Creator
Dr Thomas Brennan has more than 20 years’ experience in management, product development, software engineering, machine learning and financial services, and has held positions at, among others, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford and the Laboratory of Computation Physiology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently CEO and co-founder of Franc Group (Pty) Ltd, a platform that makes smart investing simple and accessible.
Apply the Pareto 80/20 rule to money. Six simple habits deliver the best financial outcomes
Why automating your finances beats mastering them
Simplify your finances: how household CFOs can make life easier.
Women investors beat men on returns, not through skill but by trading less, taking fewer risks and sticking to their plans, research shows.
South Africa’s wealth industry was built for men. Technology and a looming generational wealth transfer are forcing it to change
Why the gap between a 0.6% and a 3.5% fee could be worth millions by retirement – and how to tell the two apart
A larger middle class isn’t just good economics. It’s a strong foundation for a healthy democracy. South Africa should take note
South Africa’s two-pot reform is working better than feared. The problem isn’t that people withdraw – it’s that they keep coming back
Financial success is about behaviour – and most money habits are inherited. Here’s how to spot yours and rebuild them
Starting a TFSA for a child at birth, with R127 a month, gets them to R6m by 60. South Africa’s retirement crisis isn’t about money – it’s about timing
Two-thirds of South Africans say they’re financially literate, but only 13% have emergency savings. The gap between knowing and doing is the real problem.
Think of your financial plan as a tower of champagne glasses. Fill one tier of savings, then cascade down to the next level
Research shows 87% of South Africans lack adequate emergency savings. Building a cash buffer may be your most important financial goal
Budgeting predicts financial health more than education or income. Here’s why the habit matters – and how AI makes it easier to keep
Credit is neither good nor bad – it’s a tool. South Africa’s debt crisis shows what happens when it’s used in the wrong way
Without guardrails, capitalism rewards exploitation. Fair rules and labour protections can channel its energy towards planetary good
Four career paths – company, boss, network or idea – can deliver success. The difference lies in probability, risk and the speed of compounding
Conscientiousness and openness shape your finances – but so do childhood scarcity, people-pleasing and the curated feeds you scroll through every day
If you want to set goals that actually work, you need more than motivation and good intentions. You need a SMART framework
Treasury’s 20% gambling tax won’t curb addiction. Without regulation and safeguards, it risks punishing vulnerable gamblers and deepening harm
