Solid Reasons to Consider a Masters in Accounting

Going back to school for an advanced degree can make for an exciting way to expand your opportunities for the future. If you are someone that is ready to make a significant change in your life, then now is the perfect time to start looking into what type of master’s you are interested in obtaining. Exploring your options with MVU online can help you to see all of the potential paths in front of you. One area that can be helpful to explore is accounting.
 
If you have a knack for numbers, an advanced degree in the field of accounting is absolutely perfect for you. Take your time and look into information on how NEC offers a masters of accounting online, and soon you are going to be ready to get back to school for this important degree.
 
You Already Know Your Info
First, if you are already working in the field of accounting, then going back to school for your master’s can be a wonderful move to make. Though you might already have a firm grasp over most of the basics of your line of work, taking time to learn more can help you to become the expert that you know you can be. There are many opportunities for individuals who hold an advanced degree in accounting. If you are looking to expand your knowledge and obtain a higher position, then this is the best move for your future.
 
Those currently working in the world of accounting should look into what institutes of higher learning offer online courses. Accounting is a demanding line of work, and you may not have the available time to sit in a classroom. Pursuing your degree on the internet, on the other hand, can provide you with the flexibility that you need to land your master’s in a timely fashion and keep your options open. Find a program that works for your current schedule in order to take advantage of this chance.

A Full Career Change
For those who do not already work in an accounting field, recent studies have shed light on the fact that this is a great career change. Countless people have decided to pursue advanced degrees in accounting in order to get out of the line of work they are currently in and find more opportunities. As long as you have a good idea of how to work with numbers, you will not have any trouble making this change into a lasting one with the right studies. Look into where you can pursue this degree in order to discover more.
 
There are many different reasons that you will want to think about going back to school for your master’s in accounting. Whether you have been working as an accountant for many years, or you are ready to try your hand at something more lucrative, now is an excellent time to begin looking into all of your options. Take time to see which institutes of higher learning offer an advanced degree in the field of accounting and see what university offers the most flexible options for your schedule. In time, you will be ready to make an exciting and important change.

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How To Look For A suitable online Stock Broker

Stockbroking has become very popular with investors these days due to the comfort it offers. More and more people are turning investors sitting in their homes and offices. When you are an amateur investor, you will need good investment advisors to help you meet your investment objectives. Cheap online stock trading ideas become important to you during this phase of investment. What then are the factors that you have to look at to obtain the most suitable broker for you in your stock trading online? Here are a few that you must consider cautiously:

Reference

This is the best way to look for online stock brokers. Ask your colleagues, friends, and relatives who have invested in the market. They will refer to you brokers whose services have been to their satisfaction.

Check Comparison Sites

The best places to look for online stock brokers is comparison sites. These sites save you the time of collecting data from different firms and comparing them manually. Comparison sites compile the data of various sites for evaluation and comparison. By filling a simple form, you will get to check out results from different brokers as per your requirements.

Commissions

Each broker takes a commission. The less commission you need to give, the more money you have to purchase stocks with. Although, you must learn that fewer commissions with affordable brokers can be equal to lesser service.

Availability of Trading Tools

 You will find firm brokerage sites on the web that may give you merely the most basic of services since they assume that the trader is already well-equipped. On the other hand, some other brokerages provide much more services like monitors for stock trading, breaking the news that strikes investments and other tax liability software. These additional instruments and services will help you substantially.

Beneficial Tips

 Should you get the services of full-service brokers, you will be able to get a lot more sound advice on stock picking. Other standard brokers are not going to give you any advice; that is why you need to know what you need before choosing an agent.

Trade Execution

 The speed of executing trades is a crucial factor in online stock trades. If your broker devotes a good time in trade execution, you've got much to achieve out of this. The more time you wait before your placed order is done, the more you have to lose from its current value. You also need to remember that some rates in online stocks will be different from offline stocks.

Excellent Customer Support

 This is a crucial part of stockbroker service. It is essential to be affiliated with a broker that has your best interests at heart. Particularly in case you are not used to the online stock trading business, you'll have a lot of questions and requests. A good broker should be accessible to answer your questions at all times. You should be able to get good recommendations and help when you're unclear about an investment or bewildered by some market trends.

Office Accessibility

 With the variety of fiscal transactions which can be done online, lots of brokers are merely available online. It remains an advantage to be able to have access to your broker in an office, where one can meet live with the other person.

Stock Broker Forum

These forums are maintained by volunteers and people who are interested in online stock broking. Be a part of these forums for some time and independently monitor the advice and solutions offered by the stock brokers who will help you in choosing the most suitable online stock brokers for your investment.

Review Websites

A user-friendly and consistently updated CMC Markets website is best for you. Make sure that the website features a good review from other end users. All in all, be familiar with your needs first as a new investor so that you can select the right broker to suit your needs.

There are some review websites which review various online stockbroking ideas. You can view the pros and cons of the brokerage firms from these sites. Professionals usually manage them with years of experience in the stock market, and you will get to know certain key parameters used to judge the firms which you as an investor might have overlooked. Make sure you read the reviews on at least two websites before taking a final call to ensure that you don’t become a victim of paid reviews.

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The Pros and Cons of Various Ways to Invest in the Stock Market

Most people like the idea of investing some of their money in the stock market, but the question becomes how best to go about doing this. There are actually many ways you can invest your money in stocks, and the following is a discussion of the different methods that people use to do this, both the advantages and disadvantages. 

Invest the money yourself
Basically, you decide which stocks you want to buy and when you want to sell them. Naturally, you are responsible for your gains and losses, but at the same time, you have the freedom to do what you want with your money, and have 100 percent influence on your stock market investments. This type of investor uses discount brokers for their trades, to keep the expense of buying and selling stocks to the bare minimum. The downside to this method of stock investing is that it takes time to do the necessary research to find the stocks that are good buys, and also the research to know when to sell a stock. 

Use a traditional stock broker
This type of broker charges more for commissions than discount brokers, but they provide recommendations for stock purchases. They do much of the research for you, but you are still the one that makes the final decision on when to buy or sell. The broker is only providing recommendations. For those who do not have the time to do their own research, this is often the best way to invest in stocks. However, you need to spend time researching various brokers to find one that will perform for you, as well as one that you feel comfortable with. 

Buy index funds
This is a simple way to invest in the stock market. Basically, you are buying a mutual fund that consists of stocks that represent an index. For example, the most popular index is the Dow Jones Industrial Average. When you buy a share in a mutual fund that is indexed to the Dow Jones, your fund will rise or fall depending upon the rise and fall of the Dow. Index fund managers are simply buying the stocks in the Dow Jones, without any research involved. There are other index funds. Another example is the Standard & Poor's 500.

Let someone do it for you
Many people, especially those with a lot of money to invest in the markets, simply use a private equity investment firm. Depending upon the size of the firm, one or more managers invest your money along with other clients. The money is pooled, and fees are charged for the service based upon performance and other factors. There are many equity firms available to manage your money. Some are of a general nature while others invest in specific areas of the market. Vista Equity, for example, is an equity firm co-founded by Brian Sheth, and they focus on technology. Sheth is personally involved in the managing of the firm's portfolio. 

Keep in mind that there is no best way to invest in the stock market. What is best for you will depend upon many factors: how much time you want to devote to research, what area of the stock market you want to invest in and how much skill you have with investing. Whatever your situation is, you are never committed in the long term to any single method, and you may want to choose to divide your money up using two methods.

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Get a Headstart on Your Investments

As a young individual applying for college, you may not realize that you are actually looking to make your first big investment of your life.  Higher education is often viewed as a financial investment in your future.  It makes sense.  Invest money in a two or four year program for a degree.  This degree leads to opportunities of greater future earning potential.  It is simple; invest money to make money.

There was a growing trend that called for everyone to get a college education which eventually increased competition in the labor market.  It became harder to get a job without a degree which only helped propel the trend.  Basically, everyone wanted a degree because everyone wanted a job and money. 

With that being said, the rise in demand for college education brought on a rise in tuition and cost of attendance.  The escalation of college expenses increased the prominence of student loans.  Since the average college applicant could not cover the overall cost of attendance, student loans became a popular solution to funding college.

Long story short, outstanding student loan debt exceeds $1.3 trillion today, and it surpasses consumer credit debt as one of the top sources of debt in America.  This debt falls heavily on the millennial generation and college graduates within the past decade.  With financial hardship right off the bat, it became much harder for new, young employees to start other important investments which has greater repercussions than first thought. 

The moral of the story is that important investments are neglected by those with student debt.  Investments such as home ownership and retirement funds are extremely important for financial health down the road, and it is common for student loan borrowers to focus on student loan debt before moving on to other goals.  

Luckily, there are ways to limit the burden of student loans that lead to more financial flexibility in the future.  Some of these involve circumventing student loans entirely while others involve a change in approach to them.  Here are several ways to quickly cut away your student loan debt and pave the way to greater lifetime financial investments.

Find "Free Money"

When talking about "free money," you are talking about grants and scholarships.  These are opportunities to fund your college education without any repayment responsibilities, hence the term "free money." 

Scholarships are extremely popular.  They are offered to people for any and all reasons such as merit, heritage, financial need, or even individuality.  The best way to find which opportunities fit your criteria is to utilize online scholarship resources.  Sites such as these lay out information and deadlines for scholarships  which makes it easy to secure free funding for higher education.

Grants are similar to scholarships, but they are less diverse and not as abundant.  The federal government provides several grants (Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and more) to students of significant financial need, prospective teachers, and military veterans.

The benefits of a grant or scholarships are simple.  The need for a student loan lessens with multiple scholarships and grants, so there is a better chance of graduating debt-free.

Student Loan Refinancing

Many graduates find themselves with multiple student loans which is a recipe for disaster.  More than one loan means more than one interest payment which can exacerbate a loan uncontrollably.  There is a simple solution to mounting and multiple interest  payments: student loan refinancing.

Refinancing is a well-known tool when dealing with mortgages, and it is growing in prominence for student loans.  A private lender essentially refinances multiple loans (private or federal) by lumping them together and changing the repayment terms to benefit the borrower.

The end result is a loan with one interest rate and an altered repayment period.  Refinancing nearly always reduces amount spent on interest over the life of a loan.  Without the burden of student loans, a retirement fund can be started without causing as much financial stress.

Pick the Right Major

One interesting criticism of student loans involves choice of major.  Today, loans are given out without much consideration of the borrower's major which has been brought up with controversy.

Without naming any majors, a simple generic example suffices.  An overall loan of $120,000 for a four year degree is disbursed.  The borrower finished his or her education only to enter his or her field with an earning potential of $35,000 a year.  From the lender's perspective, this is a bad investment.  From the borrower's perspective, this is a tough debt situation.

The piece of advice here is to pick the right major.  Researching different professions and salaries can provide insight on different earning potentials. It is ideal to choose a career path that has the ability to sustain student loan payments on top of the cost of living.  This is generally good advice, but it is paramount for a healthy investment career.

Proactive Payments

There are a couple of ways to tackle student loan payments that greatly decrease the repayment period.  And they both involve tackling interest in a different way.  Student loan interest capitalizes each month which basically means each subsequent interest accrual is larger than its predecessor.

One of the first practices is starting interest payments while still in school.  This keeps interest from building excessively onto an original principal balance over the life of the loan.  The other method involves making monthly payments that are larger than the minimum requirement.  This practice limits the rate of interest accrual by cutting away at the principal balance.

By paying off interest early and making larger principal payments, the capitalization of student loan interest can be countered which saves money down the road.  Money saved down the road can be put towards other important investments.

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4 Online Programs Ideal for Beginning Traders

The concept of investing in the stock market is one that holds appeal for many people from diverse backgrounds, and with opportunity to make unlimited money, it’s one of the main ways people can earn a reasonable return on their money.

While investing in the stock market can be alluring, and can ultimately also prove to be very valuable, it’s not necessarily something that can be done without prior knowledge or education. Investing in the stock market can be complex, and having at least a general understanding of terminology and concepts can go a long way for novices.

Below are four online trading training courses that are ideal for beginners as they begin to dabble in the stock market.

Training Traders

Training Traders is a well-known online learning center that offers programs in-house as well. Participants can enroll in classes aimed at day trading, long-term or position trading, and all education is based on the Price Behavior methodology. This particular trading method is versatile enough to be used not only for stock trading, but also currency or futures trading. Training Traders also utilizes a Trading Software System, that helps traders of all experience levels gain an advantage.

Online Trading Academy

Founded in 1997, Online Trading Academy features a patented training strategy that aims to help students identify high profitability and low-risk opportunities. As well as online courses, Online Trading Academy also operates more than 30 financial education centers around the world. All instructors are experts who have been part of the market, including brokers and business leaders, and each is not only an experienced online trader but is also actively involved in trading through their own account.

Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge

Timothy Sykes has become somewhat of an icon in the penny stock trading industry. His popular blog has earned him many followers, and his Millionaire Challenge provides a way for anyone to register and then learn his secrets for turning penny stock trading into wealth. The learning tools offered through the Millionaire Challenge are designed to help students learn from their own trades as well as from the experience and expertise of others. While the other names on this list are great for learning the general ins and outs of stock trading, Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge is really for people who want to hone in on penny stocks, specifically.

Day Trading Academy

With a collaborative approach to training and trading Day Trading Academy brings together experienced and beginning traders, with the concept of everyone helping each other succeed. There is no software that’s part of this program, and instead, the goal is always to teach students how to read the market. The curriculum is split into four sections: beginner, intermediate, advanced and pro and two classes are held each week so that students can cover relevant topics and review the market together, live. All of the live trading classes, reviews, and daily market recaps are recorded and saved into the video library so users can participate in training whenever it’s convenient for them. 

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The Future is Now! Start Saving For Retirement

Retirement seems far away, but it is a reality that everyone needs to face. With life expectancy increasing, individuals will have more time to spend in their golden years. However, they cannot depend on the steady income of a pension or the assistance of social security to support them. 

Therefore, it’s up to each person to plan for retirement. Meeting with a certified financial planner is a good way to map out your investment strategy. However, there are some things you can do on your own. 

Establish Your Plan 
Before you start to calculate the savings you will need, figure out what your net worth is today. Your net worth is the total value of your assets minus your liabilities, which includes expenses such as your mortgage and other debts. If your net worth is negative, don’t worry. Now you can determine what you need to do to move toward a positive number. 

Next, calculate how much savings you will need to reach your retirement goal. Plan on generating a nest egg that can generate 70 to 80 percent of your pre-tax, pre-retirement income. Once you have come up with that amount, think about what you can do to save money on a regular basis. 

Create a budget which includes your recurring expenses. As part of your monthly bills, include your savings contributions. A budget will show you where you are spending your money, and it will help you prioritize which debts should be paid off first. 

Adopt a Savings Mindset 
When you look at the amount of money you will need to save, the number can seem overwhelming. A retirement fund such as a 401(k) or a Roth IRA can significantly increase in value over time. Therefore, make regular contributions to your funds so you can maximize your account’s growth potential. 

If a significant portion of your spending is going toward credit card debt, pay it off as soon as possible. The high interest rates usually exceed any earnings you will receive on your savings. 

Utilize Workplace Retirement Plans 
Many people don’t take advantage of retirement plans at their place of work. In many cases, employers match contributions, which translates to increased savings. If you don’t contribute, you are turning down the opportunity to obtain free money that will earn compound interest! 
Individuals who are self-employed and work for small businesses have options in this area too. Check with your tax specialist to see what types of retirement funds are available. 

Diversify 
If you want to protect your nest egg, a financial consultant will advise you to diversify your portfolio with a combination of stocks and bonds. Your savings configuration should reflect your age and the level of risk you are able to assume during each phase of your life. For example, Fisher Investments has a number of publications that review a variety of retirement investment strategies. 

Additionally, invest in unrelated industries to minimize risk. For instance, there is little chance that the performance of stocks in pharmaceuticals will affect the high technology sector. Also, consider investing in different economies, rather than funds that are focused on a single country or region. 

Watch Your Mortgage 
If you are a homeowner, your residence is a significant asset. If you have a mortgage and interest rates fall, consider refinancing. The cost savings over time will be significant. If your monthly payment has decreased, put the extra money into your retirement savings. 

If possible, pay off your mortgage before you are ready to retire. Eliminating your monthly mortgage payment will automatically increase your income. 
Keep Working 

You don’t have to stop working when you reach retirement age. Instead, reduce your hours or find a less-demanding job. When you work over a longer time span, you will be able to increase your savings portfolio, which allows compound interest to continue to work its magic. 

Although you will be making less money, you will probably have fewer expenses during this time of your life. For instance, your mortgage will be paid off and your children will be finished with college and hopefully on their own. 

Planning for retirement doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. If you follow these simple steps, you will have well-defined plan that will point you in the right direction. Once you start saving, you will be able to look forward to the bright future that lies ahead of you.

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How to Start Investing with Only $1,000

So, you are prepared to enter the world of stock market investing and you have set aside only $1,000 for that purpose. However, before you plunge into the complex world of the stock market, there are certain things you should put into consideration. One of the many concerns for investors with limited funds isn't only what to invest in, but also the way to go about the actual investing. You’re going to discover that not long after you enter the stock investing market, you might find yourself facing a lot of considerations from minimum deposit restrictions to the importance of diversification among others.

Do you know the account minimums?

Stock investing may appear straightforward enough for the seasoned investor - All you have to do is open up an account with a brokerage firm. But, is it that simple? What you might not understand is that all financial institutions have minimal deposit conditions. What this means is that unless you deposit a specific amount of money, they will not accept your account application. With an amount as little as $1,000, some firms wouldn’t even consider you as an investor, talk less of opening an account for you.

Stocks

Discount brokerages have fees that are significantly lower than their counterparts, however do not expect them to assist you with any investment decision. Their charges are low because with them, you're in charge of all investment choices - you can’t ask for investment advice from them. With only $1,000 as a start-up investing amount, you're really on a tightrope as far as minimal deposit goes. Some discount brokerages like Banc De Binary will accept you while others will not. You’re going to need to look around until you find one that will accept your minimal deposit of $1,000.

Know the Costs of Investing

Commissions: Before you set up an investment account, you also have to think about the associated costs that you’re going to attract from buying investments. Usually, it’s going to cost you some money each single time you buy an investment (through commissions). And with a small amount of funds, these broker commissions can really poke a hole on your $1,000.

Furthermore, investing in stocks can really get expensive when you trade continuously, particularly with a minimal amount of money available to invest. Each time that you perform an investment action, whether selling or purchasing a stock, you are going to pay a commission aka trading fee. Trading fees can range anywhere from as low as $10 for each trade to as high as $30 for some discount brokerages.

Use Diversification to Minimise Risk

Some investors regard diversification as the only free lunch in investing. When it comes to diversification, the largest amount of difficulty in doing this may come from investments in stocks. Moreover, with a $1,000 deposit, it's almost impossible to have a well-diversified portfolio, so be mindful that you may need to invest in one or two firms (at the most) to begin with. And this is likely to increase your risk.

A Small Step Toward a Great Future

It’s very possible to invest in stocks with a small amount of money if you’re just starting out. But know that it’s more complex than merely picking the right investment and you must understand about the limitations which you face as a ‘newbie’ investor.

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How automated trading affect future of trading and investing

According to recently released article from Bloomberg: ,,The Rich Are Already Using Robo-Advisers, and That Scares Banks", assets under management in automated programs gradually grow. They should also small investors seek automated solutions for their investments?

Mainstream idea of investing is in passive approach. On the stock markets you are usually trading or better investing in the long-term. It means that you buy shares of a particular company or a whole sector, and hold them. It often indicates the average return of 10% per annum. However, detailed examination shows the fact that achieved return at the investment on the local or regional level, doesn't have to reach positive numbers even in a matter of years. A typical example is Japan where stock market is experiencing bad times for 20 years. This can be good reason to leave old portfolio theory. Investors should in terms of uncorrelated returns and strong balanced portfolio think about adding active trading part. This part can use automated trading which protect investors against psychological aspects of active trading and also optimizes time dedicated to active trading.

Today's technology offers much better conditions to develop and trade automated trading strategies than a few years ago. Computational power together with the involvement of artificial intelligence, machine learning methods and data mining, allow develop and test individual trading logics in fraction of time. Thanks to this can developers of these automated trading strategies discover effective trading logics with predictive capabilities.

Still prevailing opinion that robots cannot replace human. This is the reason of skepticism about automated trading. Investors should realize that automated trading itself is only the end of the whole process. On the beginning is human who define the basics and control the whole process of developing and testing despite the fact that the process is automated. It is much more about looking for objective advantage in the market that can be traded by automated solution. From investor perspective is much easier evaluate results from automated trading than when active trading will make himself.

Automated trading gradually grows and solutions as well. Because the development of automated trading is both financially and knowledge consuming, investors should look for automated solutions, already created by developers for trading. In this point it is more about communication with developer about understanding principles of automated trading solution which he offers. Investors will know, how evaluate results from automated trading, what technological aspects does it contain and what support they receive if anything goes wrong.

Author: Daniel Stepnicka,

Director, Co-Founder of Algofxsolution.com.

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How to Hold Real Estate in your Roth IRA

Real estate as an investment option
After the 2008 global financial crisis, investors are increasingly looking for assets, away from stocks and bonds, that can help diversify their portfolios, act as an inflation hedge, and provide a long-term return for retirement. One such asset is real estate, and it may be best to hold it in a self-directed IRA account, which is run by a third-party administrator and allows the investor to choose what types of investments and asset classes to put in the account. A self-directed Roth IRA offers you the added advantage of compounding your income, gains, or savings tax-free and enables you to invest in real estate such as residential homes, condominiums, commercial properties, co-ops, or even land, all within your Roth IRA.

Things to consider and prepare Investing in the real estate in a self-directed IRA does require a different mindset because there are a number of rules you must follow, or the tax benefits can be voided. First, you need to find a bank or brokerage that has a qualified trustee or custodian for self-directed IRA and knows how to handle your real estate purchases, administers the account, and files the relevant documents with the IRS. You must also have enough money in your IRA account to buy the real estate investment from your IRA account. Some custodians may allow you to borrow to purchase the property as long as the loan is non-recourse, i.e. the house alone is used as the collateral. You cannot buy a property which you reside in or is a part of your business or buy a property you or your family members own a specified percentage – the IRS bans self-dealing. With a self-directed IRA, you also are the only one responsible for your investment decision and complying with all the regulations and rules for your investments.

Operational procedures
After your IRA custodian has purchased the property for you, the title will be in the name of your IRA custodian. The IRA account pays all the management fees, taxes, insurances, and property-related expenses and so the account needs to have sufficient cash. You could lose the tax benefits or incur penalties if you fund these expenses from your own account.

To have more control over your investments, you can create an LLC that is owned by the IRA to invest for your IRA. With this checkbook control, the IRA owner can write cheques to make purchases, pay property bills and marketing expenses, and have greater control over the assets.

Some advantages and disadvantages
Real estate can provide the owner with long-term investment value with the potential for appreciation. If the property is rented, it can provide the owner with rental income. Not only is real estate a hard asset compared to stocks and bonds but also an investment the investor understands well. The other big advantage is that if you purchase the property from your self-directed Roth IRA without a mortgage, all the rental income will be compounded tax-free. However, if you finance the property purchase with a mortgage, then the rental income becomes unrelated business taxable income, which will be taxed when earned. Another disadvantage is that you cannot claim depreciation when holding the property in the IRA. You will not be able to enjoy any advantage from your property investments until you retire.

REIT can be an easier option
If holding a physical property in your IRA is too much work for you, you can also consider investing in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), which is similar to a mutual fund but invests in the real estate market. REITs are required to pay out 90% of their profits through dividends. However, investors also need to understand any tax implications when holding REITS in the Roth IRA.

Conclusion
Real estate investment is a good investment diversifier and provides long-term value especially when held in a tax-free Roth IRA. As to which type of the IRA accounts or real estate investments suit the investors’ goals the best, the investors will be wise to consult their financial advisers, accountants, and tax professionals first.

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3 Things You are Not Doing Today that can impact your finances tomorrow

Murali, a 32 year old HR consultant, is worried about how his finances will shape up. His mind is often plagued with questions such as “will I have enough money to live my retirement years peacefully? how would I pay the fee for my child’s engineering degree? What would happen to my family if I am not there? Will they be able to sustain their living expenses in my absence?” Murli is not sure if his finances are on the right track and whether he is control of his future.

Murli’s questions can arise on anyone’s mind. While these concerns are very reasonable, what really matters is that how you address these concerns. You are already doing ‘X’ number of things to manage your finances, but perhaps you may not be doing some things (which you should do!) that can impact your finances tomorrow. Let’s take a look at these things.

1.   Not investing with a goal in mind

When you talk about the future, it usually referred in two timelines: immediate and distant. In the financial language, you can call these timelines as short - term (such as buying a car or renovating your home) and long – term (such as child’s marriage or your retirement). If you don’t classify your investment goals, according to the time horizon, you wouldn’t know how, where and how much to invest.

When you want to accumulate wealth (financial freedom) for the future, you need to start investing early and keep a long term perspective. More the number of years to invest, higher the corpus you would have.

2.   Not Diversifying the Investment Portfolio

In an online survey conducted by ET Wealth recently, 53% respondents admitted that have neither fixed their asset allocation nor follow it. Also, 15.7% respondents said that portfolio doesn’t need rebalancing. Now, if you are not doing asset allocation or rebalancing your portfolio every year, it's a financial slip up at your end. It could affect your financial security in the future.

Let’s say, you are a regular investor. You invest a substantial part of your savings at fixed intervals. But, if you don’t diversify your portfolio, then the chances are you are not going to benefit from the risk-return trade-off in the long run. Have you heard of the saying, “Don’t put all eggs in one basket?” The same logic applies to your investment too.  At the same time, you should also monitor your investments closely and make changes in the allocation as and when you deem necessary.

An investment instrument such as wealth plans from ICICI Prudential are a fine example of sensible asset allocation. These plans give you an opportunity to choose your own percentage of equity and debt funds to earn healthy market-lined returns. You also get the flexibility to switch from one fund to another based on your financial goals and market fluctuations. Additionally, you also get a life cover, which will take care of your insurance needs. Hence, it is advisable to have at least one wealth plan in your portfolio.

3.   Not Automating Your Investments

Surprised? Well, not setting up monthly standing instructions towards your investment could be a serious financial mistake on your part! Let’s take an example here. If you have taken a life insurance policy and decide to pay through a non – ECS mode of payment, you have to depend on manual or automated reminders to pay the premium. If you forget or delay the payment, not only your policy will lapse, but you will also have to pay a late or penalty fee. This may put a brake on your investment till the time you renew the policy again.

To avoid such a situation, it is advisable to go for automated standing instructions. This way, your investments will work like SIPs with multiple benefits. You start it and forget it, without worrying about payment reminders, policy lapse or non – payment charges. The deductions will happen automatically, thereby instilling financial discipline in you.

Your today is like a financial opportunity that you can encash tomorrow. Take advantage of these opportunities as much as you can in your present!

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China’s Forex Fast-Track

The news agency Reuters recently reported that China is to boost risk controls and speed up the development of its foreign exchange market during 2016. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), posted information on its website detailing the proposals which also include the opening of China’s capital account and improvements to the management of its foreign exchange reserves.

The statement was posted after an internal meeting in Beijing that was attended by Pan Gongsheng, who is the newly appointed deputy governor of China's central bank and the party secretary for SAFE. The news came just as the yuan reached its lowest level compared to the dollar in five years, news that sent markets around the world into a panic for fear of competitive currency devaluations. China has also ordered some of its biggest banks to limit the purchase of the US dollar.  

The integration of China into the world economy has been led by its move to a private sector economy and the growth it has achieved from this has been a global phenomenon. Further policy change is in the making and will see more liberalisation of China’s Forex markets. Will this lead to continued growth for the Chinese economy?

China’s economy is growing at a slower rate now than it has seen in the past 25 years and the International Monetary Fund is predicting that over the next two years growth will slow further, falling from 6.9% in 2015 to 6.0% in 2017. China is pushing a move from an economy driven by exports and investment to one driven by consumption and services. However, some experts are arguing that this transition is being made too quickly and that a sustained focus on productivity is what is needed in order to sustain growth and that doing so would ensure a more stable move to the consumption and services economy they desire, over time.

When China sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold, is a cliché that has been used time and again, but maybe now is a pertinent time to time to ask yourself, how will China’s changes to their foreign exchange regulations affect global trading and whether it is good for China, or not, is there an opportunity for you to fast-track some financial gain?

While pondering this, bear in mind the words of economist Tony Nash, who told the BBC; "China's growth in 2015 was equivalent to the size of the entire economy of Switzerland or Saudi Arabia.”

“That's not an easy feat and shows the magnitude of the accomplishment,"  Nash added.

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Luxurious Seattle Condos for Sale

Once you’ve decided you are ready to take the next step in buying Seattle condos for sale, it’s time to find the right team of realtors. Don’t look to just any realty group – you need a team you can trust and depend on.  The Stroupe Group offers over 20 years of experience in the Seattle real estate market. We specialize in the downtown market, but also work very closely with properties in the Seattle suburbs.

Each member of our highly respected team is dedicated to helping you along every step in the process purchasing your next investment. We’ll meet with you to discuss your requirements. We take the time to know you and your preferences. It’s easy to get started with our online form for submission – simply enter your name, your email, a phone number, the best time to reach you and your reason for inquiring.

We respect your time and your privacy. We’ll meet with you based on a time that meets your availability. Scheduling appointments or showings is quick and painless. Let us help you get started on your journey to the right property for you. Choose from Seattle condos for sale that are only within your budget and your requirements. Contact us now to set up your appointment and to get started!

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Investing in People – Your most valuable resource

Give a man a job he loves, and he’ll never work again. An expression that’s as old as the hills, but still holds true today. Research by the University of Warwick has proven the idiom that a happy workforce is a productive one. When it comes to predicting any fluctuations within the share price of a company, a lot of interesting information can be gleaned from looking at employee satisfaction. If we are to look at Fortune Magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, topping their poll is Internet Search Behemoth Google, who turns over an average of $60 Billion every year. Other recognisable names that fall into the top 100 include Twitter, American Express, Marriott International and KPMG.

By looking at this list what we see is that some of the world’s most profitable companies have some of the world’s happiest employees. It would therefore be prudent to have a look at what business owners can do to improve employee satisfaction as a means of improving profitability and share price. Gretchen Rubin as cited in Inc.com believes that one factor that can create a satisfied employee is to give them more control. She states that taking steps as simple as allowing employees to customise their own workspace or considering their work-life balance. This lets employees know that their bosses care about them as individuals.

Opportunities for Development make up an important part of building satisfaction among employees. Having a clear path towards a better career is an excellent motivator and encourages people to do their job better. Their effort can be reciprocated with a possible promotion and a move up the ladder. Many retailers offer graduate programmes to their employees, but it is McDonalds who win in the game of offering employee prospects. Hamburger University was set up as a training centre to allow the many people employed by the fast food giant to expand their skill base. Today over 80,000 people have graduated onto positions within the company, more educated and committed than before. 

    

Another means of improving employee satisfaction make take the form of offering company perks. These can vary from simple things like a bonus system, flexibility with working hours or extended holidays, to highly desirable incentives such as offering a company car or comprehensive health insurance for their workforce. Not only will offering perks such as these increase the job satisfaction of your current employees, they will also go some way to encouraging the best talent to want to come and work for you. Overall it’s a win win situation!

Having read this article, you will now have a greater appreciation of how having happy employees really works for everyone. Several simple steps can be taken, but in terms of how much you are willing to invest in your employees, the sky’s the limit. Increasing satisfaction increases profit, which in turn increases the share price, which increases shareholder satisfaction, which should, overall, increase your own personal satisfaction! 

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