestimate your Will Power

Avoid the heartache and headache! This year, National Wills Week is from 17th to 21st September, and is a time when participating attorneys in South Africa will draft basic wills for free. If you haven’t already written a will, this presents the perfect opportunity to do so before it’s too late. Writing a will could […]