Smart About Money

SmartAboutMoney.co.za is a consumer financial education website that aims to empower all South Africans to make good money decisions. An initiative of the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA), the website provides consumers with accurate, unbiased, plain-language information about regulated financial products and services. Users can also use the site’s calculators to test financial decisions about paying off debt, saving or drawing an income in retirement, without signing up for someone to contact you or being enticed to buy financial products. SmartAboutMoney explains the products and services in the savings and investment, life assurance industries and financial planning industries, but plans in time to expand into all areas that affect consumers’ personal finances. While the site aims to empower consumers to take charge of their financial situations it also actively encourages users to use their newly gained knowledge to have a meaningful discussion with their financial advisers. The comprehensive educational material has been developed by Laura du Preez, one of South Africa’s most experienced personal finance journalists. The content has been checked for accuracy by ASISA’s senior policy advisers (subject matter experts in their own right), ASISA member representatives and many other experts where relevant. In addition, all educational content also carries the approval of the ASISA editorial committee.