What Is Your Investment Style?

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles - and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive.

Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use.

If you are saving for retirement in your early twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing - but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style.

Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts.

An interest earning savings account is very common for conservative investors.
A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments. Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments.

An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns - either over time or in a short amount of time. Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market.

Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment. Never invest without having all of the facts!

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IMPORTANCE OF SAVING: SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST

The value of money cannot be underestimated. In a recent national survey, more than 96% Americans agreed that early monetary savings would help one achieve a fruitful and stable life.

Saving is a way of insulating oneself from the many symptoms of health and natural adversity. While an average youth of yesteryears thinks more about short-term financial goals such as purchasing a new pair of signature shoes, owning a new jet ski or a brand new car, statistics show that more and more are starting to realize the importance of keeping a personal savings.

Long terms goals are described as goals that have a lasting effect should a person’s present actions be religiously maintained.

The following statements are outlined to provide information and tips on how you can start up your money-saving gimmicks and ensure a happy and financially stable future and list the reasons as to why saving money should occupy a greater place in our list of priorities in life.

Reasons for Saving:

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Is Re-Financing Always Worthwhile?

This is a very important question which all homeowners should ask themselves both at the start and towards the end of the process of re-financing. The answer to this question can spur the homeowner to investigate re-financing further or convince the homeowner to table the thoughts of re-financing for the moment and concentrate on other aspect of owning a home.

Establish Financial Goals

This should be the first step in the process of determining whether or not re-financing is worthwhile. Without this step, a homeowner cannot accurate answer the question of the worth of re-financing because the homeowner may not fully understand his own financial goals. While financial goals may run the gamut from one extreme to another the most basic question to ask is whether the more significant goal is long term savings or increased monthly cash flow. This is important because re-financing can usually achieve these two goals.

Do You Want to Save Money in the Long Run?

Homeowners who establish a goal of saving money in the long run should consider re-financing options such as lower interest rates or shorter loan terms. Both of these options can considerably lower the amount of interest the homeowner is paying on the loan. This is significant because paying less interest will result in a greater cost savings.

Consider an example where a homeowner has an existing debt of $100,000, an interest rate of 6.25% and a loan term of 30 years. Just by reducing the loan term to 15 years the homeowner can significantly decrease the amount which is paid in interest during the course of the loan. However, this option will also result in an increase in the monthly payments made by the homeowner. Therefore this type of re-financing option may only be available to those who have enough cash flow to compensate for the increase in monthly payments.

Do You Want to Increase Your Monthly Cash Flow?

Some homeowners may have a chosen goal of increasing their monthly cash flow. For these homeowners the overall cost savings may not be as important as having more money available to them each month. These homeowners might consider a re-financing option in which they are able to extend their loan terms. This means they will be repaying the existing debt over a longer period of time. The homeowner will pay more in interest in the long run but will achieve their goal of lower monthly payments and an increased cash flow.

How Will Re-Financing Affect Tax Deductions?

This is another serious consideration for homeowners who are interested in investigating the possibility of re-financing. The interest paid on a home loan is often tax deductible. A homeowner who re-finances in a manner which results in less interest being paid annually may adversely affect their tax strategy. The implications of this type of chance can be amplified for homeowners who were previously just below a significant tax break line. A significant decrease in the amount of interest paid will mean a significant decrease in the deduction the homeowner is allowed to take. This reduced deduction can put the homeowner in an entirely different tax bracket and could end up costing the homeowner money in the long run. For this reason, homeowners who are considering re-financing should have a tax preparation professional determine the ramifications re-financing will have on their tax return before a decision is made.

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TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR FINANCES: TIPS ON BUDGETING

With prices of commodities increasing day by day it is proper to make your very own strategic plan on maximizing your financial resources and making sure that every penny earned is well spent.

Make your move on coordinating your finances and list of expenditures that may affect the way you use your income and empower you on your economic stability as a working individual.

Your source of income, lifestyle, spending habits, current job and house location, cost of living, payables and loans determines your level of budgeting needs. Starting to take charge of your finances is one sure way of becoming successful in a field of self-fulfillment and success.

The following tips and recommendations will provide you details on how you can help yourself manage your finances and assume a new outlook to become responsible in your spending.

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“Starting Young: Teaching Teens to Save Money”

Parents mostly complain that teenagers do not listen to them. The opposite is true when it comes to advice regarding ‘money matters’. Teens actually welcome their parent’s input about their finances.

In the past few years, teenagers have earned billions of dollars with part-time and summer jobs.

Some have spent most of what they earned, while others saved most or even all of it for a big purchase, or for their college education.

Kids these days are becoming more and more aware of their family’s source of income and financial status. They apply these money-spending principles when they venture out on their own.

Thus, it becomes more of a parent’s responsibility to start “training” their teenage kids to use their money wisely.

Here are some ways on how you, as a parent, can teach your teens to save those hard-earned bucks:

1. Lead by example.

With your lifestyle, the children will see how you spend your money.

If they see you allotting a certain amount for a specific household need, they will eventually do the same when they get to earn their own keep.

2. Help your teens get a bank account.

Establishing a bank account under their name would give them an instant financial responsibility.

Sit down and explain to them how to manage their own account, and the “rewards” that they get once they save enough.

Their savings could go to their college tuition, or a big purchase like a car.

Additionally, it gives them a sense of accomplishment once they have saved up, with something concrete to show for it.

You may check out the special benefits that banks offer for teens who open their accounts at such an early age.

3. Construct a “spending plan”.

Once they hear the word ‘budget’, teens tend to cringe at the mere thought of having to restrict the spending of their money.

Instead, you and your teen son or daughter could build a “spending plan”. This would get them excited, and think of ways on how they can wisely spend their savings.

Also, have them list down their earnings versus their expenses.

Let them know the difference between the items that they need and the luxury items that they want, which they can actually do without.

4. Make a “mock” investment in the stock market.

Make them aware of the options that they have financially.

Casually introduce to them the business part of your daily newspapers and have them make “mock” investments for companies who manufactures products that they like.

Monitor the stocks together and this would give them another option of investing their money in the future.

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Using Appraisals in Art Investing

Anyone looking put forth a large amount of money in art investing should always consider what they are going to get before any money changes hands. Art is a difficult category of investment because it is often hard to find differences between a priceless masterpiece and a twelve dollar picture in a frame from a closeout store. That is why there are professionals in the art investing industry to help decipher the code. They’ve gone to school and devoted their lives to artwork and are often much more qualified to speak on its value than your or the seller will ever be.

When contemplating art investing, it is always a good idea to obtain a fair market value appraisal of the piece. Fair market value is not reflective of the dealer’s price or the original purchase price the seller paid. Fair market value in art investing refers to the amount that a reasonable and willing buyer will pay a reasonable and willing seller, independent of outside influences. A professional appraisal by a qualified art appraiser will help decide what the fair market value is.

Before purchasing a piece, you will want to obtain the appraisal and carefully read it. There are certain do’s and don’ts in art investing, and spending a large amount of money on an artwork without an appraisal is a definite DON’T. However, just because the buyer tells you the piece has been appraised at $5000 does not mean that is a fair market value. There are red flags in art appraisals that should be carefully watched for.

A verbal appraisal is not a valid appraisal and should not be accepted in art investing. Your money is important and you want to see evidence of price in writing. It is not acceptable for a seller to tell you that the piece was looked at by an appraiser who quoted an approximate value. Your response should be that you will consider the piece once you have a written appraisal in hand, until they your art investing will be taken elsewhere.

Accepting an appraisal from the seller is not always the best way to go. A seller can take their piece to several different appraisers and choose the highest appraisal to show you, the potential buyer. If you have a feeling that the appraisal is grossly overpriced, this may not be a seller you want to conduct art investing with. However, should you decide you must have this piece, ask the seller to allow you to have the piece appraised by an independent third party.

When you receive an appraisal from a seller, you should always check the name and credentials of the appraiser. An appraiser should have experience in the matter for the purposes of art investing. An insurance appraiser is different from a standard appraiser, and an appraisal for insurance purposes does not reflect the fair market value. Insurance appraisals, unlike appraisals for art investing, often reflect the retail value of a piece. They may also include taxes and additional expenses associated with replacement of the piece. This is not the fair market value.

It is also important to inspect the appraisal and ensure that it is recent. Art investing is all about increases and decreases in value, so you should never trust an appraisal that is 10 or 20 years old. An appraisal within the last 1-2 years will be much more accurate, but 6 months is optimum. There could be damage that has occurred to the piece that you may not notice, but a discriminating appraiser will see immediately.

Art investing is difficult enough without worrying about dishonest or uneducated people trying to pass their opinions off as fact. Be careful whose advice you accept before making a large investment and protect yourself by insisting on a valid appraisal. It will be a decision you will not regret.

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Re-Financing with an Interest Only Mortgage

Interest only mortgages are a relatively new phenomenon in the re-financing industry as well as the home buying industry. While the appeal of an interest only mortgage is typically a greater monthly cash flow, this increased cash flow can come with a hefty price tag. In exchange for more cash flow each month, the homeowner may be sacrificing the ability to obtain a fixed rate mortgage as well as the ability to build equity. This article will further examine these features to provide the reader with more information on the subject of interest only mortgages.

Greater Monthly Cash Flow

The one main advantage for many homeowners in an interest only mortgage is the ability to increase monthly cash flow. Homeowners who re-finance by utilizing an interest only mortgage will likely have more money available each month because they will only be paying interest on their mortgage initially. The reduction of the principal payment can make it easier for the homeowner to either afford a larger house or have the ability to live more extravagantly on their budget. However, there is often a significant price to pay for these types of re-financing options.

While interest only loans may not be ideal, they can be beneficial in the situation where the homeowner is having a great deal fulfilling his monthly obligations. In this case, the homeowner may be willing to sacrifice an overall financial loss for the ability to continue to pay monthly bills in a timely fashion.

Unknown Risks of an ARM

Interest only re-finance loans are typically offered with an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) this means the interest rate is not fixed and may fluctuate with the rise and fall of the prime index. This risk can be quite costly for the homeowner if the interest rate rises significantly. There is usually a cap placed on the amount, in terms of percentage, the interest rate can rise in a certain period but this can still be a very costly mistake for the homeowners.

An ARM re-finance option with an interest only component may be worthwhile in some situations. For example if the homeowner has a hybrid mortgage which features a fixed interest rate during the interest only portion and an ARM during the principal and interest portion of the loan they might benefit from this situation if they do not plan to stay in the home for longer than the interest only period. This period may vary depending on the lender and the circumstances. Homeowners who plan to sell the house before the interest only period ends and the ARM period begins enjoy the benefits of lower monthly payments and the security of fixed interest rates before they ever have to worry about repaying the principal or dealing with the varying interest rates.

No Equity in the Home

Another disadvantage to the interest only re-finance loans is they do not allow the homeowner to build equity in the home during the initial period where only the interest on the loan is repaid. This can be a problem for homeowners who are looking to profit through the sale of their home. These homeowners may find the participation in an interest only re-finance has had a damaging effect on the profit they are able to generate from the resale of their home.

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A Sure Hit Sponsorship Proposal

The company you work for is planning to have a major event, and you’re in the marketing group, assigned with the specific tasks of finding suitable sponsors for your event. It seems like a cinch - find potential sponsors; call them up; give a sales pitch; and you’re done. Problem is each company you called asked you for a sponsorship proposal. You sit there, brainstorming on a plan but have no idea how it should look like.

The good thing about this is that you’re not alone. A number of people and organizations may have heard of sponsorship but never thought of the process involved in acquiring a sponsor. The reason for such is that sponsorship - although now being adapted by numerous companies - has no specific document specification.

The good thing is that like every other proposal plan, a similar format can be used in proposing sponsorships. There is no perfect proposal layout, but the format below targets the two main targets that every sponsorship proposal should aim at - avoiding rejection and securing a meeting with potential sponsors.

What your sponsorship proposal should have

Before writing your proposal plan, key points such as the type and number of sponsors should be established. These points are important considerations since they will be part of your ‘physical pitch’ in order to lure your potential sponsors

Executive Summary

The executive summary should be located at the beginning of the sponsorship proposal. This will provide your target sponsor a brief but informative description about the event your organization will be holding. The opportunities, benefits and gains should be included as well as the deadline for the sponsor’s decision and their investment. Keep this summary simple and easy to understand.

Introduction

Like every introduction, provide the necessary information your sponsor/s would want to know. This includes details about your organization and the upcoming event. Basically provide a background that will let the sponsor know the nature of the organization; the reason for holding a major event; any relevant and important that help in garnering a positive response from sponsor prospects.

Event/Affair Description

In the introduction, though the event is mentioned, it is not broken down detail by detail. It is rather in this section of your sponsorship proposal that you give a comprehensive insight to every detail the upcoming event has. Such points may include the day, date and time; the venue of the event; target market or patrons; what should be achieved in the event and the reason behind each.

Any information about similar and/or past events that the organization has had can be included. This provides the sponsor prospects to see the pattern of how the events went and if it would be ideal for them to support it.

Sponsorship Investment

Simply put, this area of the proposal is a break down of what you want your sponsor to support. This is your organization’s request for the sponsor’s resources which may be their service, cash, prizes, product/s, promotions/advertising, or expertise. It is vital to include a price in this part.

Taking account of the actual and realistic costs will give the sponsor the idea that your organization is ready to make such a commitment. Also make sure that the benefits you propose to offer the sponsor prospect/s corresponds to the amount or level of support your organization is asking from them.

Sponsor Gains/Benefits

This part of the sponsorship plan should be an outline of all benefits and opportunities that the sponsor/s will gain from supporting the event. Benefits specified should involve tangible and intangible gains.

Quantifying the benefits is also encouraged to give the sponsor/s a bracket of measurement that they can refer to when considering their decision.

Sponsor Decision Deadline

Usually, a proposal for sponsorship should not exceed two weeks. A deadline with a mean amount of ten days lets the sponsor prospect/s see that your organization is willing to wait a span of time that is reasonable for sponsor consideration. At the same time, it is also a message that sends out a time constraint so that the prospects can give it the proper attention.

This area should be clearly stated so that a timeline can be established. Also so that other scheduled activities, such as setting up a meeting and further presentation, can be followed through on time.

Appendice/Reference

As with every proposal, this part should be a page of reference or sources that were used in stating facts and statistics that support the proposal. This area also includes relevant tables, charts, budget lists, background sources and the like that should help in the enhancement of the sponsorship proposal.

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Finding Your Career in Finance

After being in school for four years to become an accountant, now you’re ready to go out into the world and find a career in finance that will suit you best. However, if you want to pursue things a bit further, you can always aim higher and get yourself a CPA license. For that you have to at least have two years work experience as a public accountant and pass the CPA board exam.

There are plenty of opportunities for accounting and finance careers both in the business and the industry world, provided you know exactly what you want and your abilities as well. You can’t expect to land the most in demand financial jobs in your area if you don’t have your priorities straight and your goals set. You have to make sure that you are headed for a career that will complement your best assets.

Careers in finance are numerous and offered from a wide range of selection. You have to assert yourself first before you apply. Several options for you to choose from include an auditor position, an underwriter, and a private equity officer. You can also apply as a bank employee, accounts assistant, payroll supervisor, or a financial and credit controller. These positions provide experiences which you will need in the financial industry. Some people use these positions as a strategy to climb higher in the corporate ladder.

For a more career corporate finance position, you can grab the highest position and become a financial director. This position when it comes to responsibility is right on top. A financial director is usually the person in charge of everything that concerns the financial matters of a certain company, big or small. But regarding other matters, the size of the company can make a big difference. You can also target positions like business analysts and management accountants.

These two positions have a lot of similarities when it comes to its responsibilities. When most careers in finance suggest past financial assessment-related work like what is done by auditors and other bank employees; these two positions focus more in the future. Business analysts and management accountants may have different specialization in different financial industries, but when it comes to their main responsibilities, it’s all rolled into one.

They provide solutions to highlighted financial business-related problems by analyzing great financial needs of stakeholders and business customers as well.

Insurance industries are also great areas where you can find career opportunities in finance. There are many things in store for you here aside form knowing car career finance insurance rate and other related matters.

All these positions are available to most of us but you have to know that the financial industry is one of the most extremely difficult areas of the business world to get into and that is a fact. Competition is very high and it will take a long shot before you can take a step in.

But if you know exactly where to start, a beginning where you can make a strong foundation in your preferred career in finance, you’re on your way to a very strong lead. You can always start your career from a temporary finance job and climb up from then on. Success in any accounting and finance careers will always be up to you.

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Re-Financing with Shorter Loan Terms

For some homeowners there is the possibility of making a sound re-financing decision even when interest rates are stagnant, the homeowner does not have a great amount of equity in the home and the homeowner’s credit score has not increased significantly. You might wonder how this is possible. It certainly isn’t an option for every homeowner but those who can afford to pay significantly more each month can yield huge financial benefits by refinancing their loan terms from 30 years to 15 years. The benefits which may result from this type of re-financing include a significant overall savings, the ability to gain equity quicker and the ability to repay the balance of the loan quicker.

Higher Monthly Payments Increase Overall Savings

Re-financing with shorter loan terms is definitely not an easy option but homeowners who have a large monthly cash flow or who receive a sizable promotion at work might be able to consider the possibility of re-financing by decreasing the loan terms from 30 years to 15 years.

The result of this type of re-financing will be a significantly higher monthly payment which is not conventional but can be worthwhile if it meets the needs of the homeowner. In particular this type of re-financing option is a viable solution if the homeowner can afford the increase in monthly payments and has an overall goal of reducing the amount of interest they will pay over the course of the entire loan.

Reducing the amount of interest is critical to the overall savings plan because the homeowner does not have the option of reducing their original debt but they can drastically reduce the amount of interest paid over the course of the loan. Consider two loans with a 5% interest rate. One loan is to be repaid over a period of 15 years while the other loan is to be repaid over a period of 30 years. It is clear that in this example, the homeowner with the 30 year mortgage will pay more during the course of the loan.

Equity Gained Quicker

Another major advantage to re-financing by reducing the loan terms from 30 years to 15 years is the ability to gain equity in the home at a significantly faster rate. The amount of the equity in the home is equal to the amount of the principal loan which has already been repaid by the homeowner. Under a conventional loan, the homeowner typically pays a combination of principal and interest with their monthly payments. The amount of the principal which is repaid on two mortgages for the same amount and with the same interest rate will be different if one loan is a 30 year term and the other is a 15 year term. The homeowner with the 15 year mortgage will be paying more of the principal each month and will therefore be accumulating more equity each month. Gaining equity in the home quicker is ideal because it gives the homeowner greater flexibility. The equity in the home can be used for a number of purposes including home improvement projects, travel, educational pursuits and small business ventures.

Loan Repaid Quicker

One advantage of shortening the loan terms, which cannot be denied by some homeowners, is the ability to repay the loan quicker by re-financing to shorten the loan terms from 30 years to 15 years. In this case the homeowner will have completely repaid the home loan a full 15 years earlier than they would have under the conventional loan. This is advantageous because it can enable the homeowners to enjoy living mortgage free a full 15 years earlier. Once the mortgage is fully repaid, the homeowner may be able to make significantly more sizable contributions to his retirement plan. Some homeowners may even be able to afford to retire once their mortgage is repaid in full. This ability can have a significant impact on the quality of life for the homeowner. Homeowners may find themselves with the financial means to travel, assist family in educational pursuits or invest in a small business.

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