Posts tagged: financial planning

Your Perfect Real Estate Investment Has Land-ed

ideal investments in real estateThere comes a time in every single person’s life where the penny drops and they realise that it could be time to invest in real estate. However, most people have a warped sense of what that actually means and so they start thinking about how they can afford to, the complexities around doing so, the trials and tribulations, the effort and the work involved.

But investing in real estate doesn’t have to mean buying a structure. It doesn’t have to mean investing in an apartment, flat, house, condo, commercial property or residential space, and it doesn’t have to mean fixing up somewhere. You see, real estate does include land, you know. Yeah.

So many people overlook vacant land as an investment, though, which is foolish if you ask us, and here is why:

You Buy It. That’s All.

When you invest in a structure, you have to think about renovation works and replacing stuff, which you never have to do with vacant land. You buy the land and you have the land. You don’t need to have a knowledge of construction or anything, just an idea of whether the land could be suitable for building on. Simple.

It’s So Cheap

Vacant land is so cheap compared to other types of real estate. You could buy a decent chunk of land with the cash that is in your savings right now, probably, and if not, all you have to do is compare personal loans and take the one that you like the look of. That’s it, then. There are no other outlays. No structure to pay for, no mortgage to battle, taxes are teeny-tiny, and so is insurance, if you want to have insurance.

No Hassle Whatsoever

The thing with investing in vacant land is, well, it’s vacant. That means there are no tenants you have to chase up because their rent is late. You don’t need to pay an agent any maintenance fees or get a gardener or a plumber or anything. No. Vacant land is the least demanding real estate investment you can possibly make. Period.

Prices Can Only Increase

Your options with vacant land are endless. Either you can hang on to it and live safe in the knowledge that no one is making any more land, which means your little piece of the earth is only going to become more in demand and demand is good. You could start using it for business purposes, in which there are only a few things to consider. You could even seek out some planning permission and watch as the value skyrockets, and we mean skyrockets, and that’s without even having to put a nail in anything. Whatever you fancy, you can do.

Earn An Income

The thing with vacant land is, you always have options on how to generate money. Think about it. You could turn it into a campsite, you could rent out some of it to a telephone company to erect a mast or a farmer who wants some grazing grounds. Maybe there is an energy company sniffing around. If it’s wind power, then you can go online and see exactly how much wind your land gets. If it’s solar, then you’re an option so long as you aren’t covered by a giant canopy. Money, money, money.

Financial Downsides and Potential Issues of Owning a Pet

financially downGetting a dog, or any other animal, to become a loved member of the household is a big step that many families decide to take at some point in their lives. Dogs and cats and other little domestic animals can offer a lot of love and warmth to a home, which is why so many welcome pets into their loving arms. With anything, there are both pros and cons to pet owning, and one of the biggest things that concern a family when it comes to the decision of welcoming a pet is the financial impact it will have.

Dogs are one of the most common pets that are seen in modern households. They’ve been man’s best friend through the ages. A dog can offer additional security and protection, as well a fierce friend that will last a lifetime… in dog years.

However, they also can get expensive. Some dogs, like purebreds, can be hundreds of dollars, and that is just the initial price of your pet that doesn’t include all of the supplies and equipment you’ll need to care for them for the years to come.

Regular and emergency vet visits. Dogs should be seen by a vet often and stay up to date on their immunizations and treatments to avoid getting medical problems. Sometimes these things can still happen, so you’ll have to also plan for the possibility of extra medical bills for your pet.

Special care equipment and furniture. Large dogs and older ones will need special beds that can get expensive. Walking gear can vary depending on the size and strength of your pet, and if they have existing medical conditions, they may need certain food that can get expensive. Planning for these things can help you decide a budget.

Potential injuries and prevention. Your dog may get hurt or may end up hurting others. This is rare, and some legal funding companies will offer a dog bite loan to help you stay on top of things financially while you’re working through the repercussions financially for a dog bite.

Many people have allergies to pet fur. Making sure that everyone has medicine and makes an appointment for allergy testing can get expensive depending on how many people are in your home.

Destroyed or damaged furniture and items. Dogs, especially puppies, are playful and energetic. They’ll get bored and lonely when you aren’t home. In the early months before your dog is fully trained, you may have to deal with damages to the things in your home. This can also go for cats.

Moving can get a little pricey if you have to bring the pets. Paying for transportation for a pet can get expensive depending on the size and weight and type of your pet. Some can get in the car with you, but you’ll have to make more frequent stops.

Low-Cost Investments to Start Making Money From Home

investment for online businessOne of the most popular ways to secure financial freedom in this current generation is to establish multiple streams of income. It could be from multiple jobs, a personal business or even investments. With job security an ever-growing problem for people all over the world, it seems like the most secure living you can get these days is to invest in the internet and work from home. Not only does working from home bypass the minimum wage that is set in your country, you also guarantee a wide range of clientele and the ability to work with people all over the world.

But most home-based investments require a lot of money. Trading stocks, starting up a business or investing in a company takes a lot of cash to start, making it a difficult option for someone who’s climbing out of debt but still wants to secure a comfortable future financially. In order to give you a hand, here are a couple of low-cost investments to get you started with making money from home.

Low-Risk Investments

When investments are concerned, we often think about expensive high-risk purchases like stocks, foreign currencies and even property. However, among all of the investments that people can make in life, there are some low-risk ones that have a very small chance of making you bankrupt. For instance, you can learn how to trade penny stocks online as a way to practice stock trading and you could invest in land purchases instead of entire properties. There are many low-risk investment options available to you as long as you do your research and look at the stability of a market instead of the potential gains.

Penny shares are, as the name implies, very low in price, meaning you can trade them freely without much consequence. However, don’t expect to turn $10 into $1,000 in a single week, and don’t even expect to make money within the first week of getting started. It’s a gradual and slow process, but that’s the nature of low-risk investments.

For property investments, you typically have a lot of factors involved when developing a property to be sold such as the location, target audience and so on. However, when it comes to investing in land, not only is the price a lot lower because you’re factoring out the development costs, it also doesn’t have a defined use, making it a versatile purchase for your buyers.

Starting a Content-Focused Business

A business could mean anything from a YouTube channel to a small company. However, the cheaper options here are definitely content-focused, such as a video channel, news website or a blog. You can monetize most of your content with the help of advertising services, but if you’re feeling brave then you can always upgrade to affiliate programs or even offering a product.

For instance, if you have a popular blog about the history of candy, then you could compile all of your material and blogs into a book to be sold. Ebooks are a natural transition for blog owners due to the content being relatively similar. All you need to learn is how to publish your own eBook and then advertise it to your viewers, social media and so on.

Got A Big Payment On Your Hands? Here’s How You Can Easily Afford It

bills to payThere always comes a time when all of us could do with a little extra cash. The unexpected payout can sometimes be launched on us as a result of something beyond our control – a sudden illness or a car crash, for example. Or, it could be the case that you have something to pay off (like a vacation) and it has just dawned on you that you may not have the money together in time. Whichever situation is relevant to you, there’s no denying that having a large bill weighing on your shoulders can be extremely stressful. Your focus should, therefore, be on being as thrifty as possible to get the money together in time – but what do you do when time itself is against you? Here are a few ways you can save and make money quickly so you can afford that big payout with no questions asked.

Cut out everything you don’t need

The impending payment you need to make may be necessary to your life, or something that you can’t possible wriggle your way out of. However, if you sit back and take a good look at your finances, you may find that you notice certain things that maybe aren’t quite as necessary to your life. For example, could you still be paying a subscription fee for a magazine you don’t even read anymore? Or, perhaps you are wasting lots of money each month by overusing the heating in your home – don’t simply turn it on every morning just due to a force of habit! Cancel everything that isn’t integral to your everyday life, and isn’t something your family relies on too much. These little savings might not seem like a lot initially, but they can certainly go a long way.

See what you might be owed

You might not realize it, but you could have money hidden away in places you weren’t aware of. Read this Fairfield Funding structured settlement review for more information on structured settlements. You may be receiving your settlement in monthly payments at present, but if you urgently need money for something specific, you can apply to have the cash presented to you in a lump sum instead. Equally, if you have been particularly frugal with your household bills lately, you could be in credit with your energy companies, in which case they will owe you money.

Sell, sell, sell

Most of us have a whole hoard of clothes and items taking up space in our homes. Back in the day, we relied on garage sales and car boots to get rid of the things we no longer needed. But thanks to the internet, it has now never been easier to quickly sell your unwanted possessions online for a decent price. Teach yourself the basics of websites like eBay, Gumtree, and Shpock. Providing you can take a few good pictures of your items, and you have the time to post them quickly to your buyers, you can make a lot of easy money just by using websites like these.

Why you Should Never Delay the Payment of your Credit Card Bills

outstanding credit card billWhen used smartly, with prudence and financial discipline, credit cards can be quite a convenient financial tool that can help you manage your rolling money better. However, anyone who has ever missed a credit card payment knows that missing timely payments of your credit card bill is one of the cardinal financial sins. Missing the due date of your credit card bills can have significant financial implications that could affect your overall credit worthiness.

Many falsely believe that paying the minimum amount due on your credit card bill is sufficient to avoid interest on the outstanding bill amount. However, your entire outstanding credit card bill will attract interest charges, irrespective of the amount that you have paid. Missing a credit card bill payment means a late fee will be levied when you fail to pay the minimum amount due by the bill due date. The longer the delay, the charges and late fees keep piling on and a heavy interest is levied on outstanding bill amount.

Depending on your card issuer, the annualized interest rate on this outstanding amount can go up to as high as 45% p.a.While there is a short window of interest free grace period that the RBI directs card issuers to allow and you can avail this window to pay any pending bills that you may have. However, missing a payment means that your credit score is likely to be adversely affected and the card issuer may reduce your credit limit too.

If, for whatever reasons you are unable to pay your outstanding credit card bill, contact your credit card issuer to convert your purchases into equated monthly installments. However, it may cause problems should you decide to apply for a consumer loan in the future.