Ashton

Arcadia Finance - Marketing

I've been diving into online marketing and content creation, with a focus on personal finance and funding. But I'm not about dull finance content – I aim to create material that not only educates but genuinely helps. My mission? "Beyond information, I'm here to inspire!" Let's explore the world of finance together!

Two pot withdrawal vs personal loan

Two-Pot Withdrawal or Personal Loan: Which Makes More Sense?

23 October 2026

A two-pot withdrawal gives you access to your own money, but SARS taxes it at your marginal rate and it permanently reduces your retirement savings. ...

Credit Fraud Complaints Surge 46% in SA

Credit Fraud Complaints Surge 46% in SA

15 September 2026

South Africans are increasingly being left to deal with debts connected to credit transactions that they say they never made or gave permission for, with ...

SA Homeowners Losing R300 a Month on Power

SA Homeowners Losing R300 a Month on Power

14 September 2026

South African households could be forking out roughly R300 more on electricity every single month without ever noticing it, and the culprit is not what ...

Confirmed SASSA Grants & Payment Schedule for October 2026

Confirmed SASSA Grants & Payment Schedule for October 2026

12 September 2026

South Africans who rely on SASSA grants need clear payment dates so they can budget for food, transport, school costs, and other monthly essentials. This ...

SASSA Denies R500 Chronic Illness Grant

SASSA Denies R500 Chronic Illness Grant

11 September 2026

Sassa has cautioned beneficiaries to depend solely on its official communication channels and to remain wary of individuals requesting personal information, or payment, in return ...

Taxpayers Win Big Against SARS

Taxpayers Win Big Against SARS Over Deductions

10 September 2026

A new ruling from South Africa’s highest civil appeal court has reshaped how certain loan-related charges are treated for tax purposes, offering welcome clarity to ...

Older SASSA Beneficiaries Targeted by Scammers

Older SASSA Beneficiaries Targeted by Scammers

9 September 2026

The Office of the FAIS Ombud has issued a caution to recipients of SASSA grants, especially elderly beneficiaries, regarding unauthorised deductions being made for funeral ...

South Africa's GDP Slips

South Africa’s GDP Slips as Prior Growth Revised Down

8 September 2026

South Africa’s economy has taken a turn for the worse, recording a decline in gross domestic product during the second quarter of 2026, a result ...

Banking App Fraud

Banking App Fraud Targets South Africans

7 September 2026

South Africans who rely on banking applications on their mobile phones are confronting an escalating danger of fraud, as digital banking crime has become recognised ...

New Off-Grid Solar Homes Levy

New R582 Levy Hits Off-Grid Solar Homes

4 September 2026

A civil rights organisation, AfriForum, has sent a formal letter of demand to the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality and the National Energy Regulator of South ...

Postbank Black Card

Still No Postbank Black Card? What SASSA Says

3 September 2026

SASSA beneficiaries are being strongly encouraged to keep their personal contact details up to date and to make use of SASSA’s newly introduced WhatsApp service, ...

Fuel Outage

South Africa Braces for Fuel Outage

2 September 2026

Jet fuel suppliers in South Africa need to hold higher stock levels to cope with production outages, such as last week’s disruption at Sasol’s Natref ...

SA Households Cut Back, Still Can't Cover the Basics

SA Households Cut Back, Still Can’t Cover the Basics

1 September 2026

South Africans are cancelling subscriptions, dining out less and watching every rand, with some managing to build buffers and pay down debt whilst others rely ...

R2 Coins Honouring Women's Legacy

New Commemorative R2 Coins Honouring Women’s Legacy

31 August 2026

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has formally unveiled two new R2 coins honouring Charlotte Maxeke and the women who took part in the 1956 ...

NCC Warns Against Hidden Card Payment Fees

NCC Warns Against Hidden Card Payment Fees

28 August 2026

Consumers who rely on bank cards to settle everyday purchases are being urged not to simply go along with extra charges tacked on for using ...

Women Now Bear the Financial Load, Too

Women Now Bear the Financial Load, Too

27 August 2026

Women’s Month continues to unfold, and it coincides with the release of fresh official statistics on gender gaps in care work. On 6 August, Statistics ...

Bad News for Cape Town House Hunters

Bad News for Cape Town House Hunters

26 August 2026

South Africa’s most sought-after property market has increasingly caught the attention of buyers from abroad, which may not bode well for local citizens hoping to ...

Retirement Crisis

Retirement Crisis: Half Cashed Out Early

25 August 2026

South Africa’s growing debt crisis is no longer confined to household budgets. It is increasingly following workers into the office, factory floor and boardroom, quietly ...

Debt Pressure

Debt Pressure Mounts for SA’s Highest Earners

24 August 2026

South Africa’s highest income earners are now carrying the heaviest debt load in the country, with individuals who take home more than R50 000 a ...

Confirmed SASSA Grants & Payment Schedule for September 2026

Confirmed SASSA Grants & Payment Schedule for September 2026

15 August 2026

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has confirmed the official payment schedule for social grants for September 2026, with disbursements set to begin in ...

Petrol Prices Climbing Again in September 2026

Petrol Prices Climbing Again in September 2026

14 August 2026

Fuel prices are once again set to climb across South Africa, with the latest mid-month figures pointing to further increases at the pumps for both ...

More Money Doesn't Mean Less Debt

Index Says: Bigger Income Doesn’t Mean Less Debt

13 August 2026

The size of a person’s pay cheque does not shield them from falling into debt, a newly released report has shown. In fact, the opposite ...

Working Hours in South Africa

Working Hours in South Africa Set for Big Shift

12 August 2026

South Africa’s labour market has undergone a notable transformation in the manner in which people are employed, with short-hour and part-time employment expanding at a ...

Buy a house

Can South Africans Still Afford to Buy a House? Experts Say Yes

11 August 2026

For many South Africans, owning a home can feel further out of reach than ever, yet property finance specialists insist this is not necessarily true, ...

A Caution for Divorced People in South Africa

A Caution for Divorced People in South Africa

10 August 2026

Although many South Africans going through a divorce hope for a swift, clean break, a significant number neglect their estate planning, which can leave their ...

Credit Users in South Africa

Credit Users in South Africa Face New Warning

7 August 2026

Experts have cautioned that South Africans are increasingly falling into a debt trap, where credit is being used less to finance long-term assets and more ...

Got a Car Loan SARS Has a 'Bonus' for You

Got a Car Loan? SARS Has a ‘Bonus’ for You

6 August 2026

South Africans due a tax refund this season have a real chance to reduce their outstanding vehicle debt or set aside money for an emergency ...

New Law Boosts SARS Access to Your Bank Account

New Law Boosts SARS Access to Your Bank Account

5 August 2026

Fresh tax legislation may force banks to assist the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in identifying and briefly freezing funds and payments owed to taxpayers ...

New Report Reveals 43 SA Jobs Paying Over R30,000

New Report Reveals 43 SA Jobs Paying Over R30 000

4 August 2026

Statistics South Africa’s quarterly employment survey covering the first three months of 2026 revealed that the national average salary across the country stood at R29 ...

Over 10 Million SRD Grant Applications Turned Down

Over 10 Million SRD Grant Applications Rejected

3 August 2026

More than 10 million applications for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant were declined in the 2025/26 financial year, with the government citing income ...

Debt and Gambling

SA Employees Sink Deeper Into Debt and Gambling

31 July 2026

A fresh report from Old Mutual reveals that South Africa’s financial divide is becoming more pronounced, with a growing number of working people leaning on ...

Electricity Price Reforms

South Africa Set For Major Electricity Price Reforms

30 July 2026

South Africa’s Cabinet has approved the publication of the Revised Electricity Pricing Policy for public comment, aiming to bring greater transparency to the country’s tariff ...

SARS Warning for Anyone Who Filed This Year

SARS Warning for Anyone Who Filed This Year

29 July 2026

SARS has flagged a growing trend of scammers using artificial intelligence to produce convincing correspondence that mimics official tax communication, making it harder for taxpayers ...

SASSA Grant Under Review Expect Delays

SASSA Grant Under Review? Expect Delays

28 July 2026

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has cautioned thousands of beneficiaries whose grants are under review that their August payments will not arrive during ...

e-Travel Authorisation

New R500 Visa Fee Coming to South Africa

27 July 2026

The Department of Home Affairs has published proposed regulations that would bring in a R500 processing charge for Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) issued in South ...

SARB Pause Eases Vehicle Loan Costs

SARB Pause Eases Vehicle Loan Costs

24 July 2026

South Africans with car loans have reason to breathe a little easier this week, after the Reserve Bank chose to keep borrowing costs exactly where ...

Repo Rate Freeze

Repo Rate Freeze Brings Relief to SA Homeowners

23 July 2026

South African homeowners have been handed a welcome reprieve after the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee opted against raising interest rates, despite inflation figures for ...

SASSA Targets Grant Reviews

SASSA Targets 350 000 Grant Reviews to Cut Fraud

22 July 2026

The Minister of Social Development, Dina Pule, has announced that the government intends to review more than 350,000 social grants during the 2026/27 financial year, ...

Rand Could Hit R18 to the Dollar

Rand Could Hit R18 to the Dollar in 2027

21 July 2026

Anchor Capital has cautioned that the risks facing the rand remain extremely elevated and that the currency could weaken all the way to R18 against ...

SA Mobile Banking App Fraud

New Alert for SA Mobile Banking App Users

20 July 2026

South Africans who rely on banking applications on their mobile devices are once again being urged to exercise heightened caution whenever they are asked to ...

Rates on Hold Despite Inflation Risks?

Rates on Hold Despite Inflation Risks?

17 July 2026

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is widely anticipated to keep interest rates unchanged at its upcoming meeting, although economists caution that the outcome could ...

R33 Million SASSA Grant Fraud

R33 Million SASSA Grant Fraud

16 July 2026

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has terminated the employment of four officials from its Nebo Local Office in Limpopo’s Sekhukhune District, after an ...

TransUnion Q2 2026 Consumers Still Under Strain

TransUnion Q2 2026: Consumers Still Under Strain

15 July 2026

Households across South Africa continue to grapple with considerable financial pressure, as almost four out of every ten consumers (39%) anticipate falling behind on at ...

Pensioners Demand R5 000 Grant

Pensioners Demand R5 000 Grant

14 July 2026

Elderly citizens under the banner of Pensioners of South Africa (POSA) have appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa and SASSA officials to acknowledge their hardship, saying ...

SARB's Rate Decision Next Week

SARB Rate Call Looms: Hold or Hike Again?

13 July 2026

Bank of America has indicated that it anticipates the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will raise interest rates during its upcoming July Monetary Policy Committee ...

Premature Trust Penalties

SARS Backs Down On Premature Trust Penalties

10 July 2026

Trusts that were served with final demand letters in February, on account of failing to submit their 2024 and 2025 tax returns, have effectively been ...

Fortnightly Fuel Price Changes

SA Mulls Fortnightly Fuel Price Changes

9 July 2026

South Africa may be on the verge of departing from its long-established system of adjusting fuel prices on a monthly basis, after a suggestion was ...

Confirmed SASSA Grants & Payment Schedule for August 2026

Confirmed SASSA Grants & Payment Schedule for August 2026

8 July 2026

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has confirmed the official payment schedule for social grants for August 2026, with disbursements set to begin in ...

New Travel Declaration

New Travel Declaration Now Mandatory, SARS Confirms

7 July 2026

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has emphasised that, although its recently introduced online travel declaration form is compulsory, travellers will not be refused entry ...

Immigration Framework

South Africa Set to Overhaul Its Entire Immigration Framework

6 July 2026

South Africa’s visa system is on the brink of a significant transformation, as the national government prepares to bring in new legislation aimed at tightening ...

Car Loans

South Africans Keep Car Loans for Longer At a Cost

3 July 2026

Financially squeezed car buyers across South Africa are increasingly choosing loan agreements that lower their monthly instalments rather than focusing on the total amount they ...

Solo Home Buying

Solo Home Buying Rises Among Young South Africans

2 July 2026

A growing number of young South Africans are choosing to purchase property entirely on their own, marking a substantial shift in how the country’s newest ...

Credit Card Balances Climb

Credit Card Balances Climb as Repayment Strain Builds

1 July 2026

South African households are changing the way they borrow and manage credit as pressure on household budgets continues, according to TransUnion’s Q1 2026 South Africa ...

South Africans Lean Harder On Credit

South Africans Lean Harder On Credit As Living Costs Bite

30 June 2026

South African households are becoming more dependent on the credit facilities they already hold and are turning increasingly to short-term borrowing as they try to ...