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Money

9 Common Mistakes When it Comes to Debts

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9 Common Mistakes When it Comes to Debts

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In this day and age, debts are inevitable for most people. Taking out a loan can be of tremendous help, especially when you are in a financial emergency, be it for business or personal reasons. However, there are many mistakes that people make, leading to a stressful life of debt. To help you avoid becoming a victim, here are some common debt mistakes to keep in mind:

  1. Same Old Spending Habits

We are creatures of habit and spending money is no exception to that rule. That’s because driving the same car, eating in the same restaurants, and buying at the same store proves to be comfortable. However, it could be costing you more than you can handle financial wise. It’s pretty simple- if you do not change your spending habits, then you will never get out of debt. Consider beginning with your morning habits and take breakfast at home. Next, carry lunch from home, rather than eating at a restaurant. In the evening, watch movies or games at your house while enjoying a homemade meal. These simple changes will have an immediate significant effect on how much you spend on a daily basis. You do not have to do what you like or prefer, you just have to make better choices when it comes to it.

  1. Attempting to Get Out of Debt Alone

Almost everyone doesn’t like to ask their friends and relatives for support when it comes to handling debt. A wise remedy is to contact a non-profit credit counseling agency and seek help from the experts. These counselors are well-trained and certified by national organizations such as the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and will recommend debt-relief solutions including credit consolidation, debt management programs, debt settlement, and even bankruptcy if things are really bad. They will show you how to create an ideal budget and suggest a solution that will match your needs. The best thing about this is that the advice is free. Ask, am I eligible for a debt management plan?

  1. Failure to Create a Practical Budget

It is virtually impossible to gain control of your money if you do not have a practical budget. Many individuals think it is too much work until they reach into $10K or $20K credit card debt and wonder how they got there.

A great solution is to create a realistic budget that addresses common financial needs such as health care, food, housing, education, and insurance, while also creating room for paying your loans. Do away with the credit cards and only work with cash. Yes, this will mean cutting back on things like dining out, hitting the movies, buying new electronics or clothes, but if you really want to get out of debt, having a practical budget and using cash is a solid start.

  1. Getting into a Debt-Relief Program but Not Understanding What it Entails

There is rarely a quick-fix solution for debt issues. If you come across this claim, then immediately look elsewhere. One of the most important things to bear in mind is that debt-relief programs tend to take three to five years and so, you’ll need to be patient. Next, you need to assess the firm providing these solutions. A great place to start the check is the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or the local state attorney’s office. Military bases, universities, and credit unions should also be reliable sources for suggestions. Just ensure the organization you pick is licensed and does not have a record of client complaints.

  1. Trying to Clear Multiple Debts at Once

Many people in debt usually have multiple sources including student loans, credit cards, car loans, mortgages, etc. Unfortunately, they try to handle them all at once. This is a move that will only see you give up and be unable to make progress in clearing debt. Instead, go back to your budget, trim everything to the essentials and create a surplus that goes to the credit card with the highest interest rate. Once that is cleared, go to the next credit card, and so on, until you clear all the debt.

  1. Failure to Put Aside Savings for Emergencies

According to reports, over 55% of American consumers do not have adequate finances to cover emergency expenses of at least $500. You cannot predict car accidents, plumbing failure, unemployment, etc. That’s why every household requires an emergency fund account. Experts suggest putting three to six months of expenses aside to cover any emergency you might experience. It may take time to get there, but if you are determined to pay off your debt, it needs to be part of your monthly budget. So, consider putting aside at least 5% of your monthly income towards an emergency fund. This way, you won’t have to depend on loans to cover an unexpected expense.

  1. Failure to Contribute to a Retirement Account

Yes, it seems good to devote your money to clear your loans today, but it is a costly mistake in the long haul. There will come a time where you need to retire and so, ensure you devote at least 5% of your monthly income towards a retirement savings account. The earlier you begin contributing to that 401(K), the better off you will be when you retire.

  1. Failure to Prioritize Your Debt

We all have bills and many people want to get out of debt. However, many people fail to be focused, and doing so isn’t a priority. One of the best solutions is to consolidate your debts and only make a single payment per month. Another way to stay focused is by writing down the top 5 debts you want to clear. Put this note in a place you will see every day to remind you of your mission. Whenever you see that note, you will remember that you are getting rid of and not adding to the debt.

  1. Closing Accounts When They’re Paid Off

The remedy for this is straightforward, pay off your account but do not close it. Keep in mind that credit score systems not only depend on how much you owe but how much credit you have available.

Finances · Money

5 Inevitable Costs You Must Be Prepared For

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Keeping your finances on the right track is always going to be a matter of making sure that you are preparing for the worst even when you are hoping for the best. Here are some inevitable costs that you probably won’t be able to escape in your life. 

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A Funeral

Though it might seem peculiar, we can start with the very last cost that you will need to think about that is completely unavoidable. What makes this cost special is that you won’t be paying the price. Instead, this will fall to your dependents. That’s why, believe it or not, a lot of people once they reach a certain age, will set up a funeral fund. This is designed to pay for all the costs of a funeral including the casket, tombstone, funeral photography and even plots of land. It might sound morbid, but it’s something that you might eventually want to think about. 

Children’s Education

You could also think about the cost of your child’s education. Now, it’s worth noting that you are under no obligation to pay for the costs of your child’s higher education. However, this is something that many parents will aim for to help their child avoid unnecessary levels of debt later in life. If you are worried about the cost, then it’s recommended that you do think about looking at the average cost that you will need to pay for your child’s college tuition. This will help ensure that you can set a saving goal. You should also look at savings accounts and investment opportunities that will ensure you can quickly grow these funds. 

Home Renovation

It’s also worth thinking about the cost of a home renovation. You might think that you can avoid this cost, but don’t be so sure. If you buy a home, then at some point, you will need to complete renovation work. Renovating your home will mean that you can deal with issues related to wear and tear that will limit the value of the property overtime. 

It can also ensure that your home continues to be a safe and comfortable place to live for you and your family. This means that you might also be able to avoid selling your house to move to another property. Instead, with the right renovations, your house could become a forever home. It might also be worth thinking about emergency renovations that you might need to complete. There are lots of examples including flooding damage that will need to be corrected without any delays. 

Retirement

Next, you should think about your retirement. It’s never too early to start thinking about saving for your retirement. In fact, experts agree that you should be putting money away for your retirement as early as your twenties. In doing so, you can guarantee that your retirement does not catch you by surprise. Don’t forget, once you retire, you won’t have a fixed income to fall  back on. As such, you will need to make sure to save enough money overtime to afford everything that you want during your retirement. This could include a trip around the world or something more practical such as care facilities when you begin to lose your independence. A financial planner will explain exactly how much you need to save for your retirement plan. 

Transport

Finally, if you have a family, then you likely will need to consider the cost of transport. Most people will want to buy a car at some point that is large enough for everyone in the household. This can be quite an expensive purchase and, similar to a home, a choice like this probably won’t fit squarely into your budget. Instead, you need to make sure that you look at other options. You can save up the money to buy a vehicle. Or, you can think about purchasing a vehicle on finance. If you purchase a vehicle on finance, then you can make it easier to afford over an extended period. If you live in a city you might want to skip the car purchase and instead rely on public transport. It’s a great way to keep things cost friendly. 

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You can also think about purchasing a car second-hand rather than brand new. This is another way to save and spend less overall. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key costs that you do need to be prepared for in the future. By recognizing that these costs are somewhat inevitable, you will be able to make sure that they don’t catch you off guard.

Money

Tips For Helping Your Children Learn About Money

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One of the best things about being a child is that you don’t have the responsibilities of an adult – including the financial ones. Yet while it is nice to leave our little ones in the ignorance of bliss, it can also be a real blessing to them in later life if you teach them about responsibilities as soon as you can. If you are good with money, then you will have a lot more control over your life, more freedom to do what you want to do with your life, and also the flexibility and fewer constraints with your choices in life. You will be able to go on more holidays or have the luxury to quit your job if you don’t like it and live off your savings while you search for a new one. The benefits from having financial stability really are innumerable.

This is why it is a good idea to teach your children about money and how to save from a young age. They should grow up with a better understanding of finances and be on a more solid foot in their adult life. You can teach them about everything from how to save, what a mortgage is, and about Safety Net Credit should they need it (perhaps this is also something that you have experience with, so can impart this wisdom too.) Here we have put together some top tips for helping your children to learn about money.

Give them a budget and see how they spend it

It is a good idea to give your child some pocket money each week or month and then see how they spend it. Take them out shopping and let them purchase things that they think are important or that they need and see what they spend their funds on. Remind them that once that money they have is gone, they will have to wait another week or money before they get any more. If they ask for extra, don’t just give it to them. Instead, see if they can earn it through doing jobs around the home. This teaches them that in order to get more money they will have to work for it – it doesn’t just magically appear in front of them when they need it.

Teach them about the value of things

As a child, it can be hard to learn the different values of things and this can be a skill that when taken into adult life, leads to people getting into large amounts of debt. To avoid this, teach your child about the value of things. Explain how the same item (such as TV, cars, or even fruits and vegetables in a supermarket) can vary greatly in price. Explain why this is and the differences between them. This should help them to learn the value of items. You could also play a game where they have to guess the prices of items before you show it to them. They might be a bit surprised at some of the answers – and you might be a bit shocked at some of their guesses! If you play this game each time you go shopping, see how they improve and soon have a better indication of the value of things.

Let them earn money by doing household chores

As an adult, the way that you will earn your money is through doing work. Teach your child when they are young this lesson by giving them jobs to do around the house in exchange for money. You could set different tasks at different prices, for example, they get money for washing up, for hoovering, for tidying their bedroom or for washing the car. By showing them this is the best way to earn, they will learn that the harder they work, the more money they can potentially earn and it will also be a good way to teach them responsibilities too. 

Lead by a good example

Children pick up habits from their parents – both the good and the bad ones. This is why it is so important that you lead by a good example. Try not to take them fun shopping all the time and show them that there are just as many other fun pastimes. Try not to be super frivolous with your cash, purchasing items such as fast fashion pieces that you wear a few times and then either breaks or you get rid of as you don’t like it anymore. If your child asks you questions, be as honest as possible with your answers and explain about credit, debts, and overdrafts so they know about these.

Have your child come with you to open up a bank account

A bank account is something that your child will have right from when they are a little child up through their adult life. This is why you should take them to open up their own account when you can. There are a host of accounts out there that are tailored for children, where you can put in a budget each week or month and it is restricted with what they can use it on. They also can’t have things such as an overdraft. If you put money into their account and teach them how to use their bank card, they will learn the value of money digitally. They can even have an app that shows them what they have spent – something that you could go through with them each week, showing them further the value of money and what their spending habits are. 

These are just a few ways that you can help your children to learn more about money and become spending savvy. It is very important that your child is as financially secure in the future as they can be and by following these top tips you know that you are setting them up for as much success as possible. What are some top tips you do to ensure that your children are as financially savvy as possible? Let us know in the comments below!

Money

Making Your Savings Go Further

JayneLeave a comment

Saving should be part of every financial strategy. You can’t plan budget management without making sure you can put money aside. Indeed, your savings could keep your budget afloat in case of an emergency, whether it’s an unexpected bill or prolonged unemployment. There’s a reason it’s called savings. It’s because your savings can save you. 

The typical 50/30/20 rule suggests that the household should spend 50% of the net income on essentials, 30% on non-essential purchases, and put the remaining 20% into the savings pot. Ideally, to make the 50/30/20 rule work, you need to monitor cash flow closely. Indeed, the best way to turn 20% of your income into savings is to reduce your essential and non-essential costs. Could you cut down your electricity bills by switching providers, for instance? How much can you save through meal preps that prevent food waste and takeaway expenses? The bottom line, if you’re going to make your savings work harder, you need to make saving money possible in the first place. Unfortunately, successfully grown savings come at a cost. You could pay taxes on your savings. Here are some ways to make savings more affordable. 

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Look out for options to cut unforeseen taxes

Less than 5% of tax-payers in the UK pay tax on their savings interest. The personal savings allowance (PSA) lets you earn up to £1,000 in interest without worrying about taxes. However, your income tax rate will determine the PSA. High-earners may not benefit from any allowance, which means that savings do cost money. Yet, there are still strategies that can cut down tax expenses. Retirement savings, for instance, as highlighted in a post on Mega Backdoor Roths can be subjected to financial strategies that maximise savings for high-earners. ISAs are also left tax-free for as long as you don’t take money from those accounts. 

Invest it in a small business

Sometimes, your savings are going to work better for you if you keep investing them further. Investing in a small business, for instance, can cut down your tax expenses, and ensure that your savings can carry on working for you. When you join a small business as an investor, you ultimately build an investment path for your savings. While there is no guarantee that you’ll receive a return for every pound you invest, the idea is to select companies that are more likely to become successful. 

Alternatively, you can consider investing in your own venture. This could be the opportunity to launch your side hustle and grow it. 

Reach out to a financial advisor to create a portfolio

An investment portfolio is designed to bring your savings and finances to the next level. Unfortunately, unless you know what you are doing, it can be tricky to create the right portfolio for your budget. Financial advisors tend to recommend low to medium risk investments with the highest returns to their clients who are unfamiliar with risk management strategies. Typically, this would include a combination of safe bonds, real-estate crowdfunding, dividend-paying stocks, annuities, and even peer-to-peer lending. 

Savings, and especially savings for high-earners, tend to come with a tax expense. This can make it tricky for individuals to build up an effective savings strategy. However, there are different tips to avoid the tax hassle while making your savings work harder for you. An investment portfolio, for instance, can make sense of your income, dividing it into actively invested savings, and savings kept into designated accounts.

Money

4 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Finances

JayneLeave a comment

The decision to impart basic financial lessons to your children is the right step in shaping their attitudes about money and how to spend it. A study by the Personal Finance Education Group revealed that about 98% of children from eleven to seventeen have some money of their own. Ignoring the responsibility of teaching your kids how to be financially-savvy may lead them to make unwise financial decisions with long-term impacts. Here are some ways you can teach your children about finance.

  • Do not engage in impulse buying

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Have you ever gone out shopping with your kids, and they began to hound you to purchase something entirely out of your budget? It is tempting to give in to their puppy-eyed pleas but fight it! Let them understand that you came out to shop with a budget, and anything extra would affect your planned list. Explain how it may be more beneficial to wait it out until another time. You could employ a strategy to deny the kids something else you already planned to get them in exchange for what they are demanding; this would teach them to make the right decisions. 

  • Show them their toys cost money

Are you aware of how your kids may misuse their toys and end up damaging them? Instead of cautioning them verbally, you could consider showing them how much it costs to buy them. For example, if your child has a piggy bank, make them take out a few pounds and go with them to the store to buy another set of toys. Even for a five-year-old, this practical lesson makes them feel first-hand the emotions that come with parting with money. 

  • Make your kids earn commissions; not allowances

Avoid the habit of handing out money to your kids simply because they ask for it. Regardless of how much you love them, this will make them nurture a sense of entitlement, making financial independence difficult in the future. Institute commission earnings and not allowances; when your child completes chores, you can pay them according to a set payment plan, complete with what makes them eligible for pay. However, when you notice they made an extra effort to perform their chores, add a bit more as an incentive or bonus. Doing this teaches your child that money is earned and is worth saving.

  • Use a transparent piggy bank

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It is always a great idea to foster the habit of savings in young children. However, the trick to making your child see their money ‘grow’ is by ensuring that their piggy bank jar is a transparent one; every coin or note you drop in there is a visual indicator of their ‘wealth.’ It’s a wonderful way to build their desire to grow wealth through completing simple chores or being disciplined. You can also use it as an opportunity to teach your kids strong lessons about money and finance. Consider using services such as Debt to Success System BBB and make your lessons practical and easy for your child to comprehend.

It is never too early to begin to impart simple financial lessons to your kids. Money management is a skill worth grasping very early on in life. What you should do is maximize every opportunity to make these lessons fun and practical. Remember that children learn through play.