Inflation is “enemy number one” for every investor. A lot of the time we don’t notice it, but over the years it has a huge impact on the value of our money.

By experience, we know that R1 000 today will buy us less than the same R1 000 did five years ago. We know prices of most goods and services inevitably go up. But we don’t always realise just how important it is to think about this when it comes to investing our money.

In this article we look at just how destructive inflation can be over time. We then explain why it should be the thing all investors are most concerned about - whether they are still saving for retirement, or if they are already there.

Raising a child is stressful and expensive – ask any parent. But raising a child with special needs is exponentially so.

Schooling requirements are different, constant care might be required (often throughout the individual’s life), medical bills are higher, and there’s the ongoing fear of how your child will cope when you pass away.

Every child is different and every family setup is different. But one thing that most parents in this situation agree on is that proper financial planning helps to alleviate some of the anxiety.

Read on for five important points to consider.

Losing a loved one is a traumatic experience, no matter how sudden or expected it might be. It is always a time of pain and uncertainty.

Unfortunately, it also comes with many practical considerations. Arrangements have to be made, people have to be notified, and there are many legal and financial requirements that need to be handled.

With all of this going on, it is easy to overlook some of the smaller details. In this article, we offer some practical advice for managing some of the financial aspects of losing a partner by providing a checklist to help ensure that these things are not overlooked.