Home Truths About Money

We live in a world of information overload, and it can be challenging knowing what’s real and what’s not. When it comes to money, social media is littered with 'finfluencers' who present information and share ‘secrets’ to managing and growing money. Some of it is real; a lot of it is fake, and it can be very difficult to know the difference.Home Truths About Money goes back to basics. It strips away the slick social media veneer and addresses the bare-bone facts about money – the home truths that we may not want to face. It covers issues such as: money can make you happy; having lots of money doesn’t make you rich; DIY investing isn’t easy; money can grow on trees if you plant the right seeds; your retirement plan will never be perfect; you won’t get rich putting your money in bank account; and married people end up wealthier in the long run.Having a healthy relationship with money is a crucial life skill. To get there, you must understand how money works and how it intertwines with our lives. Irrespective of your age, income or social standing, you need to invest the time before you start investing your money. These home truths are relatable across the board and create a powerful platform for financial success.

After a successful career as marketing manager for a blue-chip financial services company, Sylvia Walker has spent the last few years building on her vast experience in the industry. She is a financial planner, freelance finance writer for various print and online mediums, and is very active on social media, feeding her passion to educate people about money. She is also a highly experienced author, having authored, or contributed, to a number of books, including Dealing in Death (Random House Struik 2009); Steeped in Blood, co-authored with Dr David Klatzow (Random House Struik 2010) and shortlisted for the 2011 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award; and Smartwoman (Penguin 2017, updated in 2022). She lives in Cape Town, South Africa.