Month: January 2018
I was reading through Proverbs, looking for some direct instruction about finances, and I stumbled upon something very interesting. Read these scripture verses, and see if you notice a theme:
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold. (Proverbs 3:13-14)
Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold (Proverbs 8:10)
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose
understanding rather than silver! (Proverbs 16:16)
Now I might be a bit slower than your average bear, but it seems to me that the Lord is saying that wisdom is more important than gold or silver. Wisdom is worthy of searching for and pursuing. Wisdom and knowledge are worth the effort, and worth all the hard work. It is more important than investing in gold – AND it will get you a better annual average rate of return!
For some families, these verses may help them as they consider the cost of college. College is worth the effort. College may be worth the investment. Nobody knows your family, your finances, and your child’s future income better than you. With all those factors in mind, it may be worth taking a college loan – particularly since it has better dividends than gold and silver (which are doing pretty well right now, what with the government printing money like crazy, LOL!)
I say this with some trepidation, however, because the Bible also has a LOT to say about debt (none of it good). This is DEFINITELY something you should pray about and consider carefully.
One of my friends was talking to me about college debt, and how much debt was OK. From a secular perspective, you want to look at some specific statistics. Look up the statistics for one college at a time. What percent of students graduate on time? What percent of students are employed within 6 months of graduating? What is the average income for graduates? What is the average income for students getting a specific degree? How much debt does the average student accumulate at that college? Then take all the information and put it all together. Can the average student get a job that will pay off the average debt in a reasonable amount of time?
The Lord appears to be a big fan of investing your money in wisdom. It is worth it. How MUCH to invest can vary from family to family. It is worth going over the numbers though. After all, it is better to get wisdom than to pursue gold!
Ensuring financial freedom after retirement is a crucial factor in a financial plan. Most individuals have several plans to realize after retirement. Some people plan to buy a villa on a beach; while others dream of a world tour. Even if you do not have such ambitious dreams, you need money to be readily available after retirement for your daily expenses. This requires smart planning from early years. Taking a small step towards financial planning at an early age can guarantee financial security for a lifetime. If you do not begin early, the pace at which you would need to save would accelerate and the cost of the financial instruments at your disposal would increase.
One can hire financial services to demystify pension options and retirement saving plans. These service providers will answer your questions on how to sponsor your retirement plans and will help you to make an informed investment decision.
Financial Services: How Much Do You Need to Retire?
Consult financial services to determine the right time to start planning for retirement. Remember, retirement planning is not only about finance, it also involves mental preparation to get accustomed to a changed pattern of life. For some people, it is very hard to stop working altogether and spent time at home. In such a case, financial consultant may advise him/her to start working part time for a few years prior to full retirement. Alternatively, one can consider a home-based business after retiring from regular services.
Coming back to finances, it is important to analyze your monetary requirements in the long run. Prepare an estimate of monthly expenses in consultation with a financial expert. Now consider different investment options that align with your long-term financial goals. Pension funds are an important source of income post retirement. Thus, one should give due consideration to different types of pension plans available and understand how one can monetize them. Other instruments that blend well with retirement planning are:
Savings
Property
Investments in stocks
Individual Savings Account (ISA)
Ask the Financial Service Provider about Types of Pension Plans
Financial service providers focus on three basic types of pension plans:
State pension
Personal pension
Company pension
State pension is probably the most reliable foundation for your retirement. An individual who has attained the state pension age can claim it. According to UK Government data, the state pension age for men is 65. However, the state pension age for women will increase from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. Usually, the contributions to National Insurance (NI) are accumulated over the years to provide pension to individuals. Additional state pension is rendered to individuals who are taking care of a child or are employed.
Personal pension schemes, which can include Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)for higher earners, are an important investment option for better control over retirement planning. It involves investment into HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) approved financial products. Some of the financial products covered under SIPP are:
Stocks listed on recognized exchange markets
Investment trusts regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA)
Commercial property
Bullion market
Authorised unit trusts
Futures and options traded in recognized markets
One can seek expert SIPP advice to leverage these investment options and secure financial freedom after retirement. Remember, state pension guarantees only sustainable income to every individual. To maintain a good lifestyle and make your ends meet, personal pensions (including SIPPs) are an important element in your long term financial planning strategy.
Company pensions are set by employers and vary between organizations. Usually, the company pension fund is deducted from an employee’s salary or deposited by the employer or both.
Since April 2006, the government has simplified regulations governing personal and company pension. Tax relief has been increased on investment into retirement instruments. With investment planning, it is possible to invest into a homogenous mix of different types of pension instruments. Consult financial services providers to make the best of the available retirement options.
We all love to dream about the future we want, but many of us do not like the idea of organizing our finances and preparing a financial plan. It seems that our dream of our future is the fun part, but planning sounds like tedious and boring work. This is evident by the fact that 65% of individuals do not have a financial plan.
A study found that the benefit of having a financial plan is very significant. On average, individuals who had a plan for retirement had two and half times more assets in their retirement than those who did not have a plan. Having a plan is only part of the success equation because working with an advisor and having a financial plan shows that there is a nine to ten times increase in assets than with those who do not work with an advisor and have a financial plan.
This may explain why one third of individuals consider winning the lottery as one of their financial strategies to achieving their financial goals. So why do most of us not have a plan? It cant be because of a lack of awareness since there are many financial institutions that are advertising the importance of planning. There is also a lot of information and material on the subject with millions of results on Google. So when it comes to Financial Planning why is it that we are not prepared? Well here is a list of the three myths that I have experienced people saying.
Myth of Time: In todays fast paced life we are all starved for time. We are so busy in our everyday activities that we feel that taking time for planning is not available. When it comes to planning there is an upfront commitment of time in identifying your life goals and putting together an action to achieve them, but once you complete these steps then it is just a matter of monitoring your progress as time goes on. The time commitment is minimal compared to the return you get by working with an advisor and having a plan done as noted above.
Myth of Knowledge: The financial world, especially today, may seem too complicated with all the information out there. We are exposed to a lot of information and financial lingo. If you start by telling yourself that it is not too complicated and too hard, then you have no excuse not to do it. You may consider participating in a seminar or a workshop. You can start reading books that talk about financial matters. Soon you will learn that the financial world is not complicated once you learn some of the basics.
The Myth of Wealth: I dont have enough savings to worry about a financial plan. If you have savings then you have enough. Having a plan will help you decide not only where you should put your money, it will also help to define the why. I have learned that the why is more important than the how and where. When it comes to planning you need to start somewhere. Dont think that just because you think you dont have enough you should not have a plan. A Financial Plan will help you define the goals and dreams you want to accomplish.