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1. Is consumer credit growth worth worrying about?

A news release on 6 February 2015 from the Federal Reserve Board, together with a selection of dense numerical tables, showed once again that consumer credit in use has increased over the course of a year. This is the fourth year in a row and the 67th yearly increase in the 69 years since 1945. But does this mean that credit growth is a meaningful worry? Total consumer sector income and total assets have also increased in 67 of the 69 years since World War II.

The post Is consumer credit growth worth worrying about? appeared first on OUPblog.

0 Comments on Is consumer credit growth worth worrying about? as of 2/18/2015 4:43:00 AM
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2. Can Be A Pay Day Loan Best For You? Check This Out To Discover

urgent payday loans online Get secured loan in Portland, OR by using urgent $ 300 payday loans online within one hour .

Being able to swiftly get funds can be really significant over these difficult economic periods. This will help to solve any fiscal problem that you will be getting. Even so, if you’re not able to know very well what receiving a pay day loan is centered on, you will get yourself into issues. You have to know concerning the loaning composition, rates of interest, along with other elements, so read through this post before applying.

Before applying to get a pay day loan, critically examine your budget. Learn how significantly you must deal with your needed expenditures. You should not obtain in opposition to this money. The secret is to obtain in opposition to your non-needed, regular monthly earnings. If you prefer a less difficult variety, you can obtain 25Per cent of your respective paycheck and pay for the bank loan very easily generally in most situations.

Big money is created every year by the pay day loan business. The prices of payday cash loans are often costly, and much of the is pocketed by the loan company. Do some investigation on various loan companies to make sure you receive the best bank loan. When the are finalizing costs or some other various costs, make sure you make up them when comparing service providers.

When looking for paycheck loan companies, don’t worry about your credit ranking. A loan company is definitely moving to consider your revenue and be sure the next paycheck can deal with the loan. Certain areas will not run your credit rating and gives you approximately 7 hundred dollars.

You might not be entitled to take out a pay day loan, particularly if are not able to spend it back again on your up coming paycheck. If you find yourself rejected due to this, you must find a different way to obtain the cash you need. Normally, you will get yourself kept in a cycle of financial debt.

Do a little comparison shopping when evaluating a pay day loan. Each loan company possesses its own costs and rates of interest. You could discover a company that appears like it’s offering you an excellent offer. Even so, there might be another which offers an even better offer. Do your research and also you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re getting a pay day loan, know that this really is in essence the next paycheck. The cash you receive from function will likely be paying off the loan you had taken so remember you must wait two paychecks to get back to typical. Not thinking about this before you take out a pay day loan can be damaging for your long term funds.

If you want a pay day loan, make certain it’s repaid entirely along with your up coming check or perhaps the loan’s because of day. Constantly be worthwhile the loan and don’t lengthen the conditions or roll it around, regardless how eye-catching it appears to do so. This will likely be sure that the the very least volume of curiosity will likely be incurred to you.

Carefully research the backdrop for any company you are thinking about for a loan. Commercials usually are not always a good help guide picking a reputable company. Spend a while in examining them out on the internet. Search for testimonies regarding each and every company that you will be thinking about doing business with before you decide to permit some of them have your personal information. Undergoing the pay day loan method is a good deal easier anytime you’re working with a truthful and dependable company.

Several paycheck loan companies make their debtors indicator contracts stating that loan companies are legally shielded in the event of all quarrels. Pay day loans usually are not dismissed on account of personal bankruptcy. Additionally, you must indicator an agreement stating that you will not sue in case you have a challenge using the loan company.

Keep in mind that just about every pay day loan contract comes with a variety of numerous stringent rules a client has got to say yes to. When the individual getting the loan declares personal bankruptcy, the pay day loan financial debt won’t be dismissed. They might also demand a client to indicator an agreement not to sue their loan company if they have a challenge.

If you are living in a tiny neighborhood where paycheck loaning is limited, you really should go out of express. Most of the time you might be able to go to a express through which they are legitimate and protect a fill bank loan. Ever since the true motion of income is dealt with in electronic format, this process normally needs only a single getaway.

Many people wind up in jobs in which a pay day loan is the only option. Only select a pay day loan after all your additional options happen to be tired. If you find family or perhaps a close friend that will bank loan you money, speak to them just before getting a pay day loan.

Don’t ruin relationships by using a pay day loan. Tend not to ever get a pay day loan to get a good friend or cherished one. Should they normal on their bank loan, you will have to pay back it.

While there are certain circumstances wherein a pay day loan does make sense, it is essential to inform yourself concerning this type of transaction entirely before employing a speedy bank loan. Should you read through this post carefully, you’ve gathered some tips that could confirm important when you decide to look following a pay day loan of your.

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3. Discover Online Payday Loans And Obtain Your Concerns Resolved

Get urgent $ 200 payday loans online St. Louis, MO no faxing .

Do you possess an unanticipated costs? Do you require a little bit of help which makes it in your up coming spend time? You can obtain a payday advance to help you get through the up coming few months. You are able to normally get these lending options swiftly, however you need to know a lot of things. Here are some tips to help.

Get urgent $ 200 payday loans online Reno Nevada no faxing .

Call all around and learn rates and charges. Most payday advance businesses have very similar charges and rates, yet not all. You could possibly preserve 10 or 20 or so bucks on your financial loan if one business delivers a decrease monthly interest. Should you often get these lending options, the financial savings will prove to add up.

Steer clear of taking out a couple of payday advance at the same time. It is illegal to take out a couple of payday advance against the same paycheck. One other issue is, the failure to pay back a number of different lending options from numerous loan companies, from one paycheck. If you fail to pay off the loan by the due date, the charges, and interest carry on and increase.

Call the payday advance business if, you do have a trouble with the repayment schedule. Anything you do, don’t disappear. These businesses have reasonably intense series sectors, and can be difficult to handle. Prior to they think about you delinquent in settlement, just refer to them as, and tell them what is happening.

The top tip about payday loans would be to only borrow what you know it is possible to repay. As an illustration, a payday advance business may provide you with a specific amount since your revenue is nice, but you could have other responsibilities that stop you from make payment on financial loan back. Typically, it is wise to take out the amount you are able to afford to pay back after your charges are compensated.

The easiest way to make use of a payday advance would be to spend it way back in total as soon as possible. The charges, interest, along with other expenses related to these lending options can cause important debts, that is almost impossible to settle. So when you are able spend your loan off, practice it and do not expand it.

Study each word of the payday advance arrangement. Some businesses, specially Internet-dependent businesses, benefit from payday loans to acquire your purchase-in to other products. Often, they do this without the need of you even realizing, with an agreement’s fine print. Know specifically what you are departing with when you are getting a payday advance. Study everything.

Discover the laws where you live about payday loans. Some loan companies make an effort to pull off increased rates, fees and penalties, or numerous charges they they are certainly not legally capable to ask you for. So many people are just happy for that financial loan, and do not concern these matters, which makes it easier for loan companies to carried on receiving out using them.

If you are often turning to payday loans to acquire by, have a close up review your spending habits. Payday cash loans are as near to authorized financial loan sharking as, legal requirements permits. They should simply be used in emergencies. Even then there are normally much better alternatives. If you realise oneself in the payday advance building every month, you may have to set oneself track of a financial budget. Then follow it.

When obtaining a payday advance it might be best if you attempt, and spend the money for financial loan way back in total with the due day without the need of increasing it. Rates of interest are through the roof for most of these lending options, so the easier you pay back your loan the better cash you can expect to preserve.

Opt for your references wisely. Some payday advance businesses need you to title two, or a few references. They are the men and women that they can contact, when there is a problem and you also can not be attained. Make sure your references could be attained. Moreover, make sure that you inform your references, that you are currently making use of them. This will help those to anticipate any telephone calls.

If you are considering getting a payday advance, make sure that you possess a prepare to get it paid off without delay. The financing business will offer to “help you” and expand your loan, when you can’t pay it back without delay. This extension expenses a charge, additionally further interest, thus it does absolutely nothing positive for yourself. Nevertheless, it earns the loan business a fantastic earnings.

With any luck ,, this article has you properly armed as being a consumer, and knowledgeable concerning the information of payday loans. Just like everything else worldwide, there are actually positives, and negatives. The tennis ball is in your the courtroom as being a consumer, who need to find out the information. Think about them, and make the most efficient selection!

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4. Specifics And Guidance On Utilizing Online Payday Loans In The Pinch

Get quick $ 600 payday loans online Nashville-Davidson, TN no employment verification .

Should you be stressed out because you require funds straight away, you could possibly chill out just a little. Pay day loans will help you overcome the hump in your monetary life. However, there are some things you have to know about the subject well before deciding no matter if you would like one particular. Here are some tips to help you choose.

Get quick $ 600 payday loans online Philadelphia, PA no employment verification .

No matter what you are doing, when you have to obtain a payday advance, only undertake it one-by-one. Do not head to several payday advance businesses, and strive to get financial loans. You can expect to place yourself in a job where you can by no means pay for the money-back, no matter how a lot you are making.

Should you be concerned with how a payday advance will have an impact on your credit track record, search for a payday advance financial institution that does not have a credit rating prerequisite. This is a great alternative for those who have a bad credit score or no credit rating and also individuals who want this loan to remain away from their document.

With a payday advance, count on a relatively substantial payment to acquire quickness and convenience. You will get your money more quickly than you might from the lender, nevertheless the service fees can add up. Pay back the loan as fast as possible and get away from rolling it over to another verify.

If you must use a payday advance due to an unexpected emergency, or unexpected occasion, know that so many people are devote an undesirable placement as a result. Should you not use them responsibly, you can find yourself within a cycle that you just could not get rid of. You can be in debts for the payday advance company for a long time.

Make certain you study and understand every one of the small print before you decide to take a payday advance. There may be many invisible service fees or charges on these financial loans that could add up to a lot of money in added monthly payments. By checking carefully in advance for such service fees, you are able to stay away from needing to spend much more on the loan.

Before you sign in the dotted series for the payday advance, consult with your local Greater Organization Bureau very first. Be sure the business you cope with is respected and snacks buyers with respect. Many companies out there are offering payday advance businesses a very poor track record, so you don’t want to become fact.

Know the rules. Imagine you take out a payday advance to get repaid with through your after that spend period of time. Should you not pay for the loan back on time, the lender can make use of how the verify you applied as equity no matter if you will have the money in your account or otherwise. Beyond the bounced verify service fees, you can find claims the location where the financial institution can declare 3 times the volume of your authentic verify.

Cash advance businesses use different methods to function throughout the usury legal guidelines which were set up to safeguard buyers. They are going to charge service fees that essentially add up to interest in the loan. As a result the interest rate as much as ten times the standard interest rate of traditional financial loans.

A great hint for many who often use payday cash loans is to obtain some form of credit rating or spending budget counseling. Pay day loans should just be employed for unpredicted emergencies and should never be used. Comprehend you are paying a good deal in interest service fees when you use them often.

Do not become reliant on payday cash loans, as luring as it might get. They must be considered an unexpected emergency-only useful resource rather than an extension of your respective standard income. Phrases could possibly get challenging and service fees work substantial use them sensibly so that as a transmission that you just most likely need to get your monetary property so as soon.

When filling out a software for the payday advance, you should always look for some form of composing that says your information is definitely not distributed or given to any person. Some pay day loaning sites will give important info apart such as your address, social protection variety, and so forth. so ensure you stay away from these companies.

When taking out a payday advance, it is vital that you seek information. You may not wish to blindly feel an advertisement, because you usually are not obtaining the complete scenario. Talk with other people who took out this type of loan, or study several of the company critiques on the Internet.

While using knowledge you obtained right now, you may now make knowledgeable ,and ideal decisions for the potential. Make sure that you utilize the data that you just obtained right now, to be able to use a peaceful potential. Prevent getting emphasized due to payday cash loans. You must be able to do these things, as to what you obtained from the articles right now.

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5. Kobo sold to Rakuten

Publication Date: 
Wed, 09/11/2011 - 09:30

Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten has acquired e-reading service Kobo for $315 million.

The move follows Rakuten’s acquisition of internet retailer Play.com earlier this year for £25m in cash, as part of the company’s European expansion plan.

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6. Sales drop 2.5% at Lagardère

Written By: 
Lisa Campbell
Publication Date: 
Tue, 08/11/2011 - 10:15

Lagardère Publishing has reported a net sale decrease of 2.5% on a like-for-like basis in its third quarter, attributing the drop to weaker sales in English-speaking countries and the "impact of e-books".

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7. Sales ‘worryingly weak’ warns BRC

Written By: 
Lisa Campbell
Publication Date: 
Tue, 08/11/2011 - 10:19

UK retail sale values sank 0.6% in October compared to last year, with the British Retail Consortium warning sales were "worryingly weak" in the approach to Christmas.

In October last year, sales values had risen by 0.8%. On a total basis sales were up by 1.5% in October this year, but in the same month last year sales had risen by 2.4%.

The BRC warned book sales remained "very tough and well below their year-earlier level".

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8. So what do we think? The End of the Line

End of the Line: A Parker Noble Mystery

 

Manno, Mike (2010) End of the Line: A Parker Noble Mystery. Five Star Publishing of Gale, Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1594148637. Litland recommends of interest to adults, acceptable for older teens.

 Publisher description:  When former banker R. J. Butler is found murdered on a city transit bus, police take little time making a connection with the embezzlement at his former bank. But is that the motive for his murder? State police detective Sergeant Jerome Stankowski and his persnickety “partner,” Parker Noble, are called to investigate and run into a host of possibilities including a trophy wife on drugs and an ex-wife desperately needing a church annulment R. J. was blocking..

 Our thoughts:

 The second installment of the Parker Noble series, End of the Line, is a fun yet engaging, quick-paced detective mystery. Parker Noble may be the genius who solves the crimes, but it is Detective “Stan” Stankowski’s antics both on and off the job that lighten the story. Truly a man’s man, Stankowski enjoys girl watching while being easily manipulated by his somewhat-girlfriend Buffy the reporter.  He  tries to juggle dating 3 girls at the same time, each end up having a role in solving the mystery. Meanwhile, the contrast of Parker’s rigidly-ordered life to Stan’s adds color, and both humor and clues surface throughout the story just often enough to keep the reader alert. My favorite dialogue pertains to Parker’s dog, Buckwheat Bob the basset hound, who listens to talk radio while Parker is at work:

(Stan) “I take it that the human voice is soothing for him?”…(Parker) ”Not really, he likes to listen to the political talk”…”You don’t think he understands all of that, do you?”…”Don’t know, Stanley. All I can tell you is that he’s turned into quite a Republican.” LOL!

 A cozy mystery written for adults, it would probably have a PG rating if a movie: use of the bird finger; one suspect referred to as tramp, hussy, nude model; Buffy pressuring Stan into taking a vacation together. However, Stan remains chaste in his girl-chasing and the story is focused on the relationships between all the characters, which adds depth, interest and a few chuckles along the way. A fun story available in the Litland.com Bookstore.

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9. E-books and Continuum buy drive sales at Bloomsbury

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Thu, 27/10/2011 - 09:41

E-book sales and the acquisition of Continuum helped sales at Bloomsbury leap 16%, although relocation and restructuring costs led to pre-tax profit more than halving to £0.3m, in its latest set of financial accounts.

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10. Quarto reports ‘much improved’ third quarter trading

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Fri, 21/10/2011 - 08:27

International co-edition publisher Quarto has increased its revenue and profit in the first nine months of 2011, with "much improved trading in the third quarter".

In its Q3 interim management statement the company, headed by chairman and c.e.o. Laurence Orbach, reported sales up by 5% to $130.7m (£82.8m) for the nine months to 30th September 2011, with profit before tax, amortisation of non-current intangibles and exceptional items up 3% to $24.7m (£15.7m) over the period. Profit before tax had increased by 9%, to $6.0m (£3.8m).

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11. Bertrams sales and profit marginally fall

Written By: 
Lisa Campbell
Publication Date: 
Thu, 20/10/2011 - 09:00

Bertrams' sales and operating profit has dropped marginally in the last year while the book wholesaler said its merger with Dawson Books will increase revenues by a third.

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12. Atlantic loses £1.8m in "dreadful" 2010

Written By: 
Benedicte Page
Publication Date: 
Tue, 11/10/2011 - 14:53

Atlantic Books made a loss of £1.8m on turnover of £6.9m in 2010, the company has confirmed. But chief executive Toby Mundy said the publisher was likely to grow 15% on 2010's figures this year and had also reduced its costs by 15%.

Mundy said the 2010 losses came about after Atlantic increased its overheads to push ambitious growth plans, including with the launch of its Corvus imprint, while the economy flatlined. The company's 2010 turnover was flat year-on-year, at £23,773 below its 2009 total.

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13. Quercus sees sales drop but profits rise

Written By: 
Philip Jones
Publication Date: 
Tue, 27/09/2011 - 10:33

Quercus saw an inevitable downturn in sales in the first half of 2011 after its Stieg Larsson enhanced 2010 numbers, but still managed to increase profit, improve its cash position, grow digital sales seven-fold and pay its first ever dividend to shareholders.

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14. Bloomsbury cooks up deal with Absolute Press

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Thu, 01/09/2011 - 08:54

Bloomsbury has acquired independent food list Absolute Press, set up by publisher Jon Croft in 1979.

Absolute Press specialises in high-end cookery titles, publishing Keith Floyd's first title in 1981. Its titles include vegetarian cookbook Terre a Terre by Amanda Powley, The Ultimate Student Cookbook by Fiona Beckett and The Marmite Cookbook by Paul Hartley. The list contains about 100 in print titles, with Bloomsbury intending to continue to publish 15-20 titles a year on the Absolute Press imprint.

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15. Digital more than 10% of RH UK sales

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Wed, 31/08/2011 - 10:05

E-book sales now account for over 10% of Random House Group UK sales, as worldwide earnings for parent company Random House surged despite a dip in sales.

In the first six months of 2011, Random House worldwide reported revenue of €787m (£697.3m), down from €791m (£701.0m) last year, according to figures from parent company Bertelsmman. However, earnings before interest and taxes surged from €40m (£35.5m) to €69m (£61.2m) during the same period.

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16. Profit and sales up at Haynes

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Fri, 26/08/2011 - 09:04

Manuals and DIY publisher Haynes Publishing has reported pre-tax profits of £7.18m, up from £7.17m in 2010, for the year ended 31st May 2011.

Like-for-like sales were up 1% to £33.76m from £33.31m in 2010. Segmental operating profits rose by 10% in the UK and European markets, up to £2.4m, compared with £2.19m in 2010.

Sales of Haynes' top 10 bestselling manuals were up 20%, with UK and European revenue overall ending the year down by 3% on last year at £14.43m, down from £14.93m in 2010.

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17. Penguin’s sales and profits fall in first half as digital rises

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Fri, 29/07/2011 - 09:20

Penguin reported lower sales and profits in the first half of 2011 as it adjusted to the "unprecedented challenges" afflicting the publishing sector including the loss of high street booksellers in the US and Australia and the shift to digital.

Sales valued £457m, down 4% on the same period in 2010, with operating profit down £2m to £42m in the period to 30th June 2011. E-book sales were up by 128% now representing 14% of Penguin revenues worldwide, or £64m.

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18. Kindle fuels ‘fastest growth’ in a decade at Amazon

Written By: 
Lisa Campbell
Publication Date: 
Wed, 27/07/2011 - 07:47

Amazon.com is experiencing its "fastest growth" in more than a decade with accelerating Kindle sales, according to its founder Jeff Bezos, but at a cost to the bottom line.

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19. BBC wipes £33.8m off Lonely Planet value

Written By: 
Graeme Neill
Publication Date: 
Tue, 12/07/2011 - 12:16

BBC Worldwide has written down £33.8m off the value of Lonely Planet, blaming the strong Australian dollar and challenges to the travel sector.

The broadcaster bought 75% of the business in 2007 for £89m and paid a further £42m for the remaining shares earlier this year. However, in parent BBC Worldwide's (BBCW) annual report, published today, it revealed the write down. The Lonely Planet business is based in Australia and BBCW blamed the strength of the Australian dollar for £20.7m of the total write down.

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20. Fathers Day fails to boost June book sales – BRC

Written By: 
Lisa Campbell
Publication Date: 
Tue, 12/07/2011 - 09:37

Widespread offers and Fathers Day failed to affect book sales falling in June compared to 2010, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Figures out today show total sales in the UK were up 1.5% last month in comparison to June 2010, when sales had increased by 3.4%. Like for like sales last month were down 0.6%.

The BRC said: "Book sales fell further below their year-earlier level, despite widespread offers, especially around Fathers’ Day." However, it added: "E-book readers were also popular as gifts."

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21. "Weak" UK fails to hold back Quarto

Written By: 
Graeme Neill
Publication Date: 
Wed, 01/06/2011 - 09:16

Profit and sales have increased at co-edition publisher Quarto although it warned the UK market remains "weak".

Ahead of today's annual general meeting, chairman and c.e.o. Laurence Orbach said sales were up 4% to $178.5m (£108.2m) for the 12 months to 30th April 2011. Profit before tax, amortisation of non-current intangibles and exceptional items, was up 3% to $11.5m (£7.0m).

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22. Bloomsbury e-book growth "significant"

Written By: 
Charlotte Williams
Publication Date: 
Fri, 27/05/2011 - 08:45

Bloomsbury's e-book sales topped £1.1m in the first three months of 2011, as the company reported its unaudited preliminary results for the fourteen months ended 28th February 2011.

Revenue across the group was £103.4m for the period, reported as the publisher has changed its year end to 28th February, compared to £87.2m for the 12 months ended 31st December 2009.

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23. How to Plan for Retirement

Marc Palatucci, Intern

David Bach is the best-selling author of the Finish Rich book series. In his latest work, The Finish Rich Dictionary, Bach provides definitions for over a thousand financial words and terms. Interspersed throughout the definitions are ten essays designed to help the reader navigate today’s financial environment, and avoid it’s many pitfalls and perils. In this excerpt, Bach gives seven rules to follow in planning for ones retirement.  To read other excerpts from this book click here.

Here are seven rules for planning for retirement:

1. Invest for growth. Even with the recent downturn in the stock market, it’s still critical that, when you invest in your retirement accounts, you invest for growth. Many people are now making the crucial mistake of thinking that the stock market will never go up again and, as a result, they are putting all of their money in guaranteed investments (like certificates of deposit). The problem with investing in something that is guaranteed is that the return may be less than inflation, which means you are actually losing money each year. The cost of living has been climbing steadily, at an average of slightly more than 3 percent a year. Playing it safe will not allow you to beat that rate. If your retirement account doesn’t grow faster than inflation, you’re not going to have enough money to live on when you retire, 20, 30, or 40 years from now.
While seeking growth requires you to invest some of your money in stocks (and that means more risk), over the long term, you should come out ahead and be able to build a bigger nest egg.

2. Take advantage of free money. One of the smartest things you can do when it comes to saving for the future is taking advantage of the free money your employer may give you. In many cases, employers will supplement your retirement plan contributions with contributions of their own. These matching contributions usually start at 20 percent of what you’ve put in and sometimes go as high as 100 percent. At the same time, you should still make the maximum allowable contribution, not just the percentage of your paycheck that your company will match. If your employer stops matching your contributions (as many companies have recently started doing), don’t make the critical mistake of stopping your contributions to your retirement account. With or without a match, you want to use your retirement account at work.

3. Don’t borrow from your retirement plan. Although your retirement plan may allow you to borrow money from your account without paying taxes or penalties, don’t do it. Why? For starters, imagine being laid off from work. At the worst possible time, your company tells you, “You have to pay back your 401 (k) loan.” Without a paycheck, you can’t pay back your loan, right? Your company then reports your loan as a distribution, and now you owe the IRS taxes on the loan, plus a 10 percent penalty fee. But wait, you’re not working. How will you pay the IRS? See the problem here? This is happening to thousands of Americans right now. Don’t let it happen to you. Leave your retirement money alone until you’re ready to retire.

4. Consolidate your accounts. Many people remember Grandma’s advice about not putting all your eggs in one basket, but they often misunderstand it. Not putting your eggs in one basket means diversifying your risk - putting your money into different kinds of assets, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles. It doesn’t mean opening an IRA at a different bank or brokerage firm every year.

There is simply no way you can do a good job managing your retirement accounts if they are spread all over the place. If that’s what you’ve done, consider consolidating them into one IRA custodial account. Not only can you completely diversify your investments withing a single IRA, but you’ll also find it much easier to keep track of everything.

5. Be careful who you list as the beneficiary of your retirement account. Many people follow their lawyer’s advice to create a living trust to protect their estate, put all their assets in their trust’s name. This is a big mistake. When you do this, your rollover, which allows, for example, a widow to take over her late husband’s IRA and put it in her name, without having to pay any taxes on it until she actually starts taking the money out. If the husband has transferred ownership of his IRA to a trust, the wife can’t take it over in the event of his death. Instead, the account goes to the trust, and the proceeds become taxable. For much the same reason, you shouldn’t make a trust the beneficiary of any of your IRAs or 401(k) plans. You should also make sure that, if you or your partner has been married before, your ex isn’t still listed as the beneficiary on any of your retirement accounts. Finally, if you’re newly married, make sure that your spouse has put you down as the beneficiary of his or her accounts. Many people when they marry have “Mom” down as a beneficiary. No offense to “Mom” or “Sis,” but you want your name on that beneficiary statement. Also, make sure you list your kids as contingent beneficiaries.

6. Always take your retirement money with you. When you leave a company where you’ve been contributing to a 401(k) plan, don’t leave your retirement money behind. Rather, immediately inform the benefits department that you want to do an IRA rollover. Your former employer will then transfer your retirement funds either to a new custodial IRA that you’ve set up for yourself at a bank or brokerage firm, or to the 401(k) plan at your new employer (assuming there is one and it accepts money from other plans). If you leave money in an old 401(k) plan, your beneficiary, upon your death, would have to go back to a company where you may not have worked in years to get your money. The process can take as long as a year, and the money could be subject to taxes before your beneficiary can collect it.

7. Don’t shortchange yourself. Whatever else you do in your financial life, take retirement planning seriously. There is nothing you can do that will have more impact on your future financial security than maximizing your contributions to a retirement account and making sure that money works really hard for you.

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24. How to Create a Financial Plan

Megan Branch, Intern

David Bach is the best-selling author of the eight books in the Finish Rich series as well as Fight for Your Money and The Automatic Millionaire. In his latest book, The Finish Rich Dictionary, Bach defines 1001 essential financial terms and provides 10 essays packed with financial advice ranging from skipping your morning latte to avoiding common money mistakes. Below, we’ve excerpted Bach’s steps for creating a financial plan that will really work.

  • Make sure your goals are based on your values. By identifying your top five values, you can then base your goals on them. The more you base your goals on your values, the more likely it is that you will achieve them. After all, can you think of anything better or more exciting around which to plan your spending and investing than the things that really matter to you? And what could matter more than the values by which you and your partner want to live and grow? Ideally, each of these top five values should lead you to a specific key goal. You’ll write down a value and then, right next to it, a related goal on which you want to focus your time and energy.
  • Make your goals specific, detailed, and with a finish line. Wanting something and getting it are two different things. In order to achieve a goal, you must know precisely what it is that you’re after. In other words, you need to take those vague ideas and thoughts you have about what sort of life you’d like and make them specific. Your goal could be to buy a dream house by a lake. Or it could be getting your credit card bills paid off over the next 12 months, going to Hawaii on a dream vacation sometime in the next two years, or cleaning out the house from top to bottom in the next three months.
  • Put your top five goals in writing. Study after study has shown that writing down your goals makes it much more likely that you’ll achieve them. Writing down goals does something to you subconsciously that often brings the goal to you. For one thing, writing down your goals helps you make them more specific. For another, it makes your goals seem more real to you.
  • Start taking action toward your goals within 48 hours. If you don’t get moving immediately toward your goal, even if only in a small way, chances are you’ll never get moving at all. Even if it will take years to achieve a particular goal, there are still things you can do to start moving toward that goal right away. And you can do it within the next 48 hours. By taking this sort of specific, immediate action, your goal becomes even more real to you and, thus, even more exciting.
  • Enlist help. There’s no such thing as a “self-made” person. No one ever reaches a really important goal without some sort of help from some other person. It’s important to share your dreams and goals with the people you love and trust, but it also doesn’t hurt to share them with strangers, too. You never know—the person you’re sitting next to at a dinner party or a lecture may be in the perfect position to help you make your dream a reality. If you keep your goals to yourself, you could miss your big chance.
  • Get a rough idea of how much it will cost to achieve your goals. You need to get a sense of what it will take in dollars and cents to achieve your various goals. This will enable you to do two things: (1) understand how realistic (or unrealistic) your goals may be, and (2) get yourself started on a systematic savings and investment plan to accumulate the money you’ll need to achieve them. Some goals will take almost no time to save for, and some goals may take a lot of time and investing to reach. Since it’s important to know which is which, part of creating a Purpose-Focused Financial Plan involves estimating how much money you think you will ultimately need to pay for your top five goals. So ask yourself, What is this goal going to cost? How much do I need to start putting aside each week or month to help me get there?
  • If you live with a partner, make sure your goals match both your values. What’s the point of being with someone if you don’t share your most intimate dreams and thoughts with them? If you’ve got kids, share your dreams with them, too. Ask them what they’d like to see the family doing over the next three years. Ask them about their values, and then work together on a family list of five things that you all want to accomplish together.
  • 1 Comments on How to Create a Financial Plan, last added: 2/17/2009
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