Page 3 - TODAY magazine Issue 1 2021

EDITOR’S LETTER
Sometimes it’s hard
to believe that we’re halfway through 2021
already when it feels as if the whole world is stuck in 2020,
trying to deal with Covid-19.
All our plans and dreams and hopes have been put on
hold, whether it’s because you’re battling to recover after being ill or struggling to adjust to life without a loved one – or because you or your partner or a family member have lost your income or are earning less than you had a year ago.
We therefore dedicated this issue of Today to helping you to become even more money smart, especially now that the going is tough. You will find advice, tips and real people’s stories on almost every page to encourage and inspire you to stay on course. On page 22, for example, three people tell what gave them the push they needed to pay off all their debt, even those tempting store accounts, and how they managed to do it.
As one of them said: ‘Believe me, it’s never too late to change your circumstances. Once you have an emergency fund in place and you’ve dealt with your debt, life really begins, and you can focus on saving for your retirement.’
There also are tips for shopping safely online (page 8), advice for ensuring that your car insurance claims aren’t rejected (page 40) and clever ways to economise that you might not have thought of (page 48). It really helps to know where every rand is going, even if we can’t avoid the unexpected.
That is another reason why we went all out to include financial guidance you can use today and in future.
‘Let’s make this the year of taking savvy financial decisions that will help us to rebuild where we left off, or perhaps even go in an exciting new direction...starting today.’
Speaking of the future, you will find four of the biggest money decisions to take as you near retirement on page 18 and a handy FAQ on debt in retirement on page 50. For the more immediate future, we have practical suggestions for those who’d like to go back to home-schooling next year. Because home-schooling usually means even more screen time, we also look at why it’s important to get your kids moving.
So let’s make this the year of taking savvy financial decisions that will help us to rebuild where we left off, or perhaps even to go in an exciting new direction... starting today.
Gugu-Lisa Zwane-Johnson Editor
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact me at todayomc@oldmutual.com
Look out for these icons throughout the magazine. Each will point you to useful definitions,
handy contact details and practical tips.
// 1 // ISSUE ONE 2021
PHOTO: MATT PHOTO
GLOSSARY
FINANCIAL ADVISER
TIP