Archive for the ‘Creating and maintaining wealth’ Category

Making the Most of Credit

Credit’s twin demon is debt. In addition, while credit can leave you for another, well-paid soul, debt will continue to haunt you until you’re completely down for the count. This is where your financial knowledge comes in. Are you even aware of what a FICO score is? When was the last time you read your [...]

The Beef with Adjustable Rate Mortgages

Let’s forget what Allan Greenspan said about adjustable rate mortgages a few years ago. When you’re dealing with something that could potentially make or break your financial standing, base your opinion and your choices on what’s happening now and not what happened twenty years ago.
Since we live in a world where world markets are as [...]

The Accumulation Phase before Retirement

This might be the most important phase of your retirement plans. This is the meat of things, so to speak. The accumulation phase comes after you did your maximal computations of how much would be needed to live comfortably after your retirement. We’re not talking about a few years here; we’re talking about half a [...]

Veering Away from the Endless Pit of Bankruptcy

Yes, we use the most common term to denote despair to describe bankruptcy, because that’s what it is. To file for bankruptcy means you’re willing to give away all your remaining assets to pay off your debts. All else will be forgiven by a judge. However, the record will stay with you for a decade, [...]

Fresh Graduate, With a Job and No Savings: Sound Familiar?

This is a common problem from fresh graduates. They have everything on their plate with a fresh, encouraging job. They spend a few hours every week at a local gym or fitness club wanting to be as energetic as they were back in their varsity days. Does this sound like you? If it does, let [...]

Section 529 Is Here to Help You

Investments into Section 529 plans are usually used to lower the basic costs of getting higher education. Where many people stop completely, Section 529 investments allow students to pay for their tuition fees, protected from the variability of interest rates and other changes in the world market.
When you invest in Section 529 plans, you end [...]

Dealing with Debt the Right Way

For many people, debt appears to be a bottomless pit of adjustments, high interest rates and endless fencing matches with unwilling lenders. While this is true for majority of people who have never completely left the dark caves of debt, you don’t have to follow suit. There are simple ways to deal with something that’s [...]

The Vicissitudes of Retirement

Retirement is not easy. After the send-off party, what happens to your life afterward? This would be determined in large part by how much preparation you put into your retirement. Retirement plans (usually with employers) would take care of most of the expenses of living out old age.
However, how much would be the value of [...]

Retirement is Fun If You Saved Enough

Let’s say you’re nearing seventy and you’re finally willing to turn in the keys to the old office machine. Hold on a moment, have you ever checked how much you have in the bank? How much you would be receiving over a few years, or in just one go?
Retirement plans become operational once you leave [...]

Are Used Cars Right for You?

For first time buyers of cars, may we remind you that a car loses about twenty percent of its total value during the first year. After the first year, the value of a car geometrically loses its value until it reaches a baseline value or what used car salespersons use to compute the “used car” [...]