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5 Seamless Way to Grow Your Money Up as A Couple

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Two good heads are generally better than one. The best way for couples to kick off in the  journey of growing their finances is to start working together as a team in order to improve their financial picture and achieve financial goals.

  1. Start by understanding each others financial background. Find out how your partner feels about money, and its purpose in their life.
  2. Write down your specific goals as a Couple. Have a heart to heart talk with your partner about what you would both like to achieve, so you can begin to make necessary financial plans towards achieving it.
  3. Share responsibilities on the payment of bills. Sit down with your partner to organize together your finances. Discuss and agree together on who pays what.
  4. Get to know each others Spending Habits. Track each others expense pattern, put it down in a list, analyze your list together. And then you begin by sharing what you are going to start cutting out to maintain a good spending habit that would keep your finances in tact and growing.
  5. Set a Certain percentage of your Income aside for Savings. As a couple, you should decide together a certain percentage of your income you’ll be saving up for emergency fund, home, car, kids, or any other goal ahead.

In closing, try as much as possible to stay away from debts and plan to pay off any lingering debt as soon as you can. Debt could become a collective hindrance to the growth of your finances as a family.

 

Quick Tips on Keeping Inflation-hedged Asset Classes on Your Watch List

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Inflation simply refers to the rising prices on goods and services across an economy over a period of time. It is measured with the “inflation rate,” calculated as a percentage of change of a price index from one year to the next.

Here are the top five asset classes to consider when seeking protection from inflation:

1. Reallocate Money Into Stocks

If inflation returns, it’s generally a punch in the jaw for the bond market, but it could be a shot in the arm for the stock market. Consider reallocating 10% of your portfolio from bonds to equities in order to take advantage of this possible trend.

Buying preferred stocks is another possibility. These liquid issues will pay a higher yield than most types of bonds and may not decline in price as much as bonds when inflation appears.

Utility stocks represent a third alternative, where the price of the stock will rise and fall in a somewhat predictable fashion through the economic cycle and also pay steady dividends.

2. Diversify Internationally

There are several major economies in the world that do not rise and fall in tandem with the U.S. market indices, such as Italy, Australia, and South Korea. Adding stocks from these or other similar countries can help to hedge your portfolio against domestic economic cycles. Bonds from foreign issuers can likewise provide investors with exposure to fixed income that may not drop in price if inflation appears on the home front.

3. Consider Real Estate

Real property often acts as a good inflation hedge, One of the easiest ways to get exposure is through real estate investment trusts (REITs), which own portfolios of commercial, residential, and industrial properties. Providing income through rents and leases, they often pay higher yields than bonds. Another key advantage: Their prices probably won’t be as affected when rates start to rise, because their operating costs are going to remain largely unchanged.

4. Look to TIPS

Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) are designed to increase in value in order to keep pace with inflation. The bonds are linked to the Consumer Price Index and their principal amount is reset according to changes in this index.

TIPS’ yields have dropped in value in the secondary market considerably since 2018.1 They may be a good bargain at this point, as they have not yet priced in the possibility of inflation.

5. Buy Bank Loans

Senior secured bank loans are another good way to earn higher yields while protecting yourself from a price drop if rates start to rise. The prices of these instruments will also rise with rates, as the value of the loans increases when rates start to rise (although there may be a substantial time lag for this). The Lord Abbett Floating Rate Fund (LFRAX) is one good choice for those who seek exposure in this area.

 

Culled From Investopedia.

Why You Should Calculate Your Monthly Expenses in % with Your Income

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There is a popular saying “money flies” which is common in this contemporary society. And trust me, money has wings. It is no news that no amount of money you have if not well spent or budgeted will finish in a matter of time.

Too many people today spend money on what they do not really need, just to probably impress others. It is time to wise up and face the facts. Making an impression at all cost does not give more respect, it leads to depression. Just be you.

The truth is in this “You can never out-earn your bad spending habits. Rather, good habits must be developed to spend money smartly. “Mary Hunt!!.” Now, its time get up and change those bad spending habits. 

Here, I will give you this simple tip on how to budget and spend smartly. Regardless of how much you earn, be it N1,000, N5,000, N50,0000,N50,000,000. It can be spent smartly based on your scale of preference or needs.

The use of percentage (%) has been found to be very useful when budgeting and spending.

Let’s take for example;

Kate earns or makes 10,000 monthly/daily/weekly and he has the following expenses in the month: Transportation bill, feeding, Tithe, Savings, Light bill, Water bill, Miscellaneous.

A percentage plan of the amount earned can be drawn to cater for all these needs: let’s say;

  • 10% goes for tithe
  • 20% goes for transportation
  • 30% for savings
  • 5% for light bill
  • 5% for water bill
  • 20% for feeding
  • 10% for miscellaneous

In this plan, all the needs will be partially or fully catered for depending on the cost and this has helped the kate spend her income wisely.

This percentage plan is a proven strategy that can work for any amount of money at hand and expenses that needs to be incurred. This does not leave out entrepreneurs or business owners. You can spend smartly with income generated in business.

To conclude, “Having more money does not make you better, spending smartly does”.

 

By Tolu Williams.

Buzwallet Contributor.

5 Tips on How To Spend Your Salary in a Smart Way

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Being able to manage your salary well is not just about trying to make ends meet. It is more about understanding the basics of financial planning in order to manage your spending in a smart way. Now, your plan starts with thinking about what you really want to do with your salary. What goals do you have? Do you want to travel? Buy New Clothing ? Pay rent? Settle bills? Buy a house? or Own a side-business?

Let’s check these few tested ways to help you become more diligent with your salary:

1. Budget before each Salary:

It’s important to have a spending plan for your income before you receive a paycheck. Budgeting helps you stay in control of your money and allows you to keep a track of your expenses. Find out which budgeting method or tool will work best for you. Do you prefer writing it down in a notebook? Or using a budgeting app? Or a spreadsheet.

The 50-30-20 rule is also a great guideline you could use to efficiently budget your savings. Spend 50% of your income on your essential bills, 30% on your financial goals and 20% on flexible spending.

2. Set Realistic Financial Goals

Create a framework for the goals you wish to achieve. You could split your goals into long-term goals such as equity, stocks, and mutual funds and short-term goals such as liquid funds and save your income accordingly. This helps you determine the amount you need to invest for each goal and for how long. Your investment should be in line with what your future financial goals are.

3. Pay Yourself first

Paying yourself first is the process of saving for the future you. When budgeting, it’s important to leave room for your wants to stay on track. Reward yourself with a fancy lunch, dinner or a short vacation when you achieve one of your financial goals!

4. Reduce your costs on these 3 expenses

The three budget areas that make up the bulk of our transportation costs are housing, food, and transportation. Reducing costs in these areas will leave you with extra cash from your salary to save.

5. Set up direct deposit to save automatically

Saving money shouldn’t be a chore. In fact, you can set up automatic transfers and withdrawals from your checking account to your saving or investment accounts.

When considering how to manage money, even the most savvy financial planners will tell you that you have to create room for indulgence in the budget to stay on track. You don’t have to understand everything about money at once, but in order to stay financially secure, you need to keep learning about resources and tools you can take advantage of to keep your finances healthy.

12 Inspiring Financial Freedom Quotes to Remember this Week

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Achieving financial freedom is a dream for many of us, but getting there could sometimes seem out of reach. So, if one of your goals in life is to achieve financial independence, then you’ve got to start taking necessary steps to achieve your goal.

We have compiled 12 inspiring financial freedom quotes to encourage you this week on your journey to financial success. See below.

  1. “Financial freedom is available to those who learn about it and work for it.” – Robert Kiyosaki
  2. “Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  3. “The secret to wealth is simple: Find a way to do more for others than anyone else does. Become more valuable. Do more. Give more. Be more. Serve more.” ― Tony Robbins, Money Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
  4. “To get Rich, you have to make money while you’re sleeping.” ― David Bailey
  5. “Your economic security does not lie in your job; it lies in your own power to produce- to think, to learn, to create, to adapt. That’s true financial independence. It’s not having wealth; it’s having the power to produce wealth. It’s intrinsic.” – Stephen R. Covey
  6. “More important than the how we achieve financial freedom, is the why. Find your reasons why you want to be free and wealthy.” – Robert Kiyosaki
  7. “I remember saying to my mentor, ‘If I had more money, I would have a better plan.’ He quickly responded, ‘I would suggest that if you had a better plan, you would have more money.’ You see, it’s not the amount that counts; it’s the plan that counts.” – Jim Rohn
  8. “The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind.” – T.T. Munger
  9. “The key to financial freedom and great wealth is a person’s ability or skill to convert earned income into passive income and/or portfolio income.” – Robert Kiyosaki
  10. “The secret to creating lasting financial change is to decide to pay yourself first and then make it automatic.” – David Bach
  11. “Never depend on a single income. Make an investment to create a second source.” – Warren Buffet
  12.  “Buy when everyone else is selling and hold until everyone else is buying. That’s not just a catchy slogan. It’s the very essence of successful investing.” – J. Paul Getty

Never Forget this: “Financial freedom starts with having the right mindset to pursue wealth and all of your audacious goals.”

 

Cheers to Financial Freedom!!!

3 Ways A Financial Advisor Can Transform Your Business

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Many small business owners are reluctant to talk to a financial advisor when they are starting a new business. A financial advisor has the expertise to help you make the most of your initial capital investment into the business by assessing the viability of your business model, outlining strategies and timelines to help you focus on the actions that will produce profitable results.

A financial advisor can offer many benefits to helping you run your business. They can help you develop and improve your business plan and also provide accurate projections that will help you establish and then grow your business. So, to avoid heading down the slippery slope of inadequate financial management in your business, hiring a financial professional might just be the wise thing to do.

These are top 3 reasons we believe having a financial planner on your team can help transform your business:

1. To help plan your goals and execute strategies to achieve them.

Without any doubt, capital as you know is one of the most important aspects of a small business, making their investments a vital piece to their long-term success. A professional financial advisor can help diversify a business’s assets with the long term goal of yielding higher, long-term returns and lowering the risk of individual holdings. Financial advisors can also help you maintain a healthy mix of asset types and classes and manage those assets in an efficient way.

2. Financial advisors help you plan your personal finances in line with your business finances.

Financial advisors can help you ensure that your personal finances are in good order along with your business finance, because these two needs to be properly coordinated for cash flow, investment and tax purposes. The financial advisor you bring onboard will also often act as a quarterback between your other professional advisors such as your accountant, business attorney, insurance broker, or bookkeeper. Having a professional advisor plays an important role both in your business and personal life. Therefore, ensuring proper communication and coordination between your personal and business finances is very crucial to your long-term success in business.

3. They can help you manage your employee benefits.

As your business grows, you begin to employ more employees as the need arises. And having more employees means putting every necessary structure in place to cater for their well-being. A financial planner helps you create seamless employee benefit plan for your business and also in allocating the proper financial resources for your employees.

Lastly, lots of business owners avoid hiring a financial advisor in order to reduce costs. Hiring a financial advisor to help with specific tasks will not only save you time but money as well. And can also help transform the course of your business by avoiding risks that are not worthwhile and making the most of hidden opportunities. In a nut shell, financial advisors lead business owners to cost savings and guide the path to profitability.

 

Good luck!