Author: James Pettitt

What is the maximum amount of Funeral Cover I can have? You can have policies with different insurers, with up to R100 000 of cover per insurer. You are also allowed to have more than one policy per insured life with the same insurer. By law, an insurer can only pay out a maximum of R100 000 per life on a funeral policy. So as long as the overall cover limit is R100 000 or less, both will pay out in the event of a valid claim. Can I be ‘overinsured’? First off, you need to determine your specific needs in…

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While, as the name suggests, mortality benefits pay an amount should the person nominated as the life insured on the policy pass away, financial institutions typically offer various types of mortality benefit to address particular circumstances The main purpose is typically to cover debt and make provision for dependents on the death of the insured life. The following is an overview of the different mortality benefits offered a particular financial institution which demonstrates how you are able to tailor the cover you purchase to achieve your particular objective. Death Benefit Modified Death Benefit Unnatural Death Benefit Last Survivor…

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Medical aids have recently announced their rate increases for 2024 and while the CMS gave the guideline of a 5% increase this benchmark was roundly ignored! These above-inflation increases will have a significant effect on your monthly finances.   As members of a medical aid are only able to change their medical plan, within the same medical aid, once a year (on 1 January) the months of October and November are generally known as the “medical aid season” where members review their plans – or, given the increases, see if they can still afford medical aid!   The above inflation increases, by…

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To understand the new smart watched and other pro devices of recent focus, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new factor” line. As you’re tapping, scrolling, and swiping on your phone, you probably don’t give much thought to the fact that your apps are consuming electricity -…

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To understand the new smart watched and other pro devices of recent focus, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, checks the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cooks “sitting is the new coolness” line. What we like: Angled second screen is quite useful.Durability is top notch.Better dual-screen software.Powerful hardware features. What we dislike: Less battery life than other options.Keyboard and trackpad are flimsy.No…

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The World Health Organisation define Coronavirus as below: Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.  Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet…

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It’s 2018 and your medical aid has gone up AGAIN, here we have a look at Medical Aid Comparisons 2018! So how much are you paying? Medical Aid Comparisons 2018 Discovery Health Rates 2018 High Plans Essential Delta Comprehensive Essential Comprehensive Classic Comprehensive Zero MSA Classic Delta Comprehensive Classic Comprehensive Executive Plan Risk Contributions   Principal member 3140 3487 3662 3299 3662 4463   Per adult dependant 2967 3299 3464 3122 3464 4463   Per child dependant 631 702 731 656 731 851 Savings Contributions   Principal member 554 615 0 1099 1220 1487   Per adult dependant 523 582…

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So you’ve set out your budget, income and expenses and afterwards you’re left with near nothing? Well, believe it or not there are simple, yet effective ways to save money. It’s all about being savvy with your money. Here are 5 tips. 1. Needs vs Wants. Because it’s so easy to confuse the two. It is therefore vital that you draw the line between them. Many times a need could be disguised as a want, for instance; purchasing a vehicle, this could be seen as a need as we all need to get around however, we neglect to remember that…

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