Balancing Spending & Saving to Enjoy Life Without Feeling Guilty

I used to have a complicated relationship with spending money. Buy a concert ticket? Guilt. Order takeout? More guilt. Meanwhile, watching my savings account tick up brought this weird satisfaction, even while I was missing out on experiences. Sound familiar?

Here's what took me embarrassingly long to learn: the point of money isn't just to have more of it. But is that you create a life you enjoy now and later. Balancing today's happiness with tomorrow's security shouldn't feel like solving a calculus problem while walking a tightrope.

Let me share what actually worked for me after years of swinging between extreme saving and impulse spending.

The "Future Me" Versus The "Present Me" Fund

Instead of one giant pool of money with competing purposes, I separated them completely. Each payday, money automatically splits between accounts with different jobs. My "future me" gets fed first - retirement, emergency savings, big goals. Whatever's left goes to "present me" - and here's the crucial part - I spend it guilt-free.

When I separated those purposes, the mental shift was incredible. That ₹2,000 dinner wasn't stealing from my retirement anymore. It was coming from money specifically allocated for current enjoyment. The guilt evaporated.

My friend Priya took this even further. She uses what she calls her "joy budget" - a specific amount each month that must be spent on things that bring genuine happiness, not just distraction or convenience. Some months, it's concert tickets, others it's fancy cooking ingredients. The rule is that it cannot roll over to the next month. It must be spent on joy.

This forced her to actually think about what truly brings happiness versus what's just a momentary distraction. Turned out that most of her online shopping fell into the latter category, while experiences with friends consistently delivered more lasting satisfaction.

The "Hell Yes or No" Rule

The other game-changer was adopting the "Hell Yes or No" rule for purchases above a certain amount. Unless something makes me think, "HELL YES!" it's a no. This eliminated the tepid, lukewarm purchases that neither brought real joy nor contributed to future security - the worst of both worlds.

Happiness Per Rupee Calculation

That ₹5,000 gadget that will sit in a drawer after two weeks? Low happiness-per-rupee. That ₹500 book that I'll enjoy for hours and maybe read again? It's a much better value. This isn't about being cheap - it's about being intentional.

Invest In Relationships Without Going Broke

The hardest lesson is learning to invest in relationships without going broke. No matter what financial gurus say, sometimes spending money on people you care about is worth more than what that same money could earn in an investment account. My grandmother's 80th birthday celebration wasn't the most financially optimal use of money, but the memories we created were priceless.

Finally, I built what I call my "no regrets" guidelines:

• Will I remember this purchase/experience a year from now?

• Will this bring me or someone I care about genuine joy?

• Does this align with who I want to be?

• Can I afford this without compromising my non-negotiable financial goals?

If it's four yeses, I do it without guilt. Three yeses, I sleep on it. Anything less is an easy pass. The balance between saving and spending isn't about mathematical precision. It's about creating a sustainable relationship with money that serves both your present happiness and future security. When you align your spending with your values and separate the purposes of different money pools, both saving and spending become acts of self-care rather than sources of stress.

And isn't that the whole point of getting your financial life together? Not just to have more money but to have more life.

If setting goals in your Personal Finances doesn't work for you, try this !!

We often spend a lot of time evaluating what has happened in our finances and planning what we think will happen in the short, medium or long term. As we have said here before, and as Dwight Eisenhower said, we know that in preparing for battle plans are useless but planning is indispensable. That is why we insist so much on that action: planning, planning.

However, since we are expert planners and poor executors, since many of us go through life without anticipating events a bit - that's when we have extra income and we don't know what to do with it, or we have an emergency and we don't we are prepared for it– and since we are too busy to plan, we set out to investigate what alternatives there were to make the process a little easier and increase its effectiveness. The solution? Focus less on goals and objectives - something we insist on as financial planners - and focus more on building systems.

This stems from a book by Scott Adams, made famous by a cartoon called Dilbert. A couple of years ago he wrote How To Fail At Everything And Still Succeed: Kind of Like My Life Story - a title that could be the story of our financial life.

In his book, Adams suggests that when we view our lives as a sequence of goals and objectives we are faced with a state of continual near-failure, and he gives three reasons:

Thinking only about our goals reduces our happiness because we are convincing ourselves that we will not be good enough, or we will be happy until we reach the goal. That is, happiness and success are achieved after reaching a goal and are not an integral part of the process of achieving it.

The problem with the objectives, Adams suggests, is that once we achieve what we set out to do, we stop doing what we had to do to achieve it : since we have already achieved it, that goal no longer motivates us to keep saving - for example. This yo-yo effect, in which we have to permanently seek a new goal to be able to do what we should be doing permanently, can harm us in the long term - such as having enough money to retire, or buy our first home, for example- .

Goals suggest that we have control over things in which we have little or no control: it is a fact that we cannot predict the future , and staying alone in the goal is to ignore that there are situations that can deviate us from the path.

Exercise to turn your personal finance goals around

Creating systems , this applies to everything: for example, instead of focusing on losing 10 kilos, learn to eat healthily - the 10 kilos less should be a natural consequence of the system. Adams defines a system as something we do on a regular basis that increases our happiness in the long run, regardless of the immediate outcome.

Adams' proposal makes a lot of sense for our personal finances: it is about shifting the focus from the goal to the process and being aware that improving the way we use our money is something that we have to build on a day-to-day basis. . There are many cases of people who go to their financial advisor, manage to organize their finances, and months later they are in the same situation as when they went to him; part of this has to do with the lack of a system to manage our money.

Now, a system is nothing other than habits and principles that will help us guide our decisions on a day-to-day basis, let's see:

An example of how it could be applied to our finances could be that, instead of expecting to save 3,000 pesos a month, we create a system to save every day; for example, keeping the coins that are in our pocket when we get home every afternoon or every night. Another could be to commit to using our credit card only for those purchases that we can pay for at a fee and always defer them to that term; If we are not sure how much that could be, we can set a purchase limit, for example, up to a maximum of 5,000 pesos per month.

In short

So let's think about what could be the system that each one can create for their finances in the next month. Of course, objectives are important because they give us direction; This time, let's give ourselves permission to focus on the things we can control , which is solely up to us, and not the unpredictable outside world.

A good system must be an action or a set of actions that we can do every day, or at least very regularly, that is a process, that has no desire for immediate results, and that allows us to realize our progress (for For example, when we feel the weight of the piggy bank where we deposit our coins every day). Now, nothing happens if we find it interesting and we do not take action: having objectives or a designed system can be very important for our finances, but committing ourselves and acting in the process of our own financial well-being is what really makes the difference. Let's do it!

What are the money-saving tips for twenty-somethings?

If you are one of those who don't have a lot of self-control when it comes to money and you are always willing to spend it in one night out even if it means you are probably going to be hungry tomorrow, don't you worry. You are definitely not the only one.

Saving money demands some changes and if you are ready for them, you will save some money for sure! We offer you some tips to get there easily.

Plan your expenses!

Youth is fun and careless until you start thinking about your future and realize you are probably going to be broke in your 30's. That is why you have to think ahead.

Self-control is always the key factor. When buying little stuff, think twice before you do it and ask yourself ''Do I really need that?'' and sleep on it. Tomorrow you will be smarter.

Bigger purchases like buying a house are somewhat different – we might call this debt a good debt. Taking control over your finances and planning on what major steps you are ready to take might lead you to do the best changes for your adult life.

Safeguard your debt payment with PPI - your Payment protection insurance.

Define your goals!

Always have in mind what you are saving for and how much you need to earn. Keep yourself motivated!

Open a saving account and name it – that way you will stay focused and you won't allow yourself to spend money from ''Buying a house'' account on something else.

Another part that might be helpful is an emergency fund for your unexpected costs and unpredictable events. Maintain the amount of money in your emergency fund on the same level.

Keep saving!

Your debt might increase your stress and prevent you from pursuing your life goals. However, you need to keep your eyes on the prize. Even sometimes it can be very hard to keep going, in the end, it will all be worth it!

Be prepared for the future – that way you will avoid all the stress and successfully resolve any problem that might get in your way.

Challenge yourself!

Set your daily, weekly and monthly goals – sacrifice some things that you don't really need and put aside the money you would usually spend on them.

Setting a goal can keep you focused. Start a 365 days penny challenge and on a daily/weekly basis put some extra pennies in your piggy bank.

Small changes make the difference!

Things like grocery shopping and preparing your meals can be a big step forward. When thinking about what to eat or what groceries to buy, be smart and reduce their amount to the minimum.

Go to the supermarket once a week with a list of products that you need. That way you can help impulsive shopping and avoid unnecessary expenses!

For any additional information, Team in Manchester is at your disposal, giving you a special individual approach that will resolve every confusion you might have!

Personal Finance and Budgeting: How to Create a Budget that Works

Are you new to the concept of budget for your personal finances? Creating the first-ever budget can turn out to be quite overwhelming. However, it is all worth the effort. When you tend to develop a proper budget for your personal finances, it helps in leading to building wealth in the long run while also helping you to get rid of all debts & expenses.

Whether you are looking forward to making a personal budget or just getting a hold on money management, personal budgeting can help you out. Creating a budget with a proper template every month can help you in feeling control of your finances while allowing you to save money for your long-term goals. The ultimate key is to figure out a proper way for tracking your expenses that would work for you.

Here are some essential personal financing and budgeting tips by the experts:

# Note Down Your Net Income

The first step in the process of creating a personal budget is identifying the amount of money that keeps coming in for you & your family. However, it is also important to know that it can be highly convenient to overestimate what you are able to afford in case you would analyze that your salary is something that you can spend. It is important to remember subtracting the deductions –including taxes, Social Security, account allocations for flexible spending, 401(k), and others when you are creating a dedicated personal budget worksheet.

The final take-home pay amount is regarded as the net income. This is the amount that you should consider while creating your personal budget. If you happen to be working as a part-time or full-time freelancer, then also you should know about managing your irregular income. Moreover, if you happen to have a specific talent or hobby, then you can come across some additional way of earning income. When you have an extra source of income, it can turn out to be immensely helpful in case you end up in some emergency situation.

# Track the Overall Expenses

It is immensely helpful when you are keeping a track of while categorizing your overall spending. This helps you to be aware of places or situations wherein you need to ensure adjustments. When you do so, it will help you in identifying on what you are spending the most money and where it can be possible to cut short your overall expenses.

You can start by listing all your possible expenses. These would include monthly bills including mortgage or rent, car payments, payments for utilities, and others. It is highly unlikely to cut short your expenses on these essentials. However, when you know how much of your income these expenses are taking up can turn out helpful.

Then, you are expected to list down all your variable spending –the ones that keep changing from one month to other –including entertainment, groceries, gas, and others. It turns out to be an area wherein you might come across opportunities for cutting back your expenses. Bank statements and credit card statements are regarded as great places to start over. This is because these help in itemizing or categorizing the monthly expenses.

# Set Specific Goals

Before you start going through finance-specific information that you have collected for yourself, it is advised that you should prepare a proper list of the respective financial goals that you wish to achieve –both on the short-term & long-term basis. The short-term goals that you have should not be taking more than one year to be achieved.

On the other hand, long-term goals –like saving for your retirement or financing the education of your child, might take several years to be achieved. It is important to note that it is not important to pave your goals in stone. However, as you identify your priorities before planning your personal budget, it is going to help immensely. For instance, it can become seamless for you to cut the overall expenses when you are aware of the short-term goals. One such way can be reducing the debit limit of your credit cards.

# Make a Proper Plan

You can make use of both fixed as well as variable expenses that you have compiled for allowing you to obtain a sense of what you will be spending in the coming months. With the help of fixed expenses, you can look forward to predicting accurately how much budget you are going to have. You should also analyze the past spending habits that should serve as the ultimate guide for predicting your variable expenses.

You can consider breaking down your overall spending even further. You can categorize the same between what you are required to have and things that you wish to have. For example, when you are driving to work on an everyday basis, gas expenses are going to be counted as your need. However, a music subscription on a monthly basis can be regarded as your want. Analyzing the given difference is important when you wish to achieve some basic adjustments.

# Adjust Habits When Necessary

Once you have implemented the important steps, you will have all that you need for creating your personal budget. As you have already documented your spending and income, you can start observing where you have money left over and where you can consider cutting back. This way, you can always have money that you wish to put forward towards achieving your goals.

The expenses that are under the category “want-to-have” are the primary areas that you should look into when you wish to cut spending. Is it possible for you to skip the movie night while watching the same at your home? You should aim at adjusting the given numbers that you have tracked for observing how much money gets freed up. In case you have already made adjustments with your expenses on wants, you should then analyze your overall expenses on needs.

Advantages of Opening Your Savings Account with Leading Banks

Savings account is a traditional investment option that’s much conservative in nature. It helps you store your extra funds with a banking institution as it’s safer than keeping the funds at home. Compared to the checking account, savings account yields more benefits like the interest that you earn on the funds. Unlike other liquid investments, your savings account helps you obtain an easier access to your money as and when you need it. With much lesser risk involved, your savings account actually provides numerous financial benefits. You must consider it while checking out options for protecting your funds.

Check Out the Major Benefits that Come with Your Savings Account:

Interest on the Funds Deposited

For all the funds deposited with your basic savings account, you’ll earn interests. This is the most important benefit associated with any savings account. The interest that you earn with your savings bank account is arrived at by multiplying the rate of interest by the value of funds deposited and maintained in the account. The rate of interest will even vary from time to time.

Simplified Access to Funds

The money that you deposit after an online saving account opening can be brought out easily in the event of an emergency. The funds that you deposit can be withdrawn for covering any unforeseen financial obligation. With a majority of banking institutions, funds can be accessed over the internet for 24 hours a day. Linking your savings account with your other financial accounts is a possibility with most banks just to ensure a smooth flow of funds. The most important benefit of maintaining your savings account is the quick access and mobility of funds that it supports.

Automatic Transfers

You might find it tough to save money out of your daily expenses and obligations. However, your savings account yields another benefit to resolve this issue. You may set automatic deposits with your account on a weekly or monthly basis. The amount of saving will then get transferred from your checking account on the date specified every month. This way, you won’t need to do the math of extracting money from your monthly budget.

Liquidity

Liquidity is certainly a major benefit associated with your savings account. All the money entrusted with your savings account can be accessed without any prior notice. Also, you may withdraw your funds as frequently as you need by availing facilities like the bank teller, internet banking, and ATM. However, you’re entitled to enjoy up to 6 electronic transfers each month as per the government regulation. In case, you need more funds, you may achieve it through an online transfer and it hardly takes a few minutes to get it processed. It’s much easier than taking your funds out of any certificate of deposit, government bond, and stock that charge a substantial amount as penalty.

Opening your savings account and operating it is much easier than your other modes of saving. You may achieve a few interest advantages with banks that bridge your savings packages and checking facilities. You may even choose to avail lower initial deposit with some of these banks.

Endowment or Money Back – Which of These Plans Will Protect Your Interests?

There are times when you may feel confused about the types of investment plans you should buy. This article is intended to clarify your doubts while attempting to compare and pick money back and endowment plans. It takes a lot of researching for you to determine which insurance plan matches your long-term investment goals.

Initially, you may feel confused due to the presence of so many investment products launched by insurance providers at a time. Intermediaries can make certain features seem more confusing while offering a savings plan there by causing more of miss-selling.

Need to Choose the Right Insurance Plan

Most investors tend to choose orthodox plans for acquiring good returns on savings from time to time. This, in turn, will help them achieve savings that can meet both their long-term and short-term financial goals. Money back and endowment plans are among all traditional plans that have grown popular of late. You might get confused about choosing the right investment option when you have certain shaded areas on your policy benefits and returns. An endowment ora money back policy has a certain blend of insurance and investment component. The period of time that lapses between the releases of sum assured proves to be the basic difference of these plans.

Benefits Receipt Term

Money Back Plans:

A certain percentage of the sum assured is paid to the policyholder periodically and the remaining bonuses and sum assured are met on the maturity of the policy term.

Endowment Plans:

Once the policy term is survived by the policyholder then upon maturity all applicable bonuses and agreed sum assured are paid to him.

Buying Criteria

You may accumulate considerable savings by investing in endowment plans if your primary objective is to look for long-term savings goals. It will help you create a fund for managing your retirement years, child’s marriage and other financial obligations. A money back plan is ideal for you when your regular income suffices your short-term requirements only.

Death Benefits

In the event of a policyholder’s death during the terms of his endowment and money back policy, both policies will pay him his applicable bonuses and sum assured. Money back plans will yield income regularly after a specified period. You’ll need to go through the policy paper very carefully while signing up.

At the end of the initial 5 years, you’ll be entitled to receive a survival benefit worth 20% based on your basic sum assured. Likewise, at the end of the 10th policy year and the 15th policy year, you’ll receive survival benefits worth 20%. But at the end of the 20th policy year, you’ll receive 60% of survival benefits alongside the vested bonus. So, that yields a benefit worth 120% for you in total.

Final Words:

You’ll need to be sure of your investment goals prior to choosing your money back or endowment plans and then pick them accordingly. While narrowing down on your chosen plans, you must check out the riders and policy benefits very carefully. In the end, both plans chosen by you are good; in order to achieve a fruitful investment, you must base your decisions on the nature of your investment goals.

Think You Have Enough Money to Retire? Studies Say You Probably Need More

Planning for retirement can be an incredibly stressful and challenging process. People wonder whether they are saving enough now or how much money will they need once they retire. As retirement approaches, you might find yourself asking these questions more frequently and worrying more about your preparations.

In a recent report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the average American spends $45,000 per year in retirement. Considering American retirement savings average $200,000, most people will quickly exhaust everything they have put away. Even with supplementary assistance from Social Security and other government programs, many Americans will find themselves unable to pay for necessities early in their retirement. Recent advances in medicine and life expectancy will be wasted if people are unable to afford the extra years they have been granted.

Fortunately, there are a variety of resources to help you plan for retirement and even some for once you have already left the workforce. An excellent tool to determine how your retirement finances stand is the RetireScore Calculator. This device is the only retirement calculator to combine both your health status and finances.

Most calculators focus on just one of these factors, painting an incomplete picture of your ability to afford your retirement. For example, if you have enough money saved for 13 years but a life expectancy of 25, you will need to drastically change your current saving and spending plans. Alternatively, if you have savings for 30 years but a life expectancy of 10, you should focus on improving your health first.

RetireScore will give your percentage chance of affording your retirement given your current health and financial status. From this figure, you can strategize how to alter or maintain your present practices and plans.

If you fill out the calculator and are surprised by the results, don’t worry. There are variety of steps you can take to re-center your retirement finances and create an actionable and successful strategy for the future. We wanted to highlight an option for supplementing your retirement savings and reducing your expenses that most people are unaware of: Selling your life insurance policy.

For some retirees, life insurance premiums are a burdensome expense that can increase as you age, and many people don’t realize they can sell their life insurance policies for cash, often for much more than the surrender value. Life insurance is a piece of property, much like your home, and you can sell it through a process known as a life settlement. In this transaction, the life insurance policyholder sells their policy to the buyer, known as a provider. The provider then continues to pay the premiums on the policy.

Surprisingly, many people allow their policies to lapse because they are unaware of this option. Annually, 250,000 policyholders lapse on their payments, missing out on an average of $51,300 each. Find out what your policy is worth here.

Life settlements are an opportunity to benefit your retirement savings in two ways. First, you are paid a large amount of cash up front that can help you afford your retirement. Second, you no longer have to make premium payments as you age, an expense that can cost thousands of dollars a year.

With an average payout of over $50,000, most people could increase their retirement savings by over a quarter.

Felix Steinmeyer is CEO of Mason Finance Inc. of San Francisco. He is a licensed life insurance settlement provider, member of LISA and received his MS and MBA from Stanford University.

Essential Tips on Getting a Title Loan

Understanding What Title Loans Are

A title loan is an alternative for people who have less than stellar credit scores but are in need extra money. You don’t need to provide a reason for why you’re borrowing money. You don’t even need to give your credit history. All you need is to give the title of your car as security for the loan.

Title loans are available in most cities and states. For example, you can get title loans Lancaster CA. There are also several lenders in Texas.

Auto title loans are interchangeably referred to as car title loans or simply, title loans. They are categorized as collateral loans. Here, you use the title of your car as a security. Your loan value will vary depending on the value of your collateral or security. The loan value is typically pegged below the appraised value of your collateral, usually at around 50% of the collateral’s value.

Title loans are short-term loans. And the loan value of these loans is small. They range from a few hundred to several thousands. This is why the application process is not stringent. You can get approved in as quick as one day.

Acceptable Vehicle Types

Auto title lenders offer a variety of loan options. They accept almost all types of vehicles. The more common types are the following:

1. Cars. This is the most popular type of vehicle used as security. You most probably have is the type of vehicle. This is because this is what the average consumer would own. Thus, it is the easiest to provide.

2. Motorcycles. Motorcycle owners can also avail of title loans. Two-wheeled vehicles are also accepted as collateral.

3. SUVs. Short for Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVs, are also popular among Americans as their choice of vehicle. It provides more room than a car without sacrificing convenience for everyday use. Your valuation will depend on the make and year of your SUV. A newer SUV will likely give you a higher loan value.

4. RVs. Recreational vehicles are available in different classes. Regardless, they all have cabins which are good as a temporary space. They’re also good as collateral for title loans.

5. Trucks. Business owners who use trucks for their transporting needs can use them as security for title loans. If you’re one of them, you might consider this the next time you need additional funding.

The types of vehicles you can use as security in a title loan are not limited to these five. These are simply the ones generally used. If you’re not sure whether you can use your vehicle’s title as security, then do not hesitate to check with your local title lender first.

Who Should Get A Title Loan

If you have a bad credit score, then this might be the loan for you. Traditional loans from banks and other lending companies require background checks and even securities. After they look into your capacity to repay them, then that’s just when they finally approve your loan.

However, if you do not want that hassle and do not have the time, then just get an auto title loan. It’s the easier way to obtain a loan for those own a car and have an immediate need for some cash. They won’t even inquire your reason for taking a loan out.

You’ll want to pay it back though as soon as possible. Title loans are more convenient to get. But they also charge higher interest rates as a result. This is the price of having less requirements for approval. As long as you pay back your debt when it matures, you won’t have any problem.

Choosing Which Title Lender to Borrow

From Research your options before you commit to any title lender. Understand what the costs of borrowing will be and if you can afford them. There are a lot of companies that offer title loans depending on your area. And chances are, they will not be giving you the same loan value for the same car. Or offering you the same interest rate and payment scheme for the same amount of loan.

It may also be important to know the application and approval process of each title lender. Find one which is genuinely quick and easy. And delivers on their claim of not checking your credit score. Some applications even only take five minutes.

Weigh your choices. And then choose which one is best for you. Of if getting one at all is the right decision.

As with any debt, what’s important is that you eventually pay back your loan. Be mindful of the refinancing charges too. You’ll have to pay these if you can’t pay back your loan on maturity date – the date when the lender can demand payment from you. Interest rates are also higher in title loans, so you don’t want that accumulating.

Title loans are great for emergency cash needs. They don’t take long to get and don’t necessitate much for approval. But always remember to assess your situation before you borrow. This way, you end up getting the best solution for your financial problems.

5 tips to buy a Luxury Real Estate

There is not a precise way to define a luxury property; they encompass a wide range of style, setting, size and design. From an indulging tropical home in front of the sea to alavish condominium in the center city, luxury real estate has been hitting records across the United States in the past few decades.

Now, the process of buying a luxury home may not be that idyllic as the home itself if the buyer rushes through a purchase not having full knowledge of everything involved. There are many details totake into account as it represents a BIG long-term investment that one should undertake with full knowledge of everything involved.

Here are five essential strategies for ensuring peace of mind when buying a luxury home:

1. Right timing for your purchase

This goes simple to the fact of supply and demand drive prices. If your goal is to go high-end without going bankrupt, look to the off-season—which, in most places, is winter. Why is this? When there's less demand, you usually stand to get a reasonable good price.

2. Mortage

Try not to bite off more mortgage than you can safely chew. Do your due diligence. With mortgage interest rates as low as they are, borrowing money to purchase your luxury home while at the same time using your cash in different higher rate of return investment may make sense for you.

3. Choose the right Location

Choosing the right location is essential regarding impacting taxes, schools, drive time and more it is best to take time to research the different communities that have luxury homes available and to be sure to explore those neighborhoods both online and offline by walking/driving the neighborhoods.

4. Look for foreclosure listings

One of the ways to buy a luxury home for as much as even 15% below its actual valueis hunting for foreclosed properties. While there's a myth that foreclosed homes can be purchased only with cash, roughly 60% of foreclosed homes purchased are actually financed.

5. Find a qualified real estate agent/broker

When you buy a luxury home you have to bear in mind that not all properties go listed, this in order to protect the seller’s privacy and property. That’s why you should hire an expert. Luxury real estate agents and brokers know the luxury market and have connections. They know how to find the right homes, what prices are fair, and how to smoothly handle a luxury real estate transaction.

Meanwhile here we feature five luxury homes currently on the market that you may want to take a look at:

Bristol Brickell

With 40-stories high, BristollBrickell delivers the most breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay. The building has just 147 residences so you know you’ll enjoy some of the largest floor plans around, along with expansive city and bay views.You can find units at the low $445,000.

Murano Grande

This spectacular residential masterpiece has redefined luxury living in the vibrant South of Fifth district of Miami Beach with its gigantic condo units, upgraded residential features and spacious balconies that overlook the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay. Units star at $1 M.

South Pointe

One of the first luxury condominiums to be built on South Beach, South Pointe is set just a few steps from the Atlantic Ocean in the South of Fifth (SoFi) Street district of Miami Beach. This imposing tower delights with its stunning units and penthouses facing the water. Units range from $849,000 to $2.6 M.

Muse Residences

This high-end boutique building will be located in the heart of sought-after Sunny Isles lying on the most striking beachfront line, between the coastal waterways and the Atlantic Ocean, so expect the most awe-inspiring vistas. Find units from $4.7 M.

Echo Brickell

Amazing views, stunning marble finishes handpicked by architect Carlos Ott and high-end appliances, just a couple of the details that the penthouses in the Echo Brickell building will offer. Also, a full floor infinity-edge pool with panoramic views of Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami will amaze you. These units start at $ 4, 8 M.

Make Your Cell Truly Smart with These Apps

Smartphones have made life so much easier for us. This small and compact gadget has opened us to a world of experiences. Gone are the days when you would be amazed at discovering that your phone came with an inbuilt torch! A smartphone has tons of cool features!

Today, the expectations from smartphones have increased manifold. We do not want them to be just phones; we want them to manage our busy lives. Until now, these gadgets have impressed us greatly!

The average smartphone user depends on it to listen to music, order food, shop, book a cab, and even invest in mutual funds online! We have access to a wide variety of mobile apps that offer different services depending on our requirements. We are all familiar with popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter.

Here are five lesser-known but highly useful apps that will make your phone even smarter!

1. CamScanner

No need to invest in a bulky scanner when you can simply download CamScanner.It is a document scanning and sharing app that lets you scan and store documents easily. The app even lets you crop unwanted edges and enhance the color and text quality of the document. The app is very easy to use – scanning a document requires you to click a picture of it on your phone. The scanned file can be stored as a JPEG or PDF file and shared as an attachment or a web link. CamScanner is truly a revolution in the office management and data sharing space.

2. Runtastic Running and Fitness Tracker

A fit body is not just a dream, but can be a beautiful reality, when you have Runtastic on your phone. Runtastic is a fitness-tracking app that allows you to set running goals and track your progress. You can save your workouts, get analyses, onlinecoaching, and compare your performance with friends! Not only can you track your running routes via GPS tracking, but you can also get a report on the distance covered, timetaken, speed maintained, and calories burnt during the workout. The Runtastic Running and Fitness Tracker app is quickly rising through the ranks among fitness apps available and is a highly recommended addition to your app collection.

3. Scootsy

A few years ago, most restaurants required a minimum bill amount if you wanted food delivered to your doorstep. Ordering food was a genuine hassle earlier, but today it is an extremely easy process. Scootsy, the premium delivery app is here to save the day for you! Scootsy lets you order food, books, toys, gifts, and more right to your doorstep. The app allows you to track your order and set a delivery time. The best feature of Scootsy is that there is no minimum order amount. If you lead a busy life and want to have your food, books, and gifts delivered on time,Scootsy is a must-have on your smartphone.

4. Angel Wealth – Mutual Fund Investment and Advice

We are starting to recognize the importance of investing money and are willing to invest but often make bad decisions because of poor advice. If you are looking for a reliable money management app, your search has ended. The Angel Wealth Mutual Fund Investment and Advice is a one-stop money management app that lets you manage your money smartly. You can track your income and expenses, evaluate and analyze different investment options, invest in mutual funds online, and manage your portfolio using a single app. If you are a first-time investor, you can start investing in mutual funds by opening an account in less than five minutes! Angel Wealth uses a proprietary ARQ investment engine that gives you customized investment recommendations after processing over a billion data points. The ARQ engine uses advanced algorithms, cognitive technology, and market insights to create tailor-made recommendations designed to maximize the value of your portfolio. The Angel Wealth Mutual Fund Investment and Advice appis rapidly gaining popularity as the money management appamong investors because of the sophisticated technology it uses.

5. Ridlr

If you have ever used public transport, you would know the pain of standing in never-ending queues to buy tickets. It is frustrating and a massive waste of time! Ridlr is an app that lets you skip the queue! This is the go-to app when it comes to intra-city commuting. You can buy bus and metro tickets, renew monthly passes using the app, and pay online through this app. It also shows timetables for the metro, local trains, publicbus service, and more. The app serves a number of cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai,Bengaluru, and others, and is expanding its presence rapidly. For every public transport user, Ridlr is necessary!

So,do not wait anymore,and unlock the true potential of your smartphone with these handy apps!

How Has SEBI Made Mutual Fund Investment Easier and How Will it Affect You?

Indian investors have started opening up to the idea of investing in mutual funds (MFs), thanks to the investor awareness campaign undertaken by the industry. You can conveniently buy funds online and track the performance of the scheme you select.

The problem, however, arises when you have to choose amongst the various investment schemes. At present, there are almost 2,000 schemes to choose from, which make it much harder for you to choose a suitable option. Looking at this huge number itself would discourage you if you were a novice investor. In order to address this issue, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with a circular on 6th October 2017 defining the various categories under which MF schemes must be classified. At present, this categorization is only applicable to open-ended schemes.

This initiative aims to reduce confusion among MF investors and encourage them to buy mutual funds as investments.

Categorization of mutual fund schemes

As per the circular, asset management companies (AMCs) will have to classify their offerings into the following five categories:

• Equity Schemes

• Debt Schemes

• Hybrid Schemes

• Solution-Oriented Schemes

• Other schemes

The AMCs will be allowed to operate only one fund in each of the aforementioned five categories. These categories have further been divided into sub-categories, which will refine the scope of various mutual fund investment schemes as follows:

1. Equity schemes (10 sub-categories)

Large-cap, sectoral or thematic, multi-cap, Equity-Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS), small-cap, focused, dividend yield, large and midcap, contra, and value

2. Debt schemes (16 sub-categories)

Overnight, corporate bond, dynamic bond, credit risk fund, gilt, gilt fund with 10-year constant duration,banking and PSU, floater, ultra-short duration, low duration, money market, liquid, short duration, medium duration, medium to long duration, and long duration

3. Hybrid Schemes (6 sub-categories)

Balanced hybrid, conservative hybrid, aggressive hybrid, arbitrage, equity savings, dynamic asset allocation/balanced advantage, and multi-asset allocation

4. Solution oriented schemes (2 sub-categories)

Children benefit and goal of retirement.

5. Other schemes (2 sub-categories)

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Index funds, and Fund of Funds (FOF)

You may buy mutual funds from 36 sub-categories as defined by the SEBI circular.

How does this help you?

SEBI’s move to consolidate the number of schemes in the market will make it easy for you to compare schemes with similar features. After comparing the schemes, you may choose to buy mutual funds online. This initiative will help you cut through the complex clutter of schemes and make the investment process faster and smoother than before.

Fewer schemes will also mean that fund managers will be able to focus more effectively on operating a smaller number of funds. Imagine that there are 50 mutual fund schemes in the market managed by five fund managers, i.e. an average of ten schemes managed by each fund manager. If the number of schemes was reduced to 30, the average number of funds per manager would go down to six. This means a sharper focus on schemes and more efficient management of your mutual fund investments.

After the classification of the schemes, you will still be able to choose from a large number of options to invest.Depending on your risk appetite and investment objective from the sub-categories specified under each main category, you may choose to buy mutual funds online. For example, the equity schemes category is divided into 10 sub-categories as discussed above. This categorization means that you have the choice to decide exactly where your monies are invested.

The categorization of MF schemes does not mean that existing schemes would be discontinued. AMCs will amalgamate various schemes to adhere to the revised norms. This may mean that if the new scheme does not match your risk profile and investment strategy, you may have to shift your mutual fund investments. Depending on the type of scheme, you may be liable to certain taxes. Another effective manner of knowing which schemes are suitable according to your risk appetite and financial capacity is by downloading the Angel Wealth mobile app. The technology-driven ARQ investment engine will help you in determining the accurate scheme to invest in, that too without any human bias.

SEBI has endeavored to reorganize the structure of the classification of MF schemes, while at the same time, offer a healthy variety of schemes to investors. In the circular, SEBI also listed out scheme characteristics that fund managers would need to adhere to.

For example, in case of large-cap equity mutual fund schemes, a minimum of 80% of the total assets must be invested in equity securities of large market capitalization companies. Similarly, for large and mid cap funds, at least 35% of the assets need to be invested in equity securities of large market capitalization companies and at least 35% of the assets in equity securities of mid-cap companies. These characteristics have been designed to ensure that fund managers stick to the objective of the primary asset class, as suggested by the name of the scheme.

While SEBI’s circular created some concerns among mutual fund operators, this move has been welcomed by industry professionals as it would streamline the currently crowded MF market and boost investor confidence in these investment products.

Plan Your Budget And Stick To It!

One of your resolutions this year may have been to budget more carefully and to live a more frugal lifestyle. There are many ways to plan a budget, the hard part is sticking to it! Follow this guide for tips that will enable you to stay on track.

Analyse your finances

Before you can plan a budget you need to know exactly where your money goes each month. Make a list of all your essential expenditures. Essential expenditures cannot be changed as they are necessary to daily living.

Insurances need to be accounted for too, such as those relating to health and personal injury. Personal injury lawsuits are complex and it is good to get advice from experts, knowledgeable on the Personal Injury Lawsuit Timeline. House insurance, contents insurance and vehicle insurance are also essential expenditures to factor in.

A large part of your budget will be spent on housing costs such as mortgages, rent and household bills. You may have loans and credit cards which need to be paid monthly. Other essential expenditure is food, fuel, travel and childcare.

Add all your payments together and see what money is left over.

The next stage of analysing your finances is to add up all the money you have spent on non essential items such as eating out, leisure activities and clothes that you really didn’t need. This process can be very enlightening and will show you exactly where savings can be made. Take this sum of money from the sum you had left over after paying essential outgoings, is there any money left?

Plan

The key to sticking to a budget is to not deny yourself any form of pleasure, otherwise you will likely go off track after a very short time. The best way of sticking to a budget is to plan for non essential expenditure. For example if you have a big birthday celebration coming up, plan it into your budget. A small amount of money saved here and there won’t be noticed as much as blowing your budget in one go.

If you enjoy eating out regularly, try and cut this in half, instead of eating out every week, eat out every two weeks instead.

Stay on track

It’s tempting to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to budgeting, but it’s really important to track how you are doing on a monthly basis. If you don’t, six months could have passed by before you notice that you are right back where you started! Make it part of your monthly routine to assess your spending, just before your salary gets paid into your account. You will then be able to put into savings, any of your remaining balance.

Successful budgeting is achieved by careful monitoring of your spending habits, making savings where possible. Minor changes in your spending habits can have a major impact on the health of your bank balance. Research supermarket prices and switch to make savings, eat seasonally and cook from scratch. You will be healthier too!

Make Easy Money In 2018

Did you struggle to make ends meet in 2017? Is your job not giving you all the money you need to earn to be on top of your finances? Is that promotion you were promised well overdue? If you feel like you are worth more than you are currently getting and would like to see your bank account in a healthier state, this is possible if you make some adjustments to your life.

Things like not spending unnecessary money, putting in place a tight budget and going for cheaper alternatives whenever you have to buy stuff will see you become a wealthier person. On top of this, there are other things you can do to earn money quickly in 2018. Read the below tips to become a little bit richer this year.

Invest in shares

You have probably heard of people around you who have made money by the simple fact of investing in stocks. This sounds like playing the lotto and being the lucky winner, doesn’t it? Something that you know happens to one in a million. Not quite. Investing in stocks has long been a proven way of earning some easy cash if you are able to know which stocks to invest in. Companies offer shares to raise money from investors. These might need some cash to expand into foreign markets or hire new staff, and that is why they put stocks in place so that individuals like you can buy an often small share of the company, but one that can give you substantial returns. Look into TRTC Stock to see what opportunities lie for you in the stock market.

Sell your pictures online

Do you have a decent phone that takes even more decent photos? If so, this is your chance to prove to the world that you are an excellent photographer and that you can make some cash through selling your best shots online. While photography might be a challenging career to pursue if this is going to be your sole source of income, selling pictures on the internet is still a great way of making some extra money fast. Have you recently been to a blog and saw mediocre photos that you think you could take better? If this is the case, get out there and explore your surroundings. Platforms like Shutterstock will accept your images for a cut and make them available on the world wide web for people to purchase and use.

Rent a room in your house

If you are a property owner, there is so much you can do with the spare space you might have. Gone are the days when renting was something that would take several viewings and had to be done in a semi-permanent way, with six months being the minimum contract length. These days, if you own a place, you can easily rent a room or bedroom for a reasonable price for whichever period of time you wish to commit to. All you have to do is go online and create a profile on platforms like Airbnb, take some excellent pictures of your house and upload these together with a good description. You will see tourists and those interested in short-term rentals email you in vast numbers if your offering is good enough. Consider doing some research on the prices that are being quoted in your same area in order to outdo the competition.

Riding The Avalanche Wave Of Debt

You told yourself it was temporary and you were going to figure out a way to repay your loans and avoid what you’ve seen others do. You knew the dangers of getting out too many loans because you may have seen your family and friends become buried under an avalanche of repayments. Unfortunately, perhaps you now realize you bit off more than you can chew. It can happen to anyone as even when you’re conscious of the pitfalls you can still fall in them. It's a surreal feeling that almost plays out in slow motion. Time slows down, and you suddenly come to terms with the fact that you need to change your lifestyle if you are to climb out of this hole. Not to worry however because modern climbing gear in the form of settlement schemes, and advice on cutting back and managing your finances is on hand.

A family tree-like budget

Like a family tree, your expenditures are all connected. Your food bill is connected to your electricity because you put the food in the fridge to keep it edible. Your electric bill is linked to your heating bill if you have a central heating system that’s digitally operated. The heating system uses water that’s heated and circulated around your home, and so on. Sit down are on a laptop make a table of all the expenses that you incur every month. The largest should go in their own separate group as these will be priority needs such as those mentioned. The secondary expenses will be your usual maintenance bills such as maintaining your vehicle like paying for gas and repairs, and other bills such as home repairs or clothes. The third grouping shall be luxuries that don’t really affect your life in a negative way should they be cut. With this budget laid out in front of you, figure out what you need not what you want. Begin to cut back until you see a net positive saving.

Cutting loose

Sometimes it can get too much, and you could end up losing it all if you don’t act responsibly. Even if debt consolidation is off the table, you still have options. It may be termed the nuclear decision, but when you’re being suffocated by the mountain of debt, it's only right you do try to cut loose those you owe. Go to debtsettlement.co and check out the various options you have for debt settlement programs. This style of repayment takes a lot of negotiation with and on the part of the company you decide to go with. They’ll figure out a way to come to a settlement figure that will be the lump sum amount you’ll pay to all your creditors. You will end up paying less than what you owe. However, the terms may be strict, and you may need to pay for processes such as lawyer fees and payment to the settlement company. It's definitely a way out and shortening the length of time you’re under the burden, but you need to be ready to part with the lump sum in order to do so.

Riding the avalanche wave of debt can be tricky, but it can be done. There’s always a way out for those who are prepared to change their lifestyle and ultimately bite the bullet and pay the lenders off quickly.

5 Steps In The House-Buying Process You Need To Know

Getting a property purchase right is a pretty important thing to do. It’s not like buying a pair of shoes that you can take back a week or so later when you realise the colour isn’t right or the fit isn’t working for you. A house is a lot more important than a pair of shoes, so it’s important that you get the process right.

Making the process straightforward is the best thing that you can do for your own peace of mind and stress levels, so check out the five steps that you can follow to make buying your first home simple and as uncomplicated as possible.

Sort Your Budget

Before you buy a house and before you start looking at houses that you could purchase, you need to set yourself a budget. Speak to a mortgage broker and speak to the bank about your affordability and remember that as a first-time buyer, you need to have a deposit of at least 5%, plus fees and taxes. Lenders often will offer you up to four times your current income if you are buying on your own. Not only do you need to budget for the house you are buying, but you need to ensure you can make the monthly repayments on the mortgage you get approved for. This is on top of keeping money aside for repairs and insurance.

Make An Offer

The next step in the house-buying process once you’ve found a home you love is to make an offer. By this point, you will have fallen in love with a home and made sure that you can afford the repayments. Always offer just below asking price, but not enough to make it look like you are taking advantage of the fact the house is on sale. Be aware of the condition of the property before you make that offer and always get a house inspected properly.

Conveyancing Next!

If your offer gets accepted, it’s time to instruct a solicitor to work on your behalf. They will need to carry out all the legal stuff for you to get the property into your name. You have to arrange surveys, get a valuation of the property with your mortgage lender and if possible, get an independent valuation as well. It may seem like a lot of cash to spend, but it will be worth it!

Contract Exchange

Once all the searches that are necessary have been completed, your solicitor will contact you to let you know. You will have been called with a firm offer from the lender, and you should be ready to exchange contracts at this point. This is where you will start looking at buildings and contents insurance, especially if this is a condition of your mortgage.

Completion

You’ve made it! You have crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s on the biggest purchase you will ever make. Once you know your completion date, you can start booking movers to get you sorted for the big day!

Make Your IRA Work For You

When you are looking to make a real dent in your financial future, it makes sense to open up an IRA. The IRA is one of the most flexible and potentially lucrative accounts to park your money in, assuming you have the right access to learning about investing and all of the IRA benefits. If you have a 401K at your job, there can be advantages to that, but it can be frustrating to leave the investing and managing of the account to someone else. The Roth IRA can be another alternative, but that means you are pay taxes now and taking a chance that the rules will stay in place for when you retire.

The real bonus of an IRA account is that you can take control of your financial future. The control is with you, so the responsibility is with you. It helps to learn as much as you can about investing basics, so that you can make your IRA work to its full potential. An IRA that just sits there and is passively invested might not be your best option. You could be leaving money on the table.

Take some investing classes online and read as many investing books as you can. Find anything you can from Warren Buffett and his company, Berkshire Hathaway. He has built the most successful investment firm in the world, with patience and practical rules for investing. Read what you can by Jack Bogle, who invented the index fund and created Vanguard, perhaps the most widely used investment service in the world.

When you first learn how to trade a stock, it can be very exciting. You are researching a company, finding out about its business fundamentals and bottom line, then putting your money where your research is.

When you fund an IRA account, you can deduct those contributions from your taxes. You will have to pay when you withdraw as a retiree, but you can benefit if you expect your overall tax rate to be lower when you are in your golden years, than right now. The IRA is a great tool for high-income earners in the early phase of their career.

Just as important as learning how to invest your IRA funds, is the saving and setting aside of those funds in the first place. Learning how to budget your money now is essential to getting control of your finances. Learn how to cook for yourself, so you do not waste money at restaurants. Take a moment to look at your weekly and monthly spending and try to cut where you can. Do you really need those $5 lattes? If not, cut that expenditure out of your budget and put that money into an IRA. It might not sound like much, but it can really add up over time.

The key to being a good investor and being in great shape financially is discipline and direction. You need to set goals and figure out what you need to toin order to meet those lofty goals. That is what is required if you want to be safe and solvent in your later years. Starting an IRA now is an important part of that process.

Vital Steps For Protecting Your Family’s Future

When you become a parent, everything changes in a split second. Your entire world is turned upside down, and the way that you see every aspect of life is forever changed. Your child and your family become your priority, and because of this, you are willing to do everything in your power to protect them. The world is not always a nice place, and sometimes bad things happen to good people, which is why it is so vital that you take every step available to protect yours’ and your family’s future.

Bearing that in mind, below is a guide to the steps that you should take to secure your family’s future, and ensure that whatever happens, your family is left in a good place.

Take out adequate insurance

If you don’t already have adequate insurance in place, then now is the time to invest in it. The fact is that you cannot always stop bad things from happening to you and your family, but what you can do is take out adequate insurance to ensure that whatever happens, you have the financial support that you need. Whether that is taking out life insurance via TrustedChoice.com, or it is taking out health or personal injury insurance, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is that you get all of the adequate protection that you need. That way, no matter what happens, you can ensure that you and your family are covered, and have all the financial support needed.

Avoid taking out loans

One of the worst things that you can do for your family is take out a loan, or multiple loans, for that matter. The fact is that getting into debt is never a good idea, as it will mean that you owe people money, which is not something that you want to have hanging over you. Of course, if it is a loan for a mortgage or it is a reputable credit card, that is different. When we say don’t take out a loan, we are referring to the bad types of loans, the high-interest loans, such as payday loans, for instance.

Put funds aside for a rainy day

If you are in a position to put money aside for a rainy day, it is a good idea to do so. By opening a savings account and paying a set amount of money into it each month - around 10 percent of your paycheck is a good amount to deposit - you can ensure that whatever life may throw at you, it doesn't matter. Be it dismissal from work, an illness leaving you unable to work, or anything else, for that matter, you have some funds to fall back on. A savings account is always a great buffer to have, and can make yours’ and your family’s life much easier in difficult times.

There you have it, a guide to everything that you need to know about the vital steps that you should take to help protect yours’ and your family’s future. The fact is that no one knows what life will throw at them, but if you are smart about it, you can prepare for almost anything.