I had the most amazing chat with a Russian over a Chess app (Nerd alert 🤓). Each player has their national flag next to their name, and when I saw the Russian flag, I typed "Say no to war" in the chat section, to which he replied "F#*k Putin".
Read MoreA full report and analysis from F&A & Brandon Zietsman (PortfolioMetrix) on the evolving situation in Ukraine.
Read MoreNo doubt many of us are following the news flow around Russia and Ukraine. It’s a fool’s game to assume one has the ability and foresight to time such events and adjust portfolios accordingly. You can rest assured knowing that our portfolios are designed to handle impact, and that our specialist teams are closely monitoring every element of your portfolio.
Read MoreWhat is the likelihood one can call important events with any degree of timing and accuracy, to the extent it could meaningfully move one’s investment portfolio? A difficult pursuit, no doubt! In my view, this is not the actual challenge. You see, very little can be done to sway these external tides. Too much is outside of our control. So, what is in our control?
Read MorePortfolios ran beautifully for nearly 21 months right through to the end of 2021! They have come back slightly, specifically during the month of Jan. This is something we expect all portfolios to repeatedly do and so our strategies cater for these events specifically. Grab a cuppa ☕️and tuck in to our detailed report from Brendan covering our analysis of the fourth and final quarter of 2021!
Read MoreRunning wealth management strategies means we spend a good chunk of time discussing money and what it does for us. And the what it does for us is the crux. This tool called money needs to be managed in a way that compliments and empowers us. And so it sits with us to understand our habits and our routines. Therein lies our opportunity!
Read MoreOur last Monthly for the year! Difficult to believe it is nearly Christmas, but still, what a wonderful time of the year. Wishing you a safe and restful Christmas period, and a wonderful start to 2022. More great content from Brendan, below.
Read MoreIt is interesting to consider how many times plans change or adjust. Not that they change wholly, but rather that you cannot predict how everything will play out, alongside not being able to control everything. I like to build plans that can adapt, that gives many options and outs, without total risk of failure.
Read MoreTime for another monthly update. As always, we've put together a snapshot of market insights from PortfolioMetrix to bring you an overview of where your investments are headed. Here's your October 2021 update!
Read MoreVery happily, the portfolios have performed well, with our most conservative portfolios returning some 10% over the past 12 months, right through to our most aggressive portfolios at 25%. A lovely cherry on top of a tough period for us all! Grab a cuppa ☕️and tuck in to our detailed report from Brendan covering our analysis of Q3!
Read MoreTime for another monthly update. As always, we've put together a snapshot of market insights from PortfolioMetrix to bring you an overview of where your investments are headed. Here's your September 2021 update!
Read MoreWe are finding a really sound rhythm following the pure quantum of change we all got slapped with in the past year and a half. All calls we make are with sustainability in mind! Interestingly enough, business over the period is up nearly 25%, putting us in a fascinating position. I have paid special attention to shortfalls in the business and have worked hard to resolve the following…
Read MoreFollowing several rebalances to portfolios last year, we will be rebalancing the multi-asset model portfolios on platform back to target weights to address drift that has come about from strong performance in risky assets (equity and property).
Read MoreAn interesting part of unpacking client strategies is exploring the foundations off which decisions are made. Yes, we manage money, but money is managed by humans, and so most of our work involves helping people understand why they make certain decisions, and how those decisions are helping or hurting them.
Read MoreThe Global Portfolio Series (GPS) has benefitted from a stable and defensive asset allocation over the years, as should be expected from a core global portfolio. 2020 however provided many points to consider as we look to the future; one which presents a myriad of potential outcomes from an intriguing starting point.
Read MoreI am very optimistic about civil society's response to the unrest in South Africa. It is important that we each do our bit! Looking back at the past quarter we see there is no shortage of talking points. Brendan and the PortfolioMetrix team cover these in detail…
Read MoreThe past 2 weeks has been a deep shock to us all in South Africa. Perhaps this is the necessary defibrillator to a society that is living more and more in denial? It should stimulate the question – what can I do to help?
Read MoreThe last few days here have been a complete blur. From what seemed like small and scattered opportunistic looting, to truly tragic events over the days that followed. These are my observations and thoughts on the fear and the welling of hope that I am seeing in my hometown of Westville
Read MoreEach fresh serving of rolling blackouts triggers the same reflex. It’s upsetting. We can feel our confidence in South Africa’s leadership reverse just a little bit more. We’re into year 14 of this now with no short-term end in sight. So where does this leave us?
Read MoreF&A is a huge part of who I am, in the sense that: it is me trying to take the model answer/s I believe in and build them outside of myself, beyond all boundaries, so that they may survive me. I have worked hard to have the business reflect 2 core values I believe to be non-negotiable…
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