This comes into full effect from February, if approved by the National Treasury. In addition to this, from January 1, 2018, the government will be implementing level six water restrictions.

So what will this drought levy mean for you? We find out…

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What Is A Drought Levy? 

The City is currently facing a serious problem with the possibility of Day Zero being imminent. Businesses and residents have been rationed to a quota of water per month.

Since the implementation of Level 5 water restrictions, the City’s water consumption has decreased, however not enough.

This has called for the possible implementation of a drought levy. According to Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Cllr Johan van der Merwe, the City isn’t making enough money. The money that the City normally gets for water usage has declined- this decreasing the City’s income to finance infrastructure.

“This is income we need to fund projects to make additional water available, and to carry out maintenance on our infrastructure. Please remember that the cost of maintaining infrastructure to supply water remains the same no matter how much water is consumed. As such the City is introducing a drought charge to make up the revenue shortfall during these unusual times.”

How Does The Drought Levy Work? 

The levy is currently in the process of being approved, however once the Minister of Finance and Council approves it, it will come into effect from February 1.

The levy is expected to remain in place until 2021 in order to assist the funding of new water projects.

The City is expecting to raise R1 billion per year in funds for their projects through drought levies. Each home owner will be expected to pay a levy each month that is dependent on their property value.

“The drought charge is based on property value and is estimated at about 10% of the current municipal rates portion of residents’ municipal accounts. Residential properties valued under R400 000 and commercial properties valued under R50 000 will be exempt from the charge. All other property owners will be expected to pay the charge,” explains Van Der Merwe.

This levy will be included in the monthly rate accounts of residents and depending on the owner, if the place is rented, the tenant may be required to pay.

How Much Is It?

This table shows the expected maximum charge against the valuation reflected. These are not bands of charges, but indicative examples.

According to Van Der Merwe, the City will keep their financial reports open and available for public scrutiny. This is to ensure that citizens know where their drought levies are going to.

What Does Level 6 Restrictions Entail?

The City has announced that Level 6 water restrictions will be implemented from January 1, 2018. This means that households using more than 10 500 litres per month could face fines. Water restriction metres will also be installed in households that exceed the limit.

Non-residential properties are expected to reduce their water consumption by 45% compared to the corresponding period in 2015. While agricultural users are required to reduce water consumption by 60%.

The City has discouraged residents from using borehole water for outdoor purposes. This ensures that these resources are conserved.

*For more information on Level 6 water restrictions and drought levies, click here.

The post Government Set To Drain More Money For Drought Levies appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

The South Korean giant instead unveiled new tablets – the Galaxy Tab S3, Galaxy Book 10.6” and Galaxy Book 12”.

The Galaxy Book series is focused on productivity, while the Tab S3 is a media consumption device.

The new Galaxy Books unveiled at Mobile World Congress have a variety of features including:

• HDR (High Dynamic Range) Video Content: Galaxy Tab S3 and Galaxy Book 12-inch support videos in HDR (10bit coloured)
• Samsung Flow: Samsung Flow makes working-on-the-go seamless. For a safe and secure login, Samsung Flow uses biometric authentication to log-in.; It can wirelessly tether compatible devices to transfer documents from a mobile device to a tablet. It also syncs message notifications so users never miss an important text message, whether they’re using a smartphone or their tablet.
• Refined S Pen:For a natural writing experience, the S Pen has a smaller 0.7mm tip and increased pressure sensitivity. The S Pen also includes convenient features such as “Screen Off Memo” to quickly jot down notes. It is also enabled with PDF Annotation for easy editing and professional-level drawing with Advanced Drawing Tools.

The tablets include a 13MP rear camera, with auto focus – and a 5MP front camera. The tablets also include expandable storage and fast-charge capabilities. It supports up to 12 hours of video playback on the Galaxy Tab S3 and up to 10.5 hours of video playback on the Samsung Book (12-inch). Both devices also support Pogo keyboards with no separate charging or pairing required.

“At Samsung, we are committed to expanding the boundaries of the mobile and computing experience by providing best-in-class products that satisfy mobile users’ diverse needs and demands,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “Our new tablet portfolio is built with premium technology that delivers a productive and versatile experience to consumers, designed for users at home, work or on the go.”

The Samsung Galaxy Book runs on the Windows 10 operating system. This means that it offers the full desktop Microsoft Office experience for maximum productivity.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

The Galaxy Tab S3 supports 4K video playback and has a Super AMOLED display. The Tab S3 is also the first Samsung tablet with quad-stereo speakers tuned by AKG by Harman.

Samsung says that the Tab S3 is optimised for gaming. It, therefore includes a Vulkan API and Game Launcher for an enhanced user interface and personalized gaming experience. It also has modes like “Do Not Disturb”, for uninterrupted game-play.

The Galaxy Tab S3 also has an enhanced S Pen. According to Samsung, this allows you to be more productive and lets you do multiple things at once.

The Tab S3 has 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display, a 13MP rear facing camera as well as a 5Mp front facing camera and a 6000mAh battery.

The post Samsung Unveils New Tablets At MWC 2017 appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

Throughout the year, people often prioritize their annual leave days in order to get the most out of the South African public holidays. After all, rest for the mind, body and soul is important. So we thought we’d give our readers a quick rundown on what these public holidays are, which days they’ll be falling on and what they really mean.

Bear in mind that the national elections will be held in May. Workers are often given a day off to go and vote – which could be quite a lengthy process – and Election Day itself is commonly proclaimed a public holiday as well.

Public Holidays In 2019

For Employers and Employees alike, it is worth noting the 22 March (Friday), anywhere around 1 May (Wednesday) and 23 September (Monday), as these are popular times to create long weekends.

The confirmed public holidays, celebrated in South Africa, for 2019 are:

• New Year’s Day – Tuesday (1 January);

By the time you read this, New Year’s Day will already be long gone and we’ll be headed well into the second month of 2019. South Africa celebrates New Year’s Day just like the rest of the western world, and it represents the fresh start of a new year and a period of remembrance of the passing year.

• Human Rights Day – Thursday (21 March);

Human Rights Day in South Africa is an annual commemoration of the events that transpired in Sharpeville on 21 March 1960. It is to remind South African citizens of the many sacrifices made as we struggled for the attainment of democracy in our country, and a celebration of the human rights we enjoy today.

• Good Friday – Friday (19 April);

Good Friday is a Christian holiday to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is observed on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and is commonly observed with fasting and church services.

• Family Day – Monday (22 April);

After 1995, Easter Monday was renamed to Family Day. Easter weekend, following the solemnly religious Good Friday, is usually celebrated with Easter Eggs, chocolate bunnies, parades and egg hunts.

• Freedom Day – Saturday (27 April);

Freedom Day commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on 27 April 1994. It is an important day for all South Africans – particularly black Africans – who fought for and value the concepts of freedom and social progress.

• Workers’ Day – Wednesday (1 May);

Often referred to as May Day or Labour Day, Worker’s Day is an international holiday, serving as both a celebration of worker’s rights and as a reminder of the critical role trade unions, the Communist Party and other labour organisations played in the fight against apartheid. Celebrations often involve marches and rallies in support of furthering the rights of workers and other groups that still face oppression.

• Youth Day – Sunday (16 June);

Youth Day is the only public holiday in 2019 which falls on a Sunday. As many of us know, when a public holiday occurs on a Sunday, it is carried over to the following Monday as well.

In South Africa, Youth Day commemorates the protest to spark the Soweto Uprising of 1976. It is a day to honour the courage and sacrifice of the Soweto Uprising youths, and to celebrate all young people across the world. Rallies, marches and awareness campaigns are often used on this day to shine a light on concerns facing young people in South Africa.

• National Women’s Day – Friday (9 August);

In commemoration of the 1956 march of around 20 000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition against the country’s Pass laws, National Woman’s Day was first celebrated in 1994 under the new South African government.

The women stood silently in protest outside the capital building, and sang a song that included the now-famous words:

” You strike the women, you strike a rock! ”

The day serves as a reminder of how women once stood up against tyranny, and continue to do so to this day. It is also noteworthy that the entire month of August is used to celebrate South African women and their accomplishments.

• Heritage Day – Tuesday (24 September);

Sometimes referred to as National Braai Day, Heritage Day is actually an encouragement for all South Africans to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to its entire people. Our wildlife, our food, our monuments and works of art, our literature and music and folklore and languages and history – everything that makes us South African – is to be remembered, celebrated and appreciated.

In 1996, President Nelson Mandela declared that Heritage Day would help South Africans use their “rich and varied cultural heritage to build our new nation.”

• Day of Reconciliation – Monday (16 December);

This day is to commemorate the end of apartheid and to promote national unity. The date – 16 December – was chosen to coincide with two previously existing significant dates:

The Afrikaans’ Day of the Vow (in 1838, Afrikaners made a vow to God to build a church, and keep for Him a perpetual day of thanksgiving should He aid them in defeating the Zulu army that surrounded them. The Afrikaners defeated the Zulus against all odds at the Battle of Blood River) and;

The anniversary of the founding of the Umkhonto we Sizwe – meaning Spear of the Nation – the military branch of the African National Congress, in its fight to end apartheid.

The day is of significance to those of both African and European descent, and also marks the beginning of the festive season at the end of the year.

• Christmas Day – Wednesday (25 December);

Ah yes, family gatherings, Christmas lunch, the exchanging of gifts and the attending of church service. Christmas is widely celebrated all over the world.

• Day of Goodwill – Thursday (26 December);

Also known as Boxing Day in other parts of the world, South Africa’s Day of Goodwill is a simple holiday – meant for peace, compassion and relaxation. It is a day of giving, and many South Africans will use this day to donate clothing, food or their time to the less fortunate.

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The post Get The Most Out Of Public Holidays In 2019 appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

No?

Neither have I.

I’ve been too busy enjoying my meat and mocking them for being precious, entitled snowflakes. There’s a lot to be said for healthy living, clean eating and getting plenty of exercise, though, and booming self-care apps are paving the way.

According to data from the likes of the App Store and Google Play, there has been a massive boost in the general category of wellness and good living.

So, why are Millennials, above all other generations, so in touch with what is happening within and around them? How are they able to ask the question; what’s most important in life?

Is it good mental health? Mindfulness? Less stress?

Perhaps it’s because now, more than ever before, people have wider access to all the resources and information they could possibly want. The always-on news cycle of the internet. Increased awareness.

People now know beyond all doubt that social media is poisoning the way we think. That the toxic lifestyles we’ve been living and chasing are ripping the fabric of society apart at the seams. That the food we eat is slowly killing us. The planet is ill.

This awareness has no doubt created a growing need for self-care tools. A shift in priority that is felt in every sector, from marriage to home-ownership. People are now taking the time to focus on themselves. Though they’re no replacement for traditional health / mental health care, some of these apps are helping.

In this article, we’ll have a look at some of the most popular self-care apps available.

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Calm

App Store named Calm the App of the Year in 2017. It is rated as the number one app for mindfulness and meditation.

Society has a way of encouraging overwork. Pushing us beyond all sanity. The goal is to find a balance between work and rest, avoiding burnout and working smarter, not harder. We need to rest properly, and avoid our addiction to screens. Everything in moderation, even self-care apps.

In today’s world, calmness shouldn’t have to be a gift. The Calm app uses meditation and mindfulness exercises to help you relax and prioritise your life.

It also provides bedtime stories for adults, read by a number of familiar voices such as Stephen Fry. Sign me up!

Headspace

Headspace has been praised by so many publications and influencers it’s hard to keep track. The app is designed to teach you how to meditate, as well as offering a number of other wellness-related content.

Friends can use Headspace to connect and motivate one another, and it provides a powerful boost to your mental wellbeing. Mindfulness has become tremendously important, and the app teaches you a number of techniques to apply in different aspects of life.

Research has frequently shown that meditation can improve your mood, lower blood pressure, promote healthier sleeping and reduce stress. Learning the method can be tricky, though. Headspace makes it fun, providing guidance all the way through.

By making the insurance process quick and simple, we have created a whole lot of happy customers!

10% Happier

Some of you may already be annoyed by meditation, and may even be sceptical. This app was created specifically with you in mind.

10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, avoids all the song and dance and goes directly to the practicality of meditation.

The app essentially delivers a personalized two-week course that provides guided audio meditations, daily video lessons and a personal coach at your disposal. It focuses on practical, simple exercises that are backed up by science.

No robes. No crystals.

Simple Habit Whil

We were originally going to go with Simple Habit here, which is a great app for really busy people, and also the third most popular self-care app in the world, according to revenue. Simple Habit, though, has some problems. So, why settle for the copy when you can go for the tried and tested original – Whil.

Whil takes a slightly different approach to wellbeing and happiness, in that it shifts the focus over to where adults need relief the most. The workplace.

The founder, Joe Burton, used to be the President of Headspace. He observed a glaring gap in the market and began Whil to combat the global stress epidemic so many businesses are fighting. Whil provides leadership training, stress reduction and resilience exercises, yoga sessions and emotional intelligence training programs.

Stop, Breathe & Think

If you find yourself in over your head with the previous apps on this list, Stop, Breathe & Think may be the best place to begin your journey.

The app urges users to get acquainted with mindfulness first and foremost.  What does it mean to be mindful? Why is it beneficial to your health? How does it work from a neuroscience perspective? What is the physiology of stress and why do other people’s Facebook posts about their babies and weddings and vacations and promotions make you want to throw yourself off a balcony? This app explains it all before you even hit Play on your first meditation session.

Manage your breathing. Connect with your body. Learn to be kinder. Calm the storm in your heart.

The Rise Of Self-Care Apps In A Chaotic Age

It’s all beginning to pay off for the developers of these apps. In the first quarter of this year, the top ten grossing self-care apps hit $27 million revenue, worldwide.

A massive percentage of the overall self-care app revenue is due to the first and second apps on our list; Calm and Headspace. Calm alone earned around half ($13.5 million) of all the global revenue. Combined, these two apps generated over 90% of the top ten app revenue for the last quarter.

According to Sensor Tower – the mobile app marketing intelligence firm – the top ten self-care apps made around 170% more revenue in Q1 2018 than the top ten self-care apps of Q1 2017.

Even Apple named self-care apps as one of the top four breakout trends for 2017. Whether you think meditation is a bunch of hokum or not, anybody can get behind living in peace.

The post Self-Care Apps To Get Your Life On Track appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

What’s causing this sense of uneasiness in us? One market research firm, Ipsos, may be able to shine a light on the matter.

Ipsos recently published its latest ‘What Worries The World’ study, in which 28 countries are questioned over their biggest concerns and fears.

The firm conducted 20 019 interviews with adults aged 18 to 64, between 22 February 2019 and 8 March 2019, and then weighted the data to match the profile of the population.

Let’s take a look at the findings.

In Case You Missed It: Three SA Cities Ranked Among The Most Dangerous In The World

Bring Out The Stress Balls – South Africa Isn’t Looking Good

The results of the study show that most people (58% on average), all across the world, are quite pessimistic about the future and believe that their country is plummeting toward its doom.

China has the most optimistic outlook, with 9 out of 10 confident Chinese citizens stating belief that the country is headed in the right direction. This was followed by Saudi Arabia with 84% of its populace comfortable with the way the country is run, and then India with 73% and Malaysia with 57%.

Other countries which appear to be on the right track – showing consistent increase in positive sentiment – are Sweden and Hungary.

At the other end of the spectrum, we find that South Africa, France, Spain, Turkey and Belgium aren’t faring too well, with most citizens apprehensive about the future of their country. Only 23% of South African and French citizens believe that their country isn’t going to collapse in on itself in a massive ball of fire, followed by 24% in Spain and 26% in Belgium and Turkey.

Mexico, Italy and Canada have seen drops in optimism – the biggest plummet found in Mexico, with a reduction of 12%.

The Ipsos study found that most people around the world worry about the following factors, above all else:

• Financial / Political corruption (34%);

• Unemployment (33%);

• Poverty / Social inequality (34%);

• Crime and violence (31%), and;

• Healthcare (24%).

South Africa follows these international trends quite closely, and it is both comforting – in that we’re not alone in this mess – and disturbing – in that the entire world seems to be falling apart.

Of course, due to South Africa’s low level of internet access, the statistics that follow should not be considered nationally representative, but representative of a more affluent, internet-connected population. It’s safe to assume, though, that these concerns are echoed throughout the entire country.

For example, of all countries tested by Ipsos, South Africa ranks the highest (69%) for concerns about financial and political corruption.

That’s easy to understand.

Our second greatest concern is to do with the alarmingly high rate of crime and violence (59%), followed by a high unemployment rate and lack of jobs (57%).

Again, you only need to open a newspaper, turn on the news or indeed – take a look out of your window – to understand how prevalent these problems are, and how they’ve set the nation on edge.

Here are the biggest concerns in the world, and how South African’s rank them:

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The post These Are The Biggest Sources Of Stress In South Africa appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

Your Money Or Your Life

As 31-year-old millionaire, Grant from Millennial Money will tell you, success is not just about making money, but living better. This is a guy who had a financial wake-up call after moving home after college with $2.26 in his bank account. Who then committed to making 7 figures in five years. How? By researching and reading the best reviewed personal finance books on Amazon. 360 Of them, to be exact.

And he did it. He reached his seven-figure goal in exactly five years. But of all the 360 books he’s read, he says the first one he picked up is “the best book on money period”. That book, Your Money Or Your Life, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, radically changed how he approached spending and saving.

He told CNBC in February, that the premise of the book is that we exchange our time for money. “When you start thinking about how many hours of your life it took to save up the money to buy something, you really start thinking twice about your purchases,” says Grant, who goes by his first name exclusively.

Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems

The New York Times asked 4 415 Americans, of varying personal circumstances, whether money or time would lead to greater happiness. Sixty-four percent of them chose money. But, they found that, on average, the respondents who chose time were statistically happier and more satisfied with life.

Grant talks about considering your purchases by how many hours of your life was spent to get it, and whether the purchase was worth that time. During the five years it took him to reach his seven figures, he saved 50% of his income. Even now, despite his financial success, he still saves – and invests – 40 to 50% and focuses on living simply.

As he shared on his blog, “You can only make so much money at any career, investing is truly the key to wealth.”

Grant has refined his list of 360 books to just seven books he believes will not only make you richer, but also enrich your relationship with money, period.

Grant’s 7 Best Books On Money

Although Grant’s original blog post was aimed at millennials (his target market), these books hold timeless principles for anyone hoping to put their money to work for them, and not the other way around.

1. Your Money Or Your Life

Grant: “This book will help you re-examine your job, your priorities, and how you think about money. It will also help you establish the precise habits that are essential to building wealth.”

2. The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy

Grant: “I was blown away to learn that most millionaires are the people that you don’t expect – they are more likely to live in modest houses and drive old cars. The reason that they are millionaires is because they saved, invested, and live below their means. This book analyzes habits of millionaires so you can learn how to build them too.”

3. The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need

Grant: “[This book] teaches you about everything you need to know about investing and making smart money decisions – saving, investing, insurance, taxes, how to save money shopping, and tons of other topics. The advice is practical and all of author Andrew Tobias’ ideas are valuable.

“He’s also super funny which make the book easy to read – not like stupid funny, I literally laughed out loud more than few times.”

4. The Boglehead’s Guide To Investing

Grant: “If you read one book on investing read The Bogleheads’ Guide to investing. This is especially true of millennials – since we are young enough to truly harvest the gains and power of compound interest.

“…This book explains the power of index funds and makes a compelling case for an investing strategy that is both practical and will make you money over time.”

5. The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book On Value Investing.

Grant: “This book is a monster (649 pages), but if you want to invest in individual stocks then you need to read The Intelligent Investor. It is widely regarded as the best book on stock investing ever written and is the book that most influenced Warren Buffet and generations of successful value based stock investors.”

6. The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

Grant: “This is by far the best book I have ever read on real estate investing. If you are planning to buy a house, condo, or investment property in the near future then you need to read this book. It is specifically written for new real estate investors and will help you learn the foundations for building and growing a profitable real estate portfolio.”

7. The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, And Join The New Rich

(P.S.: This is one of our favourite reads too!)

Grant: “Tim Ferriss, the author of the 4 Hour Workweek, has singlehandedly launched the live anywhere digital nomad lifestyle.”

“…Tim Ferris is a generational pioneer…

“…Learn how to build an online business from one of the field’s masters.”

The post Forget The Budget, It’s Your Money Or Your Life appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

#WaysToSurviveDecemberBroke

You’re probably thinking we’ve got our months wrong. January is the month most people are broke, right? Judging from how many people are in debt over their heads in general in South Africa, being broke isn’t only a January struggle anymore.

Sometimes we don’t even realise what’s triggering our instinct to swipe. Whatever the reason, if we plan to do December different next year, we need to do something different now.

Don’t Get FOMO, Practice JOMO

In case you haven’t heard, JOMO is the Joy Of Missing Out. And, it’s the new FOMO. Yes, people are going to be going out a lot more this month. Yes, you may not be able to go along with them. But, can you try to look on the bright side and be happy about staying home? If the answer is ‘yes’, you’ve nailed JOMO.

Exercise Your Free-dom

If you just cannot even deal with JOMO, don’t fret. Some of the best things in life are still free, like hiking. For everything else, there’s #ThingsYouCanDoWithR85 in Joburg and Cape Town. Everything from a safari experience in Grassy Park, to hitting the best pools in Joburg. Get outside, pack a picnic, have an adventure.

Be The Best Guest

If you want to wine and dine all summer, practice being the best guest your host has ever seen. Who won’t want to invite the person always offering to braai or wash up after supper? Even if they do bring the cheap wine? Hey, it’s the thought that counts.

Reward Yourself

You’ve been racking up those points on your Pick n Pay Smart Shopper like it’s nobody’s business, but instead of taking that cash back into the supermarket, why not trade those babies in for a voucher at one of the Pick n Pay Smart Shopper partners? You can get tickets to shows, catch an Uber, get some ShowMax and chill, go to Ratanga Junction – before they close down for good like they say they will (every year)…

Plan Ahead

We couldn’t call ourselves a real friend if we didn’t add some tough love. Even though we gave you some great #WaysToSurviveDecemberBroke, we want to make sure every year gets better for you. So in the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, why not do a #Dear2017Me pledge to clear your debt and start saving? This person sure has the right idea…

The post #WaysToSurviveDecemberBroke appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

Price Hike

Cell C defended its decision in raising prices pinning it on the ailing economy.

In a statement released earlier in the year, they stated: “Rising inflation, the rand, US Dollar exchange, and uncertainty in the industry over the allocation of spectrum, have all contributed to an increase in the cost to provide mobile services to consumers”.

Low GDP growth, and the inflation rate, all played a role in the rising costs of the services. The end user would be paying for the increase in support costs and operational expenditure. This is simply a matter of keeping the service running.

From the beginning of February, customers found themselves spending that much more on calls, data, and SMS’s through the provider. SmartData Bundles have all increased. 25MB bundles rose by R2 to R10 and 500MB will now cost you R99 instead of R90. SmartData Contracts have risen, 500MB will now cost you R45 instead of R39. 10GB will now cost R349 instead of R299.

Telkom Bid

Cell C have recently been downgraded to junk status after missing payments. Ratings firm, Standard & Poor, have announced that the company will be downgraded from a CC rating to the lowest, D. The company missed interest payments in January 2017 on its €400m (R5.7 billion) in senior secured bonds, due in 2018. This naturally raised concern about the company’s ability to remain in active operation.

Telkom has, in the meantime, been eyeing out the company from the sidelines. News broke earlier in the month that Telkom were considering a R1 billion for the embattled company. This, however, seems to have fallen through last week. Cell C confirmed that they were starting transactions with Blue Label Telecoms. Blue Label Telecoms is currently in the process of acquiring a 45% stake in Cell C for R5.5 billion.

Cell C Chairperson, Mohammed Hariri confirmed; “Cell C’s board of directors would like to confirm that Cell C has already entered into legally binding agreements, in terms of which it has committed to a recapitalization transaction with, among other parties, Blue Label Telecoms Limited.”

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Happiness = Productivity = Accomplishment.

While some of us seem to run on caffeine and rage alone, the rest need something more. They need sunshine to grow.

With South Africa in the shape that it’s currently in, it’s little wonder that a large percentage of people are starting to look toward immigration as a solution.

For a lot of people, however, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Marcel Proust, a French novelist, once wrote:

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Life is full of impossible things, such as writing the number 6 while rotating your foot clockwise. Or, say, moving to Australia.

Changing the way you perceive things may be a lot easier. The goal may not be to spend your life pursuing happiness, but creating it, instead.

There’s an old quote often mis-attributed to John Lennon. As it goes, a young boy receives an assignment at school. What do you want to be when you grow up? The boy writes down: Happy. The teacher calls the young boy up to the front of the class and tells him he misunderstood the assignment. The young boy, with a wisdom way beyond his years, replies: You misunderstand life.

In the current climate, we all need to find our own way to adapt and overcome these obstacles. In this article, we take a look at a few ways people go about in their search for happiness.

Which car insurance company puts a smile on South African faces? We found out the best and the worst

Searching For Happiness

You may wake up one day with the sudden realization that you’re in serious danger of wasting your life. The years slip by as you surround yourself with people you don’t relate to, working a job you don’t enjoy and standing by as, one by one, all of your dreams become more and more unachievable.

You may ask yourself, what do you want from life? And like the protagonist in the above quote, you may find that all you really need is happiness. But, if you’re deeply unhappy with where you are, what you’re doing and who you are, how do you even begin to rectify it?

One secret to happiness is a good sense of humour and a really bad memory. For those cursed with a great sense of recollection, however, there are a number of scientifically proven methods you could try. These could include spending more time with friends and family, spending more time outdoors, helping other people or meditation.

Out of all of these, the two most popular solutions are:

1. Get More Exercise

Proven to have a profound effect on a person’s well-being. Whether you’re down in the dumps or not, exercising every day can increase your brain power, help you relax and of course, improve your body image.

2. Get More Sleep

We know that sleep helps our bodies recover after a long day. Any negative stimuli we’re exposed to throughout the day gets processed by the amygdale section of our brains. Any positive memories gets processed by the hippocampus. Sleep deprivation hits the hippocampus harder than the amygdala. Therefore, the result is that tired people fail to recall pleasant memories, yet recall unhappy memories just fine.

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The Desiderata – A Guideline to Happiness

The Desiderata (Latin for Desired Things) is a poem written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann. For a long time, the authorship remained unknown. The text only became widely known in the 1970’s and by that time, Ehrmann had already died.

The poem, written in prose form, is widely regarded as a guideline to happiness. If you could only just stick to those simple rules.

This Is Water

“There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says: Morning boys. How’s the water?

And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, what the hell is water?”

In 2005, David Foster Wallace delivered what is widely regarded as the greatest commencement address of all time at the Kenyon College. He opened with the above story of two young fish. Wallace goes on to explain that the point of the fish story is merely that the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.

The point of the speech was, of course, to reveal that “real value of a real education has nothing to do with knowledge” and everything to do with “simple awareness.”

Awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time, that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over and over:

This is water. This is water.

This awareness can be applied not only to education, but simply existing itself. How to perceive others, think about meaning and act appropriately in everyday life. The subjects of the speech cover the difficulty of empathy, the importance of being well-adjusted and the essential lonesomeness of adult life.

Watch the video, made by The Glossary, below.

Other Forms of Happiness

Everybody has their own way of dealing with life. You may decide to fake it until you feel it, spending your days smiling at yourself in the mirror, or listening to music. Some people prefer to keep themselves busy, or active, throwing themselves into their work or hobbies.

You may feel good by giving back, or giving everything. Eat healthy, spend your money on experiences, count your blessings and challenge yourself. Keep your goals and expectations realistic. Shorten your commute to work, rewire the way your brain thinks. Be proactive. Move beyond small talk. Show gratitude, and keep your eye on the prize.

As another old saying goes;

“You can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails.”

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The post The Pursuit of Happiness appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.

If you dodge them for long enough, however, they’ll hand your account over to a debt collection agency.

In many cases, this is much worse and way more discomforting. Anybody who has ever owed anybody money knows all about ignoring unknown numbers calling your phone. You’ve resigned yourself to it. You’re never going to answer a number with a funny-looking area code ever again.

Most of these agencies are willing to stoop lower than a snake’s belly to get what they want. They will hound you day and night and make your life absolute hell.

In this article, we have a look at the tricks these agencies employ, and what your rights are when it comes to dealing with them.

While You’re Here: The (Surprising) Type Of Debt Payment SA Consumers Prioritise Over Others

What Are Debt Collection Agencies?

In their defense, these people are tasked with the daunting job of collecting the money you owe credit providers. Debt collectors are either attorneys, agents of an attorney or registered debt collectors.

They charge service fees for this, as well as receiving a percentage of the amount collected. They have no interest in your ‘hard-luck stories’ or circumstances, and have to be pretty tough on uncooperative consumers.

If a collector charges for their services, they must be registered with the Debt Collectors Council. The National Debt Collection Act 114 of 1998 regulates the process of collecting debts in South Africa. According to this act, collectors are prohibited from:

• Using force or threatening to use force against you or your family;
• Physically threatening you or your family;
• Giving, or threatening to give, information to the consumer’s employer that may affect their opportunities as an employee;
• Serving any false legal documents;
• Presenting themselves as police officers, sheriffs or officers of the court;
• Spreading, or threatening to spread, any false information about your credit worthiness;
• Charging more than the fees set down by the Council.

Though some of them play by the books, others are the absolute worst, most depraved human beings on earth.

Below is an actual example of a summons that was received as a threat to pay an outstanding loan

Some may employ scare tactics, such as sending you a falsified, un-issued ‘Summons To Court’ which has not been stamped.

The Tricks They Pull To Contact You

Once a debt has been handed over, collectors will use any means possible to try and collect the debt from you. Collectors will sometimes employ the good cop / bad cop technique. They will tell you that they’re going to put a manager on the line to speak with you. This is often just another collector masquerading as a stern manager. They do this with the hopes that another voice on the line will get you to open up your wallet.

• They will try to obtain the contact details of your work or spouse or next of kin. Often, when you sign a credit agreement, you’re asked to provide the details of at least one member of your family. Collectors will phone these contacts to try and recover the debt.
• They might try and contact you through your employment and some go as far as threatening to expose you to colleagues and employers. Some of them may even attempt to find out where your children attend school and approach them for details about your whereabouts.
• Collectors will also try and use your social media to track you.

There have been some cases where collectors sometimes manage to access your medical records. This is usually done fraudulently, to access your history. They will then pose as medical professionals and contact you or your loved ones to obtain information.

The point of trying to trace and contact you is in order to push you to acknowledge your debt. Once a consumer has acknowledged the disputed debt, or paid any amount toward it, their legal right to continue disputing this debt falls away.

Collectors don’t tell you this.

Prescribed Debt And How It Works

Debt prescribes when three years have passed and you have not acknowledged or paid anything. If the credit provider has not issued a summons or taken judgment against you, your debt expires. In other words, if you have a debt that the creditor has not contacted you about for three years, the debt prescribes and they are, thereafter, not allowed to send collectors after you for old debt.

However, prescription does not apply to mortgages, TV licenses and other government debt. While there are ways for creditors to still claim this amount, the amendments to the National Credit Act in March 2015 make it almost impossible for debt collectors to touch you after three years.

If any payments or promises of payments have been made in those three years, the debt is still valid and the consumer is liable for it. This is why collectors will try to push you into acknowledging the debt during communications, sometimes even years later. If you admit to knowing about it then they can hold you responsible.

They may, for example, spin the question by asking something like; ‘If you won the Lotto, would you pay your old debt?’ A ‘yes’ answer is regarded as an acknowledgement of debt.

While it isn’t right to avoid paying your bills, it isn’t right for collectors to chase prescribed debt either.

While You’re Here: Are Loan Finder Sites Scamming You?

Know Your Rights

In addition to the conduct of all collectors being regulated by the Debt Collector’s Act, it is also regulated by common law relating to harassment, intimidation and other criminal acts of a similar nature.

Legislations such as the Attorneys Act, the rules of the applicable Law Society, the National Credit Act and the Consumer Protection Act are also there to defend you from disreputable debt collection methods from attorneys.

You should never sign an admission of liability, or consent to judgement, an emoluments attachment or garnishee order. It is important to verify any and all claims made by collectors. For claims about consumer finance, including personal loans, credit cards and store cards, you have a legal right to a statement of the amount owed and how it was calculated. If a collector refuses to send you copies of loan documents or statements for an alleged debt, bring the matter to the attention of the Debt Collectors Council. You are entitled to refuse to pay anything until they give you details in writing and supporting documents to their claim.

Collectors are not allowed to contact customers on a Sunday or outside the period of 6 am – 9 pm on any day. Contact within these times constitutes unprofessional conduct in terms of the Debt Collectors Act.

If the same collector or agency contacts you repeatedly and makes the same threats but does not follow-up on them, this could be a sign that they never had the mandate or had any intention of taking further legal action to begin with. It is unlawful for a debt collector to threaten that legal proceedings will follow non-payment, if there is no true intention to carry out that threat.

So, what can you do?

• Ask the agent to identify themselves and take down their full details. Do not speak to them if they cannot identify themselves and their organisation;
• If they’re calling to collect debt that is more than three years old, make sure that the debt is not prescribed debt. As mentioned before, it is now illegal to collect prescribed debt;
• Do not sign any documents you do not understand;
• If a credit provider or debt collector is demanding payment for a prescribed debt, challenge them and report them to the Council for Debt Collectors;
• Seek professional legal counsel.

Of course, the proper and responsible way to deal with these situations is to not get into debt at all. If trouble is looming, contact your credit provider and be transparent with them. This could avoid you getting blacklisted, or being handed over to a debt collection agency.

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The post Debt Collection Harassment – Know Your Rights appeared first on Insurance Quotes 24.