BUDGET TAKES US BACK TO BASICS

Nick Battersby, CEO at PPS Investments

March 2012: Tax: Considered by many a different form of “capital punishment” – or at least a lifelong sentence. So investors would have paid keen attention to the tax amendments put forward in National Treasury’s 2012/13 Budget, and would have watched as further judgment was handed down.

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LOCAL MANAGERS OPEN OPPOTUNTIES ABROAD

David Crosoer, Head of Research: PPS Investments

March 2012: International markets were volatile in 2011 and look likely to remain so for some time yet, given the difficulty in resolving the European debt crisis (along with other deep-seated structural issues, mainly facing the developed world) and the uncertain impact this is having on global growth. Markets see-sawed between “risk-on” and “risk-off” trade and all asset classes, in reacting to the latest macroeconomic news, became correlated with each other. 

WHAT DOES 2012 HOLD FOR INVESTORS?

February 2012: With the stock market eking out meager gains, cash offering historically below average returns and inflation ending the year outside the 3% to 6% band, 2011 presented quite a disappointing year for most investors. The question now remains: what does 2012 have in store?

CLARITY ON INVESTMENT COSTS: REDUCTION IN YIELD DECODED

Nico Coetzee, Executive Business Development at PPS Investments

November 2011:When it comes to our investments, we all like to know exactly what we're paying and precisely what we're paying for. Unfortunately, determining the individual fees payable to your intermediary administrator and asset manager can be challenging. In fact, it is still common practice for many product providers to disclose the total cost of a prodict as a single number, known as the "reduction in yield" (RIY).

UNCERTAINTY IN MARKETS IS NOTHING NEW

David Green, Chief Investment Officer at PPS Investments

September 2011: A rising concern among South African investors is the growing tension between the members of the Eurozone, many of whom are major trading partners. The indebtedness of Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy – and their attendant solvency and liquidity problems – have highlighted the fragility of the common monetary alliance.

DEMYSTIFYING THE FEES BEHIND INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Nico Coetzee, Head of Sales at PPS Investments

June 2011: Asset classes – including equities, bonds, property – are expected to struggle to deliver double digit returns in the current economic environment. As a result, it is critical for you, the investor, to understand what and how much you are paying on investment products to determine if they are reasonable.