Saving for our future is one of those things we all know we should be doing. However, whether we actually get around to it is another point entirely. It is so easy to just put off sorting out for another day. But when the time comes for you to retire, you will need to have some kind of plan in place for your next steps. Chances are you will have been putting money into a pension scheme in addition to the workplace pension you will be entitled to receive. But, what do you do if this isn’t enough to tide you over? With other financial issues looming over us as we approach retirement age, such as whether you have the best life insurance policy, our retirement funds should be the least of our worries. If you are thinking about investing your pension fund, don’t rush into it. We all want to enjoy our retirement, but make sure that whatever you are investing your money in is right for you.

Property investment

Real estate is quite literally hot property these days. If you’re looking to invest your pension somewhere, look no further than the real estate sector. The best way to go about this is by acquiring property through a real estate IRA. This way, you open yourself up to unique investment opportunities and you can be sure that you are putting your money into a secure asset. It also has the added benefit of being able to rise in value, which is perfect for if you are hoping to pass the property down generations. You also don’t need to be restricted to houses or apartments when investing with an IRA. You can also claim farmland or holiday resorts, or commercial property such as shopping malls.

Stocks and shares

The stock market might initially seem like a bit of a daunting minefield. But, it could be the perfect place for your pension to go if you have chosen to self-invest. In fact, in provides a great opportunity to protect against rising inflation and bring in higher returns than cash and bonds. You can go into ‘direct investment’ into the stock market via a stockbroker. This essentially means that you buy shares in a single company, which makes you what is known as a shareholder. If you want to minimise the risk associated with investing in stocks and shares, instead consider investing indirectly. This way you can invest your money in a number of different companies rather than just one.

Precious metals

This may appear unusual at first, but precious metal investment has soared in recent years. They are a hard investment, which means that they are also hedged against inflation. If you are looking to invest in precious metals, you will need to comply with the rules and regulations set up by your pension account. Gold, silver, palladium and platinum are all approved by IRA accounts. You will need to purchase the metals yourself through a dealership, and then keep them in an approved depository.

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You need to start planning now if you want to have some money set aside for next year’s vacation. But how can you go about doing this without succumbing irrelevant purchases and overspending on lavish dinners? For some families, saving up money for a year-end vacation is a breeze. For others, it can be quite a challenge. In the following sections, we’ll provide you with a few key tips for helping you save money for your own year-end vacation.

Set Your Sights on Your Destination

First and foremost, you have to stay committed to whatever saving process you decide to take. If you can’t then chances are good that you’re going to overspend in areas where you shouldn’t. One of the best ways to stay persistent is to remind yourself why you are saving. Post pictures of your travel destination on your computer desktop and talk about your plans with co-workers and friends. This will ultimately increase your motivation and help you stay focused when saving money.

Use Your Miles

If you are someone who travels a lot then you can use your miles to earn a free flight at the end of the year. Keep in mind that the amount of miles that you’ll need ranges from carrier to carrier and it also depends on where you are traveling to. In general, you can acquire free flights by accumulating anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 miles. This can be a quick and simple step to take when you are trying to save money on a year-end vacation.

Start a “Travel Fund”

Not only is starting a “travel fund” a lot of fun but it can ultimately allow you to save up a lot of money in a relatively short amount of time. Take note that there are a few golden rules that you’ll want to follow when taking this route. The first is that you shouldn’t remove money from this fund unless it is an absolute emergency.

One tip that you could utilize is putting your money in a separate bank account where you won’t be able to see it on a daily basis. Secondly, try to put at least 10% of your monthly income into your travel fund. While it may not seem like a lot at first, this number can quickly add up and provide you with a hefty fund to utilize at the end of the year for your travels.

Noc likes to travel and start saving at the beginning of the year for a big trip and sometime uses Travel Advantage Network to create lifelong memories.

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Statistics have shown that the majority of failed small businesses lack underfunding and adequate capital investment. As a small business owner, it can be difficult to find the right funding source to meet the investment levels that will ensure your business has a fair chance for success in the market. A merchant cash advance is an alternative cash source that may be an ideal way for your business to get the funding it needs without the added risk of a conventional loan.

Is a Merchant Cash Advance the Same as a Loan?

When a small business loan is contracted by a business owner, the principle amount is paid back through payments that include interest. The interest rates on small business loans tend to be less reasonable for new businesses simply because they lack the merchant credit history that is required to garner a low interest rate. Merchant cash advances are different from loans because they are based on a flat fee rather than interest. The money is paid back automatically without further action by the merchant.

How Does a Merchant Cash Advance Work?

Any business that has accepted credit card sales for more than 60 days is typically eligible for a merchant cash advance. The provider in this case is known as a factoring company. When applying, the factoring company will agree to a lump-sum payment to the applicant business in the form of an agreed amount. The business owner is then free to invest the new capital into his immediate operation. The factoring company then retrieves the investment from credit card sales payments that are made to the merchant from credit card companies in lieu of that merchant until the full amount of the cash advance and the flat-rate fee have been retrieved.

What Are the Benefits to a Merchant Cash Advance?

The most significant benefit is that the flat-rate fee associated with the transaction is highly competitive with interest rates because it does not continually accrue over the duration of the outstanding debt. Another benefit is that the risk of repayment default is lower due to the fact that the initial principle is retrieved according to the natural influx of credit card receipts. The principle is not based on a strict, predetermined timetable.

The merchant cash advance is intended to stimulate an immediate cash flow investment that is then repaid at a prorated pace according to credit card sales. The majority of small businesses that need extra funds can benefit greatly from merchant cash advances.

Fred often writes articles on how small businesses can improve their cash flow problems. He believes that a merchant cash advance company can be an excellent solution for many companies in this situation.

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For most people budgeting isn’t a fun chore as it entails setting aside money and having to work with what is left after stashing. However, it can mean the difference between achieving one’s financial goals and digging into a debt hole.

If you’ve tried budgeting, yourself, you definitely know the challenges it posits. Yet, you also know how helpful it is in taking control of your money and building your wealth. So if you want to step up your budgeting a notch further this year, and effectively implement it for the following years, it has to become habitual. And for you to do that, below are some pointers you need to take into heart.

Build your emergency fund

Traditionally, budgeting is all about tracking down expenses, eliminating debt and then once the budget is balanced, establishing an emergency fund. However, you can speed up the process by creating a partial emergency fund that you can dip into in case something uneventful happens. Ideally, you should have a portion of your monthly savings in a liquid account ready for surprises. This partial emergency fund will serve as your buffer as you fill out the other areas in your budget. Your emergency fund can also be used in place of credit cards during emergencies.

Don’t mind perfection and keep things simple

Consider budget as a target. That means, you won’t be able to perfect it during the first few months. If you can’t get the perfect balance in your finances, the next goal should be to get as close to it as possible. Learn to make the necessary adjustments and keep everything simple. Once you get the complexity out of the picture and you get used to budgeting, it will become a part of your life that you won’t overlook.

Watch your spending

If you don’t document your spending, you will not know if you are sticking to your budget. So find a way to track how you spend your money in a manner that you can easily follow through. You can take the pen-and-paper approach, use a spreadsheet or use an online application that is especially designed for tracking expenses. When you are able to figure out your expenses, you’ll know where to make adjustments.

Indulge

Of course, when budgeting it’s not just all about saving money. You also need to leave some room to indulge yourself (within reason, though). For instance, if the only fun you can afford in your budget is to buy a book each month, at least allow yourself that. Consider this as an incentive for your efforts. If you don’t reward yourself, you might feel constricted which will make it difficult for you to stick to your budget in the long run.

Keep your eye on the prize

Another trick that will help you to properly build your budget is to focus on the rewards you can reap from your efforts. Don’t just look at what you have to cut and give up as this will make budgeting a distasteful chore. Instead, list down short and long-term goals to keep you motivated. Over time, as you see some of your goals coming to fruition, you will definitely feel more motivated to work harder on your budget.

The guest post above was contributed by Ericka in behalf of www.financial-wise.co.uk. Ericka is a freelance writer who has penned numerous articles for different websites. However, it is her passion to learn and share her knowledge about money management, inspiring her to write helpful posts related to personal finance.

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