Friday, 31 May 2013

Financial Planning Is Good For Everyone

About four years ago, my oldest grandson got a part-time job in a grocery store. He graduated from high school last year and even though he was eligible for scholarships, decided that he would continue working so moved into a full-time position in the produce department. He likes the job but is kind of an oxymoron. He doesn't have a driver's license, credit rating or independent living yet, at the same time, he has a great deal of responsibility in his job and a fairly large bank account.
It's kind of like having one foot on the pier and one in the canoe!
Alexander wants to live the life of an adult because he is facing his nineteenth birthday, but, at the same time, there are a few things that are standing in his way. For example, it is not easy to build a good credit rating when you have never needed credit.
During my last visit to Okotoks, we talked about how to build a good financial future and I suggested that we visit the Credit Union where he has been depositing his pay cheques in order to learn about his options for investing and building credit.
The experience we had was wonderful! First of all, we booked an appointment with a specialist named Barbara and, while we were waiting for the appropriate time to arrive, went to see Alexander's employer to ask about pension and other benefits that he might be eligible to receive. When we returned to the Credit Union Barbara was not only friendly but also wise. She asked an investment specialist named John to join us and, for the next hour all four of us shared ideas about money.
John said two things that I thought were particularly brilliant. First of all he asked Alexander "What are your goals?" He immediately got my grandson thinking about future possibilities and how important it is to set and know exactly where you are headed in the future. Then John said "The very best investment you can ever make is to get an education".
Now, John could have taken Alexander's money and moved it into something where he would have earned a commission for himself. He could have set up a locked in account or focused the conversation on interest rates. Instead he gave good solid advice that I know will help my grandson make good choices in the future.
Then Barbara, in her kind and thoughtful way, helped Alexander to apply for his first credit card. That opened up the opportunity to talk about financial responsibility, how FICO scores are calculated and the dangers of having too much credit. She gathered together a handful of booklets on budgeting, saving and borrowing for him to take home. It didn't surprise me that when we were leaving she encouraged Alexander to stop in and visit with her again.
As a psychologist with four degrees who believes in goal-setting you can very well believe that I was beaming as much as Alexander when we headed to the car.
I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to meet with two knowledgeable and caring people who made their biggest investment of that day in my grandson.
Do you or someone who you love need a little education and wise advice when it comes to finances? Perhaps recommending a trip to s bank for a conversation about money would also help reap dividends in the form of knowledge. You never know, it might result in a more promising future.
And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://lindahancock.com
From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker
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Posted on 04:27 | Categories:

Thursday, 30 May 2013

Plan Your Savings Like a Financial Advisor

The decision of where to store your savings comes down to a number of factors. A financial advisor can be of great help, but if you haven't got the money or time then these tips will help.
The first of these factors is whether or not you are looking for this money to grow or merely stay at the same amount over the savings term.
When assessing this, it is important to be aware of an economic concept known as Money Illusion.
Money illusion is a concept where people have a tendency to think of currency in nominal/face value, rather than real terms. In other words, the amount of money is mistaken for its purchasing power. The purchasing power of a currency will erode over time due to the effects of inflation. This means that over time, the amount of goods that can be purchased for a unit of a currency will decrease. As modern fiat currencies have no intrinsic value, their real value is derived from their ability to be exchanged for goods (purchasing power) and used for payment of taxes.
When looking at where to store your wealth, you need to recognise that where there is no growth occurring, your savings will effectively be losing value. Therefore, when you are looking at a suitable place to store your savings you need to assess the potential for growth of that savings vehicle.
The next factor that needs to be assessed when deciding on the appropriate place to store your savings is the time frame in which you will need to access these funds to pay for a future expense.
As discussed, because there are both known and unknown expenses the exact timing of when all of the money will be needed will, most likely, be unknown. Therefore, it is important that your savings plan should be relatively flexible in terms of its accessibility.
However, as a good financial advisor will tell you, in order to get good growth and benefit from the effects of compound interest, it is important that your money is put away for the medium to long term.
The key, therefore, is to have your money stored in a number of different vehicles each of which can offer you a different benefit. For example, some vehicles may offer your easy accessibility but poor growth potential where another may have poor accessibility in the short term but provide you with good growth potential where it is invested over the medium to long term.
Opportunity Costs:
When assessing an appropriate savings vehicle you must assess the opportunity cost that is involved. Opportunity Cost can be defined as the cost/benefit of the next best alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the return on your money that you could have achieved by taking an alternative action.
If we apply it to savings, it may be the case that you can get a guaranteed rate of interest from one savings vehicle but forgo that interest rate in the hope of achieving a greater rate of return through an alternative that may not be guaranteed.
A website that puts give you access to a Financial Advisor so that you can get the Financial Advice you need.
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Posted on 04:27 | Categories:

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Understand Savings Like a Financial Advisor

Getting you savings under control is very important, if you have the time or money you could go to a financial advisor, but if you haven't got the time or money then the tips below could help.
What exactly is savings? Saving involves setting aside a certain amount of money on a regular basis to cover your future needs. These needs can be defined as expenditures that will need to be paid at a time in the future. Usually they would fall due for payment in the medium term which I would define as between five and ten years. There are two types of future expenditures that need to be covered through savings and they are known expenditure and unknown expenditure
Identifying your Medium term expenditures:
The known expenditures include predictable costs such as children's education, a new car or house renovation. It is important that you identify these future costs to allow you to make adequate provision in your savings plans.
It is not prudent to find yourself in a situation where, through poor forward planning, you have to scramble to find the money to cover children's educational future. Creating a savings pot now will allow you to provide for these costs at a time in the future.
The unknown expenditures are expenses that we can't plan for, as we do not know when they will be due or how much they will cost. However, we do know that we will have to provide for them on an ad-hoc basis throughout our lives. Examples of unknown expenses can be such things as medical expenses or needing to replace your car as a result of a breakdown.
By putting money aside in savings allows you to provide for these unknown expenses at a time in the future.
This is not always an easy thing to do and becomes even more difficult where there is no clear budget to work from. The fact is that saving takes money out of your current funds and sets them aside for a future need.
Parkinson's Second Law gives us a good idea how lack of planning can result in an inability to create this provision. The law states that expenditure will increase to meet your monthly or yearly income.
What does that mean? Quite simply, it is stating that where income increases, the tendency is to increase spending on luxury items as opposed to setting aside the increase as part of a bigger plan. Your expenditure therefore increases to match your new income level and results in you ending up in the same position you were in before the income rise.
Rather than allowing this to happen, it is important to "Pay Yourself First" at the start of each month. As part of your budget you need to identify the portion that is for you and that will provide for your future in terms of the future known and unknown costs. It will also provide you the opportunity to create wealth. Once that figure is identified the first thing you do each month is to put it in to a designated savings plan / account.
One idea is to take a figure of 10% of your salary and put it away the minute the money comes in from your wages. Where there is an increase in wages or income you should also look to increase your savings by 10% of the increase. This will counteract the theory of Parkinson's second law.
The rest of the money is then left to cover the bills, food and mortgage and forms the basis of your budget plan. This money now allows you to cover the future costs and also avail you of any opportunities that may arise in the future to build wealth in every area.
A website that puts give you access ot a Financial Advisor so that you can get the Financial Advice you need.
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Posted on 04:25 | Categories:

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Understanding The "What, How, And Why" Of Asset Management

When it comes to understanding the "what" of asset management, there are two common ways of looking at it. Being related to the advisory service of a professional, which means that an adviser or financial service company provides services that coordinate and oversees such things as budgets, accounts, insurance, investments that make up a client's financial portfolio.
This means that whether you're wanting to create a portfolio by having a retirement fund, education fund, or other objective, a professional advisor can help one understand the importance of asset allocations, the risks involved and the rewards from financial management to help achieve your objectives.
The other common definition of wealth management relates to corporate finance. A corporation's assets, both real and intangible, are maintained, put to their best use, and accounted for through asset management processes.
The way asset management works, or the "how"of asset management is that a company or advisor only has one goal for their client, whether they are an individual or a corporation, and that is to grow their client's portfolio substantially. There are three basic steps for a firm to assist individuals in asset management. The first step is to know your objectives and set asset allocation. By working with a professional, long term and short term investments are used to build a portfolio. The second step is to implement the proper asset allocation and management. Monitoring is the next step, this ensures that the allocations of one's assets are working positively in the client's favor or if they're not, the manager can suggest replacement so that the client can remain on track to meet their goal.
An asset manager conducts research and interviews, as well as, statistical analyses of markets, trends and companies to determine the best investments and which ones to avoid for their clients. There is a bit of a difference in asset management when it comes to corporate finance. It's necessary for manager to find ways to increase a company's value. This is done by supervising tangible and intangible assets. The assets need to be more efficient, cheaper, and reliable. The way to do this is by evaluating asset financing options, their accounting methods, production operation management, and disciplined maintenance.
The "why"in asset management, in this case, addresses why it matters. In order for an individual or corporation to meet the financial growth and expectations they have for their future, asset management is essential. There can be a variety of risks, as well as, the rewards of asset allocation, having the right asset management firm/advisor can make all the difference in the type of success your assets have, the performance of your portfolio and a bearing on your financial future.
There are those who will dabble with their finances and assets on their own, but a professional has the experience and expertise to fulfill goals more quickly, effectively, and productively. There is a significant difference in just getting by, mediocre performance, and stellar performance, whether it's at an individual or corporate level.
If you wish to learn more or if you want more resources, surely the following website would be helpful:
http://www.gwwade.com
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Posted on 04:24 | Categories:

Monday, 27 May 2013


Professional building contractors Essex with a wealth of experience and a tract record that speaks for itself!

Author: Henry Careey

It is an unfortunate fact but we are all aware that the economy in the UK is at an all time low, credit and disposable income is hard to come by and very limited therefore homeowners have to be very careful and work harder than ever before to improve or consolidate the value of their property, domestic or commercial. M and P Dunn Ltd provide a personal service as building contractors Essex, providing a professional great quality job whilst always keeping the client’s vision in mind.

M and P Dunn are located in Chelmsford Essex and due to their wealth of over 40 years experience in this field they have gained a fantastic and well deserved reputation which leaves the other construction companies Essex in the shade. The commitment to absolute client satisfaction is second to none no matter how big or small the job is whether it is previous customers such as Chelmsford City Football club with their £2.25 million overhaul or a domestic dwelling you can be assured as premiere building contractors Essex the quality of workmanship and professionalism will always be of the same exemplary standard.


Our complete team are high trained individuals who take genuine pride in their work. As well as being directly employed as building contractors Essex we are also (largely due to recommendation) often sub contracted by construction companies Essex. We carry out all the necessary risk assessments and health and safety is always at the forefront of any job, for customer’s added peace of mind we also deem a CRB check a necessity for everyone in our team.

If you are looking for construction companies Essex, call us on 01245 264 733 to discuss you individual requirements we are confident that we will provide a service to tick all of these boxes.
Posted on 04:22 | Categories:

Sunday, 26 May 2013


Building a Leadership Development Program for Top Wealth Management Firms

Author: Bill Case

Many businesses today are working on building a leadership development program. Peer to peer development is important in any type of organization for the success of the individuals as well as the success of the business overall. By using the resources available, one can easily develop great programs that help each person succeed individually.


Determining the best method for your organization to manage funds for a new venture or product developing will depend on many different things. First, the type of industry is going to play a role in the amount of financing you will be able to raise. The capital that might be needed can be substantial, but finding a large amount from one investor in today’s economy can be rather difficult.


There are ways found today that can allow you to gather the needed capital for your venture of an expansion, new product idea or new business. By gathering resources using a small amount from each person who is interested, you will be able to build up the necessary resources and begin your work. This type of investing is much more effective than trying to find one or two individuals that will provide you with a large sum of cash.



When you want to work on different things within your organization, you will discover that there are ways you can draw knowledge and advice from others. Bill Case offers you the option to draw on the knowledge of many different people to help you decide what methods are going to work the best for you. In addition you will gain valuable advice as to how you might want to proceed with different things within your own organization.


Creating a leadership development program helps you make sure that the future of your company is protected by helping to shape the future leaders of the organization. Many top wealth management firms understand that the future is always uncertain. By making sure your executives are trained properly and understand the inner workings of the business, you can help secure your future in this way.


Peer to peer development is very important for a number of different reasons. As you look at the future of your company, you want to be certain that the employees who are dedicated and plan to stay with you are going to be prepared to step in when the time comes. This type of development helps ensure that there is a continuity of the organization and that the current rate of success will continue well into the future.


It can be hard to find someone to help you understand how you should be investing your hard earned money. If you need assistance with estate planning, wealth management or a range of other things, considerBill Case.

Posted on 04:18 | Categories:

Saturday, 25 May 2013

How To Trade Option Credit Spreads Like a Pro Trader

Trading credit spread is a often overlooked strategy that can yield a steady flow of income. It is does not provide the massive leverage of options buying, nor does it provide obsessive traders with an opportunity to glare at screens, graphs and indicators day in and day out. It is neither exciting or spectacular, but it is definitely not risky and it certainly is a steady reliable way of building wealth. A professionally executed credit spread selling program can safely turn $1,000 into a million dollars within 4 years.
There are two basic credit spread strategies that a trader can use. Bull Put Spreads and Bear Call Spreads, both result in a upfront credit to the traders account, and profit is fully realized when the spread expires out of the money. The trader can profit from time and intrinsic value decay too.
Bull Put Spread- Bull Put Spread
A trader can use a Bull Put Spreads when a stock or index is trending upwards and we believe the price is going to increase. The trader is basically selling a put to a buyer and hedging the risk in case of a decrease in price of the stock. You want the spread to expire Out Of The Money to keep the premium you earned.
Bear Call Spread-bear-call-spread
This is the exact opposite of the Bull Put Spread. We use this strategy when we believe there is going to be a reversal in a up trending stock or when a stock is already down trending and we believe that this will continue. As with the Bull Put Spread we receive the premium right away and we want to have the spread expire Out Of The Money.
What are the advantages of credit spread trading?
It is short term - trades are typically less than thirty days in duration.
It is low risk - trades have a better than 90% of success. Most call and put options expire worthless, so why not profit from this.
You know exactly what the risk, return and profit will be before you enter a trade.
Market fluctuations are mostly irrelevant.
Simple technical analysis - Selling Credit spreads needs a very simple trend analysis procedure, which should not take longer than 15 minutes a day, and the ability to plan for upcoming events such as earnings reports.
Time spent in monitoring the trade is very low.
Profits range between 15% and 20% per month. Compounded, this leads to significant growth in a profile. Starting with $500 and gaining a steady but sure 20% per month, you can get your first million dollars in four years.
We have over 10 years experience trading various strategies. Options credit spread trading is a often overlooked strategy by most investors and traders. That's why we created this site, to share our option picks with you, and help you on your path to becoming a better trader.
Weekly Options Picks- posted every Sunday before the week begins.
Monthly Option Picks- posted around the first week of the month.
Visit http://www.creditspreadmillionaire.com for more info and weekly option picks for our members. Register for free
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Posted on 04:15 | Categories: