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Quick and Valuable Personal Finance Tips Online

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:01:43 +0000

Personal finance has always been one of the crucial aspects, which largely affects the success of an individual in various fields. Just like a house needs strong foundation to withstand the various charges of weather similarly all individuals require strong foundations of personal finances to withstand the basic charges of life. Strong financial situation has always been the sure shot route towards a sound and independent financial situation. Maintaining a control over personal finance enables one to maintain a control over the entire financial situation and to maintain a control of where is money coming in and for what use it is being used. There are a range of topics covered under it. Some of the vital areas are budgeting, investment, retirement and debt handling.

Personal finance tips cover many crucial aspects that one has to do with his money, starting from generating it to spending it. The various areas -

Budgeting – Budgeting is one of the most essential and crucial areas. Since it is a time consuming and a tedious process, many people refrain from doing it and hence create acute financial problems for themselves. Budgeting is nothing but to ascertain what you must spend versus what you want to spend. Budgeting allows one to maintain a balance between his income and expenses so that all the priority needs are fulfilled optimally. Investments – This is another crucial area as it allows individuals to lock some amount of money and hence stop spending money impetuously. Investments can be of various types like short term investments, long term investments, current investments, etc. Each of this investment has their own specific features like rate of return, minimum amount, lock period, etc. Individuals must invest in accordance to the capacity and such that their financial independence is not hampered. Retirement – it is very vital to plan for retirement, because the cost of living index is escalating at a rapid pace and it’s very important to safeguard one’s future. Debt handling – The fact cannot be ignored that all most all of us raise debts to tackle our various financial needs. However, at the same time individuals should not trap itself in the web of debt. One should ensure that they raise debt according to their repaying capacity and make sure that the payments are discharged at the time.

Some other quick personal finance tips -

Insurance is a must – it is very vital to have optimum insurance policies as they are nothing but safe investments. Insurance protects dependents of the insurer and the income in the case of disability or death. One must insure according to his financial situation. For example, there is no sense of life insurance if an individual does not have any dependents and it is very much necessary for every car owner to have car insurance.

Have a proper savings plan – It is always said that one should always pay himself first. Proper and regular savings helps individuals to take care of all sorts of emergency financial needs.

By: Jonny Pean

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My experience, knowledge and network of financial professionals makes me a more valuable resource for individuals and small businesses, I am trying to improve their current financial position as well as their future prospect. Check out my blog on personal finance tips and budgeting.

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Saving Money Tips – Know Where Your Money Goes

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:18:50 +0000

Do you earn a good income and at the end of the year ask yourself “Where did all my money go?”. I can see you sitting there nodding right now. You can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone as this is a very common puzzle for people. “Where does my money go?

So where does all your money go? Surely you can’t have spent it all …. or have you?

The trick to being successful with your money is to have control over your money. To do this you have to know where it is going. If you don’t keep an eye on it, it will run away and disappear into a black hole. There are holes in your wallets and purses that you probably just can’t image being there. You have to treat each piece of money like a piece of gold that you don’t want to let go of.

Here are some clues for you to consider so you can start to keep an eye on where your money goes

1. Try and identify what portion of your money is going on fixed expenses (such as bills and loan repayments) and what portion of your money is going on lifestyle / discretionary spending (such as groceries, entertainment, eating out, clothes)

Note down the expenses that you have to meet; such as bills, rent, mortgage payment, loan repayments etc Note down the expenses that are nice to have but aren’t absolutely critical. We will call these lifestyle / discretionary expenses (such as groceries, entertainment, eating out, clothes). How much of your money is being spent on lifestyle / discretionary expenses? (Lifestyle / discretionary spending is the area where most of the runaway money escapes from). How do your lifestyle / discretionary expenses compare to the money you are spending on fixed expenses / bills? Look for ways to reduce your lifestyle / discretionary expenses

2. Spend the time doing up a proper budget which will look at your likely future income and expenses

A budget should be a thorough record of all of your expenses across all areas such as fixed bills / commitments and lifestyle / discretionary expenses Ensure your budget is realistic and achievable Limit what you spend on lifestyle / discretionary expenses as this is optional spending and an area that you can get carried away on Allocate money in your budget for all foreseeable expenses and set some money aside for emergencies Don’t forget to provide money for items such as replacement of capital items such as buying whitegoods, repairs / renovations to your home In your budget put a portion of your money aside for savings In your budget include provision for funds to meet any goals If your budget runs into negative / deficit, then you will need to cut down your lifestyle / discretionary expenses or other optional spending until you reach at least a break even point

3. Look at your money habits

Try and identify particular times where you might be a bit frivolous

When you are in a particular mood When you have occasion to celebrate When it is someone’s birthday During particular times of the year Over festive seasons – Xmas / Easter When on holiday / away for weekends Out with certain friends / family members

Think about your pattern of spending

Do you spend first and deal with the consequences later? Do you shop around for a bargain? Do you stop and think / sleep on it overnight before rushing into a purchase? Do you ask for discounts off standard prices

4. Start to keep a record of what you are spending

Carry around a little note book and make a conscious effort to record what you spend cash / money on over a period of time Fill in your notebook on a daily basis updating it as you spend cash / money Review your notebook at the end of the day / week Keep all your receipts and dockets in one central place Use a spreadsheet to track your expenses and bills Track your total expenses over a week, fortnight, month Really keep an eye on your cash as this is what will vanish – you break into a $50 and before you know it you have coins rattling around in your wallet / purse Analyse what you have recorded and try and identify particular patterns / habits Make a particular note of any areas you are overspending Don’t stop doing this until you can say with confidence that you know where your money is going

5. Look for ways to stop the leakage such as

Following your budget Using money jars / envelopes for different expenses such as groceries, eating out, hairdressing, clothes etc Using separate bank accounts for different purposes such as bills, lifestyle, holiday, savings etc Setting up automatic transfers to distribute your pay to separate accounts for different purposes such as bills, lifestyle, holiday, savings etc Giving yourself a set allocation for lifestyle / discretionary expenses each week Being strong and if you spend all your money one week waiting it out until the following week Paying cash for items and not using credit / debt Limiting the purchases on credit cards

6. Remove access to temptations

Take the credit card from the wallet / purse Reduce the limit on the credit card Only keep minimal funds in accounts with debit card access Don’t draw out large amounts of cash and keep it in your purse / wallet Stop access to any savings account via debit cards Remove some accounts from internet banking access Have your savings account with a different bank so you can’t get internet access to it and put the money in your spending account

By: Heather A Wood

Business Finance with Equity Finance

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:56:19 +0000

It has been said that nearly 61% of businesses are launched with either private capital or capital that is invested into their business by family and friends but investment doesn’t have to stop with merely just your family and friends, which is why equity finance exists.

Equity finance is cash that is invested into your business in return for a share of your business. These investments of cash never have to be repaid and don’t have interest attached to them. Equity finance is true risk capital as there is no guarantee that the investor will get their money back at all and these investments are not tied to assets that can be removed from your business should it fail.

The way in which investors get a profit from their investment is the fact they have a share in your business. This share means that investors either get money that is generated either through a sale of the shares once the company has grown or through dividends, a discretionary payout to shareholders if the business does well.

There are several types of equity finance such as business angels and venture capitalists. Each type of equity finance varies in the amount of money that is available for investment and the process of completing the deal.

If your business can support a growth rate of a least 20% you are more likely to be able to get equity finance. If you can’t generate a growth rate of at least 20% in your business then you are unlikely to be able to gain equity finance. It is the idea of control and the prospect of higher returns if your business is successful that attracts people to invest in your business

Sadly however many people are still highly reluctant to seek the help of equity finance as they see the idea of it as ‘relinquishing control’ of their business. Many small businesses are especially reluctant if their business is growing fast. As a business owner you should ask yourself the following questions below making any decisions about choosing to use equity finance:

• Are you prepared to give up a share of your business as well as some of its control?

• Are you and your management team confident in the business and the products and services that are on offer?

• Does your business have a unique selling point?

• Do you have drive to grow your business?

• What industry experience and knowledge does your management team have?

You should also consider the following when it comes to obtaining equity finance:

• How much funding do you need?

• How much control are you hoping to retain?

• How long do you need your funds for?

Each business should investigate the options that are open to them when it comes to finance. Equity finance is medium to long term finance and is the perfect type of finance that is open to small businesses, especially if you are an entrepreneurial business. Entrepreneurial businesses are what private equity investors are mainly interested in. This is because they have aspirations and a high potential for growth.

If you are interested in the use of equity finance it is important that you speak to a financial team who can put you in touch with people who will be able to put you in touch with the right investors.

By: Helen Cox

Business Finance – Shares and Equity

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:03:28 +0000

The term equity finance refers to share capital that is invested into a business for the medium to long term in return for a share of the ownership and in many cases an element of control over the running of the business. There are two main forms of equity finance available to businesses. These are business angels and venture capitalists. Equity finance is fast becoming one of the most popular ways of gaining start up finance for businesses.

Equity finance is the perfect example of true risk capital. This is because there is no guarantee that your investor will ever get there money back. Unlike lenders equity finance investors don’t normally have the rights to interest or to be repaid at a particular date. The way in which equity investors regain the money that they have invested into a company is through taking a share of the business and a percentage of the profit. It is because of this high risk involved in equity finance that if your business can not support growth rates of at least 20% you may not be able to attract equity funding. Equity investors are more likely to invest in someone they feel they can trust with a clear business plan and strategy.

As a business you need a clear business plan and strategy regardless of what type of business start up finance you are hoping to attract. You need a comprehensive business plan with a detailed marketing plan and your financial forecast. Your business plan needs to address issues such as how much funding you are going to need and how much control you are hoping to retain over your business. You also need to clearly state what you are using your business start up finance for as well as if your plans are realistic and if your venture is appropriate for outside funding. Whilst you are completing your business plan you also need to consider what potential investors may be concerned about. Without all of this; plus much more no potential investor will go near your business, planning is key if you are hoping to secure external funding.

If you are hoping to gain the financial help of an equity investor there are several questions that you need to keep in mind such as are you prepared to give up some of the shares within your business as well as part of the control over your business? Investors will expect to have some say in the way in which your business is run so you should be prepared for this. You also need to be confident in your business and the products and services that your business has to offer, one way in which you can do this is by identifying what your businesses unique selling point is. As well as this you also need to have the necessary industry skills and experience to drive your business.

For more information about what equity finance can do for your business get in touch with a business angel or venture capitalist today and they will advise you on what to do next.

By: Helen Cox