Financial Planning Articles

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 The fund accumulates tax-free until it is withdrawn.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...

Finance » Financial Planning | By derek smiley @ Sunday, 13th April 2008 @ 1:36 AM

With numerous banks and financial institutions scrambling to sell you their credit cards it is no wonder the customer has sought the saunctury of deciding to apply online for a credit card. There are so many kinds of credit cards available in the market that a credit card user gets intimidated and perplexed about which card to choose. The result is that he often chooses the wrong card and then regrets his decision when he's already neck deep in problems with his credit card account.... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Neil Ebsworth @ Saturday, 12th April 2008 @ 1:29 AM

Panama and Guatemala are not the first names that spring to mind when you think of offshore tax havens and second passport jurisdictions for expatriation. Areas that probably spring to mind first are the salubrious locations of Monaco, the Bahamas or Switzerland. But these playgrounds for the rich and famous have been coming under attack recently from European government and in so doing so have left many to look further afield for their privacy. One of the pitfalls in this has been though... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Benjamin Brook @ Friday, 11th April 2008 @ 8:24 PM

In tough economic times people are finding it harder to meet their financial obligations, whether due to a loss of a job, an illness that has prevented them from working or simply though bad money management. Whatever the reason, it is far easier to get into debt and financial trouble than it is to get out of it. There are a few government loans and debt relief programs available to help people better manage their finances. They also explain how to work with creditors to make it more realistic t... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Benjamin Brook @ Friday, 11th April 2008 @ 7:46 PM

How can you define a budget? There is no doubt that we are very accustomed with this term and each year we anxiously wait for the government to decide in either hiking or reducing prices. However, it should be noted that any budget is not limited or used solely by those who are having financial hardships at the present moment but on the contrary it also happens to be a useful device in the saga of debt prevention and management. It has been perceived that in the present world there are i... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Friday, 11th April 2008 @ 2:02 AM

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 ... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Benjamin Brook @ Friday, 11th April 2008 @ 12:34 AM

As the famous saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." The key to managing your consumer debt is to make a debt management plan. Debt management consumer counseling can help you make a debt management plan that is right for you. Debt Management Plan Benefits There are several benefits to establishing a debt management plan through consumer counseling. First, you repay your debts at reduced interest rates, with lower monthly payments. Second, you make just one payme... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 10:31 PM

Managed funds are investment choices that have been widely reported in the news lately. Most of the news is good, but some are bad. There are news articles reporting the default of loans to lenders, but there are also magazine articles discussing currently undervalued funds. For many investors, the seemingly conflicting stories are enough of a deterrent from even entering the market. But, managed funds really do not have to be that difficult. Basically a managed fund is one where th... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Tuesday, 8th April 2008 @ 5:20 PM

One of the primary goals of asset allocation is to balance risk and reward from the overall investment choices. Determining overall risk and reward is extremely important when it comes to the planned time line of your investment. For example, if you are a 25 year old, you want to choose assets that have a higher risk because you intend to work for a good number of years. However, if you are 60 years old and plan to retire at 65, you would more than likely desire more a conservative in... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Ajeet Khurana @ Tuesday, 8th April 2008 @ 12:33 AM

Have you made mistakes in the past that have led you to have poor rating? If this is the case you may not think that you can get another credit card, but the fact of the matter is that you can but it just may not be one that you would pick if you had your choice. If you do it correctly, you can actually use charge cards to help improve your score again. It may be a long process but it will be worth it. Every month your score will be in good standing which will move you a little bit... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Friday, 4th April 2008 @ 8:54 PM

The easiest answer for this question is: anyone who does not mind being in a riskier market. In fact, the commodities market is reputed to be so volatile that fortunes can be made or lost in a matter of minutes or hours, if you don't know what you are doing. To get a better understanding of investing in the commodities market, let us take a look at some of the basics. What is a commodity? A commodity is anything that can be bought or sold. Examples of a commodity can include o... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Caterina Christakos @ Friday, 4th April 2008 @ 8:43 PM

One of the primary goals of asset allocation is to balance risk and reward from the overall investment choices. Determining overall risk and reward is extremely important when it comes to the planned time line of your investment. For example, if you are a 25 year old, you want to choose assets that have a higher risk because you intend to work for a good number of years. However, if you are 60 years old and plan to retire at 65, you would more than likely desire more a conservative in... more...

Finance » Financial Planning | By Shellaine Enfesta @ Friday, 4th April 2008 @ 11:58 AM

For many Americans, buying their home is an indication of being successful or already trying to start in that direction. It is one single largest purchase an individual could make in his or her entire life. Ironically Property foreclosures can help you get there. When you purchase a house or a real estate property, it means that you have taken a loan to buy that property. Avoid property foreclosures to stay in the game- of being successful. A financial wellness is also good for your heal... more...