Financial Planning Articles

Finance » Financial Planning | By Obinna Heche @ Monday, 26th May 2008 @ 6:02 AM

A retirement home business is just that, a business you start or operate after retiring from another career. Today millions of Americans are operating retirement businesses for reasons ranging from financial need to just wanting something to do to keep them active, alert, and engaged. A retirement federal business opportunities could be full time, but might more likely be part time and meet other needs of the proprietor, like time flexibility. Priscilla, a retired beautician in Iowa, ope... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Jerry Leung @ Monday, 26th May 2008 @ 5:20 AM

We all know the importance of saving money. And we also understand that we should try to save some money so that we can have some cash in case of emergency. Of course many people find it difficult to save money. If you are one of such people, this article is certainly for you. Below are some tips for you to save more money. The first thing you should do is to analyze your spending pattern. I think most people will know this. However, not many people will really sit down and try to ... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Mike Johnson @ Sunday, 25th May 2008 @ 9:36 PM

If you have ever taken a loan out, you know the meaning of the word interest. Many home buyers put their mortgage on a thirty year plan and end up paying not only the principal or original loan amount, but more that double in interest. Borrowing money can be a frustrating thing, and since most of us can't pay cash for cars and houses, we get to borrow. There are ways to avoid paying as much interest as originally planned, and its quite simple to carry it out. The first key to ... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Mike Johnson @ Sunday, 25th May 2008 @ 6:20 PM

Student loans are a great option for those students who don't have the privilege of scholarships and federal financial aid and other grants. There are a few options when it comes to student loans and here you will learn what you need to know before applying. The first thing to understand about student loans is that they should only be used for college expenses. That trip to Cancun with your roommates for spring break is not considered a college expense. Only take out student loans if... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Saturday, 24th May 2008 @ 10:21 PM

Financial diversification simply lets you apply the age-old adage of "not putting all your eggs in one basket." In practical terms, it means that you take your savings and spread your savings among different type of investment options. This type of investment does take some work and it will take some planning on your part. This leaves the question of why. Why would anyone put forth the time and energy to diversify their portfolio? The answer comes down to risk. Financial di... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Jeffry Evans @ Wednesday, 21st May 2008 @ 5:19 PM

A mutual fund, simply defined, is an investment vehicle which allows a group of many different investors to pool their money together with a clear financial objective - to make money. It consists of an extensive collection of stocks and/or bonds, which is managed by a professional or group of professionals called an investment adviser. The mutual fund was created for those investors who feel investing their money by themselves to be too risky or just not savvy enough, but who still want to take ... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Steve Selengut @ Monday, 19th May 2008 @ 7:11 AM

Smack, right up alongside the head. Your 401(k) investment program deteriorated rapidly as the stock market and the economy weakened. Who would have thought that there was so much risk of loss in those mutual funds, and ETFs? Fortunately, the pain is most often temporary, but the timing of the recovery could alter some participant retirement schedules and benefits--- not to mention the hefty confiscation level retirees can count on from Uncle Sam. The popularity of self-directed 401(k) be... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Ramapati Singhania @ Saturday, 17th May 2008 @ 8:21 PM

Companies with incorporation offshore own half the worlds wealth! The worlds wealth does not sit in the offshore bank accounts of businesses with incorporation offshore. It flows to where it is needed by the owner. And it flows rapidly. Many times back into there own countries. How do you own your wealth? Through a limited liability company incorporation or directly in your name? Let me tell you how easy it is to incorporate a business in a tax haven. I did my first bvi company incorporat... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Ramapati Singhania @ Saturday, 17th May 2008 @ 2:27 AM

The island of Mauritius has a total land area of around 784 square miles. The road and public infrastructure is well developed with 1,926 km of highway of which around 1868 km is paved. These highways are also equipped with around 44 km of expressways to ensure the fluidity of traffic circulation. Only around 58 km of roads in Mauritius have been left unpaved. The island of Mauritius was known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century. Mauritius was first explored by the Port... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Fred Peters @ Friday, 16th May 2008 @ 7:11 PM

Sometimes credit card debt piles up so high that you cannot figure out how you are ever going to pay it off. As those credit card bills keep come in the mail, you start to panic about how you are going to pay it. You might be already sitting on a couple other credit card bills that you are worried about not being able to pay. The high interest rates the you are paying on these credit cards is not making it any easier. You might be having trouble just paying the interest let alone paying off ... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Peter Robinson @ Wednesday, 7th May 2008 @ 11:49 PM

Here it is: The moment many of us have been dreading for...well...ever! The 'Apple of Daddy's Eye' is getting her drivers permit, and it is only a matter of time before she will be needing some wheels. You can't NOT get her something to drive, because then she will be riding with her friends--many of whom strike you as...well, let's say...somewhat less than reliable. So...what to do? She wants something cool to drive , but she does not have enough of her own money... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Phoenix Delray @ Friday, 25th April 2008 @ 10:59 PM

When it comes to making investments or plotting out an investment strategy, many people feel as if they are in a rowboat holding only one oar and stuck in the middle of an ocean. Spinning in circles without a direction is not a good place to be. But without a solid investment strategy in place, it could happen. The first step toward reaching the shores of your Financial Freedom Island is to know how you are going to get there. Developing a diversified investment plan is a great way to achieve yo... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Thursday, 24th April 2008 @ 3:34 PM

There's a lot of talk these days about the stock market and how the ups and downs affect personal finance. Unfortunately, this may scare a lot of people from making investment plans or contributing to their current investment choices. The sad fact is that many individuals are reaching retirement age without enough money to support themselves throughout their golden years. Do not let market fluctuations deter you from investing. Take some time to review your investment choices to... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Ed Lathrop @ Wednesday, 23rd April 2008 @ 11:33 PM

Going to college takes a bunch of money these days! Invariably, most students end up with an amount due after their graduation and this amount will be more than the original borrowed amount. This is due to the fact many student loan include a deferment period. After all, how affordable would a student loan be if the student had to come up with monthly payments while he was in college? This article talks about the student loan deferments and how they affect the bottom line. Namely, how... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Jerry Leung @ Sunday, 20th April 2008 @ 3:54 AM

Have you encountered the following situation before? You are running a small business and you find that you will need some money for your business. You need to money to purchase some new products to sell. However, you just discover that you do not have enough money to do so. You will need to arrange a small business loan in this case. It will be quite impossible to expand your business without such kind of loans. Yet you have to understand the options of loans before you make the decision... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Pius Victor Ephenus @ Thursday, 17th April 2008 @ 11:09 PM

The 401(k) retirement plan is funded by employee contribution and a matching employer contribution. The major feature of the plan is that the contributions are taken from pre-taxed salary. The fund accumulates tax-free until it is withdrawn. Most businesses and tax-exempt organizations can create these retirement plans. The 401(k) takes its name from the IRC (Internal Revenue Code) of 1978. The operation of the 401(k) is administered by the EBSA (Employee Benefits Security Administration)... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Neil Ebsworth @ Thursday, 17th April 2008 @ 7:16 PM

The thought of using offshore companies and bank accounts was once the domain of the rich and famous. The Swiss bank account, the residence in Monaco, Ronny Biggs in Brazil! A dichotomy of images that nearly always never related to the average man in the street. But times have changed, and with the globalisation of the world economy through the internet, the accessibility to tax panning through offshore vehicles for the average investor has now become real. So what are the benefits of inv... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Marc Cram @ Tuesday, 15th April 2008 @ 4:59 AM

It seems like only a few short years ago no one was worried about retirement. The stock market was roaring, home prices were rising and the economy was in solid shape. Everything looked rosy and many people were planning for an early retirement or at least one that carried no risk. Today, though, things have changed. Every day you read a new headline that gives you pause; "Dancing Bears at Your Retirement Party", "Americans Delay Retirement As Housing, Stocks Swoon", "... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Andy Lim @ Monday, 14th April 2008 @ 12:47 PM

Do you think you should win at a least a prize if you have invested 30,000 pounds in premium bonds? There is no guarantee that you will win a prize even in your lifetime. But the report said that there are 168 millionaires from the winning the grand prize since 1994. So, you may stand a chance to win. Anyone can buy premium bonds. The only requirement is the person must be at least 16 years old. You can invest as little as 100 pounds or as high as 30,000 pounds. Although the bonds... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Jay Delgado @ Sunday, 13th April 2008 @ 10:59 PM

Developing a realistic budget is the first step to financial freedom. Notice I said realistic, I am not talking about a standard itemized budget here where you say I pay this much on the house and this much on the electric and so on. A budget that only includes your standard monthly expenses just is not realistic. Why not? Because you spend a lot more money than you think on things that you do not even consider in your budget. When was the last time you sat down and worked out your bu... more...