Author: Dalex SWIFT

ChristMASS or ChristMISS – Which way is your money going?

Rather than wait to see if you’ve been good enough to earn a present from Santa, why not save towards getting one for yourself?

2021 has been in full swing for a while, well, it’s the last week in November so that’s a bit of an understatement. Anyway, the point is this, there’s been a lot to deal with this year. Truthfully, many of us are still dealing with 2020 and all that it brought. So, because #TeamSWIFT loves you so much, we’re giving you a few money-saving tips that could hopefully put a smile on your face this Christmas, or help you do that for someone else.

Keep reading…

7 days of Money

If you’ve never sat down on a Saturday night to decide where your money is going over the next 7 days, then please start ASAP! With that said, do you really need everything you spend on weekly? Knowing your spending habits helps you easily point out what you can cut back on, or eliminate if you realise you actually can do without it.

maximise how you MINIMISE

Things like food and transportation are essential, fortunately, you can cut back on how much the essentials cost you. Go on and accept that lift with your colleague, no matter how annoying they may be, (unless of course, you don’t feel safe or comfortable around them). The money you save will be worth it. And let’s be honest. You don’t really need to get, meat, fish, wele AND egg Every. Single. Time you buy waakye. The same goes for your jollof, and fufu. Even better, take food to work if you can! You’re not eating to impress anyone. Another thing, if you get discounts or extra for paying by mobile money or getting a loyalty card, then go for it! The little savings can go a long way to make a big difference.

Lose some weight!

Calm down. We’re talking about extra spending weight that you can shed. When was the last time you signed a cheque? If you have a current / chequing account and you haven’t paid for anything with a cheque in over a year then ask yourself if the extra 30, or 40 cedis your bank charges you every month is really worth keeping that account. How about your phone or home data plan? If you’re still with your provider just because you started with them, then it’s time to check if you can get a better deal elsewhere. You might just be pleasantly surprised!

Money was never made to be the master of anyone, just a means of getting by a little easier…

Now, you won’t be able to buy a house with the savings between today and the festive season, but the extra money will come in handy. And no, we’re not letting you off the hook… make sure to put some of it into your SWIFT investment too.

The great thing about these tips is that they work all year through, so don’t stop!

The right age to start investing?

In-between “too young” to properly understand and handle money and “too old” to make it rain like you used to, are the years in which our decisions cost us the most – you can take that literally and as a figure of speech. Financial investments are a huge part of that.

So, what’s the right age to start investing?

Some people are fortunate enough to have investments started on their behalf when they’re still children and take over them once they are legally able to. If that’s your story, good for you! The truth is, when it comes to investing, earlier is better. Now, before you give up all hope because you’re not a trust fund baby, don’t worry, most of us aren’t, and it is NOT too late to start investing at whatever age or stage you are in life. Dalex SWIFT allows you to make deposits into your investment account through your mobile wallet, however, you have to be 18 or older to have a mobile wallet account. So technically speaking, you’d have to hit adulthood to be able to start and manage your own SWIFT investment. However, if you have children under the age of 18, start one for them!

At this point we should probably remind ourselves that there actually is a difference between investing and just saving. Saving can happen through several ways like buying items at discounted costs, or setting aside part of your income towards making a payment, etc. Investing on the other hand is about what you do with the money you save, rather than, let’s say, just leaving it in a savings or current account to depreciate over time (#BetterThanYourBank). Saving essentially stores your money for you, and investing, when done right, grows your money for you.

Goal get it!

Putting financial goals in place, both long term (e.g., retirement) and short term (e.g., getting a car), will help when it comes to deciding how to invest. Young adults have a lot to deal with when it comes to their money. Supporting elderly family (if you’re working, you’re paying!), clearing student loan debt, low-paying entry-level jobs, trying to start a business of your own, etc, really take a toll on finances. Things don’t necessarily get easier as you get older, but for the most part, you learn to deal with things better. As such, how people invest depends a lot on their goals, plans, and needs at whatever stage of life they’re in. For instance, a single person in their late 40s living alone can probably invest more than a married couple in their early 30s, working towards putting up their own home, in addition to the expenses that come with having children. No matter the goal, or how far away it is, investing is a great way to help you get there!

Does SWIFT work at any age?

Absolutely! Dalex SWIFT offers compounding returns at interest rates above the rate of inflation so your money will not lose value over time (spending power), and your principal gets bigger and bigger with every deposit you put in. You can read more about that in our previous blog posts, here and here.

Yes, it’s better to start investing when you’re younger (especially because of the benefits of compounding interest over time), but there’s no hard and fast rule to it, and your strategy may change as you age because that’s just the way life is. Right now, is a great time to invest…

What are you waiting for?

Who Regulates Dalex SWIFT?

Caution! This blog post is filled with plenty brofosem and big English, but it’s the kind that’s in your best interest, 😉.

We respect your hustle, that’s why we don’t play with the security of your SWIFT investment!

“The Bank of Ghana shall have overall supervisory and regulatory authority in all matters relating to banking and non-banking financial business with the purpose to achieve a sound, efficient banking system in the interest of depositors and other customers of these institutions and the economy as a whole. The Bank of Ghana is therefore, charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the financial system is stable to ensure that it serves as facilitator for wealth creation, economic growth and development.”

Whew! The above quote from the Bank of Ghana’s regulatory framework is quite a mouthful, but if you’ve invested with, or are thinking of investing with Dalex SWIFT, then it’s a mouthful that should make you smile from ear to ear, because Dalex Finance, our parent company is fully and firmly regulated by them.

Why should that matter?

Essentially, proper regulation of the financial space ensures that all relevant institutions play fair and follow the laid down rules for the benefit of themselves, their clients, and the Ghanaian economy at large… That’s why it matters. Amongst other things, of course, this helps ensure that the businesses themselves don’t do anything criminal or careless, don’t run themselves into insolvency (basically run themselves bankrupt) and as a result cause their customers and investors to lose money too. And let’s be honest, that’s what most of us really care about when it comes to whether or not we’re investing with a business that is duly regulated.

The truth is that government regulation isn’t able to prevent all insolvencies, but it can put in place systems and structures such as deposit insurance, to protect people and their money in the unfortunate event of financial institutions actually failing.

Dalex Finance is also a member in good standing of other notable financial and related organizations:

Ghana Association of Finance Houses – Primarily exists in order to have one mouthpiece for financial bodies on regulatory and operational matters in order to contribute more effectively to the growth of Ghana’s economy.

The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GNCCI) – An association of business operators, firms, and industries with interests spanning every sector of private enterprise in Ghana, established with the prime objective of promoting and protecting commercial and industrial interests in the country.

The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) – It exists to further the business interests of its members across both countries and create more opportunities. This Chamber is backed by the British and Ghana Governments through the UK-Ghana Business Council and the British Chambers of Commerce in the UK.

We’ve got ACCOLADES!

Now, if you think all that is pretty impressive, you should check out all the awards we’ve won over the years here… Don’t worry, not the Dr UN kind of awards. Ours are actually credible. The Dalex SWIFT team respects you and your hustle, and we will continue to make sure that we operate at the highest of standards so that you can always put your trust and money in us, with peace of mind.

“NAM 1” or Legit? Save your money from scammers!

There are four letters of one little word that can change your life for the worst, in just about the same amount of time that it takes to pronounce it… SCAM!  Replace ‘SC’ with ‘N’ and add a ‘1’ on the end you get NAM 1, perhaps the number one reason why many Ghanaians think that every financial institution that has since him dared to even whisper the words “invest with us” is a… SCAM!

Not much compares to the heart-wrenching agony of losing money that you invest, with the intent of the exact opposite happening! For readers who are unfamiliar with the ‘NAM 1’ reference, a quick Google search should sort you out, but in short, he’s a man who made a lot of people extremely unhappy because they lost extreme amounts of money through investing with his businesses.

Naturally, as with many profitmaking ventures, investment comes with risk and crazy things happen even to the most legitimate of businesses – e.g., the current global pandemic. That being the case, there are still a number of things that you can and most definitely should look out for before investing.

Verify Claims and Credentials

When it comes to financial fraudsters, looks truly can be deceiving. Many bogus investment people and businesses go out of their way to outwardly appear “successful”, hoping that will be enough to get you to hand your money over to them. Always verify their claims of legitimacy with bodies that they should be regulated, and or licensed by to lawfully operate, just as you can find that Dalex Finance, the parent company of Dalex SWIFT is duly licensed and regulated by the Bank of Ghana here.  

Go a step further to find out about the board and managers, what type of experience and qualifications they have, to be extra sure that your money will be in safe hands. General news items about the company can also give you a fair idea of public perception of them.

Take Your Time – It’s your money!

“Rush now”, “Limited time only”, “Before it’s too late” and other such claims should raise some red flags. Yes, it’s true that legitimate businesses also use those types of tactics for special offers and deals, but if you’re consistently being pressured to invest quickly, take a step back and make sure you’ve thoroughly done your checks before making a decision.

Ask – Why? How? What If?

Another thing that should raise flags for you is if the company is unwilling or unable to answer questions about how they operate and make money, why they’re right for you and your investment needs, what procedures are followed in sharing and claiming returns, and of course what should happen in the event of anything going wrong. The FAQs on the company’s website are usually a good place to start. You can check out our own, right here!

Just as there are bad investment deals, there are also ones that are as good as they are true. Dalex SWIFT is definitely one of the good ones, but don’t just take it from us – do the checks and ask the questions.

We’ll be ready and waiting once you find out for yourself that we can indeed safely say invest with us.

ARE BANK CHARGES FAIR?

Let’s say you are at a restaurant starving and waiting to be served. The lady to take your order makes you feel like you don’t matter, like you are lucky to even be in the restaurant. Wont you complain, demand explanations and eventually get fed up and walk out? After all, your time and money can be spent where you are better appreciated… Then why do we put up with being taken for granted by banks? It’s still our time and money, abi?

Here’s what we mean…

Sometimes the only way to spot these fees is looking at your statement very closely.
× Chat with Us