Thursday, May 15, 2008

102 personal finance tips never your teacher taught you

piggyback bankIf you are like me, you graduated from the university and perhaps even taken a credit or class accounting here or there, but you do not learn something about managing your finances personal. In fact, it was probably not even an opportunity to take such a class is at a high level in school or college. But if the school is in part on training us for a job, should not we learn what to do with the money we earn a job? Especially in a country where 45% of college students are in debt to credit card and 40% of all Americans say they live beyond their means, I think it is time to wise to some of the challenges the management of money. Some (for example, 102) simple rules can help get your financial life (back) on track.
The painfully obvious, but rarely followed advice

1. Pay yourself first. Try to shelve at least 10% of your pre-tax result in a savings account.
2. Spend less than you earn. Although this seems obvious, Americans are known to do exactly the opposite. Stop spending and start saving.
3. Pay your bills on time. Avoid late fees and know how much money you actually.
4. Avoid debt to the extent possible. Student loans and mortgages can be "good debt", but even in this case to charge accounts a priority.
5. Set a budget. And live by it. Use a computer program or just a paper and a pencil. Whatever.
6. Set concrete goals. Know when you want to buy a new house, when you want to retire, and how you expect each cost you.
7. Have an emergency fund. Have at least three months' income (some say six) in a high-yield savings account that can be easily accessible.

From career and education

8. Educated. A college education always pays for itself and more. In 2004, bachelor's degree holders earned on average $ 51206 per year, while high school graduates earned only $ 27915, according to census data compiled by HighBeam Research.
9. Your career is your most valuable asset. Manage with greater priority as you would with any other investment. Remember that without this advantage, could not survive.
10. Saving enough. You should try to save enough to cover at least one third of your kids' college total costs.
11. Consider public schools. Especially for colleges, schools can often be just as prestigious, if not more, than private schools.
12. Consider community college or college online for your first year or two. You can then transfer those credits to a more expensive (and prestigious) school to your final finish two or three years.
13. Investing in a 529 college savings account. It is tax-free. What should I say?
14. Request an increase. Use the Salary Wizard to see if you are doing as much as you should. Otherwise, ask for an increase, especially if you've been in business for more than a year.
15. Getting a professional certificate. A number of professions provide a certificate that, if merited, generally provide you with a higher salary.
16. Do not major in English. If you like study English, there is nothing wrong with that. Be aware that English majors generally do not earn very much. Six of the ten largest of the list with the highest wages are engineering majors, with chemical engineering top the list.

From credit and loans

17. Get a map of reward. If you need a credit card, the best kind is to get a free card that rewards you pay in full each month.
18. Take no more than 30% of your available credit. Borrow more, and your credit score is not too good.
19. Repaying your debt credit card. The debt credit card debt is usually the most interest. So pay off first. Better still, do not accumulate in the first place.
20. Do not use your credit card for cash advances. It will affect your credit score and interest rates are outrageous.
21. Know your credit score. Order your credit score from Equifax, Experian and / or TransUnion.
22. Protect yourself against identity theft. Get your free credit report at least once a year and follow this advice.
23. Pay all credit card balances in full each month. Leaving a balance on a credit card account will leave you susceptible to a very high APR. You May be in cash to launch the chimney.
24. Consolidate your loans. In particular those student loans. With a student loan consolidation, you can lock in several loans at a fixed interest rate and a single lender to pay each month.
25. Avoid payday loans. Result: they are scammy and they charge high interest rates. If you need an emergency loan in cash, be aware of the risk of high interest rates.
26. Beware of scams. There are many scams dealing with credit. Suspension offers debt, pay fees in advance, the purchase of credit protection, credit and reconstruction in general its too good to be true. There is a reason they are.
27. Be careful with home loans. If you can not make a payment towards a home loan, you could lose your home.

Frugality

28. Buying a used car. The most expensive miles on a car are the first 10000. Let someone else lead this for you. Buying used can save a lot of money given the limited value of the car has actually lost.
29. Be patient. Do not buy this new gadget today. Wait a month or two, and the price will certainly drop.
30. Buy airline tickets as early as possible. The cheapest flights are those that are purchased at least two months in advance. For travel holiday in particular, to buy as soon as you can.
31. Get the most for your air miles. Make sure that each airline miles you buy is to provide you with at least 1 cent to the price of a ticket.
32. Never buy the extended warranty. Often, your new product is already delivered with a 90-day or 1 year warranty (while most "defective" things will break, anyway). There is a reason for everyone wants to sell you an extended warranty: they are extremely profitable (for businesses, not for you).
33. Make your own meals. Eating out is to be costly if you do it too often.
34. Make your home more energy efficient. Bankrate.com has a list of 17 ways to do so.
35. Getting a better cell phone plan. If you had the same cell package for a couple of years, chances are there is something better on the market. Look around you or call your current provider and ask for a better deal.
36. Bank charges are for suckers. Many banks will charge a fee control or account balance minimum fee. Find a bank that is not.
37. Keep track of your expenses. At least for one month, keep a journal of everything you buy. At the end of the month, check your spending priorities and make adjustments.
38. Ditch your car. Walk, bike or take public transportation. You'll save on car payments, gasoline, parking, tickets and speeding.
39. Use your frequent flyer miles often. They will expire before May you know. There is no sense in storage. If you have enough for a free flight, use them.
40. Buy through your preferred airline partners merchants store. AA.com, for example, has several retail partners to whom you can get frequent flier miles with every purchase.
41. Negotiate fees. For example, ask a bank to waive late fees. Quite often, they say.
42. Get your free money. The money could be due to you. Get it.

Homeowning

43. houseUpgrade your old bathroom and kitchen. They are often outlets on a house. A modernized bathroom can provide more than 100% return, while modernizing the kitchen back about 90%.
44. Refinance your mortgage if you can cut at least one point. The refinancing costs are considerable, it should only be done if you cut your interest rate by at least 1%.
45. Do not spend more than 2 1 / 2 times your income on a house. Know what you can afford and what you can not.
46. Put at least 20% compared to a house. Making a down payment of less than 20% usually result in a private mortgage insurance (PMI) fee being added. This is usually 0.5%, which means it could cost you about $ 1000 per annum on the principal $ 200000.
47. Use a mortgage broker. The best of your mortgage, the more you'll save. Shop.
48. Investigate the different types of mortgages. There are dozens of options for mortgages on the market. Find one that suits you best.
49. Buying a house that needs repairs. To buy cheap and then add value to repair. You'll save money
50. Dealing directly with the seller. Avoid agents' fees is a good thing. If you decide to hire an agent, do your homework and get to be on the same page as you. You must be one calling the shots.
51. Ask about taxes owner. Knowing what the tax is in your region and be prepared to have enough to pay.
52. Ask about the cost side. In addition to monthly payments, be ready to engage some secondary costs, including repairs, notary, escrow fees, and title insurance.
53. Get the house inspected by a professional. The house was inspected thoroughly before making a bid.
54. Negotiate the sale price. The prices of houses are almost always negotiable. Do not the asking price, but rather a few percentage points below that threshold.

Insurance

55. Make yourself against financial ruin. It should not be higher financial priority in your life than health insurance. Otherwise, if your health takes a turn for the worse, hospital costs could easily bankrupt you and your family.
56. Top franchise is your friend. Keep monthly premiums as low as possible.
57. Do not use insurance as an investment vehicle. The liquidity and security are not on your side.
58. Enough. Have enough life insurance to replace at least five years of your salary, ten years if you have children or significant debts.
59. Do not have too many. You need health insurance. If you are alone and without dependents, you do not need life insurance.
60. Think of insurance before buying a car. Typically, the higher your car, your insurance cost. Keep in mind when buying a car.
61. Choosing the right auto insurance. Do not assume that you should get the cheaper auto insurance or who has the most protection. To find out exactly how much coverage you need.
62. Consider dropping collision coverage. Especially if you have an old car, there is not much sense in protecting against be destroyed if it is already a wreck.
63. Buy home and auto coverage with the same insurer. You will usually get a better deal than you would if you bought the two separately.
64. Write a will. If you have dependents, you need a will. Write and protect your loved ones.

Investing

65. graphBe stock Beware of mutual funds. Few mutual fund managers can beat the market and expenditures as the costs they charge.
66. Do not try to choose stocks. Picking stocks can be very dangerous game, unless you know what you're doing.
67. Avoid fees. With the long-term investment, costs are a primary factor in the total return. Avoid brokers who take high commissions and avoid funds with high management costs.
68. Inventories are high-risk, high reward. In the long term, stocks have always outperformed all other investments. But in the short term, they may be at risk if they lose a lot of value in a short period of time. So, invest do with stocks, but only with funds, you will not need to withdraw in the short term.
69. Shares in the first place, bonds later. Investing in stocks when you're young, then move Bonds did you grow up. The stocks are a good long-term investment strategy. If you are still young when the market turns south, you have many years left before you to make it up. As you get more, invest in bonds. They are less risky.
70. Past performance is no guarantee of future success. Just because a stock has been in place for the last six months does not mean that it will continue to go up tomorrow.
71. Diversify your portfolio. Never invest more than 10% of your portfolio in the same company. Even if it is a "sure thing".
72. Building a nest egg that is 25 times the annual amount of investment income you need. Do not think you can rely solely on social security.
73. If you do not understand how an investment, not buying it. Search an investment vehicle thoroughly before you get into it.
74. Do not borrow from your 401 (k). Think of it as you fly. You will hit with duties and taxes, too.
75. Invest for the long term. There is no guarantee of get rich quick scheme. And investment, there is no reward without a high risk. Be careful and diversify your portfolio over the long term.
76. Seek professional help. Do you not feel the need to transform yourself into a day trader. Arrivals a financial advisor if you can afford.
77. "Fee-only" is your friend. Go with a single tax, financial adviser, not a fee or commission basis. Only costs only advisers are legally required to act in your best interests.
78. The index funds are your friend. Are passively managed index funds and are generally less costly and more efficient tax that funds actively managed.

Retirement

79. Maximize your 401 (k). If your employer offers employer, you must configure your 401 (k) contribution at least that amount.
80. Play the game of the IRA smart. Max on your 401 (k) first, second your Roth IRA, then your traditional IRA.
81. Increase your 401 (k) contribution. Especially when you get an increase. Some employers even give you the opportunity to have your contributions automatically withdrawn from your salary.
82. Do not buy shares in the company for which you work. It is the opposite of diversification. What happens if the stock tanks, and you lose your job and pension because of the reduction?
83. Do not be afraid of stocks. More than two-thirds of 401 (k) money is in low-yielding bonds. Especially if you're still young, invest in shares. In the long term, they perform the best.
84. Sign up for Medicare. Do not forget to sign up for Medicare before turning 65, even if you have not yet retired.
85. Plan. Use the Social Security Retirement Planning to ensure that your retirement goes smoothly.

Backup

86. Register now. It does not matter if you're six or 60. You need to save a little every month, apart from saving for retirement. The sooner you start, the better.
87. Repay Debts high interest before starting to save. Earning 5% in your savings account will not do much if you reached 17% interest on your debt credit card.
88. Save at least 10% of your annual salary of retirement. This should help provide a good retirement fund when you need it.
89. Keep at least three months' worth of living expenses in a savings account or high-yield money market.
90. Open a savings account online. Savings accounts online, as emigration direct or HSBC Direct, offer yields of more than 5%.
91. Establish an automatic savings plan. You should be able to configure your account to verify that a certain amount is automatically transferred to a savings account each month. It is a good way to force you to save.

Taxes

92. 1040 income tax when formKnow to file your taxes. If you expect a refund, file your taxes as soon as possible. If you owe money, file closest to the due date (generally April 15) as possible.
93. Consider the detail your deductions. If all of these tax revenues keep you add up to more than your standard deduction, it is definitely worth completing all the formalities additional list.
94. Be aware of other tax deductions. Contributions to a traditional IRA, student loan interest payments, payments of alimony.
95. Save money on tax credits. Some tax credits out hope for understanding credit scholarships, lifelong learning credit, tax credit for children, the earned income credit, child care and credit.
96. Bunch your deductions in one year. If you take the standard deduction this year, consider making charitable contributions and office-related purchases after January 1, so you can maybe list your deductions next year.
97. Check your chosen each year. If you marry, have children, or become the head of a household, you'll need to add these allowances on your W-4 so that you can have less tax withheld at source.
98. Keep your receipts (especially on major issues ticket). You will need if you plan to list in case you get audited.
99. Focus on tax-free investment. The tax-free investments such as bonds, you can earn interest without being taxed.
100. Buying a hybrid vehicle. Hybrids tend to be more expensive than their traditional counterparts, but you can save money on gasoline and perhaps receive a tax credit of up to $ 3400.

Finally

101. Take a deep breath. Even if you are only able to follow the first seven councils, which are the real basics, you will have already managed to make a huge positive difference in your financial life.
102. Money is not everything. The health, family and happiness are important too. And remember, money can not buy you love.