Business, Finance, Insurance, Tax

What is an emergency fund?

by Benjamin Roussey|Posted on | 3 minute read | Advertiser notice

An emergency fund is essentially the money that you’ve been setting aside to take care of unexpected expenses arising out of unforeseen events in life such as when a politician like Barney Frank passes laws that devastates your home’s value. When this happens, and it did too many people on a colossal scale in and around 2008, you want to have some money set aside.

You can call this a rainy day fund too!

An emergency fund allows you to survive at least for a few months just in case you suddenly receive the pink slip (job growth will soon be picking up with lower taxes and less regulations but sometimes companies still lay people off regardless) or get into an accident that prevents you from earning for a substantial period of time.

It could also be a leaking roof or a major car breakdown that needs immediate attention. In other words, it’s like an insurance policy, where instead of paying premiums to your insurer, you’re setting aside some money to be used later should any of the following circumstances suddenly arise:

  • Emergency medical bills
  • Mortgage payments
  • Credit card bills
  • Pending taxes
  • Emergency home repairs (we have all seen Transformers 4; some robot called Lockdown may blow up your home!)
  • Unexpected car damage and repairs

The whole objective is not to borrow for these expenses thereby increasing your debts.

Creating an Emergency Fund

The amount that should be kept as an emergency fund depends on your income and status; thus differing from person to person (you may not need as much money as Katy Perry who lives in her bubble land!). The thumb rule is to save about 3 to 6 months’ worth of funds that are required for all non-discretionary expenses. This fund will help you manage any financial crunch if you suddenly find yourself unemployed. With the aid of this fund, you should still be able to pay your household bills till you find employment again.

You may have to find a job though that is different than what you were doing before. You have to be able to pivot in life.

So how much money there should be in an emergency fund? It will vary. For instance, for a couple with kids, around six months of income is sufficient for an emergency fund. If you are single, have a mortgage, auto loan, and no school going children, you may only need three months since single people tend to be able to relocate easier and they do not have children to clothe and feed.

Automate the Process

One of the best methods for creating an emergency fund is a 401(k); buying a new Lexus is not part of this plan! Do not take financial advice from your neighbor unless they are credible! And if your neighbor is Charlie or Alan Harper, do not do what they say! If your employer offers you a 401(k) plan, sign up for it so that the money you earn is automatically funneled out of your paycheck into a separate account. These contributions are pre-tax and you will soon realize you do not have to sacrifice much to make this financial decision.

For instance, if your yearly earnings are $60,000, increasing your 401k contribution from 2% to 5% will reduce your weekly paycheck by $27. That is it! Also make sure to contribute enough to equal your employer’s “match,” because leaving “free money” on the table is unwise.

You can schedule when you want the money taken out of your pay check as well.

Also, a majority of 401(k) plans come with an auto-escalation feature. This enables you to automatically increase the savings rate by any amount of your choice, which is usually between 1 to 3% every year. For external accounts, create your personal semi-automatic-escalation system: keep a calendar alert that reminds you to spike up contributions by one percentage point or two on an annual basis, maybe every time you get a pay increase or on your birthday.

Pay yourself!

What to do After You Reach the Goal?

If you have accumulated the amount that is suitable for you, you can then pat yourself on the back. Now that you are in control of your finances, you can start investing. The point is, you need to keep on investing a part of your income and create another source of income from it. For instance, if you invest in stocks, every year you will earn some money in the form of dividends. But be careful, stock prices can go down.

You can read about the tech bubble during the turn of the century and know all about that!

In conclusion, having an emergency fund is having extra security. You might have life insurance coverage, health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, dental insurance, and critical illness insurance to cover you in case you experience some sort of calamity. But none of these will help you if you lose your job. Well, just not as easily has having a 401(k) or a savings account with money saved away for a rainy day.

Life and critical illness insurance are for most people a waste of time and money but that is another topic!

Culture, Finance, Insurance, Tax

How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck and Start Saving

by Benjamin Roussey|Posted on | 3 minute read | Advertiser notice

Are aware that around 38 million American households live paycheck to paycheck? And no, these are not low-income families. Families even with salaries above $100K per year are caught in this vicious lifecycle. The moment the paycheck arrives, most of it goes in settling the bills and couple of days of respite followed by a zero bank balance.

This is not impressive and it does help that electrical prices rose higher in the years from 2009 to 2016 which is another reason household income growth did not rise at all in those same years as well. Hopefully that changes in the next couple of years. This will mean less people will be living paycheck to paycheck.

So why even are wealthy people failing to save money or take control of their finances? Irrespective of the income bracket that you are in, there is always a way to save some portion of your income for investment and savings, you just need to start somewhere.

Prepare a Budget

The first and most vital aspect that needs to be done to improve your finances is to understand how you are spending your money. Start whenever you want, but religiously track every penny you spend for a month. Ideally, it should be the start of the month when all your bills are due.

This will help you in covering the entire month and track your expenses accurately. If you do not have time to do expense tracking at the micro level, smartphone apps can make this job easier. Remember, the first thing to do is to understand the root cause of the problem, which in this case are unchecked expenditures.

Find Expenses that You can Cut

Tracking your expenses will enable you to identify the expenses that you can do away with. For example, the expensive cable plan you have subscribed to can be trimmed down to a bare minimum (do you really Direct TV for instance?). Switch to online streaming service providers. Scourge the Internet for discount coupons while buying anything, you may be surprised how much money you can save this way.

Check your credit card bill for subscriptions and memberships you no longer use or do without (how often do you attend that gym; can you not exercise in your home or run around the block a few times?). There is no need to walk into Starbucks every day for that caffeine dose either. Stop or cut down going to fancy restaurants or restaurants at all. You can buy TGI Friday’s frozen food at supermarkets, for example. You would be surprised how making these small changes to your spending habits can help you save money.

Do you really need life insurance? You know that is one of the biggest scams in America. Well, unless you are afraid of dying broke and we here are trying to get you in a better financial place so that does not happen.

Moreover, the savings then can be channelized towards investments or savings. That is making those spending decisions compound for you. If you are a smoker, cut down on those cancer sticks (that is what they are!). Not only you will be healthier, but also save hundreds of dollars a year.

Do Side Gigs

The Internet has made it easier to find side gigs that pay well or pay something. There are numerous dedicated platforms out there which you can use to find gigs such a web design, online accounting work, virtual assisting, consulting, research work, and so on. If you are not proficient in any of these, try something simpler like dog walking. Your home is full of things you don’t need or do not use any longer. Sell these on Craigslist or eBay. Extra cash you earn this way can be utilized in a productive way.

Consolidate Debt

If your debts are unmanageable and that is one of the primary reasons you live paycheck to paycheck, it’s time to think about debt consolidation.

In debt consolidation, all your debts are paid off by a debt consolidation firm. Then you have a single payment to make towards your debt that is optimized based on your financial profile. Though it may be an extreme measure, nevertheless it’s a percipient and prudent strategy to get out of debt trap and start fresh.

Create an Emergency Fund 

Life is full of uncertainties and you should be prepared for anything that life throws yours way. Research indicates that you need at least six months of expenditures saved up just in case the you know what hits the fan. The emergency fund should be sufficient enough cover all your bills for six months should you be out of work or in bed due to an accident or an illness.

The emergency fund should be impenetrable so do not dip your hands into it (have more discipline than most politicians!). If your emergency fund is piled up high, simply channelize it towards other purposes that are vital, such as a nice mutual fund. And no, going out to Pizza Hut is not wise. Do not sink back into bad habits!

Finance, Insurance, Lifestyle, Tax

6 Practical Tips for Financial Success

by Benjamin Roussey|Posted on | 3 minute read | Advertiser notice

Despite every single individual trying to attain financial freedom and stability, the subject is not yet taught in our schools. Thus, it is not uncommon for young people to be clueless about personal financial planning.

It is also not uncommon for a high school student to graduate in an American inner city and barely be able to read because of political correctness in public schools but this is another topic. See The Wire – the 5th season on this! That was junior high school students in Baltimore but the high schools are just as rough.

Moreover, if you are one of those people who are just stepping into this hyper-competitive, time-strapped world, or someone who has been working for a couple of years without any concrete financial goals, the following tips will come in handy.

Self-Control is the Key

Credit cards make it so easy to purchase anything on impulse. And if you are an impulsive buyer, like most Americans, you might be carrying a debt of $15,000 just on credit cards. Not good but this is not uncommon either!

Most of this can be avoided. Avoid eating at fancy restaurants, buying that expensive pair of jeans, or that new smartphone. Learn what delayed gratification is. Always save and purchase anything you wish with cash. Do not buy a couch you cannot afford and make monthly payments on it, for instance. You have to pay interest on that couch so handling your money this way is nonsensical. Pay in cash or do not buy. Go buy some cheap chairs for temporary use and save up to buy the couch.

Emergency Fund

One of the most neglected principles of personal financial planning is emergency funds. No matter the amount of debt you are carrying in the form of student loans, mortgage, credit cards, car loan or a personal loan, ensure you set a certain amount aside for emergencies.

Also, just forget that that the money exists. Treat it as a non-negotiable monthly expense, like your credit card bill. And use a high-interest saving account, money market account, or a CD for building up an emergency fund, or else inflation will erode the value of your savings.

Start Retirement Planning, NOW

If you have nothing saved for retirement, now is the time to start on that. Ideally, you should start your retirement planning the moment you start earning. The sooner you start investing in retirement products; the bigger your retirement kitty will be as long as you do not invest in Solyndra! Company-sponsored retirement plans are one of the most effective tools. Mutual funds, equities, and what not are other options to consider. Again, the mantra is to start early.

Keep the Tax Monster at Bay

Taxes seem to be omnipresent. Even before you get your first paycheck, learn how much of it will go into taxes or what will be your take-home pay. An increase in pay due to promotion or job hopping does not mean you will have extra disposable income like you are hoping. Trump will cut taxes but taxes will still be a part of our lives.

Furthermore, it might happen that you have moved from a low tax bracket to a higher tax bracket which increases your tax liabilities significantly making your increased pay not as impressive as you were hoping it would be.

You should also work with an accountant that can give you concrete tax advice or educate yourself on this topic if you do your taxes by yourself.

Never Ignore Health Insurance

A single emergency room visit can set you back by thousands of dollars, and without health insurance, it would be difficult to manage healthcare costs. Just like an emergency fund, it’s essential to have suitable health insurance for you, and if applicable, for you family too.

Yes, because of the ACA America’s health care picture is not impressive (it will hopefully get better in the years ahead but that is another topic) but you still need insurance regardless.

Also, unlike your wealth, your health will erode as your age progresses thus ensure you exercise regularly to keep yourself fit. As they say, “Health is wealth.”

Guard Your Assets

Guarding your wealth is as vital as acquiring it. A simple mistake can cost you your entire life’s savings. For instance, driving without car insurance and then you cause a wreck can be financially painful.

Similarly, if you rent your property, having renters insurance is of paramount importance. Any damage to the property due to burglary or fire will mean substantial losses to you. If you employ a financial planner, choose fee-only rather than commissioned based financial planner. It will help ensure that you will invest into financial products that are beneficial to you.

It is not difficult to plan your financial life, a little effort in educating yourself will reap rich dividends. Never invest in complex financial products if you do not understand them and if your name is Napoleon Dynamite, do not invest in anything! Protect yourself and your assets with the necessary insurance and avoid impulsive buying.

Follow these six principles to come closer to enjoying a stress free financial life.

Business, Finance, Insurance, Lifestyle, Tax

4 Finance Tips for New Homeowners

by Benjamin Roussey|Posted on | 3 minute read | Advertiser notice

Here is an interesting fact. According to recent research, about 40% of Americans do not own their own homes, but the remaining 60% are enjoying the benefits of ownership. However, there is also a downside of owning your own home which is the cost of an acquisition. It is not only the down payment that you have to manage; there are other expenses that you will have to pay for.

Here are some tips for you if you are a new homeowner:

Always have a budget

It is a known fact that your monthly mortgage payment will always differ, if only ever so slightly, from your rent payment. Most tenants feel that they only have to adjust their budget slightly when they choose to buy but they couldn’t be more wrong. Most buyers, when they are home hunting, they usually go for a home that is larger and more spacious than the one they are currently living in. This increases their cost of living.

They forget to factor in other expenses such as heating and electricity expenses, maintenance cost and so on. Now you have a lawn which needs time and money to maintain and since you are the owner, this is your responsibility. You do not want to end up with a lawn that looks like Dick Harper’s (Jim Carrey) in Fun with Dick and Jane. You also do not want your lawn to be repossessed!

What you need to do is to budget for all the potential expenses that you will have to bear so you know what it would be like to own a home. Then you can keep track of these costs and be able to evaluate the situation. This will help you come up with a budget to work with it, and help you understand the actual cost of relocating and actually owning a home.

Repairs and maintenance

As long as there are homes, there will be repairs and maintenance. There is no escaping this fact and the sooner you account for it, the better it will be. While most home owners do consider the cost of repairs and maintenance, they often underestimate it.

A suitable rule of thumb is that you are going to spend anywhere between one to four percent of your home’s value on repairs and maintenance every year. So for example, if you own a home that is worth $400,000, you must be prepared to spend anywhere from $4,000 to $16,000 every year to maintain it.

There are also these unexpected financial hits that will smack you every once in a while. For example, getting a new roof or replacing your heating or cooling system. This is why you should have some money saved. An appropriate rule of thumb is to save up to six months of expenses in advance.

Rising property taxes

Property taxes are determined based on local taxes and the assessed value of your home. Take these factors into account before you decide to buy that 2,000-square-foot house, for instance.

At the time of buying a new home, you will be notified of your new tax liability, but it is important that you understand this – property taxes have a cruel tendency to shoot for the north side of your graph which means that it is going to increase in the future. It doesn’t matter whether the value of your home has decreased, property tax might still see an increase.

For example, in the year 2000, about $247 billion was collected in property taxes, and by the time 2010 was here, the number doubled to $476 billion. This happened irrespective of the property bubble burst the US markets saw in the later years of that decade which was caused by Barney Frank but that is another topic.

Depending on the locality that you are residing in, you might have to reassess your property tax every few years. Once again, you will have to make some room in your budget for these hikes. Well, unless you vote for someone who lowers your taxes!

Escrow system

It is possible to merge your property tax and insurance into your mortgage payments using the escrow system. If you are unsure, here is how it works.

The lender will charge you a fixed amount every month which will be above your mortgage payment amount. The access money will be put in an escrow account and this will be used to pay your property taxes as well as homeowners’ insurance amount.

This is not true for all mortgages and you will have to talk to an expert to understand your particular situation. Some will just ask you to pay the exact mortgage amount while being responsible for property taxes and insurance.

If you belong to the second category, once again, you will have to budget accordingly. An average US homeowner spends about $2,127 in property taxes per year. It varies from state to state.

So now that you know how vital a budget is, and the different types of expenses that you will have to deal with once you buy your new home, you can plan accordingly.

Just do not mess up like Dick Harper did! And don’t rob convenience stores!

Business, Insurance, Lifestyle

Most Common Types of Insurance – Part 2

by Benjamin Roussey|Posted on | 3 minute read | Advertiser notice

To overcome financial difficulties caused by injuries, accidents, illness, for you or for your dependents, you would need to buy the right insurance policies. Some of the common types of insurance policies available to you are discussed below.

Health insurance 

Health insurance is one of the major types of insurance that you must subscribe to, to prevent financial difficulties in the event of an illness. Usually, you can receive health insurance as part of employment benefits. This is pivotal because health insurance premiums are often very high, and you might find it difficult to afford this type of insurance if you do not receive employer funded insurance coverage.

If your employer does not offer insurance benefits, or you are self-employed or you find individual health insurance too expensive, you can try to get group health insurance. This is often offered to members of professional organizations and other trade associations. Hopefully they treat you better than the VA treated military veterans in 2011 and 2012 and so on but this is another topic!

Disability insurance

This type of insurance covers what health insurance does not – the daily expenses and other expenses that arise when you are not able to work for long periods of time due to some kind of disability. Health insurance will pay the hospital costs, costs of surgery, cost for buying medicines and similar medical expenses.

However, to cover for long term expenses that arise when you cannot earn a livelihood, disability insurance would be your best option. There are many people in the USA currently who are unable to earn a livelihood because of disability. You don’t want to wait until disaster strikes to choose this type of insurance.

If your employer does not offer disability insurance, you can choose for private insurance. One of the most pivotal factors to consider is the payout offered should you need to claim benefits. The payout should replace most, if not, all of your income. This will help you tide through difficult times when you cannot work to earn a living yet have bills to pay.

You can choose short term disability insurance, or choose long term coverage. The latter is a preferred option because it keeps you covered for a longer period of time.

Car insurance

If you own a vehicle of any kind, getting it insured is mandatory by law. Auto insurance offers compensation should you or another person suffer an injury in an accident. Since car accidents are not, unfortunately, uncommon, you need to be prepared for unforeseen situations. Car accidents can cause any number of difficulties. A damaged car is just one of the problems you are likely to face, and this is something your vehicle insurance will cover. However, the major reason to buy auto insurance is to pay medical bills, should you or another party your vehicle collides with is injured.

If you are held liable for an accident, and the other party successfully sues you for damages, then the damages would be paid from your car insurance. Keeping in mind the need for long-term medical care and rehabilitation costs that accident victims need, an auto insurance is one of the most critical types of insurance you must subscribe to. If you have to pay car insurance rather than spend your money to watch any Star Wars or Jurassic World movies, do not worry, you are not missing anything!

Home insurance

Many people overlook this type of insurance; however, this is very crucial to protecting your assets. Your home is one of the most valuable properties you own. As such, it is critical to protect it with the right insurance coverage. Particularly if you live in areas that are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms and floods, then you need to insure your home for possible disasters.

Home insurance will protect your fixed property, such as your house and also the assets you have inside your house. When purchasing home insurance, you would need to keep in mind factors such as type of damage covered by the insurance. Does your home need protection in the event of a fire or a storm?

Does the insurance policy cover this type of damage? What about thefts and break ins, should you be living in a crime prone area? Your home might be located in a place where severe blizzards and snow is common, and your home can take a lot of damage when piled up under snow for weeks. This is why choosing the right type of home insurance is important, to offer protection against different types of damages to your home.

Protecting yourself, your assets through the right insurance helps you get through difficult times caused by illness, accidents, damage to your property, and any liability that might be yours in the event of an injury caused to another person. Insurance is vital. You can see this in the movie Along Came Polly with Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) and Leland Van Lew (Bryan Brown)! You will not have to spend as much on insurance though as Leland did though unless you live a crazy life like him!

Business, Insurance, Lifestyle

Most Common Types of Insurance – Part 1

by Benjamin Roussey|Posted on | 3 minute read | Advertiser notice
different types of insurance

When you are planning to secure your future financially, one of the things you must prioritize is insurance. Insurance offers protection against unexpected difficulties you might face in the event of an accident, illness, injury, or other serious situations where you would need plenty of financial resources to get back on your feet.

Insurance also protects your loved ones and family against financial storms should some calamity fall on you. This is why you need to subscribe to the right type of insurance plans, to insure your financial future. Discussed below are some of the types of insurance all individuals should subscribe to.

Life insurance 

Life insurance protects your family and dependents should something happen to you. This is important because you want to secure the future of your family, and if they are relying on you for financial support, you want to ensure that they are not left bereft financially in the event of an unfortunate situation.

The life insurance that you hold should ideally offer a substantial amount of payout in the event that a claim is made on it. This payment would help your dependents get life back on track, and pay for expenses including daily expenses while they begin to recover from the shock and start becoming financial independent.

When looking for the best plans for life insurance, you would need to consider the payout. The payout should be based on expected expenses that your dependents would incur if you were not around to pay the bills and other expenses. These would include funeral expenses, bills, credit card payments, debt such as home loans and even education costs for minor children. No, how much money you spend at Taco Bell is not considered here!

Life insurance can be divided into term insurance and whole life insurance policy.

Whole life insurance

This type of life insurance is offered to the policy holder for their lifetime. This means there is no age limit at which you stop being covered by the insurance.

Upon the death of the policy holder, whatever their age, the payout of the insurance is made to the beneficiaries. The second advantage offered by this type of insurance is that the insurance holder’s account can concurrently be used for investment which helps acquire more financial resources.

A variation of the whole life insurance is adjustable life insurance. As the name suggests, this type of insurance offers more flexibility in terms of premium, coverage, and age limit. This type of insurance brings with the same investment related benefits as with regular whole life insurance.

For those who want to turn their life insurance account into a tool for investment, a variable life insurance policy might be a poignant option. That said, the risk involved must also be taken into account. Unlike a whole life insurance policy, a variable life insurance policy does not guarantee a set amount of payout on the death of the policy holder.

Since the amount paid into the account can be used for elaborate investments such as stocks and bonds, the payout to beneficiaries would depend on how well the investment portfolio performed. That said, should the portfolio perform well, then the beneficiaries stand to gain a decent financial support.

Term life insurance

Among the more common types of insurance would be term life insurance where the period of coverage is limited. The policy can be renewed once the coverage ends. This type of insurance offers a fixed payout if the policy holder dies before the coverage expires.

This type of insurance does not provide for investment options, which is why the amount of payout to beneficiaries is fixed. You would also have to be careful about not letting the policy lapse, as this could mean that there would be no payout to your dependents, in the event of an unfortunate circumstance.

Term life insurance offers limited payouts, in contrast to other types of life insurance, and is best used for offering emergency funds to beneficiaries. Also, the payout may not be sufficient enough to cover a lot of expenses, so this type of policy is ideal for people who need a payout to support beneficiaries through a relatively small duration of time.

Understanding your insurance needs is key to helping you plan for financial emergencies and crises where you or your dependents would need plenty of financial resources to tide over difficult times.