How We Research

We don't run a test lab, and we won't pretend to. What we do instead is the homework most people skip before they sign a debit order: we read the official rules and the fine print, check everything against its source, and write down exactly what we found and where.

The short version: every claim on this site links to the place it came from, and every guide shows when it was last checked.

1. Choosing the question

We start with what South Africans actually search for and ask: questions on forums, Google's suggested searches, and emails from readers. A guide answers one clear question, such as "Which tax-free savings account has the lowest fees?" or "How much tax will I pay on a two-pot withdrawal?"

2. Collecting primary sources

Before we write anything, we gather the original documents:

Tax: SARS guides, tax tables, interpretation notes and the Income Tax Act.
Budget and policy: National Treasury Budget Review documents and Government Gazette notices.
Financial products: providers' fee schedules, minimum disclosure documents (MDDs), product terms and policy wordings.
Regulators: the FSCA, the Prudential Authority, the Council for Medical Schemes, the National Credit Regulator and the ombuds' published rulings.

3. How much we trust each source

The law and the regulator (Acts, SARS, Treasury, FSCA). If a provider's summary conflicts with the law, the law wins.
The provider's own binding documents (fee schedules, MDDs, policy wordings). Marketing pages come second to these.
Reputable SA financial journalism, used for context and news, and checked against 1 and 2 wherever possible.
Customer feedback (HelloPeter, app stores, forums, ombud rulings). Used to spot patterns, never as proof of a single fact.

We don't cite pages we couldn't read. If a source is paywalled, blocked or unconfirmed, we leave the claim out or label it unverified.

4. Working out real costs

We turn fee schedules into what you'd actually pay in rand: monthly admin fees, annual percentage fees on a realistic balance, once-off costs and VAT. We state our assumptions (for example, "R2,500 a month into a TFSA for 12 months") so you can redo the maths for your own numbers.

5. Reading customer feedback

We look for patterns across many reviews, such as slow claims payouts, surprise fees or poor support, and report them with the source and month. We never invent quotes or testimonials.

6. Comparing fairly

Products are compared like for like, using the same assumptions. "Best" always means "best for a specific need", and we say who each option suits and who should avoid it.

7. Verification and dating

Before publishing, every figure is checked against its source. Each guide shows the date its facts were checked, and ends with a numbered list of sources.

8. Revisiting

Tax guides are updated after each Budget Speech and at the start of each tax year (1 March). Every guide is re-checked at least every six months. Changes are logged in the guide's changelog.

9. Corrections

If you spot an error, email hello@financeguide.co.za. We check it against the source, fix confirmed errors quickly and note the correction on the page.

10. What we will never do

Claim to have used a product we only researched
Invent people, quotes, reviews or credentials
Sell a ranking or let a provider approve a guide
Give personal financial advice. Our guides are general information under the FAIS Act.