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How to Get Rich Leveraging Debt [Rich Credit Debt Loan]

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:58:07 +0000

How many stories have we all heard about the entrepreneur that came to America with five cents and turned it into an empire? It’s stories like this that make us long for a piece of that American dream. We all wish that we could turn our nickels into big money, but most of us don’t know how to do it. The secret is using debt wisely to leverage more income producing streams. No one can turn five cents into five million dollars overnight, but by taking chances and finding ways to use debt smartly, you can become financially independent, just like the entrepreneurs of old.

The thread that binds all of these success stories together is that somewhere along the way, these entrepreneurs had to go into debt to make more money. Unless you’re Rumplestiltskin and know a way to spin straw into gold, you’re going to have to start taking chances. While it’s perfectly acceptable to put money aside every month or even put it into an interest bearing account, you’re going to nickel and dime yourself for years. You might be able to put aside a nice little nest egg, but what if you want to become really wealthy?

In order to accomplish that, you’re going to have to extend what you already have. It’s pretty frustrating to look at your checkbook and see the cold hard truth that your dreams of wealth are not panning out. It’s even tougher to spot a great opportunity, like a hot stock, and not have enough money to take advantage of it. However, there are ways that you can take advantage of that opportunity, even if you don’t have a lot of money in the bank.

Let’s say that you have the chance to purchase some shares right now. You don’t have the money on hand, but instead of giving up, you go to the bank and you get a loan for the money you need. You buy those shares and in five years, they’ve returned 500% of your initial investment. If you hadn’t taken that risk of going into a small amount of debt, you never would have been able to reap those rewards. Instead, you’d be muttering into your coffee as the news comes in on how well that stock you could have had is doing.

While most of us think of the word debt and blanch, when used properly and managed well, it is the key to becoming wealthy. Do you think billionaires spend their own money when they want to buy a new building? No, that would be silly. They put together a plan and get financing to pay for it. Then, when the rents for the building come in, they pay off that loan and go find another property. That is leveraging debt at its finest. You’ve got to have money to make money and unless you’ve already got it, you’re going to need to go into debt, at least at first, to make those big dreams a reality.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-21 18:47:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Stop! Don’t Touch That Pre-Approved Credit Card Offer [NerdWallet]

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:55:39 +0000

Like it or not, we’ve all gotten credit card offers in the mail. It might even be tempting to apply if you’re “pre-approved”. Maybe you can earn some extra rewards you’re not already getting, or perhaps do a balance transfer for 0% APR and save yourself some money on your monthly payments. However, most of these offers really aren’t as good as they sound. You know what you should really do with credit card offers that show up in your mailbox? Shred them.

“Hold on a minute,” you might be saying to yourself, “they can’t all be bad.” Actually, yes they can. Here’s the real problem with mail offers: even the best ones aren’t as good as the offers you can find online. It’s okay if you missed the memo. In the days before the Internet, most credit card companies had to battle for your business via mail, but that’s definitely not true anymore. These days, you’ll find the best offers at credit card comparison sites like NerdWallet. We have special partnerships with credit card issuers that allow us to offer you the best deals on all kinds of credit cards.

A better bet for balance transfers

Interested in a balance transfer credit card? Nearly every offer you get in the mail advertises 0% APR for balance transfers. It all sounds great if you get stuck on the 0 and ignore the details. How long does that offer last? What’s the APR after the balance transfer? Is there a balance transfer fee? It’s not really 0 if you have to pay money to transfer your debt to your new card, and you usually do. We’re not mentioning any names, but the best offer we found in the mail for a balance transfer card was 0% APR for 15 months and a 4% balance transfer fee. If you look on our site, you’ll see right away that the Citi Simplicity gives you 0% interest for 18 months on both purchases and balance transfers, and the balance transfer fee is only 3%.

The real scoop on rewards

You’ll find the best offers for rewards credit cards online too. We’ve seen a ton of mail offers advertising 1% cash back on your purchases, but do you want to know a secret? That’s the industry standard for rewards credit cards. We’ll tell you exactly which cards to get for 2% cash back, and even 5% back on your purchases. It gets better: we can tell you which cards have the best signup bonuses too. The Chase Freedom is currently offering a $100 bonus when you spend $500 on your card in the first 3 months. That’s in addition to the 5% back on your purchases in rotating bonus categories. Not bad, huh?

The best deals and so much more

Sure, NerdWallet has great deals, but you want to know what really makes us different from the other credit card websites out there? We offer you the unbiased information you need to make a smart decision. Now that’s something you won’t find on any other credit card comparison website, and it’s definitely something you won’t find with your offer in the mail.

Actually, maybe those mail offers are good for something after all. At least they got you thinking about your current credit card’s terms and conditions, or you wouldn’t be thinking about applying in the first place. Now you know that you can do better. The next time you need a credit card, send your mail offers to the shredder where they belong, and make a beeline for your computer instead. We think you’ll be glad you did.

$76.18 Giveaway - Community and Charity 10% Monthly Blog Income Give Back # 8 - May 2012 Edition [My Personal Finance Journey ]

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:58:46 PDT

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Welcome to My Personal Finance Journey! If you are new here, please read the "About" or "First-Time Visitor" pages to find out more about us. If you would like to receive free updates on articles like this by email, then sign up here or you can subscribe to the RSS feed. Also, check us out on Twitter or Facebook. Thanks for visiting! Keep on learning!
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The 10% give back giveaway fun rolls on for the month of May!

In case you missed the first seven editions of the 10% Blog Income Give Back, after doing some thinking at the beginning of October 2011 about what direction I want this blog to grow and evolve towards in the future, I decided that any income made from this blog would have more significance to me at a personal life values level if I knew that a portion were being given back to the following places:

1) The readers - Obviously, without you here to read my articles and interact with my ideas, there would be no blog in the first place (let alone blog income). As such, it is only fitting that you receive a portion of any blog income.
2) Charitable organizations - If you've read my blog before, you know that I'm a big believer in donating a portion of my money to charity. Each year, I donate between 5-10% of my income to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as part of the Bike for MS fundraiser that I do. Beyond the good that is done by donating your money, getting used to contributing to charity is also a good practice to emulate the actions of affluent individuals (T. Harv Eker discusses this in his book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, which I would definitely recommend reading if you have a few hours).

Because of these considerations, I've decided that each month going forward, I'm going to give away 10% of my net (after-tax) blogging income/profit to My Personal Finance Journey readers (5%) and to charity (5%). Listed below is how the process will work:

After each calendar month passes, I'll tally up my net blog income and determine what Dollar value correlates to 10%.
I'll post the giveaway (similar to this post you're reading now), and you'll have approximately 2-3 weeks to enter.
Once the giveaway is over, a grand prize winner will be announced, and then I'll donate another 5% of my blog income to a charity. Once the giveaway entry window ends, I'll send out the money to the blog reader winner(s) and personally drop off the charity donation.
So far, I've been very happy with the success of the first 6 editions of the 10% income give back. Read on below for some of the details:

In October, $205 total was given away, with $100 being donated to the charity, GreenPeace.
In November, $201.40 total was given away, with $100 being donated to the charity, The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. If you're interested, you can view the details of me going to drop off the check at the Food Bank by clicking here.
In December, $74.52 total was given away, with $38 given to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Blue Ridge. You can view the details of the donation drop by clicking here.
In January, $196 total was given away, with $96 given to the Sexual Assault Resource Agency. You can view the details of the donation drop by clicking here.
In February, $141.20 total was given away, with $70 given to the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
In March, $64.51 total was given away, with $30 given to the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
In April, $46.95 total was given away, with $25 given to the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

So, that's the overall flow of things and a brief recap of what's happened so far with the give back initiative. Now, let's get in to the specific details for this month's (May 2012) giveaway.

Details of May 2012 10% Blog Income Giveaway

$76.18 total blog income to give away - $38.18 to a My Personal Finance Journey reader and $38 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society - Blue Ridge Chapter.

$38.18 in the form of one prize available to one reader as follows -

1) Grand Prize = $38.18 Amazon Gift Card or $38.18 cash via PayPal.

It's been very fulfilling developing a relationship with the local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through the MS150 fundraising bike ride I do each year. Click here to see the details for the 2012 edition of the ride I'll be doing! I look forward to continuing to raise money for their efforts.

How to Enter the Giveaway - Deadline to Enter is Midnight, May 31st, 2012

Like last month, I've decided to use the RaffleCopter giveaway management tool to handle sign-up facilitation for the April giveaway, so simply go through the steps listed in the widget below to enter the running for the prize and accumulate entry points.

There is no limit to the amount of points you can earn. If you refer 10 subscribers – your name will have accumulated 170 entry points! Or, if you link to the giveaway more than once, you can accumulate those 7 entry points multiple times. You can also retweet the giveaway and/or share other My Personal Finance Journey articles via social media sites once per day. In the event of a tie, I will be using a random number generator to select the winner.

Important instructions: After you complete an entry method, make sure to click and fill out the "I Did This" or "Enter" button in the widget so that I have a record of your points.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember, the deadline for entries will end at midnight on May 31st, 2012 (about 2 weeks from today - the start of the give back). Good luck to you all! Please contact me if you have any questions. After the deadline for entries passes, the winner (one with the most points accumulated) will be contacted via email to receive their prize.

2012 Tax Refunds Smaller Than 2011 Payments [Saving to Invest]

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:04:32 PDT

The IRS recently published some statistics on 2011 tax returns (filed in 2012, excluding extensions) which revealed some interesting factoids, such as: - If you got a refund this year, chances are that it was lower than the one you received in 2011. The average tax refund amount paid by the IRS through the end [...]

Read the full article at savingtoinvest.com - 2012 Tax Refunds Smaller Than 2011 Payments

PandoMonthly NYC with Matt Mullenweg Is Next Week. Tickets on Sale Now! [The UpSide of Money]

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:46:14 +0000

We announced a few weeks ago that we decided to bring our amazing event series PandoMonthly to New York. And I’m thrilled to announce that our first guest is a man whose company we rely on pretty heavily here at PandoDaily: Matt Mullenweg.

Tickets are on sale here now!

Mullenweg started WordPress as a project in 2004, and its road has been anything but conventional. It has a bizarre structure, as Mullenweg is one of those rare guys whose sole focus isn’t building a $1 billion company. He’s turned down acquisition offers that could have made him rich, and has historically had a Craigslist-like resistance to maximizing revenues. That’s starting to change revenue is doubling annually, and WordPress has bulked up on “grown ups” including a new CFO and chief counsel.

Will a new more businessy WordPress retain its street cred? The company’s hippy past created sort of a cult around WordPress throughout the world. There is on average one WordCamp somewhere in the world every week. Mullenweg travels to many of them where he’s frequently greeted like a rosy-cheeked, wavy-haired deity.

The company powers more than 15% of the Web and more than seventy million blogs, including nearly half of the top 100 blogs in the world. And yet, as a company, it’s fairly modest in size. It’s raised just $30 million or so in venture capital, brings in a reported $50 million or so in annual revenues and employs just over 100 people. A lot of companies claim to be motivated purely by mission– WordPress actually lives that rhetoric.

We’ll talk about how a 19-year-old Texas boy wound up creating the default content management system for old media and new media alike, and whether he’s under threat from new, sexier systems like New York’s own SquareSpace.

Mullenweg splits his time between San Francisco and New York these days, so we thought he’d be an ideal first guest as we start to branch out to the Big Apple. I’ll be curious to hear what he has to say about the cultural differences between the two scenes and which one he feels more at home in. Mullenweg is quirky and funny, and I’m sure this will be a great conversation.

The event will be held at the School of the Visual Arts Beatrice Theatre located at 333 West 23rd Street. We had a last minute scramble for a venue, and appreciate the School of Visual Arts being so accommodating.

In addition to Matt, we’ve got a great lineup of guests planned for the next few months in New York, which we’ll be telling you more about in the future. I’m really excited to have an excuse to fly to the world’s second largest tech ecosystem every month. It’s obvious that something major is happening in New York’s tech scene, and I believe over the next year we will start to see some big exits back up all the hype.

The goal of PandoMonthly is to give first time entrepreneurs a place to go every month and get beer, pizza, meet other entrepreneurs and hear a great conversation with someone fascinating from the industry. They’ve been hugely popular in San Francisco, and as a media property we get a lot out of it too. We get to meet up and coming entrepreneurs, and we get a candid, intimate conversation with a thought leader that makes amazing video content. I’m excited to showcase the talent in New York to the world via live stream, the way we have with Dave Morin, Peter Thiel, and Dustin Mokovitz from San Francisco.

But I have to confess, I’m a little nervous about expanding PandoMonthly to New York. Not because we can’t find amazing guests and not because there aren’t plenty of entrepreneurs who may want to attend. But because we’re primarily known as a Silicon Valley blog. I know there are a lot of events that go on in New York tech scene every month, and I hope you will find some time in your calendar for us. I promise to make it worth the $20 cost of admission!

A note on tickets: We’ll continue to offer our dual prices of $20 for single tickets and $1000 for a 2012 annual pass. The idea is people with expense accounts subsidize the series so we can keep the price point really low for the entrepreneurs. The annual pass is popular in San Francisco because the general admission tickets tend to sell out in a few hours, and the pass is transferable. At last count, more than fifty companies and venture firms had bought passes to rotate them around to employees or portfolio companies.

I have no idea if the New York event will sell out (I hope so!), so annual passes may make no sense there. But as added inducement, we are allowing all existing annual pass holders to attend the New York events as part of their existing subscription, and we will allow any new annual pass members to get a free monthly ticket to the San Francisco events. You just need to claim your ticket by emailing Oni at PandoDaily dot com. In other words, if you support us with your $1,000 investment, we’ll give you a free ticket in 2012 to any PandoMonthly event anywhere we do one. And since the ticket is transferable, you can gift it to a friend or colleague. It’s just our way of saying thanks for making the event possible and helping us keep the single ticket prices insanely low.

Sponsors help too. If you are interested in sponsoring PandoMonthly, please email Jeanne Logozzo at jlogo (at) earthlink (dot) net.

See you next week New York!

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® Offers 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® Bonus Miles [Maximizing Money]

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:29:32 +0000

The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® allows you to earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of cardmembership*.

Plus, the annual fee of $95 is waived for the first 12 months*.

Apply for the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® that is designed for businesses with an established credit history.

Earning AAdvantage® Miles

You’ll earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of cardmembership*.

You’ll also earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 that you spend on eligible American Airlines purchases and on purchases at certain office supply, telecommunications, and car rental merchants*.

Plus, when you renew your annual cardmembership, you will earn a 5% AAdvantage mileage bonus on eligible purchases made during the cardmembership year*.

American Airlines Travel Perks

Your first eligible checked bag is free for you and up to 4 traveling companions*.

In addition, you’ll receive Priority Boarding privileges to enjoy an enhanced boarding experience*.

Take advantage of the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® to earn bonus AAdvantage® miles toward American Airlines travel rewards.

You may also be interested in this American Airlines Consumer Rewards Card if you do not qualify for a business card.

Is Buying Online Safe [Financial Management]

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:10:30 +0000

Because of the continuous development of Internet and computer technology, we have now the capability to buy almost anything in the web. In developed countries like US and Canada, purchasing stuffs online is a common thing. However, if you are living in developing countries like the Philippines, buying online is somewhat a new stuff.

Why People Don’t Buy Online

Many people are afraid to buy online because they are afraid of fraud and they don’t have the proper knowledge to do so. I believe you know that there are lots of cases of online fraud or scams especially for products selling in the Internet.

Yes, it is true that there are frauds happening online, even in the offline business, scams and frauds exist. I think the important thing to do is learning how you can protect your self from these scams.

Other people want to transact with sellers that they can see or speak directly. I believe it is another reason why some buyers prefer to purchase on physical stores since they can even test and touch the product before buying it. On the other hand, buying things online can only give the pictures and reviews of other buyers for that particular product.

Your safety when buying online greatly depends on you. I have been buying and selling online since 2006 when I started selling some electronic products through eBay. I am skeptical about buying stuffs online because I don’t know the reputation of the seller and I can’t see, touch or even test first the product.

Tips on How to be Safe when Buying Online

If you want to be safe when buying online and avoid fraud, you should deal with the real people with real business. How can you do it? First, you have to investigate. Don’t buy products from an unknown company or people.

As much as possible, only buy stuffs from sellers with good feed backs and transaction history. eBay and Sulit provide this kind of feature for buying customers so they can decide for themselves if the seller they are dealing with are true and reputable.

Second, do not give your credit card or bank account information over the Internet if you don’t know the company you are dealing with. That’s why I highly prefer to pay the things I buy online using PayPal because it does not need your credit card info every time you purchase stuffs online. Once you registered your credit card info to PayPal, you can use it for almost all purchases you will do around the web.

Third, if you are still doubtful about buying online, you should request to the seller for meet-ups before paying for the product that you want to buy. Most of the sellers in eBay and Sulit have this service so you can ask for this one if you are not comfortable on delivering the item after you bought it.

Conclusion

I would say that buying online is safe but this would entail a big responsibility on your part. You will not fall as a victim of fraud and scam happening online if you know how to safely purchase products online. Some of the tips I mentioned above will help you to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

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The Prairie Eco-Thrifter Giveaway Extravaganza: 2nd Anniversary with an iPad 3 and over $200 Cash To Be Won Plus a Bonus Prize [Prairie EcoThrifter]

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:20:51 +0000

I am still in shock. I cannot believe I started this blog just over two years ago. I started this site as a way of meeting some new people and having some interesting conversations and it has transformed into something much more than that. The site has grown and changed so much and I owe it all to you, my readers. Thank you.

While many personal finance sites focus on things such as getting out of debt, saving for retirement, and investing, what really matters to me the most is how we can live healthy prosperous lives. Everything we do should have a purpose and be part of our “big picture” of what we want life to be. Like I state on my About page I want to ‘maximize’ my life and enjoy it as much as possible. My philosophy is to be balanced and that is why I not only focus on personal finance on this site but also discuss the other fundamentals of our existence: being healthy, living green, working hard, and giving back. Our lives are not one dimensional and we need to live in a way that honours that. By paying attention and looking after every part of our lives we can find true contentment and happiness.

This site, like life, has taken me on a journey. It has been filled with uphills, downhills, curves, and forks in the road. There are times when I have lost my motivation and wanted to just quit. There have also been times where I have found myself with a smile of joy because someone on the site commented in a way that really touched me. Like anything in life, there have been challenges and rewards on this journey.

The most enjoyable part of this whole thing though has been meeting all of you. In the last two years I have made some amazing friends whom I never would have had if it wasn’t for this site. I have also had the opportunity to become a member of one of the most amazing networks one can be a part of, the Yakezie. I have learned so much from all of you and I can’t wait to see what another year brings.

Two Years of Blogging

Here are some highlights from the last 24 months:

Top 8 Most Viewed Articles:

Why Being Rich is Overated

How to Make Your Own Clothes

How to Build A Bird Feeder from Recycled Materials

5 Ways to End World Hunger

How to Make Millions with Passive Income

Frugal Anniversary Gifts that Will Win Her Over

How to Save Hundreds of Dollars a Year on Your Water Bill

Why Donations to Charity Are Important

Top 8 Referrers:

8 Most Active Commenters:

Krant Cents

Watson Inc.

Sustainable Personal Finance

8 Most Discussed Articles:

Is Traveling Overated

5 Ways to End World Hunger

How to Save Money on Food Costs

Top 20 Foods for Brain Power

How to Make Millions with Passive Income

Why Being Rich is Overated

What Buddhism Teaches us About Personal Finance

How to Waste Less Food

I am sincerely thankful to everyone who has participated on this site and left thoughtful comments on the articles. Thank you for helping me and teaching me so many different things. You have made the last two years unforgettable.

Two Year Blogversary Giveaway!

To celebrate, I’m throwing a two-year giveaway as a thank-you to my readers; you are the main reason I have continued with this site and still share my thoughts on various subjects.

Before I get to the prizes though, lets have a shout out to my generous sponsors:

Sustainable Personal Finance

Budgeting in the Fun Stuff

Stock Trend Investing

Money Q&A

This That And the MBA

Daily Money Shot

Invest it Wisely

Happy Girls Ebay Adventures

Now on to the prizes:

Grand Prize

My awesome blogging pals Mr. & Mrs. SPF owners of the site Sustainable Personal Finance have graciously offered to co-sponsor giving away an iPad 3 , the grand prize.

Other Prizes

My sponsors collectively have put together over $200 cold hard cash to be won. In addition a couple fantastic personal finance books are also up for grabs.

Bonus Prize

Yes there is a bonus. If the following numbers are reached before the giveaway closes, everyone’s entry will be put into a second draw for a new iPod Touch. This is incentive for you all to spread the word about this site as much as possible. The iPod Touch is up for grabs if PET reaches:

2000 Readers by RSS or Email

3000 Twitter Followers

1500 Facebook Followers

300 Google Plus on the Site

Prizes and How to Enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contest Entry Rules: Winning entries will be selected using Rafflecopter. Winners will be contacted by email. Winners must be 18 years of age or older at the time of winning. In the case that shipment is not possible or is prohibitively expensive, a prize of equal value will be substituted less any applicable fees. Winners will have one week to respond and to claim their prize once contacted. If their prize is not claimed, it will go on to the next winner. If you tweet, Twitter accounts must have at least 10 followers. If you link from your site, sites must be established and reputable. Successful entries will then be announced on the site. I reserve the right to reject entries that we consider fraudulent, spam, or otherwise as invalid.

Good luck!

Investing In Platinum & Silver [Financial Planning Tips]

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:42:32 +0000

This is a Guest Post by Jim Samberg, a freelance personal finance and investing writer for http://www.bullionvault.com.

For many people looking for newer, different types of investments, the idea of putting money behind precious metals is a very intriguing one. Let’s face it, the reason that metals like gold, platinum and silver are appealing to us in the first place is that they seem to be the very embodiment of value and wealth. Once upon a time such metals were directly used as currency, and they have sense been used in various economies as backing for currency. Now, we hear plenty about gold investment opportunities. But are platinum and silver still safe or worthy sources for your investments? Investing is easy enough; all you need is to find a site such as that you trust with handling your transactions. Figuring out whether or not to actually invest is a bit tougher. Much of the answer to this question depends upon how you evaluate the economy that you are a part of, and what exactly you hope to gain from an invest
ment at this time.

The reason that most people choose to invest in precious metals is that such resources are less prone to dramatic shifts in value than stocks, or even currencies. While important currencies, such as the U.S. dollar or the Euro, may fluctuate relatively frequently and significantly in value, precious metals like silver and platinum are, generally speaking, a bit more stable in terms of their respective valuations. Of course, these values can still fluctuate based on a number of different factors, but again, generally speaking they are stable by comparison.

This means that you are less likely to experience significant loss, in general, via an investment in a resource such as silver or platinum. However, it also means that you are unlikely to make notable gains. So why actually invest in precious metals? Basically, the people who do this most frequently see it as a sort of protection against economic shifts. Again, your currency’s actual value can increase or decrease with the flow of the overall economy it is a part of, which means that your wealth is always subject to change. If precious metals are less likely to experience these shifts in value, it stands to reason that at least in some instances it may be well worth it to tie your money up in such resources.

Typically, if your economy is growing, or shows signs of growth (as, actually, many argue is the case currently in the United States) your currency is going to strengthen. This means that in a stable or strong economic environment, it may actually be more strategic to hold onto your money or invest in other ways. However, if you do not fully trust the value of your currency or the stability of your economy, you may want to consider this sort of investment opportunity for the sake of protecting your existing wealth.

What documents do I need for a debt management plan? [Think Money]

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:38:43 GMT

Here is a summary of the documents you'll need to apply for a debt management plan and how to find out whether a debt management plan is right for you.

Full article: What documents do I need for a debt management plan?
Visit: www.thinkmoney.com

How To Buy a Used Computer [Finance Fox]

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:32:41 +0000

Buying a second-hand computer is not only green, but it will save you quite a few bucks well. However, much like buying anything else, you need to do your research beforehand. Somewhere and through someone we’ve heard horror stories about buying second-hand stuff that would discourage anyone, but buying a second-hand computer is not all that bad as it may sound.

Most don’t flinch at the idea of buying a used car, but the thought of a used computer sends them squirming. The tech industry tries their hardest to keep it that way: they advertise new products in such a way to render the previous models perceptually obsolete; they block even the simplest hardware upgrades; and they sell bottom-of-the-line models that simply break too easily.

However, don’t let all the bad rap on used computers deter you from buying one. Always keep in mind that technology changes everyday, and technology as a whole carries a lot of imperfections. Instead with some research, determination, and basic knowledge you can buy a dream machine at a fraction of the price.

So, in order to ease your fears of buying a second-hand computer, here are a few tips on finding a used computer which will save you quite a few bucks, and that isn’t a high-tech lemon.

DECIDE ON WHAT YOU WANT

Computers are like buying cars; most people buy more computer than they actually need and can truly afford. Most people dream of the newest, hottest thing on the market—maybe a Macbook Air or the latest HP desktop computer. No. Instead, check out some of the previous models, and second hand computers. If you search around on the internet you can find dirt cheap laptops and desktop computers that come at a fraction of the price of the latest computer models. These used computers perform the same tasks that this year’s models do. As an added bonus, you can try to find a computer from 2007 with Windows XP installed instead of Vista!

WHERE TO LOOK FOR USED COMPUTERS

There are many options to buy used second-hand computers: eBay, Craigslist, Kijiji, local dealers, and straight from manufacturers such as Dell. Sometimes buying refurbished models from the manufacturer or a local dealer is often more expensive, but they’ll come with attached warranties that will calm your worried hearts. If you plan to use eBay, make sure to find a seller with no less than 98% feedback rating. If the computer arrives broken, a seller with a flawless rating will happily allow a return in order to prevent negative feedback. For a Craigslist or Kijiji purchase, make sure your arrange a place where you can inspect the computer fully before purchasing.

CHECK FOR IMPERFECTIONS

Before starting your purchase journey of a second-hand computer, please understand that no second-hand computer will be perfect. Some are in a better condition than others, but 99% of them will have some scuffs, scratches or missing stickers.Once you get over the cosmetic issues, ensure that the computer is in good working order by looking for the following issues:

Corner Chips – Some laptops will have chips on the corners, and these chips don’t present issues with the operation of the computer, however don’t be shy to ask for a few bucks off.

Purple Haze -Check for any purple or pink discoloration, and if you find any in your computer testing process, stay away. A purple haze on the screen is a very good indication that the screen will go soon. The repair will cost more than the whole laptop.

Test the Inputs – Check all plugs, sockets, and wireless connections like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Many of these are attached to the motherboard, which is costly to replace. If one USB port is broken and you can live with the other three, then do it.

Battery Life - Batteries will always go on laptops, as they’re not made to last forever. Typically a brand-new battery will set you back around $100. If the battery is in really poor condition, ask the seller to give you a nice discount or simply find another laptop with better battery life.

ASK FOR HELP IF NEEDED

If you don’t want to do all these tests yourself or you want an expert opinion, most repair places would not charge more than $80 for a complete diagnostic check-up. When your used computer cost less than half the original retail price, $80 isn’t much.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ve been using laptops for years. Because I don’t mind cracking it open and upgrading the hard drive or memory, I’ve usually just bought them from used computer stores. In those places, the laptop is usually sitting there where you can physically touch it and test it that way you want to.

Buying reconditioned from the manufacturer outlet online stores such as Dell is a pretty good place to find great deals. These laptops or desktops typically need less tweaking other than installing your own antivirus and software that you use.

Have you ever purchased a second-hand computer before? What was your experience like?

Eddie

Facebook IPO: Not for Me [Money Counselor]

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:55:47 +0000

The Facebook IPO—ostensibly a business event—feels more like the mother of all celebrity mega-galas. Is a massive personal data trove worth $100 billion? I think not. Facebook IPO: Not for Me is a...

[ This is a summary only. Click on the feed title to visit my blog and get the complete article, plus lots more content, downloads, and resources. ]

Camping the frugal way [Thirty Six Months]

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Victoria Day is just around the corner. While I know we get the day off to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, I associate the day with camping. We’ve gone camping every year since I was 14. It helps that out family owns a cottage 2 hours away or that the camp grounds are 5 min drive from my house. I have a huge extended family, along with 3 siblings and Victoria Day long weekend is normally the first weekend of the year that all the families get together. Naturally the holiday holds a special place in my heart.

Camping vacations have been a popular choice for families for many years. Family budgets are often tight, so camping is sometimes the only affordable means to get away on vacation for a reasonable amount of money. However, it is still not free.

If you have a limited vacation budget, but you would still like to take the family on a nice camping trip, there are several ways to cut costs.

Borrow From Friends or Family

If you have friends and family who like to go camping a lot, chances are you can borrow some of their items for your trip. Unless you go camping all the time, there really is little reason to buy a lot of camping equipment. Most people are more than willing to loan their camping stuff so it gets used regularly, keeping it from moulding or rusting.

Take advantage of the generosity of your camping relatives and friends by borrowing things like canteens, water jugs, camp stoves, lanterns, coolers, coffee maker, griddle, heater, and even camping dishes and cutlery. Of course, you’ll want to borrow the tents, as well as sleeping mattresses and sleeping bags, if possible. However, for a small investment, you can buy your own sleeping bags, pillows, and extra bedding just so you have your own personal items.

Buy Second Hand Items

Walk into any quality second hand store and you’ll find piles of gently used camping equipment. That’s because there are always people who make the mistake of thinking they’re going to devote their vacation time to the camping experience, buy all new equipment, and find out they should have borrowed or bought second hand before they splurged. With that said, you can take advantage of these hasty decisions by buying camping gear for next to nothing.

Visit yard sales and flea markets, too, for gear that is practically free for the asking. Tents may need to be aired out and scrubbed well, but a little elbow-grease goes a long way toward the cost of a brand new tent. Used sleeping bags may not be as appealing as other equipment, but consider buying used sleeping bags for extra padding underneath your air mattresses, or for sitting around the campfire. A little diluted bleach goes a long way to sprucing up, freshening up, and getting the mold and mildew out of used gear.

Find Gear and Campsite Deals Online

Not only can you find specialized second hand camping sites like The Outdoor Gear Exchange , MEC, or Outdoor Online, you can also hit up the classifieds like Craigslist, and Kijiji for some great local deals. Keep in mind that shopping online can involve shipping if you are not shopping locally. Do the math before you make your decision.

Of course, besides the camping gear and supplies, you’ll need to plan out where you will be staying. Your shoestring vacation budget might not allow for a trip to Yosemite, but you can find many fine parks that offer great deals right along with their magnificent vistas.

If you’re in the States you might want to visit sites like Boondocking.org or FreeCampsites.net and others like them that give you resources for finding places to camp free. Campers also love to share their favorite finds in websites and forums. Search around the internet and start clicking on interesting looking sites, but always check the authenticity of a free campsite by calling the local tourist bureau.

Plan Your Camp Cuisine

The best part! As far as food choices go, camping calls for easy meals, but there is a wide variety of food to consider. Stocking coolers with sandwiches, fruit, and drinks may be your idea of the perfect camping experience. Or, you may want to have the makings ready so you can throw together a nice meal. Trust me, as kids, we didn’t care what we ate. I tried more things camping than I did the entire year at home. Camping makes kids adventurous.

Your decision may depend on the equipment and cooking setup you have available. If you are using a camp stove, you can make just about anything you want as long as it can be cooked in a pot or skillet. Of course, the size of the stove and the amount of propane will limit your menu, but just be creative. You can make everything from soup to fried potatoes to hamburgers and steak on a camp stove, so long as you bring the necessary pots and pans.

Then there are the campfires and grills. If you are fortunate enough to have a campsite with either, or both, your cooking experience could include a whole repertoire of goodies. It will all depend on how much time you want to spend cooking, and the availability of food. Planning ahead is the key to success.

Cleaning up may not be easy, so that may help determine the types of meals you make. To avoid a mess, try making all-in-one meals in heavy duty foil for the grill. A foil bundle hot off the grill filled with potatoes, ham, and onions is a nice treat after a busy day hiking or boating. Kids always enjoy hotdogs over a campfire. Plan each meal in advance and you won’t go wrong.

And, don’t forget dessert! Marshmallows roasted over an open fire are a delight for all ages, and they are extremely cheap. Expand on that theme with something as simple as graham crackers and chocolate bars and you have the perfect camping dessert ñ S’mores. Who needs a fancy dessert cart?

Taking the family camping is a learning experience. Each year, you’ll figure out how to do things better, and cheaper. Start small, and if it turns out you are in love with ‘roughing it’ then go ahead and branch out. Keep the frugal camping basics in mind, and enjoy the great outdoors.

Oh and bring headphones if you need time for yourself, and want to tune the rest of the world out.

What are your most frugal camping tips?

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. Camping the frugal way is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

Best Ways to Use Your Tax Refunds [Sunk Costs Are Irrelevant]

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:47:54 +0000

The following is a guest post from Joy Mali

Ever heard of tax refunds? Well for starters, you get your tax refund when you’ve been paying more than you should all throughout the year. The refund is actually the government repaying the principal on a loan you made. If, however you want the unintentional charity to stop, you can adjust your withholding whenever you get yourself a new car or when you get a house etc. But then again, who doesn’t want to have their money back? Here are some of the best ways to use your tax refund to manage your debt and improve your credit score.

Manage your debt – I bet you already knew what to buy as soon as you got the money. You must be thinking about going shopping, or getting that new tablet you saw online, but a wiser way to use it is to finish off your debts. You’ll be shortening the overall payment period and the interest paid by a significant margin.

Save up for emergencies – If you don’t have debts to worry about, then why not just save it for emergency purposes? You’ll never know when it will come handy. You can use it for when you have to pay for your bills, especially when you’re salary is still two weeks away. A lot of people experience this; because unlike the regular 15/30, 16/1 pay days, some just get their salary once a month. It’s actually difficult to hold to a huge amount of money all at once so saving up for emergency bills will surely help you out.

Save up for school – If you’re planning to have children in the future then it’s never too early to save for their education. Let’s face it, high school and college are expensive therefore it is best to be ready before it happens. It may be financial sacrifice but don’t you think it’s worth it if it’s for your child’s education? You’ll be freeing your child from debts too after he or she graduates. If they can’t handle the costs, you’ll still be responsible with the debts because you are the cosigning parent. So why not prepare for it now?

For Future debts – You’ll never know when something urgent will happen. Whether it be medical bills or simply your electric bill, an extra amount of money will be very helpful. You won’t be worrying too much of what will be left on your incoming salary if you have some extra with you. You’re also being smart about your financial disposition.

There are better ways for you to use the tax refunds that you get. Yes, it’s true, it is a sacrifice but it will be something that you’ll be thankful for in the future. Think about your wants and needs well. Weigh them out and think about which one you’ll be benefiting from the most.

Author bio:
Joy Mali is an active blogger and shares extremely interesting financial management tips over the web that encourages people to check credit scores regularly & to build a working credit report for a happy financial life.

Best of Steadfast Finances [Steadfast Finances]

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:37 +0000

Many of my faithful readers may have already read all of these posts, but I figured it was time to do a Best of Steadfast Finances. This website has been around for several years and has featured over 600 quality articles. It’s hard for even me to keep up with all of that. So, here is a quick look at the best of the best that can be located on this website.

Why Aren’t You Claiming These Tax Deductions? [Consumer Finance Tips]

Sun, 13 May 2012 03:04:52 +0000

There are a ton of incredibly common tax deductions everyone claims every year. From kids to house payments, we usually think we have a pretty good idea of just exactly we should be deducting. But the truth is that there are tons of overlooked tax deductions each year – some $5 million worth – that [...]

Is That Investment Opportunity A Scam Or Is It Legit? How To Tell The Difference [Amateur Asset Allocator]

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:07 +0000

When most people think about being pitched an investment opportunity, two things probably come to mind. One, they conjure up an image of a slimy salesman type selling snaked oil, or two, they think of a balding, middle-aged stock broker calling to give them the latest hot stock tips. Easy enough to recognize, easy enough to resist, right? Unfortunately, most get-rich-quick investment opportunities aren’t pitched by a stereotypical scammer. We are constantly bombarded with “hot stock tips” from the mainstream media, can’t-miss business opportunities from family members, complex triple universal awesome whole life insurance from your insurance rep, real estate schemes from neighbors, and who-knows-what from coworkers. Who do you trust? How do you know who has your best interests at heart and who doesn’t? More importantly, how can you tell when somebody who does have your best interests at heart have really just fallen under the spell of some external scam arts and have been recruited to bring in new victims? It’s rough, but these tips should help.

How To Evaluate An Investment Opportunity

First off, it should be stated that at least 95% of the time, you’re better off just saying no. Yeah, there are a few legitimate non-mainstream investment opportunities out there, but the chances of you hearing of one of them from your coworker are slim. When in doubt, just say no. Still, if you have plenty of money to lose (and I do mean it should be money you can afford to lose), it might not hurt to at least consider a legitimate pitch. Who knows, you might strike gold and if you don’t, well, it was money you could afford to lose anyway (right?).

Why do they need you?

This is a huge one. Say somebody has figured out a way to earn 50% per year in the stock market with no risk. Why would they tell you? Such a person, if she could afford to invest just $10,000, would be worth over $33 million in 20 years. Why do they need your capital when they could so obviously make more money just keeping their system to themselves and cranking out 50% returns year after year? The answer can’t be “to raise the initial $10,000″ because, well, a person smart enough to come up with such a market-beating strategy should have no trouble earning $10,000 some other way. The only reasonable answer is that they want to “help” poor everyday Joe’s to get rich. And if you believe that, I’ve got some prime swamp land to sell you.

On the other hand, if this is a short-term business loan and your buddy just needs $10,000 in bridge financing to get a new product off the ground and the product has a proven market and you think your friend is a competent businessman, that might be a legitimate investment opportunity. That’s not to say you’ll turn a profit or even get your money back, but at least it’s probably not an outright scam.

The point is, companies only take on investors when they need money for some reason. They wouldn’t give away part of their future earnings unless they believed they were able to earn even more money than what external investors would demand. If you can’t find an obvious need, it’s probably a scam.

What does the person pitching you the investment stand to gain?

Beware conflicts of interest. If a person is pitching you an investment, he or she probably stands to gain something. Try to figure out what it is. Do they receive a commission? If so, you most likely aren’t going to get unbiased advice. Remember, a salesman’s job is to get you to give them money. They aren’t your friend and they probably don’t have your best interests in mind. If they don’t gain anything as obvious as a commission, dig deeper. Is it a multi-level marketing situation? Are you purchasing a product from them in the hopes that it will help you make money (such as a stock trading or forex trading course)? If so, are you able to find any honest feedback about the product on the internet? If you can’t think of any obvious benefit to the pitchman, it’s probably scam. People don’t pitch investments for karma.

What’s the risk?

This is a very, very tough question. And you know what? If you aren’t equipped to intelligently evaluate the risk of a potential investment, you shouldn’t be investing in it. Period. And if you are so equipped, you probably don’t need my advice to begin with. If you don’t even know where to start, skip it. Just don’t take anybody’s word for it that it’s a “low risk” investment! If you can’t independently come to this conclusion on your own, don’t invest.

Is it easy to understand?

There’s an old saying in business that you should never invest in what you don’t understand, and truer words have never been spoken. Most business and investment opportunities are actually pretty straightforward. Are there profitable complex investment schemes out there? Of course there are. But those investments are best left to the professionals who are better equipped to navigate their ins and outs. No matter how enticing, it is never wise to invest in something you don’t fully understand.

Can you follow the price in a newspaper (or the internet)?

Liquidity is a very desirable thing in the investment universe. Yes, the prices of legitimate investments such as real estate and private businesses aren’t quoted in real time on the internet, but most mainstream investments are (including commodities, gold, stocks, bonds, currencies, and derivatives). If an investment opportunity being pitched for you can’t be easily followed on a daily basis, that should throw up a red flag. That isn’t to say that fraud can’t happen with publicly-traded securities, but it is far, far less prevalent. Small, illiquid, thinly-traded markets are much easier to manipulate. Buyer beware.

Does it sound too good to be true?

Pretty much every crappy investment opportunity is easily recognizable as being too good to be true after the fact. The trick is realizing this upfront. I’ll help: nobody can predict the stock market, real estate prices, or pretty much anything else having to do with the economy. Anybody who says they can is probably selling you something. Keep that in mind and you’ll probably be fine.

The Greatest Miracle in the World [Rich Money Habits]

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:58:34 +0000

It’s been a really long, long time since I last posted an article in this blog. There’s been a lot of great things happening in my life that I haven’t really found the time to write all about it. One thing I realized is that when you’re having the time of your life, it can be a challenge to take a moment to reflect and appreciate everything. Now, I finally found the time.

Today, I’d like to share with you THE MOST SPECIAL blessing I’ve received in my entire life…the birth of my first born son, Ethan Gabriel. This early our baby boy Ethan Gabriel is growing up to be a strong and healthy kid, thanks to a lot of prayers and a miracle from God.

The past few weeks has been a whirlwind adventure of holding on to the promise of God’s hope, of witnessing a great miracle, and of experiencing a deep and profound appreciation of all of God’s blessing of time and spending it with your loved ones.

Last April 10, 2012 marked the day a series of unexpected events started to happen. It was my wife’s birthday. And it happened to be the same day as her prenatal checkup. To celebrate her birthday, I treated her to an early lunch at the Heat Restaurant in EDSA ShangriLa. We had a really great time, enjoying the sumptous meal together.

After our date, we went to the clinic for her prenatal checkup. It was supposed to be the last prenatal checkup before she’s due to deliver. She was 36 weeks pregnant, a week away from being full term at 37 weeks. It was supposed to be like any of the other almost a dozen prenatal checkups my wife have had the past 9 months. Nothing could have prepared us from what’s about to happen next.

While doing her checkup, the doctor noticed my wife’s unsually high blood pressure. It was 140/120. My wife also thought it was just a mistake because her blood pressure was normally at 110/70 on her previous checkups. She was not feeling nauseous or anything. She felt normal. When her doctor asked her to have her blood pressure taken again to make sure and to take a urinalysis test, my wife was worried to say the least. And when the doctor explained to her that if her blood pressure is really that high then she might have to be admitted to the hospital right away. My wife was shocked. And it showed very clearly. My wife’s blood pressure shot up to 160/120 in an instant. She never imagined that she’d get admitted to the hospital and might get into labor ahead of time. My wife’s doctor diagnosed her with pre-eclampsia, a rather critical condition for pregnant women. The doctor asked us to immediately get admitted to the hospital. So, with shocked and worried faces, we went directly to St Luke’s Medical Center in Global City.

My wife was admitted to the High Risk Pregnancy Unit of St Lukes. She was immediately given medication to stabilize her blood pressure, the hours went by which seemed like a very very long time…each time her blood pressure is taken, my heart stopped. I held my breath as I await the next reading of her blood pressure. Still high at 160/100…and then getting even higher at 180/110…my heart bled in worry as if each moment was being frozen in time. I was worried. I knew my wife was worried not only for her sake but more for our baby’s condition.

After more than a day of torture, my wife’s blood pressure finally stabilized. The doctor even contemplated of sending her home. But because a pre-eclampsia condition is very critical, not only for my wife but also for the baby, the doctor requested staying for a few more days. This way, my wife and the baby’s condition can be closely monitored. I thank God to this day that we heeded the doctor’s advise and stayed in the hospital.

The following morning, everything seemed normal. Little did we know that the nurses were already getting a bit worried. At about an hour before noon, the attending nurse seem to check my wife and the baby’s vitals signs a little more frequently at about every 10 minutes or so. Each time the nurse came by, a little bit of worry crossed my mind, curious why suddenly the nurse’s actions looked a bit more hurried. I wanted to ignore it so that my wife won’t be concerned. After another hour, the nurse once again entered the room but this time to hand me over the consent form for my wife’s emergency caesarian delivery. Panic-stricken, I managed to ask why. She explained that the baby’s heart rate has been dropping every 10 minutes or so and our doctor advised an emergency caesarian delivery right away. All they needed before proceeding was my signature for the consent form.

After signing the document, the nurse hurriedly prepared my wife for the emergency operation. Everything happened so fast. Next thing I know, my wife was already being transferred to the delivery room and I was trying to put on the scrubs on to be with her in the delivery room. I was scared. But I needed to be strong both for my wife and our baby.

I tried to reassure her that everything will be alright. We both needed to have faith. Perhaps, I needed it more than she did so I can have the courage to go through what’s about to happen next.

When the baby came out, I was both relieved and anxious at the same time. Relieved because my wife has safely delivered our baby. Finally, my wife can now sigh a relief and concentrate on recovering from the operation. Anxious because when our baby came out, the baby was under a lot of stress. Our doctor said that the umbilical cord of the baby got entangled on his neck causing him a lot of stress during the delivery. Considering that he has not yet reached full term, it was very critical that he becomes stable first. When the doctor tried to make our baby cry, his crying was very weak and his skin color was not very good. Our baby was handed over to the pediatrician right away. Our baby was having a hard time breathing because of all the stress that he went through. After our baby stabilized and was able to breath better, he was weighed in. He came out at 2,190 grams which is only a little over 4.8 pounds. After another 5 minutes, the pediatrician heared a little murmur from our baby’s heart. The pediatrician decided to consult a cardiologist right away and transfer our baby to the Neonatial Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. My initial sigh of relief was flustered with a very worried face.

After what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, the cardiologist did a 2D Echo on our baby’s heart and the look of worry came over his face along with all the other doctors once they saw what was happening. I was trying to calm myself down but I couldn’t have imagined going through something like this in my life. The doctor asked to speak with me in a room so he can explain it to me better. Good thing my in-laws were there with me when the doctor explained it to me. At the end of the conversation, my face turned from worry to desperation. The doctor explained that his diagnosis is pointing to a problem in our baby’s heart described as coarctation of the aorta and he might need to undergo surgery to solve the problem. My father in-law mustered enough courage to ask what were the chances of the baby surviving an operation like that. The doctor responded with a reassuring voice that it’s probably around 70/30. He explained that it’s a very delicate operation because it involves the veins of the heart, and also because the baby’s veins are very tiny. To which my father in-law asked again, how much would the operation probably cost? The doctor answered, "perhaps around P700,000 or so." I couldn’t even utter a single word at that point. I was shocked. I didn’t know what to do. Not only because of the HUGE amount, which is also shocking, but more for the well-being of our baby and my wife who was still in the recovery room at that time. There were so many "what-if" scenarios, fears and worries going through my mind. I didn’t have the strength to speak a single word after that.

The next few hours were the most trying moments in my life. I was advised by the doctors not to share the information with my wife because it might trigger her high blood pressure to shoot up once again. She needed to be stabilized first. At this point, I didn’t have anyone to turn to. I had to be strong both for our baby and my wife. But I couldn’t help myself. There comes a point in your life when you can’t do anything else other than to TRUST GOD that HE KNOWs what you are going through, and HE WILL MAKE A WAY. I excused myself from my in-laws and went to the hospital chapel alone. Not only to pray but to cry out for help from the Lord. I was like a helpless child crying out to his father in heaven to "please help our baby". It was all I could do. I wish I could say I was strong, but I was not. I was scared as hell.

The hours that passed seemed to take a life of its own. Our cardiologist was searching from the different hospitals and his contacts for a hard-to-find medicine that would temporarily help our baby’s heart and prevent it from crashing down. He wanted to transfer the baby to Philippine Heart Center that night, but after checking out the baby’s condition at the NICU, and a rather very fortunate event of him being able to get hold of the medicine from another doctor of PGH, he decided to postpone the transfer until the next morning. At about 8pm that night my very kind brother-in-law helped drive me to PGH to buy the medicine. He even offered to lend me the cash because I was still in state of shock aimlessly trying to look for an ATM to withdraw from. I don’t know if it was divine intervension, but I realize looking back that God’s miracles was already working it’s way at that point in time, and that perhaps that doctor in PGH was a god-sent angel from heaven.

After two-hours of waving through traffic going to and back from PGH, we arrived in St Lukes with the medicine on hand. The medicine was given to our baby immidiately. At 11PM, we asked if there’s someone from the St Lukes Chapel who can help us bless our baby boy Ethan Gabriel. Fortunately there was a resident pastor who’s available at that time. Pastor Chris came by and together with my sister and brother in-law, we prayed over our baby and for God’s healing to be upon him. Pastor Chris and I chatted a little bit afterwards and his message of hope for our baby was very reassuring. Up to this day, I am grateful for Pastor Chris for being there in our most trying time. Our friends in XTRM 1-11 also came by to visit and offered to pray over baby Ethan Gabriel and my wife Anna as well even if they couldn’t enter the room because it was already 2AM in the morning. Sleep-deprived. Shocked. Restless. I tried to rest and sleep aftewards but my mind and body was simply too worried to get a decent sleep. At 8AM, my mom who recently arrived from an overnight trip all the way from Ilocos came with me as I visited our baby in the NICU. When we arrived, the cardiologist was busy doing another 2D ECHO on our baby, and he signaled for us to wait outside and he’ll speak with us after checking our baby’s condition again that morning. While anxiously waiting for the result, I was busy praying under my breath for our baby’s miracle recovery. After seemed like a lifetime of waiting, the cardiologist came out of the NICU, his face beaming with delight as he puts his 2 thumbs up sign and walks over to where my mom and I were standing. He said, "Great news! It looks like your baby doesn’t have to go through surgery anymore." All I could say was "THANK YOU LORD!!!"

The cardiologist explained that overnight our baby’s condition improved significantly to a point where the initial diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta was no longer evident. The narrow nerve that was supposed to be operated on improved and was now pumping blood from the heart normally. It looked like the medication that they gave to our baby helped improve his heart’s function overnight. All I could utter at that point was, "THANK YOU LORD", over and over and over again. When the cardiologist waved goodbye, he said, it looked like OUR PRAYERS WORKED! And it worked indeed! Up to this day, I still don’t know what happened. It was a MIRACLE! To God be the Glory!

Until now, I can’t seem to thank God enough for giving us a GREAT BLESSING in our first born son Ethan Gabriel. Prayers really work. To our family, friends, and all other people in our community, my in-law’s Lifers community, my brother-in-law’s Light of Jesus community, our XTRM 1-11 family, and all the countless people who helped prayed with us that night and continued praying for our baby’s recovery, my heart will be forever indebted to you for your kindness. God bless you!

The experience reminded me once again, that every blessing comes from God. Each moment that we are living is a gift from the Lord. No matter how prepared you think you are, no matter how confident in your abilities you may be, no matter how financially secure you believe you are, God can take everything from you in a snap of a finger. Every riches, financial or otherwise, are only an accessory to the real riches we have in each of us all — a loving God who knows the desires of our hearts even before we are able to speak them.

My hope is that our baby Ethan Gabriel’s story help encourage you to hold on to God’s promise of hope in whatever challenges you are facing right now. God knows the desires of your heart. And just like a father who loves, He will surely bless you in ways you can never imagine. Miracles do come true. God bless you.

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Financial Reasons to Become a Contractor [Learn Financial Planning]

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:16:38 +0000

There are many benefits to being a freelancer and contractor as opposed to working permanently for someone else. Working for yourself can offer freedom, independence and power as well as flexibility from working a nine-to-five job. You can make your own choice about work; enhance your career to the next level by taking greater responsibilities; and push your own business to boost revenue.

But there is another reason to becoming self-employed and the most important one is monies.

Being self-employed is not an easy task and it does require a lot of initial donkeywork and effort but the outcomes far outweigh any negatives. Moving from permanent employment to being a freelancer has immediate and long term financial issues to consider but typically contractors earn more than their counterparts in permanent employment, so going solo increases your salary.

One of the main financial reasons is that being self-employed is one of the best tax strategies available. Freelancers are taxed differently compared to employees and independent contractors generally do not have taxes deducted from their pay unlike employees. You are, on the other hand, taxed on your net self-employment income which is net after various businesses expenses have been taken from the gross business revenue.

Becoming a freelancer is not for the cowardly because finances do depend on you. Success also means failure and you are bound to fail at a certain project or fail to attract a particular contract at some point. However, when you do make an accomplishment, the return on investment is definitely worth it financially because you set the price structure and negotiate the profits.

What is important is that you put yourself out there and try. Motivating yourself to do better in life is a great sign of character and if you are passionate in your field of work, you should achieve results. If you do not love what you do then you are going to lose the lack of commitment that being a contractor requires. The income can be fantastic but if you are only doing it for money then you may need to reconsider whether this is right for you.

A top tip to venturing into self-employed business is to go part-time. It is a big decision to quit your full time job and if freelancing is not right for you, it is a hasty choice to make during such difficult economic times. You may find that the finances become too pressurised and the burden on yourself is overwhelming. What is more, the opportunity of dry periods of work may be daunting for your partner. On the other hand, you may realise that you have a great knack in the freelancer sector and that you have set your own costs, won the clientele and achieved a huge profit.

Bio: Accountancy firm www.nixonwilliams.com can help all contractors manage their books properly and the Contractor Take Home Pay Calculator will let you determine your monthly wage so all finances are made simple and easy.

5 Simple Lessons On Investing For Retirement Today [Amateur Asset Allocator]

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:51 +0000

Holly Mangan is the managing editor of Money Crashers Personal Finance, a blog that provides tips for saving for retirement, building wealth, and utilizing investment strategies.

When it comes to planning for retirement, far too many people feel intimidated or are simply uneducated on the matter. For these reasons, they save next to nothing. In fact, one-third of all Americans have nothing whatsoever set aside for retirement, and half have less than $2,000. This is obviously a recipe for disaster, especially considering that the current U.S. Social Security system is in peril.

If you are among the large percentage of Americans lacking a solid retirement fund, don’t fret. With a little guidance and common sense, you can create a solid retirement portfolio – and you don’t need to be an investing expert to do it.

1. Start Now
Regardless of your age, you should begin investing now if you haven’t yet. Even if you have credit card debt, set something aside into a Roth IRA or your employer’s 401k. It doesn’t have to be a large amount, but a developed investing habit will serve you well once you pay off that pesky debt and have more to save. Plus, the real benefit to long-term tax-deferred investing is the benefit of compound interest. Since you aren’t required to pay taxes on your gains, the interest those gains can earn far exceeds a taxable account.

2. Start Simple
If you’re offered a 401k plan through your employer, take advantage of it, especially if your employer offers to match a percentage of your contributions. An employer match is basically free money to you. Plus, if you contribute the maximum to your 401k ($17,000 for 2012), your employer’s match will take the total annual contribution above this amount.

Furthermore, check if your employer offers a Roth 401k – like the Roth IRA, you can’t deduct contributions into this account, but they will grow tax-free, and you can take withdrawals tax-free during retirement. If you’re only offered a regular 401k, you may want to supplement it with a Roth IRA.

A Roth or traditional IRA is easy to open via a discount broker. To qualify, you must meet income requirements. However, these requirements are waived in most cases if your employer does not offer a retirement plan.

3. Educate Yourself
There’s a good chance you never took an investing course in high school or college. Fortunately, it’s never to late to learn. You already know you need to save money for your golden years, and you’re familiar with the standard vehicles in which to do it: a 401k, a Roth IRA, and a traditional IRA. But do you know how much you’re allowed to contribute annually to each of these accounts? Do you know when you’re allowed to make withdrawals? Do you know in what situations you will and won’t be penalized for making early withdrawals? The answers to these questions will affect which accounts make the most sense for you.

Beyond understanding the vehicles you’ll use to invest, you’ll want to investigate your investment options. First lesson: Keep it simple. In other words, stick to mutual funds. Mutual funds offer an array of advantages for folks who simply don’t have the time or head-space to analyze a slew of individual securities.

The next choice you must make is whether to invest in actively managed funds, which strive to beat a benchmark index like the S&P 500, or index funds that strive to replicate their benchmark index. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Perhaps the most compelling reason to go with index funds is lower expenses. You’ll typically pay a lot more for an actively managed fund, which can eat away every year at your gains.

4. Evaluate Risk Tolerance
Now that you’ve determined which type of retirement plan or plans you want to invest in, you must decide which specific investments (which mutual funds) to purchase with your contributions. Fortunately, mutual funds – including index funds – offer automatic diversification. However, even after you choose between actively managed funds or index funds, you need to determine how aggressive you want the fund or funds you choose to be. Not only will this be determined by your comfort with taking risk, but also by your age.

For example, if you prefer to play it safe, but have a good 30 years until retirement, you’re going to want to push yourself to take some measure of risk in your retirement portfolio. Perhaps a mix of stocks and bonds via a balanced fund would be best for you. Alternatively, you could purchase an S&P 500 index fund and a conservative bond index fund to strive for a mix of risk and safety via the passive management approach.

On the other hand, if you’re nearing retirement and micro-cap growth stocks are more your style, you may want to tone it down by only allocating a small portion of your portfolio to these and the rest to blue chip stocks and bonds.

Complement this exercise with additional research to find out what level of risk makes sense for your age and the size of your retirement portfolio relative to your goals.

5. Save More Money
Make saving money a state of mind. Simple tips and practices can save a lot in the long-run: Turn off all lights when you’re not in a room, and unplug appliances and electronics when not in use to minimize the constant drain of power. Examine your bills to see where your money goes, and see if you can find ways to trim monthly expenses. Reduce heating and cooling costs by insulating your house and windows, and by lowering or raising your thermostat as appropriate. And always ask yourself if you really need what you want to buy. For example, the $100 you want to spend on new gadgets could eventually generate $1,000 if properly invested.

Next, start couponing. Try it for a month and compare your grocery bills to what they previously were. You can use convenient mobile apps like The Coupon App or you can go with the tried and true Sunday paper ads. If your grocery store still offers double coupon days, don’t miss out. Depending on the amount of food you buy, grocery savings could easily reach or exceed $50 per month. That might not seem like much now, but it could mean tens of thousands more to ultimately pad your retirement.

Final Thoughts
The number of years you have until you retire, how much you’re contributing, your current retirement assets, and your risk tolerance all play a vital role in determining how you’ll want to invest. Figure out approximately how much you’ll need for a nest egg by projecting what your expenses will be when you retire. Based on that, calculate what type of return and contributions you’ll need to get you there. Use a search engine to seek out “online retirement calculators” to help you with this. Also, look into life and long-term care insurance to protect that all-important nest egg in the event of the unexpected.

Getting started and getting the money into a proper savings account is the most important step. Once you’ve gotten your savings off the ground, be sure that your investments are protected and in line with your situation and goals.

Have you begun saving for retirement? If so, can you save more?

Financial Graces that Can Leave You In Financial Ruin [Millionaire Acts]

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:38:41 +0000

The recent recession left many people in financial ruin. In order to make ends meet, people had to do drastic things to their personal budgets. However, many people were actually taking money away from the wrong places and making their financial situation worse. No matter what your financial situation, there are some things that should [...]

Fascism and the Fusion of Business and State [PennyJobs.com]

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:35:00 GMT

This is what is happening today, entrepreneurs and business-owners are being forced into politics because the government has expanded into their industry.

When the government expands into your industry, you have no choice but to gain political influence or be run out of business by those that do.

With each economic intervention, by way of bailouts, handouts, price controls, etc. the government destroys the real economy, and increases the value of political influence, shifting the effort from production to political lobbying.

So the political lobbying system is feeding itself on the economy like a vampire, draining the life out of the economy as it continues to grow.

Each time the economy begins to collapse, the government steps in to take over more of the economy which draws in more business owners into political lobbying, all the while the economy is not getting better – but much worse as each collapse is worse than the previous.

But because there is no incentive for those in control of the state to avoid the approaching disaster, they continue to add to their lobbying power.

The only cure to the state controlled economy is for the state to stop controlling the economy and return the power to the entrepreneurs, but the cure threatens the livelihood of the state bureaucrats and lobbyists of the ruling regime. And neither party can walk away without the other taking complete control of the economy and running the businesses of the party that walked away into the ground.

The idea of economic freedom and liberty are rooted in Christianity, so the underlining reason that the economy is collapsing is because the nation has turned away from believing in God and his Son. To make matters worse, God told us this would happen a long time ago as it is written in scripture, so we have no excuse.

For a longer version of this, here is a great article on mises.org and here are a few quotes that summaries it.

Fascism and the Fusion of Business and State

"He is therefore motivated to consume more of his property than he otherwise would, and to use his savings to buy political influence, rather than engaging in productive endeavors. He is motivated, in short, to engage in political rather than economic entrepreneurialism."
"This leads to a concentration of economic power in a few large firms, who are able to rely on government contracts to boost their income, while at the same time using captured regulatory bodies as a means to block smaller competitors from their market."
"Over a period of time, this process means that productive firms and economic entrepreneurs are destroyed, while unproductive (parasitic) enterprises run by political entrepreneurs take their place."
"The fascist economic system causes a convergence of economic and political power, both through the politicization of existing private capitalists, and the enrichment of political figures. The attempt to form a partnership between business and state eventually leads to a situation where business is the state, and the state is business."
"Since they have no method to objectively value competing projects, their interventions will involve a misallocation of resources compared with the free-market case, and will frequently involve an aggregated loss of resources even ignoring opportunity costs. Thus, despite any pretensions to the contrary, the state is unable to increase total economic output through its central planning; instead, it destroys the price system and causes loss.[20] This gradually leads to economic decline."
"The result is obvious: under an authoritarian system, political entrepreneurialism increases, and production decreases. This further politicizes the economy and leads to ever-greater distortions of prices, making rational calculation impossible."
"The problems with the fascist economic system become more and more clear, but there is no incentive for those in control of the state apparatus to avoid the approaching disaster. Since the only antidote to the problem is liberalization of the economy from state control, the cure for the economic decline threatens the personal livelihoods of the state bureaucrats and the ideological program of the higher-level members of the ruling regime."

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Carnival Round Up, March 13, 2012 [Passive Family Income]

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:22:18 +0000

Passive Family Income was included in the following carnivals recently:

Best of Money Carnival 142 hosted by No Debt MBA

Carnival of Personal Finance #348 hosted by Money Qanda

Totally Money Carnival #54 hosted by Family Money Values

Yakezie Carnival hosted by 101 Centavos

Yakezie Carnival – Mardi Gras Edition hosted by Young Adult Finances

Carnival of Personal Finance #349 hosted by Sustainable Personal Finance

Festival of Frugality – Life Stages Edition hosted by Penniless Parenting

Canadian Finance Carnival #76 hosted by Canadian Finance Blog

Yakezie Carnival – Daytona Edition hosted by Not Made of Money

Festival of Frugality #325 hosted by Debt Free by Thirty

Carnival of Financial Camaraderie #22 hosted by My University Money

Carnival of Retirement #8 hosted by Money Reasons

Yakezie Carnival – Dr. Seuss Lorax Edition hosted by Miss WallStreet

Carnival of Personal Finance #351 hosted by Girls Just Wanna Have Funds

Thanks to all hosts who included Passive Family Income’s posts!

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Financial “Spring Cleaning” Tips [The Almost Millianaire]

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:02:46 +0000

It is not quite Spring yet here in Michigan, but it has been such a mild winter, my internal clock is ticking early this year.

The personal financial habit that I’ve developed over the past 7 years is to preform a personal financial clean-up session at about the same time I decide to clean my garage and clear it of its dirty winter accumulation.

SADLY, MOST FAMILIES SPEND LESS THAN 30 MINUTES PER YEAR ON THEIR FINANCIAL PLANNING! DON’T BE THAT STATISTIC!

So here are my tips:

Give yourself at least 3 hours, no distractions, to compile whatever personal financial information you need to review and organize. For Example:

Credit Card Statements
Unpaid Bills
Paid, but unorganized bills
Bank statements
Retirement savings statements
Receipts
Life Insurance Policies
Donation Receipts

Pull your credit report and review it for accuracy!

Don’t overlook this one, even though it is generally inconvenient!
Credit Report companies are required to give you one free report per year…take advantage of that!

Define financial goals for the year, and develop a family budget to keep you on track!

This is extremely important. If you don’t set goals, you will simply continue down whatever financial path you always travel on.
If you need help, DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR IT! Hire a financial adviser, or ask a financially savvy friend…they will be happy to help!

Create a New, Proactive, Financial Habit!

Spend one hour a week, maybe after you pay your bills and balance your checkbook, to review and refine your budget and goals!
Monitor your financial & retirement investments monthly during this hour.
Double check your credit card and bank statements for accuracy, making sure you are not being charged interest or fees unreasonably.
Have fun with it! Whatever your financial situation, if you live within your means, it should never cause you worry or stress if you are managing well!

Why Obama’s Definition Of Economic Fairness Is Fundamentally Wrong [PennyJobs.com]

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:24:00 GMT

During the state of the Union address, President Obama once again made his case for economic ‘fairness’ to argue for more taxes and a larger government.

Obama believes that fairness cannot be achieved by the private sector of the economy, because people and nations are not fair to each other and they will never be without government policy to level the playing field.

Obama said it this way,

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

The only solution that Obama can see is for the government to step in and change the rules that are causing unfairness that result it economic inequality. Part of this is correct and I’m glad that Obama realizes the source of the unfairness – government policy.

But the part that he does not seem to realize is that no amount of government policy has ever been able to level the playing field. And that is because it is impossible for government to make economic policies that are ‘fair’ and without competitive advantages and disadvantage for someone. The only thing that government policies can do is change which businesses/nations get the competitive advantages and disadvantages.

All Obama can do is take unfair policies away from some companies and create new unfair policies for other companies. The only question is which companies are politically connected to Obama, so they can get the new policies that create unfair advantages for them. But this kind of politically determined ‘fairness’ is not fair at all. In fact, all he is saying is that his influence is for sale to the highest bidding lobbyist.

Obama is saying that the economy is distorted because the government is corrupt with crony capitalism and he is going to fix it with his own crony capitalism. This is exactly what he is doing with his green energy programs, his support for public education to limit school choices and Obamacare crowding out healthcare alternative competitors. He is giving the lobbyist and companies that support him politically the competitive advantages by giving them easy government loans, tax subsidies, price controls and direct handouts.

This is anything but FAIR.

Matthew Spalding from the Heritage Network had this to say;

“The idea that the government can and should step in to guarantee economic fairness is contrary to the founding principles that make America so great-and that enable its citizens to achieve success. It is contrary to the very meaning of the American Dream.”

In all fairness, the fairest thing to do is to reduce government policies, subsidies, price controls and direct handouts. This would provide more opportunity for more people – equally opportunity – to compete in the marketplace for solutions. The result would be lower costs, more jobs and a growing economy.

Obama's idea of fairness is the sources of economic inequality.

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Small Business Opportunities in the Philippines [Entrepinoy Bank]

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:16:49 +0000

Many of us in our lives at some point seek to stand up and work for ourselves. This is realized by creating a business or acquiring a business, but whichever the case, many in the Philippines are looking for practical ways in which a small business can be launched with success and minimal risk. Certainly, most of the enterprising entrepreneurs out there in the Philippines or anywhere in the world that strive to open and build their small business understand that every business you seek to start may or may not be successful. That is the risk entrepreneurs take when sizing up business prospects and launching their dream small business. Some business efforts will immediately turn profitable and revenues and income will expand to such a degree that you will find yourself less concerned about whether your small business will be successful, but rather more concerned about what you can do to nurture its growth. Other business launches struggle out of the gate. This is not unusual as many small businesses may not be profitable in the first months as you seek to expand your footprint in the marketplace. Then there are some that crash and burn. But just because your small business becomes a casualty in the failed business statistic column, do not think that you are alone or that you cannot be successful. Like a ball player, sometimes you may strike out a couple of times or miss shots on goal, before you get that winner. So as you can see, small business opportunities in the Philippines do not always unfold in a successful way until you have learned some things along the way.

Exploring Small Business Opportunities in the Philippines

So knowing the risks and potential for upside, the next logical question is where to start. Keeping in mind that sometimes you may need 3-4 shots on goal before you hit on a winner, begin accumulating a list of small business ideas. Part of this process is also taking a look at yourself and examining what skills and competencies you possess that would be a good match for the business you are contemplating opening up. Now, you need not know everything to be successful. Many a business person learned from scratch and built up their knowledge as the small business matured. So if you feel very strongly that a certain type of small business would be prosperous in your area, the fact that you lack of directly applicable skills does not mean you cannot pursue the winner of an idea. But in such cases, you would be best advised to seek input from those who are knowledgeable to test your conclusions. As mentioned above, going forward you need some ideas to consider. We have accumulated some prospects for you to evaluate further. None of them require a great deal of capital. Think of these as springboards. Also be sure to take a good look around the website for many other ideas and information about starting your own business. So here we go….

Laundry Business Philippines - keep it small at first. Roll out as a service for select customers and include delivery
Philippines Website Flipping – we have a lot of information about this line of work throughout our own website. Its a nice low capital, high return on investment small business for college students, stay at home moms, single mothers and dads, and really anyone interested in learning about how to make money online
Catering in the Philippines – when you pick a small business idea, make sure the core of the business has legs. Meaning, that whatever you offer will be around for a long time. Everyone likes to eat and many people may not have the time to cook and prepare the meal for many occasions. Focus your business on this niche of taking care of meals for events like birthday parties, weddings, funeral receptions, sports banquets, etc.
House Cleaning Services in the Philippines - again find a niche that needs to be filled in our area. Start small and expand based on customer referrals. If you work hard and are honest, the customer referrals will come and your business will expand.

U.S. Downgraded, Possible Bottom Spotted [The Rogue Investor]

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:54:17 +0000

Buy on bad news, sell on good. If we take that approach, it seems like a pretty good buying opportunity just on the news that the USA was downgraded from AAA to AA+ by the S&P. Couple that with the fact that we saw the highest volume in a year and a price reversal, I think we just may have found the bottom. Take a look:

The previous trading channel is marked by the orange lines.

Counting Friday’s slight gain, we have fallen 10% in the past 11 days. That is an amount that any technician would consider oversold.

Furthermore, we saw prices dip 11,250 and recover to close at 11,444 (1.7% improvement) on incredibly high volume. Because of that, I think we have seen the bottom. To confirm this Monday needs to move higher on increased volume.

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Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:17:59 +0000

All of my attention will now be focused on The Rogue Investor. Check it out to strengthen your investing through alternative investing strategies and disciplined portfolio management. Also, you can follow me on twitter o become a fan on facebook.

-Alex Stewart
The Rogue Investor

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Why do they need you?

What does the person pitching you the investment stand to gain?

What’s the risk?

Is it easy to understand?

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Does it sound too good to be true?

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What to read next:

Financial Reasons to Become a Contractor [Learn Financial Planning]

5 Simple Lessons On Investing For Retirement Today [Amateur Asset Allocator]

Financial Graces that Can Leave You In Financial Ruin [Millionaire Acts]

Fascism and the Fusion of Business and State [PennyJobs.com]

Carnival Round Up, March 13, 2012 [Passive Family Income]

Financial “Spring Cleaning” Tips [The Almost Millianaire]

Give yourself at least 3 hours, no distractions, to compile whatever personal financial information you need to review and organize. For Example:

Pull your credit report and review it for accuracy!

Define financial goals for the year, and develop a family budget to keep you on track!

Create a New, Proactive, Financial Habit!

Why Obama’s Definition Of Economic Fairness Is Fundamentally Wrong [PennyJobs.com]

Small Business Opportunities in the Philippines [Entrepinoy Bank]

Exploring Small Business Opportunities in the Philippines

What to Read Next to Learn Money Making Business Ideas...

U.S. Downgraded, Possible Bottom Spotted [The Rogue Investor]

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