Is There A Retirement Crisis?
When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally do so with positive connotation. This author agrees-there’s nothing wrong with living longer, especially if we can sustain our quality of life at each period throughout our lifespan. The problem, then, is not that we are living longer-it’s that we are not planning for it.
When our social security system first began making payments in 1940, the average length of collection was 8 years. The present average collection period is 18 years. Furthermore, in the 1950s, there were more than 10 workers for each retiree. Within the next decade, that ratio will drop to 2:1, which will be mathematically unsustainable under our current system. Social security was never designed to be a pension. Its intention was to provide insurance against poverty for the elderly. And yet, the current average retirement age is ‘coincidentally’ the same age that we may first begin receiving social security-age 62. Seems like we’re using it the wrong way!
A Scenario: Healthy male, age 50, loves his job and wants to work until 75. He confidently feels he will live to 100, and he may! What does he need to do to maintain his current lifestyle throughout his 25 years of retirement?
Budgeting Before Buying
With interest rates being at an all-time low, I can understand the urgency for people wanting to purchase a home. But I caution the first-time home buyer to learn how to budget their money before buying a new home.
I happen to live in a state with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. I was so shock to learn that many people loose their homes within the first couple of years. I wondered why so soon. Sure the economy is not the best and people are getting laid-off and having hardships, but some people are simply not prepared for the unforeseen problems and expenses that comes with owning their first home.
When I received a call from a friend telling me about a property less than a mile from my home that was in the process of being foreclosed on, I quickly made arrangements with their agent to view the property. It was a nice single family residence with some minor wear and tear. The family that was loosing the home was a basic middle-class family. I had less than three weeks to close the deal since the home was to be sold on the courthouse steps the following month.
How to Choose Wisely a Credit Card
So, you’ve made the decision to apply for a credit card. It’s an important step for any consumer. Whether this is your first application in an effort to establish your credit, an addition to your existing credit card portfolio, or a plan to re-establish unsatisfactory credit, it is critical to research and fully understand the plans associated with various types of credit cards.
Before beginning the research process, consider and decide how you will use your new credit card. Will you be using the card for everyday purchases, or will you be taking an exotic vacation? Do you plan to pay the balance in full each month, or do you prefer to make monthly payments? Since APRs (annual percentage rates) vary for each card and respective payment plan, it’s important to make these types of decisions before the credit card selection and application process.
Obtaining credit is not free, but can be economical and less costly if you understand the finance charges (the cost you pay for using a credit card). Grace periods may help reduce certain finance charges, depending on the individual credit card company offer. A grace period is the number of days you are given to pay your credit card balance in full before you are charged a finance charge. In most cases, finance charges are applied to new purchases only. (Cash advance finance charges are usually imposed immediately following the advance.)
Students Investing in Their Future Need to Manage Their Finances Today
With the A-level results coming out, the long wait for UK school leavers hoping to go to university will soon be over. All the hard work that has been put into achieving the grades required will now pay off and the fun and freedom that is student life can begin. This may have been the case in the past, but the notion that university life is socially and financially responsibility free is now lamentably outdated. These days, if you want to study beyond the age of 18, learning becomes very expensive.
According to the National Union of Students (NUS) the typical cost of living expenses at a university outside London are around £8,600 a year for the essentials of food, rent, fuel, books and tuition. For students’ studying in London they can expect to pay over £10,000 a year.
Barclays bank has calculated that currently the average graduate leaves university owing £13,501. Jeremy Law, the head of student and graduate banking at Barclays said, “students starting a three-year course this September could be graduating with debts of almost £20,000?graduates will find themselves with debts for years to come which may affect their ability to buy homes and invest in pensions?prince or pauper, these levels of debt may act as a deterrent to some people considering going to university.”
Five Secrets for Long-term Financial Success
Future financial success is not a guarantee that any one of us can rely upon, no matter how wealthy we are now or intend to become.
There are however five future proofing financial steps that we can take to protect our current financial status, improve our future financial prospects and secure our long-term financial success.
1) Know The Different Between Good Debt & Bad Debt
Bad debt is any debt that accrues interest month after month on outstanding balances and includes credit card debt of course, which is now the most common type of bad debt that we are all burdened with. Other examples of bad debt include store card debt, home secured loans other than your mortgage and any money borrowed from lenders dealing with high risk borrowers as they charge the highest rates of interest and have the most restrictive and inflexible terms and conditions.
Good debt is really only your mortgage, although some people would argue with me and include car finance in this category even though a car is not an essential item for most people ? if we’re honest with ourselves! Good debt in the form of your mortgage enables you to afford the roof over your head and for most of us it is the only way we will ever be able to afford a home.
Financing Collectibles for Fun and Profit
With the advent of the internet and especially auction services like those provided by Yahoo and E-bay, serious collectors have much larger arenas in which to buy and sell their wares. This provides the opportunity for quick discovery of hard-to-find items that previously might have taken years to find.
Depending upon the rarity of the collectible and the owner’s awareness of its value, prices may range up to thousands of dollars for something of true quality in above average condition. However, there are still bargains being found everyday. A lot of things are being sold for a fraction of their true values simply because the owner wants to free up some space or rid themselves of what they perceive to be unnecessary clutter.
Savvy collectors know, not only the true values of the items that they collect, but also where and how to sell them for a profit. Unfortunately, if the item available costs more than available cash, the opportunity of a lifetime can remain unrealized. The question is: how to prevent this opportunity from being lost forever.
The answer is financing.
Debt Management ? More Ways to Save on Gas Consumption
The price of gas continues to climb, and with continued uncertainty in the Middle East, they will probably continue to do so. In California and elsewhere, prices for some grades of gas have now reached the previously unthinkable three dollars a gallon. Granted, that is lower than the inflation-adjusted prices of early 1981, but that doesn’t make anyone feel better when they’ve just paid nearly $100 to fill the tank of their sport utility vehicle.
In a previous article, we offered some solutions as to how the average consumer can either save on gas prices or use less gas. These tips included using credit cards with cashback rebates, keeping your car tuned and tires inflated, and keeping the car washed and waxed, which reduces drag. Here are a few additional tips which will help ease the strain of filling your tank.
Accessing Funds You Never Knew You Had- Household Utilities and Mortgage Expense Reduction Plan
For most of us the process of getting out of debt and pursuing a venture that would create an income stream leading to early retirement seems just a pipe dream. It goes without saying; it takes money to make money. Most of us have had our eye on pursuing a stock, invention patent, greater education or a small business only to have our goals cut short because of lack of funds. The fact is we may have access to more funds than we realize. In this article we will discuss the three keys to having your money make more money sooner than later. The three keys are:
Reducing Expenses By Cutting Costs
Reevaluating Your Financial Situation
Freeing Up Financing Funds
Channeling Funds Toward Your Goal
Reducing Expenses By Cutting Costs
The key to finding money is freeing up funds from current expenses. We are all accustomed to doing things like turning out the lights, cutting back on gasoline consumption or reducing heating and air use. We use coupons to cut shopping bills in half and do the two for one meal deal whenever possible. But did you know that if you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, it is costing you almost $3000 a year. Over 10 years that $30,000 dollars. What could you do with all that money? Improve the quality of life.
Improving Your Financial Position
If you want money you need to learn how to control it. You need to improve your financial education and build your discipline. I am going to reveal to you how you can do both. Let me ask you a very simple question. Do you want money? Of course you do!
Everybody wants money. You might think my next questions are even sillier, but I’ll ask them anyway. Would you like to have money all the time? Do you really want money?
You see what I am asking you, by adding the word “really,” is do you actually want the money itself or do you want the freedom it can buy you? Ahh. Now you see what I am getting at. What you really want is the freedom that the money represents. What you really want is freedom.
Access to money allows lots of freedom.
What would be the point of being a millionaire or even a billionaire if you were serving a prison sentence for the rest of your life? Your loss of freedom would render your prime use for that money next to useless.
Government Grants - Beware of Scams
As the saying goes: “Buyer Beware”. If you see ads claiming you qualify to receive a “free grant” for education, to start a home business or to payoff unpaid bills, be wary. Scam artists will claim your grant application is guaranteed to be accepted and approved, and you never have to repay the money. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that these grant offers are often a scam. The grant isn’t free, nor is it guaranteed, nor is a refund.
According to the FTC, some scam artists market “free grants” in classified ads and even provide a toll free phone number. Here’s an example of what happens when you call:
A company representative asks non-threatening, simple questions to supposedly determine if you qualify to receive a grant. The representative then acts as if he/she is checking your eligibility, and then congratulates you as being eligible. But for you to get the grant information from them, they will charge you a processing fee. Although they will promise you that the grant is guaranteed or you can get your money back, the truth is far different.
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