Financial Advice

THE GIFT OF GOOD BORROWING PRINCIPLES

The dawn of a new year often comes with a myriad of other emotional needs, wants, and desires. All of which, can place an incredible demand on our ability to make it happen or not. More often than not, we get stuck in the Battle of the Mind on whether or not a credit transaction will benefit our budget, or whether the ever-increasing desire warrants an immediate take up. In itself, an emotionally draining experience.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE & WHAT PRINCIPLE CAN YOU APPLY THIS FESTIVE SEASON?

Credit can be defined as your ability to receive goods, services, or funds as an advance based on trust that payment will be made in future.

Therefore, Credit serves a vital purpose in our lives as we are not all privilege to the benefits that comes with trust funds and estate planning.

Not only does credit provide us with buying power to establish ourselves for the future it also plays a vital role in our economy.

Therefore, as recipients of credit we owe it to ourselves and our future generations to stay clear from willful harm that comes with keeping up with the Joneses.

PRINCIPLES WHEN APPLYING FOR CREDIT

Be honest and upfront about your Affordability • We often know before applying for credit whether we can afford the monthly payment for the duration of the loan, regardless of what the loan outcome is. • The minute our decision is contrary to what our subconscious are warning us against, we are willfully stepping into a space where our budget can be compromised. Review the Loan Purpose. Reflective Honesty should lead your response. • Will the credit application enrich, uplift, or develop your current situation?

or • Is the transaction driven by the need to keep up with the lifestyle of someone else? Understand the rules of engagement. • Payment mandates – Repayment term, repayment date, payment options. • Interest free windows – Familiarize yourself with the interest free period available on selected credit cards. Understand the Terms and Conditions. • Repercussions of non-compliance – Failure to pay or past due payment leads to adverse listing, which will negatively impact your future ability to obtain credit. Always choose the borrowing solution best suited for your need. • Unsecured Personal Loan • Credit Card • Vehicle Finance • Student Loan • Home Loan

HEALTHY LIVING WITH CREDIT

Always operate within your budget. • Your disposable income is a clear guideline on

“YOU MUST GAIN CONTROL OVER YOUR MONEY OR THE LACK OF IT WILL FOREVER CONTROL YOU.” – DAVE RAMSEY

whether you can afford a borrow transaction or not. • A new loan installment should be added to your budget immediately.

Never skip your loan/Credit payments.

Repercussions for not paying your credit installments is grossly damaging to your credit profile. • Avoid Reckless Transactions. Remember the purpose of Credit is for you to obtain something meaningful of which you do not have the resources for. i.e. • Money borrowed, should always be used for a worthy cause. When there is no compelling reason to validate the credit transaction, other than you attempting to live beyond your means, then you should pause and review before proceeding with the new transaction. Differentiate between a Need and Want. • If you can continue living without the demand, the desire for taking new credit should reduce. • Should the demand indicate that there is a need, which a borrow transaction will make possible, then you should proceed with caution by following the guided principles. The best gift you can give yourself in 2022 and beyond, will be the gift of applying good Borrowing Principles. You owe it to your present and future self, to stay in control of the things that can sustain you and your future generations, for generations to come. This year, Take Control and remain in Control.

Geskryf deur: Claudene Sebolai

Hoe kan ek die Here vergoed?

Ek het die Here lief, want Hy antwoord my smeekgebed. Omdat Hy na my geluister het, sal ek Hom aanroep solank ek lewe. Bande van die dood het my omring, angs van die doderyk het my oorval. Vrees en verdriet het my oorweldig. Toe roep ek die Here se Naam aan: “Here, red my tog!” Die Here is genadig en regverdig. Ons God bewys barmhartigheid. Die Here beskerm die eenvoudiges. Ek was in nood, maar Hy het my gered. Nou kan ek weer gerus wees, want die Here was goed vir my. U het my van die dood gered my oë van trane bevry, my voete van struikeling weerhou (Psalm 116:1-8).

My naam is Nicolene Mintoor en ek’s gebore and getoë in De Doorns. Die koue hand van die dood het my reeds as kind besoek toe ek breinvlies ontsteking opgedoen het. Die Here het toe aan my bewys dat Sy Hand nie te kort is om te red nie. Ek het my skool loopbaan voltooi en was vir die eerste keer as prefek aangestel in my matriek jaar.

Ek het ‘farming management’ by Boland College gestudeer en het tydens my vakansie gewerk. Ek onthou die aand voor die ongeluk, ek was op my gelukkigste. Ek het nag skof gewerk as “flag man”. Ek moes die ‘stop and go’ bord draai en die verkeerslig change, as gevolg van pad werke. Ek het nooit kon droom dat die Sondag oggend, 26ste April 2015 (op my ma se verjaarsdag), sou my lewe radikaal verander nie. Oppad na die toilet, sien ek 'n kar aankom, maar omdat dit nog ver van die verkeerslig af was het ek nie gedink dat dit enige gevaar vir my sou inhou nie. Die een oomblik sien ek nog die kar aankom en die volgende oomblik is die ligte op my en tref dit my met 'n harde slag. Toe ek by my sinne kom sien ek hoe die bestuurder my net eek kyk gee en weg jaag van die toneel af. My linker been was heeltemal vergruis. Ek was paniekbevange en het histeries begin gil. Ek het vier operasies ondergaan, moes weer leer loop en moes met 'n yster om my been leer saam leef. As dit nie vir die Hand van die Here was nie, sou ek nie vandag my getuie kon deel nie.

Asof dit nie genoeg was nie! Sewe maande na my ongeluk, ontdek die dokter dat ek swanger is. Die ongeluk het my in so 'n depressie gedompel omdat ek heeltemal afhanklik was van ander om my te help. Toe ek hoor eks boonop swanger toe voel

dit of die Here besig is om my te straf. Die dokters was bekommerd dat die baba gestremd sal wees as gevolg van die ongeluk en al die medikasie wat ek moes neem. Al my medikasie was onmiddelik gestop toe dit uigevind word dat ek swanger was. Dit was winter en die pyn was duisend maal erger. Dit was hel, onbeskryflike pyn wat ek moes verduur. Ek moes kraam met 'n yster om my been. Maar God se Hand was nie net op my nie maar ook op my baba sin.

My verhouding met die Here, het tydens die donker tyd van my lewe, sterker geword. My kind is vir my 'n groot seening en 'n teken van God se reddende krag. Die Here het my uit die diepste donker geruk. Ek moes daai motoris vergewe wat nie eers tekens van berou getoon het die dag van die ongeluk nie. Ek het so baie vrae in my hart gehad maar God het die vrede herstel. Bid en glo dat God 'n waarmaker van Sy woord is. God is wakker agter Sy woord om dit te volbring! Mag God elke leser seen.

EK HET DIE HERE LIEF, WANT HY ANTWOORD MY SMEEKGEBED