Geoff Noble's Blog

I think what has happened in the cryptoasset market is fantastic. Where else can you learn invaluable investment lessons in a matter of weeks?

We have witnessed hype, euphoria, FOMO, despair and panic at almost the same time.  In fact, I saw a great Homer Simpson clip on Twitter that explained it pretty well (which I can’t find now). What we witnessed often takes years to manifest in the stock market… but it does happen… lest we forget that. As a budding investor, you would have been served w...

These are great. Next time you chat with your financial adviser, have a copy of this article with you…

The 10 Worst Clichés of Wealth Management

Here is a list of them:

“We sit on the same side of the table as our clients.” “We win if you win.” “Thought leaders” “Our process” “Settling for average” “We treat your assets as if they were our own.” “We put client interests first.” “Transparent” “No conflicts of interest” “We’ll tell you anything you wanna hear.”

Run for the hills when you hear...

There was a sigh of relief throughout the business world as CR17 was elected ANC leader. I am not really excited – he is still a politician. What fazes me is people (the economists and other fortune-tellers) wrote about how the ANC election was a watershed moment for South Africa. A CR17 victory would save us from Jacob Zuma and his henchmen.

Now, less than a week later these same people are writing about how they think the market has got ahead of itself or that they are treading cautiously....

A week is a long time when you try to write something every day. 150 words didn’t seem too daunting a week ago but it is really difficult to think of something to write about each day. Look, there are easy targets. We live in a world of Donald Trump, Jacob Zuma, and the Guptas. Those topics get a bit boring after a while. Then there is Bitcoin. Everyone has an opinion on Bitcoin so I probably can’t contribute anything new.

Maybe this week, we should, regardless of the outcome of the apparentl...

Many are celebrating Christmas soon. This means presents for kids. Often these come in the form of toys or electronics. Have you thought of any alternatives? How about an EasyEquities voucher? An EasyEquities voucher allows your child to create an investment portfolio. If they already have one, then they can use the voucher to add to it.

I am not saying replace all the toys with a voucher but maybe sacrifice one item. If you do this every Christmas (and birthdays) you will teach your child so...

It’s the ANC conference this weekend. The result will probably have a massive short-term effect on the ZAR. As I write, the Rand is sitting at R13.15 to the USD. I guess everyone thinks Cyril is going to win.  I just want to remind those people that Hillary was supposed to win and the UK is still supposed to be staying in the EU. The unexpected happens. If NDZ wins this weekend, is it the end of the world? If you read the papers (other than the New Age) on Monday then you would probably belie...

Many South Africans appear to think that Bitcoin is free from taxes. The tax opinions I have seen certainly say this is not true. Unfortunately, Bitcoin meets the definition of a financial asset (if I recall correctly) and a portion of any profits will fall into the clutches of SARS. SARS are even putting in measures to track you down. (Read this Moneyweb article for more). Alas, nothing is for free and SARS will pay these gains over to politicians who will squander/steal/misallocate it.

Fear...

A couple of months ago, I wrote about customers vs shareholders. I continue to think about this daily. My latest experience is with FNB. I am an FNB shareholder and recently became a customer on a couple of business accounts. I soon realised that no one really knows what is going on in the two branches I went to.

I am waiting for my fourth card (and keep getting charged replacement card fees), cannot get my business partner on the one account as a signatory/internet banking user and it was al...

Third night in a row and I am already battling. Writing 150 words a day appears really easy… until you have to do it. What to write about tonight? There is lots going on. Bitcoin frenzies, Steinhoff, ANC conferences – you name it.

I have discovered that something controversial always hits the spot. Last night, I wrote 150 words and attached a Steinhoff picture to the post. It was like a tractor beam – many of you couldn’t resist clicking on it. My daily stats went through the roof.

Maybe if I...

It is amazing how people come out guns blazing after the fact. Harry Hindsight is a great guy. If you are one of those people saying “I told you so” about Steinhoff then you and Harry are one and the same. I want to know where you were in the months leading up to the collapse.

I am not saying Steinhoff is not a mess. It is. I am just wondering how many people really saw it coming… if they are really truly honest with themselves. If anything, I think this is a prime example of how we can’t pre...