Know Your Money with Bronwyn Waner and Craig Finch

Know Your Money
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Welcome to Know your money, where we will explore our relationship with money and how the psychology of it impacts our financial decisions as everyone thinks about money differently. In our podcasts we will be presenting a variety of financial topics in an easy-to-understand way which, we hope, will assist you with managing your money.Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website www.growthfp.co.za

  1. 6d ago

    197. The Seduction Of Pessimism

    Send us Fan Mail Pessimism has a way of sounding like wisdom. It feels cautious, helpful, and grounded, while optimism can come across as naïve or salesy especially when money and markets are involved. We dig into Morgan Housel’s Chapter 17, The Seduction of Pessimism, and talk honestly about why our brains cling to the worst-case story, even when the evidence for long-term progress is right in front of us. From there we take a step back into history, looking at Japan after World War II. When a country is dealing with devastation and scarcity, it’s almost impossible to imagine a future of innovation, global respect, and economic strength. Yet recoveries happen, and the lesson for investor behaviour is simple: the most important changes often look unbelievable in the moment. That perspective matters when you’re trying to stick to a long-term investing plan through market volatility. We also chat about how major breakthroughs get brushed off at first, like the early days of flight, and how quickly people return to “yes, but what could go wrong?” thinking. Then we bring it home to personal finance: what to do when markets drop, why people obsess over blame during crashes, and why the slow climb back up rarely becomes front-page news. If you’ve ever felt your confidence wobble because the headlines are shouting, this is your reminder to zoom out and stay steady. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s feeling anxious about the markets, and leave us a review so more South Africans can find Know Your Money. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  2. Oct 12

    196. Know Your Money DNA

    Send us Fan Mail Your neighbour’s best share tip can be your worst financial decision. We’ve both seen how quickly a great story spreads at a dinner party: someone boasts about a stock that “printed money”, or the latest Bitcoin win, and suddenly you’re tempted to copy the trade. But the uncomfortable truth is simple: the return they got is tied to when they bought, what price they paid, and what their plan for the money actually is, and those details rarely match yours. We talk through the “You and Me” idea from Morgan Housel’s thinking and bring it back to real-world financial planning in South Africa: your goals, your time horizon, and your risk tolerance. A day trader chasing short-term gains lives in a different emotional world from someone building long-term wealth for retirement. We also share a personal experience of buying an individual share that surged early, then tumbled hard, and how the stress of watching the price move became part of the cost. It’s a practical reminder that behaviour and discipline often matter more than finding the perfect stock. From there we dig into why fund managers and portfolio managers can approach investing differently. Instead of only chasing the obvious “big picture” trend, they go deeper, test assumptions, and look for second-order effects. We use the example of AI’s rising energy needs and why “build more energy hubs” is not automatically a winning trade if supply floods the market. If you’re deciding between stock picking, unit trusts, or working with a professional, this chat helps you weigh the trade-offs with clearer eyes. If you find value in grounded investing insights and honest money conversations, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more South Africans can find the show. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  3. Oct 5

    195. The Hidden Price Of Good Investment Returns

    Send us Fan Mail The most dangerous money myth is that you can get something for nothing. We sit down as financial planners and pull apart a simple line from Morgan Housel’s work: “nothing’s free” and why it explains so many costly investing mistakes, from panic-selling to chasing the “cheapest” option without counting the real bill that arrives later. We start with an everyday example that makes the point instantly: buying a car. A brand-new car with a maintenance plan looks expensive, a second-hand deal looks like a bargain, and stealing looks free until you count the consequences. That same logic shows up in personal finance and investing in South Africa. The true cost is often hidden in uncertainty, repairs, missed opportunity, stress, and time. Once you learn to look for the full price, you stop being surprised by it. From there, we move into investing and why people try so hard to avoid paying the price for good investment returns. The “fee” is usually volatility. When your portfolio drops, it doesn’t feel like a fair trade for long-term growth; it feels like punishment. We talk about the long view of market history, why headlines amplify fear, and how staying invested is often the difference between building wealth and falling behind inflation. We end with practical financial planning: setting clear time horizons and building separate buckets for short-term spending, medium-term goals, and long-term growth. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s feeling nervous about the markets, and leave a review so more people can find Know Your Money. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  4. Sep 28

    194. Balanced Financial Planning

    Send us Fan Mail A money plan that never changes sounds disciplined, but it can be the quickest route to regret. We sit down with Morgan Housel’s book The Psychology of Money, chapter 14 “You Change”, and talk honestly about what happens when you build your entire financial life around one fixed future, especially retirement, while real life keeps moving. We explore what balanced financial planning in South Africa looks like across life stages: education, earning years, and retirement. Along the way, we discuss the practical “other buckets” that deserve funding too, like children’s education, short-term savings goals, meaningful holidays, and proper risk cover. We also share a powerful way to frame your finances: there are many versions of you. Some are chosen, like marriage, family, and retirement. Others are unexpected, like illness, accidents, divorce, or a financial shock, and a rigid plan can leave those versions of you unprotected. We then zoom out to change in the wider world, from technology to investment products, and why you should be careful of inherited money beliefs. A common example is writing off a retirement annuity (RA) or ignoring a tax-free savings account because someone had a bad experience years ago. Products, fees, regulation, and flexibility evolve, and smart investing means staying curious, reviewing your assumptions, and adjusting as you learn more. If you want a retirement plan that still lets you live well today, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more South Africans can find the show. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  5. Sep 21

    193. Divorce Planning In South Africa Without Regrets

    Send us Fan Mail Divorce changes your life fast, but the biggest surprises often land in your bank account months later. We speak frankly about why going straight to a lawyer without doing proper divorce financial planning can leave you underprepared, especially when your “normal” expenses were quietly supported by a spouse’s income, their company benefits, or the way your household used to run. We want you to walk into the process with your eyes open and your numbers solid. We unpack how to build a realistic maintenance claim by doing more than scanning the last 12 months of bank statements. A proper post-divorce budget needs to include the full cost of running a home, property upkeep, utilities, insurance, and medical aid, plus the real costs of raising children across two households. We also highlight a helpful South African resource: Christelle Detoy’s book, Divorce Smart, and her detailed budgeting spreadsheet that helps surface the costs many people miss. We then zoom in on divorce agreement wording, especially where child maintenance is concerned. Support that ends at 18 can create a funding gap if school, medical costs, or other essentials still continue. Thoughtful planning can reduce resentment, protect your financial future, and make co-parenting easier because money is less likely to become the ongoing battleground. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more South Africans can find practical guidance when it matters most. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  6. Sep 14

    192. South Africa’s Three Marriage Regimes Explained Clearly

    Send us Fan Mail The most romantic plans in the world won’t protect you from the fine print of a marriage contract. We sit down for a quick, practical guide to the three matrimonial property regimes in South Africa, and why your choice can shape everything from day-to-day money decisions to what happens if you divorce or lose your spouse. We walk through in community of property and explain what “one estate” really means for assets, debt, and the messy reality of splitting everything 50/50. We also unpack the two flavours of an antenuptial contract (ANC): without accrual and with accrual. If you have ever assumed an ANC automatically means “fair”, we explain why that is not always true, especially when one partner earns while the other supports the household, raises children, or backs a growing business. We then get specific about the accrual system: what you can exclude, what is automatically excluded (inheritance, donations between spouses, damages for losses, and commencement values), and why vague commencement values can turn a future divorce into a costly argument. Our goal is simple: help you ask better questions of your lawyer and your financial planner so your marriage regime matches your real life, not just a template. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone getting married, and leave a review so more South Africans can make smarter money decisions before signing. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  7. Sep 7

    191. Start Saving Because Winter Is Coming

    Send us Fan Mail Most financial stress does not come from one bad decision, it comes from a plan that leaves no room for error. Bronwyn Waner and Craig Finch from Growth Financial Planning, work through Morgan Housel’s “Room for Error” to show why confident forecasts can be dangerous, especially when you have only experienced good markets and steady economic conditions. We talk about the temptation to assume the stock market will keep delivering the same returns, and why a smarter retirement plan in South Africa starts with humility. By lowering expected investment returns and saving a bit more, you build a margin of safety that makes your plan more resilient. We also use a simple seasons metaphor: it is not always summer. Winter comes, and the real skill is staying patient and prepared until conditions improve. Then we zoom out from market risk to real-life risk. COVID showed how quickly income can disappear, which is why an emergency fund matters. We also share a powerful medical aid story that highlights how a single blind spot can overwhelm even an excellent savings rate. Medical aid, gap cover, and income protection are not flashy, but they can protect your health, your cash flow, and your ability to retire on time. If you want practical financial planning ideas you can apply immediately, listen now, share this with someone who is building a plan, and please subscribe and leave a review so more South Africans can find the show. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

  8. Aug 31

    190. How Personal History Changes Investing Choices

    Send us Fan Mail Your financial plan is never just about numbers. It’s also about the surprises that shaped you, the stories you inherited, and the moments that made you decide “I’ll never do that” or “I must always do this”. We pick up Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money, chapter 12 (“Surprise”), and unpack why using history to predict the future can be useful, but also dangerously incomplete when life throws the unexpected at you.  We talk about how your personal history can quietly run your money decisions. If you grew up with a parent who took big risks, spent freely, or never built a safety net, you might respond by becoming extremely cautious, even when smart, diversified investing would serve you. We share how that risk story can lead to missed opportunities, and why starting early and saving consistently still matters, even when you feel unsure.  We also explore a powerful client example: when no one in your family lives past a certain age, why would you save for retirement at all? Add a childhood link between investing and gambling, and suddenly “growing money” feels unsafe. That’s where money mindset work and good financial planning meet, helping you spot the belief, understand how it once protected you, and choose a more balanced approach. We end by reflecting on COVID-19 as a money memory that still influences spending, saving, and fear today.  If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with someone who’s rethinking their money habits, and leave a review so more people can find the podcast. Support the show Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website  www.growthfp.co.za

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Welcome to Know your money, where we will explore our relationship with money and how the psychology of it impacts our financial decisions as everyone thinks about money differently. In our podcasts we will be presenting a variety of financial topics in an easy-to-understand way which, we hope, will assist you with managing your money.Please subscribe to our podcast or have a look at our website www.growthfp.co.za

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