How to Manage Money When You Start Earning

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When I first started working full time I was still living with my parents, I had bought a cheap car a couple of months beforehand and I had absolutely no responsibilities other than my road tax and my car insurance. Looking back, I now realize that this was a perfect opportunity for me to sensibly manage my money so that I could have a bright future.

Unfortunately at that time, I was 21 years old and pretty much blew my paycheck each month on partying and general recklessness, if only I had known then what I know now. If you are entering the world of work and want to avoid making the mistakes that I did then here are some things that I wish I’d done at that tender age.

Save Save Save

There is a huge temptation to spend all of your salary each month and not make any plans for the future, after all, you are young and probably think that things will stay the same for ever, they won’t. The far better option is to be smart and start saving some of your money as early as possible. Look to save a quarter of your monthly income, you will thank yourself for the decision to do this when the time comes along to buy a house. I have quite a hefty mortgage and had I saved better then I could’ve got a much better deal on my borrowing.

Consult Someone

People seem to have this notion that great financial advisors like Keith Springer are solely for the rich and famous in this World, that is not correct. In fact using financial advisors should be encouraged from an early age when we are less financially literate. They can offer you great advice on what to do with your money both now and going forward and they can even help you to find great bank accounts and help you make savings plans. You don’t need to meet with one on a weekly basis, just go and see one, lay out your financial situation to them and see what advice they can offer you when it comes to being smart with your money.

Monthly Budget

Remember that you are in it for the long-haul when you approach your finances, of course you could die tomorrow but let’s assume that you aren’t going to and work out how best to set yourself up for the future. A solid monthly budget can help you to stay within your financial goals, budget for everything even if it is alcohol and party money or gadget-buying money, the point of the budget is to control your spends. If you sit at the beginning of each month, take a look at your salary, remove the amount that you wish to save and any other costs which you cannot avoid paying (car insurance etc.) you will be left with your spends for the month, try and split this up into weeks until you get paid again and stick to your plan. Doing this early on will really help you out in the future when you start paying bills.

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New Records Expected in the U.S. Economy and Stocks with President-elect Donald Trump

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With market volatility rising, spread betting could see major winners in the coming weeks and months as analysts believe that Trump could cause U.S. stocks and the economy to set new highs according to the Deutsche Bank.

The news and reactions seem to points to Trump being a positive influence over the U.S. stock market and economy. It is believed by analysts such as Chief U.S. Equity Strategist David Bianco that by the time Trump is sworn in as President of the United States of America, the S&P 500 index will rise over 2,250.

Investors are getting behind the idea that there is a much higher chance of a continued and long-lasting expansion in the economy that could match or beat the 10 year U.S. record. Investors believe that by the year 2018, the S&P 500 could reach as high as 2,500.

If the American economy can make it to 2019 without suffering another recession, it could break the last 10-year record set from 1991 to 2001.

The largest component of the GDP is dampened by the consumption of the growing retirees on Social Security, lowering variability while the structural decline in the growth potential equates to smaller shocks to the market needed to cause a downturn in U.S. market activity.

Bianco does not ignore the risk of a rising dollar on the Corporate America’s bottom line, the possible trade policies that can be seen as protectionist under the new Trump presidency and rises in the Treasury yields, they still think that the most important aspects for investors will be the increases in profitability in banks and the lower taxes.

An estimate from the Deutsche Bank sees the U.S. corporate taxes to drop by as much as 25% bringing it closer to the current OECD average. This suggests that earnings per share on the S&P 500 could see a $5.00 increase with every 5% tax cut. Bianco has therefore increased their earnings per share to at least $130 in 2017 for the S&P 500. This constitutes an annual growth rate of 9%, assuming they hit their 2016 mark of $116. Bianco is unsure of the exact amount the corporate tax rate will be cut but are sure that it will be significant.

If people do not convert their financial holdings from foreign currencies to their country’s currency, the tax reduction that is expected for corporates would provide various benefits to the domestically-orientated organizations. Since November, the Russell 2000 Index has performed vastly better than the S&P 500.

Financial asset prices could be kept afloat by a special repatriation tax holiday, especially if the funds were used for dividend boosts, M&A or buybacks. Bonds will still not be enough of an alternative to shrinking stock valuations or make businesses turn to higher interest expenses. Bianco went on to say that as the Fed continues to the current tightening cycle, it will help to keep the labour market from becoming too volatile as well as help to put a cap on the longer term U.S. Treasury yield curve. Because the utilities stocks have been battered since the election, Bianco has recommended that investors should turn to it as a source of income.

Historically, utilities have seen benefit from lower U.S. corporation tax rates since it gives all the profits back to the U.S. and there is then little foreign exchange risk. It also benefits from a continued the 15% tax rates on dividends as opposed to income tax rates and 3.8% the Affordable Care Act tax that will likely be dropped. Furthermore, utilities will benefit from Federal loans and infrastructure grants as well as benefiting from safe-havens for retirees and other institutions that are looking to lower their fixed income exposure.

Spread betting on sites such as CMC Markets could therefore see some major winners in the coming weeks and months as Trump becomes sworn in and does what most analysts expect him to do. Americans are the most hopeful they have been in a long time based on reports by a Bloomberg sentiment index from the University of Michigan. It showed a broad increase in confidence across incomes, ages and religions. While this might be a post-election honeymoon period for some, confidence is much higher than expected pre-election results.

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Philanthropy Does Not have To Be A Slow And Painful Slog

It is truly unfortunate that many people tend to shy away or ignore altogether the issue of global poverty alleviation. Their reasons are justified by the fact that poverty is a stubborn social issue that has complex and multiple causes. Many of those who are fighting global poverty lament that the process is indeed very slow and painful. However, the website 170 Exchange has a solution that is not tedious and actually benefits all parties. In the United States, commercial real estate companies can receive a tax deduction if they choose to do what is called the 170 Exchange or Bargain Sales. The way it works is that the owner of a property donates the property to a non-profit entity for a charitable contribution based tax deduction. This allows the commercial real estate company to immediately save money on paying taxes, as opposed to saving taxes in the future.

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The Welfont Group Uses the 170 Exchange to Fund the Mercy Foundation

The Welfont Group is a commercial real estate company that specializes in acquiring under-utilized or distressed properties. It can also connect other commercial real estate companies with non-profit organizations so both can benefit from the 170 Exchange. This is truly a unique service that not many other companies can offer.

Industry Veterans Sound Off on the Welfont Group’s Expertise on 170 Exchange

Robert W. Wood, a contributor of Forbes Magazine reiterated the niche service offering of the Welfont Group. “While you can make a simple swap of one property for another, the odds are slim you will find someone with the exact property you want who wants the exact property you have.” This is why the Welfont Group is well known for its ability to create suitable matches between commercial real estate firms and non-profit entities that can legally take advantage of the 170 Exchange because as Gary Keller, author of “The Millionaire Real Estate Investor” confirmed, “It’s a very straightforward procedure, but it take some planning. This program in the IRS tax code allows you to sell and buy properties without having to declare capital gains or pay those taxes.” Those words certainly sound like music to the ears of many commercial real estate brokers!

From 170 Exchange to Micro Loans Funding Philanthropic Causes

The Welfont Group disburses micro loans through the Mercy Foundation in order to help those who are less fortunate all around the world. These micro loans are usually used by small businesses, usually family managed, to expand so that they could make small but effective changes that help them get out of debilitating poverty. One example is a family in Georgia that uses the micro loan to buy more milk cows so that the family can make and sell more cheese products. The extra income is then used to renovate their dilapidated house, repay the micro loan and reinvested into the family dairy business. Instead of relying on donations, this family pulls itself out of poverty. What a beautiful thing to see.

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Save Money by Refinancing Your Loan

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Did you know that you could save a whole lot of money by refinancing your auto loan? You may, for instance, have had bad credit when you took the loan out, which meant your interest rate was really high. If your credit rating has since improved, your rate could also be lowered, meaning you save a great deal of money overall. Even just half a percentage drop can equate to several hundred dollars. This also means that you could pay your loan back quicker – if you continue to make the same repayments, which means you save even more money. While an excellent idea, you do have to make sure you know how to actually secure the best deal.

Using the Internet for Refinancing

Thanks to the internet, it is now easier than ever to find the best deals on just about everything. This includes auto refinancing deal. By using these tools, you are able to check exactly what the difference is going to be to your overall disposable income.

How to Save Money by Refinancing

  1. Find out whether there is a lender out there that is able to offer you a loan at a lower rate than what you currently have.
  2. Do you have a W2 paycheck? If not, you will need two years of tax returns to prove income.
  3. If you refinance as soon as possible, you will save the most money overall on interest. However, you may also end up having to pay an expensive early redemption fee, which means it will be more expensive overall. Make your calculations properly, therefore.
  4. Keep your eye on the financial market. Even a small drop in interest can make a huge difference on how much you pay overall. Every drop in point is a dollar in your pocket, at the end of the day.
  5. Spend some time researching the companies that are out there before you apply. Find out how easy it was for others to make the application and to get approved, and how long it took for the entire process to be completed. Make sure you particularly look at their level of customer service.
  6. Try to negotiate on the interest rate. You could also do this with your existing lender. They want to keep you on their books, after all, so they may be willing to make a concession.
  7. Never borrow more than the current value of your vehicle, so check out how much it is worth right now.

When it comes to your finances, you have to do a lot of research so that you always have the best possible deal, and this is doubly true for refinancing. You should be able to find some good refinancing calculators online, particularly through companies that offer these types of loans, which should tell you exactly how much you can save overall. You could actually save several thousand dollars over the lifetime of your loan, so it is certainly worth looking into.

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Investing In a New House

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Buying a new house is a major decision for anyone to make and it suffices to say that homebuyers really need to do their homework before deciding on a house to purchase.

Having said that, there are many advantages to owning property and investing in a new house is an excellent idea for most people, especially those who are looking to be financially secure in retirement. Here’s a quick look at the benefits of investing in a new house.

Why buy a new house?

There are many advantages to purchasing a new house over one that has been lived in. Moreover, as there are a number of fantastic house designs in the Aveling Homes range for homebuyers to select from, regardless of preference for a particular style, everyone is sure to find the house of their dreams in a location a commutable distance from the Perth CBD.

  • New homes attract better tenants. Homebuyers who are purchasing a house as an investment will find that new homes tend to attract better tenants, by which is meant tenants who will respect the property by taking care of it and residing there for years.
  • New homes offer stamp duty savings. Homebuyers can save tens of thousands of dollars by purchasing a new house and land package over a secondhand home, or even buying a plot of land and building on it.
  • New homes require little maintenance. Because the house is new and has been built to the most modern building standards, new houses are easy to maintain, offering homeowners minimal costs over the first five years when the property is covered by a builder’s warranty.

Additionally, new houses are available in a wide range of styles. As there is such a fantastic range of house design styles to select from, homebuyers investing in one of the new house and land packages in Perth will find that they may have their work cut out for them when making a selection. Whether it’s an ultra-modern design or something more traditional, yet still offering all the modern conveniences one would expect, homebuyers are spoiled for choice.

Depreciation and tax

Another advantage to purchasing a new home for those who are planning to rent their property to tenants is the opportunity to capitalise upon the forces of depreciation. In a new investment home purchased for $250,000 with fixtures totalling around 10% of that amount (approximately $25,000), around $15,000 in tax deductions can be created every year. That’s something for investors to think about when looking into their property buying options.

Important considerations

There are, of course, a number of important considerations that must be taken into account when purchasing a new house as an investment, including the location of the property, the infrastructure surrounding it (also take into account infrastructure planned for the area), and the fiscal health of the region. These are all very important considerations for investors.

Purchasing a new house and land package is an ideal option for property investors and there are many benefits to take advantage of when they purchase a suitable investment property.

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Cash Access in the Casino: How Competitive Edges are Gained

In the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas or Atlantic City, it’s quite easy to forget the basic principles that make the big casinos tick. We’re talking about cash access and how, amongst all of the gaming, few of us quite comprehend how so much money enters these facilities.

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There are actually few companies responsible for the billions of dollars that goes in and out of these doors. One of the big players who have been involved in the game for the last few years have been Everi Holdings. They operate the majority of cash access terminals through the casinos and were served for a long time by Ram Chary.

Of course, it’s not by luck that they are the market leader in this space. Chary has commented on several occasions that Everi’s grip on the market wasn’t necessarily due to them throwing obscene amounts of money at casinos, but rather due to the fact that they could offer competitive edges in other forms.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which they managed to do this.

Reliability

With so few companies responsible for cash access systems, the consequences of systems going down are unthinkable. In other words, they simply must be reliable and up every second of the day.

This is where the infrastructure of the company really comes into play. If these systems are struck down, casinos can potentially lose hundreds of thousands of dollars with their patrons unable to access cash.

It means that there are a whole host of infrastructure considerations; ranging from the amount of storage space that their systems have, right the way down to backup systems in case the original falls.

Due to the vast scale of the operation, all sorts of other considerations come into play such as the cooling costs and other issues which can impact the bottom line.

If a company can prove that their systems will never fall – it’s one of the biggest assurances that a casino can hear.

Security

This is one of those factors that probably goes without saying. Again, we’ll reference the “billions of dollars” line that can be frequently used in any article that mentions casinos.

With so much money involved in these cash access systems, it means security has to be the best in the business. If patrons experience any security concerns whatsoever, the casino in question will be targeted immediately. Their reputation will be tarnished and again, this means that security is another huge assurance factor when these cash access companies approach casinos.

Efficiency

Even if a system incorporates both reliability and security, if it takes an age to process each request it’s not going to do any favors to the casino’s bottom line.

Patrons need access to money in record speeds; it’s what makes the gambling industry spin around. If they are having to wait, there’s a good chance that the urge to spend will soon evaporate, or they will merely go to a different establishment.

Again, it’s further proof that having deep pockets isn’t necessarily going to give a cash access company a contract with casinos – there are plenty of other issues that can provide that elusive competitive advantage.

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Tips on Getting a Great Deal on Commercial Real Estate

Getting involved in real estate investment can give you a great opportunity to make money, in particular within commercial real estate, an area of real estate that is often overlooked. Sometimes the scale of the project puts people off investing in commercial real estate or sometime the amount of money that is attached to it, the rewards however can often be far bigger than with residential properties. If commercial real estate is something that interests you then here are some ways that you can get a great deal on your next property.

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Use a Broker

Many people dismiss the idea of using a broker due to the costs attached but the benefits of using one far outweigh the negatives, especially if you are new to the game. I began investing around 3 years ago and use The Welfont Group, they have not only negotiated some excellent deals for me in the past but found property when I wanted it, managed my investments and more importantly, helped me to make a considerable amount of money. The cost of paying a broker is well worth it, they are the geniuses of the industry who have insider knowledge and who will watch your back when it comes to your assets.

Learn All That You Can

Even if you opt to use a broker, it is imperative that you learn all that you can about the commercial real estate industry and in particular the way in which it operates differently from residential real estate. Before I made my first investment into commercial real estate I read as many books, magazines and websites as I could for around a year. My idea was that if I was going to part with so much money then I simply had to know everything about the industry in which I was putting it into and you should do the same, that way nobody can pull the wool over your eyes.

Don’t Discount Run Down Properties

Very often people completely discount the idea of a property that is simply in need of some TLC, this gives you a great opportunity to snag a bargain. Naturally there are some buildings that are more trouble than they are worth but at the same time there are many that, with a little investment and hard work can turn you a great profit. Much of the time the owners of these properties simply want to get them off their hands so will accept a low offer and, providing you have a team in place to renovate the property, you can make great profits from these buildings. If you do see a dilapidated property then contract someone in the know to look it over for you, often there can be problems that the untrained eye can’t see and the last thing that you want is to buy a property that simply can’t be saved. The cost of paying a professional to the view the property beforehand will pale in comparison to investing on a property that requires large-scale renovation work.

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Ways to Make Your Money Make Money  

The saying ‘make your money work for you’ has almost become a cliche in the world of finance and one that is often overused. In spite of this, the fact remains the same, having money gives you far more opportunities to make money than if you don’t. The question is how, how can your savings make you money, and how much risk do you want to take with your savings in order to go after that extra cash. If you have a healthy savings account then here are some ways that you can use it to grow your wealth.

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 Use an Investment Group

 One of the best ways that I have found to grow my wealth is to use an investment group, these businesses rely on investors like you and me and offer heathy returns through a series of buyouts and large scale investments. I started using Alta Growth Capital, a Mexican based firm who have helped me to make a healthy return on my money. My investment manager is a guy called Javier Garcia Teruel Avila, he has a rich history in private equity investing and consultancy and has an MBA from Harvard Business School, his rich resume in the finance and energy sectors throughout the Americas plus the smart decisions that he has made with my cash has given me reason to trust both him and the company and invest more money with them.

Real Estate

 Everyone will tell you that real estate is where the money is, whilst this can very often be true, there is no cast iron guarantee that buying and selling property will yield you riches. As with anything, getting into the real estate game comes with risk, it is vital therefore, that you know the market inside out. Few people can predict which way the market is going to go so it is important that you start off small, buying houses at auctions, giving them some TLC and selling them on can be a great way to start. Patience is required in real estate, sometimes you could be sitting on a property for a long period of time before finding someone to buy or rent. If you aren’t in a rush for the money and you are prepared to heavily invest your time in research then real estate could be the way to go.

 High Interest Bank Accounts

 Anybody with a healthy amount of savings should start by looking at what interest rate their bank can offer them, the average in the U.S. is just 0.02%, an incredibly low figure when you consider that there are opportunities to get a flat 1% on your money. Putting your money into an account such as this will not make you rich, but it will earn you a great deal more than you are currently making with your 0.02% interest rate. Shop around on the market and speaks to banks directly about how much savings you have, they can then offer you the best rate available, find out which is the highest and put your money to work.

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Choosing What Charity To Donate Money To

Believe it or not, this is a subject that should never be taken lightly. Not all the charity foundations you are going to find online can be trusted. Some of them simply do not care about anything else except the money that can be made from people that do trust the services offered. It is really important that you are careful and that you choose the charities with patience. According to Charles Phillips’s wife, you need to keep both objectivity and subjectivity in mind when you make the final choice.

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Determining What Is Important For You

This is definitely the very first step that you have to take. You need to realize what charities matter the most for you. As an example, there are many foundations out there that help homeless people. Is that a topic of interest for you? If not, maybe you want to donate to charities that help talented students that do not have money to afford the top universities.

Take as much time as you need in order to properly determine your personal wishes. See what charities are important and focus on them.

Making A List Of Charities

Simply because you find a cause that you resonate with does not actually mean that you have to instantly donate. There may be another option available that is a lot better for you. What is important is to take an approach that is similar to the one you take when you choose a doctor. You wouldn’t let the first doctor operate on you without knowing anything about his past work. That is what you have to do with the charitable foundations.

See what projects the charities funded in the past. Were they successful? Did they help the people that you would like to help? Do they operate in the areas that you want to support? This is the type of information that you want to look for. The great news is that it is not at all difficult to find all the information you need on the internet. Just Google data.

Meet With Representatives Of The Companies

The one fact that you will not really do but that is very important is to meet with a representative of the company behind the charity. You are interested in this because you surely have some questions you have to ask. At the same time, you need to see how the people there are. There are always some individuals that are going to represent the entire charity but it is the entire team that does the work.

Patience

Donating money to charity can help a lot of people and can even find cures for diseases. However, if you hurry and you donate to the first charity you find online, you may make a huge mistake. It is really important that you take the time that you need in order to be 100% sure that you are going to find a charity that you can trust. Establishing a long-term relationship is really important.

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Top Tips to Make Your Money Go Further

Money rules all, and it always will, the main concern in almost everyone’s lives is having enough money, enough money to survive, enough money to buy what they want or enough money to achieve their dreams. Whatever your reason for being concerned with the size of your income or bank account I’m sure that you will echo these sentiments. So, how do we go about solving the issue of money worries, well, there are two approaches that you can take, making more of it and working hard to spend less of it, both of which can give you a more positive view of your finances and ultimately a happier life. Here are some tips for you as to how you can achieve this.

Couponing

Gone are the days where people would rake through magazines searching for a 50 cents-off promotion in the back pages or walking into the grocery store armed to the teeth with glossy pieces of paper to save them cash. These days the online world of couponing is a craze that is engaging everyone with internet access and it is a brilliant way for you to save money. The emergence of voucher and coupon websites has not only encouraged businesses to make more money by offering great deals for their prospective customers but has saved the general public tens of millions of dollars in purchases that they have made simply by downloading a coupon for free online, get involved and save some money.

Use Your Cash

There are several ways of using your money to make even more money, firstly you should be looking into what kind of account your bank offers you, if you have an APY of anything less than 0.2% the you should be looking to put your money elsewhere to let it grow. If you have large savings then consider investments into businesses, stocks or property to hopefully take some big profits from your investments. Money does breed money and the same goes for things like online gambling, if you take the risk then the rewards could be huge, you can start off risk-free as well with a bonus for online casino games that means that you won’t even be gambling with your own cash to start with, what better way to learn the trade than by using someone else’s money!

Sharing Economy

The values of a sharing economy can work wonders in your life and for your finances, the essence of this economic system is that people live within their means and open up opportunities for others to share parts of their lives. Whether this means that you decide to use a car pool to get to work or rent out your spare room, the idea of collaborative consumption is the perfect way to save more money in your life and something that you should be looking at trying out to aid your financial situation. By spending less and sharing more you can give your monthly finances a boost and give yourself the opportunity to meet more people and create a more sociable World, the perfect combination.

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