MONEYSMART – Financial Freedom
August 24th, 2011 by H&R | Categories: Press Office
MONEYSMART, South Africa’s first free, online money-management tool, goes live 1 August 2011 and is set to revolutionize the way South Africans manage their finances.
A platform that provides an innovative approach to aggregating financial data, MONEYSMART enables the user to take control of their finances by using a set of online financial tools to set budgets and goals while comparing available financial products.
MONEYSMART’s personal financial management technology will take the work out of managing money as its engine directly reads the user’s transactions and categorizes them automatically, providing an instant overview of current spending.
As such, with user-permission, MONEYSMART securely aggregates all bank accounts, credit information, insurance policies and investments into a single place and allows you a holistic view of your financial portfolio while also providing access to a marketplace of products for users to find the most suitable product for their needs.
Using proven, safe Internet technology, MONEYSMART also exceeds bank level security standards.
“Budget what you earn. Save for the goals that you want. Aspire to achieve. Visualize your future. Invest in yourself. That’s the path to financial freedom,” says Tobie Van Zyl, CEO.
“By providing an instant and complete financial picture online, MONEYSMART is the ultimate online personal financial advisor, shifting control to the user and helping them to make informed, independent decisions.
“Everybody has the power to reach financial freedom and MONEYSMART is the tool to help you do it,” adds Tobie, emphasizing that the “the current problem in the financial and education system is that it shelters knowledge from the Average Joe. It protects its wealth secrets which demoralizes one’s ability to think for oneself.”
MONEYSMART, on the other hand, allows for quick online sign-up, while manual capture of financial information (in which the user personally uploads information) literally takes the work out of managing your finances.
Easy-to-use graphs then help the user navigate their financial world, to set & achieve their goals.
“We live in challenging financial times where there is a high degree of volatility and uncertainty in securing one’s financial future, especially for those that are not financially literate – which is most of us. MONEYSMART empowers the user to make the right financial choices,” says co-founderand Venture Strategist Zulfiq Isaacs.
“I personally believe it is imperative to lay the foundation to financial freedom at a young age and be educated in ways to be smart with your money in order to have it work for you. This starts with an understanding of how to manage and plan for your financial future today,” adds Zulfiq.
The MONEYSMART platform will give you access to experts as well as engage with a financial community, while financial products will be profiled according to the consumer’s personal financial needs, taking the headache out of financial planning & management.
MONEYSMART is a free service with a range of value-add paid for elements available on a subscription or prepaid basis that will be added in future.
“The key to financial freedom is to start shifting control to yourself and by taking ownership of the life you want to live. Knowledge is the new currency – empower yourself and start investing today,” adds Zulfiq Isaacs.
