At Ease Personal Finance

Certified Financial Planner or CFP

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Good question Certified Financial Planner or CFPs are trained in financial planning and tested to obtain certification. The can sell products and/or be a fee only planner. You may want to contact a couple of different CFPs to interview them before hiring a CFP. If I was to hire a CFP I would at least want to speak with someone that is a fee only CFP, as they would help you with a plan without trying to sell you something. They would charge a fee but you would get what you pay for in exchange for the fee.

For questions to ask when selecting a CFP see the following web site:

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/financial-planner/10questions.html

Personal Taxes

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:27:00 +0000

I really like the ability to do my taxes on my time at home. I use the H&R Block program which is similar to Turbo Tax, both are great programs. They both have a great tax check program that runs at the end of your taxes to check for errors and both programs will supply help if your are audited by the IRS, just like a tax professional. Is there anything related to this topic you would like to explore/discuss further?

Buying A Home

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:01:00 +0000

There can be many reasons to select a home and many things you want in a home. The most important point for most home buyers is location, location for schools, location for re-sale and location for nearby activities like work and other needs. Then there is size, a fixer upper or a home that does not need anything and is move in ready. Like any other purchase it is important to first spend some time investigating what you want in a home then making a list of what is important to you and rank these items, what you cannot live without, what you can live without and what you do not want in the home.

What would be first on your list for what you cannot live without?

Enjoy your job?

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:29:00 +0000

Great question, you have to enjoy your job. You are so right, if someone does not enjoy their job, they will often look for any way to get out of that job, even if the switch means much less pay.

I've had friends that worked as prison guards, most of them loved their jobs but a few did not. Many prison guards work on a rotation to remove the prison feel, they work outside, then inside and then with the prison population. I think the different positions really help.

Almost any job can be disliked. I have a friend who was a dentist, then he got into an auto accident and could no longer perform his job. He was happy because he did not like being a dentist. While healing my friend went back to school to do another profession and now he is happy. The money or earnings from a job, do not complete the person, we have to really enjoy what we do to work in that job 10-40 years.

Good News About Truly Wealthy People

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:19:00 +0000

With all of the picking on the wealthy by the people in Washington DC it got me thinking.

I thought about all of the truly wealthy people I've known, including CEOs of two large companies, Judges, Doctors and other professions, and what they all had, at least what I have know of these folks, is a great interest in helping others. They help people do well at work, they volunteer and they help friends and family.

Then I reflected on the people that I've known that want to be wealthy, just to have the money. When I think of this second group I can only think of people that are selfish and only think of themselves. Kind of odd when you think about it the people that have it all often want to help others and the people that want it all only think of themselves.

Have you ever known someone in either of these two groups?

How do I teach my family about personal finances?

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:11:00 +0000

Great question. Some friends and family members like to push our buttons or pick on others as they do not have the same financial self control or plan. Focusing on making good educated saving and investing plans will serve you and family well in the long run. Family and friends will copy what you do to a point.

It would be great to be able to share what we have learned with friends but often this is difficult as many people are not ready to hear about things like retirement savings until it is too late. I focus on teaching my children about finances, it took a while for the two older ones to listen but now they do. My 17 yr old is really interest now that has been playing the stock game in his economic class.

How did you learn what you know about finances? It is not normally something we just pick up along the way, you need to be interested. I started reading Money when I was 12, I was a finance geek and liked it.

Poor Economy: Don't Give Up

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:04:00 +0000

Many of us have had some type of set back, it is how we come out of the experience that really matters. Some people just want what they had or more money than they had and I think you have to find a way to make yourself better because of the experience. The best plan is to never give up, if you did it before, made good money, then you can do it again. Make the best of the good and bad experiences and learn from the experience.

What did you learn from the difficult economy?

Learning to live without debt

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:09:00 +0000

Many of us in the US can learn to live with a little less. Not that having the good life is bad but if the last three years taught us anything it is that if everyone has too much debt we will run into problems. Over extended personal credit, over extended second mortgages and a general lack of control when comes to spending put us into a difficult position. As we come out of the poor economy we are all learning how important it is to use credit in moderation and maybe only when needed for things like homes, education and car loans. In 2012 cut up all of your credit cards to focus only buying what you can afford with cash, debit cards or check.

Did the poor economy change anything in your spending habits?

Zero interest credit card offers: What good is a 0% credit card?

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Good question. A 0% credit card sounds like a really good idea but within 3-6 months the rate goes back up to 18-21% or more. Read the fine print and only take advantage of these 0% credit card offers if you can pay off the balance before the rate jumps up to the 18-21% or more range. Do not try to time the interest rate market by jumping from one low interest or no interest card to another, as at some point the offers will dry up or worse, your credit score may push you out of the low interest card game.

What You Learn In College

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:36:00 +0000

What good is a college degree if you do not have the knowledge? I have interviewed hundreds of colleges grads, right out of college for entry level positions. During the interview as part of the questions you normally figure out who was listening/learning in their classes.

I always like to say you learn two important things in college; 1) learn about the topics in your major area of study and 2) learn how to learn, this includes all the research, papers, assignments and the general education type classes.

Once you have a year or two of experience after college you learn so much more about your major area of study or it is highly possible you will not even work in your area of study at all. The part of your college education that you will use forever is the learn how to learn part. The research, papers and assignments help you with this as life changes and you learn new things, the rest of your life.

Job question about credit check and background check

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:40:00 +0000

Great question, part of the reason that employers check credit is that good credit shows responsibility. The biggest reason employers check credit is if the employee will have access to or control money in any way. A good way to find out if a potential employee will take money from the employer is to do a criminal background check and a credit check. The credit check may not be needed if there is no money involved. Some employers will ask questions about a negative credit check and still hire honest people that have bad credit due to loss of job or illness.

Can you think of a reason in addition to theft that an employer would request a criminal background check?

Teaching Children about Credit Cards

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:29:00 +0000

As parents one of the best things we can teach our children is that the mis-use of credit cards can lead to major problems for their financial future. Many new/young users of credit cards, it seems, just spend and spend until the free money runs out. (Until their credit cards are max'ed out). A good source for teaching our children or other young people about credit and credit cards is:

http://www.credit.com/learning_center.jsp

Treat Your Health Like Your Finances

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:07:00 +0000

Your financial life and your health are both very important to you. Just like you spend time making sure your financial life is in order make sure you make time for important doctor visits like your 40th year doctor exam. Treat each exam like it is a business plan or playbook for what you need to do to stay in good health.

Turning 40 is one of those big numbers for many people, looking back I wish I knew what I knew at 40 when I was 20. Those additional 20 years took away my ability to play sports but I would not trade the additional knowledge for anything.

Do you know your doctor? I always like to ask him or her what they do to work out, for some reason it seems to take the pressure off me during the visit. Another point is if you have any questions bring a note pad to write down the answers, too many people see the doctor and forget what they talked to the doctor about 10 minutes later. Treat the meeting just like a business meeting take notes and learn from the appointment.

Preparing For The New Economy

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Many of us can learn to live with a little less. Not that having the good life is bad but if the last 3 years taught us anything it is that if nearly everyone has too much debt we will run into problems. Over extended personal credit, over extended second mortgages and a general lack of control when it comes to spending put us into a difficult position. As come out of the poor economy we are all learning how important it is to use credit in moderation and maybe only use credit when needed for things like homes, education and car loans.

First Time Home Buyers Things to Consider

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:46:00 +0000

First time home buyers have many things to consider when buying a home. What are my expenses going to be, how do these expenses change my income taxes and what do I need to do to maintain my home.

There are many good books, blogs and lists to help you figure out the expenses and how income tax deductions will effect the expenses. Make sure to do your research and make lists and talk to home owners, friends and family to find out what surprised them when they bought their first home. One big surprise for first time homeowners is that nothing seems to go as planned with the closing or closing paperwork. Expect change.

To maintain the home make sure you do your research in this area too. What are weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance items that need attention and what do these cost. Make a list and a calendar to keep track of these expenses. Also make a list of long term care like roofing repairs and replacement. Also learn what these items cost and maintain a savings plan for these items.

Once you have all of the above items covered start looking into home owners insurance and companies you would like to use to help you maintain your home.

Good luck with your new home.

The White House Says...

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:24:00 +0000

The other day I saw something that really shocked me. A policy group working for the White House, prepared a recommendation to eliminate the interest deduction for American homeowners. The point was that the interest rate deduction was costing the government $1 trillion a year.

OK the last time I checked that $1 trillion is our money, not the governments money, even if we decide to give it to the government to spend. The money is not/was not and never will be the governments money.

No wonder the Tea Party movement is doing so well this election season. The Dems are again missing the point. Not only would this plan kill the already ill housing market but the Dems are again telling us what to do with our money while not listening to anything we say.

Consider a good state college or university

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:03:00 +0000

For many parents the college search is a source of a great deal of grief. Will my son or daughter get into the program of their dreams and will we be able to afford the she or he selects. Most likely if your son or daughter took the right classes and studied in high school they will get into many fine schools the difficult choice will be which school to select.

At this point I recommend most people consider the available state colleges or universities in their state. Most of these schools will have at least all of the programs your daughter or son is interested in and the costs will be much more reasonable for the 4 year degree.

The only reason I would recommend looking into a private college or university is if the school gives your child something that they may not receive from your local state school, say the unique advantage to get into medical school or a major that is in a high demand job or profession that is not offered in the state schools.

Budget Your Spending With Cash

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:14:00 +0000

The cash budget is still one of the best ways to keep track of and control your spending. One way to use the cash budget is to pay your monthly bills either online or by check then take the rest of the budgeted money out of the bank in cash and put the cash in an envelope for each budgeted expense.

One envelope for gas, one for lunch money, one for entertainment expense, one for school expenses, one for clothing expenses and so on. Once this money is gone each month that is the end of the budget allowed for that item. Sure you may also need another envelope for emergency expenses but this plan will help you keep your spending under control and help you keep focused on your spending goals.

Good luck with your plan, if you have any other ideas please let me know, I really like to share good ideas.

Certified Financial Planners

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:47:00 +0000

Certified Financial Planner or CFPs are trained in financial planning and tested to obtain certification. The can sell products and/or be a fee only planner. You may want to contact a couple of different CFPs to interview them before hiring a CFP. If I was to hire a CFP I would at least want to speak with someone that if a fee only CFP, as they would help you with a plan without trying to sell you something. They would charge a fee but you would get what you pay for in exchange for the fee.

For questions to ask when selecting a CFP see the following web site:http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/financial-planner/10questions.html

Goals

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Since I was young I always wanted to do well in life. Sure I know what you are thinking everyone wants to do well but I'm talking about every part of life, family, work, education, religion and with finances. Not everyone makes all of their goals but everyone that plans or makes goals normally does do well in life.

I've often read that there are 3 types of people, those that live day to day, those that plan for one year into the future and those that plan far into the future. Reading this the first time, when I was young, made think that those that plan far into the future must really have a great life as they are able to think that far into the future. Then as I learned more about this statement I thought about how to plan for each part of life.

One of the best tools I've found for improving every part of your life, family, work education, religion and with finances is to make goals for each part of your life. Make goals for what you are going to do today, this week, this month and so on into the future, 5, 10, 20 years later. What are you going to do if you win the lottery? If you had real goals you would know as the goal would be written down. What would you do if you son or daughter got into a really good expensive college? What would you do if you could no longer do the kind of work you do today? Think auto industry. How would you go about retraining yourself?

Start today to make plans for improving your life, these goals will change and you will not hit all of your goals but without them you are without a life plan.

Double Tax on Dividends

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:41:00 +0000

Why do businesses get hit with double taxes on dividends? Taxes on the corporation at 50% then taxes to the person or corporation that receives the dividend. This is so wrong. Businesses should invest all of their income into future growth in the business and if not they should return the income to the stock holders with share buy backs or dividends. How are we ever going to get corporations to give back any excess profits by dividends when the dividends are double taxed?

Help the economy now, cut taxes

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:53:00 +0000

Jump start the economy now by cutting taxes, everyday people will be able to spend more and so will business owners, both small and large. This spending will help the economy grow and will increase investment in jobs which in turn will increase spending. By increasing taxes the message to business owners will continue to be to cut back on investment in your company as the economy stalls and our unemployment grows. If spending increases by business and the public at large the drop in unemployment will help the government spending by reducing the payments on the unemployed and many of the other bail out payments.

If you know a business owner ask them what we need to do to help them feel comfortable to start spending on investment and jobs. By a large number, business owners say they are not investing fully in their businesses due to the fear of the unknown about future tax increases. This reduces their comfort about investing and hiring for future jobs.

Do yourself a favor after talking to a business owner follow up with the members of congress to find out why they want to increase taxes? When they know that is the last thing we need right now.

The Flat Tax

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Why is it that when the discussion turns to the flat tax, otherwise known as a single tax or simply a federal sales tax that would replace all other taxes, that everyone goes a little crazy? OK some accountants and tax attorneys would be out of work but don't worry about them, the new Euro taxes and the SEC regulations will keep them all employed.

The flat tax is fair, if you pay more for a good or service you will also pay more taxes and if you pay less for a good or service you will pay less in taxes. What could be more fair?

If we give the flat tax a try then maybe we can lower the taxes enough to jump start the economy.

401K A Great Way To Save For Retirement

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:21:00 +0000

401K's are a great way to save for retirement. Normally your 401k plan at work has an education program that is great for first time 401k investors, check out the plan material at work and/or their web site first to get started. If you do not find any education material on your 401k plan try this web site as a start on the basics of 401K's: http://www.401k.org/AboutPlans/tabid/58/Default.aspx.

Pay Yourself First

noreply@blogger.com (At Ease Personal Finance) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:20:00 +0000

One of the best ways to start saving is to pay yourself first or take your savings out of your paycheck first before spending and paying bills.

Some of the best ways to pay yourself first are to invest in the 401k or similar plan at work, have money for your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) taken out of your checking account on a set day each month and/or to have other savings such as a college fund taken out of your checking account each month.

If you are early in your career all of these savings accounts may sound like too much but really all you need to get started is a 401k or IRA for retirement and a regular savings account. Start will small amounts each month or paycheck and build upon your savings each month. Remember the earlier you start the more time you have to increase your savings. If you are further into your career it is never too late to start saving.