There was a time when you had to have collateral before a bank was prepared to give you a business loan. With their risk covered, their job was done. However, banks now view business loans very differently. According to Riaan Fouche, head of franchising at First National Bank, five years ago banks flipped through the credit-application document, looked at what security you could offer and only then considered the concept of the business you were buying.

The latest unit trust figures show that tracker or passive funds have outperformed the actively managed funds over the past two years. With so much investment choice out there and concerns over the impact of costs in a low-inflation environment, investors looking for a simple equity investment with low costs could consider an index tracking fund such as the JSE’s Satrix securities.

The typical life-stage-cycle approach to investments is that in your 20s you have a maximum exposure to equities, which reduces over time as you get closer to retirement. By the time you retire at 60, your pension should have no equities and be fully invested in cash and bonds with no risk.

There is a sentiment among retail investors that socially responsible investing (SRI) is rather like a charity — you don’t get the same returns as a "normal" investment. Performance figures, however, prove that you can have a conscience and make money.

Recently, Standard Bank’s economics division released an update on its residential property gauge. House-price rises slowed from 6,5% in June to 6% in July, the lowest growth rate since December 2002, and the bank believes the slowdown in property price growth is now entrenched.