House flipping can be a tedious process, especially with today’s fluctuating markets. The key is to save as much money possible during the flipping process to maximize the end return. So what are some good ways to save a bit of cash whilst still achieving a quality finish? Here we will look at the top 12 ways to save money whilst house flipping.

1. Buy in the right market

Never buy an investment property during a market high, should a slump occur soon after purchase, the financial fall will be devastating. Buy during a medium to low market.

2. Buy in a great location

Even if the house is a little on the shabby side, a great location can set the benchmark for a rewarding sale. Home improvements can be made which will raise the value of the home over-and-above the added value for location.

3. Get involved in the dirty work

As unappealing as it sounds, tending to the dirty jobs around the property will save you endless amounts of money. Hire your own skip for rubbish removal and do the cleaning, landscaping and general DIY projects like wallpaper stripping and sanding yourself.

4. Hire professionals for the tricky bits

Doing simple jobs around the property will save money, but attempting things like concrete laying, electrical work or building is a no-no for an inexperienced person. Doing these jobs yourself will only lead to extra money spent repairing unfinished or botched work – Put the hammer down!

5. Shop around for tradesmen

Get quotes from several different companies before deciding which to use. Price variations can be huge so be wary of over-marketed trades people. Ask for referrals or testimonials and ensure they are registered workers.

6. Skip the trends

When it comes to renovating a house for resale, avoid spending copious amounts of money of trends. Most buyers want a fresh, clean and modern property and likely wouldn’t notice the extra expense you put into square taps instead of rounded. Stick to neutral and simple decorating.

7. Repair where you can

Check a broken appliance or fitting and consider repairing it rather than buying a replacement. If the unit is otherwise in good condition it might be cheaper to fix it up.

8. Keep the landscaping simple

Giant water fountains and exotic palms won’t increase the value of the property. Stick to tidy and simple landscaping. Well groomed lawns, pebbled gardens and a few modern pots are enough to appeal to the potential buyer.

9. Shop around for DIY supplies

Your renovation supplies needn’t be 100% new, for example quality and tidy wash-house tubs are frequently found at home demolition centers for affordable prices. Look at seconds and end of line paint and carpet ranges.

10. Pay bills on time

Take advantage of any prompt payment discounts for bills and accounts and avoid late fees by always paying on time.

11. Shop around for a real estate agent

Real estate agents take a percentage of the properties sales price and at times this can leave a hefty hole in an investor’s pocket. Shop around for quality and affordable real estate agents that aren’t charging ridiculous fees.

12.  Sell during a market high

A peak in the property market is the best time to sell for a maximum profit return. Of course it isn’t always possible to wait for the right time to sell, so take advantage if the opportunity arises.

Author Bio: Jessica is a New Zealand blogger who frequently writes for Propellor Property Investments, Auckland property investment specialists. She is always on the look-out for the latest news in investment property.

African currencies are hardly considered significant when it comes to forex trading and global markets, but with a single currency being proposed by the African Union for implementation in 2023, it’s worth speculating about what it could mean for the continent.

The hypothetical names being proposed are the Afro and the Afriq. Interestingly, the suggestion of a single currency, though rejected as impractical at the time of suggestion, was originally made by Muammar Gaddafi. The unpopular warmonger also wanted a single military force and passport system, but his monetary idea obviously planted a seed that’s been steadily growing.

The African Economic Community, a branch of the African Union, has been set to establish communication between African states regarding the implementation of one currency. Formed in 1994, the group has set phased goals into place which, if all goes according to plan, should result in a single currency continent by 2028 at the latest.   

Reactions have been varied. So far only three of the 53 states which hold membership within the African Union have committed to the idea. Delays have been requested by Egypt, Swaziland and Lesotho as they have openly stated their reservations about the change over, while the Seychelles and Cape Verde have shown interest in joining the euro instead. Two countries which have blatantly stated no interest in joining a currency union are Ethiopia and Morocco, while the rest of the African states are still open to change.

If the strategy is implemented, Africa’s presence on the global market will surely be increased. Smaller economies will benefit from the protection provided by larger, more stable ones, making it less possible for outside influences to take advantage. It could also encourage better inter-continental relations, improve local trade and act as a catalyst to ease tensions. A united Africa may also be able to curb the extent of the exploitation on its natural resources. We currently get far too little for way too much – though I may be dreaming too big to think this will ever change.

On the downside, the diverse political and economical landscape in Africa may prove too daunting for this ambitious idea, and our lack of infrastructure is likely to stunt inter-trade instead of help it flourish – but these are all obstacles that can, with time, effort and the right governance, be overcome.

Perhaps I’m being too positive, though. While it may seem inconceivable for Africa to follow in the footsteps of Europe when it comes to a new monetary system, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t try.   

Warren King is an experienced content writer who enjoys writing about finance and currencies, topics like the metatrader 4 and the mt4 demo account interest him the most.

Saving for retirement can be difficult, especially for those with low-wage jobs. Deciding how much to save when you’re living paycheck to paycheck can be stressful at best. What you need to consider is that the earlier you begin saving, the earlier you’ll be able to retire. No one wants to work until their 70!

Here are retirement saving strategies that everyone can utilize:

1. Direct Deposit
Find out if your employer is willing to split your direct deposit into two accounts; most are. Putting money into a separate account in this manner often works best because you never “see” the money in the first place. Contribute to a 401(k), IRA or investment account or have the money placed into a savings account. No matter what you choose, you’ll be surprised at how easy saving can be.

2. Pay Off Debt
Many people find it difficult to save when they are in debt. Sit down with your bills and make a plan. Rather than paying the minimum balance on each credit card, pay off one and then use the money you were paying towards that card to pay off the next. Your credit score may take a hit but you’ll save hundreds of dollars in interest.

If you can, open a credit card with a low introductory rate and transfer your balances to that card. You’ll save money in interest and only have one payment to make each month. Once you’ve paid off your debt, you can add extra money into your retirement savings each month.

3. Understand Social Security
Social Security benefits kick in once you hit the age of 62. Your monthly payments increase for every year you wait and top out once you reach 70. Payments are, on average, 40 percent of your wages just prior to retirement. Once you understand how much you will receive from Social Security, you can better plan for what you will need to save on your own.

4. Look For a New Job
While you may be comfortable in your current role, finding a job with better retirement benefits may be in your best interest. You’ll obviously need to weigh the pros and cons of changing careers, but retirement benefits are nothing to scoff at. If you are working for a company that offers nothing in the way of a retirement plan, you may be able to find a similar position with a company that has better benefits. It doesn’t mean you have to give your two-week’s notice tomorrow, but it does mean that you should start looking.

5. Don’t Touch Your Savings
This may seem like a no-brainer but you need to make up your mind that your retirement account is untouchable, especially if it’s a simple savings account. While there are restrictions involved with 401(k)s and IRAs, the same restrictions don’t apply to your personal accounts. Remember that your account is your nest egg; it isn’t meant to pay for vet bills, car repairs or the electric bill.

6. Put Your Money To Work
Once you’ve saved $1100, consider taking $1000 and putting it into a CD, Annuity or use it to open an IRA. Your money will earn more this way. Each time you save $1000, transfer it into your account with a higher yield. It can be risky though, so you may also consider hiring a financial planner and investing in the stock market.

Saving for retirement can be a daunting task, especially when you have other bills to pay. Don’t make it more difficult than it is. Utilize these simple steps to start building your nest egg; it’ll pay off, literally, in the future.

Author Andy Trace is a money consultant and content contributor for Finance Choices a site offering detailed comparisons for the top providers, and side by side features to compare balance transfer offers.

There will be a time in your life as an entrepreneur that you may have to take out a small business loan. For many in this day and age getting a loan is not far from a reality that will be met at some point in their future. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in many cases a business loan is to be used to make simple upgrades or expansions in an existing locale. It is best to use a business loan rather than dipping into your own personal finances or that of the business. By getting a small loan, you can then manage your finances in an organized fashion with monthly payments that can be comfortably met.

Now the question for many remains, “Where should I get my loan?” Of course the answer to that question greatly depends on a few pre existing factors. How established is current business? Are you showing profits and good sales? How is your existing credit?

Whatever your current situation is, your chances of receiving a loan will depend on those circumstances along with preparedness and organization. Regardless of where or who you plan to borrow money from, your key to success lie in those two details. In order to be sure that your wishes will be reciprocated you should have a list of all the things that you will need to accomplish before you are to present your case. Here is what your list should entail in no particular order.

A business plan. You plan should demonstrate just how you plan to use the money.

Money projections. You should prepare documents that clearly show your businesses cash flow projections so that the lender can assess the risk and make sure that you will be able to pay them back.

Credit Report. Getting a loan is always dependent on credit rating and history. You will need a copy of your history in order to get a loan.

Furthermore, you should have a personal financial statement in order to present to the lender. This is a detailed list of your own personal affairs, such as assets, debts, liabilities and so on.

If you are well prepared and organized for this meeting you should have no problems establishing a loan to help you make the necessary improvements to your existing business. Good luck!

Being laid-off can be one of the most stressful, depressing times of your life; if you let it. This is one of the few times in our nation’s history when people are staying on unemployment for over a year, only to find it run out before they’ve found a new job. How you survive unemployment depends on the way you approach the situation.

While no one on unemployment can remain upbeat 100 percent of the time, the more positive your outlook, the better you will feel both physically and mentally. When you get down, and you inevitably will, taking proactive steps can help you pull yourself up. Here are some beneficial ways to spend this time in your life:

1. Embrace Change
Change can be difficult; when it’s forced, it can be near impossible to bear. Give yourself a day or two to grieve your loss and then get on with your life. Chances are that you’ve never had as much free time on your hands as you do now; use it wisely!

If you’ve always dreamt of being a teacher, go back to school. If you loved your job but wished you would have been able to move higher up the ladder, take courses to enhance your skills. Have you always wanted to sell your wares? Open an Etsy shop.

There are many government grants for those that have found themselves unemployed and want to return to school or even just take a few classes. Take full advantage of this free money and go get the training you’ve always wanted.

2. Talk It Out
Find someone that you can talk to. It doesn’t matter if it’s a relative, friend or even a professional. The weeks following a job loss can bring a flood of emotion. You may find yourself laughing hysterically one minute and on your knees in tears the next. Don’t keep your feelings to yourself. For the sake of your mental health, find someone that you can vent to, laugh with or even just sit with silently if that’s what you need.

3. Cut Your Spending
Even though you’ll be receiving unemployment benefits, it’s a good idea to cut spending where you can. Apply for budget payments with your utility companies, reduce your cable subscription, drop the landline and rework your cell phone contract. Shop at the less-expensive grocery store and cook more meals at home. There are tons of ways you can save money and, trust me, you’ll get used to it.

4. Continue Searching
Chances are that when you first lose your job, you’ll spend days searching for a new one and quickly becoming disheartened when you don’t receive replies. Don’t give up! Revamp your resume, continue applying for positions you are qualified for and follow-up with those companies you’ve applied with.

If you’re lucky enough to land an interview, don’t stress about buying a new outfit. If you’ve got nothing in your closet to wear, head to the local thrift shop. It may not be somewhere you’ve shopped previously but you’ll be surprised at the selection. Alternately, join a Yahoo group like Freecycle and let people know what you’re looking for.

5. Take Care of Yourself
Above all, when you lose your job, the most important thing you can do is to take care of yourself. Find a hobby, volunteer at your local animal shelter, just get up and do something. Nothing will make you more depressed than sitting in the house feeling sorry for yourself. Get out there and live your life! It’s cliche, but things will get better. Try to look at this as a bump in the road, not the highway leading to the rest of your life.

Bouncing back from unemployment can be difficult for even the most positive person. You have more control over your mental state than you think. The better your outlook, the easier you’ll find getting through to the other side of unemployment.

Author Andy Trace is a money consultant and content contributor for Finance Choices comparison website, featuring detailed comparisons for the top providers, and offering bad credit credit cards for those who’ve experienced an unfortunate hit to their credit score.

Glowing academic credentials are simply not enough for a recent college graduate to land in a competitive workplace. An increasing number of employers are putting a premium on hiring candidates with work experience. This is true even for positions traditionally considered as entry-level jobs. Internships are a standard step to getting your foot in the door in many industries, including finance and business jobs.

Working with finance staffing agencies to land a job with top finance companies is easier for job candidates who have completed an internship first. An internship boosts your chances of getting noticed and landing a job with the right firm.

Benefits to Applicants

Opting for a finance internship is not just about getting your foot in a company’s door. Nor is it simply a way to make your résumé look good. Internships have many obvious benefits to job applicants who work with finance staffing agencies to get going on their career path.

An internship is a chance to test out a career and see if it is what you really want to do. Internships offer a taste of what a particular industry is all about and helps a student decide if he or she wants to embark on a certain career path before he or she graduates.

Internships offer a valuable resource for networking. Through an internship, you can connect with a mentor that can help you build your career. Mentors are valuable for offering advice on what decisions you should make to ensure you gain the greatest degree of success.

One thing internships do more than anything else is offer a large dose of real world experience in a particular industry. If you work in a finance internship, for example, you can acquire a ton of skills that will help you understand how to apply what you learn in finance classes in a real world setting. You also get a correct idea of the time and energy to put into a job to generate success for the company.

Benefits to Employers

Internships are a valuable tool for employers in finding future employees. An internship is an effective way to cut through stacks of impressive resumes and cover letters and find a job candidate who is truly qualified for an open position within a company.

Many industries require an employee to have a hefty dose of skill and expertise in order to work effectively in that industry. Finance is no exception. When employers in the finance sector look for candidates out of college or through finance staffing agencies, they want to find someone who has already proven themselves to a small degree.

Internships give an employer an idea of how an individual fares in the actual workplace. That is why many companies build a pool of candidates for open jobs from past and present interns. They know what they are going to get with an intern who has previously spent time with the company or has been in a similar work environment elsewhere.

About the Author: Julian Vitko encourages all of the students where she works to find internships before graduation. They prove to employers that you’re serious about your field of work and want to succeed!

According to the Wall Street Journal, accounting is currently one of the most recession-proof career tracks you can have, and one that will continue to be in demand for decades to come.

The fields of accounting and finance will never go out of style, given the fact that all businesses, regardless of their specific industry or scale, need the services of accountants in their operations. As the world continues its moves towards globalization, the finance industry will be one of those that experience the largest growth.

Having a skilled and well educated CPA in your business is undoubtedly an asset, and as such, they do demand a high salary. But before we get into the nitty-gritty of how much they earn, let’s first try to understand what these brilliant minds really do and why they are paid so handsomely for it.

What Do They Do?

CPA’s are charged with some of the most important tasks in any company, that which relates to managing and verifying all things associated with numbers. These tasks include auditing financial statements, processing tax returns, and everything else that involves accounting procedures. Of the many employees in a company, the CPA has one of the most diverse jobs to be had, as well as the most vital.

Why Become a CPA?

CPA’s are not just confined to a single type of industry; there is work to be found in many varying fields, including entertainment, sports, manufacturing, music and the like. Armed with your license, you can find a job in any field across all states. This also gives you the capacity to create a high yielding contribution to your company by adhering to strict accounting standards that help to keep your business productive.

How Much Can You Earn as a CPA?

Accountants can afford to negotiate a high salary because they are in high demand and perform a critical job, so employers don’t think twice about hiring them.

With a valid license, you can have a hand in determining just how much you will take home at the end of a day’s work. On average, rookie accountants can rake in roughly $35,000 – $45,000 in a year when employed in an established firm, and even an established person in a smaller firm can still earn a minimum of $30,000 per year. If you are a full-fledged CPA, just feel free to add in an additional 10% to that median salary. Not bad, right? It gets even better.

When you move on to become a partner, your pay can almost triple to $150,000 a year, while getting promoted to Chief Financial Officer can bring in upwards of $350,000 a year.

This just goes to show that working with numbers helps to give you the numbers, a fat six digit paycheck to be exact.

AccountingDegree.net can help you narrow down the online accounting degree that is right for your career goals. Whether its CPA courses or starting your education with an AS in accounting online, you’ll have a broad range of programs to research and review.

Debt settlement is a process which can help you to get out of your debt troubles. If you are suffering under the burden of debt, you should take steps to get out of your debts as soon as possible. By doing this you will not only lead a more peaceful life, you will also gain financial stability. If you are being unable to pay back your debts you can end up in serious financial trouble such as bankruptcy. Being delinquent on your debts for more than 3 months gets recorded in your credit report and your credit score falls. Thus it is advisable that you talk with your creditors and try and negotiate your debts with them. However, in most cases, since you are inexperienced as to how to deal with your creditors in order to make them listen to your demands, the debt settlement remains unachieved. It is better that you seek the help of a professional debt settlement company to help you out with the process.

How does a debt settlement company work?

The first step in this process is for you to approach for the help of a debt settlement company and enroll in a debt settlement program. The rest of the steps are as follows.

1. Enrolling in a settlement program – After you enroll in a debt settlement program, the debt settlement company provides you with a negotiator who asks you to stop paying your creditors the first thing.

2. Accumulation of debt payment – He then appraises your financial situation and decides upon an amount that can be paid by you every month. You have to pay this amount every month to the debt settlement company. This amount slowly gets accumulated in a settlement account with the settlement company.

3. Negotiation with creditors – The next thing that the negotiator has to do is the most important step. He has to negotiate with your creditors and convince them to reduce the amount of outstanding debt that you have to pay. Depending upon the negotiation skills of the negotiator and your financial condition, you may get your debts reduced by 40% to 60%.

4. Payment of the final settlement amount – After the negotiation process is over and enough money has accumulated in your settlement account, the settlement company pays the amount to your creditors and makes you debt free.

Usually settlement is done with a lump sum payment. However, you might not have the financial prowess to make a lump sum payment of the settlement amount. As a result the settlement account is built up to make the process of payment easier. Thus with the help of a settlement company, you can again become debt free.

Silver and gold are both precious metals, but gold has always had a certain appeal to prospectors, investors and collectors which is almost always categorically greater than silver. So does silver, metaphorically speaking, glitter to the likes of gold?

Gold and silver are similar in a lot of respects. They are both metals, easy moved, difficult to counterfeit for those that know what to look for and exchangeable. But what is the appeal gold has over silver that makes it so much more valuable in monetary terms?

Gold is more transportable in that it takes more ounces of silver to purchase one ounce of gold. Also, silver will tarnish so care needs to be taken to keep the metal shiny and glittering. However, even the fact that silver tarnishes is not inherently a bad thing. Tarnishing is, for the most part, on silver coins very minor. It is important to note that silver coins have been found which date in excess of 2000 years. Silver tarnishes and this actually works to make it more useful and valuable. For example, silver and tarnish helps to create photographs. As a result, without this process taking place it wouldn’t be possible to create photographs. This makes tarnish a benefit and can actually help to raise the value of silver.

There is not as much silver in refined form as compared to gold. This means that, when it comes to supply, silver is more valuable. The vast majority of the gold mined from the Earth is held by mankind. When compared to this, there is far less refined silver available to individuals. Since it is more rare, when it comes to supply and demand, there is more of a demand for silver because the supply is so low, comparably.

Silver is also used far more than gold. For example, silver is used in photographs, as discussed above, but also in electronics and jewelry as well. Gold is used in jewelry, but less so in electronics and the like. Silver is used in electronics, such as as switches, because it is such a good conductor of electricity. Because of this, it is also used in batteries.

Still, it comes back to the problem of ratio costs. It is so difficult for individuals to see the sense in carrying around more of a certain metal when they can carry around less of another. In this respect, gold comes out ahead of silver. However, this does not mean that silver cannot hold its own, nor does it mean that silver cannot glitter in the manner that gold does. There are so many uses and functions of silver, making it a perfect metal for so many endeavors in its own right.

Manni Countreau is a car insurance broker in Cambridge, and an avid investor.  Although many people have been aggressively investing in gold in recent years, silver has a great deal of lustre as well.  There are plenty of wise investments out there.  It usually isn’t wise to invest with loans or credit cards.  The cost of precious metals has been growing quickly in recent years, but compounded interest usually grows much more quickly.

There’s plenty of informal financial advice out there. Like any other area of life, money has its fair share of folk wisdom. Is any of it much use?

Clichés abound in financial advice, but clichés have often become what they are for a reason. Sometimes they are wise observations that have become banal through repetition; at other times they are misguided or simply wrong. The trick is knowing which is which, and in what circumstances. Here are ten to think about.

1. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

This is sound financial advice. Small savings can really add up over time – that £2 latte on your way to work every morning could cost you around £500 by the end of the year. More than that, care about your finances is a habit you can cultivate through practice.

2. Don’t spend what you don’t have

This principle was famously espoused by Wilkins Micawber in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield: ‘Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.’ Although credit cards and other loans might give you a bit of breathing space, it’s hard to argue with this piece of financial advice in the long term.

3. Buy low, sell high

Hardly financial advice, this principle is simple in theory but very difficult in practice – otherwise everyone would be doing it. A more conservative and easy rule to follow might be ‘Sell when you can, not when you must.’

4. Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful

Stratospherically successful investor Warren Buffett’s financial advice is good for making you think twice. Sell-offs by panicking investors may mean that stock is cheap, and shares inflated by over-optimism are vulnerable to imminent crash. Somehow, though, no one seems capable of judging the true value of a stock quite like Buffett…

5. Never try to catch a falling knife

Buffett may have a point, but when do you call the bottom of the market? No one’s to know if a plummeting stock has got further to fall until it levels out again. You can take your chances, but that’s all they are: chances. Better financial advice might be to make regular small investments to smooth out the peaks and troughs of the market’s fluctuations.

6. Don’t panic

If you happen to own a ‘falling knife’, you’ll probably be tempted to sell it and cut your losses as soon as possible. Either way, it’s best to take sentiment out of the equation. Make decisions rationally, not emotionally.

7. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

Also known as ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’ There’s no arguing with this financial advice. The only people who know otherwise tend to work in boiler-rooms, or for Bernard Madoff’s wealth management firm…

8. You can’t go wrong with bricks and mortar

This seemed to be strong financial advice, right up to the worst financial crisis in living memory. Since 2008 people have been a little more circumspect about buying property.

9. Avoid excessive risk

This should go without saying, but the sticking point is the word ‘excessive’ – exactly how much risk is too much? That can be quite subjective and will depend on various factors, including the timeframe of the investment in question.

10. Money can’t buy you happiness

Woody Allen famously added the qualifier: But it can buy you a better class of misery. He may have had a point, but balance is always good. If you’re spending all of your time making, or worrying about money, then you’re probably not having too much fun. This piece of clichéd financial advice happens to be right on the money: a growing body of research shows that increasing incomes have diminishing returns as far as making us happy goes. What matters more is our relationships with family and friends, and the sense of belonging our jobs give us – not just their pay-cheques.

This article was supplied by FSA regulated financial advisors SG Wealth Management who serve individuals and organisations throughout Norfolk, East Anglia and the south-east.