My Personal Finance Blog

Have you ever figured out how much money you will make in your lifetime? Looking at the total numbers can be both exciting and sobering. If you are 25 and make $40,000 a year, by the time you are 65, you could have earned over 1.6 million dollars – and that’s assuming you never get a raise. That’s quite a fortune.

But where does it all go? As you were growing up, your parents probably reminded you that “money doesn’t grow on trees”. As you have entered the working world, you probably understand that better now. But money can still seem to have a life of its own.

Family financial planning is not just about cutting coupons and denying yourself treats. It takes serious, careful thought and preparation, but the benefits are well worth the time and effort. The steps are simple.

Start Fresh

Before you can move ahead, you have to get yourself back to the starting line. Get rid of your debt. Once that hole is filled, you can really start to save money for the future. To get out of debt, you’ve got to start living off of what you can earn-not what you can borrow.

Credit card debt is a huge thorn in anyone’s side. Credit cards are a slippery slope, and though they can be handy in emergencies, they make spending money a little too easy. If you only pay the minimum payment each month on a $3,000.00 balance, it will take over 20 years to pay off, and you could pay over $4,000 in interest.

Luckily, getting out of debt is easier than you think. First, promise yourself that you’ll stop charging. Next, figure out how much you can comfortably spend every month in debt payments. Make it a reasonable number that you can stick to, but make it significantly higher than the minimum payments. Even paying $100 more per month on your payments can help out a LOT more than you think.

One last tip: Don’t send every penny you have to the credit card company in frustration. You’ll only end up with no cash when the electric bill comes in, and you’ll be forced to break your promise to yourself and start charging again.

Write it Down

It’s not unusual for a family not to be able to account for 10% or even 20% of their annual expenses. Make a comprehensive list and figure out where the money is going. Determine both how much you’ll spend annually and how much you intend to spend over your working lifetime. You can use the worksheet on the following page as a starting point.

You may be surprised to find out that you don’t know how much you’re spending on a lot of categories. Write down everything you spend for three months-yes, even that 50¢ Coke from the vending machine-and you’ll start to get some real averages.

Here are some categories to look at for savings:

Home

-Rent or Mortgage
-Home Insurance
-Home Maintenance
-Property Taxes

Utilities

-Electricity
-Telephone
-Water
-Garbage Pickup
-Homeowner/Condo Fees
-Internet Connection
-Natural Gas
-Cable TV

Food

-Groceries
-Dining Out
-Take Out

Transportation

-Car Loan
-Car insurance
-Gas
-Parking
-Car Maintenance & Repairs
-Subway, Tolls & Bus
-Registration & Inspection

Personal Care

-Hair Cuts
-Manicures/Pedicures
-Dry Cleaning
-Gym Memberships

Children & Education

-Educational Loans
-Daycare or Private School
-School Supplies
-School Fees
-Baby Supplies

Entertainment

-Renting or Going to Movies
-Family Outings
-Entertaining
-Tobacco
-Alcohol
-Vacations

Pets

-Pet Grooming
-Pet Boarding
-Pet Medical
-Pet Food

Services

-Housekeeper
-Gardner/Mower
-Babysitter

Medical

-Dentist
-Physician
-Eye Care
-Prescriptions
-Emergencies
-Medical Insurance
-Life & Disability Insurance

Consumer Items

-Magazines & Subscriptions (online game subscriptions, etc.)
-Other Memberships (ballet classes, season tickets, club dues)
-Books
-Hobby Expenses
-Tapes & CDs
-Clothes
-Furniture/Household
-Computers and Home Office
-Toys & Games
-Gifts
-Christmas Expenditures
-Other

Other Expenses

-Other Loans
-Credit Card Payments
-Child Support
-Late fees, bank charges, etc.
-Charity
-Alimony
-Income Tax

Savings

-Retirement Savings
-Emergency Savings
-Investments

Establish Goals

The vast majority of families would like to be better off, but have no specific goals. And no, “I’d like to be rich,” doesn’t count as a specific goal. Sit down with your significant other and talk it over. Where do we want to be in ten years, and how do we get there?

Make your goals specific and attainable. Know your rewards for cutting spending. If you decide to give up take-out food, cable TV and morning coffee at your favorite cafe, figure out how much you can save and what you’re going to do with the money. Will you save up to go to school again? Would you like to get a bigger house? Do you want to be able to retire earlier?

Calculate it out: How much money do you need to meet your goals, and how can you get it.

Save and Invest

Determine a set amount that you are going to set away each month and treat it like a bill. To start with, you’ll probably want to put your money in a savings account. But as your savings grows, you’ll want to start to use that money to make more money.

There are dozens of safe ways for you to invest your money and earn more interest than you will in basic savings. Here are a few you can look into:

CD’s Mutual Funds Bonds Money Market Accounts IRAs Treasury Bills and Notes

At Sec.gov, you can use the search function to find clear definitions of different types of accounts. And at Bankrate.com you can compare interest rates offered by banks in your area for basic savings, CD’s, mutual funds and more.

Educate Yourself

In the end, proper financial planning requires educated decisions. Don’t just blindly earn and spend. Pay attention to where your money goes. Household budgets, careful spending, savings, investments, and credit card control are only part of it. Not everyone likes dealing with financial aspects of their lives, but in the end, it’s worth it to bite the bullet, crunch the numbers, and learn how to handle the fortune you earn.

Before we can start building our wealth through personal investment we have to know where we are going to get the money to invest. It has to be discretionary money – money we will not need to cover our day-to-day living expenses. Many investment plans fall down because the money has to be used for unforseen emergencies or unplanned-for contingencies. The only way we can build our wealth is to earmark the money as investment money and protect it by making sure our other living and emergency costs are planned for. This means budget planning.

Hate The Idea Of Budgeting?

So many people hate the idea of budgeting. The idea of living on a budget is not appealing. So many negative pictures come to mind: having to restrict ourselves; having to go without some pleasures; having to discipline ourselves. For some people it means facing reality, because they know they are living beyond their means and they do not like the idea of having to change. Yet, if they don’t, they will get deeper and deeper into debt and will never be free. Unfortunately, this is the story of a great many people.

Budget Planning Makes Us Free

Budget planning puts us in control. We control our money, which means we control our lifestyle. More than that, we control our future. There are so many things in our lives that virtually control us, often through no fault of our own, this is one area we can control and it is one of the most important. We all know money is not the most important thing in life, but we also know we cannot live without it. Money worries are one of the most, if not the most common worries. Taking control of our money goes a long way towards reducing those worries.

Get What We Want

Budget planning is the first step to peace of mind and then to financial freedom. I mean being in a position where the smallest financial glitch does not become an emergency – things like your pay being delayed; the car breaking down; a sudden medical or dental bill. For many people events like these mean they will simply go into more debt with their credit card or they make a panic call to friends or family or, if they have no one to call, just getting through the best way they can. In fact, this feeling of insecurity can hang over their heads causing a great deal of anxiety.

Budget planning is a positive step towards freeing up money to build personal investment, which leads to personal financial freedom.

Putting the wheel of retiring in motion is not an easy task but with better planning, all are possible. When still on your job, plan well and make sure that none of the details has been left out so that you will not regret it once you retire.

Most of us are troubled by the fact that if we are going to maintain our positions and ways of living once we retire. The really fact is that of course it will be challenging to live without the assured salaries we had before.

You should start checking your insurance coverage soon or later so that you may know exactly your financial situation so that you may start a back up plan. This will ensure you that at least you have something before your Medicaid benefits enters.

Start establishing budgets which you and your partner are satisfied that it will be able to maintain both of you no matter what kind of omen shall strike. Since we never know what magnitude emergencies can come, but is better if at least you have an idea that such thing happens.

As couples, try to think and plans for things which you will be doing together and those that you may do them individually. Despite the fact that your are a partner, each one of you have different and independent needs and all these has to be planed for.

Make sure that you have funds set aside to make it possible to pursue for carriers after retirements which are in your interest as partner and as individual.

Another factor of retiring well is to get rid of all the credits you took while still working. Make sure you retire debts free.

Try making sure that your home is paid for and your status to taxes is all clear before you retire. Never jeopardize with your retirements peace.

In order to obtain financial success, you must begin with a reliable personal financial planning program. This program will help you address important factors relating to how you handle your everyday finances so you can maximize what money you got. With proper budget planning, you can get more value out of your money and avoid experiencing financial crisis.

Your first step is recognizing the importance of having a personal financial planning program so you can determine how you can reach your goal and what else can motivate you towards achieving it.

Getting Started With Personal Financial Planning

Today, when most people hear the word “budget”, it readily implies a negative connotation. They think that budgeting is only for those experiencing financial shortage or crisis. However, even with enough financial resources as of the moment, an effective financial planning program will ensure that you will be able to maintain your financial status.

Therefore, personal financial budgeting involves the following:

1. Financial budget for your day-to-day finances while not depriving yourself of what provides you enjoyment and satisfaction.

2. Setting up larger financial goals to which your daily budget and planning is aim towards.

3. Making sure that you have enough savings in case of emergencies or unexpected financial struggles.

The Importance of Budget

Others think that by creating a budget for your finances, it is similar to lack of financial freedom. However, it is of the exact opposite. By creating a budget, you are able to create a financial safety net so you have enough money to spend on things that you want without hurting your financial condition.

Regardless of how little or large you earn on a monthly or yearly basis, budget enables you to take an effective step towards a healthier financial foundation. Hence, you can easily realize whatever financial goals you have.

When making a budget, it is important to keep track of every detail in your expenses – even up to the last cent. Hence, you can also evaluate your spending habits. It allows you to determine whether you are placing your money on important things or whether you can do without it.

How To Set Financial Goals?

Financial goals serve as the endpoint of all efforts toward controlling your finances. Therefore, you need to clearly state what your goals are when it comes to your finances and what steps you need to achieve it.

Step 1: Choose a specific goal. It could be saving for your house’s down payment, sending one of your kids to college, buying a new computer, or going on vacation.

Step 2: Your main financial goal is typically long-term. Hence, you need to break it down into smaller goals, which will serve as your stepping stone towards that bigger goal.

Step 3: Inform yourself about ideas or strategies that will enable you to effectively handle your finances. There are several books or materials over the internet that provides the information you need.

Step 4: Keep track of your goal. Evaluate your financial records alongside your spending habits. Then, you can determine whether you are following the necessary steps that will lead towards your goal.

Therefore, you must get started on devising ways to maximize your finances and enjoy it to the fullest. A personal financial planning program would help you establish the steps that will lead towards more financial success in the future.

Whether you are applying directly to your lender or claiming eligibility under HAMP, the practical decisions are all to be made by the lender. You do whatever you can to set out your side of the proposed bargain with a clear set of accounts showing money in and money out. The need is to demonstrate a guaranteed slice of your monthly income that can be devoted to paying a reduced instalment. So list everything you are obliged to pay to keep body and soul together, from food to utilities to transport to health insurance, and so on.

Without the modification, this is going to be negative, i.e. on paper, you are spending more than you earn. The “trick” is to show enough to cover a modified instalment, perhaps with a tiny slice of money left over for the inevitable emergencies. If the modified instalment you prove can be paid is enough to keep the lender less unhappy, the modification will be agreed on a trial basis. But if the minimum instalment the lender requires will leave you in negative territory, your offer to modify will be rejected. Why reject a good faith offer? Because people who have to juggle monthly payments to fit into the available money almost always default again. Your income must cover all outgoings.

If the modification is agreed in principle, it moves on to a formal trial basis. In theory, this is a three-month trial, but the reality is that the lenders usually drag their feet and are very slow to convert the trial into a permanent modification. This ought not to affect you. After all, you are paying the agreed amount. But there is a problem. Until the modification is made permanent, the lender will report you to the credit rating agencies as still delinquent. This is grossly unfair.

You are paying what is agreed. But, as the law stands, the unpaid balance each month will be reported as late. Thus, the longer the trial period is allowed to drift the worse your credit score will become. This requires action. You should contact the three major agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and ask that details of the trial be added to your credit file. That way, even though your score will continue to decline, all other lenders will be able to see what is going on.

So what is happening during the trial other than you proving your ability to pay the reduced instalments on time? The answer is slightly disheartening. It is always in the lender’s interest to collect as much money from you as possible on your mortgage. But, while you stay in default, the lender is entitled to foreclose at any time. If the lender judges it will make more money by foreclosing rather than accepting the reduced payments over the rest of the term, it will always foreclose.

It is simply collecting as much cash from you as possible before triggering your eviction. No-one said the home loan industry had to work fairly, and it does not. The only time the lender will accept a permanent modification is when the accounts clearly show more profit in keeping the mortgage alive. While the housing market remains depressed, the odds are in your favor. But if resale prices start to rise, the odds will swing against you.