financial advisors Archives

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Ilze Alberts: Don’t shy away from what you’re not familiar with

20th May 2016

Where are you feeling out of your depth and disempowered? I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and discover your limitless potential, advises Ilze Alberts.

Top financial advisor tells clients: Put 15% into John Biccard’s unit trust

8th February 20168th February 2016

Top financial advisor David Melvill makes reference to Charles Dickens’ ‘Tale of Two Cities’ when introducing his note on John Biccard’s grossly underperforming Value Fund.

Financial advisors know what to do with all that cash

5th February 2015

Van Deventer says there are major benefits to engaging a financial advisor to guide you through the process, the most important of which is that they can provide an independent view and help take the emotion out of your financial decision-making

Anchor Capital price overcooked for now – CEO Peter Armitage

16th September 2014

Chief executives are naturally optimistic. They need to be to shrug off challenges and devise new ways of adding value for shareholders. But sometimes even the greatest optimists feel compelled to call a halt to irrational exuberance (courtesy Alan Greenspan) as Peter Armitage, CEO of today’s new listing Anchor Capital, did in this interview. The … Read more

The plight of the South African teacher and government pension plans

19th January 20222nd September 2014

By Matthew Lester Perhaps the most hapless lot in the new RSA are the teachers employed by the department of education. Most are just longing for the day that they can retire or just quit and start something else. But there is a problem – teachers have a lousy track record at doing anything but … Read more

Sygnia’s Wierzycka reborn as a financial services Disruptor – and she’s loving it

22nd October 201322nd October 2013

Magda Wierzycka and I go back a long way. Apart from the glamour which she brings to proceedings, Magda is also a straight talker, never shirking controversy. I recall her admitting that lavishly entertaining guests at the 2004 Greece Olympics was, with hindsight, a mistake. But that stemmed from her only significant mis-step in an … Read more

South African life assurance industry’s Hiroshima

30th April 201520th November 2012

December 14, 2005

Her face was one big snarl. Although dutifully recording my responses her whole look shouted out: who do you think you are, you upstart know-nothing? Actuaries, doctors, other people infinitely smarter that you have calculated our commission structures. Who are you to criticize them?

This was 1984, the year of Orwell’s Big Brother. The power of life offices was at its zenith. A time before Robin McGregor sold out to the Evil Empire, when he still railed about four groups controlling 80% of corporate South Africa. And how three of them were assurance companies.

Old Mutual's CEO Jim Sutcliffe hunted Skandia for years. Overpaying for the purchase would eventually cost him his job.

History suggests Old Mutual overpaid for Sweden’s Skandia

30th April 201520th November 2012

December 19, 2005

Old Mutual’s dogged pursuit of Sweden’s Skandia has ended almost a year after talks started last December. The 800 000 South Africans who own Old Mutual shares will be hoping it’s worth the R850m in advisory fees being paid to London-based lawyers, bankers and financiers.