EXPLAIN FIRST

Before you sign anything, ask them to explain it first.

A contract, a policy, a debit order, a "great opportunity" on WhatsApp. If nobody can explain it to you in plain words, don't sign yet. I'll show you which questions to ask.

Get the free checklist Opens WhatsApp. Send the word CHECKLIST.
Eugene Merckel, smiling, in a navy jacket and white shirt
Eugene Merckel, Roodepoort. Not a financial adviser. Just someone who checks first.
Try this today

Do you know what every line on your statement is?

Most people find at least one debit order they can't explain. A gym you stopped going to. A phone contract that ended. Sometimes one you never agreed to.

Open your banking app, go back three months and count your debit orders. That number alone tells you a lot.

Three warning signs

When to stop and ask first

  1. You're asked to approve something you don't recognise

    A debit order request on your banking app, an unknown line on your statement.

    Ask your bank, on the number on the back of your card.

  2. You're told to decide today

    "This price ends tonight." "Only three spots left." Real offers can wait a day.

    Ask: can I take this home and read it first?

  3. Nobody can tell you the full cost

    Monthly fees, increases, cancellation terms. If it isn't written down, it isn't clear.

    Ask: what will this cost me in total, in writing?

Why I do this

Hi, I'm Eugene

I live in Roodepoort. After many years of working, I took a hard look at my own retirement and realised my plans weren't going to be enough. That made me take my finances seriously, and think about what I want to leave for my children and grandchildren.

Along the way I learned that most money mistakes start the same way: signing something nobody explained properly. So I share the checks I use, in plain English, for free. I'm not a financial adviser and I don't sell anything here.

  • I won't pressure you or rush you.
  • I won't tell you what to buy.
  • If you reply STOP, I stop. Immediately.
Free, one page

Get the Check Before You Sign checklist

Every week I share one short money check, and the checklist lives in my free WhatsApp Community. Send me the word CHECKLIST and I'll send you the link.

Send CHECKLIST on WhatsApp

On a laptop? Point your phone camera at this code and WhatsApp opens with CHECKLIST ready to send.

Or save the number: 083 307 4896

Prefer email? Write to and I'll send it to you.

  • On the checklist
  • Pull three months of statements
  • List every debit order: who, how much, which day
  • Tick, question or cross each one
  • Query what you don't recognise, straight away
  • Phone the company before you stop anything