Tag: Finance

How To Improve Your Finances In 2023: A Quick-Start Guide

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. There is a lot of financial uncertainty heading into 2023. As such it’s going to be critical to arm yourself with as much valuable information as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Improve Your Finances In 2023: A Quick-Start Guide.

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If you have been dealing with unprecedented financial pressure over the past years, you are certainly not alone. With inflation reaching its highest levels since 1982, consumer prices constantly on the rise, and the pandemic-induced crisis still lingering on, many families across the nation are still struggling to make ends meet.

However, as the economy continues to bounce back, there is a lot that you can do to regain control of your finances and get a step closer to your financial goals in 2023. In this quick-start guide, you’ll find everything you need to know to start the year in the right way.

Take a Hard Look at Your Finances

The first step is to take a hard look at your finances and spending habits. Looking at your past months’ bank and credit card statements can help you understand how much and where you tend to spend. In turn, this analysis can help you identify inefficiencies and overspending cases, so as to improve your next month’s finances.

Comparing how much you earn and how much you spend can help you better understand your current situation.

Make a Budget – And Involve Your Whole Family

Once you have a better idea of where you stand financially, it is time to look into how to improve your financial situation. And, to do so, you’ll need a budget that you can follow. But how can you do so efficiently?

If you are struggling to keep up with remembering and recording each and every transaction, you might consider adopting a different approach to budgeting. For example, methods such as the 50\30\20 rule can help you keep track of how much you spend, save, and invest each month without causing you to spend hours tracking every transaction!

Tackle Your Debt

The next step to bring your finances back to balance is to look for ways to escape your debt. To understand how your debt is impacting your finances, you’ll need to calculate your Debt-to-Income ratio – or the percentage of your after-tax income that is directed towards repaying your existing debt each month.

A good rule of thumb is that it should be below 28% – or the DTI you need to be able to access financial products such as mortgages.

Ways to reduce your debt include addressing your high-interest debt first or paying off the smallest debt first.

Take On a Side Hustle To Improve Your Income

Although reducing your expenses and debt are important steps to take on your journey towards better financial health, don’t forget that you’ll also need to improve your income. And, to do so, you might need to establish an additional income source.

Luckily, today, you are certainly not short of side hustle options to choose from! For example, you can become an Amazon or FBA seller or sell your own digital products online.

Nonetheless, as the competition gets fiercer by the minute, you’ll need to tap into your entrepreneurial flair to succeed in such a competitive market! In the example above, you’ll need to learn the basics of pricing amazon FBA products, marketing, selling, and customer service skills.

Consider Turning Your Hobby Into a Profitable Activity

If you don’t wish to take on an additional side hustle and add complexity to your already busy schedule, you might consider monetizing your hobbies or pastimes. For example, if you love to draw or bring to life DIY creations, you could sell your art and crafts on marketplaces such as Etsy.

Alternatively, you might use your skills to offer to consult or freelancing services and bulk out your income.

Rent Out Your Property – Or Part of Your Property!

Your home, as well as other real estate properties you own, represent a crucial aspect of your investment portfolio. And, not just because you’ll be able to sell them to free up cash!

Indeed, while you still have your properties, you can use them to boost your monthly earnings. To do so, you might consider renting out one of your apartments or homes on a long-term or short-term basis. For example, becoming an Airbnb host can help you make an additional $924 each month!

Other ways to use your properties to increase your income include:

● List an empty bedroom on Airbnb
● Lease your car
● Advertise on your vehicle
● Rent out your garage or storage room

Build an Emergency Fund

Although you might wish to use your earnings to bulk out your investments or repay your debt, don’t forget about the importance of building an emergency fund. Indeed, a medical emergency, accident, or an unforeseen financial setback can have a catastrophic impact on your finances if you don’t have an emergency fund in place!

If you need a clear goal to focus on, a good rule of thumb is that your emergency fund should be able to cover at least three months’ worth of expenses.

Invest Every Month

Investing, also thanks to compound interest, can help you establish a solid fund to tap into when retiring. But how much should you be investing each month? Ideally, you should dedicate around 15-25% of your post-tax income to investments on a monthly basis.

However, of course, this entirely depends on your circumstances.

Learn How To Use Your Credit Card Properly

Credit cards are essential financial tools that help you keep up with daily expenses, afford major purchases, and leverage exclusive benefits. But, when used improperly, credit cards can become double-edged swords!

Luckily, there are some simple strategies that can help you keep your finances in check even if you use your credit card as your preferred payment method. These include sticking to a low credit utilization rate, making more than the minimum payment each month, only using the credit card for expenses you can afford, and checking your credit card statements for mistakes and inaccuracies.

Work With an Experienced Financial Advisor

Lastly, if you are struggling to resurface from a financial setback, don’t think twice about investing in the services of an experienced financial advisor.

Although this might seem like an unnecessary expense at first, it can help you better understand your financial situation, set clear goals, and devise a plan to reach them within your pre-determined timeframes. And, don’t forget that there is no better time to get started with rebuilding your finances than today!

Four Ways You Can Improve Your Financial Situation

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy. Finance is a complex game with multiple ways to win and fail. In order to win, you always need to think about how to improve your financial health. The following contributed post is entitled, Four Ways You Can Improve Your Financial Situation.

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When you look at people’s most common goals, getting their finances in order is always first. Still, a large number of people are still struggling with debt and living from paycheck to paycheck. You might not be able to reach your financial goals overnight, but there has never been a better time to start.

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Now that it’s spring, you might want to clean up your house, your closet, and even your garden. So, why not also clean out your wallet and make your finances easier to handle? Here are five easy ways to improve your finances that won’t require you to change everything about your life.

Start A Side Business

The first thing you can do to improve your household finances is to make more money. But if you already have a job and a career, it could be years before the right promotion comes along. You don’t have to change jobs to make more money, which is good news!

Start a side business is another option that could work. There are many ways to make more money and enjoy a passive income stream. For example, you can blog, write, make and sell crafts, or rent out your property. Don’t forget that the gig economy is booming right now!

Pay Off As Much Of Your Debt As You Can

Personal and consumer debt is the biggest problems that many households have to deal with before they can get their finances in order. Not without good reason!

Whether your personal debt is higher or lower than the national average, it could stop you from saving money and making the most of your income. You’re lucky that there are many ways to start paying down your debt and improve your finances.

For example, you could think about refinancing or consolidating your debt to get better terms and interest rates. You should try to pay more than the minimum each month since the minimum usually doesn’t cover much more than interest.

Start Saving Money

It’s important to save money so you can avoid problems and deal with emergencies that come up out of the blue. For example, having an emergency fund can help you or your kids pay for college, deal with injuries, and pay for repairs. Even though you might not be able to save a lot of money in one day, now is the best time to start an emergency fund. For example, when your phone screen breaks, look for a mobile screen replacement rather than buying a new phone.

Start To Invest

If you want to improve your finances and get your money to work harder for you, you might want to think about investing. You can start investing today thanks to platforms like Robinhood that are easy for beginners to use and have professional trading tools to diversify your portfolio, know how much risk you can handle, and work with a professional who can help you figure out the best way to invest based on your finances and goals.

These three tips can help you get better control of your finances. Do you know any other tips that can help? Please add them to the comments below.

Making It In The Financial World: Advice For Career-Builders

Two focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. If you have the aptitude and passion for it, the financial world could yield you a promising career. The following guest post is entitled, Making it in the Financial World: Advice for Career-Builders.

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Few people know that you don’t have to be a genius to have a successful career in finance. In fact, with the right skills and attitude, anyone can make it in this industry. The key is to stay on top of the latest news and trends and to network with others in the field. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your career goals.

Why you should build a career in the finance industry

A career in finance can be extremely rewarding, both personally and professionally. This is because you’ll be working with all different types of people and helping them with their financial needs and goals. Here are a few reasons why you might want to pursue a career in finance:

• The finance industry is always growing and changing, so it’s a great sector to be involved in if you want a challenging and dynamic career.
• The pay and benefits in the finance industry are often very good, making it an attractive option for career-minded individuals.
• Finance is a global industry, so you have the opportunity to work anywhere in the world.

How to get started on the right foot in your career

A great way to position yourself for success in finance is to get a good education. Having both an undergraduate and graduate degree is extremely helpful, and you might also want to consider earning an MBA. However, not everyone has the time nor the money to afford the traditional way of earning an education.

Fortunately, there are alternate options that you can look into, such as online courses. For instance, if you want to pursue a career in accounting, you can earn your accountancy degree online through a reputable school.

This way, you can learn the material at your own pace, and you can even set up adjustable deadlines. You can also work full-time and do your homework between shifts, so you can fully maximize your time while building your future career.

Another great way to set yourself up for a successful career in finance is by networking with others in the industry. You can do this through groups or organizations, conferences, or even informational interviews.

This way, you have the opportunity to put a face to the name of the people you’ve worked with or read about, which can help you gain a better understanding of the industry as a whole.

The skills you need for a successful career in finance

One of the most important skills to have if you want a successful career in finance is math. You will constantly be using mathematical equations to solve problems and complete your work. This means that you should get very familiar with things like percentages, fractions, and decimals.

You also need to know how to build strong financial models and prepare accurate financial statements. This is a great way for you to display your skills and show what you can do. You need to make sure that you have a good grasp of things like valuation, forecasting, and budgeting.

Another important skill is your ability to think critically and analyze. You should always be able to see things from multiple perspectives, so you can come up with different solutions for the same problems. Being flexible and open-minded can help you solve issues more efficiently.

Finally, you should be able to communicate well with others. This means that you need to have excellent writing skills and public speaking abilities. You should be able to make presentations that will engage your audience and convey all the necessary information.

How to stand out in your career

A great way to stand out in your career is by staying on top of the latest news. If there is a big story or significant development in the finance world, you want to know about it. This way, you can keep your team informed and ready to act if necessary.

Aside from that, you can also show that you’re a well-rounded individual. You want to show that you aren’t just good with numbers, but you can handle all sorts of tasks and responsibilities. You should be able to take control of the situation and help others when they get stuck.

Finance is a very competitive industry, and you want to make sure that you’re giving yourself an edge above your competition. The tips above are great for both new graduates looking to get their foot in the door, or current employees looking to move up in their company.

If you just follow the simple steps mentioned above, then you will be well on your way to a highly successful career in finance. But don’t forget to have fun and enjoy your time while you’re building your career because that’s just as important.

Let’s Talk About All Things Personal Finance

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. Though you would think it’s common knowledge, there is a lot that the lay person doesn’t know about personal finances. The following contributed post is entitled, Let’s Talk About All Things Personal Finance.

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Personal finance is something that everyone needs to talk about at some point. If you have never had any advice on personal finance, then it’s a good thing that you have come across this guide. We’re not going to go too in depth on any one point, but rather we’re going to just look at some of the basics that you need to know, and you can learn more if you find yourself interested. Keep reading down below to find out our basics!

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Managing Your Money

First, you need to know that managing your personal finances is essential. You need to know how much money you have, what it is tied up in, what you have in any given bank account and so on. We suggest that you go over your budget once per month to ensure that everything is on track, and if it isn’t, sort it out. If you find that you aren’t very good at this or you don’t have the time, then you need to think about hiring someone to take care of it for you. There are professionals who work in managing personal finance so that you don’t have to. While it might be another expense each month, it may also be worth it.

Making More Money

Another thing that you need to know about is making more money for yourself. You can do this through a side hustle, or through something like investing. We do recommend that you look into US clients Forex brokers before you get started though as they are the experts. The last thing that you want is to start something like this blind, and without the tiniest of clues as to how to proceed. Using a professional will make your life that little bit easier, and make you more money than you ever thought possible from something like this.

Trust us when we say though, that there is more than one way to invest and even more ways to make money. It’s up to you which of these you choose, as long as you are choosing the option that is best for you.

Saving Money

The final thing that we are going to look at involves saving money. You need to know that you have got a little blanket of safety if things ever go wrong. Not that they are going to, but if you lose your job or need to make an urgent repair, savings will be a lifeline you didn’t know you would need. You might think that this is going to be hard, but if you include this in your budget then it is actually a super easy thing to do, just don’t touch the money in the savings account!

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you need to know about your personal finance. There are a lot of little things that come together to make up this category, and we wish you the best of luck when it comes to managing yours!

Take Control of Your Finances When You’re Struggling

A key focus of my blog in Financial Literacy/Money. A significant part of your personal success and quality of life is your personal financial health. Taking control of your finances is particularly important when you’re struggling. The following contributed post is entitled, Take Control of Your Finances When You’re Struggling.

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Everyone experiences money troubles of different kinds. Even when you’re financially comfortable, you can have times when you’re trying to work out how to stretch your money further. There are also times when you can feel like you’re really struggling and you don’t know how to get back on track. Your money problems are ruling your life, but you don’t know how to make them go away. You could be in a lot of debt or struggling to pay the bills, and you feel like you have no control. If you want to start getting control of your finances, have a look at these steps.

Make a Plan for Your Debts

Most people have some kind of debt, whether they’re paying off a phone, have a credit card or have a mortgage. Some debt is good debt, but there’s also plenty of bad debt, and it can weigh on you heavily. Making a plan to pay off your debts should be a priority if you’re having financial problems. You might need to look into tax relief options if you’re struggling to pay off a tax bill or consider debt consolidation if you have a number of debts. Look at different strategies for paying off debts too. You might pay off the cheapest or the most expensive first.

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Create a Budget

Everyone who wants to get their money under control needs to start budgeting. When you set a budget to stick to, it helps you to control your spending. The first thing that you need to do is take a look at what you’re currently spending. Work out how much your fixed expenses are, then come up with a reasonable budget for more variable expenses, such as groceries and clothes. Once you have a budget, you can track your spending, and you’ll be more conscious of whether you’re sticking to your budget.

Review Your Spending

After creating a budget, you might be able to start saving some money by lowering both your fixed and variable expenses. For example, review your bills to discover whether you could save any money. Find any subscriptions or services that you no longer need or that are wasting your money. Do you really need cable TV? Do you use that Netflix subscription? Getting rid of unnecessary spending can help you pay off debts faster, save more or have more money to spend on things that you want or need.

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Go Cash Only

If you feel like you need to reconnect with your money, consider using cash only to pay for things. You can set up automatic payments for bills, but when you do things like go grocery shopping, withdraw a set amount of money for the month so that you know exactly how much you have left. Stop using your credit card and even debit card for a while, and slowly start to use them again if you feel comfortable.

You can take back control of your finances. Start taking a close look at any debts, your spending and how you could save money.

There’s A Rocky Road Ahead. How Will You Take Back Control Of Your Finances?

Two of the focuses of my blog are Current Events and Financial Literacy/Money. Sometimes there are global and systemic events that have the potential to throw our personal finances into chaos. At the time of this blog post going live, the world is going through such an event with the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic. Everyone must come up with a plan for survival during this and other crises. The following contributed post is entitled, There’s A Rocky Road Ahead. How Will You Take Back Control Of Your Finances?

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As governments and markets around the world respond to the healthcare and economic implications of the coronavirus, it’s safe to say that most of us have a rocky economic road ahead. Already, many of us are learning that no job is as stable as we thought. No employer is as untouchable as we assumed and that the gig economy has no emergency exit. For many of us, joblessness is a very real and imminent prospect, and many more will face a reduction in their gross salaries at the very least. But in this digitally interconnected age, none of us are powerless. Each of us has the tools at our disposal to make money safely, grow our income and take back control of our finances, whatever capricious twists and turns economic forces may bring.

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Here we’ll look at some ways in which you can make a little extra money and regain control of your finances without even leaving your home…

Start your own dropshipping business

In this uncertain time, it’s likely that more and more people will increase the amount of online shopping they do. While high street stores may have already begun to close their doors, there’s a potential e-commerce boom on the horizon. And that means great opportunity for the quick witted and the enterprising. Dropshipping is a popular way to start a home business as it has the potential to start making money quickly with few or even zero overhead costs. Dropshippers buy items as and when needed and sell them directly to the consumer via trusted online channels, meaning that there are no warehousing costs involved and no liquidity tied up in stock that just sits untouched on the shelf.

Try out trading

In the current landscape, there are a wide range of economic forces in a state of flux. But even here there’s potential opportunity for the savvy investor. Of course, with any kind of investment comes a degree of risk. Nonetheless, with a wide range of digital trading platforms like Targets Trading Pro available, you can start out trading and get to know the futures markets with minimal risk. Invest small while you get a feel for the markets, then as you grow more confident and informed you can grow your investment in direct proportion to your confidence.

Jump on the affiliate marketing bandwagon

If you already have a blog, a YouTube channel, a successful Instagram account or any other kind of robust online presence, you might want to think about joining the fast-growing and eminently profitable world of affiliate marketing. With a potential rise in ecommerce on the horizon and a period of potential uncertainty it’s likely that people will gravitate towards trusted brands. Affiliate marketers make money on purchases made by their followers from brands that they already know and trust. Joining an affiliate scheme is easy, low risk and potentially very rewarding. Here are some of the best ones which you can try right now.

Who knows what the future will bring. But the tools above can help you to stay proactive and ahead of the curve, enabling you to take control of your finances and insulate your household from financial risk.

Five Issues That Will Put Your Finances Through The Wringer

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. There are a couple of keys to properly managing your personal finances. There are also things you can do to destroy your personal finances. The following contributed post is entitled, Five Issues That Will Put Your Finances Through The Wringer.

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Are you worried about your finances? It doesn’t matter how much you earn, financial trouble is something that keeps a lot of people up at night. Here are some of the biggest issues that you need to be prepared for.

Unemployment

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If you’re looking for one of the worst issues that can hit your finances harder than you would like, turn your attention to the possibility of unemployment. The danger can be catastrophic. If you are made redundant you will typically struggle to be able to afford even basic costs let alone things like rent or your mortgage. So, you will need to work to find a replacement job as quickly as possible. But that’s not easy and if you have been off the job market for a while it can be difficult to find your footing. That’s why you need to make sure that you are keeping your CV up to date. Even if you think your job is safe, keep that ear on the ground and make sure you are aware of new opportunities.

Lawsuit

You would probably like to believe that a lawsuit isn’t going to be that expensive. Well, it depends what legal issue you are facing and whether you the defendant or the claimant. When you look for a criminal defense law firm to represent you, you should always think about your budget and what you can afford. Even then though, most people are going to find they need to take out a loan to pay the costs. That’s just a fact of life. Hopefully, you will at least get a positive outcome. Don’t forget though even if you are the claimant some of the damages will go towards your lawyer. The good news is that you can use some of your winnings to pay the cost of the lawsuit. However, this is why many people will avoid a lawsuit completely unless they have a lot to gain.

Divorce

You also need to consider the issue of divorce. The Oscar-nominated film Marriage Story actually provided a brilliant example of how tricky a divorce can be and how hard it can hit your finances. At one point Adam Driver’s character states it doesn’t matter whether his wife seeks profits from a new business venture because there’s going to be nothing left of it. When it comes to divorce you also tend to get what you pay for. Driver’s character initially seeks a high paid lawyer and then decides to save money. However, when the divorce proceedings begin he’s gone back to the high paid lawyer to get the best chances of winning the case. If you want to keep the cost of divorce under control. The best option is to make sure that you try and keep the proceeding as clean as possible. Make sure that it is amicable and then there will be no need for high-cost lawyers.

Theft, Fire And Other Damage

If your home or business is impacted by fire, theft or any damage like this, then it’s always going to hit your finances quite hard. That’s why it’s useful to ensure that you have the right insurance plan in place. When you choose an insurance plan make sure you are fully aware of what is and isn’t covered. You don’t want any surprises to creep up on you here. You should also think about putting the right measures to protect your home. If you’re thinking about theft, you should make sure that you are exploring various options. For instance, CCTV cameras will make it far less likely that your home is chosen for a break-in. Remember, these crimes aren’t typically planned in advance so the right deterrents can save you the trouble here.

Bad Investment

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Finally, do consider the issue of poor investments. Bad investments will knock you down and make it struggle to get back on your feet. If you face a bad investment, then you need to think about whether you can take action to reduce the loss. Selling even when you are at a low point can be the right choice rather than letting the value drain away completely. To avoid the risk of bad investments, never invest more than you can afford to lose. In this way, investing is very similar to gambling. But you should be taking calculated risks rather than throwing it all on black.

We hope this helps you understand some of the biggest issues that you can experience with your finances and how to handle them the right way. Take this advice you don’t have to let these issues cripple your bank account.