How would you invest if nobody was looking?
If you’ve ever paused before pressing ‘Post’ on a holiday snap and wondered how many likes you’d get, you already understand one of the most powerful forces in personal finance: the audience in our heads. We don’t just ‘buy’ things; we perform them. Cars become costumes. Houses become billboards. Even portfolios get curated for cocktail‑party applause. But investment markets don’t clap. They compound. And the gap between what earns recognition today and what funds a dignified retirement tomorrow can be the difference between a confident later life and a financially anxious one. So, once the cameras are off, let’s ask a simple, disarming question: ‘How would I invest if nobody was looking?’ Understanding that our money choices make a lot more sense when we stop overestimating how much strangers care about them – and pick substance over spectacle. In short... Read More
Adult conversations around the braai
Your wife and you are in your fifties. The family group consists of several grandparents, and a few teenage/adult children. You’ve previously discussed the birds and the bees with the children, but round about now two different financial discussions are needed. Time to talk about the rands and sense? Ah, family gatherings! The aroma of a Sunday braai, the lively chatter, the comfortable silences… and one big unspoken elephant in the room – your parents’ finances. It’s a topic often avoided with the same vigour as discussing politics at a birthday dinner. Parents often cling to their financial privacy like a prized antique, while adult children often feel awkward, not wanting to appear greedy or intrusive. But let’s think about this – It isn’t about prying into the exact rand value of your folks’ nest egg. It’s about ensuring... Read More
