Financial Planning with Anthony Paterson

Why I Disagree: Personal Finance Must Be Taught in Schools

In South Africa, leaving financial education solely to the dinner table is not enough. Many households face economic stress, debt traps, and limited access to financial literacy resources. Relying on “informal lessons at home” risks perpetuating cycles of poor money management.

Formal education in personal finance equips teenagers with practical tools:
✅️ Budgeting basics — understanding income, expenses, and savings.
✅️ Debt awareness — avoiding predatory lending and credit pitfalls.
✅️ Investment literacy — building wealth early through compound growth.
✅️ Tax knowledge — preparing young earners for SARS obligations.

These are not “boring” topics, they are survival skills in a country where financial missteps can have lifelong consequences. Teaching them in schools ensures every child, regardless of background, gets a fair chance to build financial resilience.

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👉 What do you think? Should South African schools make personal finance a compulsory subject, or do you believe it’s best left to families? Share your perspective — your voice matters in shaping the future of financial literacy.

BITCOIN - Calculated risk versus Catastrophic Personal Gambling

Medical and legal professionals, I need you to explain something to me. Please.🙏

You spend your careers calculating and managing risk.
🟢 Clinicians/Doctors: randomized trials, diagnostic probabilities, treatment risk benefit analyses, informed consent, clinical pathways.

🟢 Lawyers, Advocates, Attorneys: case assessments, precedent and statutory analysis, contingency planning, malpractice exposure, client conflict checks.

You would never base a major institutional decision on a hunch.
You wouldn’t approve a hospital wide protocol without evidence.
You wouldn’t take a client to trial without testing the theory and hedging exposure.
Yet some highly trained peers have done exactly that with a single, highly volatile financial bet.

That asset (Bitcoin) has seen a dramatic decline in value recently - 40% in the last 6 months...⚠️

People have bonded their homes.
Some liquidated retirement savings.
They bet everything on one speculative instrument.

The irony is painful.

Here’s what you already know from medicine and law:
High risk can mean high reward — but only when the risk is calculated.
You diversify clinical trials and treatment options.
You hedge legal exposure with insurance and settlement strategies.
You run scenarios and build contingency plans.
You accept that many interventions or cases fail, but you stay solvent because you manage the downside.

That speculative asset might become transformative. It might soar next year.
But it’s a wildcard, not a proven and predictable strategy.
And you don’t bond your house to fund a single gambit.

Successful investing is boring but it works.

Why do smart professionals who manage institutional risk so well sometimes take catastrophic personal financial risks?

What’s the disconnect between professional judgment and personal behavior?

"If you have to tell them to help carry the bricks, they aren't the ones to build with."

What are you doing in December to set yourself up for 2026?

I love being a financial planner.

The work carries enormous responsibility.... Supporting bereaved clients, managing disability and severe-illness claims worth millions of Rands, helping business owners keep operations running when a partner faces a major risk event, and winding up large estates while making sure surviving families are cared for with empathy.

At the same time I must provide for my own family and meet the practical demands of the role.

Despite the pressure, there is a deep, quiet reward in this work. I take real satisfaction in reviewing clients’ investments and sharing the growth we’ve achieved, and in knowing the capital we’ve protected was the result of careful planning. Executing a will or a plan that ensures loved ones are financially secure, even after a client has passed is profoundly meaningful to me. With a fantastic support structure around me I get to do more...

Today I’m stepping away from it all, just for a little bit... to be a daddy and husband - my favourite and most important role. My wealth.

I’m grateful for the chance to be present with my family, to manage my diary so work and life both have space, and to rest in the knowledge that God is in control.

📊 What's the Impact of a 25 Basis Point Rate Cut in South Africa?

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has cut the repo rate by 25 basis points (0.25%), lowering the repo rate to 6.75% and the prime lending rate to 10.25% so what does this mean to you and me?

👥 BORROWERS
✅️ Cheaper debt: Loan repayments drop slightly.
✅️ Example: On a R1 million mortgage over 20 years, monthly repayments fall by ±R160.
✅️ Household relief: Lower interest costs free up disposable income.
✅️ Business impact: Easier financing for expansion and working capital.

💼 INVESTORS
⬆️ Equities: Lower borrowing costs can boost company earnings and JSE sentiment.
⬆️ Bonds: Existing bonds gain value as yields adjust downward.
⬇️ Cash & deposits: Returns on savings accounts and money market funds decline.
⬇️ Currency: Rand may soften slightly, though SARB’s strict 3% inflation target supports stability.

⚖️ Broader Context
- Inflation discipline: SARB now targets 3% inflation (within a 2–4% band).
- Growth support: The cut signals confidence in inflation control while stimulating sluggish growth.
- Investor confidence: Reinforced by fiscal discipline, a credit rating upgrade, and South Africa’s exit from the FATF grey list.

📌 Takeaways
- For households: Small but meaningful relief on debt repayments.
- For investors: Shift from cash toward equities and bonds.
- For pension funds & HR teams: Reassure members that SARB is balancing growth and inflation, maintaining system stability.

Now would be a good time to review your budget and your investments to ensure you are capitalising on this rate cut.

If you need help, you're welcome to DM me.

Anthony

Few things stir my patriotism like the Bokke running onto the field - the hush before kickoff, the precision of a well executed play, and the eruption of joy when green and gold prevail.

The same mix of strategy, teamwork, and pure elation hits me when I structure an investment plan, watch discipline and timing play out, and see a client cross the finish line toward their goals.

Whether it’s a last-minute try or a long-term financial win, the pride and purpose feel identical - we planned, we trusted the process, and we celebrated together.

SA vs France...What a game🇿🇦🔥

Anthony

"Sunshine, Family… and a Dive That Nearly Changed My Life 💥"

After a long, high-intensity work year, I finally took a breather with the family out in Wolseley. Classic dorpie vibes—sunshine, braais, laughter, and a bit of overdue stillness. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

What I didn’t anticipate was how quickly things could go sideways.

Day two. The sun was blazing, the pool looked like something out of a travel brochure—crystal blue, light dancing off the surface. We were all cooling off, having a great time. I’d just climbed out for a cold drink, and in a moment of enthusiasm (and questionable judgment), I decided to go for a high dive. Big splash. Big mistake.

I misjudged the depth. My head slammed into the bottom of the pool. Instant shock down my spine. Vision blacked out. Stars. No breath. No sound. Just pain and panic. I surfaced, but couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. My family was asking if I was okay, and I couldn’t respond.

I got out. Sat down. Tried to stop the spinning.

We headed straight to the ER in Wolseley. I was dazed, struggling to answer basic questions. Eventually, I was admitted, scanned, tested—MRI, concussion protocols, the works. They booked me in overnight. No movement allowed. Just in case.

And then came the silence. My wife left for the evening, and I was alone with my thoughts. And they weren’t pretty.

What if I’d paralysed myself? What if I couldn’t think clearly again? What if I couldn’t work? Couldn’t provide? For her. For my team. For the people who rely on me. Did I have enough cover? Was I protected?

I was scared. And I don’t scare easily.

The next morning, the doctor gave me a stern talking-to. Fair. But thankfully, no fractures. Just nerve trauma and a long road of physio ahead.

I’m sharing this because I didn’t think it could happen to me. But it nearly did.

That same week, I reviewed every line of my risk cover. Because if something had gone differently, I needed to know I hadn’t left my family exposed.

Risk cover isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have. For your family. For your business. For your peace of mind.

If you want to unpack your own risk exposure and make sure your bases are covered, let’s talk.

PS: I’ve learned how to dive properly since then. I don’t😅.

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Your no-nonsense guide to navigating the financial landscape with precision and clarity. Every week, we cut through the noise to deliver sharp, actionable insights on markets, investments, and wealth-building strategies. No fluff, no hype—just the facts that matter, tailored for professionals who value their time.

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Edition: Week of 11 August 2025

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💼 WEALTH WORLD WEEKLY Your no-nonsense guide to navigating the financial landscape with precision and clarity. Every week, we cut through the noise to deliver sharp, actionable insights on markets, investments, and wealth-building strategies.