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The days of your signing an acknowledgment of debt and unwittingly agreeing to a judgment against you may be coming to an end.

Getting married and starting a family means having a sound financial plan, and life assurance will make up a special part of that plan. A failure to plan properly can mean debilitating poverty for those you love most. In the fifth part of our “How to” series on life assurance, we look at the significant factors that all people in long-term relationships must take into account when planning their finances.

Getting married and starting a family means having a sound financial plan, and life assurance will make up a special part of that plan. A failure to plan properly can mean debilitating poverty for those you love most. In the fifth part of our “How to” series on life assurance, we look at the significant factors that all people in long-term relationships must take into account when planning their finances.

The Financial Services Board (FSB) is considering establishing an internetbased training programme to help retirement fund trustees fulfil their fiduciary duties and responsibilities with greater confidence.

The Financial Services Board (FSB) is considering establishing an internetbased training programme to help retirement fund trustees fulfil their fiduciary duties and responsibilities with greater confidence.

After receiving comments and suggestions on its draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bills, the National Treasury has gone back to the drawing board and made some changes favouring you, the individual taxpayer.

Illegal investment schemes, involving billions of rands, are becoming ever more sophisticated, exposing you to a greater probability of being ripped off, says Errol Kruger, the Registrar of Banks.

A code of conduct drawn up by representatives of the key roleplayers in the medical scheme industry is expected to help you, as a scheme member, to get access to the prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) when you are entitled to them.

Pension funds and pensioners have been and continue to be seen by too many as the easy pickings of the financial industry, including mainline providers such as life assurance companies, retirement fund administrators; property market players, particularly property syndication promoters; and a whole horde of so-called financial advisers who cynically either steal money from their clients or provide commission-driven, appalling advice.

Tax return filing season for indivi-dual taxpayers began this month, with the tax authority enhancing its carrot-and-stick approach to ensure that you meet your tax obligations.

The guideline tariffs used by your medical scheme to determine the rate at which it will reimburse healthcare providers who treat you were declared null and void this week, after a judge found the process by which the rates were determined to be unfair, unlawful, unreasonable and irrational.

The eFiling system introduced by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) is great - that is apart from actually having to pay over the money. eFiling makes completing a tax return ever so much easier.

Your financial planning needs change throughout your life. Financial planning is not something that happens on your first day at work and then maybe a few years before retirement. It is as dynamic as your life.

It is National Savings Month. The reason for the emphasis on saving for the next 30 days is that South Africans do not save enough to protect themselves from financial disaster and ensure they can enjoy a better standard of living.

The National Credit Act (NCA) has been getting the blame for a lot of things recently, from the slow-down in the economy to the non-profitability of banks.

South Africa is in the middle of a savings crisis and the situation could get worse, but you can help to improve both your situation and that of the country if you minimise your debt and start saving as soon as possible. During National Savings Month, the acsis/Personal Finance Financial Planning Club hosted Andrew Bradley, the chief executive of financial planning company acsis, who spoke about the savings crisis.

Life assurance is not a case of all sizes fit all. Life assurance companies take all sorts of things into account in deciding whterh you are "insurable" or not, and how much they will charge in premiums to cover anything from death to the loss of your job. In the third part of our "How to" series on life assurance, Personal Finance looks at the significant issues involved in determining how risky you are to insure.

Eighty percent of South Africans are saving either the same or less than they were saving last year, according to the Old Mutual Savings Monitor, which was released this week.

"Save for the goal: the path to recovery" is the theme for this year's national Savings Month. Prem Govender, the chairperson of the South African Savings Institute (Sasi), announced the theme at the launch of Savings Month this week.

The volatility of financial markets may have you worried about the health of your investments. Asset managers agree that it's best to hang on tight and ride it out.