How’s Your Retirement Preps?

Retirement is one of the things that people look forward to but sometimes fail to prepare for. Being caught up with all your current hurdles in life shouldn’t stop you from gearing up for what will be the future. Your decisions and actions at present shape what your future will be. Still in your 20s? Much better! More time for you to think about the different options you have and plenty of time for you to save up.

What's the point? Disillusionment with pensions sees a quarter of over 50s shun retirement saving - Having suffered through multiple recessions, a global financial crisis, and seen annuity rates plunge to record lows, disillusioned workers may be turning their backs on pensions as they approach retirement.

How Do the Self-Employed Save for Retirement? Erratically - Americans aren’t very good at saving money. The self-employed are even worse. A survey published this week by TD Ameritrade shows that 40 percent of America’s 10 million self-employed workers aren’t saving regularly for retirement and 28 percent aren’t saving at all.

Want to retire early? Punish yourself now - Some “experts” out there would have you believe that when saving for retirement, a little goes a long way. It sounds so easy… if you start saving about $25 a day starting at age 25 and presume a pretty modest 5% annual return, you can retire with over a million dollars by the time you hit age 65!

Planning for Retirement, and Why We Aren't Doing It Right

What are the new opportunities and risks to wealth that are emerging from a world in transition? Top banker Keith Banks explores the markets, health care, retirement savings, tax laws, and notions of risk with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo.

5 Last-Minute Ways To Stash Retirement Cash - The key to lasting financial change is to keep spending in areas that mean the most and cut back in areas that are less crucial, says Stuart Ritter, a senior financial planner with T. Rowe Price investment services firm in Maryland.

Bank Checking For People Looking into Early Retirement - A bank account checking is defined as an account type that permits unlimited withdrawal activity. For the purposes of this guide we will be referring to withdrawal activities including purchases made on a debit card, ATM withdrawals, and bill payments made online, automatically (ACH or Automatic Clearing House), or by paper checks.

The sooner is probably the better when it comes to planning for an early retirement. Whichever way it is we hope that you are in for a brighter future.

Serious Extent of Debt Continues to Increase

Debt can be considered a personal dilemma that one tries to keep a secret from their friends and co-workers to even their own family, but when a huge part of a certain population is in a deep hole of debt, who should take action? More and more people have to turn to borrowing money from lending institutions, how does this reality affect a country’s growth or even its future? Does it even an impact ?

Japan's Debt Problem Visualized

 

A short, visual explanation of Japan's debt crisis by Addogram.

Nine million in 'serious' debt across the UK - The Money Advice Service (MAS) also said very few people were making any attempt to get professional help. The problem is particularly acute in five English cities, where more than 40% of the population is struggling to repay debt.

Hull top of debt table: 'There's loads of debt everywhere' - "There's loads of debt everywhere," said one visitor to a food bank in north Hull, who added he was not surprised the city topped the debt league. "[People are] having to have loans to cater for the family - to just live basically - and it's getting worse."

One in five 'don't recognise' debt problem - Almost nine million adults in the UK are living with serious debt, according to a report. Figures out today from the Money Advice Service also showed that of those adults, only 1.5m are seeking debt advice.

25% surrender homes voluntarily in debt deals - Grant Thornton Debt Solutions, which operates as a personal insolvency practitioner (PIP), said before it submitted clients’ paperwork to the Insolvency Service of Ireland it engaged in pre-negotiations with creditors. In 80 per cent of cases it received approval in principle from stakeholders to do a deal.

Debt Analysis To Reduce Bill Payments - Refinancing your debts might be just right to reduce your monthly payments and get you back on track. These lenders help consumers reduce payments by paying off your high interest debt with a lower interest loan at better terms.

Debt is already a tremendous dilemma for one person to take, perhaps the best way to counter it is to ask for help and support from those you dearly trust.

What’s your Financial Fitness Level? Here are the Parameters to Find Out

Financial Stability is one form of security people strive to achieve in most of their lives. Who wouldn’t want to be financially fit? To be able to live satisfactorily without worrying about financial responsibilities, must a dream for many but it shouldn’t stay that way. There are a number of parameters one can measures themselves to gauge their monetary strength among them are the following:

How to Make Saving Money Feel Good (so that you actually do it!) - It’s probably not news to you that money woes are one of the leading causes of stress. And guess what? Stress is related to higher rates of depression, infectious disease, and heart disease.

Debt Management Tips : How to Fix Bad Credit

Fixing bad credit involves getting a copy of all three credit bureau reports and addressing any errors by writing letters to each bureau about the situation.

The Yin Yang Personal Finance & Fitness Approach for Super Saver Folks & Super Fit Freaks - I believe personal fitness and financial stability can lead to an enjoyable long lived life. However, without one or the other, we may not be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. This is an important aspect to my life and why I preach both being equally important.

Financially Organized Rescue - No doubt, for many individuals, financial planning, or just thinking about organizing your finances can be overwhelming.  How does one begin? Indeed, where to begin? But financial planning does not have to be a daunting process. 

Simple Review Of Your Credit Report - When you are applying for a new credit card, or an extension of a credit or loan, your lender will review your credit report before granting you anything. So it is probably best to check up on your credit report as well. This way you can correct any inaccuracies and fix your credit report immediately.

Plan to Set Financial Goals - The primary concept of this site is media content for radio and television with emphasis on programming targeting women. The site also introduces you to other women who share their experiences, advice, tips and offer encouragement through their inspirational stories.

Taking Control Of Your Money Starts With One Simple Task - Have you ever had your checking account hit zero before your next paycheck hits the bank? You’re not alone. According to a recent survey by Bankrate, 76% of Americans had less than 6 months of emergency savings available.

Know Your Net Worth - By monitoring your progress towards your goals, you’re more likely to stay focused. Fanatics do this as often as every month. But you should have a life, so doing a net worth update every six months or so should suffice.

Paying Off Your Credit Cards Will Change Your Life - Imagine living and working without all your hard earned cash going to credit card payments each and every month with little progress to show for it.

There are many benefits to being financially fit, not only psychologically but also in the quality of life one has to live. Fitness should transcend to your finances as well.

The Aftermath of the Financial Crisis in 2008: What did it leave behind?

A lot of people were affected by the financial crisis that has struck the country 5 years ago. One is left to wonder, after the years has gone by, after everything that has happened, what is left of the companies that where hit the most and have they regained their stature? Do they still feel the effect of the crisis? What are the lessons that they have taught us and did we learn from them/

2008 financial crisis impact still hurting states - The effects of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression are forcing changes on state governments and the U.S. economy that could linger for decades. By one Federal Reserve estimate, the country lost almost an entire year's worth of economic activity – nearly $14 trillion – during the recession from 2007 to 2009.

Employment Down, Profits Up: The Aftermath of the Financial Crisis in 1 Graph - Six years after the recession started, five years after the crash, and four years after the recovery began, the share of the country with a job has declined by more than 7 percent. And yet ... corporate profits are crushing, again.

The financial crisis: Lessons learned? - Five years after a global financial meltdown shook Charlotte, big banks are on sounder footing. But not all the damage has been repaired, and industry insiders say the financial system remains vulnerable to threats that could produce another crisis.

The rich got a lot richer since the financial crisis - Lately everyone from policymakers to fast-food workers have urged Washington to raise the minimum wage. It's a thorny topic that's spawned countless arguments both for and against an increase, but a new study suggesting that mostly the richest Americans are recovering from the Great Recession should make opponents rethink a minimum wage hike.

Big Banks Are Even Bigger Five Years After The Financial Crisis - The four biggest banks in the U.S., JP Morgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, hold $7.8 trillion in assets altogether, up from $6.4 trillion when the crisis hit in 2008, according to an analysis by the Huffington Post. That means their combined assets today amount to 47 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), up from 43 percent five years ago.

Post-Financial Crisis: America’s Youth Is Not Hopeless - People born between the early 1980s and early 2000s are typically considered to belong to Generation Y. They are often described as being job hoppers, self-entitled, and even narcissistic. However, despite the perceived shortcomings of millennials, they have learned more from the financial crisis than any other generation.

Are we better off 4 years after crisis?

 CNN's Ali Velshi reviews the four years since 2008's financial meltdown and asks the question, are we better off today?

Financial Crises: The Other Side of the Story - What appears surprising about contemporary times is the widespread economic confusion just a generation after capitalism triumphed with the collapse of the Soviet socialist system. A recent Pew poll reports that 49% of Americans 18-29 years old have a positive view of socialism while only 46% have positive views of capitalism.

The origins of the financial crisis: Crash course - THE collapse of Lehman Brothers, a sprawling global bank, in September 2008 almost brought down the world’s financial system. It took huge taxpayer-financed bail-outs to shore up the industry.

How have financial markets reacted to financial-sector reforms after the crisis? - After the near-collapse of large parts of the financial system and unprecedented support measures from the public sector and central banks, the leaders of the G20 agreed on the need for a radical overhaul of the financial system.

The crisis has gone by but it can come back. Although its occurrence can be hard to predict, making sure that you have a plan for every situation will come handy when it does. 

Your Refinancing Options Guide All-in-one Web Roundup

There are different options when it comes to refinancing. It pays to know more about them, to get yourself knowledgeable and well-aware of all the pros and cons of each option. There are a lot of things that you could refinance, such as your car or your home or even your student loan. This enables you to make a wise decision and to prevent any mistake from depleting your financial resources instead of helping you out.

FHA Refinancing Options: Cutting Your Rate and Reducing Your Balance - When looking to refinance, you’ll often be bombarded by countless advertisements from a variety of mortgage professionals. Some offer no-appraisal options, while others promise no-closing cost alternatives. So, how do you know which refinance product is right for you? The answer: it depends on your financial goals and needs.

2 options for a no-cost refinance - Many homeowners want to refinance their existing mortgage in order to obtain a better interest rate or shorter loan term. However, refinancing a mortgage is not free and comes with its own expenses that are the financial responsibility of the borrower.

Refinance for a Purpose: Cash-Out Refinancing Explained - A cash-out refinance loan is a great refinance option for borrowers looking to convert their home equity into cash.  A cash-out refinance replaces a borrowers’ current mortgage with a larger loan and uses the home’s equity to provide additional funds for other purposes.

Mortgage Refinancing Tips from TransUnion

While the financial benefits of dropping your interest rates a few points are apparent, the path to mortgage refinancing can be strewn with unexpected fees and potentially costly choices. The best way to really profit from mortgage refinancing is to carefully evaluate your plans and options before signing on the dotted line.

5 Refinancing Options When Your Home Value Has Dropped - Conventional mortgage lenders will only refinance a home if the loan value is equal to or less than the current property’s value. This wasn’t a problem when property prices rose at the rate of inflation or faster.

Need to Refinance Mortgage with Cash-Out? See What You Must Know - When we are faced with challenges like payment for college tuition or money for home improvement, we can think of getting cash for the same through mortgage refinance with cash out. Here, we replace our current mortgage with a bigger one in exchange for some immediate cash benefits.

Underwater Mortgage Options: What To Do When You Can’t Refinance - Since the Great Recession and housing crisis appraisers are looking closely at other sales of comparable properties located in the same general neighborhood in order to get a more accurate value for the property in question.

How to Refinance with No Closing Costs - Mortgage rates have dropped to historical lows and conventional wisdom would dictate that most American homeowners should refinance. Unfortunately, there are many factors that come into play when starting down the path of refinancing, as there are often some situations that would eliminate a homeowner from even being able to refinance, especially when they’re searching for a refinance with no closing costs.

Comprehending the, “Advantages and disadvantages Of Refinancing Loans?” - How can you work out to obtain the best loaning rate? First, it begins with a strong credit score. You can accomplish this by paying your expenses on time, cutting back on borrowing and keeping a reduced loan balance by as much as 30 % of your limit.

Three Refinancing Tips Every Homeowner Should Know - Mortgage refinancing is a valuable financial tool. With the right planning, a refinance can save you money and give you more flexibility in managing your home loan. The problem is that many home owners don’t understand how this process works well enough to get the most out of their refinance.

Refinancing is not always the only choice. It should be one of your options but choosing it should be in the right time and the right reason.

How Can I Pay Off My Credit Card?

Imagine living and working without all your hard earned cash going to credit card payments each and every month with little progress to show for it. Crushing debt can suck all the joy and possibilities your life is supposed to have as you toil endlessly only to watch your money disappear month after month. Pulling your hair out in frustration, if you find yourself desperately asking: How can I pay off my credit card debt...

Proceed Here for More...

The Many Great Points of Applying for a Prepaid Card

One of the most common reasons why people get into debt is by applying, using and abusing their cards. One innovation that could be a solution for this worsening problem is to use prepaid cards. This way, you wouldn’t buy too much and you wouldn’t be in too much debt. They do have their own limitations but the security that you only get to buy things that you can afford is something you can’t miss.

Surprise! Prepaid debit cards actually a good deal for consumers - Prepaid debit cards, long synonymous with frustrating or even exploitative fees, are suddenly a pretty good deal.

How to protect a prepaid debit card - Prepaid debit cards are usable wherever credit cards work, protect your privacy, and are - of course - compact.

5 prepaid debit card pitfalls to avoid - Prepaid debit cards often are pitched as a cheaper alternative to checking accounts. After paying billions of dollars' worth of checking fees over the years, that's a pitch consumers are finding increasingly appealing, says Tom Feltner, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America.

Why One Should Apply for Prepaid Credit Cards - Without doubt the prepaid credit cards are really handy and helpful for the general masses. When one goes out for a trip he or she has to pay money for carrying out various tasks like for shopping and for paying bills at the restaurant.

Prepaid Cards: What Are They and What’s in Store? - Although prepaid credit cards are still relatively new, they’re by no means a recent innovation. With the privacy they offer (and the fact anyone can get one), the prepaid card industry is growing fast.

How to Use a Prepaid Debit Card to Your Best Advantage - In recent years, banks have raised fees on checking accounts, and many consumers are fed up with it.  You might not even be safe from fees at a credit union.

How To Compare The Various Prepaid Credit Cards - For those who use the prepaid credit card often they need to be really alert while choosing the best prepaid credit card for their requirements.

Tips on using a prepaid credit card

Finding the right prepaid card is paramount in ensuring that you pay for what you buy and what you are responsible for.