Financial advisor salary

Paying for College

Paying for College

In today’s highly competitive admissions process, families must never lose sight of the fact that nothing is more important to parent or student than an acceptance letter! As all the aid in the world is useless without that coveted admission ticket, paying for college is your second priority.

Planning for college can begin as early as birth and proper financial planning in the early years can make all the difference when it comes time to have to cough up all that cash – as much as 0,000 (2006). Here are some of the best ways to save for college:

Custodial Accounts:

With Uniform Gift or Uniform Transfer to Minors Act Accounts (UGMA or UTMA), parents, grandparents, etc., can each contribute up to ,000 per student per year (2006). This money can be used for college or for any other purpose. While the money remains in the student’s name, the custodian, usually a parent, has absolute control over the account. UGMA accounts accept cash only. UTMA accounts accept cash and property.

The Downside:

UGMA and UTMA accounts are irrevocable gifts that are considered student assets. In the financial aid formulas, students have no asset protection allowance and are assessed (financial aid lost) 20% per year. This option must be used with extreme caution.

Education IRA’s a/k/a EIRA’s:

A single parent with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to 0,000, and joint filers with AGI’s up to 0,000, can contribute up to ,000 annually(2006). Earnings accumulate tax-free and can be withdrawn tax-free without penalty to pay for a private elementary, secondary, or college education.

The Downside:

With the current limit of ,000, fees can eat up much of the gains in the early years. Contributions are not tax deductible and all colleges consider EIRA’s parent assets and apply the 5.6% assessment when calculating financial aid. When distributions are made from these accounts the situation worsens. Financial aid is automatically reduced dollar for dollar because in addition to being an asset, the funds have now become a resource. However, the legal repositioning of these funds effectively makes them invisible to the financial aid formulas, and not one penny of the money is assessed.

529 Savings Plans:

Anyone can open a 529 Plan in his or her own name and designate a student as beneficiary. Up to ,000 (0,000 jointly) may be contributed over five years to a maximum of 6,000. Funds grow tax-free and since 2002, withdrawals have been tax-free as well. In many states, the contribution is even state tax deductible.

Downside:

Monies contributed are not federally tax deductible, and there is little or no control over how the funds are invested. Additionally, a 10% penalty for withdrawals applies to funds not used for college. Having money in a 529 Plan will decrease the chance for a large grant or scholarship – and that’s not all. When distributions occur, financial aid is automatically reduced dollar for dollar. As with EIRA’s, funds can be legally repositioned into financial vehicles that are not included in the financial aid calculations.

Retirement Plans:

An IRA, HR10 (Keogh), Pension, SEP, 401(k), 403(b), 457 or any other qualified retirement plan should be considered first when saving for college. Such plans are not regarded as assets and are not included in the financial aid calculations. While the account value is not considered an asset, contribution is added back to the adjusted gross income for an income assessment of as much as 47%. The BIG print giveth, but the small print taketh away!

Non-Qualified Savings Plans:

Families should set up these accounts to pay for unanticipated costs and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC, the minimum the federal government determines any family will pay for college). These accounts should be set up as early as possible so there will be adequate money when the time comes to pay for college. By the time students enter high school, reducing “high risk” investments should be considered. Never gamble with money that’s earmarked for education.

Be this as it may, parents are strongly advised to never lose sight of the fact that all monies saved for college will not serve their purpose unless the student prepares for and successfully completes the admissions process.

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Has the Rally Ended?

Has the Rally Ended?

BEING STREET SMART

___________________

Sy Harding

HAS THE RALLY ENDED? August 20, 2008.

Early this year in this column I predicted it was going to be a difficult year for global markets. I suggested the best potential for making double-digit gains this year would be to go after several smaller gains of 5% to 10% from both rallies and corrections, taking profits each time.

With the S&P 500 still down 14% for the year, and still 19% below its peak of last October, and this second rally of the year looking tired already, that still seems like the best strategy.

At my last buy signal, July 16, I said we expected only a summer rally, then for the downside to resume to a lower low in the October/November time-frame.

The rally has already achieved the performance of a typical summer rally. By early last week the Nasdaq had reached my upside target of its 200-day moving average, and has now turned back down. Another of my concerns has been the lack of sponsorship lately, indicated by the very low trading volume.

As a result, I believe the downside risk is now at least equal to the upside potential. I’ve already had my subscribers taking some of their profits from the rally. I’d rather risk leaving some profits on the table than risk getting caught in a smash-down.

I say that because nothing has changed in my longer-term outlook, that we are in an on-going bear market, from which we can expect tradable rallies of as much as 20% in the S&P 500, and 30% in the Nasdaq. But they will be bear market rallies, followed by a resumption of the downside to lower lows.

The market launched into this rally after it became oversold beneath key moving averages in mid-July. We told you at the time it needed a catalyst to get it going. It received that from the plunge in the price of oil, and the rally in the U.S. dollar.

However, while the market has been focused on oil and the dollar, it ignored the continuing problems in the housing sector, the worsening conditions of financial firms, rising inflation, the spread of the problems globally, and what it will all mean for the economy for some time to come.

I expect the catalysts for the end of the rally will come from the market refocusing on its previous problems, and a reversal of oil prices and the dollar. As you can see from charts on my free blog, oil has become very oversold beneath its 30-day m.a., due for a rally, while the dollar has become very overbought, due for a pullback.

In fact we may have witnessed the beginning of those reversals over the last two days. If so, the end of the rally may already be taking place.

So, as I said in last week’s column, enjoy the rally but don’t fall asleep at the switch. The next easy profits will probably be from downside positioning in short sales and ‘inverse’ etf’s. 

Sy Harding publishes the financial website http://www.streetsmartreport.com/ and a free daily Internet blog at http://www.syhardingblog.com/. In 1999 he authored Riding The Bear – How To Prosper In the Coming Bear Market. His latest book is Beating the Market the Easy Way! – Proven Seasonal Strategies Double Market’s Performance!

Who Can You Partner With

Who Can You Partner With

Who Can You Partner With to do a joint venture or earn affiliate commissions?

Do you have friends or peers that do regular promotions with complimentary businesses or maybe they earn additional income by referring certain companies or products?

This is what I’m referring to here.

First, if you’re thinking “but I can’t do that with my business” or some other negative thought is crossing your mind – GET RID OF IT! Every single person (not even business owner) can make money some how this way.

On the other hand, if you’re saying “I already do this”, well then GREAT! But…I’ll bet you aren’t doing as much as you could be doing, right? And that’s probably due to lack of time right?

So, I challenge you this week to take 2 steps:
1. Make a list like the one I did below for myself as to all the people you could potentially outsource to, refer business to and also those who it would make sense that they referred back to you. Only list the obvious-type partners, not random businesses that you want; they need to have a similar target market as you do for this to work and be a true WIN-WIN situation.
2. Take this list of industries, types of companies, etc. and then go into your database first to see who YOU know that fits these categories. After that, go to your membership organizations, etc. and look for others in your local area and then online too. Build a big ‘prospect list’ so to speak of everyone you would love to collaborate with and then start calling them and emailing them asking them to chat about the opportunities available to you both.
The more you do this, the more opportunities will open up to you, you’ll see. But make sure you’re intention is to make it a WIN-WIN or it won’t work ok?

Here is a list of other industries you might want to check into as joint venture opportunities for your company.

Advertising Mediums and Sales reps
Attorneys – Business or Estate
Audio Recording Companies
Bookkeepers
Branding Consultants/Coaches
Business Consultants/Strategiests
Coaches – business and personal
Computer Techs and companies
Copywriters
CPA’s, Accountants
Credit Card Services, Merchant Services
Direct mail list brokers
Financial Planners/Advisors
Gift Basket Companies and Gifting related companies
Graphic designers
Hosting companies
HR or career consultants
Internet marketing specialists, SEO companies
Mailing Houses
Organizations – eWomenNetwork, chambers, leads groups
Personnel Agencies
Photographers
Printers
Professional Organizers
Promotional product companies
Public Relations People
Shopping Carts Solutions
Sign and Graphic companies
Transcriptionist
Video Recording Companies
Videographers
Virtual Assistants
Virtual Office Receptionists
Web designers
Websites and resources online

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The Benefits of a 0% Apr Credit Card

The Benefits of a 0% Apr Credit Card

As you go about considering what type of credit card to obtain, you may have run across advertisements for a 0 per cent APR credit card. In this regard, you may be wondering what 0% APR is all about and whether a credit card with a 0 per cent APR is right for you. Through this article, you will be presented with some basic information to help you understand what a 0% APR credit card is all about. In addition, you will be presented with the pros and cons of a credit card that is offering 0 per cent APR to determine if such a card is right for you.

As you go about considering what type to obtain, you may have run across advertisements for a 0 per cent APR credit card. In this regard, you may be wondering what 0% APR is all about and whether a credit card with a 0 per cent APR is right for you. Through this article, you will be presented with some basic information to help you understand what a 0% APR credit card is all about. In addition, you will be presented with the pros and cons of a credit card that is offering 0 per cent APR to determine if such a card is right for you.

You may have heard the term 0% APR but not fully understand what 0 per cent APR is all about. In simple and direct terms, 0% APR stands for 0 per cent annual percentage rate. This refers to the interest rate that is (or, in theory is not) being charges on a particularly credit card for a particular period of time. In other words, a company many offer a 0 per cent APR to a customer for a set period of time. During that period of time, the customer can use the credit card and carry over balances from month to month without incurring an interest charge.

Of course, on the surface, anyone would like the prospect of saving money on the use of a credit card by not having to pay interest over the course of at least some period of time. However, when all is said and done, there tends to be a number of “strings” attached to a typical offer of 0% APR. It is important for you to understand the requirements associated with such a deal before you in fact end up signing up for such a credit card.

As mentioned a moment ago, in most instances a credit card company will offer a 0 per cent APR for a set period of time. What sometimes is the case is that the interest rate that ends up being in place after the initial period of 0 per cent APR is higher than what you will find on comparable student credit cards available on the market today. In other words, while you may end up saving a bit of money on a 0% in the beginning, during the initial months you have a certain credit card, you will end up paying more on interest over time due to the higher APR charged by the company after the initial period comes to an end.

There may also be some other hoops that you do have to jump through in order to realize the benefits of an annual interest percentage rate that is set at zero. In other words, you need to digest all of the finer points associated with a 0 per cent APR credit card offering before you make a decision about that particular cheap credit card You must consider whether or not you will realize some true personal finance savings to yourself by taking up a cheap credit card that is promoting a 0% APR.

Who Gets Financial Aid For College? Only Parents Who Apply For It

Who Gets Financial Aid For College? Only Parents Who Apply For It

Applying for financial aid can be a challenge and many parents delay the process as long as they can.  Some think they need to wait until their taxes have been filed, when in fact an estimate based on your previous year’s taxes is completely acceptable.  Sometimes parents feel embarrassed to apply for financial aid, even in this uncertain economy.  Too many parents do not apply for financial aid because they do not believe they will qualify.  Never make this assumption.  The easiest way to lose out on available financial aid is to not apply for it.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the main form used to determine eligibility for federal aid, including Pell Grants and student loans.  The majority of parents fill out the FAFSA application online. It is the first step to getting financial assistance for college.  Many student financial aid programs are on a first come, first served basis. The FAFSA is the critical connection between you and your student’s future financial aid package.

The key is to complete the entire FAFSA financial aid application and file it no later than the specific deadlines set by colleges and states. If you are unsure about an answer, wait to submit the form; if the answer is zero, put a “0″ on the line. File your taxes as early as possible because it is helpful to have that information available.  Otherwise, you can estimate the amounts from previous years and correct the amounts on the form later at the corrections page on the FAFSA website.

FAFSA deadlines include federal, state, and college deadlines. Any outside scholarships you apply for may also have a FAFSA requirement and deadline. FAFSA deadlines vary from state to state and from school to school. Some deadlines are as early as mid-January, while others are later.

Parents can even “talk” live online with a customer service representative if they have questions. You can also get additional assistance by calling (800) 4-FED-AID or going to the FAFSA website at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.  Applications are accepted beginning in January for the fall semester.

Parents need to avoid making mistakes on the FAFSA form because this will only delay the application from being processed.  Some common mistakes that parents make include the following:

1.  Not listing all of the colleges to which your student is applying

2. Writing in incorrect tax amounts

3.  Not updating your information once your taxes are filed

4.  Leaving a question blank

5.  Not signing the FAFSA form

Most colleges and universities start sending out admission acceptance letters between January and April.  Financial-aid award notices come close behind. Expect a financial-aid award letter to arrive within two to three weeks after an acceptance letter.  If you have not heard from a school, it is appropriate to contact the financial aid office and inquire about your financial aid package and when you can plan on receiving it.

You cannot expect financial aid if you never apply.  Many parents are overwhelmed just thinking about college and wondering how they will afford it.  For other families, our tough economy has changed the financial situation and security they once had. There is still time for parents to go to the FAFSA website and apply.  Give your student the opportunity to receive the financial aid you need to make attending college affordable.  Who get financial aid?  Only parents who apply for it.

http//:www.fafsaquestionsblog.com Andrea Lieberman, a financial aid professional, gives tips for students and parents to prepare for the financial aid process, especially how to apply for FAFSA.

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Mark Anastasi Interview

Mark Anastasi Interview

Mark Anastasi is a walking, talking, self improvement dynamo and his entrepreneurial journey has been a fascinating one.

He is the kind of guy that is only too willing to share his knowledge and experience for the benefit of those around him.

He shares much of this experience through his financial freedom seminars. He also has a separate company that promotes other personal development speakers called Inspired Events…

The Interview

DS: What inspired you to set up the Life Quest Partnership?

MA: All the good I have in my life I owe to the considerable investment I have made in my ‘personal development’, through books, CDs, DVDs, and seminars I have attended.

The LifeQuest Partnership, Inspired Events, or The Online Marketing Group are ways for me to share these tools, strategies, and insights that have made such a difference in my life.

DS: Did you have any help setting up the company or were you going it alone?

MA: I have always set up my companies on my own, though I have been blessed in having attracted extraordinary and invaluable mentors, as well as staff of the highest caliber.

At the end of the day, your success as an entrepreneur will depend on your TEAM.

DS: What was the biggest challenge you faced in bringing your idea to fruition? How was it overcome?

MA: Lack of adequate funding in the initial stages was frustrating, though we pulled through in the end without the need of external investors.

DS: What makes you most proud about your achievements with the Life Quest Partnership?

MA: Hearing the testimonials of our Success Partners or of attendees of our events fills me with joy every time, and also, I am proud and grateful for the amazing people that selflessly devote their time to this business.

DS: How did you actually fund your business to get it off the ground?

MA: I funded all my businesses – at least initially – from the sale of my eBooks on the Internet. I am currently looking for £250,000 in capital, from investors, to take The LifeQuest Partnership to the next level, in view of a stock market floatation in 2008.

DS: What attributes make a successful entrepreneur?

MA: Passion, Drive, Vision, Total Self-Belief, Courage, a desire to help people & solve problems, great people skills, and a solid grounding in Marketing.

DS: What do you believe are the necessary elements for a business venture to succeed?

MA: Marketing, marketing, and then more marketing. Spend 90% of your time on the marketing. Other than that, making sure there truly IS a market for your product or service in the first place.

DS: How essential do you see a University education in achieving success as an entrepreneur?

MA: Not at all. Zilch. Nada. Niet. Nuh-huh. If you are at Unit at the moment… leave.

DS: What are the three most important lessons you have learned about business and entrepreneurship?

MA:

(1) The Entrepreneur’s Golden Question: “How Can I Serve/Help More People?”

Business and entrepreneurship is about adding value to people’s lives.

(2) Absolute integrity is a MUST.

(3) Having a grand vision is great, but you still must take care of the details!

DS: What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

MA: Start.

DS: What’s the number one book you would recommend to aspiring entrepreneurs?

MA: Study Robert Kiyosaki’s “Choose To Be Rich” (CD), Michael Gerber’s “The e-Myth Revisited”, and Richard Parkes Cordock’s “The Millionaire MBA” (CD)

DS: What memorable mistakes, if any, have you made in business? What did you learn from them and how can they be avoided?

MA: Not keeping an eye on cash flow was definitely a mistake I learned the hard way!

Good book-keeping & accountants… vital.

“In order to Think Big… you’ve got to ‘Think Small’” – Robert Kiyosaki

DS: What are the best and worst things about being an entrepreneur?

MA:

The Best: Freedom. Creativity. Self-Expression. Unlimited Wealth Potential.

The Worst: You carry the awesome responsibility of being accountable for the livelihood of other people. The buck stops with YOU.

DS: Are there any other thoughts, insights, or advice for aspiring entrepreneurs that you’d like to add?

MA: We live in the age of the entrepreneur. It is much safer than being at the mercy of an employer! There is nothing to fear. You can never fail – only LEARN. Being an entrepreneur is synonymous to being ALIVE! Just Do It!

Money Is Nothing But The Measure Of The Value You Create For Other People, and you go about adding value to people’s lives BY BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR!”At the end of your life, you won’t wish you’d spent more time at the office…”

About the author:

Damien Senn helps entrepreneurs create compelling businesses. He is one of the UK’s top Business Coaches as well as a fully qualified Chartered Accountant.

Damien is the author of the ‘Senn-Sational Success Journal’ and has developed his own coaching model called the ‘Senn-Sational Success System’.

www.FreeMillionaireMakerDVD.comNow YOU Can Get Your Hands On My Millionaire Business Secrets… For FREE! In This FREE DVD Ill Show You Exactly How I Made 2198.00 on Autopilot Last Year on the Internet, Working From Home!
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Online Business Degrees: The Starting Point for Many Rewarding Careers

Online Business Degrees: The Starting Point for Many Rewarding Careers

When you think of business, do you think of Donald Trump? (Or his infamous hair?) Do you think of people in pinstripe suites sitting around a board room, talking about money? Or do you think about giant, faceless corporations buying somewhat smaller faceless corporations and turning themselves into one giant, all-powerful corporation?

Whatever your ideas about business are, one thing is certain: a business degree is a great thing to have. It can get you started in a variety of careers and fields, from those in finance to those in restaurants. And with so many schools offering online business degrees, it’s easier than ever to earn your degree (or go back to school and learn the newest industry trends.)

These five career paths are all options you can pursue with a business degree:

Real Estate Agent Careers

The process of finding, buying or selling a home can be daunting—unless you’ve got a good real estate agent in your back pocket. Real estate agents have a handle on market trends, an in-depth knowledge of their specific area, and the people skills necessary to negotiate between buyers, sellers, and lenders. While a real estate license has been the minimum requirement in the past, these days real estate agents are beefing up their resumes and their know-how with business degrees. For more information, visit this real estate agent career profile.

Financial Advisor Careers

If you’ve got a knack for numbers and like helping people, you may want to consider a career as a personal financial advisor. For those of us who can’t add 2 + 2, financial advisors sit down and analyze our assets, debts, income and investments and help us come up with a financial plan for the future. (Basically, they’re like magicians who pull money out of their hats instead of rabbits.) For more information, visit our financial advisor career profile.

Entrepreneur Careers

Maybe you’ve got the next big idea: a dryer that automatically folds your laundry or a refrigerator that makes ice—and soft serve ice cream. Now you just need someone to tell you how to turn that idea into a business. If you’re an entrepreneur and want to start your own company, getting a business degree will give you the financial, management, and marketing skills you need to succeed.

Marketing Careers

Did you read the entrepreneur entry above? Marketing professionals are the ones who take that great new idea, like the refrigerator that makes ice and ice cream, and help it explode in the marketplace. They use their expertise in product development, industry trends, advertising and promotion to get the word out about the newest products to the right customers. .

Food & Beverage Careers

Everybody likes to eat. That’s why hospitality careers—from those in fine dining restaurants to those in private catering companies—can be a great option to pursue if you like working with people and have great attention to service and detail. One of the added bonuses of this career is the variety of venues you can work in: food and beverage managers are needed in restaurants, hotels, private clubs, golf cruise, cruise ships, catering companies and more. For more information, see this food service manager career profile.

Book Review: the Brainwashing of the American Investor

Book Review: the Brainwashing of the American Investor

As I write this (11-27-2007), the markets are getting ready to open after closing down the previous day. The Dow Jones industrial average has fallen nearly 240 points and the headline in the local paper is screaming “Wall Street suffers another big hit.” Serious-faced announcers on cable-TV are saying the Dow is down 10.03 percent from its mid-October closing high, officially putting the blue chip index past the 10 percent threshold that signifies a correction.

For Steven R. Selengut, author of The Brainwashing of the American Investor, corrections such as this are as welcome as rallies. The market, he points out, is just doing what the market has always done.

“Here is some advice that you just won’t hear on CNBC or read in The Journal,” he writes in this revised edition of an earlier book bearing the same name. “It is based on one incredibly simple market fact: There has never been a market correction that has not succumbed to yet another rally. So when the doom and gloom noise becomes deafening, get yourself out there and party.”

When the markets move into a correction, Selengut’s investment strategy already has investors sitting on a pile of cash — accumulated profits taken on stocks as the market rallied — plus cash thrown off from fixed-income securities. As the NYSE-traded stocks he follows move down 20 percent or more, he moves back into them and waits for a 10 percent profit to cash out and then look for another opportunity to repeat the process.

Even better, for skittish investors such as me, Selengut’s unique “Working Capital Model” reduces the emotional factor by taking the emphasis off market value and focusing on growth of working capital, defined as the total cost basis of the securities and cash in the portfolio. As long as working capital is increasing, market value is irrelevant.

As a recent retiree, I appreciate this conservative approach to growing working capital. I implemented and followed the trading strategy myself for about a year and a half before turning my account over to Sanco Services, an investment management company founded and operated by Selengut. The Working Capital Model worked the way it was presented. My only reason for turning the account over to Sanco was to be sure that my financial assets would be handled in such a way that my wife would not have to worry about an adequate income in the event that I was no longer able to manage the assets myself.

The Brainwashing of the American Investor is a book I wish I had been able to read 30 years ago. Those of you who still have years of investing ahead of you would do well to buy this book and read it thoroughly two or three times. It will save you a lifetime of mistakes that come from following conventional wisdom.

This is the book that Wall Street does not want you to read.

———————————————————————

With Permission

David F., Peoria, 11/27/07

The Blog Entry that Accompanies this Video is at: investorandtrader.blogspot.com My Daily Blog is at: investorandtrader.blogspot.com Free Issue of Airelons Market Tactics davianletter.com Airelon’s Market Tactics Newsletter: davianletter.com Ok, this even was just too huge. I’ve had numerous phone calls. Numerous conversations about the events of Thursday, May 6, 2010 in the US Equities markets. So as I’m known for videos, I thought today would be a day, to put a video together; in addition to the blog entry that I had earlier. * * *Note: This is not an investment or trading recommendation. The losses in trading can be very real, and depending on the investment vehicle, can exceed your initial investment. I am not a licensed trading or investment adviser, or financial planner. But I do have over 13 years of experience in trading and investing in these markets. The Challenge accounts are run for the education of other traders who should make their own decisions based off their own research, and tolerance for risk.