Personal Finance Articles

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Marosy @ Friday, 22nd August 2008 @ 8:30 PM

Planning and goal setting are critical to your success if you want to become wealthy. The two key traits of people who do not become wealthy are, firstly, they tend to spend all of the money they have and, secondly, they do not know what they spend their money on. The lack of goals is the main culprit. Ric Edelman, author of The Truth About Money and Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth, calls this "spending unconsciously". He says the reason why people spend without giving it much thou... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Marosy @ Thursday, 21st August 2008 @ 10:33 PM

In order to invest wisely, you need to have a suitable investment plan that will ensure the appropriate amount of growth for you. Your investments will also need to be safe and easy to manage. Developing an Investment Plan: The first step in developing an investment plan is to identify what type of an investor you are. Investor types are often determined by their stages in life. Here is a guide: - Single person under 40 years old. Focus: Long-term investments, medium to hig... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Marosy @ Thursday, 21st August 2008 @ 9:07 PM

One of the greatest mistakes you can make in managing money is not knowing where your money is going. About 90% of people who come to see me do not know exactly how they spend their money. Some may have small notebooks where they scrawl their monthly accounts but when they start to put everything down on paper, they are always surprised, if not shocked, to see the real state of their finances. As obvious as it seems, most people just do not know their finances. This is always the most dif... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Marosy @ Thursday, 21st August 2008 @ 8:59 PM

Making money is 90% thought and 10% know-how. When I work with clients, I find the first major hurdle to overcome is their belief system governing money. To change your financial position, the first thing you need to do is examine your attitude, beliefs and thoughts about money. It is only the belief that money is a scarce resource that makes you feel inadequate to create more to achieve financial freedom. The belief that money is a scarce resource is fundamentally unsound. From ba... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Alan Largo @ Thursday, 21st August 2008 @ 5:44 AM

Do you wish you had better credit? There certainly are ways to improve your credit, and it does not have to take years or even several months to do it. People who improve their credit enjoy many advantages over those whose credit has suffered. But many are those who tend to do nothing about it, either because they remain irresponsible or they do not know that their credit can be improved in the first place! People who take the initiative to improve their credit can get larger l... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By john mce @ Thursday, 21st August 2008 @ 5:16 AM

Shoppers have been warned to be careful with chip & pin due to criminals using the devices to copy data detailing their account, and cloning the cards to be used abroad in countries where chip & pin has not been introduced. Even cashpoints are prone to fraud, with criminals using cameras and other devices to steal cards, pin numbers or simply data from the card. There are three ways for criminals to defraud customers using ATMs: The Lebanese Loop This involves fraudsters inser... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Allen Bohart @ Thursday, 21st August 2008 @ 4:40 AM

Over the past couple of decades, one might have begun to think that inflation was a dragon that had finally been slain. Today, though, with food, gas, and nearly every other daily expense skyrocketing it is becoming crystal-clear that this is just not the case. With inflation on the rise, and a recession an almost inevitability, perhaps it is time that we refresh our memories on just what these terms mean. So, what exactly is inflation, you might ask? Some experts claim that inflation is... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Marosy @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 11:22 PM

The lack of money is often not our problem, it is the way we spend it. Wealthy people tend to spend money on things that increase in value or provide them with a return on their investment. People who are not wealthy spend the bulk of their money on items that perish, depreciate or have no return on their investment. Even the family home, which is often the most expensive item that most people purchase, usually provides no return on their large capital outlay. There is one main reason why... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ki Gray @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 3:54 PM

Sticking to a budget can be extremely difficult particularly if your finances are tight and you aren't inclined to be particularly organized or disciplined. Never fear, even those of us who aren't prone to budgeting can do it successfully, so long as we know how to stay on track. True, that's easier said than done, but there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to help keep curb excess spending and keep your budget intact. 1.Limit Your Resources Oftentimes, people s... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ki Gray @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 3:40 PM

Responsible budgeting and money management are skills everyone needs to learn as is the discipline required to put these skills into action. Many people find it difficult to stick to a budget; oftentimes, this is because the budget they created is not realistic. Regardless of the economic climate, it is important to know how to manage your finances and keep track of your spending. In order to do this, you need a budget that you can live with. Here are a few simple steps to get you started. more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Matt Chang @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 3:09 PM

No one wants to admit it, but in the United States, we are looking at recession. They say you need two quarters of negative growth, but we all know that at the end of the day, the economy is slowing, and that means less spending money. One way to recession proof your lifestyle is to do your shopping online. Online shopping saves you time, money and stress. At close to $4.50 a gallon, gasoline is not worth buying to drive around town. It is easier to sit at your computer and get everything you n... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Mark Dawson @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 2:42 PM

The number of Britons looking to leave the country for longer than just a two-week break in the sun is increasing, thanks in part to the ongoing effects of the credit crunch, it has been claimed. New research conducted by HiFX - the financial exchange company - notes that there are now record numbers of Brits wishing to flee these shores, but their dreams are being shattered as they struggle to sell their homes. The firm notes that the number of people asking about emigration services has... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Hector Milla @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 12:13 PM

Have you ever tried to get your loan refinanced without success? if your answer is yes, then the most probably scheme is that you could not do it because of your credit score. However, there are some simple measures that you can take in order to improve your FICO rating, this article is intended to analyze 3 aspect of credit reporting, such as; getting your credit score raised over 600, avoiding higher interest rates and getting your credit score report for free, hopefully you will find this inf... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Knapp @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 11:28 AM

There's only one of you. Your unique DNA make-up supports that fact. While individuals may be protected against liability for unauthorized accounts or transactions under federal and state law and by financial industry practices, it is still important to enlist simple steps to protect one's identity, consumer reputation and credit rating. In the course of just one day, a person may write a check at the grocery store, order sports tickets online, and pay a bill with online banki... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Ann Knapp @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 10:00 AM

If you're still paying bills via snail-mail, it may be time to consider paying them online. With today's online bill pay systems, you can forget the stamps and checkbook and discover the ease and convenience of your nearby computer. You'll need a computer, access to the internet and an online bill pay service. This is moderately difficult. Paying bills online will require a small amount of homework. There are several choices available so make sure you choose the right opti... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Warren Wong @ Tuesday, 19th August 2008 @ 10:33 PM

When you want to open a bank account, you may think that it is going to be a snap and easy to do. Opening a bank account involves making decisions, which you may not realize until you contact the bank to open your account. With so many different banks to choose from, it is important to realize that not all of them are the same. Some have better interest rates than others and some are open longer hours to serve your needs when you are working. One of the decisions you will have to make is ... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Warren Wong @ Tuesday, 19th August 2008 @ 8:32 PM

Whenever you plan a move to a new area or a new home, you have to have an idea of what your average living expenses will be. Even if you stay in the same city and buy a new home, you may have a higher cost of living because of the added costs of paying insurance, transportation costs for you to get to work each day and if you have a larger area to heat, you will have increased energy costs. Anything that causes changes to your daily lifestyle, even adding amenities, will affect your cost of livi... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Warren Wong @ Tuesday, 19th August 2008 @ 8:15 PM

The cost of living in a city or state often determines whether or not people decide to move there. Arizona has become an attractive state to live in because of the climate and the low risk of earthquakes and hurricanes. Those contemplating a move to this state ask about Arizona living expenses estimates to help them determine which part of the state they choose to live in. This information is available from real estate agencies that have properties for sale and it is also available online One wa... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Shaun Parker @ Tuesday, 19th August 2008 @ 5:15 AM

The Costa Del Sol is packed with leather-skinned British ex-pats soaking up every beam of sunshine that they were deprived of during their professional lives in Britain. The number of retirees fleeing soaring energy and food prices in their twilight years is growing rapidly and their destinations are getting more and more exotic. This decision is based on a number of reasons, the most prevalent reason behind the climate being the quality of life that ones life savings can deliver in other... more...

Finance » Personal Finance | By Tony Beb @ Friday, 15th August 2008 @ 7:51 PM

Most of the time people will not refinance a loan when they could save money with refinancing. Many times people can be scared or think they have bad credit without knowing. People with bad credit have a harder time obtaining a lower interest rate on a new loan. Generally lenders will offer better rates for people with better credit. If your credit is good your rate should be good. There are many lenders so searching for the right one is a possibility to get a better rate. On the high si... more...