Posts Tagged ‘ budgeting ’

Five tips for sticking to a budget

08/05/2012
By
planning_budget

There are many things that eat up our money on a daily basis – phone bills, car insurance renewals and calling out the plumber when the boiler goes bust. Unexpected expenses, twinned with daily spending can sometimes lead to a state of panic and a feeling that there’s no other way out but to borrow from the bank – or your mum. However, if you create a budget and document your spends, you can be prepared for life’s unexpected hurdles. Here are five tips to keep you motivated to stay on the savings wagon. Focus on savings Recognise how much of your income you can save each month and have it debited into your savings account on pay-day. This way, there will be little to no temptation to spend as it won’t be in the account you use regularly for long. Even if the amount you save differs each...

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How to Better Manage Your Finances

23/04/2012
By
manage_your_finances

With the economy upside down, so are many people’s bank accounts. If you are willing to take a grip of it, it can easily be turned around. Managing your money is all about living within your means, defining budgets and spending plans and sticking to it. We take a look at some of the things you can do to better manage your finances and stay in the black! Credit Cards Credit cards are great if you pay them off in full each month, otherwise you are likely to be charged large amounts of interest. If you already have credit cards with a balance on them look at getting yourself a balance transfer card to give you some ‘interest free’ time. Then setup a monthly standing order for an affordable amount, which will get the card paid off before the interest free deal ends. Avoid Store Cards These really will...

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Debt Collectors Use Social Media

06/03/2012
By
debt_collectors_social_media

In today’s world, debt collection companies are riding a thin line between legitimate collection practices and predatory collection techniques. Social media has become the newest way for debt collection companies to locate and communicate with consumers. This new phenomenon has left many industry insiders unclear as to the legality of the practices. Invading people’s privacy is a very sensitive issue that could result in legal consequences from the company in question. This information reaching the public may result in a change in the way social sites and collection companies operate. What They Can Do Some debt collection agencies have sunk to the point of making fake profiles and becoming friends with people with the goal of retaining their information the whole time. People’s profiles who are public may risk their information being found out by clandestine collection agents posing as followers. A few states have enacted laws against online...

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8 Great Apps for Managing Personal Finances

24/02/2012
By
personal finances

Spending money is easy. Keeping track of the money in our accounts is the hard part. In today’s digital world, much banking is done online. Many people take advantage of banking technology by having their paychecks automatically deposited into their accounts each month. Others sign up for automatic bill pay for all of their monthly bills. These modern conveniences make it easy to keep up with our finances. However, if we don’t always see the cold, hard cash leave our wallets, it can be too easy to overspend or not be aware of all our purchases. With tax season approaching, many people are flailing to gather receipts and account for yearly spending. Get your finances in order with the help of one of these apps for your smartphone. Mint This free app for Android, iPhone and iPad devices lets you keep track of your entire financial life in one...

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Do You Need to Make a Financial Change?

15/02/2012
By
Financial Changes

Do you feel like you need to make changes? Is your budget just not working out? You might not feel comfortable with your income and expenses, or be unsure how to approach money. If you need a change, here are some questions that can help you get on track and find your way. Where Am I? Evaluating where you currently stand is essential before any other financial steps that you are considering. Even on a small scale, this is true; how would you compare car insurance rates without first evaluating what type of car insurance you need? Take the following points to get you started: What is your debt situation? Take a look at your debt-to-income ratio, how your debt is spread out (i.e. in credit cards or personal loans, at a variety of interest rates?), and so forth. Consider your savings goals. Do you have certain financial goals...

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New Software to Run your Finances

11/02/2012
By
Finances

Economy seems to have been the buzz word for the last couple of years. Everyone is paying more attention to the economy, their jobs, and especially their finances. With technology on the rise, and their prices getting more affordable, many are turning towards tech to help keep their finances in order and save as much money as possible. The economy’s future is unknown, but your finances and budget don’t have to be. If you are also turning to your computer or smartphone to help manage your finances, then you should consider the software and apps you will need in order to stay organized. Here is some of the most popular software to keep you on top of your finances. You Need a Budget: YNAB is personal finance software that implores 4 rules of budgeting. Each rule is implemented in the software as well as teaches you how to look...

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Buried Treasure: A guide on how to reclaim forgotten accounts

19/01/2012
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Buried Treasure

We’ve all experienced the joy of finding cash down the back of the sofa or in an old coat pocket. Now multiply that feeling and imagine the loose change as lost bank accounts worth a substantial amount of money. For many it would seem inconceivable that bank accounts could be lost or forgotten about, but it happens more frequently than we imagine; moving address and a change in personal circumstances such as getting married, divorced or widowed are main factors. It is estimated that up to £1 billion is sitting dormant in accounts in the UK in the form current and savings accounts, premium bonds, pension schemes and insurance policies. Banks do try and trace the owners of accounts which is usually prompted by returned letters and statements and accounts with long periods of inactivity. Legislation set in 2009 now means if an account remains dormant for over 15...

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Three New Year’s Resolutions for the Fiscally Minded

20/12/2011
By
Resolutions

Tis the season my friends… At this time of year it’s customary to eat as much turkey as is physically possible, lavish each other with expensive gifts, drink large quantities of whatever happens to be left in your drinks cabinet (normally something horrible like Cointreau) and then 6 days later repent everything and promise that this year will be the year you sort your life out and get back to the gym. With Christmas soon to be here and gone it’s time to set out your agenda for 2012 and start formulating those all important New Year’s resolutions. Most people tend to stick with the same old mantras of ‘I will go to the gym at least once a week’, or ‘I’ll eat salad at least once a week’. As 2012 is looking like it’s going to be another difficult year financially, it’s time to sprinkle a little frugality...

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Planning for your new financial year

18/11/2011
By
Saving Money

We all have New Year’s resolutions, but they are often not worth the paper they are written on or the hard drive they are saved on. Saving into an ISA at moneysupermarket can be a start. From a financial point of view, we all plan to spend less in the coming year but often circumstances make it difficult for us to adhere to our plans. With the world economy the way it is and many European countries bordering on default, saving must be at the top of the list. It is always a good idea to compare ISAs at moneysupermarket and other such comparison sites so you know that you have the best savings vehicle for your circumstances. Financial planning for the next year should not be left until the last moment. Start earlier rather than later, so that the Christmas period won’t find you spending when you should...

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5 Things You Should Know about Investing in Silver

16/11/2011
By
Investing in Silver

Everyone seems to be interested in investing in gold, but silver prices are on the rise as well. While silver may not be as expensive as gold, it’s still a valuable investment. Of course, there are a few things you need to understand about this precious metal before spending your hard earned cash. Here are just five things you should know about investing in silver. Understand the Weight of Silver Weights can be rather confusing when it comes to precious metals, but you need to understand them. Not understanding how silver is weighed can lead to a poor investment. When purchasing silver, you may see it listed by troy pound, which is 12 troy ounces. Before you make your purchase, do the math to see whether or not the troy pound price breaks down to a good troy ounce price. Shop for Assay Certified Silver An assay certification is...

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