November 18th, 2008 — Budget, Debt, Diversification, Leverage, Money, Wealth, bad debt, good debt
On the surface, this seems like an oxymoron. How could you possibly use debt to create more money? It actually isn’t an oxymoron, but you’re going to need to change your perception of debt and classify into two different categories for this to make sense. There are many ways that going into debt can actually end up securing your future, just as there are many ways that going into debt will ruin your future. Let’s look at both to discover how to turn your debt into wealth.
First, let’s discuss the kind of debt that you are probably most familiar with. Bad debt is the kind of debt that most of us get into after overspending on things that we really don’t need. It’s easy to get caught up in commercialism and want to have all the things that we think we deserve. Many of try to live like millionaires on a small percentage of their budget. With poor management, debt quickly grows out of control and before long, we find out that we are in way over our heads. Bad debt is very common, especially among people who are just starting out and have yet to learn this very valuable lesson.
The second kind of debt is much different. This is the kind of debt that you use to invest in something. The first kind of good debt you’ll probably get into is your home. While it really doesn’t have many measurable returns, unless the property value increases, it does have emotional returns and serves as a good lesson in how using debt can help you get better off in the long run. Think of this as an introduction in how to use debt to grow wealth.
There are many ways that you can leverage your debt to start creating alternative streams of income. For example, let’s say that you are living paycheck to paycheck and you have the opportunity to invest in a stock that is destined for greatness. You may have a couple of bucks put aside, but it’s barely enough to buy one share. You can let this opportunity pass you by, or you can leverage debt to help you take advantage of this future stream of income.
What’s better – going into a little debt to reap big returns or spending the rest of your life wishing that you had the money way back when before that stock took off? Managed properly and used for the right reasons, debt is a very powerful tool. If you want to make money, you are going to have to have money. Unless you came into this world with a silver spoon and a trust fund, chances are you don’t have a lot of it just sitting around. That doesn’t mean that you can’t become wealthy.
By leveraging debt and using it well, you can easily achieve your dreams of greatness. Just make sure that you don’t overextend yourself or make bad decisions.
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November 15th, 2008 — Budget, Debt, Investing, Leverage, Personal Finance
If you want to start making money, you’ve got to stop looking at your finances like a regular person and start treating your checkbook like you work for the bank. This is the key towards successful management of your finances and will help you grow your current income and create more streams of income at the same time. By getting the right mindset in place, you can easily start making more money and get on the road to financial independence.
In the event that you’re not good with managing your own money, it’s definitely time to take a crash course in good debt management principles. Remember, you’re going to need a little bit of debt to build up your credit and if you want to get ahead and make more money, you’re going to need to leverage that debt properly. The first place to start is to make a budget and force yourself to keep it. Put aside enough money every month to pay your bills so that you can keep your finances running smoothly.
A banker looks at things a bit differently than the average person. They are all about returns – and making more money. Bankers want money to go to work instead of sitting there collecting dust. If you want to start managing your money effectively, you’re going to need to adopt this mindset. Instead of thinking, “cool, I’ve got an extra $500 I can blow,” start thinking, “How am I going to invest that $500 so it becomes $1000?”
After all, who wants to settle for a little money, when you could be making a lot of money? The next step towards thinking like a banker is understanding risk. All banks take risks every single day and while some are more conservative, other recognize that in some cases, big risks have big payoffs. The key is knowing how to read an opportunity and knowing how to take advantage of it.
Let’s say that you’ve got a chance to get in on a stock that is bargain basement priced, but has the potential to quickly take off. You don’t have a lot of spare cash on hand. In this situation, a banker would go to the board and get a loan in order to get in on the opportunity. You need to do the same thing. Once you’ve determined how risky the investment is, and come to the conclusion that if it does fail you won’t be ruined, go out and get that loan to take advantage of it!
Bankers also know that the bottom line is essential. They don’t run around overspending your money, so why should you? Never get into debt over your head and curb your spending habits so that they’re in line with your income, not your desires. By thinking like a banker, you’ll be able to turn your finances around and start seeing some amazing returns in a very short time. Give it a try and see what kind of a difference it makes.
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November 13th, 2008 — Budget, Financial Security, Goal, Money, Personal Finance
For many of us, spending comes all too easily and before long, we find ourselves at the bottom of a very big debt hole. However, there are ways that anyone can make a budget and start planning for their future. You may not even need to make drastic changes right now, but the more you put away, the less you’re going to have to work later in your life. That is really the best way to look at budgeting. Sure, it may be a little tough right now, but you may be allowing yourself the ability to retire happily at 60, instead of having to slave away well into your 70’s, just to make ends meet.
So, let’s look at some easy ways to make a budget that won’t hit too hard at first. You’ll need to add up all of the income that you’re bringing in each month. Make sure that you don’t include the money you pay for taxes – just take the amount that your paycheck is for each month. This is what you have to work with.
Now, add up what you spend on rent or a house payment. It should not be more than 30% of your monthly income. Ideally, it should be around 10%, but that is not always possible. If you are spending more than 30%, you may need to look at getting a cheaper place, or even getting roommates to bring that amount back into the accepted range. Your car payment is next – if it’s too high, consider getting a cheaper car.
After this, add up all of your other essentials, such as your utility and phone bills. If you’re spending too much, look into other companies that may have lower rates. However, with the exception of long distance fees, most of us can’t really do much about our utility bills. Next up, groceries and other essentials. Figure out how much you spend every month on these. If it’s high, try substituting with other brands or visit a store that is not so expensive.
Now that you’ve gone over the essentials, it’s time to look at your non essentials. This is where many of us easily spend a few hundred every month without even thinking about it. How much money do you spend on dining out, drinking, or having fun? We’re not saying hole up in your house and never leave, but you may need to cut back a bit. Try to find ways to cut your non essentials by around $200 to $500 a month.
This frees up quite a bit of money that should be deposited into a savings account every month. If you can do more than $500, great, but many of us just don’t have that kind of cash. At the end of the year, you’ll end up with more than $6000 in savings – and that is significant for many people. You’ll also need to work on finding ways to increase your income so that you have more freedom to save and spend.
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October 6th, 2008 — Budget, Personal Finance, bad debt, credit cards, saving
Whether economics is your idea of a great way to fight insomnia, or you just didn’t get the benefit of learning about money management early on, it is never to late to learn the basic skills of proper money management. We highly recommend taking a brief course on finance if possible, but there are other ways that you can develop a strong financial foundation that will get through your life and help you retire with less worries.
Basic money management can be broken down into three main principles – Spending Less, Avoiding Bad Debt and Saving More. Let’s take a look at each one and determine how you can start including these principles into your own life.
Spending Less –
This is a vital lesson that everyone must learn, and unfortunately, it is a hard one. While most of us get the point that you have to spend less than you earn if you want to stay in the black, that concept tends to fly right out the window when faced with every day life. The prevalence of credit cards, easy payment plans and a lack of knowledge about bad debt has led many into spending much more than they make.
One of the best ways to start spending less is simply to monitor exactly what you spend, keep a log and determine where you can cut expenses. A budget is a vital tool that will help you learn more about the money that goes out the door each month and how much comes in. By working with a budget, you can start to tip the scales in favor of how much is coming in.
Avoiding Bad Debt –
This is a major problem for millions of Americans and it is only getting worse. It is vital to recognize that there are two main forms of debt – good and bad. If you have gotten into a bad debt trap, getting out is extremely difficult. Remember, bad debt is something that drains your finances, good debt is something that adds to it. Reduce your amount of bad debt, increase your amount of good debt and watch your finances turn around.
Saving More –
No matter how much money you make, saving part of it is very important. Whether it is a simple emergency fund that can help you get through bad times, or a fund for retirement, saving is essential. If you find it difficult to have any extra money each month for savings, it is time to investigate how you can change that.
Whether you need to find a better job that pays more, manage your finances better, or find ways to create more than one stream of income, there are many ways that you can start saving more money.
These three principles will help you learn more about how your own personal finances work and how to start managing your money more effectively. Everyone makes mistakes, but the difference is whether or not you rise about them, recognize the problem and implement the solution.
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October 1st, 2008 — Financial Security, Goal, Long Term, Money, Personal Finance, retirement
For many people, the first steps towards getting your finances under control are the hardest. Whether you didn’t spend enough time learning about basic personal finance principles when you were younger, or life happened and you’re now at the bottom of a very large problem, it can be difficult to get motivated to make that change and get your finances under control.
Waiting will only make things spiral out of control faster, so it is vital to find that motivation to take that first step in controlling your finances. Here are some great tips to help you on your journey.
First, it is best to create some financial goals for yourself.
Whether you want to have X amount saved over the next five years, or you would like to have your credit cards paid down in two years, write these goals down. Take a look ahead in your life if you are having difficulty coming up with goals and see where you would like to be. Then, write down how you plan to get there.
Once you have your goals in place, it’s time to determine what is keeping you from achieving them.
Take a good, hard look at your spending habits, how much you are making and what is keeping you from reaching those goals. Figure out what needs to be done to change this and write down your personal plan.
Now that you have these two things in order, it’s time to figure out what motivates you.
If you are under 30, planning for retirement seems so far in the future that it is easy to put it off. Look at your short term goals to find that motivation to keep you going. If you don’t have short term goals, try developing some ideas of where you would like to be financially in the next five years. By focusing not only on the future, but right here and now, it is easier to find that motivation to get your finances under control.
The next step is to begin implementing the changes necessary to meet your goals.
If you want to start spending less money, work up a budget and start sticking to it. If you want to make more money to reduce your reliance on your paycheck, work on either getting a second job, opening a business or finding ways to create more than one stream of income.
The first steps may be the hardest, but if you can stick with the process, it will get easier. Once you reach that first financial goal, the rest will seem like they are much more in reach. That is the main reason that short terms goals are just as important as long term financial goals. When you see the results in a quicker amount of time, you’ll be much more likely to keep forging ahead.
Take the time to start managing your finances now and the rest will fall into place if you work up a plan and stick with it.
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September 23rd, 2008 — Personal Finance
Regardless of your age, position in life, or your financial goals, there are a few things that we all need to learn about personal finance. Once you have the basics down, everything else can just flow naturally. These tips are the strong foundation upon which you can build your financial future. It is never too late to learn about personal finance, and these money making tips can dramatically impact the way that you view your money.
1. Anyone can save money, regardless of how much they make.
Many of us get trapped into thinking that saving is only for the wealthy, or those who have money to spare. The whole point about saving is that it is ideal for those that don’t have a lot of money, but would like to change that.
One of the easiest and pain-free ways to save money can be implemented by anyone. Let’s say that your weekly paycheck is $538. Every week, put that $38 away. You really won’t even notice that it’s gone, and by the end of the month, you’ll have put away $152. It’s a small start, but it will get you on the right road. In a year, you will have been able to put away $1824 without even trying. Think of what you could save if you put your mind to it!
2. Budgeting means surviving on coupons and shopping at discount stores.
Budgeting gets a bad rap and many associate it with scrimping and doing without. On the contrary, budgeting is a more effective means of allowing you to do the things that you want. By keeping track of your finances and seeing where your money goes, you can better direct it in the direction that you would like.
You can look at like this: Let’s say that you spend $25 a week on coffee. You’ve been wanting to take a vacation to Hawaii for the longest time, but putting together the necessary $1200 seems impossible. By looking at your budget, you can determine how you want to spend your available cash, and you can direct your money towards your vacation, instead of on coffee that can be made for mere pennies at home. Taking a trip to Hawaii isn’t exactly depriving yourself!
3. Investing is for rich people.
Again, it is all too easy to put your investing off until you have money. However, without investing, you may never been in a position to have a disposable income. Anyone can start investing, regardless of how much money they have.
One of the easiest ways to get started on the page to sound investing is to find a service, such as Share Builder from ING. This service allows you to buy portions of stock and there is no minimum to invest. For example, if you have $50, and would like to invest in Google, you would buy a portion of a Google share that is worth $50. As you get more money, you can invest it or simply enjoy this as a secondary stream of income.
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September 5th, 2008 — Book Review, Personal Finance
This is a unique book that many readers will find very worthwhile. Unlike many financial books, it uses a third person fictional narrative to get the point across in the first portion of the book. You’ll be reading about a fictional couple as they attempt to (mis)manage their finances and carry on with their lives. All of their mistakes are laid out so that it is easy to see if you are making the same ones.
The narrative then starts to add advice on how to avoid these common mistakes and offers real world advice that everyone can put to good use. We enjoyed this approach and believe that it may be just the ticket for those that find financial books to be a bit on the boring side. By using this example, it is easy to see not only why financial planning is so important, but what can happen when you don’t properly budget and plan for the future.
At the end of each chapter, the author provides applied principles which go into depth on what you learned in the lesson and how to put the advice to good use in your own life. This was incredibly beneficial and is unlike the vast majority of financial books on the market. You’ll really feel as though you are learning something and that you will have plenty to take away with you to make changes in your own life.
The appendix should not be overlooked either. It contains some great budgeting tips and checklists that you can put to use with your own finances. The author of the book is also a software developer and as such the book also covers the accompanying financial planning software. We could have done without the plugs, but it really didn’t take away from the main message of the book. For those that need extra help with their financial planning, the software may come in handy after reading the book.
Overall, if you’re trying to turn over a new financial leaf, this is a great book to start with. You’ll be able to learn a lot and the tips included are absolutely solid for financial planning and avoiding mistakes. Those that are already established may also find that they are making a few mistakes along the way and this book helps point them out. If you’re already a financial whiz, then this book serves as a good cautionary tale to keep you on the right track.
We highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about personal finance or simply affirming their own financial choices. It’s a great lesson that makes a lot of sense no matter how much you may already know about the subject and overall it was a very enjoyable read. This book would also make the perfect gift for those that are just starting out in the world and need to have some guidance to make the right financial choices.
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September 1st, 2008 — Banking, Budget, Financial Security, Goal, Long Term, Money, Personal Finance, Wealth
Unless you’ve taken some courses on handling finances, there is a chance that you may not be aware of a few of the key points about budgeting, managing your money and planning for the future. While a lot rests on common sense, there are a few techniques that everyone can use to correctly manage their finances and stay on top of their bills. Let’s look at some of the best tips that you can put to use right now.
1. You need to pay yourself a salary.
Sounds a little odd, doesn’t it? However, setting aside a portion of your income every month that will go into savings is one of the first steps on the road to financial security. The best amount to put aside is 10% of your gross earnings each month, but this may not always be possible. Try to get as close to that number as possible and watch your savings grow!
2. Always have money in case of an emergency.
The problem with emergencies is that you never know when they will happen. From losing your job, to a car accident, to an unexpected repair bill, there are financial disasters lurking around every corner. To protect yourself, you need to create an emergency fund that will not be touched unless you have an actual emergency. We recommend putting about four months of your salary aside for this fund if possible, however, anything you can put aside for a rainy day will be useful.
3. Always have a budget.
Even if you’re not restricted on your spending, you may need to be. Everyone can benefit from a budget and chances are, you’ll end up spending less every month. Take a hard look at your regular monthly expenditures and see where there is room for improvement. You should always have at least some money left at the end of the month, so aim for this goal when making your budget.
4. Paying your bills on time really does matter.
Even if your phone company doesn’t report late payments to the credit reporting agencies, this doesn’t mean that you should be late. Paying your bills on time forms a good habit and it will last throughout your life. Work your payment dates into your budget so that you always have enough put aside to handle all of your bills. If necessary, when you get paid, add up all of your set bills and then put that money aside immediately to be used when they are due.
5. Remember the key financial equation.
The key to getting ahead is to always make sure that you are spending less than you earn. It sounds very simple, but it’s not always easy to accomplish. The amount that you charge should be figured in to this equation for the best results. By keeping your spending under control, you’ll be able to start planning for the future right now, instead of when it may be too late.
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August 20th, 2008 — Debt, Income Streams, Money, Personal Finance, bad debt, credit cards, credit score
No matter how wealthy or poor you are, there are financial traps that are waiting to disrupt your lives. Many people end up finding out too late that they are in the depths of one and it is nearly impossible to get out. However, there are specific steps that you can take to ensure that you don’t fall into one of these financial traps. We’ll cover the three most common traps and the steps you can take to avoid them.
1. Maxing out far too many credit cards.
When you’re first starting out, you get one card and soon the offers come in for more. Before you know it, you’ve got five credit cards and you’re dealing with a lot of temptation. One of the worst financial traps that you can fall into is accepting all of these cards and then maxing every single one out. This can have a terrible effect on your credit rating.
How to Avoid This: You really only need one or two credit cards at most, perhaps one department store card and one gas card. Anything over that is superfluous. When you open these cards, the key is not to look at the available balance on the card, but the available balance in your checkbook. Control your spending and pay them off each month.
2. Spending more than you earn.
Many of us don’t actually realize that we’re doing this, but it is one of the number one problems facing Americans today. Through credit card purchases, homes, cars and other material goods, we end up far into debt before we even realize that anything went wrong.
How to Avoid This: Use the old rule of thumb when calculating what you need to buy. For example, for a house, you should multiply your current monthly salary by three. That will be your price range. For everything else, set a budget and stick to it. It’s not always easy, but you’ll feel a lot better when you have money to spare at the end of every month.
3. Relying on one source of income.
Too many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and this spells big economic trouble. Whether it’s due to overspending or just a salary that is too low, this is a bad situation for anyone to be in. If you lose your job, everything else goes down hill very quickly.
How to Avoid This: Find ways to either increase your monthly income, by getting a raise or a better paying job, or start creating more than one stream of income. This is ideal and will provide you with the most financial freedom. Whether it is through a side business, your own company or investment returns, a secondary or tertiary stream of income will ensure that you are free from the shackles of your regular paycheck.
All three of these financial traps have a lot in common. They are all related to the amount of money you have coming in, versus the amount going out. Remember, the key to financial freedom is more than one form of income and never spending more than you make.
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August 7th, 2008 — Debt, Goal, Personal Finance, bad debt, credit cards, good debt
Although debt is a dirty word to many, the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of us are in debt in some way or another. No matter how hard we try, there are times when you simply need something and cannot afford to pay for it straight off. For example, school tuition is the most common form of debt, and most of us cannot afford to pay for our educations up front. Discharging debt doesn’t have to be difficult.
So, most of us are dealing with debt in some way or another, but are we managing it correctly? Let’s look at a few signs that may indicate that your debt is taking control of you, instead of the other way around.
1. You can only make the minimum payment each month, and even that is a stretch.
This is a very bad sign, especially if you have more than one credit card. Your monthly minimum payment is only a suggestion from the credit card company and usually is not enough to pay down the interest that the account racked up for the month. This means that you are caught up in a spiral that may take years to correct.
Solution: Consolidate several cards into one low interest card. Make larger monthly payments to pay down that interest as well as the actual debt.
2. You use your cards for the majority of your purchases.
Credit cards should be used really only in times of emergencies or when you would like to take advantage of the ability to get a larger ticket item and pay it off gradually. Many of us fall into the trap of using our cards for gas, groceries or things that we really don’t need. Over time, these purchases really add up.
Solution: Only use that card for a real emergency. Set up a budget for yourself and remove your cards from your wallet if you have a hard time sticking to it. Never spend more on your credit card than you can pay off in a month’s time if you had to.
3. Late payments and over balance fees occur commonly.
Once you’re trapped in a debt spiral, late payments start to become more common as you try to scrape together enough money every month to make those payments. If you’re already close to your limit (how a credit card limit is determined), a few late fees can put you over the top, and then you’re dealing with over balance fees as well. This can quickly get out of control, especially if you are only making minimum payments.
Solution: Always send your payment in 10 days before it is due. Many card companies use 9am on the morning of your due date as a time cutoff. If that day’s mail doesn’t have your payment, you will be considered late. If possible, try to pay your payments online so you don’t have to worry about it getting delayed in the mail, but watch out for surcharges that card companies will sometimes tack on for online payments.
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