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Saturday, October 22, 2011

You Don't Need A CPA To Manage Your Money

By Jon Wilmott

Keeping up with your personal finances is not just responsible; it saves you money. Developing good personal finance skills is no different than earning a raise. Taking care of your money makes it go further and do more for you. There are always fresh methods you can learn for improving your money-management abilities; this article shares just a few of them.

Get a rewards credit card. No-fee reward cards are the best if you need a credit card. Reward cards give you rewards on various things that you typically use such as hotel rooms, airline tickets and store rewards. Be sure you pay the card off every month and pay on time to avoid interest and late fees.

Your home and your car will almost always be your biggest purchases. Interest rates and payments on these two items, will most likely be the bigger part of your monthly budget. Pay them off quicker by adding an extra payment each year or using your tax refunds to pay down the balance.

Try not to pay too much attention to what the financial news is saying. You can use it to inform your choices, but keep in mind that reporters are speculating the same way you are. Learn to trust your own instincts as much as you trust those of the newspeople.

When you need a loan to finance your real estate buying or selling, try to work with a portfolio lender. A portfolio lender is one that will retain ownership of your loan rather than resell it to third parties. They are superior lenders because they tend to offer more flexible financing and they develop a personal relationship with you.

When it comes to personal finances, pay yourself first. When you get paid, put at least ten percent of your pre-tax income into savings before you use your pay check to do other things. If you get in the habit of doing this you will never miss that money and you will be building your savings account.

All That Glitters Is Gold

In these volatile times, spreading your savings around into multiple areas is a good idea. Keep some money in a savings account, some in a checking account, some invested in stocks, some in high-interest accounts, and some in gold. Use all or some of those ideas to keep your money safe.

Investing in precious metals such as gold and silver can be a safe way to earn money as there will always be a demand for such materials. Also it enables one to have their money in a tangible form opposed to invested in a companies stocks. One usually won't go wrong if they invest some of their personal finance in gold or silver.

Stock Market Tips

The stock market is in a dangerous state right now, so don't take any big investment risks unless you're willing to lose a lot of money. Any investment might seem like a good idea at first, but there are a lot of factors that affect stock prices and unless you're an expert, you won't see them coming.

Invest in what you love. The stock market and companies can be very confusing, and can seem like an unpredictable roller coaster. Plan on investing over the long run, not trying to make a quick fortune. Pick a company or companies who have been around for a long time, and who's product you personally enjoy and use. This will give you some piece of mind in their security, as well as an interest in following them.

Hopefully, you have learned a few ways that you can take better care of your personal finances and how to budget better. If you know the right way to take care of your money, you will be very thankful later on in life, when you can retire and still have money in the bank.

About the Author:

Want to find out more about stock software, then visit Jon Wilmott's site on how to choose the best trading software for your needs.

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