There are many fine financial and wealth building resources available today. Here are a few of our favorites:
Personal Finance Education Resource
Beginner Info About Mutual Funds
They say you have to spend money to make money, but it’s also true that a penny saved is a penny earned. One of the best ways to build your wealth isn’t to invest in a high yield CD or anything like that but rather to save as much as possible on common expenditures like traveling. With fuel costs continuing to rise, traveling this summer and beyond is looking to be more expensive than it ever was. The last time gas prices rose this high the airline instituted massive fees from everything to checked baggage to what used to be complimentary snacks. So far, many of those “one time” fees have yet to disappear; in fact, most airlines are instituting new fees. One area in which people can save money when traveling is on food. If you happen to be flying on an airline that is a little stingy or pricey with their snacks and then consider bringing your own food. Common food items like potato chips and sandwiches are safe to bring through security and by making your own food at home you can avoid the pricey airline food. Just remember not to take any beverages through security, though. Currently, the TSA still is not allowing any liquids greater than 3.4 ounces (100mL) beyond security checkpoints, so if you’re really dying for a drink either buy one on the plane or airport food court. Once you get through security passengers are welcome to purchase sodas or water to bring onto their flight from the terminal food courts in most airports.
One of the best ways though to save money when traveling is to use reputable travel sites like those operated by TravelShark. TravelShark, formerly SwiftRank, is one the leading global travel networks. Operating thousands of hotel booking sites, TravelShark makes it easy to save money when booking a hotel or planning a vacation.
The key to saving money when booking a hotel is to book far in advance and if possible in the off season. If you don’t mind traveling during times that are not considered peak for a region then you can get some great rates. For instance, California is a popular travel destination in the early summer months, but if you plan a trip for February or Mach then you can save hundreds on airfare alone. You might have to make a few small sacrifices but with these tips you can be on your way to building your wealth.
Photos by UggBoy & Mightykenny
Next Day Blinds is going to give $200 to one lucky person this week toward any Next Day Blinds order. Find out more about Next Day Blinds Giveaway from Fab Freebie: Love Is Blinds.
Mercer has released their annual survey of the most expensive cities for expats to live. Topping the list is a city most Americans have never heard of — Luanda, Angola. Rounding out the top five are Tokyo, Ndjamena (in Chad), Moscow and Geneva.
The most expensive city in the US itself is no big surprise: New York City. To read more details, including the least expensive city in the world, check out CNN Money.
Contrary to popular belief that missing the April 15th deadline for taxes will cost interest and penalties, the majority of taxpayers really have nothing to worry about. Those due a refund can file late with no penalty — and may even get MORE money back if the IRS delays the refund.
Since most people are due refunds, there’s no penalty associated with being a little late with filing your taxes. In fact, you have up to three years to file a refund return. After that, the IRS has no obligation to refund your money. However, if you owe taxes, it’s best to file on time, or to file an extension request (which costs nothing). Just remember that if you owe money and pay it late, then you’ll be facing interest fees.
A very wise artist once said to do what you love to do, so much that you do it for free, and eventually you will make money at it. Unfortunately, in this day and age, most people do have the time nor the luxury for “eventually” to happen. Many people are looking for alternative and various ways to supplement their income, or to simply gain any income again. One way people are doing this is by turning to the Internet. This has many benefits, as those who do still have full time jobs, are realizing that the time spent, the many hours simply doing a job that one is not fond of, is no way to live. Online opportunities provide more flexibility than going into the office five days a week, 8 to 10 hours a day.
One of the ways people are making money online is through selling things on eBay. One of the great aspects of this is that you can work from home, either part time or full time, or you can use it to supplement a full time job outside of the home, taking just a bit of time here and there at nights or on the weekends. Starting an account on eBay is free, and once many people have done that they use their account to sell personal items, like an online garage sale in a way.
One man in Los Angeles began this way. One day he was walking through the alley and found a 1940′s Formica table with 6 chairs in mint condition. He took photos and put them up on eBay, and the next day sold the table and chairs for $600. This sparked an idea. He began searching the alley ways for tossed away treasures, and hitting the thrift shops and used movie costume stores in Hollywood, and before he knew it he had an online vintage empire, selling many pieces each week. This was so profitable and so fun for him, that he quit his day job. Another man in Seattle, Washington, a car mechanic, turned his hobby of fixing up vintage trucks and cars, into his main source of income, selling his vehicles to buyers as far away as Boston and Chicago. In this economy, creativity is the key to making money, and doing so online is a great way to do just that.
The past 10 years made up an absolutely horrendous decade for stocks — the worst calendar decade in recorded history,in fact. However, one strategy handily beat the broad market,enabling investors to build real wealth, instead ofexperiencing losses even before factoring in the cost of inflation. Before I get to that, let’s consider the extent of the damage suffered by broadly diversified stock investors: Read more….
Money isn’t everything, according to a group of affluent Americans surveyed by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Focusing on family and friends, it turns out, gained in importance through the recession.
Just over half of retired respondents with at least $250,000 to invest said they wished they had focused more on their “life goals” than on “the numbers,” according to the firm’s Affluent Insights Quarterly, released today. In fact the leading response was wishing they had given more thought to how they wanted to live in retirement (38 percent) followed by wishing they had worked with a financial adviser earlier (23 percent) and given up more luxuries to reach their retirement goals (18 percent).
“The feeling is you should always absolutely have a plan, but the plan is not what we propeller heads think,” Sallie Krawcheck, president of Bank of America Global Wealth & Investment Management, which includes Merrill, told Bucks. “We as an industry talk to our clients about numbers, numbers, numbers. For us risk is standard deviation; for our clients it’s what if I have a health event that affects my life and my financials?”
Such surveys on how the recession has affected behavior are becoming increasingly common. PNC Wealth Management released a similar survey on Monday. Read more…
