Life Then Finance

Dave Ramsey’s Seven Baby Steps

2012-05-06T00:09:31Z

If you haven’t heard of Dave Ramsey, you are missing out on plenty of financial wisdom. Dave Ramsey is a radio talk show host, author of several books including the total money makeover & Entreleadership and teaches money management based on biblical principles in Financial Peace University. The Seven Baby Steps As you organize yourself to follow the baby steps, you need to setup a zero-based budget. This is where you allocate your paycheck before you actually spend it. With this budget, your total pay-check amount is listed at the top and reduced for every individual expense listed. All monies have to be allocated thus ending with a zero balance. There’s power in focusing all your efforts, resources and energy to a cause. In this case it will be to you finances. For that matter, all investing can be put on hold until you clean up the debt. Emergency fund: [...]

Personal Money Management Software – A List Of The Top 10

2012-05-06T01:02:34Z

Managing your personal financial situation is more important now than ever before! In this article, we will break down the top 10 personal money management softwares (in no particular order); but first let’s list some key features you need to think about when searching for the best personal money management software for your needs: Uses your native language. No knowledge of accounting required. User-friendly interface that’s easy to use. Hassle free document sharing between PC and Mac. Unlimited accounts, contacts, and categories. Supports multiple currencies with exchange rate manager. Transaction reconciliation and auto-balance. Recurring and scheduled transactions support. Customizable calculator with full budget support. Advanced recordable queries and statistics. Fast Import and Export. Password protection with multiple document interface. Native versions for Windows and Mac OS X. These are just some features that any good personal money management software will have. Neo Budget NeoBudget is an online money management system that [...]

How To Prepare Your Taxes

2012-04-01T00:42:12Z

For those of you who haven’t yet filed your taxes, you have only two weeks left. This article will show you the basics of filing your taxes. Due to the always changing tax regulations, be sure to consult with your tax professional in order to address your particular situation. The tax man cometh! Tax time can be stressful for some people and a joyous occasion for others. For some people, it means big refunds…for others, big headaches! This report was written to help out with some basic information that almost everyone needs to know about filing taxes. You will find information about how to file, as well as, where to file for the most stress-free tax prep experience. Let’s get started! Where Do I Begin? Begin at the beginning! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) A proactive way of approaching preparing your taxes is to wait for all of the necessary forms. These forms include, but [...]

Personal Financial Training – What is Money Matters Expo?

2012-03-04T01:34:09Z

Money Matters Expo personal financial training is a way to educate people looking to improve their money management. Money Matters Expo will focus on real world scenarios. The personal financial training will equip people with the knowledge needed to make intelligent financial decisions. The main purpose behind any type of personal financial training is to help you afford the things you want to do and at the same time allowing to do those things while still remaining financially secure. After you have finished with the personal finance course, you must take action on what you have learned! Your financial situation won’t fix itself and nothing will get moving in the right direction until you start putting into practice the knowledge you have gained. Benefits Of Money Matters Expo Personal Financial Training Personal financial training should be looked at with the end in mind. This type of training has long-term benefits [...]

Financial Literacy Is It Important

2012-03-04T00:51:17Z

According to Wikipedia, “Financial literacy is the ability to understand finance. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions through their understanding of finance.” Knowing how to manage money is part of being financially literate. More aspects of financial literacy include being able to plan for the future, discuss money without (or in spite of) discomfort, and respond to life events that affect financial decisions. Here are some more numbers for you from that 2009 survey done by the U.S. Department of Treasury 51% of Americans have no funds set aside for emergencies. 58% of Americans have never saved for retirement. 59% of Americans have never saved for children’s education. 15% of Americans have no bank account. Those are some astounding numbers! And keep in mind, those numbers are from 2009! Problems Of Financial Illiteracy There are [...]

Financial Coaching 101: What You Need to Know

2012-02-21T05:07:08Z

Finances are more important now than ever before! Lay offs and cut backs are still going on around us and may have even affected some of us. Managing money can be quite tricky, especially in this day and age. But lucky you! You have this report in your hands to help through the financial coaching jungle. We are going to define financial coaching. We are also going to discuss the basic concepts of financial coaching. Lastly, we will talk about some key benefits of having a financial coach. What Is Financial Coaching? In a nutshell, a financial coach is some one who will help you budget your finances and will help you create good money habits for a fee. Some things you want to consider before hiring a financial coach are: Experience Compensation Personality Professionalism Expertise Experience You want someone who has had extensive training for at least 2 years. You want someone who [...]

6 Money Myths That Hold You Back

2012-03-10T02:30:38Z

Are you being prevented from becoming financially prosperous? A false belief system about money can seriously affect both short- and long-term fiscal worth. But there’s a way out! Throw away these six money myths, and you’ll be on the path to prosperity. Do you hold any of these common, erroneous beliefs? If I get a raise that moves me into a higher tax bracket, I’ll actually take home a smaller paycheck. Thankfully, this isn’t true! Being moved into a higher tax bracket only increases the tax rate on the income you earned in that tax bracket. Here’s how it works: Filing Singly, 2011: 10% on taxable income from $0 to $8,500 15% on taxable income over $8,500 to $34,500 25% on taxable income over $34,500 to $83,600 28% on taxable income over $83,600 to $174,400 33% on taxable income over $174,400 to $379,150 35% on taxable income over $379,150 So, [...]

Internet Banking – Is It For You?

2012-03-10T02:34:13Z

Online banking has become very popular for simple banking transactions. These banks can make actively managing your financial life much easier. With an internet bank, you’ll be able to monitor your accounts, pay bills, and transfer money, all with the click of a button. But if you’re considering online banking, remember that internet (or “direct”) banks are not always a viable substitute for brick-and-mortar banks in all cases. To help you decide whether to switch to online, stay with traditional banking, or do a combination of both, let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of internet banks. Advantages of Internet Banks Convenience. Direct banking institutions are open for business anywhere there’s a web connection. Other than times when website maintenance is being performed, they’re always open. Your account balance and information are can be accessed with a just few keystrokes Even when Internet service isn’t available, customer service is typically available [...]