You might not be thinking about where your family will be in 2120, but Greg is. This week he shares a mad plan to make a 100-year investment.
Greg
I thought about starting an investment with a 100- year time horizon.
A lot can happen in 100 years. Maybe we don't use money anymore. Maybe earth explodes. Who knows? But if things still kind of resemble the way they are now and there's still a stock market then once off R10,000 invested in equities could be worth around R30m in 100 years (in today's money). So I think it's worth taking the risk.
I'd have to get my offspring onboard when it came to that point and then their offspring, to keep it invested and change the investment vehicle if and when needed. Worst-case scenario, a greedy grandchild decides to cash it all in and blow it on bubbles and a house with a sea view, which is also not a bad outcome.
I started with R10,000 in my EasyEquities USD account and bought the Vanguard S&P500.
Ultimate goal - I'm not sure yet, but hopefully it would get used wisely, to help supplement income for a few families, not get depleted and continue to grow.
Just curious if you have thought about doing this?
Win of the week: Nokuthula and
Bea
Thank you very much for your thorough answers to my questions. Kristia, I love how you answer questions from the perspective of all - you do not assume that everyone knows all the financial keywords. I appreciate your guidance and the presence of JOL in our lives. Being new to all of this, both yourself and Simon's ongoing presence is a comfort to me and so many others - I am sure.
Simon’s answer to my furniture and storage question was classic and was taken to heart. ' Burn it!' This got my attention since family have said things along the same lines. Both of you also seem to understand life situations, in my case the hold that belongings have and how they really own you. The grim reality is that, like Simon says, these things that we attached so much worth to...end being worth so little - in monetary terms...years later.
Ina
My brother lives in SA and I’m in the UK. He advised me to listen to some of your podcasts - I think they are truly brilliant!
Could you recommend anything similar in the UK that I can listen to in regards to advise as I really need some tips on the UK market?
Get in touch with Garth McKenzie.
Peter
I listened to your podcast which I enjoyed a lot.
Someone asked what to do with a large amount of money- a windfall, obviously keeping tax efficiency in mind. I noticed that buying gold and specifically Krugerrands was not mentioned.
Could you explain why not especially with the current Bull phase of gold.
Sandy
I have a life insurance policy that has age-rated premiums. Looking ahead even just 10 years, these monthly premiums become shocking.
My policy is tied to a dread disease benefit, so maybe that's why. But as I get older, that's when I'll need this benefit, right? Especially with a family history of breast cancer. But how will I afford it? I don't want to pay all this money in and then have to cancel my policy.
Are there alternatives to age-rated premiums, and if so what are they? Could you be insured for a specific amount that doesn't grow each year. But then, what about inflation? Urgh!
Please help. I'm so confused!
Mike
A few years before I retired I became aware that I should take responsibility to inform myself about financial issues. At work in a secure enjoyable technical environment I did not have any exposure to financial issues.
I was unprepared to manage the expected pending inadequate pension which I accepted with-out seeking informed advice from anyone. During that time I was introduced to Red Hot Penny shares material.
I was also fortunate enough to have a small amount of capital to open an equities broker account with Imara. This is now Momentum Securities who charge me R40 per month even though I do not seek their advice and make all my own trading decisions. Over the years I have gained an interest in investing as basically a buy and hold investor. However I do now have a share portfolio despite my largely ignorant independent cautious DIY approach.
I am a client of Standard Bank dating back to 1990, but I believe the time has come to move my broking account. I have made a feeble attempt to do this before but have failed to complete the exercise.
I find my isolation as a pensioner in the new, to me, digital environment and lack of informed personal interaction is daunting for me such that I have not achieved the move.
I know that with change I would have to work on an unfamiliar platform. Before I take the decision to commit to Standard Bank do you know if I am able to use a Demo trading account? Please could I speak to you about who to contact to get the website details and if there is a tutorial I can use to familiarise myself with the platform.
Ben
Before she even gets going she gets penalised with R20k, not to mention everything else that looks terrible with this option.
Needless to say I put this on hold - I'm careful to meddle but couldn't let this one fly. I will recommend as an alternative a similar split in equity, bonds and cash (the proposed split is appropriate for this portion of her money), but the first two in ETFs.
Here are my two questions:
Adam
Is it possible to use the R40 000 CGT allowance each year? By selling shares for a profit just before the tax year end at a profit and then buying them back in the next tax year, would you then recognise the purchase of shares at the new purchase price? Is this a way to minimise future tax costs since you now recognise future profits off of this higher value?
I've seen this being referred to as bed and breakfasting but I'm not sure what regulation is applicable in South Africa and how one would go about it.
Marco
I have a comment or question in regards to your use of acquiring a foreign currency "hedge" against the rand value declining over time. The problem (as I understand from reading around) is that there is a yearly tax "drag" on this method because any unrealised appreciation in foreign currency is taxed as income, as interpreted here: https://www.rsm.global/southafrica/news/tax-implications-foreign-exchange-differences .
Now, I'm unsure if this is entirely applicable to a "buy and hold", as I have used this method in order to do my own taxes as I do some day trading using USD and not ZAR. Perhaps this doesn't apply if you can show you were buying foreign currency as a "capital" gain if you hold onto it for longer than 3 years?