Personal Finance Universe | PersonalFinanceUniverse.com

Rita a asked:


I have 3 little boys. I am really confuse.

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littlefurballs asked:


Hello, I am 31 years old and have had a 401K for over 6 years now, where I’ve been putting in 10% of each paycheck. I also have a little over $2K in a Roth IRA, but it has been effective for about 5 years now and hasn’t seemed to make that much money. Lastly, I try to put away at least $500 a month in a savings account that has 4% interest for a rainy day (this has been going on for the past 6 months. Not sure if I can keep up with the $500 a month forever). Above all, I am very frugal with money and I would rather put it away than go on a huge shopping spree every weekend (once in a while I will go out and buy something for my house or myself, but I am careful to make sure
that is not an outrageous purchase and doesn’t happen very often)

I want to know what else is out there for me to do to save my money smartly? I am not that crazy about stocks because I am a conservative investor, but can someone fill me in on some other good ideas? Bonds? Mutual Funds? How do I set those up?

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tsuric asked:


I already live a frugal lifestyle, knowing that throwing $$ isn’t going to keep me happy. Of course, I always address my happiness level successfully so far.

I just got a full time job as an engineer.
Yes, I am very patient and willing to look down the road, all the way to the 15 year signpost.

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Alexander West asked:


The trick is to start investing for your retirement as early as possible. The longer you leave it, the less chance there is of building up enough funds to allow you to comfortably retire. Comfortably retire, is a relative term as everyone’s situation is different. The following items represent some of the opportunities available to you [in no order of importance] for generating an income in the run up to and during your retirement.

1.Retirement Annuities; an annuity is a payment made by an insurance company to an individual for the rest of your life in return for you giving them a capital payment. So for example, let’s say that you invest in a personal pension plan with an insurance company for 30 years. When it comes to you retirement date, the amount of money that has built up in that pension plan, let’s say $100,000 is then traded in for an annuity. You can either buy this annuity from the insurance company that you have built up your pension plan with or you can search the annuity market for the best annuity rates. A financial adviser can help you do this. But once you have bought your annuity then that’s it, there’s no going back. So choose wisely and do your research.

2.Fixed Deposits in Banks; This is another very popular method of investing for retirement. Every bank pays out a healthy interest rate on the invested principal, due to which after some years the invested amount multiplies. If kept for a significant number of years, the little amount invested in fixed deposits could multiply and be a good source for spending the life comfortably after retirement. One of the better aspects of banks [even in today's credit crunch environment] is that they are a safe house for your money. You will pay for this safety by being offered a lower interest rate.

3.Term Insurance Policies; Term insurance policies are set for a fixed period of years, which can be either a short or a long period of time. The investment is done in the form of premiums after regular intervals of time. The premiums are collected by the insurance company and the interests are accrued on them. When the stipulated term is over, the insurance company pays out this amount to the person. Many people buy term insurance policies to tide them over after their retirement.

4.Real Estate Investing; Most people have paid off the mortgage by the time they reach retirement age. If they timed buying their property right, which most people will have because of the huge time frames involved circa 25 or 30 years, it is almost certain that their property will have built up significant equity. This can be a good option for investment. Many people sell their homes after retirement and buy smaller homes in a more peaceful area. The money they save is good enough to look after their needs in their post-retirement years. This is a clever idea if you have not had the opportunity to save for your retirement through a company or personal pension plan.



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shruti asked:


Income and expenditure are normal activities of our day-today life. But proper financial planning maintains the balance between income and expenditure. However, there are various resources to do the proper financial planning which can be derived from financial advice. Financial Advice is given in relation to financial matters such as investing, insurance, borrowing, saving and retirement plans. The giving of financial advice is a regulated activity in many jurisdictions. To obtain all but the most arbitrary financial advice, a financial adviser must consider your financial position, your needs and your individual preferences. This often means having a face-to-face interview with an adviser, although you can get advice in other ways, including by telephone, e-mail, or correspondence.

However, you can follow some regulations as a financial advice to maintain the balance between your earnings and expenditures. The foremost important thing is to learn the art of investment. Every dollar earned must be divided into four parts out of which one part should be kept aside to meet essential expenses, one to be invested in, one to be invested for retirement savings and one part for emergency expenses. Plan your credit report, taxes, and expenses. Keep a watch and learn how to regulate yourself. If volume is high, consult the financial adviser. Avoid the debt trap set by credit card companies and the easy availability of loans. Make wise decisions when buying a home, office, and more. Avail a mortgage that works for you. Take enough insurance but learn the art of saving on premiums, clubbing policies, and umbrella policies. Avoid lending money or borrowing money. Review your financial plan regularly and make the necessary adjustments. Try to be informed about current market trends and latest updates in economies. The World Wide Web is a knowledge highway and brings financial advice to the finger tips. Abreast of money management, taxation, insurance, and property laws can be very useful for your finance plan. Avail the financial advice from renowned and experienced advisers well in time to maintain your financial future.

The banking industry is a highly regulated industry with detailed and focused regulators. Historically, profitability from lending activities has been cyclical and dependent on the needs and strengths of loan customers. Be it an auto loan, a bank loan for a specific purpose or a home loan, present day banking system provides loans for practically anything and everything that one may want to own. Bank loans are easily accessible and are quick and easy to arrange, often a loan can be agreed in the local branch straight away and the money can either be automatically transferred immediately into the customers’ current account. Be it an auto loan, a bank loan for a specific purpose or a home loan, present day banking system provides loans for practically anything and everything that one may want to own. With the passage of time, bank loans have become so versatile that there are bank loans for buying white goods, consumer goods like computers and even for repairs, renovations, marriages and celebrations etc.

Bank loans are mainly categorized as secured loans and unsecured loans. Other types may include mortgage loans, equity loans, interest-only loans, consolidation loans etc. Equity loans are also given for many reasons like medical expenses, housing maintenance, children education etc. Broadly speaking, even credit cards are a form of a bank loan that you can repay and some banks even offer you loans to pay up other loans you may have taken in the past. While applying for bank loan, be sure to maintain proper documentation as banks have strict terms for approving loans. They need to have pay stubs, bank statements and their credit report for the loan application. One must ensure that there are no bad debts in credit report. This can allow the person to make sure they adhere to the banks qualifications which can make the whole loan process go smoother and faster.

 



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Justin Lukasavige asked:


Far too many financial professionals make money way more complicated than it should be.  While many of them are concerned about how to maximize your savings and investments to the penny, if it becomes too complicated and you do not do it, all your time and energy spent was for nothing. 

That is why I break down your entire financial world into just seven simple but very effective steps  I certainly can break those down further to maximize your savings and investments, but personal finance is only 20% head knowledge and making the numbers work.

Anyone can take a spreadsheet, plug the numbers in and give you a plan.  My coaches and I are focused on this part for sure, but we spend a majority of our initial time together working on the remaining 80% and that is your behaviors and habit patterns that got you to where you are today.

You can begin the seven steps wherever you are today.  They are easy to understand and you can download them directly from ourwebsite for free.

The very first step is to develop a budget (a plan for how you will spend your money this month).  If you do not have a plan in place you are missing the most important aspects of a solid financial plan. 

Once you have your budget in place you will also need to make sure you are current on all of your debts and bills and then begin to set aside $1,000 for a beginner emergency fund.  If you are tired of relying on credit cards for your emergency fund then this one step alone will save you a lot of money and stress.  How would it feel to have $1,000 in the bank?

Download a copy of the 7 Financial Freedom Steps and make sure you do them in order.  You will find many more resources, tips and ideas at www.lukascoaching.com/financial_resourcesto help jumpstart your plan!



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Stanley Chua asked:


Portfolio management is an important part of your life. Maybe more important than you realize. You have an overall portfolio that is made up of everything you own. Within that portfolio is your investment assets that you need to manage in order to reach your financial goals and have a healthy and wealthy nest eggs to enjoy in your golden retirement years.

Managing your financial portfolio is a lot like juggling. A young person, perhaps fresh out of college, might start by juggling small, similar-sized balls (which include a small income and a small debt). Over time, different things happen (perhaps that person buys a house or some stock) and suddenly objects of different size and weight are added to the mix.

Then, as life goes on, objects of increasing risk and danger might be added as well: a credit card… a high risk stock… a personal tragedy. They’re not all bad (from a financial perspective) but they can hurt a person’s financial portfolio if not handled right.

Portfolio management is the ongoing process of balancing (or juggling!) your personal assets in order to meet your personal goals and expectations and, as much as possible, increase returns while minimizing risk.

Here are 10 simple tips to ensure that your overall portfolio is in good shape…

Strategy 1 : Understand your financial needs. Knowing Thy Self is the first step to creating and managing a portfolio that will do what you want it to do. This knowledge will help you set realistic future financial goals and decide how much risk to include in your investment strategy.

Strategy 2 : Have a financial plan. Adhere to it and your egg-nest will grow steadily and abundantly.

Strategy 3 : Pay down your non-income generating debts. This kind of debt is what we call “Bad Debt”, which will not able to provide you with monetary returns. Some examples include your home mortgages, car financing etc

Strategy 4 : Build a good credit rating. A good credit reputation makes banks more willing to lend you money during raining days or when investment opportunities strike.

Strategy 5 : Work toward buying a home instead of renting. This is of course assuming that the cost of house ownership is lower than the overall rental cost.

Strategy 6 : Reduce your depreciating assets and increase your appreciating assets. Imagine your investment property is worth twice as compared to the time you bought it 5 years ago ? You can then ask your bank to increase your mortgage amount and use the additional funds to finance another investment property with no money down !

Strategy 7 : Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage for a variety of worst-case scenarios. Golden rule is “Always save for the rainy days”

Strategy 8 : Be aware of the risks and rewards of each type of investment. One great strategy is to diversify across and within your asset classes to minimize risk that is only specific to a particular asset

Strategy 9 : Be familiar with investments in general. Gaining knowledge makes you nimble to capitalize on good investment opportunities when they come by.

Strategy 10 : Maintain a budget… Stick to it and sleep soundly at night !

Simply keep in mind the above strategies in portfolio management. I trust you will find abundance of fulfilments and satisfaction in working towards building a profitable egg-nest full of well-balanced assets.



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Gregg Hall asked:


When it comes to investors, one thing is true; they all have to deal with brokers. It doesn’t matter if you are involved with penny stocks or looking towards long term stock options, you are going to have to associate yourself with a broker that fits your needs. The first time you enter the stock market, you will find that choosing a broker is the primary step towards investing. This is one of the most important things you will accomplish during this potential moneymaking process. Once you’ve begun your broker search, there are a few elements to take heed to.

In the beginning, full service was the only kind of broker you could choose from. High commission fees were commonplace, but there was an upside. You would receive tons of advice, as well as invaluable guidance when it came time to selecting an investment. As the end of the 70s rolled around, discount brokers emerged and investment possibilities flourished. In the past 10 years, online options have taken the public by storm. This gives investors more control over the way their stocks and funds are managed. For any case, proper research should be conducted to make the best decision.

When working with discount or online brokers, you will find that these sorts of brokerage firms really only take the orders pertaining to your investing desires. This is achieved through the Internet or over the phone. They will only provide assistance if you need help with the website. They will not tell you or give you hints on what stocks to choose or when to make a move. Third party stock research is often offered through these services. There are also a wide range of accounting tools that help you manage your investment, which are often provided through a download or can be easily accessed online.

Some investors lean towards a discount broker with the help of an assistance broker, who will provide a little bit of help, such as newsletters and additional research. Investors will still need to conduct the bulk of their research, but this option allows others to at least point you in the right direction.

If you go with the traditional approach and hire a full service broker, you will be able to receive stock suggestions and tips for boosting your portfolio. They will analyze your personal situation and assess your needs, which they will then draw up into an investing plan. This is a great choice for those that are pressed for time and want someone else to basically do all of the work (research). Filled with the latest news, full service brokers provide personal attention. You will be paying greatly for this luxury. Services like these do not come cheap.

For extra effort, you may choose a money manager (or financial advisor) over a full service broker. They will take a look at the overall scheme of your financial potential and future. They manage the stocks and bonds for their clients, as well as guide them through the ins and outs of financial planning. Flat fees are charged for the services they render and not for every transaction. They do not collect commissions; they instead, receive a certain percentage of your earnings through your portfolio. This means they will work extra hard for you because the more money you make also means more money for them.



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Moneysmartz Editor asked:




Do-it-yourself or get help? This question, a dilemma for many, will occur early and often during the course of your financial life. As your personal finances become more complex, you will inevitably need help from an investment professional. The following tips will help you make an informed selection:

Determine your personal finance objectives and think about the services that will meet these objectives. For example, are you saving for retirement, protecting against risk, preparing your estate, or putting money aside for the education of your children? These are just a few of the potential questions that will help determine the financial services you are seeking. Financial services fit into an array of disciplines, including financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning and preparation, tax planning, investment management, college financing and planning, and insurance. Investment professionals may specialize in one discipline or offer services in several areas. Don’t worry if you can’t think of a complete list of financial services to meet your needs, because, after all, this one important reason for getting help.

Ask trusted sources like friends and relatives for the names of investment professionals. Keep in mind that everyone’s financial situation is unique, so what is good for your neighbor, may not be good for you.

Don’t use titles or generic terms to make your selection. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States, titles like Financial Adviser or Financial Planner can be used by investment professionals that may not “hold any specific designation.”

Understand professional designations. The list of designations continues to grow, with each one representing something different. FINRA lists almost 100 designations. There are requirements for each designation, so when an adviser lists a credential, ask questions about the meaning of the designation and where to go to verify the designation. For example, to verify the credentials of a purported Certified Financial Planner, visit the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standard’s search page and enter the name of the professional. To understand the meaning of a designation, do a Google keyword web search using the designation title. For example, Google keyword search “CFA” links to the CFA Institute, the organization offering the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Conduct face-to-face interviews with prospective investment professionals. FINRA suggests the following questions: “areas of specialization, professional designations, registrations or licenses, education, work history, investment experience, products and services, and disciplinary history.” Be sure to ask about compensation, which may be hourly, a flat annual fee, commission based, percentage of assets managed, or a combination of commissions and fees. Ask if the professional or their firm receives additional compensation for selling particular investment products. Finally, in the case of a professional offering investment products, ask if their firm is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). According to FINRA, “the SIPC provides limited customer protection if a firm becomes insolvent.”

Verify state and federal regulatory registrations of the investment professional and their firm. Ask the prospective professional if they and their firm are registered at the state, federal, or at both the state and federal level and the actual name of these regulatory authorities. Once you have the name of the regulatory authorities, visit them online or call to verify registration. Many investment professionals and their firms are registered by FINRA, so a great place to start is FINRA’s BrokerCheck, “a free online tool to help investors check the professional background of current and former FINRA-registered securities firms and brokers.” In addition, FINRA provides links to state regulatory authorities.

Ask for references. Going the extra mile and checking references is worth the effort when considering that you may be entering into a lifelong relationship with the selected investment professional.

Make sure the services being offered fit your unique needs and situation. Every investment professional should tailor a solution unique to you and your situation. Beware of professionals offering “one-size-fits-all” services.

Ultimately, selecting an investment professional is your responsibility, so whether you choose to do-it-yourself, or partner with one or many investment professionals, you control your financial destiny.



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