Investing Guide

Recently we’ve touched on the subject of happiness, and what is needed to be happy.

We’ve also mentioned the fact that, generally, people can start to really think about living the life they love and want if they are financially secure, and feel in control of their lives.

After all, it’s difficult to plan for the next 20 years thinking lovely things if your daily life is all about struggle, worry and survival.

This is very relevant when discussing the new HMRC pension tax changes, and the NHS Pension Scheme rule changes that are to be announced soon. Continue reading ‘Planning Your Goals And Big NHS Pension Changes’ »

If you are participating in an employee-sponsored Roth 401k, do you believe it is your responsibility to manage your funds, or do you prefer to leave it to your employer to oversee accounts?

This question is not intended to make you feel irresponsible. As a matter of fact, your decision to participate in the company retirement program or Roth 401, shows a level of personal responsibility lacking in a large majority of people.

But does it make you wonder about what exactly is happening to your money while it’s sitting in the employer accounts? Continue reading ‘Roth 401k – Working With Financial Planning Professionals To Get The Best Results’ »

The recent end time prophecy, which centered around the prediction that the world would come to an end on May 21, 2011, received massive publicity and many lives were adversely affected. As we know, the prophecy didn’t come to pass. But there is something we can learn about financial planning and investment strategies based on the events that took place. Let’s look at it more closely:

The Parallels of May 21, 2011 and the Investment World

Prophecy:

First, there was a voice, claiming to be an authority, who utilized advertising and marketing through billboards, literature, radio time, the internet, and word-of-mouth to spread the message that the world would end. There were three types of people who responded to this message. Continue reading ‘Investments and Prophecy: The Two Are Alike’ »

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Retirees often find themselves with considerable nest eggs, often hundreds of thousands of dollars, but little expertise in how to derive needed income from their cash piles. The choices seem limitless: mutual funds, dividend-paying stocks, municipal bonds, bond ladders, reverse mortgages… it’s no wonder that inexperienced retirees turn to any source of advice they can find.

Investment seminars are offered across North America, and they might seem like a good idea: free investment advice, with a free meal kicked in. Thousands of retirees attend such seminars every year and, to be fair, many organizations offer legitimate seminars that provide sound investing advice. More often than not, however, a “seminar” is a thinly disguised sales pitch for investment products that are expensive, risky, and not suitable for retirees who need a safe way to squeeze income out of their savings. Continue reading ‘Sales Pitches Disguised As Investment Seminars’ »

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In times of plenty, we seek safe haven for surplus cash that will generate passive income for the future. In times of need, some of us take desperate steps to increase our money supply to meet the demands of the day. Both actions necessitate investment decisions, decisions that many of us are oftentimes not qualified nor experienced to make wisely without help. Thus, begs the need to know the answers to the four “wives” (why, when, where, who) and one “husband” (how) questions with respect to investing and financial planning. This article will discuss the two most important pre-requisites to making wise investments.

As a licenced financial planner and a business and financial advisor to small and medium companies, I am often asked to give investment tips or advice. Whether I am a fantastic investment guru or tipster or not is immaterial as I would always avoid answering such questions without knowing and understanding the financial background, status and financial goals of the questioner. This article is not intended to be a primer in investing or financial planning as one can select a book on the subject in any good high street or online bookstore. Rather, I would like to share what I consider to be the top two amongst the many pre-requisites an investor should consider before making an investment decision. Continue reading ‘Investing Without Financial Plan and Goals’ »