Why Smart People Fall for Ponzi Schemes Ponzi schemes are one of the oldest tricks in the financial playbook. Despite decades of headlines, legal crackdowns, and public warnings, people still fall for them. Recently, NTC Global Trade, a crypto firm investigated by slain attorney Bouwer Van Niekerk, was placed under provisional liquidation. Several investors accused…
From Selling to Guiding: The Real Value of Financial Advisors For a long time, the value of a financial advisor was framed in terms of products sold, promises of market-beating returns, or projections of where the economy might be headed. That era is fading. Today, the advisor’s role is no longer about selling and telling—it…
One Marshmallow Now or Two Later: The Investor’s Dilemma The marshmallow test is a well-known psychology experiment. A child is offered a choice: one marshmallow immediately, or two marshmallows if they can wait. It is a simple test of delayed gratification, but its lessons apply far beyond childhood. In investing, we face the same choice…
Investing Is Not a Competitive Sport If the purpose of investing is to fund a very specific, very personal future objective, why do so many investors spend their energy trying to “beat the market” or chase the so-called “best funds”? It is an easy trap to fall into. The financial world thrives on comparisons: indexes,…
The Real Nature of Risk – A Fine Line Between Friend and Foe For most investors, “risk” is a four-letter word — something to be avoided, feared, or managed away entirely. The industry reinforces this view by talking about risk only in terms of volatility, drawdowns, and probabilities of loss. But this shallow definition hides…
The Stories We Tell About Money Money is important as it touches every part of our lives. Yet too often, we lose sight of its true nature, and it becomes an emotional experience rather than a practical tool. What if the biggest influence on your finances is not the markets but the story you believe…
Why We Launched Our Unit Trust Range In 2024, we began the process of launching a range of 2IP-managed Unit Trusts. This was a deliberate decision, shaped by how the investment industry is evolving and how we can best deliver our expertise to serve clients and advisors. Our goal is to make investing simpler, more…
When Emotion Wins, Wealth Loses In investing, the toughest battles are not waged in spreadsheets or market forecasts. They are fought internally, between your values and your emotions. Values are long-term. They define your goals and anchor your commitment. Emotions are immediate. They arise to resolve short-term discomfort. Values are principles you have thought through…
Investors Repeat the Same Mistakes In mid-2022, the dominant market narrative was clear: a global recession was looming. Yield curves inverted. Fear permeated headlines. Fund flows showed investors retreating from equities and rushing to cash. But then, in classic market fashion, reality unfolded in a way few expected. The pessimism marked a turning point. Equity…
When Markets Get Emotional Advisors Must Pivot from Rational to Relational In times of market stability, financial advisors and clients engage in a zone of clarity. There is a mutual understanding. Clients are calm, conversations are based on reason, and plans are reviewed with a shared sense of long-term thinking. These are the moments when…