MaxWealth blog https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/ Short, sourced reads on South African tax, saving and debit orders. Education, not financial advice. en-za Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0200 Paying extra into your bond: what R1 000 a month really saveshttps://maxwealth.co.za/blog/bond-extra-payments/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/bond-extra-payments/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0200On a R1.5 million bond at 10.75% over 20 years, R1 000 extra a month saves about R451 500 in interest and finishes the bond 3.5 years early. Your debit orders are growing faster than inflation. Here is how to catch it.https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/debit-order-premium-creep/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/debit-order-premium-creep/Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0200A R1 200 premium rising 25% a year costs R39 560 more over five years than one rising with inflation. A 20-minute statement audit finds it. Living annuity drawdown: how much can you take without running short?https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/living-annuity-drawdown/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/living-annuity-drawdown/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0200R3 million drawn at 6% pays R15 000 a month in year one - but with 9% growth and 4.4% inflation, that income buys only about R10 300 of today's goods by year 20. How big should your emergency fund be, and how long will it take to build?https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/emergency-fund-how-many-months/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/emergency-fund-how-many-months/Thu, 24 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0200On R15 000 of essential monthly spending, three months of cover is R45 000 - saving R2 000 a month gets you there in 1 year and 10 months. Medical aid tax credits: what your family gets back in 2026/27https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/medical-aid-tax-credits/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/medical-aid-tax-credits/Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0200A family of three on medical aid gets R12 072 a year off its tax in 2026/27 - and out-of-pocket medical costs can add more once they pass 7.5% of income. The retirement annuity deduction: how much of your contribution SARS pays backhttps://maxwealth.co.za/blog/retirement-annuity-tax-deduction/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/retirement-annuity-tax-deduction/Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0200On a R500 000 income, R3 000 a month into a retirement annuity cuts your tax by R11 160 a year - so the contribution really costs about R2 070 a month. The real cost of a two-pot savings withdrawalhttps://maxwealth.co.za/blog/two-pot-withdrawal-cost/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/two-pot-withdrawal-cost/Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0200On a R350 000 income, a R30 000 savings-pot withdrawal pays out R22 200 after tax - and the same money left in the fund could be R258 700 in 25 years. Capital gains tax on shares: the new R50 000 exclusion and how to use ithttps://maxwealth.co.za/blog/capital-gains-tax-shares/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/capital-gains-tax-shares/Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0200From 1 March 2026 the first R50 000 of gains each tax year is tax-free - a R200 000 gain on a R500 000 income costs R20 090 sold at once, or R6 200 spread over three tax years. Employee, contractor or your own company: who pays the least tax on the same income?https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/employee-contractor-or-company-tax/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/employee-contractor-or-company-tax/Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0200On R600 000 a year, a contractor who can deduct R60 000 of costs keeps about R21 600 more than an employee - and a one-person Pty Ltd can end up keeping less than both. Start at 18, 25 or 35: what the tax-free savings account does with timehttps://maxwealth.co.za/blog/tfsa-start-at-18-25-35/https://maxwealth.co.za/blog/tfsa-start-at-18-25-35/Thu, 13 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0200The same R1 000 a month into a tax-free savings account can be worth R7.7 million or R1.7 million at 65 - the only difference is the age you start.