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The ‘smoke and mirrors’ deceit: Speculators’ obsession with ‘instant everything’ drives tech shares to ridiculous valuations

20 September 2020 | The Stage

I spent this morning watching a handful of investment videos on YouTube, dipping in and out of what some of the financial market gurus have to say about the US markets. There were plenty of thought-provoking snippets, with my favourite being an independent assessment of the world’s all-time greatest investor’s view on gold. The clip was shared by none other than Robert Kiyosaki, an American businessman and author of Rich Dad Poor Dad. He noted that Warren Buffett, a long-time critic of gold as, had completed a major acquisition in Barrick Gold. Berkshire Hathaway recently acquired 20.9 million shares in the mining company for north of US$500 million.

Big data gives local medical scheme an edge in assessing pandemic impact

15 September 2020 | Featured Story

One of the biggest challenges facing healthcare and insurance professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic is how to interpret the mortality, morbidity and treatment outcomes data being generated globally. They must consider hundreds of country-specific data sets alongside countless independent clinical studies that, although purporting to reflect similar statistical measures, are often wildly different. “We are probably in the second wave of pandemic [in developed countries] and at the peak of the first wave in many developing countries,” said Emile Stipp, chief actuary at Discovery. He added that the reported infection and mortality rates varied widely from one country to the next due to different testing protocols, among other factors. Stipp was presenting at a ‘Pandemic Progression Insights’ webinar.

The “lies, damned lies & statistics” pay-line: Why economists say SA’s 51% quarter-on-quarter GDP contraction is no big deal

13 September 2020 | The Stage

Jane and Joe Average had an inkling that South Africa’s 2020 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers would be bad; but nothing prepared them for the staggering 51% decline plastered over online news sites and social media platforms from 8 September 2020. “Real GDP, measured by production, decreased by a record 51,0% in the second quarter of 2020,” wrote Statistics South Africa, with the ‘for economists only’ disclaimer: “Growth rates, unless otherwise stated, are quarter-on-quarter, seasonally adjusted and annualised”. Journalists immediately latched onto the 51% number as indicative of a halving of the economy. “Not correct!” scream the economists.

And now, for something completely different… How pandemic and lockdown create opportunities for personal growth

07 September 2020 | The Stage

As countries and economies wrestle with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a small group of touchy-feely types suggest the crisis may set the stage for “the greatest human growth trajectory of our time”. The three panellists who participated in the 2 September 2020 webinar, hosted by The Collaborative Exchange, will lambaste me for the touchy-feely descriptor; but bear with me. As I warned in the article’s title, and with apologies to the crowd at Monty Python, I have diverted from my usual griping about economics, money, and politics to take a stab at something completely different.

quick poll

Question

Do you think short-term insurance broking will survive the AI plus humanoid robotics age?

Answer

Human first always Not a chance Possibly maybe Yes, but reimagined

View the Results

Local investors part ways with risky assets as uncertainty takes hold

07 September 2020 | Featured Story

Prescribed assets will not pull South Africa Inc from the economic abyss

31 August 2020 | Straight Talk

Up sh*t creek without a paddle: Cuffing all of the corrupt could leave South Africans adrift in a rudderless ship

28 August 2020 | The Stage

What’s inside… FAnews Magazine August 2020

19 August 2020 | The Stage

Caught in a trap… Gross mismanagement leaves South Africa Inc strangled by rising public sector debt

14 August 2020 | The Stage

What to do when your client faces a bad versus ‘less bad’ financial outcome

04 August 2020 | Featured Story

On a coalition course? South Africa’s lament: Corruption & maladministration look set to outlast coronavirus

31 July 2020 | The Stage

Too early to tell how coronavirus impacts disability insurance

30 July 2020 | Straight Talk

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