The simplest way to beat credit card debt is to avoid it. OK, easier said than done! But seriously, credit card debt is evil. If you cannot avoid it (like most Americans), at least keep it manageable. Following are five tips to keeping your credit card debt manageable, and with a little luck, avoid it altogether.
1. Don't impulse purchase. Said another way; don't buy things the same day you see them. Sleep on it. If still in doubt, sleep on it for a couple of days. I have found that after a day or two of reflection, I usually realize that what I wanted is not necessarily something I really needed.
2. Pay with cash whenever possible. It's not easy, but it's amazing how differently you think about spending money when it's cash versus a credit card. You are less likely to shell out hard earned cash (real Dinero's) for "nice to have" things.
3. Negotiate the interest rate with your credit card company. If you are like most Americans, you get several credit card offers each week. Play those credit card companies against each other. When you get that next offer, call them up. Tell them the interest rate and benefits you get from your favorite credit card company and ask them if they'll match it. Half of the time, they'll meet or beat the deal you are currently getting.
4. Watch your credit card statement. As crazy as it sounds, I have experienced establishments that round up (in a big way!) when you make a credit card purchase. Get a 15 dollar haircut; your credit card is charged 20 dollars. Have a nice 75 dollar meal; your credit card is charged 95 dollars. It seems small in the whole scheme of things, but it adds up. Don't get taken for a few dollars here and there. Save your receipts and verify your credit card statement each month. Don't be afraid to call your credit card company and dispute a charge. If a charge is total BS, your credit card company will do the legwork and contact the vendor to dispute the charge. I have found that in most cases, your credit card company will resolve almost any charge that you do not agree with.
5. Number Five is the most important (and hopefully simplest) tip; Pay off your balance each and every month! This may be an incredible challenge, as credit is all too readily available, but it is essential to you and your family's well being. If you avoid carrying a credit card balance, you avoid paying interest charges to the credit card companies. The credit card companies fool you by offering a low "minimum monthly payment". Don't be fooled. That minimum monthly payment is available only so you drag out your payments and rack up interest payments to your credit card company. It is not in your interest (no pun intended) to pay the minimum monthly balance. Be sure to pay off your balance each and every month!
So assuming you mastered 1 through 5 above, how can you beat the credit card companies? Take money from them! There are a number of credit card companies that offer cash back on the purchases you make. I did a ton of research on cash back credit cards and wrote up my finding on my blog about Getting Things Done. I would highly recommend that once you get your credit card finances in order, you find yourself a high quality cash back credit card and take money from the credit card companies!
Check out another article of mine for details on how I found the best cash back credit card. Also, check out http://www.mygtdstuff.com for more about Getting Things Done!
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Best Investing Strategy
The best investing strategy is easy to state: Buy low and sell high. It sounds so simple, but it seems people have a lot of problems figuring out how to really apply this to their own life. Unfortunately, many people will buy the hot stocks of the day and then sell if they believe they are losing money. Here are some tips on how to apply the best investing strategy to your own personal investment plan.
Take emotions out of the investment process. Just because an investment might drop overnight does not mean you should panic and sell. Likewise, if you attend an investment seminar, do not get your checkbook caught up in the rah-rah of emotions. Before making an investment decision, make sure you check your emotions to verify they are not getting in the way. Investment decisions should be made upon facts.
Buy what you know. World-famous investor Warren Buffet offers this advice over and over again. It seems to work for him, so apply it to your own life. If you are a fashion consultant, learn more about the industry trends. You will feel more comfortable investing in what you know because you can apply your own experience to the decision.
Invest for the long term. Investments can peak and dip sometimes in a span of hours. If you try to capitalize on every peak and dip, you will drive yourself crazy watching the market and trying to react in time. Instead, make decisions that you believe are going to net you results over a larger period of time.
Budget, plan and know. The best investment strategy is to stay knowledgeable. You need to understand your own budget, how much you can invest, how much you can afford to lose, how long you have to invest and more. Put some effort into planning your financial future by first understanding where you are now.
Almost all investment choices have some risk, but also have some great possible rewards. Understanding your own tolerance for risk will help you select the investments that are best for you. Keep up to date on what your investments are doing to make sure they still fit your own personal preferences.
The best investing strategy will be different for every person. But keeping in mind that some of the best tips for selection involve understanding your own personality and your own situation will help you get a great start to building your wealth.
Take emotions out of the investment process. Just because an investment might drop overnight does not mean you should panic and sell. Likewise, if you attend an investment seminar, do not get your checkbook caught up in the rah-rah of emotions. Before making an investment decision, make sure you check your emotions to verify they are not getting in the way. Investment decisions should be made upon facts.
Buy what you know. World-famous investor Warren Buffet offers this advice over and over again. It seems to work for him, so apply it to your own life. If you are a fashion consultant, learn more about the industry trends. You will feel more comfortable investing in what you know because you can apply your own experience to the decision.
Invest for the long term. Investments can peak and dip sometimes in a span of hours. If you try to capitalize on every peak and dip, you will drive yourself crazy watching the market and trying to react in time. Instead, make decisions that you believe are going to net you results over a larger period of time.
Budget, plan and know. The best investment strategy is to stay knowledgeable. You need to understand your own budget, how much you can invest, how much you can afford to lose, how long you have to invest and more. Put some effort into planning your financial future by first understanding where you are now.
Almost all investment choices have some risk, but also have some great possible rewards. Understanding your own tolerance for risk will help you select the investments that are best for you. Keep up to date on what your investments are doing to make sure they still fit your own personal preferences.
The best investing strategy will be different for every person. But keeping in mind that some of the best tips for selection involve understanding your own personality and your own situation will help you get a great start to building your wealth.
Caterina Christakos is an experienced investor and instructor with World Capital Institute. Ever imagined yourself as a stock or commodities broker? Check this out:http://www.worldcapitalinstitute.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
Are You Having Sleepless Nights Because Of Your Finances?
Financial Debt is a fact of life for everyone at some point; day to day pressures can sometimes be a cause. All is not lost if you have acquired a bad credit score; there are companies that will be able to provide a bad credit loan.When finance is arranged under these circumstances, the loan can still be used in the same way any other type of loan. Poor credit histories can be caused by deliberate actions from defaulting on a loan to simple mistakes like a missed or late credit card payment. If a person is accepted for a loan then there is a good chance they may help their credit rating.
The money from a bad credit loan might be needed for a forthcoming wedding, for a child's further education or even to consolidate existing debts which have become a burden. It is not uncommon for a person to arrange a loan just so they can repair their damaged credit history. They may not require the money for any specific situation.
There are two options available, secured and unsecured loans, but with the secured option the amount of loan will be greater, up to 150,000 dollars and the repayment period can be extended to a period of twenty five years. However, if you take the unsecured loan route the maximum you will be able to lend will be dramatically reduced to 50,000 dollars and you will only have 10 years to pay it back.
There will, however, be either a home or car, for example, used as collateral for the loan and this will result in the lender offering the loan at a lower interest rate; albeit, the borrower could lose their possessions if they fail to make their repayments. However, the unsecured loan route offers no protection for the lender and the interest rate is higher so if interest rates are an important aspect, the best course of action is to find a lender with the lowest unsecured rates.
To find out more about the available options it is best to carry out some research online as there are even a few lenders who will provide a bad credit loan even if there are outstanding debts and court judgments. However, there aren't many lenders giving this type of loan so if you want to get credit at a rate of interest which fits your pocket and has an acceptable time scale for repayments, you should opt for an online loan facility.
These bad credit loans aren't usually too difficult to organize even when there is a poor credit rating but they can make a big difference to person who needs the money. By making the loan application online it will speed up the process so you will be able to get back on with your life.
Finally, with loans for someone with bad credit, the opportunity to maintain credibility in the financial market by paying previous debts whilst rebuilding credit history, has got to be a good thing.
Stefan Seguin provides valuable information tips on business finances to educate anyone with a curious mind. Be sure to stop by our site and get a free education at http://www.internetmarketingvalues.com/finance/
The money from a bad credit loan might be needed for a forthcoming wedding, for a child's further education or even to consolidate existing debts which have become a burden. It is not uncommon for a person to arrange a loan just so they can repair their damaged credit history. They may not require the money for any specific situation.
There are two options available, secured and unsecured loans, but with the secured option the amount of loan will be greater, up to 150,000 dollars and the repayment period can be extended to a period of twenty five years. However, if you take the unsecured loan route the maximum you will be able to lend will be dramatically reduced to 50,000 dollars and you will only have 10 years to pay it back.
There will, however, be either a home or car, for example, used as collateral for the loan and this will result in the lender offering the loan at a lower interest rate; albeit, the borrower could lose their possessions if they fail to make their repayments. However, the unsecured loan route offers no protection for the lender and the interest rate is higher so if interest rates are an important aspect, the best course of action is to find a lender with the lowest unsecured rates.
To find out more about the available options it is best to carry out some research online as there are even a few lenders who will provide a bad credit loan even if there are outstanding debts and court judgments. However, there aren't many lenders giving this type of loan so if you want to get credit at a rate of interest which fits your pocket and has an acceptable time scale for repayments, you should opt for an online loan facility.
These bad credit loans aren't usually too difficult to organize even when there is a poor credit rating but they can make a big difference to person who needs the money. By making the loan application online it will speed up the process so you will be able to get back on with your life.
Finally, with loans for someone with bad credit, the opportunity to maintain credibility in the financial market by paying previous debts whilst rebuilding credit history, has got to be a good thing.
Stefan Seguin provides valuable information tips on business finances to educate anyone with a curious mind. Be sure to stop by our site and get a free education at http://www.internetmarketingvalues.com/finance/
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
No Nonsense Money Saving Tips
There are many ways to make saving money easy and doable. You don't need a lifestyle change to succeed in saving money. Listed below are helpful tips to make it easier for you to start saving money.
Make it a habit to prepare a grocery list. Write down the items that you genuinely need. Be strict with yourself and strike out superfluous items. Your grocery list will steer you away from pointless purchases as long as you stick to the list you've made. This routine will only take a little of your time each week but the benefits can be substantial.
Take advantage of discounts and coupons. Buy things that you use often in bulk to enjoy discounts. Toilet paper, dish washing soap, and detergents are some of the items you can purchase in larger quantities. Since they are non-perishable, you don't have to worry about them getting spoiled. On your spare time, cut out coupons and use them on your next grocery trip.
Enjoy homemade meals. Include on your grocery list food items you can use to prepare a homemade sandwich for lunch. Pack them well and take them with you to work every day. This not only saves you money for cafeteria food but also helps you eat healthy. For dinner, stay at home and simply prepare easy-to-cook dishes that are cheaper than restaurant food.
As much as possible, pay for what you buy in cash. Credit cards may be more convenient but it is also the fastest way to temptation. When shopping, leave your cards behind so you don't get tempted to buy unessential items. Use your card only when doing so would be more economical such as when there are installment plans or cash rebates you can avail of.
Check your pantry for natural body and skin care products. Milk and honey are known to be good for the skin. Using them instead of your usual lotion can help you save money and can even be healthier for your skin in the end.
Prepare your own snacks. Instead of always buying chips from the store, create your own popcorn or French fries at home. You don't only save money by doing this; you can also be creative and come up with even more delicious flavors!
Take your home-made snacks to the cinema. Save money on over-priced drinks and snacks being sold at the movie house and simply bring your own snack creations with you.
Reduce your electricity bill. Turn off lights in parts of the house that you don't use. Use energy saving light bulbs which consume less energy than the usual incandescent bulbs.
Don't substitute walking in the shopping mall for real exercise. More often than not, you wont stick to just walking. You'll go look in a store and find something you'll be lured into buying. Resist the call of the mall and choose a nice park to walk, jog or run in during weekends.
For more family budget tips, visit http://www.familybudgetguide.com
Make it a habit to prepare a grocery list. Write down the items that you genuinely need. Be strict with yourself and strike out superfluous items. Your grocery list will steer you away from pointless purchases as long as you stick to the list you've made. This routine will only take a little of your time each week but the benefits can be substantial.
Take advantage of discounts and coupons. Buy things that you use often in bulk to enjoy discounts. Toilet paper, dish washing soap, and detergents are some of the items you can purchase in larger quantities. Since they are non-perishable, you don't have to worry about them getting spoiled. On your spare time, cut out coupons and use them on your next grocery trip.
Enjoy homemade meals. Include on your grocery list food items you can use to prepare a homemade sandwich for lunch. Pack them well and take them with you to work every day. This not only saves you money for cafeteria food but also helps you eat healthy. For dinner, stay at home and simply prepare easy-to-cook dishes that are cheaper than restaurant food.
As much as possible, pay for what you buy in cash. Credit cards may be more convenient but it is also the fastest way to temptation. When shopping, leave your cards behind so you don't get tempted to buy unessential items. Use your card only when doing so would be more economical such as when there are installment plans or cash rebates you can avail of.
Check your pantry for natural body and skin care products. Milk and honey are known to be good for the skin. Using them instead of your usual lotion can help you save money and can even be healthier for your skin in the end.
Prepare your own snacks. Instead of always buying chips from the store, create your own popcorn or French fries at home. You don't only save money by doing this; you can also be creative and come up with even more delicious flavors!
Take your home-made snacks to the cinema. Save money on over-priced drinks and snacks being sold at the movie house and simply bring your own snack creations with you.
Reduce your electricity bill. Turn off lights in parts of the house that you don't use. Use energy saving light bulbs which consume less energy than the usual incandescent bulbs.
Don't substitute walking in the shopping mall for real exercise. More often than not, you wont stick to just walking. You'll go look in a store and find something you'll be lured into buying. Resist the call of the mall and choose a nice park to walk, jog or run in during weekends.
For more family budget tips, visit http://www.familybudgetguide.com
Monday, March 10, 2008
Investment Strategies for the Average Joe
Investment strategies for the long term are a vital to our future. How you invest now may be the difference between a comfortable retirement, and working for the rest of your life. Nobody likes the idea of having to work for the rest of their life, and we have put together a list of do's and don'ts to secure a comfortable retirement.
Tip #1 Educate yourself
There are people out there who play the stock market like they play the lottery. This is very dangerous, gambling on the stock market is the equivalent of going to Las Vegas and putting your life savings on the line. With any investment that is going to provide a decent return, there is risk. How much risk you take on with any investment directly affects the return. The general rule of thumb is, the higher the risk, the higher the return on your investment, and likewise, the lower the risk, the lower your return. The risk of investing into just a savings account has been explained.
While investing in stock is riskier, educating yourself can reduce the amount of risk you take on. This includes finding out what common terms are and what they mean. Understanding the financial statements of the company you want to invest in, and understanding the market that you are investing in.
Tip #2 Devise a plan
This step is just as important as the first, having the education is useless without having some kind of direction. Decide where you want to be by the time you retire, where you want to be when you hit fifty. Evaluate where you are now and what you want to accomplish in the next year, you can never plan too much.
You will also need to decide what kind of retirement you want to have. Do you want to maintain the quality of life you have now? Do you want to retire rich? Filthy rich? Or do you want enough to just get you by every month? Realize what you want to do and devise a plan.
Tip # 3 Investing is vital to your retirement
This cannot be stressed enough. It used to be that you worked for a company for 30 years until you retire, you get your office party and the faux gold watch, but you had a pension and social security waiting for you afterwards. Nowadays you have companies cooking the accounting books, and executives being the only ones with guaranteed pensions, and CEO's abandoning their companies leaving their employees with nothing while they take their guaranteed multi-million dollar pensions home.
What does this mean? It means that the person with your best interest is you. Nothing is guaranteed any more, not even social security. Corporations are replacing pensions with 401k plans, in essence they are shifting the responsibility for your retirement from them to you. It is up to you to decide whether you want to invest in your future. Realize that if you decide not to invest at all, you are throwing you future away.
Tip # 4 Research Research Research
There are so many reasons that you need to research whatever investment vehicle you choose. Whether its real estate, stock, whatever, you should never invest off of an assumption. Most investors refer to this as due diligence. First and foremost, never invest off of a "tip." There is always someone out there that knows what the next big investment is. They'll tell you to buy some shares of so and so stock because they are guaranteed to give you phenomenal returns.
While the advice may have some truth, it is best to do a little research first before putting any money into it. When doing research, it helps to understand financial statements. In general, if a company has more costs than it does revenue, this means the company is not turning a profit. In 2000, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) was selling its shares at $113.00 per share, all while never having turned a real profit since the company started.
Today Amazon's stock can be bought for $45 a share. Imagine if someone invested their entire life savings into Amazon's stock at this time, they would have less than half of what they saved left. This is the reason for the most recent stock market crash, investors were buying shares from companies that could not show a profit. Companies were having lavish office parties every week because their stock was flying through the roof, all while their product sales could not fund these expenses.
Another reason for the recent stock market crash is because a lot of investors invest with emotion rather than knowledge. Over the holidays investors feared another terrorist attack, so they sold shares fearing another attack would drive the stock market back down. The emotion was fear. And that fear is detrimental to the stock market. If enough investors get scared and begin to sell their shares, the market will surely drop. If more investors are buying than selling, the stock market will rise.
Tip # 5 Inflation
The final tip is also a part of research, understanding inflation. It is important to know that as it pertains to your future, inflation is not good. The Webster's dictionary defines inflation as: an increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services resulting in a continuing rise in the general price level. In other words, as time goes on, prices rise.
A good example of inflation, is how a million dollars today, isn't what it was 20 years ago, and it wont be what it is 20 years for now. If it would take $2 million to retire today, find out what $2 million will be by the time you retire, otherwise you will be selling yourself short.
Tip #1 Educate yourself
There are people out there who play the stock market like they play the lottery. This is very dangerous, gambling on the stock market is the equivalent of going to Las Vegas and putting your life savings on the line. With any investment that is going to provide a decent return, there is risk. How much risk you take on with any investment directly affects the return. The general rule of thumb is, the higher the risk, the higher the return on your investment, and likewise, the lower the risk, the lower your return. The risk of investing into just a savings account has been explained.
While investing in stock is riskier, educating yourself can reduce the amount of risk you take on. This includes finding out what common terms are and what they mean. Understanding the financial statements of the company you want to invest in, and understanding the market that you are investing in.
Tip #2 Devise a plan
This step is just as important as the first, having the education is useless without having some kind of direction. Decide where you want to be by the time you retire, where you want to be when you hit fifty. Evaluate where you are now and what you want to accomplish in the next year, you can never plan too much.
You will also need to decide what kind of retirement you want to have. Do you want to maintain the quality of life you have now? Do you want to retire rich? Filthy rich? Or do you want enough to just get you by every month? Realize what you want to do and devise a plan.
Tip # 3 Investing is vital to your retirement
This cannot be stressed enough. It used to be that you worked for a company for 30 years until you retire, you get your office party and the faux gold watch, but you had a pension and social security waiting for you afterwards. Nowadays you have companies cooking the accounting books, and executives being the only ones with guaranteed pensions, and CEO's abandoning their companies leaving their employees with nothing while they take their guaranteed multi-million dollar pensions home.
What does this mean? It means that the person with your best interest is you. Nothing is guaranteed any more, not even social security. Corporations are replacing pensions with 401k plans, in essence they are shifting the responsibility for your retirement from them to you. It is up to you to decide whether you want to invest in your future. Realize that if you decide not to invest at all, you are throwing you future away.
Tip # 4 Research Research Research
There are so many reasons that you need to research whatever investment vehicle you choose. Whether its real estate, stock, whatever, you should never invest off of an assumption. Most investors refer to this as due diligence. First and foremost, never invest off of a "tip." There is always someone out there that knows what the next big investment is. They'll tell you to buy some shares of so and so stock because they are guaranteed to give you phenomenal returns.
While the advice may have some truth, it is best to do a little research first before putting any money into it. When doing research, it helps to understand financial statements. In general, if a company has more costs than it does revenue, this means the company is not turning a profit. In 2000, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) was selling its shares at $113.00 per share, all while never having turned a real profit since the company started.
Today Amazon's stock can be bought for $45 a share. Imagine if someone invested their entire life savings into Amazon's stock at this time, they would have less than half of what they saved left. This is the reason for the most recent stock market crash, investors were buying shares from companies that could not show a profit. Companies were having lavish office parties every week because their stock was flying through the roof, all while their product sales could not fund these expenses.
Another reason for the recent stock market crash is because a lot of investors invest with emotion rather than knowledge. Over the holidays investors feared another terrorist attack, so they sold shares fearing another attack would drive the stock market back down. The emotion was fear. And that fear is detrimental to the stock market. If enough investors get scared and begin to sell their shares, the market will surely drop. If more investors are buying than selling, the stock market will rise.
Tip # 5 Inflation
The final tip is also a part of research, understanding inflation. It is important to know that as it pertains to your future, inflation is not good. The Webster's dictionary defines inflation as: an increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services resulting in a continuing rise in the general price level. In other words, as time goes on, prices rise.
A good example of inflation, is how a million dollars today, isn't what it was 20 years ago, and it wont be what it is 20 years for now. If it would take $2 million to retire today, find out what $2 million will be by the time you retire, otherwise you will be selling yourself short.
Robert Abrom is the CEO of Abrom Research Inc., find more resources for your journey to entrepreneurship at http://abromresearch.com
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Household Budgets: The Secret Weapon in the War on Debt
Ah, America...land of the free, home of the indebted. According to CNNMoney.com, the average American household has almost $9,200 in debt. That's the average. Some have much, much more. Interest rates generally run in the mid to high teens, so counting interest and payments on other debt, such as mortgages, the average American is dealing with a heavy debt load.
So what can you, Mr. or Ms. Average American, do to get yourself out of this nasty situation? The first step, which may be the most uncomfortable, is the most critical: get your life under control!
And that means preparing a household budget.
A successful business prepares a budget. It attempts to anticipate funding needs going forward, and then does its best to stay within the budgeted amount for its expenditures. You probably have an advantage over most businesses in that you have great foresight in anticipating your financial needs. You know what you typically spend in a given month on various things such as food, clothing, utilities, and rent or mortgage. If you don't have an idea of what you spend on these things, take a look at your checking account registry, or your online checking account information. Your past financial dealings are right there for you to see.
It may also be helpful to use a financial tracking application such as Microsoft Money. You can find out more about Money at http://www.microsoft.com/money/. These types of applications are excellent for becoming more aware of where your money goes. A free online application that is designed specifically for improving your awareness of your spending patterns is http://mint.com. The application automatically labels many of your expenses and lets you classify expenses any way you want. One unique feature of the site is that it lets you compare your spending to the spending habits of people in any city, state, or nationwide.
Just becoming aware of how you spend your money will greatly increase your power. You will likely find yourself becoming less prone to wasting money once you develop this awareness. Once you have a handle on where you money goes, the next step is controlling where it goes. And for that, you need a budget.
The first items in your budget should be the necessities - expenses that are not optional. These would include things like your house payment or rent, electricity, water, car payments, gas so you can get to work, and food. Many financial experts recommend that you pay yourself before paying anyone else, and by that they mean you should take 10% (or however much you can afford) and put it in savings or an investment account. However, if you don't have a roof over your head or food in your stomach, then saving is a moot point. So for purposes of creating your first realistic budget, I recommend that first you take out the necessities. Necessities, of course, vary greatly from the mind of one person to the next, but think of it in terms of BARE necessities - things you absolutely have to have to survive.
If you're really, really serious about getting out of debt, you might want to take a hard look at those car payments. If you could get by with something less, and you're not "upside down" (meaning you owe more than the car is worth), it probably makes a lot of sense to sell and downgrade. It will likely save you some money on a monthly basis, and may even put some immediate cash in your pocket.
Next, take out 10% for your savings. If you can't afford 10%, allocate SOMETHING. But strive for the magic 10%. It is also recommended that you allocate another 10% for charity. This may be an item you leave off until last, but many good things happen to those who are willing to give away some part of their income with nothing expected in return.
After savings and possibly funds for tithing, factor in your debt payments. Yeah, this is when you start to feel the pain. There are steps you can take to help ease the situation, such as debt consolidation. Another strategy is to pay off your debts in ascending order of size; i.e., pay off your smallest debts first, as fast as you can. As debts are paid off, add the amounts you were spending on those debts to what you pay to service larger debts. It's a snowball effect, whereby over time you end up paying larger and larger amounts on your biggest debts in order to get them paid off faster.
Next, factor in your non-necessities. This is where you really have to take a hard look at your life. Are you spending too much money on entertainment? Alcohol? Clothes? Fancy cars (as discussed above)? If you are serious about getting out of debt, then you've got to scale down these types of expenses. Just becoming aware of how much you spend on non-necessities may shock you into action. You should budget for these types of expenses, but cut them back, and allocate the remainder for debt repayment.
The final step in preparing your budget is to write down your income, and make sure everything balances out. You can't spend more than you make (that's probably how you ran up all that credit card debt to start with). If your expenses are too high, start cutting back on the non-necessities. In the end, you'll have a nice, balanced budget.
Once your budget is in place, you've got to find a way to stick to it. One recommended strategy is to use a cash system. The problem with the way money is handled today is that it's just too easy to spend it. Just whip out your debit card. No cash required. No check book and no ledger entry required. But you quickly lose track of how much you're spending. The solution is to allocate your budget requirements into cash categories. Literally put cash into envelopes every month for various categories of expenses. You will be less likely to spend money needlessly if you literally see your pile of cash getting smaller. And you will have much more clarity about your financial situation.
If you follow these steps, it can have a profound impact on your life. You can get out of debt quicker, take control of your finances, and feel much better about yourself. It's all up to you. And it all starts with a budget.
So what can you, Mr. or Ms. Average American, do to get yourself out of this nasty situation? The first step, which may be the most uncomfortable, is the most critical: get your life under control!
And that means preparing a household budget.
A successful business prepares a budget. It attempts to anticipate funding needs going forward, and then does its best to stay within the budgeted amount for its expenditures. You probably have an advantage over most businesses in that you have great foresight in anticipating your financial needs. You know what you typically spend in a given month on various things such as food, clothing, utilities, and rent or mortgage. If you don't have an idea of what you spend on these things, take a look at your checking account registry, or your online checking account information. Your past financial dealings are right there for you to see.
It may also be helpful to use a financial tracking application such as Microsoft Money. You can find out more about Money at http://www.microsoft.com/money/. These types of applications are excellent for becoming more aware of where your money goes. A free online application that is designed specifically for improving your awareness of your spending patterns is http://mint.com. The application automatically labels many of your expenses and lets you classify expenses any way you want. One unique feature of the site is that it lets you compare your spending to the spending habits of people in any city, state, or nationwide.
Just becoming aware of how you spend your money will greatly increase your power. You will likely find yourself becoming less prone to wasting money once you develop this awareness. Once you have a handle on where you money goes, the next step is controlling where it goes. And for that, you need a budget.
The first items in your budget should be the necessities - expenses that are not optional. These would include things like your house payment or rent, electricity, water, car payments, gas so you can get to work, and food. Many financial experts recommend that you pay yourself before paying anyone else, and by that they mean you should take 10% (or however much you can afford) and put it in savings or an investment account. However, if you don't have a roof over your head or food in your stomach, then saving is a moot point. So for purposes of creating your first realistic budget, I recommend that first you take out the necessities. Necessities, of course, vary greatly from the mind of one person to the next, but think of it in terms of BARE necessities - things you absolutely have to have to survive.
If you're really, really serious about getting out of debt, you might want to take a hard look at those car payments. If you could get by with something less, and you're not "upside down" (meaning you owe more than the car is worth), it probably makes a lot of sense to sell and downgrade. It will likely save you some money on a monthly basis, and may even put some immediate cash in your pocket.
Next, take out 10% for your savings. If you can't afford 10%, allocate SOMETHING. But strive for the magic 10%. It is also recommended that you allocate another 10% for charity. This may be an item you leave off until last, but many good things happen to those who are willing to give away some part of their income with nothing expected in return.
After savings and possibly funds for tithing, factor in your debt payments. Yeah, this is when you start to feel the pain. There are steps you can take to help ease the situation, such as debt consolidation. Another strategy is to pay off your debts in ascending order of size; i.e., pay off your smallest debts first, as fast as you can. As debts are paid off, add the amounts you were spending on those debts to what you pay to service larger debts. It's a snowball effect, whereby over time you end up paying larger and larger amounts on your biggest debts in order to get them paid off faster.
Next, factor in your non-necessities. This is where you really have to take a hard look at your life. Are you spending too much money on entertainment? Alcohol? Clothes? Fancy cars (as discussed above)? If you are serious about getting out of debt, then you've got to scale down these types of expenses. Just becoming aware of how much you spend on non-necessities may shock you into action. You should budget for these types of expenses, but cut them back, and allocate the remainder for debt repayment.
The final step in preparing your budget is to write down your income, and make sure everything balances out. You can't spend more than you make (that's probably how you ran up all that credit card debt to start with). If your expenses are too high, start cutting back on the non-necessities. In the end, you'll have a nice, balanced budget.
Once your budget is in place, you've got to find a way to stick to it. One recommended strategy is to use a cash system. The problem with the way money is handled today is that it's just too easy to spend it. Just whip out your debit card. No cash required. No check book and no ledger entry required. But you quickly lose track of how much you're spending. The solution is to allocate your budget requirements into cash categories. Literally put cash into envelopes every month for various categories of expenses. You will be less likely to spend money needlessly if you literally see your pile of cash getting smaller. And you will have much more clarity about your financial situation.
If you follow these steps, it can have a profound impact on your life. You can get out of debt quicker, take control of your finances, and feel much better about yourself. It's all up to you. And it all starts with a budget.
ClearOne Debt Relief is a full-service debt management company providing debt settlement services such as credit card debt relief to hundreds of thousands of customers. We help people cut their debt in half, lower their monthly payment, and get out of debt in as little as 24 months.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Home Is Where The Money Is
In today's world, practically everyone is interested in having more money. Unfortunately, for too many folks it's become necessary just to make ends meet. Locating "extra" money is not as hard as it might seem, as long as you're looking in the right places.
When most people are looking for extra money, they try to figure out how to get more. Most people will work overtime, get a part time job, check out various money making ventures and even buy lottery tickets.
However, the best place to start is by looking at how you spend the money you already have. Many people can take anywhere from 10% to as much as 30% off of their spending by cutting frivolous purchases. The way to begin is by creating, then actually using, a budget.
When asking around, I've found very few people who create and use a written budget. In reality, there is little-to-no chance of being in control of your spending without using a budget.
The best way to start a budget is to begin with your regular monthly expenses. These would include such items as rent or mortgage, car loans, credit card payments and all other bills you pay regularly each month. Then you would account for your spending on such items as food, gas, prescriptions, etc. From there, you would add in other items such as car insurance, newspaper and magazine subscriptions and anything else that you pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually and then calculate the monthly cost for those things.
Next, you need to account for all the other spending you do each month. So, for one month write down how every penny is spent. Now, this really is not as hard as you might think. Simply carry a small notebook and pen at all times and write down each purchase you make no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. It is in tracking this kind of spending where you'll find most of your potential savings.
Look over your spending in these areas and ask yourself it you really need or use all these things your hard earned money is going to. Do you really read that magazine or does it just sit on your coffee table until the next addition arrives? Do you use readily available coupons on the things you're already buying? If you carry a balance on your credit cards, are you make your payment as soon as the bill comes in or do you wait until it's close to the "due date"? That alone is one area where people fail reap huge savings.
If you're honest with yourself, you'll quickly discover the waste in your spending habits.
Finally, do you pay yourself first? "Do I what?!?" You're read that right. You should be paying yourself first every payday. It's the smartest way to build your savings. You can even start small with the extra saving you find in your budget. In a few short months you'll get used to not spending that extra money and you'll likely find in fairly easy to increase that savings amount.
If you have a computer you can easily set up a spreadsheet keep track of all these expenses, even if you don't, a hand written budget will work just as effectively. If you stick to it that is.
Get control of your spending and you'll find the "extra" cash you've been looking for.
When most people are looking for extra money, they try to figure out how to get more. Most people will work overtime, get a part time job, check out various money making ventures and even buy lottery tickets.
However, the best place to start is by looking at how you spend the money you already have. Many people can take anywhere from 10% to as much as 30% off of their spending by cutting frivolous purchases. The way to begin is by creating, then actually using, a budget.
When asking around, I've found very few people who create and use a written budget. In reality, there is little-to-no chance of being in control of your spending without using a budget.
The best way to start a budget is to begin with your regular monthly expenses. These would include such items as rent or mortgage, car loans, credit card payments and all other bills you pay regularly each month. Then you would account for your spending on such items as food, gas, prescriptions, etc. From there, you would add in other items such as car insurance, newspaper and magazine subscriptions and anything else that you pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually and then calculate the monthly cost for those things.
Next, you need to account for all the other spending you do each month. So, for one month write down how every penny is spent. Now, this really is not as hard as you might think. Simply carry a small notebook and pen at all times and write down each purchase you make no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. It is in tracking this kind of spending where you'll find most of your potential savings.
Look over your spending in these areas and ask yourself it you really need or use all these things your hard earned money is going to. Do you really read that magazine or does it just sit on your coffee table until the next addition arrives? Do you use readily available coupons on the things you're already buying? If you carry a balance on your credit cards, are you make your payment as soon as the bill comes in or do you wait until it's close to the "due date"? That alone is one area where people fail reap huge savings.
If you're honest with yourself, you'll quickly discover the waste in your spending habits.
Finally, do you pay yourself first? "Do I what?!?" You're read that right. You should be paying yourself first every payday. It's the smartest way to build your savings. You can even start small with the extra saving you find in your budget. In a few short months you'll get used to not spending that extra money and you'll likely find in fairly easy to increase that savings amount.
If you have a computer you can easily set up a spreadsheet keep track of all these expenses, even if you don't, a hand written budget will work just as effectively. If you stick to it that is.
Get control of your spending and you'll find the "extra" cash you've been looking for.
Tom Schaffer is an escapee from the corporate world and is pursuing a life of affiliate marketing at http://www.jerseyshoremarketing.com. A great way to get your finances under control is this: http://www.jerseyshoremarketing.com/redirect77.html
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Retirement Starts Early if You Desire to Retire With Money
Perhaps it is looking toward the future in terms of insurance, planning for college and other issues such as this also gets your mind moving on how you will be ready when retirement gets here.
But if we were able to step back above our lives, the best time to start preparing for retirement is not the middle age years. Retirement planning experts tell us that if young people in their twenties or even teens can start putting a little bit back toward retirement, the rewards when they reach their golden years will be phenomenal. If a youth in his early twenties or teens were to just put one percent of what they make back, and that money stayed in some form of investment vehicle that would grow into a retirement account, the growth between the time of investment and retirement at 60 or 65 can be explosive even at a modest interest rate.
Unfortunately, few young people are looking that far ahead when they are in their early adult lives. That is a time when the transition from teen years to family life is pretty all consuming. So it might be the responsibility of parents and older advisors to help youth see the value of starting to work on their retirement savings well in advance so they have a well developed program when their retirement years come along.
One of the best places for a young person to start their retirement program is with the 401k or retirement benefits at their job. Now, in the last decade, many businesses have eliminated retirement benefits where the company pays for the retirement. But if the young person works for a company that offers 401K, they can set aside a percentage of their income and it will be put into a retirement fund before taxes. Moreover, often the company will match the funds up to dollar for dollar and the company will manage the investment of the funds as well.
The outcome is a healthy and rapidly growing fund that starts out with an immediate doubling of the invested funds and then grows steadily over the years as more is put into the fund with each paycheck. The young worker gets used to the retirement money coming out so they adjust their budget to live without it. And without giving retirement much more thought than that, within a few decades, the 401K can evolve into a very impressive retirement account to be sure.
If you are a young person and you are considering if you might think about starting a retirement account, congratulations. You are one of just a few people who have the foresight to think about retirement this early in life. And by starting now, you take advantage of the thing that is your greatest asset is time. Because if you only put a little bit back, that can grow and grow and grow and become a sizeable retirement nest egg for you and your spouse even if he or she is the spouse off in your future.
Wayne Miller has written two e-books and has traded serious money inside different stock and commodity markets. One is called The US Financial Crisis of 2007-2007 and the other e-book is called Opportunity of a Lifetime. Top Ten Books Blog for Top Ten Book
But if we were able to step back above our lives, the best time to start preparing for retirement is not the middle age years. Retirement planning experts tell us that if young people in their twenties or even teens can start putting a little bit back toward retirement, the rewards when they reach their golden years will be phenomenal. If a youth in his early twenties or teens were to just put one percent of what they make back, and that money stayed in some form of investment vehicle that would grow into a retirement account, the growth between the time of investment and retirement at 60 or 65 can be explosive even at a modest interest rate.
Unfortunately, few young people are looking that far ahead when they are in their early adult lives. That is a time when the transition from teen years to family life is pretty all consuming. So it might be the responsibility of parents and older advisors to help youth see the value of starting to work on their retirement savings well in advance so they have a well developed program when their retirement years come along.
One of the best places for a young person to start their retirement program is with the 401k or retirement benefits at their job. Now, in the last decade, many businesses have eliminated retirement benefits where the company pays for the retirement. But if the young person works for a company that offers 401K, they can set aside a percentage of their income and it will be put into a retirement fund before taxes. Moreover, often the company will match the funds up to dollar for dollar and the company will manage the investment of the funds as well.
The outcome is a healthy and rapidly growing fund that starts out with an immediate doubling of the invested funds and then grows steadily over the years as more is put into the fund with each paycheck. The young worker gets used to the retirement money coming out so they adjust their budget to live without it. And without giving retirement much more thought than that, within a few decades, the 401K can evolve into a very impressive retirement account to be sure.
If you are a young person and you are considering if you might think about starting a retirement account, congratulations. You are one of just a few people who have the foresight to think about retirement this early in life. And by starting now, you take advantage of the thing that is your greatest asset is time. Because if you only put a little bit back, that can grow and grow and grow and become a sizeable retirement nest egg for you and your spouse even if he or she is the spouse off in your future.
Wayne Miller has written two e-books and has traded serious money inside different stock and commodity markets. One is called The US Financial Crisis of 2007-2007 and the other e-book is called Opportunity of a Lifetime. Top Ten Books Blog for Top Ten Book
Credit Repair Essential Guidelines
The Answers You Need
How long can derogatory items remain on your report? How can you spot the items that should be removed? Nationally recognized credit repair expert, Jim Kemish, offers a powerful overview of the most important credit repair guidelines.
Let's Get to Work!
We speak with people all day long about their credit reports. Here is a review of the most common questions that we encounter, as well as guidance on understanding and resolving the related issues. These details, if properly understood and acted on, can make a significant difference in your credit score.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
A discharged Chapter 7 bankruptcy will show in the Public Records section of your credit report for 10 years from the initial filing date � please note that the filing date is different from, and prior to, your discharge date.
Debts that are discharged in a bankruptcy can continue to report for seven years. It is important to note that once a debt is discharged it should not report with a past due balance, or in a charge off or collection status.
Dismissed Chapter 7 bankruptcies will report for ten years. A dismissed bankruptcy is a bankruptcy which was filed and thereafter cancelled or disallowed.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy which has been completed will continue to report for seven years from the initial filing date, rather than the discharge date.
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy which was not completed will continue to report for seven years from the initial filing date.
Bankruptcy and the Fair Credit Reporting Act � A Legal Note
It may be of interest to note that the only reference to bankruptcy in the Fair Credit Reporting Act is a blanket rule that limits the reporting time to 10 years following the filing date. See � 605. [15 U.S.C. �1681c] (a). The credit bureaus, however, voluntarily make exceptions for Chapter 13 bankruptcies as noted above.
Collections - Overview
Collections are unique for the reason that they typically change hands, often several times during their lifetime. Important credit repair tip! Please note that only one collector at a time can legally report the debt; and only the collector that owns the debt can legally report it. All duplicate collection accounts for the same debt should be deleted from your credit report.
Collections can report for seven years from the original default date. The original default date is defined as the first time that you missed a scheduled payment. The original default date cannot be reset, and the reporting period cannot be extended by subsequent collectors.
Collections of Charged Off Accounts
Collections of charged off accounts have a slightly different reporting period than other collections. Charged off accounts can continue to show on your credit report for seven years plus 180 days from the date of original default, as defined above. This means that this extended reporting period does not start with the charge off date, but rather with the earlier default date.
Once a creditor has passed a charged off account to a collector, the original creditor cannot report the charged off amount as a past due balance. The balance should report as zero; the charged off amount may report on a separate line.
Unpaid Judgments
Unpaid judgments can continue to report for seven years or until the governing state statute of limitation has expired. You need to check your state statute of limitations to know for sure. State statute of limitations for judgments range from 4 years (PA) to 21 years (OH), and in some cases may be renewed one or more times.
Paid Judgments
Paid judgments can report for seven years from the initial filing date. This is handy to know if you are in a credit repair program; you may quickly remove a judgment from your report if you are willing to pay it, as long as the original filing date is seven years old. For legal support see FTC Official Staff Commentary � 605(a)(2): �Paid judgments cannot be reported for more than seven years after the judgment was entered, because payment of the judgment eliminates any "governing statute of limitations'' under this subsection that might otherwise lengthen the period.�
Tax Liens
Paid tax liens may not report more than seven years beyond the date of payment. Unpaid tax liens may report as long as they are in effect. If you are in doubt consult a CPA or tax attorney.
Student Loans
Late payments on your student loans will cease reporting after seven years. Defaulted student loans are another story�
A 1991 amendment to the Higher U.S. Department of Education Act lifted all time limits for collection of student loans. The reporting of defaulted student loans on your credit report can now go on forever. In addition, a 1998 change in federal law made it virtually impossible to discharge a student loan in bankruptcy.
If you are in default on a student loan you are well advised to address the issue, sooner rather than later. Fortunately, there are excellent rehabilitation and consolidation programs now available to everyone. These programs offer affordable repayment options and can even erase the default status from your credit report! This can prove to be a painless and powerful step for anyone in a credit repair program. Explore your options today with the Student Loan Ombudsman Office at (877) 557-2575.
Copyright 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Jim Kemish, a nationally recognized credit repair and restoration expert, is the president of Sky Blue Credit, a leading credit repair business since 1989. For more information visit http://www.skybluecredit.com
How long can derogatory items remain on your report? How can you spot the items that should be removed? Nationally recognized credit repair expert, Jim Kemish, offers a powerful overview of the most important credit repair guidelines.
Let's Get to Work!
We speak with people all day long about their credit reports. Here is a review of the most common questions that we encounter, as well as guidance on understanding and resolving the related issues. These details, if properly understood and acted on, can make a significant difference in your credit score.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
A discharged Chapter 7 bankruptcy will show in the Public Records section of your credit report for 10 years from the initial filing date � please note that the filing date is different from, and prior to, your discharge date.
Debts that are discharged in a bankruptcy can continue to report for seven years. It is important to note that once a debt is discharged it should not report with a past due balance, or in a charge off or collection status.
Dismissed Chapter 7 bankruptcies will report for ten years. A dismissed bankruptcy is a bankruptcy which was filed and thereafter cancelled or disallowed.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy which has been completed will continue to report for seven years from the initial filing date, rather than the discharge date.
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy which was not completed will continue to report for seven years from the initial filing date.
Bankruptcy and the Fair Credit Reporting Act � A Legal Note
It may be of interest to note that the only reference to bankruptcy in the Fair Credit Reporting Act is a blanket rule that limits the reporting time to 10 years following the filing date. See � 605. [15 U.S.C. �1681c] (a). The credit bureaus, however, voluntarily make exceptions for Chapter 13 bankruptcies as noted above.
Collections - Overview
Collections are unique for the reason that they typically change hands, often several times during their lifetime. Important credit repair tip! Please note that only one collector at a time can legally report the debt; and only the collector that owns the debt can legally report it. All duplicate collection accounts for the same debt should be deleted from your credit report.
Collections can report for seven years from the original default date. The original default date is defined as the first time that you missed a scheduled payment. The original default date cannot be reset, and the reporting period cannot be extended by subsequent collectors.
Collections of Charged Off Accounts
Collections of charged off accounts have a slightly different reporting period than other collections. Charged off accounts can continue to show on your credit report for seven years plus 180 days from the date of original default, as defined above. This means that this extended reporting period does not start with the charge off date, but rather with the earlier default date.
Once a creditor has passed a charged off account to a collector, the original creditor cannot report the charged off amount as a past due balance. The balance should report as zero; the charged off amount may report on a separate line.
Unpaid Judgments
Unpaid judgments can continue to report for seven years or until the governing state statute of limitation has expired. You need to check your state statute of limitations to know for sure. State statute of limitations for judgments range from 4 years (PA) to 21 years (OH), and in some cases may be renewed one or more times.
Paid Judgments
Paid judgments can report for seven years from the initial filing date. This is handy to know if you are in a credit repair program; you may quickly remove a judgment from your report if you are willing to pay it, as long as the original filing date is seven years old. For legal support see FTC Official Staff Commentary � 605(a)(2): �Paid judgments cannot be reported for more than seven years after the judgment was entered, because payment of the judgment eliminates any "governing statute of limitations'' under this subsection that might otherwise lengthen the period.�
Tax Liens
Paid tax liens may not report more than seven years beyond the date of payment. Unpaid tax liens may report as long as they are in effect. If you are in doubt consult a CPA or tax attorney.
Student Loans
Late payments on your student loans will cease reporting after seven years. Defaulted student loans are another story�
A 1991 amendment to the Higher U.S. Department of Education Act lifted all time limits for collection of student loans. The reporting of defaulted student loans on your credit report can now go on forever. In addition, a 1998 change in federal law made it virtually impossible to discharge a student loan in bankruptcy.
If you are in default on a student loan you are well advised to address the issue, sooner rather than later. Fortunately, there are excellent rehabilitation and consolidation programs now available to everyone. These programs offer affordable repayment options and can even erase the default status from your credit report! This can prove to be a painless and powerful step for anyone in a credit repair program. Explore your options today with the Student Loan Ombudsman Office at (877) 557-2575.
Copyright 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Jim Kemish, a nationally recognized credit repair and restoration expert, is the president of Sky Blue Credit, a leading credit repair business since 1989. For more information visit http://www.skybluecredit.com
Monday, February 18, 2008
Investment Strategies
Investment strategies for the long term are a vital to our future. How you invest now may be the difference between a comfortable retirement, and working for the rest of your life. Nobody likes the idea of having to work for the rest of their life, and we have put together a list of do's and don'ts to secure a comfortable retirement.
Tip #1 Educate yourself
There are people out there who play the stock market like they play the lottery. This is very dangerous, gambling on the stock market is the equivalent of going to Las Vegas and putting your life savings on the line. With any investment that is going to provide a decent return, there is risk. How much risk you take on with any investment directly affects the return. The general rule of thumb is, the higher the risk, the higher the return on your investment, and likewise, the lower the risk, the lower your return. The risk of investing into just a savings account has been explained. While investing in stock is riskier, educating yourself can reduce the amount of risk you take on. This includes finding out what common terms are and what they mean. Understanding the financial statements of the company you want to invest in, and understanding the market that you are investing in.
Tip #2 Devise a plan
This step is just as important as the first, having the education is useless without having some kind of direction. Decide where you want to be by the time you retire, where you want to be when you hit fifty. Evaluate where you are now and what you want to accomplish in the next year, you can never plan too much. You will also need to decide what kind of retirement you want to have. Do you want to maintain the quality of life you have now? Do you want to retire rich? Filthy rich? Or do you want enough to just get you by every month? Realize what you want to do and devise a plan.
Tip # 3 Investing is vital to your retirement
This cannot be stressed enough. It used to be that you worked for a company for 30 years until you retire, you get your office party and the faux gold watch, but you had a pension and social security waiting for you afterwards. Nowadays you have companies cooking the accounting books, and executives being the only ones with guaranteed pensions, and CEO's abandoning their companies leaving their employees with nothing while they take their guaranteed multi-million dollar pensions home. What does this mean? It means that the person with your best interest is you. Nothing is guaranteed any more, not even social security. Corporations are replacing pensions with 401k plans, in essence they are shifting the responsibility for your retirement from them to you. It is up to you to decide whether you want to invest in your future. Realize that if you decide not to invest at all, you are throwing you future away.
Tip # 4 Research Research Research
There are so many reasons that you need to research whatever investment vehicle you choose. Whether its real estate, stock, whatever, you should never invest off of an assumption. Most investors refer to this as due diligence. First and foremost, never invest off of a "tip." There is always someone out there that knows what the next big investment is. They'll tell you to buy some shares of so and so stock because they are guaranteed to give you phenomenal returns. While the advice may have some truth, it is best to do a little research first before putting any money into it. When doing research, it helps to understand financial statements. In general, if a company has more costs than it does revenue, this means the company is not turning a profit. In 2000, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) was selling its shares at $113.00 per share, all while never having turned a real profit since the company started. Today Amazon's stock can be bought for $45 a share. Imagine if someone invested their entire life savings into Amazon's stock at this time, they would have less than half of what they saved left. This is the reason for the most recent stock market crash, investors were buying shares from companies that could not show a profit. Companies were having lavish office parties every week because their stock was flying through the roof, all while their product sales could not fund these expenses. Another reason for the recent stock market crash is because a lot of investors invest with emotion rather than knowledge. Over the holidays investors feared another terrorist attack, so they sold shares fearing another attack would drive the stock market back down. The emotion was fear. And that fear is detrimental to the stock market. If enough investors get scared and begin to sell their shares, the market will surely drop. If more investors are buying than selling, the stock market will rise.
Tip # 5 Inflation
The final tip is also a part of research, understanding inflation. It is important to know that as it pertains to your future, inflation is not good. The Webster's dictionary defines inflation as: an increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services resulting in a continuing rise in the general price level. In other words, as time goes on, prices rise. A good example of inflation, is how a million dollars today, isn't what it was 20 years ago, and it wont be what it is 20 years for now. If it would take $2 million to retire today, find out what $2 million will be by the time you retire, otherwise you will be selling yourself short.
About the Author:
Robert Abrom is the CEO of Abrom Research Inc., find more resources for your journey to entrepreneurship at http://abromresearch.com
Tip #1 Educate yourself
There are people out there who play the stock market like they play the lottery. This is very dangerous, gambling on the stock market is the equivalent of going to Las Vegas and putting your life savings on the line. With any investment that is going to provide a decent return, there is risk. How much risk you take on with any investment directly affects the return. The general rule of thumb is, the higher the risk, the higher the return on your investment, and likewise, the lower the risk, the lower your return. The risk of investing into just a savings account has been explained. While investing in stock is riskier, educating yourself can reduce the amount of risk you take on. This includes finding out what common terms are and what they mean. Understanding the financial statements of the company you want to invest in, and understanding the market that you are investing in.
Tip #2 Devise a plan
This step is just as important as the first, having the education is useless without having some kind of direction. Decide where you want to be by the time you retire, where you want to be when you hit fifty. Evaluate where you are now and what you want to accomplish in the next year, you can never plan too much. You will also need to decide what kind of retirement you want to have. Do you want to maintain the quality of life you have now? Do you want to retire rich? Filthy rich? Or do you want enough to just get you by every month? Realize what you want to do and devise a plan.
Tip # 3 Investing is vital to your retirement
This cannot be stressed enough. It used to be that you worked for a company for 30 years until you retire, you get your office party and the faux gold watch, but you had a pension and social security waiting for you afterwards. Nowadays you have companies cooking the accounting books, and executives being the only ones with guaranteed pensions, and CEO's abandoning their companies leaving their employees with nothing while they take their guaranteed multi-million dollar pensions home. What does this mean? It means that the person with your best interest is you. Nothing is guaranteed any more, not even social security. Corporations are replacing pensions with 401k plans, in essence they are shifting the responsibility for your retirement from them to you. It is up to you to decide whether you want to invest in your future. Realize that if you decide not to invest at all, you are throwing you future away.
Tip # 4 Research Research Research
There are so many reasons that you need to research whatever investment vehicle you choose. Whether its real estate, stock, whatever, you should never invest off of an assumption. Most investors refer to this as due diligence. First and foremost, never invest off of a "tip." There is always someone out there that knows what the next big investment is. They'll tell you to buy some shares of so and so stock because they are guaranteed to give you phenomenal returns. While the advice may have some truth, it is best to do a little research first before putting any money into it. When doing research, it helps to understand financial statements. In general, if a company has more costs than it does revenue, this means the company is not turning a profit. In 2000, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) was selling its shares at $113.00 per share, all while never having turned a real profit since the company started. Today Amazon's stock can be bought for $45 a share. Imagine if someone invested their entire life savings into Amazon's stock at this time, they would have less than half of what they saved left. This is the reason for the most recent stock market crash, investors were buying shares from companies that could not show a profit. Companies were having lavish office parties every week because their stock was flying through the roof, all while their product sales could not fund these expenses. Another reason for the recent stock market crash is because a lot of investors invest with emotion rather than knowledge. Over the holidays investors feared another terrorist attack, so they sold shares fearing another attack would drive the stock market back down. The emotion was fear. And that fear is detrimental to the stock market. If enough investors get scared and begin to sell their shares, the market will surely drop. If more investors are buying than selling, the stock market will rise.
Tip # 5 Inflation
The final tip is also a part of research, understanding inflation. It is important to know that as it pertains to your future, inflation is not good. The Webster's dictionary defines inflation as: an increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services resulting in a continuing rise in the general price level. In other words, as time goes on, prices rise. A good example of inflation, is how a million dollars today, isn't what it was 20 years ago, and it wont be what it is 20 years for now. If it would take $2 million to retire today, find out what $2 million will be by the time you retire, otherwise you will be selling yourself short.
About the Author:
Robert Abrom is the CEO of Abrom Research Inc., find more resources for your journey to entrepreneurship at http://abromresearch.com
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Federal Reserve Interest Rate Reduction Benefits You
The interest rate reduction announced yesterday by the Federal Reserve is like music to my ears! Four years of steadily rising interest rates took their toll on my finances, with interest rate increases on both my adjustable mortgage and revolving credit accounts.
The federal fund interest rate reduction should benefit us all in various ways.
If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, it should adjust down. If you are looking to refinance your mortgage, the rate should be lower. Credit card rates should drop also, even if the effect is minimal. Any savings in interest expense is good for the individual. IF the interest savings is used wisely!
Probably the main motivation for dropping interest rates is to increase consumer spending, and ease credit concerns in the housing market. The fed is hoping we will out go out and increase our credit balances by purchasing new housing and other consumer items. That would be excellent for business and the economy!
Personally, I will use the lower interest rates to eliminate more debt. I plan to pay down as many credit accounts as possible. I want to be debt and interest FREE!
Do you ever wonder how people get rich? I do... One thing I believe strongly, is that I will never get rich by paying exorbitant interest charges to billion dollar finance companies!
If you are looking to reduce your interest charges and pay down your debt also, you might want to try our Personal Finance Analyzer. If this tool is used properly, it can provide you with serious long term financial relief, and provide you with real money savings every month!
Now is the time to seize one huge benefit of the Federal Reserve interest rate reduction. Take the savings in interest expense, and use that savings to pay down all your existing debt!
In the long term, this can be the greatest benefit of all!
The federal fund interest rate reduction should benefit us all in various ways.
If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, it should adjust down. If you are looking to refinance your mortgage, the rate should be lower. Credit card rates should drop also, even if the effect is minimal. Any savings in interest expense is good for the individual. IF the interest savings is used wisely!
Probably the main motivation for dropping interest rates is to increase consumer spending, and ease credit concerns in the housing market. The fed is hoping we will out go out and increase our credit balances by purchasing new housing and other consumer items. That would be excellent for business and the economy!
Personally, I will use the lower interest rates to eliminate more debt. I plan to pay down as many credit accounts as possible. I want to be debt and interest FREE!
Do you ever wonder how people get rich? I do... One thing I believe strongly, is that I will never get rich by paying exorbitant interest charges to billion dollar finance companies!
If you are looking to reduce your interest charges and pay down your debt also, you might want to try our Personal Finance Analyzer. If this tool is used properly, it can provide you with serious long term financial relief, and provide you with real money savings every month!
Now is the time to seize one huge benefit of the Federal Reserve interest rate reduction. Take the savings in interest expense, and use that savings to pay down all your existing debt!
In the long term, this can be the greatest benefit of all!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Personal Finance Priorities
I have been trying to understand what is the most important priority for people today financially.
Everyone seems to want more money, and more fabulous things. They want to be able to get whatever they want, whenever they want it. Often, they are willing to do whatever it takes to get them! Our society is geared toward sales and marketing to keep the economy moving along. More money in sales represents more available jobs and a higher standard of living for most people... At least that is what we are all told.
Most people are very hesitant to address their personal financial situation. Yes, they may have problems. Yes, they may need more and more money. But they don't seem to be motivated to take a good hard look at how to fix their existing problems.
People seem to be looking for quick and easy solutions. Getting control over credit cards can take years of sweat and hard work!
One quick solution of course, is to make more money. That is not so easy for most people. Some of us are lucky to see a 2-3% salary raise. And what happens when the money well dries up, or the boss stops giving pay increases? No one wants to know. Maybe no one believes that will ever happen, and maybe it won't!!
Another quick solution is to borrow money. The massive debt machine... Credit is easy to get these days. But what is the long term result of debt? Well, that's tomorrow. No need to worry about that today! This is America. A country built on accumulating wealth, and possessions. I wonder how many people got rich, without paying attention to their personal finances? Not many I would imagine...
Let's see, at last check I can get a 1.5% interest rate on my bank savings account! And, I get .25% on my interest checking account!! Not exactly enough to get rich... So there doesn't seem to be much there to motivate anyone to save money in their bank account. I can understand that perfectly!! Why put money in the bank and only get pennies back in interest each month. It seems kind of pointless...
The BIG payback, is in reducing credit card and loan expenses. According to recent data on Bankrate.com, the standard fixed rate for credit cards is currently (March 2007) at 13.44 percent and the variable is 14.56 percent. However, according to a separate article on MSN.com, banks are increasingly pouncing on cardholders with any kind of chink in their credit report with penalty rates of as much as 35%!
Card issuers can raise rates if any of the following occurs. The number that follows each item, is the percentage of banks using the trigger.
- Credit score gets worse: 90.48%
- Paying mortgage, car loan or other creditor late: 85.71%
- Going over credit limit: 57.14%
- Bouncing a payment check: 52.38%
- Too much debt: 42.86%
- Too much available credit: 33.33%
- Getting a new credit card: 33.33%
- Inquiring about a car loan or mortgage: 23.81%
Simply inquiring about a car loan can result in increased interest rates? Amazing...
Bank accounts don't pay you percentages like those to hold your cash. Stock investments don't return high percentages like those in investment returns. What this means is that the single biggest thing you can do to improve your financial situation, is to reduce the cost of loan payments. In other words, pay them OFF!!
If you follow that simple rule, you can save up to 35% in expenses each month. If you value money, then why would you NOT take action to reduce this unnecessary expense?
BJC has a tool that can help analyze your monthly expenses, and can certainly help in prioritizing your debt payments. It's simple, and it's free. Try it out at the link below
Friday, November 24, 2006
Exercising Consumer Restraint
p>One key to success in maintaining control over your personal finances is exercising Consumer Restraint!
You have heard the latest buzzword right? GenerationDEBT has arrived! We now know that our young people today are struggling just like everyone else when it comes to Personal Finance. It's easier than ever before to obtain credit cards, to get long term financing, or to cash in on offers of "No payments until..." whenever! Get what you want know and don't worry about paying for it!! At least not today... Remember the call-to-action from President Bush after the 9-11 attacks? Let's go shopping...??
Quote from the movie "Twelve Monkeys" released in 1996
DR. PETERS (played by David Morse)
Surely there is very real and very convincing data that the planet cannot survive the excesses of the human race: proliferation of atomic devices, uncontrolled breeding habits, the rape of the environment, the pollution of land, sea, and air. In this context, isn't it obvious that "Chicken Little" represents the sane vision and that Homo Sapiens' motto, "Let's go shopping!" is the cry of the true lunatic?
Many of us spend money like there is no tomorrow. Credit cards have made spending so easy!! And, there are SO MANY wonderful products out on the market today that we MUST HAVE!! This works great for the economy, and doesn't seem to be much of a problem if you have plenty of money to spend. For the rest of us, after the purchase we struggle to find financial balance when the bills come in.
Another quote from "Twelve Monkeys"
JEFFREY (played by Brad Pitt)Why you're here is because of the system, because of the economy. There's the TV. It's all right there. Commercials. We are not productive anymore, they don't need us to make things anymore, it's all automated. What are we for then? We're consumers. Okay, buy a lot of stuff, you're a good citizen. But if you don't buy a lot of stuff, you know what? You're mentally ill! That's a fact! If you don't buy things...toilet paper, new cars, computerized blenders, electrically operated sexual devices... SCREWDRIVERS WITH MINIATURE BUILT-IN RADAR DEVICES, STEREO SYSTEMS WITH BRAIN IMPLANTED HEADPHONES, VOICE-ACTIVATED COMPUTERS, AND...
Although JEFFREY didn't get to finish his statement above in the movie, the inference is clear. If we aren't buying things, then something must be wrong with us? If we don't have the latest PLASMA HDTV, or the most lavish and advanced luxury sport vehicle, or we don't have a surround sound home theatre system that will shake the walls, then we must be under-achievers...
Now, I am not suggesting that having a nice car and big screen TV are necessarily bad things... I like both, although I don't have either of them... My point is simply that IF LACK OF MONEY IS AN ISSUE, then we should exercise some restraint when deciding how to best use our hard earned money, or piling up credit card charges! This isn't easy of course... Consumer marketers know how to make us want things...
Another quote from "Twelve Monkeys"
JEFFREY (played by Brad Pitt)
Here's my theory on that. While I was institutionalized, my brain was studied exhaustively in the guise of mental health. I was interrogated, x-rayed, studied thoroughly. Then, everything about me was entered into a computer where they created a model of my mind.
Then, using the computer model, they generated every thought I could possibly have in the next, say ten years, which they then filtered through a probability matrix to determine everything I was going to do in that period. So you see, she knew I was going to lead the Army of the Twelve Monkeys into the pages of history before it ever even occurred to me. She knows everything I'm ever going to do before I know it myself. How about that?
Focus groups, study groups, polls and surveys, beta-testers, test markets, industrial design engineers... Consumer Marketers have many tools to determine what we want or need as consumers, and then how to make sure we buy it! Sometimes they seem to know what's best for us before we know. TV is certainly an EXCELLENT example of how to plant ideas into our heads... Phrases like, "Best movie of the year", "Number one in customer satisfaction", "A must have", or the current classic, "It's a no-brainer!"... All are intended to convince the consumer that the product being advertised is the best on the market, and that we NEED to have it. After all, how could we NOT want something which is the best on the market? It's a NO-BRAINER right? Of course, we didn't want or need that item before seeing the commercial. But we sure need it now right? How many times have you bought something that after a few weeks ended up on the back shelf never to be used again? I find plenty...
There are ways of not getting trapped into buying something you really don't need... One method that seems to be working for me lately, is to simply study all the various choices in a particular item. Usually, there are at least a few different manufacturers to consider. Look at them all and be sure to read all the packaging! There are also different sizes, shapes, and materials. Study and compare all of the options! Oh, and I haven't mentioned the pricing differences. Make sure you look closely at all the prices!!
Many times that process leaves me scratching my head, and making me unclear as to which item really is the better buy... I go into the big screen plasma TV room at least a few times a month now. Each time I see bigger, better, newer items than before. So, I walk out of the store empty handed, to perform some additional Internet research and reevaluate later... It's hard to walk out of a store empty handed... But I am getting better at it...!
Exercise YOUR consumer restraint privilege! Watch your spending! Buy what you need and avoid impulse buying, then sit back and watch your savings account grow...!
Monday, November 20, 2006
Personal Finance Problems
Many people today are struggling with personal finances.
If you are anything like me, it has taken close to 12 years to unravel my financial burdens! Even though I struggled to keep up with spiraling interest rates on credit card loans, I continued to receive invitations to extend more credit. And, I continued to accept them! Why not? There are so many things I need, and buying things are so darn easy using credit!
That is, until the credit card companies decided to increase my interest rates to nearly 29%! After that, I could barely keep up with the interest charges. I would make a substantial payment, then be discouraged when I got my next bill and the balance remained unchanged! Whenever I did find a little extra money at the end of the month, I was quick to find SOMETHING to spend it on... After all, I deserved it after struggling all month right?
In 2004, I found myself paying nearly $1,231 per month on interest payments alone. Today, I am nearly debt-free! Don't let yourself get caught up in GenerationDEBT! There are plenty of resources available to help provide guidance. Don't get caught up in wasteful spending! Buy what you need and save the unnecessary items for another day...
BJC Computer Services
If you are anything like me, it has taken close to 12 years to unravel my financial burdens! Even though I struggled to keep up with spiraling interest rates on credit card loans, I continued to receive invitations to extend more credit. And, I continued to accept them! Why not? There are so many things I need, and buying things are so darn easy using credit!
That is, until the credit card companies decided to increase my interest rates to nearly 29%! After that, I could barely keep up with the interest charges. I would make a substantial payment, then be discouraged when I got my next bill and the balance remained unchanged! Whenever I did find a little extra money at the end of the month, I was quick to find SOMETHING to spend it on... After all, I deserved it after struggling all month right?
In 2004, I found myself paying nearly $1,231 per month on interest payments alone. Today, I am nearly debt-free! Don't let yourself get caught up in GenerationDEBT! There are plenty of resources available to help provide guidance. Don't get caught up in wasteful spending! Buy what you need and save the unnecessary items for another day...
BJC Computer Services
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