As 2011 draws to its close, investors will be reflecting on the past year as they monitor the value of their portfolios and prepare for 2012. After a whirlwind year on the financial markets, many investors may be wondering whether to stay in the market or sell some of their equities and ride out the next year or eighteen months.
Ask anyone who works in property management about the challenges they face on a regular basis, and the issue of problem tenants is bound to come up. If you own a rental property, you simply can’t take the risk of entrusting your valuable asset to just anyone – while a good tenant will help keep your property in good shape, a bad one can cost you thousands in repairs and inconvenience.
With the cost of property in South Africa having increased significantly over the past ten years, and in the current economic climate which has seen banks tightening their lending requirements, many investors are opting to pair up with friends, family and colleagues to purchase secondary properties. If you’re considering this option as a means of investing in property more affordably, there are a few considerations to bear in mind: Continue reading
Many South African employers are under the impression that the country’s labour laws are heavily biased in the worker’s favour. For these employers the prospect of hiring a new member of staff may bring up images of CCMA cases, fines and other negative experiences, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
In part one, we explained the process of drawing up your monthly expenditures and comparing these to your income to find out if your budget balances. In part two we look at ways of cutting expenditure to achieve a surplus or at least balance your budget.
Remember, the monthly expenses we listed in part one included retirement and emergency savings, so even if you just manage to balance your budget you are still on the right track. Continue reading
Budgeting is quite a simple concept – your income must always be greater than your monthly expenses – yet so many of us struggle to balance our monthly budgets. However, by following six easy steps you can budget effectively and chart your course toward financial freedom. Continue reading