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Taking the Reins of Your Financial Future: 5 Basic Finance Tips for Young Adults

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Maybe you just landed a summer job, or you have already started saving up for college. As a responsible young adult you are on the cusp of transitioning into the real world — with real financial implications. Unfortunately, personal finances have not become a required subject in most schools and students are left to figure out finances on their own, which can be quite difficult. You may not be prepared to deal with finances as yet. But this probably is the best time to start learning about them, as it will cultivate a sound basis for a lifetime of smart financial planning and can go a long way towards creating the future of your dreams.

takings the reins of your financial future

 

1) Put a price tag on money

So you have come into some money now. Before you go spending or thinking about saving/investing it, you have to quantify it in a way that shows you the actual value of money. One of the best ways to do this is to express it in terms of man-hours. How much do you make per hour? If you have been making $8 an hour and you have been thinking about getting a new laptop, stop to think about the cost in terms of your employed hours. If you are planning on getting a $1000 laptop, for example, that would cost you 125 hours, or 15 days working an 8-hour shift. And that is not taking into account other competing expenditures like food, gas, etc. Think about the objective value of the money and the trade-offs required in a particular purchase and then make your decision.

2) Have an emergency fund in place

An emergency fund is a separate savings fund that you stash up to access in case of emergencies. Emergency situations can creep up on you when you are least expecting it and could put you in a really sticky situation. Be it a flat tire or a health issue, it’s prudent to have an accessible fund to dip into when you are in a fix to help you be prepared for the unexpected. A good estimate of the account size is having three to six months’ salary saved up. It is important that you really keep this account separate and out-of-reach from your basic savings account, and be disciplined about it.  And don’t forget to replenish it once you have used it for an emergency.

3) Credit card management

Keep in mind that you are going to be paying from your future earnings for the purchases you make with your credit card today. Be vigilant about what you purchase with the credit card and try to pay in cash whenever possible. It could be easy to lose track of things if you use your credit card at every retail outlet. If you do use credit, make sure you pay your bill in full at the end of each month. If you want to earn the reward points on your credit card and build a good credit history, use it wisely. Purchase a few basic subscriptions that you would be buying anyway with your credit card, and set it up for automatic renewal. Use other means for your routine purchases. This will help keep up a good credit score, while keeping your expenditures on a tight leash.

4) Budgeting the smart way

You can find use your smartphone for your budgeting needs. There are scores of apps that will allow you to categorize your savings and expenditures and will project to you visually where your money should go, as well as how that’s working out for you. If you want to go old-school, you can employ the tried-and-true “Envelope Method” — you simply allot the planned weekly amounts for the various expenses like food, rent, gas, etc and put them separate sealed envelopes. Open the envelopes at the start of the week and only use the money for its designated purpose. Be disciplined about it. This will get you in the hands-on habit of allocating money and sticking to it.

5) Invest wisely

This is one area where spending is encouraged, because what you spend on investment may come back to you with rich dividends if you take the time to research and invest wisely. Ask around and decide on a low-cost mutual fund to invest in. You can hire professional help here, but keep in mind the costs can be on the higher end. This could be a great time to start following finance-related news and get into the groove for investing. You may just find out that you have a knack for selecting good options. Even making a safe bet could double as a money-saving opportunity, as well have a good payout at the end

Being wise enough to sacrifice impulse spending and indulgences in the present moment to save for a rainy day could truly spell your success at a future date. These money habits are both qualitative and quantitative in that you are not only saving and investing, but you are also cultivating the mindset of an analytical, successful person from the get-go. Your ability to plan, articulate and make intelligent choices with your money could go a long way in forming a bright future where you are living your dreams.

Six Stock Terms That Every Investor Needs To Know

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To some, the stock market is basically a foreign language. There are certainly a few unique terms and phrases that you won’t hear anywhere else. It is key to have a sound understanding of the essential stock terms before you start trading. Educate yourself on these six essential stock terms before you begin to trade.

Bear Market

A bear market means that investors expect stocks prices to fall. Market specialists can usually predict bear markets with some accuracy, but the severity of the decline is harder to pinpoint. Some will sell off stocks before the market falls if possible, while others will ride out the low points. It really depends on if you’re pursuing a long-term or short-term investment strategy. When a bear market drives down stock prices, many investors will take the opportunity to buy up stocks while they are low.

Bull Market

Image via Flickr by Sam Valadi

A bull market is the exact opposite of a bear market. Bull market conditions arise when investors expect stock prices to rise. Usually, buyers will try to pick up stocks before a bear market takes full effect. Selling stocks at the height of a bull market allows sellers to get the highest return possible.

Market Order

A market order is a simple way to buy or sell a stock at its current price. It is hardly ever a good idea to use market orders because you will hardly ever get the best value.

Limit Order

Limit orders are a smarter way to buy or sell stocks because they enable you to set a price limit. For instance, if you are looking to buy a stock, you can set a price that you are willing to buy at. Once the stock price dips that low, your order will be automatically executed.

Fill or Kill

You place a fill or kill order when you want your order filled immediately or not at all. Basically, you want it all or nothing at all. For instance, you could place a fill or kill order for 200 shares of a stock at a certain price. If all 200 shares are not available at that price, the order is killed and nothing is purchased.

Good ‘Til Cancelled Order

When you execute a limit order, you can make it a good ’til cancelled order. This means that the offer to buy or sell the specified stock once it reaches a certain point will remain on the table until it is executed or until you cancel it. You have the option of setting a time limit when executing a limit order. For instance, you can buy XYZ stock once it reaches a certain price at any time within the following 48 hours. With a good ’til cancelled order, you don’t have to fill out and repeat your limit order. It is a great method if you have a large portfolio and don’t have the time to be constantly refreshing expired limit orders.

The more you delve into the stock market, the more advanced terms you will learn.

Getting Ready to Buy Your First Home

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Getting financially prepared to buy your first home can be complex and potentially confusing to the uninitiated. But take a little time to familiarize yourself with the process and get some timely and targeted free advice from mortgage consulting groups like On Q Financial, and you can successfully navigate your way to home ownership.

Here are some key factors to take into consideration as you move to prepare yourself financially for your first home purchase:

1. Time Things Right

Don’t try to buy your first home until you are financially ready to do so. Having a defaulted mortgage on your record can be a hindrance for the second time you attempt to buy a home. Make sure you have the monthly income and enough savings to proceed. And it’s generally best to only buy a home if you think you will live there 5 years or longer (otherwise you may want to rent.)

2. Don’t Become “House Poor!”

It’s one thing to buy a home as an investment so you can quickly turn around and sell it. But if you are planning on living there for any length of time, make sure you house payment is less than 30% of your monthly income. There are exceptions on the exact number, but the point is you don’t want to scrimp on food, gas, bills, and other necessities in order to make your house payments.

3. Plan for Your Down Payment

It’s possible to get a mortgage without a down payment or with a very low one. It’s even possible to get financial assistance for your down payment. Usually, however, you need from 3.5% to 20% down. That’s a substantial chunk of change, with most house prices, but it can be worth it. It will lower what you owe and the total interest you pay on it over the years. And if you put less than 20% down, you will likely have to make PMI (private mortgage insurance) payments to the lending bank along with your house payment.

4. Get Pre-approved When House Shopping

You’ll want to find out your credit score and find ways of improving it quickly, if possible. You’ll need to collect pay stubs, W2 forms, checking and savings account statements, tax returns, and other documentation. This and other information will be used to get you pre-approved for a mortgage within a specific price range, which will put you in a much better position to buy the right home when you come across it (and to show the seller you are serious and good for it).

5. Get Sound Mortgage Advice

There is a plethora of mortgage options these days, and you can often “customize” a mortgage that fits your exact situation. But it can be very confusing to those not familiar with the process. Should I take out a 30 or a 20 year mortgage? Should I opt for fixed or adjustable rate? Where will I get the financing for my mortgage at the best possible interest rate? Talk to a mortgage consulting firm that will “simplify” the process for you and help you make the right decision.

What Are the Various Colors of Diamonds?

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Some people realize that diamonds are made up of different colors, while other people do not pay close enough attention to the various shades and hues the diamond colors have to offer. If you feel that a diamond is only a diamond and color doesn’t matter, you’re about to learn an important lesson today.

No one said that all diamonds are created equally. They’d certainly vary in shapes and sizes. And they definitely vary in color as well. The diamond color scale existing should be reason enough for anyone to realize that diamonds have multiple colors. We’ll discuss the scale in greater detail right now.

Colorless: Diamond Scale Grade D-F

If a diamond fails to have any type of tint within it, it is known as a colorless diamond. Most people would be ecstatic if they were to have a colorless diamond since it is the rarest type of diamond out of them all. As you can imagine, they are very popular yet they are also very expensive.

Diamonds in this color scale range will vary in price. A diamond graded D will cost about $1500 more than a diamond graded E. And a diamond graded E will cost about $1500 more than a diamond graded F.

Near Colorless: Diamond Scale Grade G-J

At this stage of the grading scale, you’re still looking at diamonds that technically appear colorless to the naked eye, but if you look at them under magnification you will see that these diamonds do have a slight tint to them. The tint is very subtle and very difficult to notice, which is why it’s definitely good to buy diamonds on this section of the grade scale. They are cheaper than colorless diamonds yet still nearly perfect.

Faint Color: Diamond Scale Grade K-M

The diamonds that are known as part of this color scale consist of grades K, L, and M. This is a very popular point on the color grade scale because the diamonds definitely have color them and it’s certainly noticeable, but it’s not that noticeable. So people can purchase these diamonds for a fraction of the cost of colorless and near colorless diamonds, but still have a diamond that looks incredibly beautiful.

Very Light Color: Diamond Scale Grade N-R

On this point of the color grading scale, the diamonds in this range do have color, it is noticeable, and the colors are typically either a light brown or a light yellow. Since many people do not want to purchase these particular diamonds, they are very cheap. It’s good they aren’t expensive because it gives people with little money an option to buy a diamond without spending a small fortune.

Light Color: Diamond Grade Scale S-Z

Believe it or not, diamonds light in color are more popular than very light color diamonds at the moment. The fact that the color is so prominent is the reason why people are buying them. They appreciate yellow gemstones, like the way they look, and buy them because they are inexpensive. It’s definitely a good option if you don’t mind the color.

How to Increase Your Finances by becoming a Great Tipster

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Have you ever thought of becoming a tipster? There’s good money to be made – but of course, you have to show quality for your work and understand not only the game, but also how it could turn out. That’s where the tricky line is drawn; how do you distinguish the good ones from the bad ones? If you want to make some extra quid, you do have to be better than the average punter.

So what makes a great tipster? It’s not an easy question. Furthermore, it does bear some responsibility. Becoming good at what you do takes practice and experience, after all. However, it’s not as hard as you may originally think – there’s just a process to follow. Here’s how to increase your finances by becoming a great tipster.

Questions to ask

First and foremost – do you have the dedication? Nobody becomes great overnight even if you take advantage of a free tipster competition every day; it’ll require some energy and time. Secondly, are you just looking at the odds or are you actually looking for value, and thirdly, do you have thick enough skin to be proven wrong, especially during your earlier period? It’s a skill that has to be learned, and it takes some character to face the backlash when you’re wrong. Dedication is the word.

Openness

Be transparent and open with your followers – don’t hide anything; chances are they’ll discover whatever it is you’re hiding sooner or later. Your followers are your customers, and they should be held in account; they are what your existence is all about. Give realistic expectations, and if you’re not sure of your own opinion, say so. It’s appreciated.

Be logical

Not only do you have to know the sport and the players inside out, you also have to be able to explain your opinion. Telling your followers that ‘you have a hunch’ is not appropriate, nor professional. Be prepared why you feel that way, and why they should believe you. It’s about looking at every angle and then being able to explain, in a logical way, why you believe what you believe.

Never chase losses

Often a tipster who has had a bad run will throw something easy at his followers, just because he wants to have a win. Don’t do that. It serves nobody. Have a formula and adjust it – don’t take the easy path.

What makes a great tipster? It’s a hard question, because there is no simple answer. It’s about combining a number of skills and – equally important – a number of attitudes so that they come together into a professional attitude of success. Never stop studying. Continue to update. Continue to learn. How do you become great? Stick with it through high and low, and work hard. And, along the way, have a lot of fun.

How To Save Money Financing Your Business

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Working capital is something every business needs in order to maintain growth and remain profitable. When a company’s cash flow starts to become unreliable however, they are forced to go to great lengths to reach a comfortable margin for operating, at prices that are difficult to justify. Most commonly, they apply for a bank loan but even if they should be approved, there are high interest rates to contend with. Eventually, some enterprises find that financing their business through loans does them more harm than good, and ends up costing more in the long term. There are ways to run a lucrative business and save money by avoiding money borrowing altogether, so long as there is consistent work. Invoice factoring helps you meet all of your payroll, tax, raw material, and supply costs and helps you cover critical expenses in order to keep your business functioning in a number of key ways, without the hurdles that come with costly loans.

Improved cash flow

Instead of waiting for your customers to pay their outstanding invoices, freight factoring allows you to access immediate cash that you can use to achieve your business objectives instead of waiting 30, 60 or even 90 days to get paid on your outstanding invoices.

Freedom to seize new opportunities

Because cash flow is directly tied to your invoices, factoring allows a third-party company like Accutrac Capital to worry about collecting invoices on your behalf, while you take advantage of new opportunities for growth. Whether it’s new sales and marketing initiatives, new equipment for expansion, or the ability to secure new accounts, factoring frees up your time and labor to focus on growing your business.

A better alternative to bank loans

Many lenders and banks avoid lending to invoice-reliant companies, and often place unrealistic hurdles between you and the money you need to operate. Freight bill factoring offers you the ability to maintain working capital for your business while a third party takes care of the outstanding invoices you are owed. Relying on a factoring company for trucking industry needs is now a commonplace practice, and makes up part of many businesses’ financing strategies.

Additionally, factoring companies offer discounted rates on fuel and currency exchange for clients who take on jobs across the border. They even offer equipment financing for those who wants to grow their fleets but who do not have sufficient enough collateral to be approved by the bank. Partnering with a factoring company allows businesses, and especially start ups, to create positive cash flow when first getting themselves off the ground. They also provide funding for clients where they would not otherwise be eligible, as qualification is based on the credit worthiness of the client’s customers.

The best way to improve cash flow is to choose invoice financing or factoring as an alternative to a commercial line of credit. Paying a small percentage to have outstanding invoices taken care of is worth the opportunities that acquiring your sums upfront can give you. Finally, it alleviates the frustration of dealing with tardy customers, or waiting to get paid (or paying your workers!) and having that be out of your control.

How to Make Money Investing in Pre-Construction Real Estate

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excavators-800996_640The idea behind investing

Investing in preconstruction condos is a long-term proposition, one with the potential to make a significant profit for relatively little initial investment. Buying a condo that exists primarily as a design on paper is a tangible reminder that all investments are a speculation on the future. But with some careful investigation, your investment can generate both cash flow and profits.

Be aware of the risks

As with any investment, it’s wise to become familiar with all the potential risks involved and work to mitigate as many of these as possible. Of course, there’s nothing you can do about the state of the province’s economy and its effect on the housing market. But you can look at the track record of the development’s builder and the quality of the company’s previous work; you can also make sure that the contracts you sign protect you in case the builder pulls out of the development before completion.

Location, location, location

It may seem like a cliché but the location of your condo can greatly affect its long-term value and the profit you make. Do you go the safer, and usually more expensive route, and buy in an established and popular area, or do you take a chance and purchase your condo in an area marked to be “up-and-coming”? Or perhaps take the middle route and purchase your condo in an underdeveloped part of a trendy area. Many are starting to look for Fort York Condos in Toronto as they are close to the highway and walking distance to the waterfront and entertainment district.

Whatever location you choose, do your research as to the facilities and amenities available nearby, check some listing page as well. Visit the area yourself and make use of local realtors who know the area inside out. For example, Liberty Village Condos are experts in the Liberty Village neighbourhood of Toronto. They can help you investigate the resale prices of condos as well as the attractions of the area.

Know your client

Whether you’re investing in the condo to resell it immediately or to rent it out, you must have a clear picture of who will be living there. And then buy only the condo that they will be interested in. If you’re purchasing in a neighbourhood that attracts young families, a one bedroom condo just won’t have enough space. Conversely, a young person in their first job  won’t be able to afford the rent on a large, multi-room place.

Buy only what you need

This is really a warning to keep emotion out of the buying process as it’s all too easy to be swept away when making interior design decisions. Granite countertops do look awesome and rain showers are great for helping you ease gently into the day. However, you have to continually ask yourself whether the costs of these upgrades are going to be returned with a profit when you cash in your condo investment.

Know all the costs

Some costs associated with purchasing a pre-construction condo management in Toronto are not so much hidden as just not widely known. They include the condo finishes, any material changes, HST, any additional builder costs and costs associated with selling the condo. Factor in these costs to determine how much you’ll need to realize from your investment to make a significant profit.

Sell wisely

Check your contract to make sure that you’re not subject to a delay period in selling your condo after you take possession. A realtor who’s local to the area and an expert in selling condos, such as Liberty Village Condos in Toronto, can walk you through the process painlessly.

The Failure of Retirement Plans in the USA

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face-774839_640It is difficult to believe but some surveys recently have suggested that the average couple has just $5,000 in a retirement savings account. The Economic Policy Institute has analyzed Federal Reserve data and has stated that the top 10% have at least $275,000 which in itself is not fantastic bearing in mind that life expectancy is increasing and many people can expect to live well beyond 80.

There was a dramatic change in retirement saving in the 1980s. Previously companies guaranteed pensions to their employees. The introduction of the 401(k) changed the emphasis. Workers were given control of their retirement rather than having to rely on their employers’ generosity or the Social Security System. Instead companies made contributions up to a certain level into their employees’ individual plans but has no responsibility for their success or failure. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it has been little short of a disaster with the vast majority well short of what they will need to fund a comfortable retirement.

The figures are so poor because it appears that nearly have of couples of working age have no savings at all and almost 40% of those within 10 years of retirement are in the same position. The problem is compounded by the fact that the Social Security System is fragile at best. Without a significant injection of funds existing benefits will fall by as much as 25% early in the 2030s. That significant injection can only come from taxation and that is a very unpopular topic, especially among Republicans.

Even now the average benefit is little over $1,000 a month which can hardly provide any real source of comfort.

401(k) Policy Hasn’t Worked

The theory that the introduction of the 401(k) would ensure that everyone would have the retirements they wanted has been thoroughly misguided. Their reliance on Social Security has risen dramatically rather than fallen. Those in the low tax bracket have little financial benefit in saving and this is the band of people who are in the greatest need. Tax breaks are therefore fairly irrelevant for the majority. Tax breaks are great for higher earners but they are not in as great need. All those with that $275,000 mentioned above come in the middle to top wage bracket. They would have probably saved anyway without the need for a tax incentive policy.

The Impact of the Recession

The question is whether the plans are wrong or whether people have simply found themselves unable to make proper provisions for themselves? The recession certainly caused widespread misery especially for those tempted to take on too much credit. The real estate market had been buoyant and everyone had expected to make money from investing before the Collateralized Debt Obligation crisis hit their plans. Plenty of people took out multiple credit cards and spent money they simply did not have. Their logic, if they had any, was that there were other cards offering 0% balance transfers where they could move their debt to avoid paying interest. Those deals were temporary and the escape routes soon closed.

“The mistakes made in pension strategy decades ago have been compounded by people’s reluctance or inability to save anyway. Everyone needs to look at their finances and take whatever action needed to improve their future.”

Defaults, unemployment and utter misery followed. Many were unable to meet their liabilities and although debt has been written off and the economy has recovered it seems that personal finances in the Country have barely improved. The figures of what retirement savings the average working family have are proof enough. If you add the average credit card debt in the USA exceeding $5.000, dividing the debt by the number of cards in circulation, the picture gets worse. When you take away the number of cards whose owners pay in full at the end of each statement period, the debt goes up to over $15,000.

It is what it is. Every family will know how they stand or at least they should. There is no point in ignoring financial problems because they will not disappear as if by magic. Everyone should take time to write down their income and regular expenditure as well as their debts and assets. If the figures are to be believed there is only a small minority that can feel satisfied with what they see.

Courses of Action

The rest will need to take one or more of the following courses of action:

  • Credit Card Debt. If you have significant debt and you cannot afford to pay off your balances you will be paying a high rate of interest as well as having core debt. You should look at taking out a consolidation loan to pay those balances off in full. The rate of interest you will be paying on the nation 21 cash loans are much lower than credit card companies charge.
  • A budget. You must start to discipline yourself when it comes to spending. There is no point in paying off those balances simply to build them up again.
  • Look at whether you can make savings on some of your regular bills. They can include utilities and insurance for example. There are comparative websites that will do much of the initial research for you.
  • After you have created a surplus don’t suddenly think you can begin to spend. This surplus should be put towards retirement or an emergency fund. Both are important and ideally you will create an emergency fund worth about 3 months of your regular expenditure.

If your financial situation is poor you have to act. Retirement can be a cold and lonely place if you have not got the money to make it comfortable.

How Much Should I Save for Retirement?

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face-774839_640This is a guest post from Pauline from InvestmentZen.

Retirement, if you are in your 20s or 30s, can seem pretty far away. Three or four decades, longer than you have even been alive. Yet, if you want to make sure you have a comfortable retirement, and are financially independent in old age, you need to start thinking about it today.




If you look at the average amount people have in their 401k, if is pretty appalling. The average American only has around $100,000 in their 401k. Considering the safe withdrawal rate of 4%, so your money doesn’t run out while you are still alive, that means you would only have $4,000 per year to live on in retirement. I really hope you never have a medical emergency and your house is paid for! While $100,000 might sound like a lot to save, you need much, much more, to prepare for a decent retirement.

Using 4% as your nest egg withdrawal rate, you need 25x your yearly expenses in order to retire. For example, say you are currently living on $40,000 a year. You need to save $1,000,000 to retire. And yet, you could still argue that while some expenses decrease in retirement (such as housing if your house is paid for), you might need a lot more to cover healthcare and terminal care.

With an average market return rate of 8%, the numbers are as follow:

  • If you save $1,000 a month, you will have one million in 26 years
  • If you save $500 a month, you will have one million in 34 years
  • If you save $250 a month, you will have one million in 42 years.

The $250 option is feasible if you are 18 and have a first job already, so you can retire when you are 60. But what these calculations show us, is that the longer you wait, the more you will have to save for retirement. Which is unfortunate, because if you are in your 30s or 40s already, you probably have a family to take care of, a house to pay down, colleges to save for, and a lot more expenses than when you were young. Finding $1,000 to save each month gets more complicated than finding $500 had you started 8 years earlier.

Everything is not lost though. The best time to start saving is now. And if you get started early, with compound interest on your side, financial independence might be just a few years away.

So how do you even start saving that much money? well, by doing just that, getting started. The longer you wait, the more disastrous the effect on your nest egg.

  • Pick a low cost broker or robo-advisor and invest in index funds, then forget about it until retirement.
  • Try to max it out every year, since the amount invested is tax free, giving you an instant return on investment.
  • Take advantage of your employer match for free money!
  • Be great at your job so you get a promotion every year. If your work is not rewarded, change companies. Try to save your raise for a year and keep living on last year’s income. That will boost your savings.
  • Every year, review your expenses for waste and things you don’t need.
  • Negotiate your bills, refinance your mortgage, and always look for value in things you need.

Your nest egg won’t build itself in a day, it takes patience and dedication. The earlier you start, the better you will be in retirement.