I love bananas and as a runner I have grown more fond of them as they are the only think I can get into my stomach when the legs are sore and the tongue is thick in the mouth. Towards the end of 2019, a work of art as a banana taped to a wall was sold at an art sale for $120 000… USD not Zimbabwean dollars.

Maurizio Cattelan an art world prankster also known for creating a $6 million 18-carat-gold toilet that he named “America,” bought this banana from a supermarket in Miami. When they asked him what it symbolises, he said nothing, the banana is supposed to be a banana. He did say that the angle it was taped to the wall and its placement in the booth were all carefully considered. For what it is worth, Cattelan did say for the last year he bought a banana every time he travelled and kept it in his hotel to find inspiration.

Actually, there are quite a few correlations between bananas and money.

Cattelan being inspired by a banana might seem “artistic”...

If you are anything like me you have already formulated a new plan for this year. You have set new goals and categorised them for the year ahead. Emotional, physical, relational and spiritual ones. In this post I want to focus on a financial plan to make sure you have covered all your bases. This will also give you some ideas to discuss with your Financial Advisor when you meet. I created an acronym for this TIRB -YW. Ok, seriously? It sounds like some Chinese code you need to open the backdoor of some doggy club in the Bronx. But, remember it! You don’t want to be stuck in a dark alley in the Bronx without this code! Every item in this plan should be covered. They are not in any order of importance, the important thing is that they all should be included in your plan.

TFSA – A tax-free savings account! ALL the profits, interest earned and dividends from this account is going to be tax free. There are not a lot of things we get for free from our government. You have to...

I am so fired up right now I could compete in a bull run in Mexico and run that first bull down no question. Why? I want to share something with you, and if you are guilty of this, and it sounds like I’m preaching, it’s because it’s something I feel passionate about and I am… preaching, because you’re guilty of it! So, get your house in order! Stop it!

I had coke and biscuits (don’t judge… it is just too hot for tea this time of the year in Durban) with a friend and she shared with me how they are struggling to get out of debt. She and her husband both have two credit cards, an overdraft facility and both still owe massive amounts on their cars. I had to think twice at first because I felt like I have heard this complaint from her before.

“Didn’t you have the same problem two years ago,” I asked, trying not to look surprised/shocked/terrified!

“Yes,” she said, “we just seem to remain stuck in this...

The year has started with a bang. Whether you believe in New Year’s resolutions or you don’t, everyone secretly hopes that this New Year will bring new change, new breakthroughs and new direction. Maybe you will meet the love of your life? Maybe you will find that dream job? Maybe you will pay off your car? Maybe you will travel more?

We all live very busy lives these days and with everything and everyone demanding our attention it is hard to remain focussed. This year I want to be more focussed. I want to have a few aims and focus on them. Less is definitely more! Quality has always weighed heavier than quantity. Money matters are one area you might want to focus on this year. Your money or lack thereof works exactly the same way your health does… You have to work at it! It requires discipline! It requires the right no’s to stuff that might easily get a yes from you at first. I have mentioned previously on radio interviews that Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby...

I needed some social media inspiration and a recent trip to the beautiful country of Mozambique inspired me to use pineapples in my comparisons. Once I got started, it was uncanny the number of similarities I found between pineapples and investing, and I am sure that after this post you will also look differently at pineapples.

Not everybody loves pineapples and that is ok, but just for a moment pretend that you do. Pretend that it is a hot summer’s day on a beach in Mozambique and someone offers you a cold piece of pineapple along with an ice cold pineapple juice. Trust me, in that tropical heat you might just grab the pineapple for its coldness alone, even if you don’t like the fruit. It gets very hot in Mozambique. Needs must, however, and sometimes preference is less about taste as it is about necessity. FYI I also like pineapples on my pizza (I know… I know, I can already hear the groaning) or even in a green salad with some brie cheese… like I say,...

Whether you are new to investing or have done it for years you will soon learn that 90% of the success in investing resides in your head.

Like anything in life that is worthwhile, it takes perseverance and skill to master the art of investing successfully. There is no place for immature behaviour in successful investing. Robert Deel in his book Trading the Plan, highlights the differences between winners and losers, and I want to share them with you.

1. Winners learn from their mistakes. Losers don’t.
2. Winners don’t blame anybody else for losing. Losers blame everybody but themselves.
3. Winners take calculated risks. Losers just take risks.
4. Winners learn to control their emotions. Losers have little or no control.
5. Winners are always learning and improving. Losers don’t have the time.
6. Winners follow a set of rules. Losers don’t have any rules to follow.
7. Winners use their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Losers don’t address weaknesses.
8. Winners develop...

I want to copy a snippet from the book Trading the Plan by Robert Deel on the 10 rules of investology. I could not have summed it up better myself.

1. No one wins 100% of the time. If you think you are going to win 100% of the time you are wrong. The best portfolio managers in the world have negative years and the part of being successful is not beating yourself up about it. Losing is just part of the cost of doing business.

2. Invest with a plan. Set objectives before you ever buy an instrument. Define all the outcomes, not only what you will do if the plan goes right but also what you would do if it goes wrong. Write your plan down on paper and follow it.

3. Always look at a chart. Never buy a share or instrument without looking at the price range of the instrument over the past year at least. Even if you know nothing about technical analysis, just look at a line graph over the past year and you will see that the price action does tell a story.

4. Have some risk...

A wise person once said…”if you really want financial freedom, you will find a way, not an excuse”  Well done on finding a way and not an excuse.

Where do I start?

• Step one will be to open an equity trading account. You will see in one of our videos that we use the EasyEquities platform, where you pay as little as R6-20 for a R1000 transaction. 
• There are many cool features on EE (EasyEquities). The platform is available on a desktop and an app.
• You can start to invest as little as R100 per month.
• You can open an account by clicking the link below.

Click here to open an equity trading account.

You will complete the application form online and send your FICA documents: eg

• Proof of identification
• Proof of residential address
• Proof of bank account number
• Proof of income tax number to [email protected]

PS. Your documents don't have to be certified.  

Please use the link above when you open an account with them. We don’t get...

“Where do I start” is the right question to ask as you approach any new project. But when it comes to investing, people often run away from it because it feels overwhelming. Oftentimes, not knowing where to start, they are afraid that they might lose their hard earned money.

The truth is, investing in the stock market can be as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Open an equity trading account. Click here.
2. Make sure you know what share(s) to buy and how much to buy (you can subscribe to Chris-tell for R99 per month and we can help teach you how to manage the risks). Remember, risk management is a key ingredient to becoming a successful investor.
3. Make sure the broker (the people you have an account with in Step 1) are registered with the JSE.

An equity trading account is a type of account that will allow you to buy shares or ETF’s (exchange traded funds) on the JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange). You will deposit money into that account once it is open and then you can buy and...

One of the lessons in our course is about identifying whether you are a trader or an investor. A simple concept seemingly, and in theory, too basic to actually spend a whole video on it perhaps.

However, when you have been around the stock exchange block for a while, you will know that if you are unsure of who you are in the financial market, your identity crisis will eat your account before you can say “shares”.

Indeed, when starting out as an investor, one of the best things that can happen to you, is a losing trade.

What? Yes, you read correctly.

Why? So you can learn. And quickly. How to determine the correct position size.  How everything you touch doesn’t turn to gold in the financial market. How to keep your boat afloat in stormy waters, as the markets roll and fluctuate all the time.

If this sounds like a metaphor for life, it is. I have learnt so much about life from being a trader.

I have seen time and time again, how excited traders are when they...