Gracing Money https://gracingmoney.com Begin. Grow. Sustain Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:08:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://gracingmoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cropped-Gracing-Money-Icon-2-32x32.png Gracing Money https://gracingmoney.com 32 32 The Five (5) Questions You Already Have About ETF Investments https://gracingmoney.com/the-five-5-questions-you-already-have-about-etf-investments/ https://gracingmoney.com/the-five-5-questions-you-already-have-about-etf-investments/#respond Tue, 03 Feb 2026 04:42:56 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2475 Its a new market place, yes…but worth knowing about it

You have probably heard about ETFs but you don’t know what they are…

If you relate to the statement above, then this blog is for you 🙂

What is an ETF?

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is a pooled investment that holds a combination of multiple financial assets (stocks, bonds etc.).

…but this fund is listed and traded (bought and sold) on a stock exchange as a single share.

What are the existing ETFs in Tanzania?

There are now two (2) existing ETFs;

  1. Vertex International Securities ETF (VIS-ETF) 

This fund was listed in October 2025 as Tanzania’s first ETF. The fund is a basket of diversified actively traded Tanzanian equities (stocks) on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE). Its IPO was oversubscribed by 136%.

  1. iTrust East African Community (EAC) Large Cap ETF

This fund follows second, commenced in January 2026. The fund is focused on large-cap equities (stocks) in the East African Community (EAC). Its IPO was oversubscribed at a 540% rate.

How do you benefit from investing in ETFs?

Just like investing in stocks, you get two (2) advantages in investing in ETFs;

  • Capital Growth when the ETF share price increases 
  • Dividends or Income Generation if paid by the individual assets involved (based on how the assets performed)

What is the relationship between NAV per unit and the ETF Market Price?

Unlike mutual funds, the Net Asset Value per unit is not the same as the share price in the market. 

They can vary significantly.

Lets describe them first, in case you are not aware of the 2 (two) terms;

Net Asset Value (NAV) per unit is the “intrinsic value” or the real value of the ETF. In Swahili it’s ‘thamani halisi ya kipande’.

You simply minus the liabilities of the fund (expenses and debts) from the assets (income generators) of the fund and then divide by the number of shares.

The NAV per unit is calculated after every market day (Monday to Friday except Public Holidays).

Market Price is the price at which you buy or sell the ETF on the Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange. 

This price, just like stocks, changes based on the supply and demand.

And,

If the Market Price is greater than the NAV per unit, it means you are buying the share at a premium / an overprice. 

Like buying a 500ml drinking water bottle at a price of 4,000/= at a high-end restaurant or a five-star hotel like Serena.

A higher price can also be due to a high demand.

If the Market Price is less than the NAV per unit, it means you are buying the share at a discount price / a fair price / an underprice. 

What are the disadvantages of investing in EFTs?

  • You do not have control over holdings. For instance, if the index has 5 companies and one company does not perform well, your good performers are diluted by the poor performer
  • You do not have voting rights in individual companies in the index as a stock shareholder have
  • You have only two (2) options in the Tanzanian market at the moment, a young market; it is either Vertex or iEACLC unlike the stock market and collective schemes (mutual funds)
  • You incur trading costs such as broker commissions like stocks and even currency exchanges (when a foreign currency is involved).

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PS:

Just choose a direction and start, keep getting better as you go.

Just start and keep moving :)

Monely yours,

Gracing Money

Marejeo:

1] Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF): What It Is and How to Invest, investopedia.com

2] Vertex-ETF, vertex.co.tz

3] Vertex-ETF Daily Market Reports, vertex.co.tz

4] iTrust EAC Large Cap ETF, itrust.co.tz

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]]> https://gracingmoney.com/the-five-5-questions-you-already-have-about-etf-investments/feed/ 0 UTT: What It Is and How You Get Started https://gracingmoney.com/utt-what-it-is-and-how-you-get-started/ Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:16:13 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2105 Curious about UTT? Learn what it is, how it works, and how to begin investing in it.

You may have heard of UTT but don’t understand what people are talking about…

Or you know that UTT has different funds but don’t know what these funds are for.

When you read to the end, 

you will be able to understand exactly what UTT is, and how different its funds are.

But starting with investments…

Investing is using the money you have saved to generate more money (profit).

One way to invest collectively with other investors then sharing the profits. This kind of investment is what we call Mutual Funds.

UTT-AMIS (Unit Trust of Tanzania – Asset Management and Investor Services),

is a government owned institution under the Ministry of Finance of joint-investment in Tanzania, established in 2003.

How UTT Works in Tanzania?

When investors’ money is collected, the funds are invested in other liquid assets such as Bonds, Stocks and Call Accounts.

The investment is made by investment professionals, and this is one of the biggest benefits of investing in mutual funds.

Bonds Investments often start at 1,000,000/= and when you invest in Stocks, you need to monitor it yourself.

But not everyone can have 1,000,000/= to invest in Bonds and not everyone has the time and expertise to keep track of stocks,…

so mutual funds come in handy in this type of situation.

The UTT Mutual Funds promise a return of at least 12% per year or at least 1% per month.

For example;

When you invest or save 100,000/= today, within a year it can grow up to 112,000/=

But it’s also good to know that,

…any type of investment comes with a risk of loss because the financial market is affected by what is happening,

in the national and global economy.

The Mutual Funds of UTT

UTT has 6 funds;

✔ Watoto Fund

✔ Liquid Fund

✔ Wekeza Maisha Fund 

✔ Jikimu Fund

✔ Bond Fund, and

✔ Umoja Fund

FundBenefitsMoney Withdraw (Re-purchase)…Start With (Shillings)
Watoto
Capital GrowthWhen the child reaches 12 years of agee10,000/=
LiquidCapital GrowthWithin 3 working days100,000/=
Wekeza MaishaCapital GrowthAfter the first 5 years8,340/= monthly contribution, or
1,000,000/=
Jikimu
Dividend/ Income GenerationWithin 10 working days5,000/=For capital growth
1,000,000/=For an annual income
2,000,000/=For a quarterly / 3-months income
Bond
Dividend/ Income GenerationAfter the first 3 to 6 months50,000/=For capital growth
5,000,000/=For a semi-annual / 6-months income
10,000,000/=For a monthly income
Umoja
Capital GrowthWithin 10 working days10,000/=

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And…

If you have a goal to reach a certain amount of money within a period of time, discover what you can invest every month,


…using this tool: UTT Monthly Investment Plan

PS:

You can use UTT Mutual Funds to accumulate savings for your goals :)

Just get started!

Money-ly Yours,

Gracing Money!

References:

1] UTT-AMIS, uttamis.co.tz

2] UTT-AMIS, Investment Assumption Calculator, Monthly Investment Plan

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]]> How to Participate in the Financial Market, as a Muslim, THE HALAL WAY https://gracingmoney.com/how-to-participate-in-the-financial-market-as-a-muslim-the-halal-way/ Wed, 31 Dec 2025 05:27:31 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2429 A Muslim’s Guide to Participating in the Financial Market in a Halal and Faithful Way

You’ve been hearing about investing a lot lately, but…

You are a Muslim and would like to save and invest in a way that is aligned with your belief, your Iman.

There are stakeholders in the Financial Market who thought about you.

Islamic Financial Products primarily consider;

✔ Rules of Shariah in the investments and transactions that take place,

✔ Distribution of Risk between the borrower and the lender,

And ensuring…

✔ Access to Financial Services to those who consider conventional banking and financial services to be incompatible with religious principles.

The Islamic Saving Products for you, are;

✔ Islamic Savings Account

This is no different from a regular savings account, except that it works on the principle of profit sharing, not interest.

✔ Mudarabah Account

One side gives capital and another side (that is you) provides the expertise, and then profit on a predetermined ratio.

And,

✔ Wadi’ah Account

This account aims at protecting your capital rather than making profit.

Islamic Investment Products for you, are;

✔ Sukuk (Islamic Bonds)

You earn an income, the coupon payments, based on the profit earned and not interest.

A good example is the KCB Sukuk Bond and two (2) Sukuk Bonds of The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (one in TZS Shillings and another in US Dollars – $).

✔ Mudarabah (Profit Sharing)

  One side gives capital and another side (that is you) provides the expertise, and then profit on a predetermined ratio.

✔ Musharakah (Joint Venture)

Often used in real estate.

Different people or institutions partner to contribute capital for a project and then share the profits or losses based on the ratio of contribution.

✔ Murabaha (Cost-Plus Financing)

The bank buys an asset for you and sells it at a profit. You, then pay it back in installments, alongside the profit.

✔ Lease Financing

You are given a lease and you pay it back as rent. The ownership becomes yours when the rental period ends.

Are these financial instruments only for Muslims?
Nope…

Except that all prerequisites related to that service must be adhered to.

Visit your banking institution to find out which Islamic savings and investment assets they offer, or…

Visit Islamic Bank institutions such as AMANA Bank and CRDB Al Baraka.

Which mutual funds can you start to invest in?

There is Alpha Halal Fund by Alpha Capital Limited and iImaan Fund by iTrust Finance Limited. 

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PS: 

You still have the opportunity to participate in the Financial Market, as a Muslim, so save and invest with confidence.

Do start today!

Money-ly Yours,

Gracing Money!

References:

1] CRDB AlBarakah Banking,https://crdbbank.co.tz/en/for-you/al-barakah-banking

2] AMANA Bank | Islamic Bank in Tanzania, https://www.amanabank.co.tz/

3] Financial Educator Certification, Covenant Institute of Tanzania and Bank of Tanzania (BOT)

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]]> Magoroto Travel https://gracingmoney.com/magoroto-travel/ Wed, 31 Dec 2025 04:05:56 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2408

My first solo travel…and now, I want it to be a lifestyle 😋

DAY 1

The sunrise met me on a mountain drive…to the estate. 

Arrived at the reception at 6.26am and that would be the end of my ‘online’ life, unless I had an Airtel SIM card. 

Lucky me!! I carried my Airtel 5G Router.

My first location to see was my stone lakeside cabin and the next and most important location to see, …the restaraunt 😅.

Sleepy me went right off to bed right after but I would never miss breakfast hours.

Beautiful room eeey…

After breakfast, our First Visit: 

Spice Farms and Factory(ies) Visit

The only place where agriculture and I usually meet is on the food table 😅 but I somehow managed to learn about Cinnamon, Cloves, Black Pepper farming.

Then to the Mafuta ya Mawese production, Wood Workshop, Natural Soap Factory, and this old factory.

Nextttt:

Bicycle Hiking

I never understood people who paid money to suffer…but I somehow had done it: tiring and fun.

Went back to the estate, TIRED. Refreshed, and ate.

And Now:

Board Games

Started with a game I had never played…sequence. Mwalimu…Thomas…alikuwa hana huruma hata 😅.

Was beaten so baaad 😰 but all was well because I was going back to sleep…again after a slight lake view.

Grace wouldnt miss the food hours…woke up to it. 

There was a bonfire acoustic music moment, live singing, around the fire, with beautiful people ❤️

Oh

Yanga tukatoka drawww, nikachekwaa, ila si bora point 1 kuliko kufungwa 😅. 

Then…

it was enough for the day.

Ikawa giza, ikawa usiku, siku ya kwanza.

DAY 2

Your girl woke up … at 6am, who does that on vacation? …Me 😁

After a slight lake view, opened a laptop, kidogo tu. Nilikua nasubiria muda wa chai. 

Wasnt at all serious.

Had breakfast, nishibe:

The Next Attempt:

Magoroto Viewpoint

Walking…hiking…through the forest. Nikaona ka-parachichi kadogo, for the first time, nikafurahiiii 😄.

That viewpoint was my hardest climb in the short time I have lived.

But guess what…

Ts always beautiful at the top. 

Maji ya madafu yalikua matamuuuu…sisi wa Dar tunaweka mpaka ndimu.

Nikakutana na Dr. Mti Makavu…dawa za mitishamba, usiulize kama nilinunua 😅.

Also had a treeclimb … ni stage tu ya utoto niliruka. 

Then off: To the…

Water Falls

So beautifullll ila sasa kwenye kurudi…worse than the Viewpoint Climb 🤮.

We made it anyway. Nikaenda kutafuta dafu la pili😂

Nilivorudi, straighttttt to refresh…shughuli was not for the weak.

Had lunch then to the boat 🛶🛶🛶…oh,

and the floating houseee 🏚🏚🏚🏚.

Then Fishing:

Mimi na fishing, wapi na wapi. But I caught not just one, but twooo…🐟🐟🐟

Nishazoea kuona kwenye movie…eti mtu anakamata samaki halafu anamuachia, mambo ya ajabu 😅

…but I did the same. The ka-fishes were tiny. Ni huruma.

I ran back to sleep … it was a karaoke nightttt y’all. And I had to be sober for it.

And yes, it was amazing. Wild, late, crazy, noisy and a lovelyyy night.

Ikawa giza, ikawa usiku, siku ya pili.

#travel#magorotoestate#magorotoforest#hiking#freedom#gracingmoney#airtel#wild#yangasc#gracingmoney

DAY 3

Guess who woke up at 5am the next morning…heheh, me😄

For what?

The sunrise.

Niulize wapi… Viewpoint tena 😁

Mahangaiko ya mtu mweusi. 

Tulifanikiwa lakini…kwa mbinde. Nilivorudi ni moja kwa moja, kula 😂.

Was going to sleep ooo…then nikajikuta nimevutiwa na ‘morning fog’. 

You saw that right, ukungu wa asubuhi…nikazubaa hapo.

After a whole hour, ndo nikaenda kulala.

Kuamka?

Mchanaaa…saa 8. Ate lunch, nikaanza kuzunguka maeneo ambayo sijayaona.

Met a lovely staff…who offered to change my room, from stone cabin to wooden cabin.

Kwani we ungekataa?…No, I guessed right.

Changed rooms…off to the boatttt 🛶🛶 again,

and the floating house 🏚🏚🏚.

Then at 5pm, hiking…again, to see the sunset, on Usambara Mountains.

Kila kiungo cha mwili kimeshaanza kujibu 😅.

And, hey, I saw a raspberry fruit and seed for the first time.

Tukafika then kukawa na mawingu, but still incredible.

‘Sunset are prooof that no matter what happens, everyday can end beautifully.’

Read that again!!!

So, usikate tamaa.

On the way back, this girl was lucky enough to see not 1, not 2, not 3…but 5 small chamelions.

Guide wangu, Thomas, akasema Simba siku hio wanafunga tano. Poor him!!!

Nikarudi kula zangu, nikaambia Simba wamefungwa 2, dakika ya 26…heheheh. Kiburudisho cha moyo….nikalale kwa amani 😄.

After dinner, I had a loooooong chat with some guests. It was lovely, laugh-filled, heart-fully…happy people. They were goona be there for a week 🙌

Kwani hata nilikumbuka cabin iko wapiii…ila cha muhimu nilifika ❤️

Ikawa giza, ikawa usiku, siku ya tatu. Ukamilifu.

DAY 4

Leavingggg 🥹

Your girl woke up at 6, refreshed, packed, and carried off myself slowlyyyy to the exit.

Came peacefully, left rested.

It was very much worth it ❤️❤️❤️

Few days before travel, I got scared of travelling solo but I had this trip in my heart and mind wakati huu mwaka unaanza

…it had to happen, and by God’s grace, it did and it was waaaay amazing.

#travel#magorotoestate#magorotoforest#hiking#freedom#gracingmoney#airtel#wild#simbasc#yangasc

And yes,

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PS:

Travel for pleasure! Travel for leisure! Travel for rest! Travel for peace! Travel to see more! Travel for freedom!

Always cheering for you :),

Gracing Money!

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]]> Is Investing in NICOL the Right Decision? https://gracingmoney.com/is-investing-in-nicol-the-right-decision/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:23:19 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2246

Is investing in NICOL the right decision for you? Know all about NICOL in just a few minutes.

On the snapshot above, is a great question I was asked, and it had a long response, and

I thought it would be great to share it with you too. I don’t plan to waste your time, 

…so let’s begin.

If you are someone who wishes to begin investing in stocks or you want to add another company to your investment portfolio,

reading the full text will help you decide.

In case you didn’t know…

NICOL (National Investments Company Limited) is a company that was established in 1999 to help people invest,

 collectively in economic activities.

NICOL has invested in various sectors such as;

✔ Financial Institutions (like banks; NMB and CRDB), 

✔ Communication (Vodacom), 

✔ Manufacturing (TBL), 

✔ Real Estate,

✔ Money Market such as bonds and fixed term deposits, and

✔ Others…

The 2024 Annual report shows the distribution of NICOL’s investments as;

The investment breakdown is 67% Shares, 18% Real Estate, 13% Land and Real Estate, 2% UTT, and

in Stocks Investment, the company has about:

✔ NMB Bank ~ TZS 150 Billion,

✔ DSE ~ TZS 4 Billion,

✔ TBL ~ TZS 1.1 Billion, 

✔ CRDB ~ TZS 1.4 Billion, and

✔ more than TZS 1.07 Billion in other companies like TCC, VODACOM and TPCC.

Okay, 
some important trends to take note of;

Changes in NICOL share prices

October 2020 (TZS)September 2025 (TZS)Change (%)
1651390742.42%

Dividend payment for the last five years (TZS per share)

20202021202220232024
1037435370

Profit made from Shareholder’s Equity (ROE: Return on Equity)

20202021202220232024
2%5%6%5%6%

In the blog about Starting Stocks Investing, I explained that share price alone is not enough to make a decision.

You will also have to look at the company’s qualitative fundamentals and the history of the company in increasing profits every year, such as

✔ Revenue Growth,

✔ Net Income Growth,

✔ Earnings Per Share (EPS),

✔ Return on Equity (ROE), and the like…

such information is easily found on annual reports.

Getting the right understanding on the stocks investments and doing a simple analysis of a few companies that you want to start with,

…will give you the right decisiveness to invest in NICOL or any other company on the DSE (Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange).

If you want to know how stock prices and profits relate, you can check right here.

Keep yourself updated by following our Instagram, and 

…you can also buy a copy of the Stock Investing eBook on Whatsapp for 29,900/= only.

 Along with the book, you will get for FREE;

✔ Stocks Investment Tracker (Excel/Google Sheets) for keeping a record of your purchases of Shares and Dividends you will receive

✔ Quantitative Analysis Tool (Excel/Google Sheets) to analyse a business using previous company records, and

✔ A 30-minute session to guide you how to start.

All the bonuses would cost you 122,750/=, but you will get it for free. 

As a guarantee, if you are not able to start investing in 7 days, your money will be refunded and you would have remained with the eBook…

just in case you decide to buy stocks in the future.

The 30-minute free session bonus will be for only 14 days from the release of this blog. Don’t plan to miss it.

Now, you can click the button below 👇  to get the eBook.

Buy Hisa eBook!

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PS:

The minimum amount to buy stocks is only 10 shares! You don’t need a lot of money to get started.

Cheering for you :),

Gracing Money!

References:

1] NICOL 2024 Annual Report, National Investments PLC

2] nicol.co.tz

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]]> How to Operate Your Business WITHOUT LOSING Your Time Freedom https://gracingmoney.com/how-to-operate-your-business-without-losing-your-time-freedom-copy/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:14:33 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2233

Scroll to the end if,

you have a service-based business or 

a brick-and-mortar business (for physical products),

but you experience the following pains;

✔ You use a lot of time to do repetitive tasks

✔ Prospect clients/customers not purchasing because of poor or untimely service and communication

✔ Not having a customized system to track business operation and performance

✔ You keep missing opportunities to grow your business

This includes;

Non-converting ads from your traffic and lack of active engagementUsing a lot of time to prepare and post about your business daily/repeatedlyNot being able to answer every customer/client’s query from the advertisements on time Not having a customized internal workflows for business operations especially when you are not around Prospect clients/customers lacking real time pricing and stock status of services and products Not having real-time data visualization and performance metrics your business 
Manual inventory management that does not balance your books Not being able to track daily sales in real time Running out of stock of the most purchased items without prior notification Forgetting or missing business appointments of clients or soon-to-be clients Disorganized business expenses tracking and a lack of real-time expenses records Not sending customers/clients real-time prices and services before shifting to a competitor 
Saving all client/customer numbers manually and missing follow-ups Poor coordination of orders/services and payment status daily Communicating with clients/customers without using their names and remembering what they bought or subscribed toSeparating personal finances from business finances Not having a monthly report to track your business performance Not being to follow-up the performance of every staff in their assigned responsibilities 

We would like to know which problems you face in your business.

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Cheering for you :),


Gracing Money.

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]]> 5 PERSONAL FINANCE BOOKS That Will Change How You Think About YOUR Money https://gracingmoney.com/5-personal-finance-books-that-will-change-how-you-think-about-your-money/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:52:42 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2222 Want a fresh way to think about money? These 5 powerful books will change how you think about earning, saving, and growing your finances.

6 and 9 are exactly the same…

depending on which side you are standing.

The things we give importance to in life are very much dependent on what we believe,…

the way we see things, our perspectives. The same goes for our money mindsets.

There are books you read, and when a person asks you about it the next day,

…your answer may be very short, maybe like 2 sentences.

Then there is a book you read and want to repeat it. 

And without even being asked, you are ready to talk about it, or even decide to buy it as a gift for someone else.

These recommended financial books to read, will make you want to talk about them. Starting with;

1. The Richest Man in Babylon / Tajiri wa Babeli

This book was written by a businessman, George S. Clason, and was published in 1926. 

Until now it has been translated in about 32 different languages.

It is a book that uses stories from ancient times, in a city called Babylon, to show the principles of personal finance such as;

✔ saving money, 

✔ paying off debts, 

✔ preparing for opportunities, 

✔ increasing income, 

✔ investing, and 

✔ being wary of quick-money schemes.

‘gold comes in abundance to the one who saves one tenth 

of his income, and use the savings to invest for the future’

2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad

This book was written by a businessman, Robert Kiyosaki, and published in 1997. Until now, it has been translated into more than 50 languages.

Robert uses a story where he has 2 fathers; his biological father who is poor and his friend’s father who is rich.

It’s not that his father didn’t have money. His father was educated and employed, but 

…he did not have the mindset to build generational wealth.

And would not come from depending on his salary. In his book, Robert showed the importance of,

✔ building assets, 

✔ having financial knowledge, which is never taught in schools, 

✔ building a business, 

✔ making investments, 

✔ having passive income, and 

✔ having a positive money mindset.

3. The Psychology of Money

This book was written by Morgan Housley, published in 2020.

It is a book about the people’s mindsets behind wealth, desire, and happiness. It shows important things like;

✔ financial success involving more of behavior than intelligence, 

✔ the difference between being rich and staying rich, 

✔ expensive things showing consumption rather than wealth, 

✔ wealth not being a product of someone making little or no mistakes,

✔ giving yourself the opportunity to make mistakes, and 

✔ respecting the power of time in investing.

4. Maamuzi Juu ya Fedha Inayopita Mkononi Mwako Yaweza Kukufanya Uwe Tajiri au Maskini

It is a book written by a Bible teacher, Christopher Mwakasege, and it was published in 2016.

It is a book that uses biblical principles to emphasize the importance of making the right money decisions with every money you get.

And that it is the money that you earn that will make you rich or poor.

The book highlights the importance of;

✔ saving, 

✔ not spending more than you earn, 

✔ creating multiple sources of income, 

✔ investing,

✔ not underestimating what we call ‘little’ money and 

✔ avoiding financial mistakes.

5. Kustaafu

It is a book written by an investor, Emilian Busara, which describes the preparation towards retirement, especially for employees,

…and that retirement is not for the elderly alone.

When anyone starts a job, they should know from the beginning that their journey will have an end and they should prepare for it.

Other important highlights include like;

✔ the importance of staying healthy, 

✔ building sustainable income, 

✔ pension payments, 

✔ things to do after retirement,

✔ retirement with goals, and 

✔ maintaining relationships with the community.

And if you want to know how to start with amending your personal finances, you can read here.

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PS:

6 and 9 are similar, depending on your mind positioning.


Having a positive mindset about money will help you make decisions that will elevate you.

Money-ly Yours,

Gracing Money!

References:

1] The Richest Man in Babylon, George S. Clason

2] Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki

3] The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housley

4] Maamuzi Juu ya Fedha, Christopher Mwakasege

5] Kustaafu, Emilian Busara

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]]> How to Start Investing in BONDS (Beginner Guide) https://gracingmoney.com/how-to-start-investing-in-bonds-beginner-guide/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:19:49 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2185 Want to invest safely? This is how to begin with bonds and find out what makes them a smart choice.

Have you heard about bonds and don’t understand how they work?,

…or you want to get started but don’t know how to buy bonds.

If yes is your answer, then this article is for you.

A bond is an investment that involves you lending money to the government or an institution in order to,

earn interest (in form of coupon payments) over a period of time.

The government or institution then receives the money and use it for development or doing business for profit,

…still bearing the responsibility of paying you the coupon/interest.

Types of bonds include;

✔ Government Bonds,

✔ Municipal Bonds,

✔ Corporate Bonds, and

✔ International Bonds.

The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) gives out bonds auction calendar for every half year by June and December, 

…on the BoT website, and you can get the list of active corporate bonds on the Dar-es-Salaam (DSE) website.

Coupons, often paid twice a year for government bonds is one of the benefits of bond investing.

Other benefits of investing in bonds include;

✔ Using a bond as collateral to get a loan 

✔ Investing with less risk of loss, and

✔ You can preserve money for a period of time.

7 Important Steps to Start Investing in Bonds

  1. Get the correct understanding about Bonds

…through books, seminars, brokers or other knowledgeable financial experts.

This will help you determine the best interest rates and the prices to buy bonds in order to get a good return/profit.

The interest rate normally increases with the investment period.

2. Have the investment amount to begin with

The minimum investment amount ranges from 500,000/= to 1,000,000/= and if,

…you want to buy bonds but you don’t have this amount, you can choose to invest in Mutual Funds which,

invest in bonds, alongside with other investors.

3. Choose a broker or a dealer you will work with.

You cannot buy or sell bonds as an individual or even an institution.

A broker is an agent who buys and sells bonds on your behalf, and

 
A dealer is an agent who buys and sells bonds on his own behalf, that is, he can sell you bonds on the secondary market (DSE).

You can get the full list of licensed brokers and dealers on the DSE website.

4. Open your CDS (Central Depository System) Account 

…through your broker, and

5. Buy Bonds

…on an auction on the primary market or,

buy bonds that has previously been bought and resold on the secondary market (DSE).


6. You will get a proof of purchase

…known as the relevant bond seller, and

7. You will follow up your coupon payments

…on the dates stated by the bond seller and you can keep track of your bond investments.

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PS:

You can also buy bonds through Mutual Funds which,


…invests in bonds, alongside other investors. A good example being, the Bond Fund of UTT-AMIS.

Money-ly Yours,

Gracing Money!

References:

1] Bank of Tanzania, bot.go.tz

2] Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange, dse.co.tz

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]]> 5 Shocking Reasons Why You Don’t Need EXPENSIVE COMPANY SHARES to Make Big Profits https://gracingmoney.com/5-shocking-reasons-why-you-dont-need-expensive-company-shares-to-make-big-profits/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:29:07 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2194 You don’t need pricey stocks to win big in investing. Here are 5 reasons why (for your benefit).

You have probably heard about investing in stocks,

…and you know that a stock is the ownership of part of a company or business, and that
shares have different prices according to the respective companies.

However, you do not know how share prices are related to the profit you will make.

If you are in this situation, this writing was written for you. Read to the end!

But before we continue, 


you might want to review the introduction to investing in stocks.

So on 4th of July, 2025, 

companies in the Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) that sold and bought shares,

…had share prices ranging from 145/= (DCB Commercial Bank) to 16,010/= (TCC: Tanzania Cigarette Company – Sigara), for one share.

The two main advantages of investing in stocks as you already know;


are capital gain and dividend income.

Your money grows from the increase in the stock prices and you get dividends from the company’s profit in that financial year.

Now coming back to our main topic, we will address some stock market myths, and answer the question,

‘Do you need expensive shares to profit from stock investing?’

So, first;

1. Stock Prices Do Not Directly Indicate Future Profits

The profit you will get if you invest in stocks, if dividends and/or capital gain depends on,

The capacity of that company to use its capital to make a profit, and

the profit the company generates before interest and tax deductions.

A stock may have a ‘low’ or a ‘high’ share price but if it does not generate sustainable profits over a period of time,…

you, the investor, will not get sustainable profits either.

2. Your Analysis Before Investment Is Your Reality Check

Along with getting a basic knowledge on stocks investment, you will have analyzed a company based on the,

✔ Quality (Qualitative Analysis), and

✔ History of Income, Profits, Debts, etc. (Qualitative Analysis)

Therefore, the stock price may have a low price or a high price but if the company does not have a good leadership,…

or its level of debt has exceeded its actual revenue greatly,.. 

…then the possibility of getting dividends or the stock price growing decreases.

3. The Share Price May Be More Expensive Than The Book Value

Each company has a real value (Book Value) which is its total assets minus all its debts.

Changes in the stock price may cause a share to be;

✔ less than real value ‘underpriced’, 

✔ of average value ‘fairly priced‘, or

✔ have a high value ‘over priced’,

at that time.


Therefore, the stock price may seem ‘cheap’ but could be expensive relative to the real value of the company.

4. A Company May Fail to Pay Dividends Despite Making Profit

Every company has its own dividend policy, meaning


‘Company A will give A% of its profits as dividends to investors.’

But, dividends still come from the profit made. 

If the company decides to return all that year’s profit back to the business for growth purposes, the investors will not get the dividends.

5. Share Prices of a Company May Not Change in a Long Time

Share prices rise due to the positive expectations of investors in the market (the demand and supply). 

As the demand of a company stock grows, the stock price increases.


But, it may come time that the price does not change, because;

✔ The ‘demand’ for particular stock is decreasing, or

✔ The company has grown to the extent that it mainly focuses on paying dividends to the investors.

If the stock price does not change, you will not enjoy any capital gain.

And if you prefer another type of investment, you can read through Mutual Funds and Bonds.

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PS:

The minimum amount for you to start in stocks is only 10 shares! You don’t need millions to get started.

Money-ly Yours,

Gracing Money!

References:

1] Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange, dse.co.tz

2] Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange Market Report, Friday, 4th July 2025

3] The Little Book That Still Beats the Market, Joel GreenBlatt

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]]> Five Questions (5) to Ask Yourself WHEN CHOOSING A BROKER For Stocks or Bonds https://gracingmoney.com/five-questions-5-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-a-broker-for-stocks-or-bonds/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 13:12:04 +0000 https://gracingmoney.com/?p=2180 Don’t blindly pick your broker. These 5 key questions will help you choose the right one for your investments.

You have decided to invest in shares already bonds but just discovered that,

…you will need a broker as an agent for your transactions.

If this is you, then this open letter is for you!

The stock market (DSE: Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange), just like Kariakoo, is a market. Just that, it deals with cash products.

Brokers meet to buy and sell stocks and bonds through auctions.

DSE is active from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm. The market closes on holidays.

Before choosing a broker it is important to decide what asset to buy or sell but also…

the products which the broker sells and buys on behalf of his customers.

In short, get the correct understanding of the asset you want to invest in before looking for a broker.

Remember, a broker;

✔ Buys and sells stocks and bonds on your behalf

✔ Does not own stocks or bonds

✔ Is paid commission for every trade

✔ Does not have any ‘risk’ in the market because he is just an agent

✔ Sends you information about your completed stock transactions

✔ Has account information on the stocks or bonds you purchased.

Investment Broker Tips

Having the answers to these five questions will save you time,

on how to choose a broker in Tanzania.

  1. Is the broker Licensed?

The broker should be recognized by investment authorities, such as

the DSE and the Capital Markets and Securities Authority ‘CMSA’.

You can find a list of licensed ‘brokers’ on the DSE website.

2. Does the broker have enough experience?

A broker that has been in business for a long time, has been exposed to different economic times nationally and globally,

and therefore has a good history of profits and losses in the financial market.

This broker has likely encountered many challenges, so you can get realistic advice on the questions you ask.

3. How are the Service Charges for managing my account?

Brokers get a commission fee from every transaction they make. 

And as you know, commission for them is a cost for you, depending on the transaction amount when you buy stocks and bonds.


You can compare costs between different brokers by asking the percentage they charge as a brokerage fee (Brokerage Commission).

Next question is,


  4. Does the broker have Good Customer Service?

Find out if they serve their customers with speed and urgency. 

If you are a part of online personal finance groups in platforms like Whatsapp,

 it will be easy for you to get these answers from other investors.
A good broker must have easily reachable numbers when customers need help.

5. Does the broker do Market Research of the Financial Markets?

A good broker does continuous research and regularly reports on the happenings in the market for the financial assets they deal with.


You can start with just a few names and check out websites and social media pages like Instagram.

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PS:

If you don’t like the service of your first broker, you can always change to another broker for better service.


The important thing is to start. Do not hesitate to start!

Money-ly Yours,

Gracing Money!

References:

1] Frequently Asked Questions About Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange Document

2] Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange, dse.co.tz

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