Catastrophe events caused an estimated US$135bn in insured losses in 2017 as hurricanes, severe weather and wildfires destroyed property and possessions worldwide. South Africa was no exception as fires in the Western Cape, floods in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and a massive hailstorm in Gauteng tested local insurers to their limits. Local insurers lived up to their promise by paying out billions of rand to both individual and business policyholders to compensate them for the

This is the first in a series of 5 written by Gareth Stokes for the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI). With thanks to Mark MacSymon CFP®, winner of the 2017 FPI Financial Planner of the Year competition and a wealth manager at Private Client Holdings. On 21 February 2018 the finance minister will take to the podium to deliver South Africa’s Annual Budget. He will outline how government proposes to balance its income and expenditure for the 2018/19 financia

Article 2 in a series of 5 written by Gareth Stokes for the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (www.fpi.co.za). With thanks to Mark MacSymon CFP®, winner of the 2017 FPI Financial Planner of the Year competition and a wealth manager at Private Client Holdings. The relationship that you have with your financial planner is comparable to the one that exists between a professional sportsperson and his or her coach. It takes the form of an unbiased and objective colla

Article 3 in a series of 5 written by Gareth Stokes for the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa. With thanks to Mark MacSymon CFP®, winner of the 2017 FPI Financial Planner of the Year competition and a wealth manager at Private Client Holdings. If you die without a valid Will in place the assets in your estate are distributed as stipulated in the Intestate Succession Act. This can cause unnecessary trauma, costs and delays for the family you leave behind and may