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With the sharp decline in the stock market and the failure of many financial institutions, many people are very worried about their savings and retirement accounts. If you are worried about your financial nest-egg, then you probably need to know more about how the government already has safeguards in place for you, depending on where your money is invested.

Here are some tips and pointers about making sure your money is safe:

Banks and Credit Unions

If your money is in an account that is FDIC insured AND your account balance is less than the FDIC insurance limit, then you are as safe as you can be. The same goes for credit unions, except they are insured by NCUA. It’s the same idea, but a different organization. They are both backed by the federal government, so the government is going to make sure your funds are there when you need them.

Certificates of Deposit, Bonds, etc.

These really depend on who is backing the bond. If you have a treasury bond, you’re all set. Those are bonds issued by the government, so they are backed by the financial resources of the government. Most bonds and CDs fall into this category, so you should be safe. These fall under the same FDIC insurance as savings accounts, except that CD insurance is (currently) at $250,000 per institution, instead of the $100,000 limit for checking and savings. Keep in mind that a little investigating may save you untold heartache, so it would be good to ask about your specific CDs.

If your CDs are backed by a financial institution that is not FDIC insured, then you may consider breaking the certificate and paying the penalty to get your money out early. You can then put the remaining money into CDs and Treasury Bonds that are fully backed by the government. This will allow you to know that your money will be safe, even if the bank that holds the certificate falters.

Stock Portfolios

If your money is in the stock-market (i.e. it is in a 401(k) plan), then you’re not so lucky. Then again, you’re very lucky. It depends on how you want to look at it and how much time you have until you need that money.

If you need the money now (or within the year) from your stock-market portfolio, then you may be in trouble. The value of those stocks may be worth considerably less than they were even a year ago. The longer you can leave them sit, the better off you should be.

However, if you have five to ten years to leave the stocks alone and let the stock-market rebound, you’re in great shape. In fact, you could actually see a profit in this situation. You see, for every dollar you put into the market right now, you’re buying more shares of stocks than you were a year ago for the same dollar. In some cases, two-to-three times the amount.

Now, this doesn’t mean to dump everything you have into stocks. The market is still a bit too unstable for that, and the stock market is – after all – a gamble. But if you can just hold on and keep contributing to your retirement plan just as you have been, the odds are in your favor to come out ahead.

Of course, it is always a good idea to know where your stock-purchases are going. You may want to make some adjustments to your portfolio to ensure that the dollars you are investing are going to solid funds, but don’t panic. You just need to sit tight with the patience to let the market rebound.

Jerry Hanel is a freelance writer, computer programmer, and over-all financial scrooge… but in a good way. You can find more frugal living tips and financial information at Jerry’s Frugal Living Tips.

http://www.jerryandcheryl.net/financial

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Money is what “makes the world go round.” And one of the most difficult propositions in life is to manage money.

While some are born with great financial acumen others need to be methodical and follow sound advice.

Here are a few basic tips:

1. Inculcate frugality within you; desist temptation to spend now save later. Every dollar earned must be divided into four parts: one part to meet essential expenses; one part to be invested in short-term savings; one part for retirement savings; and one part for emergency expenses.

2. Create with expert advice an infallible financial plan. Plan your credit report, taxes, and expenses. Keep a watch and learn how to regulate yourself.

3. Avoid the debt trap set by credit card companies and the easy availability of loans. Only spend what you have in hand and not any monies in advance.

4. Learn the art of investment. The World Wide Web is a reliable resource for information, reviews, and guidelines on investments. If doubtful seek expert advice on investments; the ideal is to balance investments into sure-fire investments, medium risk investments, and high risk investments.

5. Make wise decisions when buying a home, office, and more. Avail a mortgage that works for you. Property can be a good investment when bought after deep thought and in allocation where the appreciation is high.

6. Teach every family member how to invest and the secret of handling money wisely. Even children need to learn from a young age.

7. Insure your interests. Take enough insurance but learn the art of saving on premiums, clubbing policies, and umbrella policies. Know how to save money every step.

8. Spend prudently. Plan your luxuries and eating out. Learn how to shop sensibly and not indulge.

9. Avoid lending money or borrowing money. Financial matters are best handled alone and not through family or friends.

10. Review your financial plan regularly and make the necessary adjustments. As a family grows needs change. Begin saving for college and education from the early years. Teach the children never to take you for granted. Discuss things with your family members.

Use expert advice when needed so that you are always protected financially. Read websites such as that hosted by the Federal Trade Commission to protect America’s consumers: http://www.ftc.gov

The World Wide Web is a knowledge highway and brings financial advice to the finger tips. Keep abreast of money management, taxation, insurance, and property laws. Plan for retirement and be secure in the future.

Matthew Pawlina is a writer for Financial Advisors, the premier website to find, advisor financial rated, advisor become financial, advisor as career financial, advisor financial new, advisor complete financial, advisor financial service, advisor financial training, and many more.

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Contrary to popular perception, financial planning involves much more than mere budgeting and is definitely an exercise which requires expert attention. Given the immense complexities of life, a complex financial marketplace, multifarious investment instruments, multiple short term and long terms financial goals, planning for a safe and worry free financial future is not an easy job.

There are many steps that go into the making of an efficient and truly effective financial plan. Proper goal setting and assessing one’s correct net worth are two of the most important principles of any financial planning process.

The first step is often the identification of the short and long term financial goals. One thing that should be kept in mind while deciding on financial goals is that the more tangible and precise the goals, the easier it is to plan for them.

Short term goals can be the things that you want to accomplish within a shorter time span say 3-5 years, like buying a car or a vacation etc. The long term goals have to be achieved over a period of 10 to 20 years or more like planning for daughter’s marriage, kids education, retirement planning, buying a house etc.

Assigning priorities to goals is another major thing that one should not overlook. Privatization of your goals will help you allocate your valuable financial resources in a way that is most profitable and allows you to accomplish the more important ones. For example, if you owe a huge credit card bill, it should be one of your priorities to get rid of this high interest debt before going on a vacation.

After the process of goal setting has been done, one needs to assess his current situation and get an accurate estimate of his or her existing net worth. This will require the listing of all the assets and liabilities one owes. Assets can be your bank balance, investment in stocks, mutual funds, gold, property, insurances, vehicles etc. And liabilities are the loans to repay (they could be home loan, personal loan, credit card debt, car loan).

Begin by estimating the value of your entire assets. The next step is to get an idea of the debts or liabilities you owe and subtract your liabilities from your assets. This will help you arrive at your net worth.

This exercise will give you a clear picture of what you have and what you owe. As a first step towards correcting the financial situation it is always better to get rid of costly debts such as credit card bills, personal loans, car loans etc. as soon as possible.

Addi Sharma is a well known author and has been writing content for iTrust. iTrust is the leading personal finance portal in India providing excellent financial planning and real estate services, and best home loan in India.

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If you are planning to retire from your stressful job sometime in the future, do proper planning first. Planning will prepare you for the life ahead. Note that the plannings you should do should encompass every aspect of your life, from finance, relationships, etc. Your financial plans can involve saving from your wages during your working years.

Volunteering at your local charity or helping in the community is one way to keep your life busy after retirement. Retirement could really be interesting if you think of things to do. It only becomes a headache when you chose to fold your hands, watch and do nothing.

To find the ideal investment for you in preparation for your retirement, you need to do your home work well. It is not easy to decide on the best way to invest, especially since you can’t depend on testimonies to help you. The fact is one investment that works for one person might not work for you, so you really have to search and do the right choice for you.

There are many myths making the round about retirement. One of them is that retirement is an event that occurs on the last day of your career. This is certainly not true. It is simply a new phase of your life that doesn’t call for excess stress.

Myrtle beach, Palm springs and Asheville are some popular retirement attraction areas. These resort areas feature sand, landscape and sea that can tantalize the senses of any person who has retired and needs a little bit of excitement.

Retirement can seem like a good idea when you feel you are running on fumes. After a while however, it can feel like hell on earth, especially when you aren’t particularly active in anyway. Most people suffer from one common ailment after they retire and that is boredom. Don’t let this happen to you. Find something you can do to keep you active, even when you retire.

When you retire, exercise is very important. If you were already used to exercise, keep it going. If not, make sure you get yourself hooked up to some exercise and fitness program. If you do, you’re sure to have a physically strong body that will keep you through a strong happy life.

If you are someone that loves reading, one way to enjoy your retirement is to organize a book club. You can get hooked with like-minded friends, and relatives, working professionals and students in order to have regular readings, discussions, debates and reviews on books, articles, novels and any other intellectual reading materials. This will help to sharpen and widen your mind. It will also keep you very active, even in retirement.

To learn revealing tips about resources about Retirement Calculator Omb see Jon Ferriss’s website ==> http://retirementplaningnews.com

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Any person who works in the United States receives a unique Social Security number. This number is then required to do all sorts of transactions, from getting a bank account to getting a mortgage. New employers ask for the number, and it is an important part of getting a credit card.

Getting your social security number is a critical goal for identity thieves. They want it because it is one of the keys that unlock their ability to get credit cards and other debt instruments in your name.

So, everyone seems to know that the number is a secret which should be guarded, but how much do people actually know about it, and what is the right way to file a complaint against a business which is potentially compromising your identity.

The social security number system started in the mid-1930s as a way for the government to track the beneficiaries of its new social security retirement system. everyone was assigned a number. That number was the key to knowing how much the person had paid into the system, and it unlocked the payments paid to that person in retirement.

Ironically, the legislation that created the social security number specifically said that it would not become a national identification code. More recently, that sentiment has become laughable. Social security numbers are essentially national identification numbers within the United States.

There are a number of resources Americans can use to obtain information about their social security number.

First, they can check their credit reports frequently, to determine whether anyone is using their number. This can be done easily and for free once per year using the government’s Annual Credit Report system.

Second, they can contact the US Government. The Social Security Administration offers a statement which contains the person’s contributions to the system as well as the expected benefit at retirement.

Finally, several independent websites exist with more detailed information for a given social security number. One example is Social Security Numerology (http://www.socialsecuritynumerology.com”).

Tyler Stanford provides research and consulting services for numerous industries, including identity protection. He has consulted for SocialSecurityNumerology.com.

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Forex robot software is software where the forex trades are automatically traded without any human intervention. The software is based on highly specialized and sophisticated algorithms. The software’s are designed by highly trained and experienced traders and forex managers. There are a number of these softwares available online. The minimum lot size can differ from one software to another. Many of them charge $10,000 as the minimum account size.

Some of the benefits and advantage of this type of software are:

It relieves the traders of constantly monitoring the system. The Forex software will trade and manage the account according the specific instructions and customization by the trader.

The robot software is designed to look at the short term opportunities that are present during the day for trading of the currency pairs. The software uses highly advanced algorithms to execute and place the orders.

Forex software is used by traders to diversify their portfolio including forex, stocks, mutual funds and real estate. Many existing forex managers and traders use the Forex robot software to trade a portion of their funds while trading on rest of the capital using other forex trading software.

Robot software is also for those who aren’t very comfortable their own capital and would rather let someone else trade for them. It’s also for those traders who can devote only part time for trading in forex. Also many financial institutions want alternative places where can invest money. For them Forex software provides the opportunity to trade in forex.

Many forex brokers also offer software to let their customers minimize their losses.Good Forex software offers the trading companies customers alternative choices.

Forex software usually trades in the major currencies of the market and not the minor currencies. The software is also managed by professional forex dealers. It also offers trading opportunities in rising and new markets. All the reporting is done in real time and the reports can be generated at any time by the customer.

Many of the Forex robot software packages also allow the customers to participate through the Individual Retirement Plan (IRA) and though certain customer retirement plan. Forex is a high risk, high gain investment.

Currency markets are extremely volatile and liquid. Traders are also allowed to take out their money as and when they require it making it one of the most liquid investments. With this type of software you would think that you may be able to take over the world with all your money but the truth is while Robot Software is good, it is not the be all and end all otherwise forex traders would rule the world.

If you would like to to see some of the best automated forex software around simply visit the site below.

For more tips and tricks on how you can make large amounts of money by trading forex, visit our Forex Software Review site where we show you the newest and hottest Forex software on the market including our Forex Tracer Review.

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As we began the New Year, many of us made resolutions and vowed to get our financial houses in order. Unfortunately many of us broke that resolution long before the first credit card bill arrived. Rather than feel guilty consider these steps to get you started in the right direction – regardless of what time of the year.

1. Build your Emergency Fund:
Not just the pot of gold that you were considering for a new car or vacation, a fund for real emergencies. Your emergency fund should include at least three to six months worth of living expenses. These funds should only be tapped for healthcare emergencies, times of unplanned unemployment and other events of this magnitude.

As you develop your emergency fund, keep enough money in your bank account or money market account to cover three or more months expenses and than ask your Financial Advisor or your banker to help you set up a series of short term CDs to form a ladder with the rest. Laddering funds will allow you to earn more interest on the money that you may need to get your hands on in hurry. At the same time, it helps to make sure that you don’t get your hands on it all at once for non-emergency purposes.

2. Use credit wisely:
Avoid purchasing items on credit whenever possible. If you must carry debt, look for the lowest rates that you can find. Shop out your loans and credit cards for better deals. Ask your creditors for better rates. If you make all your payments on time and are in good standing with them, most likely they will lower your rates. If not, consider moving elsewhere. Be sure to review your credit report at least annually and watch for identity theft as well.

3. Budget money wisely and do not overspend:
Take the time to sit down and set a budget or a spending plan. Live within your means and don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. We are all guilty of it from time to time, but unless we win the lottery we may want to let the Jones get ahead just a bit so that we are not struggling in retirement. You may be surprised to know that there are a lot of doctors and executives out there who are making well over $500,000 per year who are in debt up to their eyeballs and giving the term “living paycheck to paycheck” a whole new meaning.

Be careful not to overspend when it comes to your investments either:
Some firms are offering free trading if you “simply pay the bid ask spread” or have large sums of money in an account. Other firms are offering low priced stock trades while charging outrageously high margin rates or other fees. Investigate these offers closely and make sure that your free lunch is really free. Some times you can save a few dollars on a commission and spend thousands on a wide spread or other fees. Most importantly, do not try to save a commission by trading online or buying no load funds if you really don’t know what you are doing and are likely to risk your hard earned money.

4. Be prepared:
Make sure that you are properly insured. Not just for your car or home (if renting, be sure to pick up rental insurance) but also for your life, health, disability and if appropriate, long term care. Check your coverage on insurance polices, update beneficiaries on your life insurance and make sure that you have an updated will.

5. Learn as much as you can about investing:
According to a Lusaardi and Mitchell study cited in Money Magazine, individuals who understood simple calculations such as compound interest or percentages had higher net worth than those who did not. The internet offers a great deal of help to arm you with information about investing. But don’t be too proud to get help if you still need it or to get a second opinion to see how you are doing.

6. Set realistic goals:
Don’t start with pie in the sky ideas. Set short, medium and long term goals that you can stick to. A short term goal may include building up that emergency fund that you swore you were going to start or perhaps saving for a house. A medium term goal may include paying for your children’s education and a long term goal may include planning for retirement. Set aside time to plan for each of these and be sure to monitor your progress along the way.

7. Know your Benefits:
Learn what you are entitled to or if you will be entitled to any benefits. Does your employer offer a pension plan? Are you eligible for social security? Are you eligible for a spouse’s benefits in the event of death or divorce? Be sure to review your benefits from time to time as they may have changed. Some employers have significantly reduced or even dropped their pension plans all together.

8. Invest with Discipline:
In a recent “Retirement Reality Check” survey, conducted by the Allstate Insurance Company, 40 percent of respondents admitted that they are not even saving seriously for retirement. Overall, 38 percent of respondents said that they expected their retirement to be “financially difficult.” Start saving early and often to help avoid this situation.

Estimate your retirement needs. Fund your 401(k) retirement plan to the maximum or start an IRA (or alternative retirement plan) if you are eligible. Invest automatically via your employer, through payroll deduction or through your financial institution and have money drawn automatically every month before you have a chance to spend it. Pay yourself first. Treat your savings like a bill and pay yourself every month. Make careful decisions between stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments. Pick quality investments, stick with them and rebalance when your allocations are no longer in sync with your plan.

Get started. Don’t wait until tomorrow or until you get a raise or until after the holidays. Take action today.

The topics covered in this article are for discussion and information purposes only. Clients should take special care in understanding all of the risks involved prior to investing. Nothing contained herein should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any security or securities product. Place Trade Financial, Inc. does not provide legal or tax advice. Please consult your own tax and/or legal advisor prior to investing. This article contains links to other web sites. Place Trade Financial, Inc. is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such web sites. Please contact Place Trade Financial at 1-800-50-PLACE or visit http://www.placetrade.com for further information. Place Trade Financial, Inc. is a registered broker dealer. Member FINRA, SIPC.

Sarah M. Place, MBA is the President and CEO of Place Trade Financial, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC. She has over eighteen years experience in the financial services industry. She has vast experience working with stocks, bonds, mutual funds, 401(k)s and other investment vehicles. She is a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) and the Finance Roundtable, serves as a member of the North Carolina Council on Economic Education (NCCEE) Board of Directors as well as several other boards and committees that are dear to her heart.

She has presented topics including economic issues, investments and retirement planning to numerous groups over the years including the Tufts University Alumni Association and the Cary Jaycees. She is a contributing writer for several publications including Balance Magazine, the Carolina Newswire, the NC Journal for Women, NC Career Networking Magazine and Women in the Triangle.

If you would like to receive a free subscription to our monthly newsletter please visit http://placetrade.com/abt-newsletter.htm

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Dave Ramsey is a financial guru, and my favorite book is his “How to Have More than Enough: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Abundance”.

More than a budgeting book and how to cut costs guide (and this book does include both), it outlines his “baby steps”.

Step 1: set up an emergency fund for true emergencies. And he explains what real emergencies are (medical, car repairs, etc).

Step 2: debt snowball, and ways to find money for it.

Step 3: 3-6 months of emergency savings. This is what you live off of if you lose a job, get downgraded at work, etc.

The next savings for retirement, house, college, are all prioritized.

I enjoy this book because it talks about not just how to plan your finances, like paying off debt comes before retirement savings, and you say no to kids college before you have credit card bills, but do save for college before you pay off the house early. He even details how to get back on track if an emergency comes up, and more debt result – like a surprise surgery and you’ve used up the emergency fund AND savings.

The changes he details to get the mindset in order – how to not just tighten the belt but be able to live and even thrive living on less than you make, are key here. It’s not just clenching teeth for a few months or a year to pay off those debts. It’s changes in lifestyle, too, so you never get into debt (except a house mortgage) again. And then it’s how to live and prosper later, when you can afford the toys (when you can save up and pay cash for them) later.

Live like no one else so that later you can live like no one else. And you’re allowed to say “No” to the kids demands for toys, to all the “please give me another loan” and “but I really need you to do this” while you get your own life in order.

How to Have More Than Enough is a financial planning book that almost anybody could relate to and apply for a more pleasant financial well being.

Gordon Kaye is an avid reader who loves nothing more than to put on a pair of comfortable reading glasses and sitting down with a great book. He hopes to share his great literary finds with you. http://www.EasyReadingGlasses.com

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If you’re thinking of setting some money aside for savings you ought to investigate the option of offshore banking. You don’t need to live or work abroad in order to qualify for access to offshore accounts. If you live and work in the United Kingdom you can still set up an offshore savings account and reap the rewards of doing so. Whether you work and live in Britain or abroad, are planning for your retirement or simply want a safe haven to stash your savings, offshore banking might just offer the choices you have been looking for.

The main attraction of this type of saving relates to the tax rules that govern offshore accounts. Interest accrued on savings in an offshore account is paid gross without income tax being deducted. Interest paid on the gross amount will total more thereby producing a more sizeable final payout. Although offshore banks do not deduct tax from your savings this does not mean your offshore finances are tax-free.

If you live and work in the UK and bank offshore, the interest earned from money held in your offshore account is classed as taxable income and must be declared on the self-assessment tax returns which are completed at the end of each tax year. Failure to declare interest gathered may result in a hefty fine by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, who have clamped down on tax evaders in recent years. If you live and work outside of the UK you should seek local tax advice to see if you need to pay any tax in your country of residence.

There are many other benefits offered by banking outside of Britain. Many savings accounts are multi-currency which enables you to deposit money in sterling, Euros or dollars and withdraw cash in any country. Whether you’re doing business in Berlin, travelling in Tuscany or working in Wales you can carry out financial transactions as normal with no disruption to your service. Unlimited access to your account is also useful if you’re a globe trotter and frequently move through time zones.

Some offshore savings accounts reward customers with higher rates of interest if advance notice of a withdrawal can be given. Generally speaking, the longer the notice period you give, the higher the interest you earn so think carefully about this before making your final decision on which account to opt for.

It’s also worth remembering that offshore banks are not covered by UK legislation so it pays to shop around for a reputable institution. Look for a competitive interest rate but if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. Exercise the same caution when banking offshore as you would usually.

Anyone is eligible to apply to open an offshore savings account with the minimum deposit required generally resting at £5,000. Therefore, why not make the most of your money and enjoy the flexibility afforded by depositing funds outside the UK?

Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

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Gumballs are tax most common product sold in bulk vending machines for good reason. The profit margin is normally the highest compared to other product choices. The machines are relatively easy to place and do not require constant maintenance. Gumballs last approximately one year in a climate controlled environment; therefore the product shelf life is excellent.

Besides all this practical stuff, they taste good! I have adults who will almost chase me down to give me a “play by play” of who my top “quarter-plunkers” are in the office where my machine resides. It gets to almost tax mistakes absurd how adults can go on talking about gumballs like kids in a candy store!

My vending company has over 2,000 machines and over 80% of those machines are gumballs. The higher profit margins rack up the profits quicker. More profits mean a higher R.O.I. (return on tax mistakes investment). You need to give serious consideration to a good R.O.I. when you purchase gumball machines. Don’t disdain having a true business mindset when it comes to your machines (even if you only have a few). If you treat your machines as a real business it will pay you like a truly profitable business can.

The passive income created from the business is one of my favorite benefits. I don’t have to physically be there for money to flow into my business. Machines are making money for me 24 hours a day in some cases. I show up for less than five minutes per stop and reap the benefits of this awesome business!

Good profitability (”profit margin”) leads to having new found financial options. These newly created financial options can be great incentives to keep your business running smoothly. You have the option of investing your profits into other financial vehicles to multiply those profits further. Here are some excellent uses for the profits created by your gumball machines:

• Pay off consumer (credit card) debt
• Make extra principle payments on your home loan
• Replenish savings accounts
• Invest the money in a retirement account
• Save for college tuition for your kids
• Fund a medical savings account (talk to your accountant)
• Increase your business by buying more machines
• Fund a family vacation
• Make the machines a family business to involve the kids
• Use the business as a legitimate tax deduction against other income (see your accountant!)

Many people use vending machines to do these very things. Having a vision for your cash flow gives you incentive and motivation to operate a small business day in and day out. Most people I know who have machines still work their day job and use their investment in the vending arena to accomplish their financial goals.

Are gumball and candy machines for you? They can be a great asset for passive income. Visit my website below to get more great tips for vending and how to set up your company profitably (large or small) from day one.

Mark Evants manages a profitable vending company of 2000 machines in the mid west. For more extremely practical vending tips and articles on increasing cash flow and structuring your vending business visit:

http://www.vendingarticles.net – Tips and Articles for PROFITABLE Vending!

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