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Articles tagged as "Investor behaviour"

Insights categories - Retirement

Two-pot cheat sheet

By Daniella Bergman on 05 Sep 2024

Reading time: 5 mins

Given the overwhelming amount of information available about the new two-pot retirement system, below we provide a “cheat sheet”, which includes 10 “did you...

Insights categories - Retirement

The importance of an emergency fund in the two-pot era (updated)

By Tebogo Marite on 02 Sep 2024

Reading time: 8 mins

For a long time, the retirement savings industry has observed how many South Africans have struggled to balance accumulating and preserving their long-term...

Insights categories - Retirement

Could you survive on less than a third of your income in retirement?

By Twanji Kalula on 12 Aug 2024

Reading time: 12 mins

Despite taking steps to save, millions of South Africans are at risk of having to make significant lifestyle-related downgrades when they are no longer...

Insights categories - Retirement

Two-pot: Your burning questions answered

By Lydia Fourie on 08 Aug 2024

Reading time: 15 mins

With the new two-pot retirement system set to be implemented on 1 September 2024, many retirement fund members are wondering what the new legislation entails...

Insights categories - Retirement

Two-pot: Enabling better retirements – for those who avoid the risks

By Shaun Duddy on 08 Aug 2024

Reading time: 20 mins

The two-pot retirement system, which is set to be implemented on 1 September 2024, has been designed to improve retirement outcomes for South Africans by...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The Olympics of investing: Striving for gold

By Belinda Carbutt on 25 Jul 2024

Reading time: 4 mins

With the highly anticipated 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on the horizon, all eyes are on the dedicated athletes who have spent their lives chasing gold. Their...

Insights categories - Retirement

Your next important election

By Belinda Carbutt on 22 Jul 2024

Reading time: 6 mins

With the two-pot retirement system signed into law, and set to be implemented on 1 September 2024, Belinda Carbutt discusses the latest retirement reform. Sh...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investing amidst election season: The power of preparation, not prediction

By Nomi Bodlani on 22 May 2024

Reading time: 5 mins

If the election bug has bitten you and you are feeling jittery, you are not alone. Globally, investors are feeling fearful.

Insights categories - Personal investing

The power of perspective in an election year

By Marise Bester on 02 May 2024

Reading time: 10 mins

Many local investors are understandably worried about what the future holds and how the election may affect their wealth. Keeping perspective throughout your...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Five lessons for investing in uncertain times

By Tim Acker and Morgan Housel on 04 Apr 2024

Reading time: 7 mins

“As humans we are not good at predicting what is next, regardless of what anyone tells us. In the absence of a crystal ball, we can focus on what we can...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investing for education in an inflationary environment

By Shaheed Mohamed on 10 Jan 2024

Reading time: 6 mins

Parents can expect little relief in 2024, with reports suggesting that fee hikes for South African schools will yet again come in above general inflation,...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Principles for successful investing from the world of sport

By Tebogo Marite on 05 Sep 2023

Reading time: 5 mins

Nothing quite unites South Africans like a good sporting event. During the months of July and August, South African sports fans were spoiled for choice as tw...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Risk: An essential ingredient for real long-term returns

By Nomi Bodlani on 31 Jul 2023

Reading time: 14 mins

When it comes to investing, no investor wants to lose money. In fact, as humans, we have a built-in aversion to loss. Unfortunately, by overly focusing on...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The cost of waiting to save

By Shaun Duddy on 26 Jun 2023

Reading time: 4 mins

Whether you want to save for your retirement, a child’s education or an overseas trip, starting now can significantly reduce the cost of reaching your goals....

Insights categories - Personal investing

How staying the course gives you the long-term edge

By Thandi Skade on 04 May 2023

Reading time: 8 mins

In a world where instant gratification is king, it can be hard not to get distracted by the lure of short-term gains. But taking a long-term view of your...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Are you making the most of your tax-free investment account?

By Tamryn Lamb and Twanji Kalula on 23 Jan 2023

Reading time: 13 mins

Tamryn Lamb and Twanji Kalula unpack the pros and cons of using tax-free investment accounts over the long term and explain how they can be used to complemen...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to pave the way for better decisions

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 18 Nov 2022

Reading time: 7 mins

The decisions we make are a function of the environment that we are in, according to behavioural economists. Put in a different environment, or faced with a...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Should rules of thumb be used to plan for retirement?

By Thandi Skade on 26 Apr 2022

Reading time: 9 mins

There are several rules of thumb that are referred to in investing. Many of them have become widely accepted standards for determining how much to save for...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to avoid being scammed

By Phiko Peter on 01 Apr 2022

Reading time: 7 mins

Phiko Peter discusses popular investment scams and shares some tips on how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to apply “cathedral thinking” in your investment approach

By Marise Bester and Daniella Bergman on 27 Jan 2022

Reading time: 14 mins

The prolonged stress of the pandemic has heightened many investors’ focus on the now, interfering with the ability to make sound decisions that improve the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Financial advice helps you sail through your investment journey

By Cedrick Pila on 18 Oct 2021

Reading time: 4 mins

Have you considered engaging the services of a good, independent financial adviser? Cedrick Pila explains why having a financial adviser is much like going o...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to do long term

By Morgan Housel on 11 Oct 2021

Reading time: 8 mins

Adopting a long-term mindset sits at the heart of our investment philosophy. But what does it really mean and how can one do this effectively?

Insights categories - Retirement

How to make investing for retirement feel less like a sacrifice

By Thandi Skade on 11 Oct 2021

Reading time: 7 mins

With all the financial demands of present-day life, it can be difficult to stay focused on investing for our longer-term financial goals. Balancing the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Overcome impostor syndrome this Women’s Month and own your throne

By Candace Maung on 11 Aug 2021

Viewing time: 4 mins

This pandemic has been a blunt reminder that while we can’t control our environment, there is no time like the present to take control of our journeys, or to...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to own your throne

By Tamryn Lamb on 03 Aug 2021

Viewing time: 1 min

In the spirit of paying it forward, six inspiring women from Allan Gray and the financial advice arena, shares insights on how to take ownership of your...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investment lessons for sharing

By Daniella Bergman on 26 Jul 2021

Reading time: 16 mins

Money is a polarising topic, yet it is an important subject that greatly influences all of our lives. Opening up the space for money conversations can...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Levelling up your finances as a young professional

By Leaveil Des Fountain on 30 Jun 2021

Viewing time: 1 min

As young people, it is easy to make financial decisions that benefit us in the moment at the expense of our future needs.

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to entrench positive COVID-19-enforced changes

By Daniella Bergman on 18 Mar 2021

Reading time: 8 mins

Few have escaped the devastating loss of lives and livelihoods wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, but many have also made positive changes, particularly to...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Habits that set successful investors apart

By Nomi Bodlani on 27 Jan 2021

Reading time: 5 mins

When investing, sometimes the best course of action is to do nothing. Having the ability to block out the noise, and look through the cycle, are some of the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Your questions answered

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 26 Jan 2021

Viewing time: 58 mins

As you embark on your investing journey, you’re likely to have a number of unanswered questions. In the final instalment of our 6-part Personal investing 101...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Ready, set, invest

By Lise-Mari Crafford on 14 Dec 2020

Viewing time: 59 mins

Starting a new long-term investment is less daunting when you follow a methodical approach. In the fifth instalment of our 6-part Personal investing 101...

Insights categories - Investment insights

Predicting the unpredictable

By Braam Visser on 17 Nov 2020

Reading time: 5 mins

“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Mark Twain

Insights categories - Personal investing

Are you sitting on savings you could be investing?

By Nomi Bodlani on 30 Oct 2020

Reading time: 5 mins

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's finances in very different ways. While it has highlighted the need for emergency savings as a buffer against toug...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investing unpacked

By Nomi Bodlani on 20 Oct 2020

Viewing time: 1 hr 1 min 8 seconds

In the first of six webinars in the Personal investing 101 series, Gugulethu Mfuphi chats to Allan Gray’s Faizil Jakoet, Chris Tisdall and Nomi Bodlani about...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Has your risk perception changed as a result of the market crisis?

By Marise Bester on 16 Oct 2020

Reading time: 9 mins

Historically, deep economic shocks have prompted significant changes in investment and saving behaviour. During times of uncertainty, investors scramble to...

Insights categories - Investment insights

Is your trust in your investment manager well placed?

By Nomi Bodlani and Tamryn Lamb on 16 Oct 2020

Reading time: 12 mins

It has been a volatile six months in the markets, following a five-year period of disappointing equity returns. At times like these, it is understandable for...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Money lessons from the arcade

By Emmanuella Fernandes on 24 Sep 2020

Reading time: 5 mins

Throughout Heritage Month, South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs, histories, and traditions. In the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to spring clean your financial habits

By Noluyolo Betela on 16 Sep 2020

Reading time: 6 mins

Whether you celebrate spring on the first of September or on the 22 nd of the month to coincide with the September Equinox – the official start of the new...

Insights categories - Investment insights

The uncertainty spectrum

By on 06 Aug 2020

Reading time: 1 min

Wildfires in Australia, mass protests in the US, a global pandemic. These are just some of the events that have roiled markets this year, leaving investors...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investment challenges older investors face

By Sandy McGregor on 27 Jul 2020

Reading time: 4 mins

Older investors face a host of challenges entirely different to those faced by their young selves. Sandy McGregor offers a wise perspective for those of this...

Insights categories - Personal investing

When the reality of saving for retirement sets in

By Sikho Tatana on 27 Jul 2020

Reading time: 6 mins

As you approach your peak earning years and start to reap the rewards of the time and effort you have invested in your career, saving for retirement takes on...

Insights categories - Personal investing

What I wish I knew about personal finance and investing when I started working

By Phiko Peter on 27 Jul 2020

Reading time: 6 mins

A first pay cheque tends to mark the start of adulthood and, with a bit of discipline, can mark your first tentative step towards financial independence. Phi...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Personal finance mistakes to avoid in your 20s

By Nomi Bodlani on 27 Jul 2020

Reading time: 10 mins

Nomi Bodlani reflects on common personal finance and investment mistakes investors tend to make in their 20s. If you can avoid these, you can better position...

Insights categories - Personal investing

What advice would I give to the 30-year-old me?

By Tamryn Lamb on 27 Jul 2020

Reading time: 7 mins

Your 40s are known to be a challenging decade financially, typically balancing the demands of lifestyle costs, children and their education, ageing parents a...

Insights categories - Investment insights

The framing fallacy

By Rory Kutisker-Jacobson on 01 Jul 2020

Reading time: 12 mins

We humans are fallible creatures who suffer from several cognitive biases. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, Rory Kutisker-Jacobson highlights how...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Do you have an emergency fund?

By Noluyolo Betela on 01 Jul 2020

Reading time: 10 mins

By proactively building emergency reserves, you will be able to respond to life’s crises without compromising your financial standing, or taking on expensive...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Take charge of your finances during COVID-19

By Leaveil Des Fountain on 17 Jun 2020

Reading time: 1 min

As we think about the day-to-day impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our families, friends, colleagues and communities, it’s easy to lose sight of our long-te...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Part 3: How to be a resilient investor

By Lise-Mari Crafford on 09 Jun 2020

Reading time: 8 mins

To be a successful investor, you need to understand what you are getting yourself into upfront, make sure you are comfortable, and then buckle in for the rid...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Part 5: Why every investor needs an independent adviser right now

By Cedrick Pila on 09 Jun 2020

Reading time: 6 mins

Investors are panicked and who can blame them? The market volatility has persuaded some to run for the hills and never look back, while others may be tempted...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Part 2: How to recalibrate your budget in the wake of COVID-19

By Tamryn Lamb on 09 Jun 2020

Reading time: 9 mins

As we all long for the life we had before COVID-19, are there any adjustments from the life that’s been thrust upon us that should be incorporated? Tamryn La...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Part 1: Staying future focused amid a global pandemic

By Nomi Bodlani on 09 Jun 2020

Reading time: 7 mins

As world leaders grapple with the broader challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become apparent that the socioeconomic consequences will...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Look after your financial health during COVID-19

By Lettie Mzwinila on 02 Jun 2020

Reading time: 4 mins

With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the globe, remaining healthy is naturally top of mind. While we are all prioritising the health and wellbeing of...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Optimism in a time of distress

By Lise-Mari Crafford on 23 Apr 2020

Reading time: 9 mins

As we pull together as a nation struggling to come to terms with the health and financial crises we face, is there any room at all for optimism? Lise-Mari...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Avoid "hot thinking" when it comes to your investments

By Nomi Bodlani on 23 Apr 2020

Reading time: 5 mins

The markets have plunged in the face of COVID-19. The temptation to disinvest and wait on the sidelines for things to improve is real. But is this a form of...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Managing your portfolio through COVID-19

By Marise Bester on 13 Apr 2020

Reading time: 9 mins

In just a matter of weeks our world has changed dramatically. In an attempt to make sense of it all, we look for information that will provide us with a sens...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to cope with the trauma of the COVID-19 crisis

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 06 Apr 2020

Reading time: 9 mins

And so the three-week lockdown is underway. While it feels like surely this must be a bad dream from which we will soon awake, it is our new reality.

Insights categories - Personal investing

Beware of recency bias when making investment decisions

By Beatri Faul on 29 Jan 2020

Reading time: 9 mins

Over the past year, we have seen local investments streaming towards bonds and cash – the top-performing asset classes for most of 2019. Are investors chasin...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Make the most of your tax benefits

By Carla Rossouw on 29 Jan 2020

Reading time: 2 mins

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has put several tax incentives in place to encourage us to save more for our retirement and other long-term goals. Y...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The top four mistakes to avoid when saving for education

By Saleem Sonday on 17 Jan 2020

Reading time: 4 mins

As parents, we all want the best for our children, and this often includes being able to give them the best education that we can afford. In the journey to...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Avoid being scammed this festive season

By Phiko Peter on 06 Dec 2019

Reading time: 5 mins

Aware that most of us are less vigilant as we ease into the festive season, scammers will be pulling out all the stops to line their pockets with our...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to implement your New Year’s resolutions

By Braam Visser on 28 Nov 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

As the end of the year approaches, it is a good time to reflect on resolutions committed to in earnest back in January and take stock before the resolution...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Are you financially resilient?

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 23 Oct 2019

Reading time: 9 mins

Most of us know what it means to build resilience in the context of health and wellness: eat healthily, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and manage stres...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Seek financial advice to help you meet your financial goals

By Tamryn Lamb on 04 Oct 2019

Reading time: 6 mins

The spotlight falls on the importance of having a financial plan during Financial Planning Week, taking place from 7 to 11 October 2019. With this in mind,...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Avoid common behavioural biases when investing

By Maria Konnikova on 23 Aug 2019

Viewing time: 1 min

Poker is known as a wicked environment: a setting that is dynamic and uncertain; where things are hidden, and you don’t always have all the information on...

Insights categories - Retirement

How to bring conversations about saving out of the closet

By Saleem Sonday on 16 Aug 2019

Reading time: 5 mins

Talking about finances at work can seem like a taboo subject, especially given that conversations about salaries, bonuses or saving for retirement usually ta...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How poker taught me to make better decisions

By Maria Konnikova on 30 Jul 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

Psychologist, bestselling author and professional poker player, Maria Konnikova, recently inspired delegates at the Allan Gray Investment Summit 2019 to make...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Should you take investment advice from family and friends?

By Lettie Mzwinila on 29 Jul 2019

Reading time: 9 mins

Your friends and family may offer you financial advice with good intentions, but you should be wary of basing your investment decisions purely on stories...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Can you save more?

By Lettie Mzwinila on 26 Jul 2019

Reading time: 4 mins

Whether you are just doing a regular check up on your long-term investments or evaluating your monthly savings plan, it is a good idea to review your financi...

Insights categories - Retirement

Retirement planning in reality

By Leaveil Des Fountain on 24 Jul 2019

Reading time: 9 mins

To truly break the cycle of poverty and start creating generational wealth, young working professionals need to prioritise saving for retirement. Leaveil Des...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to get into the habit of saving this Savings Month

By Lettie Mzwinila on 18 Jul 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

If you have tried to kick the sugar habit and eat only healthy food, or give up cigarettes and replace the habit with going to the gym, you can probably atte...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Steps to improve your investment decision making

By Didintle Mokonoto on 17 Jul 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

Deterred by the large number of investment options available, many would-be investors fail to make the most important decision: the decision to start. Becomi...

Insights categories - Personal investing

PART 5: The role of financial advice in your investment success

By Saleem Sonday on 16 Jul 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

You wouldn’t gamble with your health by not seeing a professional, why do it with your financial future? Consult an independent financial adviser to help you...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Ready… set… invest

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 20 Jun 2019

Reading time: 1 min

Investing is not a complicated activity only for rich people. It’s a great way to create financial security and everyone – even you – should get started,...

Insights categories - Personal investing

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

By Phiko Peter on 18 Jun 2019

Reading time: 8 mins

Over the last two decades advances in digital technology have changed the way we shop, bank and manage our investments. In the spirit of empowering millennia...

Insights categories - Retirement

The ultimate human race

By Belinda Carbutt on 31 May 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

As investors there is a lot we can learn from marathon runners that can assist us with our own “ultimate human race” – the challenge of retiring financially...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Grow your wealth by attending the Allan Gray Investment Summit

By Tamryn Lamb on 24 May 2019

Reading time: 3 mins

After successfully bringing together renowned investment experts from all over the globe for two consecutive years to sold-out audiences, the Allan Gray...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investors need to block out 'noise' ahead of elections

By Rob Formby on 06 May 2019

Reading time: 3 mins

It is understandable for investors to feel jittery in the run-up to the national elections, but giving too much air time to market noise is never a good idea...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Have you chosen the right unit trust?

By Lettie Mzwinila on 29 Apr 2019

Reading time: 8 mins

It’s a good idea to review your investments about once a year to make sure that things are on track. But what if they aren’t? How can you tell if “this, too,...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How you can influence your investment outcomes

By Lettie Mzwinila on 16 Apr 2019

Reading time: 6 mins

After an undeniably tough 2018, the local market staged a turnaround during the first quarter. But the atmosphere in the country is blowing hot and cold: As...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The trouble with switching

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 25 Jan 2019

Reading time: 8 mins

During periods of underperformance, even the most experienced investors get tempted to switch funds in search of better returns. However, switching funds in...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Give your finances a fresh start

By Ciani Gower on 24 Jan 2019

Reading time: 7 mins

The first few weeks of a new year can feel like a clean slate: Past imperfections are relegated to history and you can redefine what you want to achieve in t...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The rules for making good investment decisions

By Lettie Mzwinila on 20 Dec 2018

Listening time: 1 min

People are prone to making predictions about everything from the weather to the economy. However, relying on predictions when investing can thwart your...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to approach your finances this festive season

By Lettie Mzwinila on 05 Dec 2018

Reading time: 5 mins

In the hive of festive activity, it’s easy to forget your financial goals and spend more than you planned. Next thing you know, it’s the New Year and the lon...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Give yourself the gift of balance this festive season

By Lettie Mzwinila on 30 Nov 2018

Reading time: 4 mins

The festive season is upon us and as much as we all relish letting go, balancing spending and other indulgences with a bit of discipline can go some way to...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Make sure divorce doesn't cost your savings

By Mlulami Nxele on 16 Nov 2018

Reading time: 4 mins

Going through a divorce can be extremely tough emotionally, but it can take a huge toll on your finances as well.

Insights categories - Retirement

How to prevent a financial day zero

By Belinda Carbutt on 12 Nov 2018

Reading time: 6 mins

Over the past year, Western Cape residents have had to envisage a future without running water and adapt their lifestyles accordingly. They have rallied...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Get advice to be more money savvy

By Lettie Mzwinila on 02 Oct 2018

Reading time: 5 mins

Reports show that as a millennial investor you have a savvy attitude towards cash and you want to be in-the-know about how to grow your money. The value of...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to select a unit trust that’s right for you

By Thandi Ngwane on 12 Sep 2018

Viewing time: 1 min

There are over 1 500 unit trusts available in South Africa – what criteria should you apply to select one (or more) that best suits your needs and...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to thrive in choppy markets

By Andrew Lapping on 23 Aug 2018

Reading time: 4 mins

This year has been characterised by increased volatility and concern about the global risks – from trade disputes to inflation. After a strong start to the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Employer-assisted savings can help fix SA's dire savings rate

By Saleem Sonday on 27 Jul 2018

Reading time: 4 mins

July is National Savings Month in South Africa. Is there more you can be doing as an employer to help your employees save towards their future financial...

Insights categories - Personal investing

True rewards take time

By Zwelethu Nkosi on 30 Jun 2018

Reading time: 9 mins

Allan Gray’s advertising strategy has always been built around the characteristics of the firm and continues to tap into human truths that connect with our...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to become the next Sylvia Bloom

By Bekithemba Mafulela on 29 Jun 2018

Reading time: 4 mins

A recent New York Times article took many investors by surprise: A frugal legal secretary, who worked at the same firm for 67 years until she retired at the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investment Summit brings together 10 of world’s top investment experts

By Tamryn Lamb on 08 Jun 2018

Reading time: 2 mins

The Allan Gray Investment Summit will bring together over 3000 investors who will gather to listen to investment experts from around the world.  From where t...

Insights categories - Corporate citizenship

Introducing ‘Father’s share’, our new TV advert

By Zwelethu Nkosi on 11 May 2018

Reading time: 1 min

We are excited to announce the launch of our new television advert, developed in partnership with King James the Second and Plank Productions, directed by Pe...

Insights categories - Investment insights

Finding opportunity in the volatility

By Andrew Lapping on 19 Apr 2018

Reading time: 5 mins

The first quarter proved to be a difficult one with the Allan Gray Equity, Balanced and Stable Funds all delivering negative returns. The most significant...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Don't let good news headlines thwart your savings plans

By Rob Formby on 06 Apr 2018

Reading time: 2 mins

Positive sentiment in the country is being fuelled by a change in political leadership, the stronger rand, a higher-than-expected GDP growth rate and a more...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Cashing in on your tax refund

By Bekithemba Mafulela on 29 Mar 2018

Reading time: 3 mins

Between April 2017 and February 2018, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) paid out more than R205 billion to taxpayers. If you are lucky enough to have...

Insights categories - Investment insights

Study reveals reliance on recent performance in picking unit trusts

By Shaheed Mohamed on 09 Mar 2018

Reading time: 3 mins

Shaheed Mohamed surveyed more than 400 financial advisers in South Africa to identify attributes that financial advisers in South Africa consider when...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to make better investment decisions in 2018

By Lettie Mzwinila on 08 Jan 2018

Reading time: 3 mins

Investment experts, economists and industries are more prone to making predictions during the New Year, given the renewed sense of focus and excited...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to prevent a financial hangover this festive season

By Bekithemba Mafulela on 08 Dec 2017

Reading time: 5 mins

If the festive season sends you into a panic and sees you mentally tallying up added expenses, such as gifts, getaways and groceries, you may need a financia...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to tame temptations

By Jeanette Marais on 22 Nov 2017

Reading time: 6 mins

A survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania a few years ago asked respondents to rank their strengths in 24 different skills. Self-control ended up ...

Insights categories - Personal investing

PART 8: The role of financial advice in your investment success

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 30 Oct 2017

Reading time: 7 mins

You wouldn’t gamble with your health by not seeing a professional, why do it with your financial future? Consult an independent financial adviser to help you...

Insights categories - Investment insights

The value of bitcoin

By Jacques Plaut on 24 Oct 2017

Reading time: 10 mins

The total market value of all bitcoins is US$80bn, which is more than the value of Richemont and triple the value of Anglo American. It is the topic on which...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Bad predictions and good decisions

By Lettie Mzwinila on 24 Oct 2017

Reading time: 5 mins

“Most of us view the world as more benign than it really is, our own attributes as more favourable than they truly are, and the goals we adopt as more...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The four fundamental skills of all investing

By Morgan Housel on 24 Oct 2017

Reading time: 6 mins

We are excited to introduce guest contributor Morgan Housel, a partner at the  Collaborative Fund (US), and an expert in behavioural finance and investing...

Insights categories - Personal investing

PART 7: How to make money from investing - your role

By Mthobisi Mthimkhulu on 23 Oct 2017

Reading time: 4 mins

Take control of your emotions! Your behaviour is the wildcard when it comes to making money from investing...

Insights categories - Markets and economy

Is now the time to invest?

By Todd Buchholz and Andrew Lapping on 12 Oct 2017

Reading time: 1 min

Is it time to put your money under the mattress or is it time to invest? Watch this 7-min clip with Andrew Lapping, our chief investment officer, and Todd...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Should you see a financial adviser?

By Jeanette Marais on 29 Sep 2017

Reading time: 5 mins

With World Financial Planning Day happening on 4 October, there is no better time to get your financial house in order. If you have never sought the help of ...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investment success: Don’t be your own worst enemy

By Morgan Housel on 06 Sep 2017

Reading time: 4 mins

The biggest risk which investors face is themselves, because the mistakes they commonly make are based on their own behaviour and personal biases, warns Morg...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investment Summit to give an inside view from fund management houses

By Jeanette Marais on 21 Jul 2017

Reading time: 3 mins

Allan Gray is bringing a group of international and local investment houses together to debate investment insights in a new one-day event, aimed at helping...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Are you on track to achieve your 2017 financial goals?

By Thandi Ngwane on 19 May 2017

Reading time: 4 mins

With 2017 in full swing, make sure you stick to your new year’s resolutions when it comes to your personal finances with the below five-point checklist...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Junk status: Diversification is key to protect against market shocks

By Jeanette Marais on 05 May 2017

Reading time: 3 mins

The best thing you can do during periods of heightened uncertainty is to stick to your investment plan...

Insights categories - Personal investing

When is a debit order the better option?

By Bekithemba Mafulela on 31 Mar 2017

Reading time: 5 mins

When you think about starting a new investment there are two ways to approach it: either you invest in one go with a lump sum or you do recurring investments...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to recognise a Ponzi scheme

By Thandi Ngwane on 17 Feb 2017

Reading time: 4 mins

How can you tell the difference between a great potential investment and a great sales pitch? Bold promises of lofty returns are made to unsuspecting victims...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The role you play in your investment success

By Thandi Ngwane on 23 Dec 2016

Listening time: 12 mins

How can you make sure you get the best value out of your investment? Listen to this 12-minute interview on PowerFM Business with Andile Khumalo, where Thandi...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The role of financial advice in your investment success

By Nazia Kahlon on 13 Dec 2016

Reading time: 7 mins

You wouldn’t gamble with your health by not seeing a professional, why do it with your financial future? Consult an independent financial adviser to help you...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Primed for the windfall

By Bekithemba Mafulela on 01 Dec 2016

Reading time: 5 mins

Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. - Viktor...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Five reasons to invest part of your bonus

By Bekithemba Mafulela on 25 Nov 2016

Reading time: 4 mins

It has been a difficult year financially worldwide, with political and economic uncertainty dominating global news headlines. In this context, not every...

Insights categories - Personal investing

How to be a better long-term investor

By Shaheed Mohamed on 30 Sep 2016

Reading time: 10 mins

Is your behaviour standing in the way of your investment success? Shaheed Mohamed helps us become more aware of common biases so that we can adjust our...

Insights categories - Offshore investing

Should you invest offshore at R15/US$?

By Tamryn Lamb on 01 Aug 2016

Viewing time: 1 min

It is exceptionally difficult to decide when is the best time to invest offshore based on news headlines. If you want to get more for what you pay, investing...

Insights categories - Offshore investing

Broaden your horizons with offshore investments

By Tamryn Lamb on 14 Jun 2016

Reading time: 4 mins

It is natural to feel uneasy about your finances during times of uncertainty. However, one should be wary of making decisions based on short-term events. The...

Insights categories - Retirement

How to save for a comfortable retirement

By Wanita Isaacs on 31 Mar 2016

Reading time: 7 mins

How much is enough to save for a comfortable retirement? Wanita Isaacs unpacks the concepts of ‘enough’ and ‘comfortable’ in the context of this distant,...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The pitfalls of investing, and the role of financial advice

By Thandi Ngwane on 16 Nov 2015

Reading time: 5 mins

Many investors lack the time, knowledge and experience to invest successfully, often encountering difficulties that could have been avoided had they taken...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Tales of rice and rewards

By Jeanette Marais on 05 Oct 2015

Reading time: 6 mins

We often talk about the value of time in investing, but it is difficult to really get to grips with the rewards that can be reaped through compound growth:...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Are we snookering ourselves with confirmation bias?

By Jeanette Marais on 26 May 2015

Reading time: 5 mins

We have written regularly about investor behaviour, noting how emotions can be our worst enemy. Driven by fear and greed, many investors buy high and sell lo...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Tomorrow versus today

By Chris Tisdall on 12 Dec 2014

Reading time: 5 mins

Despite all of the economic doom and gloom in our newspapers, South Africans are buying a lot of new cars...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Your role in your investment success

By Wanita Isaacs on 30 Sep 2014

Reading time: 7 mins

For some time now we have been saying that across asset classes, prices are high. Many of you may be wondering whether or not you should be making changes to...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Are your investment goals, products and expectations suitably aligned?

By Jeanette Marais on 01 Aug 2014

Reading time: 4 mins

Our investment goals depend on our personal priorities in life and there is no generic set of goals that applies to everyone, and no set timeline for achievi...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Thinking long term

By Wanita Isaacs on 30 Jun 2014

Reading time: 4 mins

We encourage people to invest for the long term. But how long is long term and what does this mean for investment decision-making? Wanita Isaacs offers some...

Insights categories - Personal investing

What is switching?

By Thandi Ngwane on 31 Mar 2014

Reading time: 5 mins

We often caution investors against 'switching' at the wrong moments. But what exactly is switching and how do you know whether or not it is an opportune time...

Insights categories - Personal investing

What are the merits of good independent advice?

By Jeanette Marais on 31 Mar 2014

Reading time: 8 mins

Many investors lack the time, knowledge and experience to invest successfully, often encountering difficulties that could have been avoided had they taken...

Insights categories - Markets and economy

Time to review your equity exposure?

By Ian Liddle on 27 Jan 2014

Reading time: 7 mins

Adapted from the Chief Investment Officer’s comments, which will appear in the Allan Gray Unit Trust Annual Report, 2013. We aim to grow our clients’ wealth...

Insights categories - Personal investing

What compounding can do for you

By Wanita Isaacs on 31 Dec 2013

Reading time: 3 mins

'Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. Those who understand it, earn it... those who don't, pay it.' – Albert Einstein Compounding is when the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Do you need a financial check-up?

By Thandi Ngwane on 19 Dec 2013

Reading time: 6 mins

The end of the year is a good time to review your financial well-being and put some new year’s resolutions in place that aim for better saving and spending...

Insights categories - Personal investing

July is Savings month - a good time to reassess your spending decisions

By Thandi Ngwane on 09 Jul 2013

Reading time: 7 mins

When deciding what to do with disposable income, South Africans spend money far more easily than we save. This is reflected in South Africa’s very low saving...

Insights categories - Markets and economy

Not the time to relax risk appetite

By Ian Liddle on 28 Jan 2013

Reading time: 5 mins

In his 1988 annual letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett wrote: ‘We have no idea how long the excesses will last, nor do we know what will change the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Making sense of unit trust categories and intentions

By Rob Formby on 31 Dec 2012

Reading time: 8 mins

We aim to ensure that our range of funds offers enough choice to meet your needs but remains manageable, without being confusing or creating too much overlap...

Insights categories - Markets and economy

The nature of contrarian investing

By Duncan Artus on 31 Dec 2012

Reading time: 7 mins

The average investor cannot avoid being bullish at market tops and bearish at bottoms. This produces periods of speculation and panic within the normal up an...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Make financial planning a priority in 2013

By Jeanette Marais on 10 Dec 2012

Reading time: 4 mins

Research from the US1 shows that financial planning is a critical factor separating those who are on track to meet their financial goals and those who are...

Insights categories - Retirement

Make sustainability a priority when planning your retirement income

By Richard Carter on 29 Oct 2012

Reading time: 6 mins

Over the last 20 years pension funds have increasingly passed the responsibility for generating income after retirement on to retirees and insurers, rather...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Investing for education

By Wanita Isaacs on 30 Sep 2012

Reading time: 7 mins

As Wanita Isaacs joins the ranks of parents investigating ways to afford the best possible education for their children, she learns that, although long-term...

Insights categories - Personal investing

A balancing act

By Rob Formby on 27 Sep 2012

Reading time: 5 mins

We have written at length about the perils of switching and trying to time the market, noting how investor behaviour plays an important role in investor...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Logic fails to prevail in investment decision making

By Carl Richards and Jeanette Marais on 24 Aug 2012

Reading time: 4 mins

Most of us make the same mistake with our money over and over again: we buy high out of greed and sell low out of fear, despite knowing on an intellectual...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Delayed gratification is priceless

By Rob Formby on 02 Dec 2011

Reading time: 6 mins

Acknowledging your future financial needs and making concrete plans to meet these is a discipline that will benefit you and your family enormously. It is the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Use your head not your heart and think long term

By Jeanette Marais on 17 Nov 2011

Reading time: 6 mins

A key step when planning your investment is choosing the right unit trust based on your risk profile and priorities and then staying invested to reap the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

It is worthwhile starting to save early - a little can go a long way

By Jeanette Marais on 20 Oct 2011

Reading time: 5 mins

You can substantially improve your financial situation if you start saving sooner rather than later and you will be a step closer to being financially...

Insights categories - Retirement

Do the more restrictive individual investment limits on RAs outweigh their tax benefits?

By Wanita Isaacs and Christo Terblanche on 30 Sep 2011

Reading time: 9 mins

Previously, retirement funds were considered an obvious choice for many investors due to the tax benefits they afforded. However, changes to Regulation 28 of...

Insights categories - Markets and economy

What we know for sure

By Delphine Govender on 01 Sep 2011

Reading time: 6 mins

At Allan Gray we prefer not to opine over reasons for short-term movements in stock markets and share prices and we shy away from predicting changes in the...

Insights categories - Personal investing

Questions for personal investing

By Rob Formby on 31 Mar 2011

Reading time: 11 mins

Rob Formby suggests five questions you may want to ask regarding your personal investments. Every person's situation is unique, so the list is not exhaustive...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The role of financial advice in helping you become a better long-term investor

By Jeanette Marais on 31 Mar 2010

Reading time: 8 mins

In the Quarterly Commentary 3 of 2008, Richard Carter explained the difference between fund and investor returns. He outlined both our role at Allan Gray and...

Insights categories - Personal investing

The cost of too much choice

By Marisa Kaplan on 30 Sep 2009

Reading time: 7 mins

People are attracted to choice, but that does not mean that having more choice will lead to better decisions, or a better decision-making process. Research h...

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