People have often asked me why I chose to write about personal finance. This is sometimes accompanied by rolling eyes and “it’s so boring”. Money might be a tedious topic that most would prefer to avoid but the decisions you make about money and how you choose to handle your finances affect every aspect of your life. My response is “how can you not be more interested about learning to make the right financial choices and how your money can work for you?”
Over the years, I have come across so many different readers from all walks of life; earning different levels of income. The truth is, it doesn’t matter whether you earn R40 000 a month or R5 000 a month. Everyone has the same questions about how to manage their money best, so that they can live the life they want to live. One of the more scary statistics for me personally, is that financial problems are cited as the second highest reason for suicide. So, I write about personal finance in the hope that what I write will make a difference to someone’s life. So that financial problems don’t ever lead them to consider suicide as an option.
If you take anything away from my website, I hope this is it – there is always an answer and it’s never too late to start saving, to start investing, to pay off debt – to make the right financial choices for you.
Neesa Moodley has been a financial journalist for more than 20 years, of which the majority has been spent writing about personal finance issues. She is deeply passionate about empowering people to manage their money so that they maximise the opportunities available to them. Publications she has written for include Business Report, Personal Finance, RISKSA, Imaginaria magazine, City Press, Finweek, Moneyweb, the Sowetan and Business Live. She was editor of InvestSA magazine for a year before leaving to pursue other opportunities and also lectured Business Reporting at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) for two years. Neesa also writes for corporate clients occasionally and has been a communications specialist at two different asset management companies. In her spare time, she is an avid reader and treasures time with her family and friends.
AWARDS:
2012 – Citadel Words on Money Journalism Awards
- Winner in best feature category.
2011 – Telkom Classic Business Journalist Awards
- Joint winner for January 2011 with editor, Bruce Cameron.
2011 – Sanlam Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism
- Finalist in the personal finance category.
2010- Citadel Words on Money Journalism Awards
- Joint winner in the consumer education category with editor, Bruce Cameron and deputy editor, Laura du Preez (separate articles).
- Finalist in the breaking news category.
- Finalist in the best feature category.
2009 – Citadel Words on Money Journalism Awards
- Finalist in the breaking news print category.
- Finalist in the consumer education category.
- Finalist in the best feature category.
2009 – Sanlam Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism
- Finalist in the personal finance category.
2009 and 2008
- Made special mention of in both years at the Sapoa Property Journalism Awards for outstanding submissions.
2008 – Citadel Words on Money Journalism Awards
- Finalist in newcomer of the year category.