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Lower Your Monthly Mortgage Payments By : pets When you decide to buy a home, getting the best possible loan is important. It can save you thousands of dollars. How you can keep your monthly mortgage payments down? These are the different components of the loan that can affect your monthly mortgage payments. Overcoming Financial Difficulty By : Molly Wider Life is unpredictable and ending up in a difficult financial situation due to circumstances beyond our control is not only possible, but very likely to happen to anyone, sooner or later. A positive outlook and a good financial plan can go a long way. Finances and the Year Ahead By : James Dicks James Dicks examines how we can improve our personal financial situaiton in 2010. In Need of Pension Advice? By : Abby Clare. In this turbulent economy, it is important to think ahead and plan your financial future, especially when it concerns your future pension income. In order to maximize it you must visit a financial adviser who will take you step by step on how you to get the maximum amount of pension when you retire. Some of these options might even lead you to have some tax free cash. Cheap and Simple Way to Manage Our Savings By : Individual Health Insurance Have you checked your insurance for better insurance rate quotes lately? Many people ignore this just because they don't want to go through all the troubles looking for insurance rate information Eliminate Your Debt Stress Now By : Susanna Berlatsky Some debt is fine. But even if your debt is overwhelming, you don't have to let stress dictate your life. Renovation Tax Credit By : pets An eligible residential unit is a residence built before 2009. The individual who incurs the home improvement or renovation expenses must be the owner (or co-owner) at the time the expenses are incurred. The residential unit must not only be the owner's principal place of residence, but also: Assets That Are Exempt In Personal Bankruptcy By : Suzy Vanstrusen The article talks about assets that are exempted in personal bankruptcy. This includes the home and other important assets. Dig on requirements to submit upon filing and things to be done after submitting bankruptcy application. Estate Planning Addresses Your 5 Basic Questions in Later Life By : Shane Flait You may have heard about estate planning. Your estate is composed of everything you own - and that includes yourself. But what is the 'planning' really about and should you be concerned getting it done? At some point later in life you decide that you should make provisions for both you and your estate. This article addresses 5 basic questions that encompass those provisions, the consequence of not answering them, and the urgency for doing so. False Sense Of Financial Security - How To Manage Money By : Brandon Schmid Have you been lulled into a false sense of financial security? This article will give you some tips on how to manage money and get out of debt. Is a Credit Report Affected by Foreclosure? By : Oliver Darraugh With so many people losing a home to foreclosure all over the country, most want to know how their credit report will be affected. The credit reporting system was originally created by the Fair Isaac Company and in addition to calculating a person's credit score, the information is confidential. Biggest Money Mistakes - Personal Finance Basics By : Brandon Schmid Mistakes are made with money everyday by everyone when it comes to personal finances basics. What are the biggest money mistakes people make? Are you making these mistakes? Read on to find out. 65 and Up and Looking for Work By : Individual Health Insurance It is well known that during the nation’s gale-force recession, many older Americans who dreamed of retirement continued to work, often because their 401(k)’s had plunged in value Learning to Live with Less Money By : Vanaja Ghose If you recently left your marriage, or recently got divorced, you may be in a situation where money is going out faster than it is coming in. If you were a housewife, before you can get a stable job and monthly alimony, there is that certain period in time where you may not have any source of income and thus, are struggling to learn how to live with less money. If you are one of these women, or know somebody who is, there are some ways that can be learned so that you still live well with less money. Are Summer Jobs the Answer to a Debt Free Future? By : James Mizzell Earning extra money for your future is a very good way to work on getting out of debt. Getting a summer job or a part time job on top of what you normally do can be difficult to manage. You really need a strong focus on your future, and on the goal in mind - to get out of debt in order to make it work. If You're Having difficulties With Debt You Must See This Now! By : Ben Davies There are real debt solutions, but it's necessary to decide on the proper one. Read this article right now! I Need To File Bankruptcy By : stevefpa There was a time in my life where I need to file bankruptcy because I lost my job and could not pay my debts. If you are in this kind of situation there are things you might need to know before you file bankruptcy. Reduce Your Debt Before Retirement By : Kathy Sammons Should you pay off your mortgage before retirement? It depends on a lot of variables, but in most cases, yes. Find the best way to do that here. Learn How to File for Bankruptcy Free By : stevefpa The reality is that filing for bankruptcy cost money and with the new bankruptcy law under the BAPCPA effective October, 2005 that spawn new requirements to file bankruptcy, the cost of filing bankruptcy has increased. If you want to learn how to file for bankruptcy free then you are sure in for a surprise because it is impossible not to spend a s Stressed Out About Your Finances? Coping With Stress Is No Longer The Answer- Learn To Remove It! By : Lawrence Pointer Financial pressures are on the rise. Thirty three percent of Americans due to a recent survey said they were suffering with the effects of a life with too much stress. The long term effects of stress can be fatal, therefore all known methods of stress reduction or removal need to be considered. Little known stress reduction techniques are breaking Reasons Why People File For Bankruptcy By : MillerR There are reasons why people file for bankruptcy as they feel that it is their ultimate option to get rid of a lot of things! A lot of Americans are caught in the hands of debts and do resolve it by coming out by filing bankruptcy. Below mentioned are some of the common reasons why people file for bankruptcy. What Do I Do if This Is a Recession? By : Ozeme J Bonnette For the past two years, the stock market has mirrored a yo-yo. One day, it's up, while the next day, it's down. No one can agree on where the economy is headed. So, what is the best thing to do in an economic environment like this? 8 Benefits of Using A Prepaid Debit Card By : Tara Tiemann Want to know why prepaid debit cards are becoming popular nowadays? Why does people use it over credit cards? Here is an article that enumerates the benefits of having prepaid credit cards. Ways to Prevent Overspending By : Sherry Tingley Overspending is a bad habit that can be broken. When you spend more than you make, you are overspending and this can cause serious damage to your personal life and to your family. When You're Behind In Your Bills, Make These Payments First By : Susanna Berlatsky Many people, will feel pressure to first pay off the loan from wherever they are getting the most pressure from. But in many cases that would be a mistake. How to Spot Warning Signs of Bankruptcy By : J Dawkins Bankruptcy is essentially an inability to meets one's financial commitments as they become due. Public stereotypes of bankruptcy are often negative and associated with failure, poor financial management and can often lead to the individual being stig Wealth Secret: Stop Pointing Fingers and Start Taking Responsibility By : Alexis Martin Neely One of the major differences between those who experience consistent growth both personally and financially and those who are stuck is the concept of taking personal responsibility. If you're consistently living in financial lack, it's time to evaluate what's going on in your subconscious, rather than just your external circumstances. How to Make a Million Dollars- Multiple Sources of Income By : Joseph Mathys In this article I will approach the subject of Multiple Sources of Income or also know as Multiple Streams of Income. This is also the process through which most if not all millionaires have made their fortunes to become millionaires. Four Steps to Adopting a “Millionaire Mindset” By : Romy Rivera Four Steps to Adopting a "Millionaire Mindset": The first ingredient in becoming self employed through internet. In this article I will show you the 4 steps you need to shift your mindset from employee to self employed. If You're Addicted To Debt - Then Break The Habit Now! By : Michael Redbourn It's widely known that tens of millions are shouldering close to $10,000 of debt and that it's breaking their backs, and the number of bankruptcies for this year just exceeded a million. It's not just people that are going bankrupt but states are too, are whereas the battle cry used to be, "California or Bust", it's now, "California is Bust", and the sad truth is that the U.S. is bankrupt too. What happened? Did Americans become addicted to debt? 9 Tips To Save Money - Personal Finance Basics By : Brandon Schmid Are there personal finance basics you can take to save you hundreds maybe even thousands of dollars every week? Read this post for a few great ideas! Credit Report Score - What Will Your Credit Report Say To You? By : Kat Boudreaux If you do not think that your credit report score is important, you may want to read this. Unclaimed Money in the State of Alabama By : Nicole Anderson The AL state has unclaimed money owed to its residents and even some money to people all across the country. Read on to find out how to get your hands on some of this unclaimed property... Earnings Are As Important As Contributions to Your Retirement Savings By : Shane Flait Just contributing to your retirement savings is not enough. You've got to make them earn decent returns so their compounding effects significantly add to what you eventually accumulate. To settle for pathetic investment earnings makes saving for retirement only a contribution game with meagre results. This article shows the kind of earnings you need to compound your way to a decent retirement. Financial Planning in Your 30s By : Wesley Watkis Financial planning is a good idea no matter how old you are, but your 30s are one of the best times to really focus (or get started) on a plan for the future. By now, you are probably more established in your life than you were a decade ago. You have had some time to build your career, ideally with a company-furnished 401(k) for retirement or some other long-term plan. Get Debt Under Control By Setting Up A Budget First By : Amy Brown The plan starts with the task of understanding your regular income and the amount that is spent on several bills, utilities, food, entertainment, etc. Start by setting a monthly budget. Keeping a tab on interest rates becomes increasingly difficult once you have more cards than you could handle. In this step do not calculate right to the penny. Here are a few easy ways to take control of your poor financial situation and turn into a bright financial future. FDCPA Legal Clout Is There For You By : N. Messe If you feel as though a debt collector may be treating you inappropriately, take action, and consult a fair debt lawyer who can put the legal power of the FDCPA into action for you. Perhaps Bankruptcy Can Get You Back On Track By : N. Messe Naturally, the rules and regulations concerning debt relief and bankruptcy will vary from place to place. Be sure to check out the bankruptcy laws in your area, and look for a free consultation so you don't have to go at it alone. How The FDCPA Stops Debt Harassment By : N. Messe It would be pretty straightforward if debt collection agencies would follow the protocols laid down by the government. While many companies do behave, there are those who do not. Top 10 Ways to Ride the Recession By : Adrian Vultur If you have any spare cash, use it to pay off your debts. Money saved on your mortgage for example could be used to pay off credit card debts or store card debts or a bank loan. Your Credit History: What Gets Reported And What Does Not By : gagankainth. A credit report is a document that outlines your financial status, specifically your credit history. The three national reporting agencies, Experian, Trans Union and Equifax, work independently so it is advisable to get reports from all three for an accurate picture. Money Issues For Singles By : J Dawkins This article will highlight some of the money issues faced by single people and has some practical suggestions for overcoming them. As we will explore soaring property costs, excessive tax burdens, holiday surcharges and illness can all create financial difficulties for single people. Five Ways to Avoid the Financial Blues By : Amanda Bashore In tough financial times, most people become increasingly conscious of their spending. While they may not be sure exactly where their money is being used, they’re positive that their wallets seem a little lighter. Saving money each month requires that you examine your priorities and change some perhaps long-standing habits. Oftentimes, bad tendencies have a sneaky way of disguising themselves as necessities. As times change, so must our spending habits. Cincinnati certified financial planner Amanda Bashore offers her top five tips for ensuring you’re always in good financial standing, even when the economy is not. You Need A Budget Make Budgeting Easy By : Eric Transue If you are looking for a software program to simplify setting up a budget, here is why you should take a look at the You Need A Budget Pro Personal Finance Software Program Should You Pay Off Debt or Not? By : Marilyn Katz Lots of experts advise people to payoff debt, but is that always the best choice. Get more help on the question of savings vs low debt. Tax Impact: Pension vs Endowment Policy By : blacky The market is awash with a number of insurance policies that yield varied returns based on their objectives. Though most offer a fixed return, in case of unit-linked policies (ULIPs) the return is unpredictable as it depends on the fund performance. Getting Your Finances Back on Track By : Gregg Camp With so many people struggling to make ends meet in our current economic situation, it is more important than ever to take the time to inspect your finances to make sure that your money is being spent where it's needed. Financial Planner or Financial Physician? By : Michiel Van Kets So what exactly does a financial planner do? Financial planning accountants, tax accountants or Chartered accountants offer a variety of different services all relating to your investments or future investments and dealing with your income and the best ways to help you retain or improve your current situation. You need to choose the right one. Your Relationships And Money For Personal Finance By : Brandon Schmid Relationships and money go hand and hand. Here are a few helpful tips that can help guide you through the most difficult part of any relationship. Finding Debt Relief Can Make Your Life Much less Stressful-Find out More Now By : Alejandro Trujillo Too many families know what it is like to be stressed out to the max because of worrying about all of the unpaid debts. Debt can be the number one reason why any married couple or relationship might end up going badly because sometimes the stress is more than can be handled by everyone. It is very unfortunate but even good relationships can be damaged or ruined due to debt stress that has increased over a period of time. Asset Protection: A Product You Can Trust By : Jack Ryon Asset protection is the legal protection of assets from creditors. This covers a wide range of legal techniques that are used to insulate assets from being pursued by creditors resulting from various situations like bankruptcy, taxation, and alimony payments. Asset protection is commonly connected with offshore banking and offshore trust accounts but is in no way limited to it. The US model is known as Spendthrift trust while the UK model is called Protective trust. Your Fear is the Only Thing Stopping You from Becoming Wealthy By : James Keane Nobody wants to spend the rest of their life struggling to pay their bills, living paycheck to paycheck and saving for months for a single week or two of vacation. That’s the hard reality for many Americans, however. Why? Not because they can’t become wealthy, but because their fear is holding them back. Rebuilding Credit after Bankruptcy - Tips and Suggestions By : Judy Dixon Reestablishing new credit ratings takes time. It’s not an overnight process. The important thing is it’s possible, and it can be done. Protect Your Good Name By : James Dicks James Dicks examines methods of protecting your personal identity. An Opportunity to Convert to a Roth IRA in 2010 By : Tom Wheelwright 2009 is the Time to Start Your Planning If you plan on converting, then now is the time to start planning because your 2009 tax planning may look a little different. For example, you may want to defer deductions until 2010 and accelerate income into 2009 to avoid being pushed into higher brackets in 2010, 2011 or 2012 from large conversion income. Bankruptcy: Bankruptcy Reorganization, Bankruptcy Liquidation-Any Alternatives? By : marciano guerrero The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, brought about a few changes to the current USA bankruptcy laws, but in essence the structure of the 1978 Act remains the same. CA Unclaimed Money Secrets Revealed By : Arthor Penz CA unclaimed money is real and totals BILLIONS! Read on and see how you can see if you or your family is owed unclaimed property... Bankruptcy - Urban Legends & Myths Part 1 By : Rey Berona Bankruptcy - Urban Legends & Myths Don't believe all the stories that you've heard about filing for bankruptcy. The reality is that many people have turned their lives around after filing. With a fresh start and the stress over debt gone, they were able to fix their financial mistakes and move on to better their lives. Here are 15 Urban legends and myths that persist and the reasons why they are false. Tips to Choosing a Money Education Course for Students By : Vince Shorb Discover how to protect your children from financial pitfalls and how to choose a practical Youth Financial Education Course. Financial Planning - The 10 Key Questions to Ask Yourself By : Ray Prince No matter what stage of career you've reached, or even if you've retired, there's a number of key questions that you should be able to answer to give yourself the confidence that you've addressed all the important areas of your financial planning. So, today, I'm going to run through the key areas that we run through with each client to take a 'barometer' of their financial planning health. Let's get started. Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy for a New Tomorrow By : D. Keith Kilpatrick Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy provide two viable pathways to a financial makeover after a spell of gloom and doom. Learn more about the US Bankruptcy code and how a bankruptcy attorney can help you navigate the complex labyrinth The Retired Millionaire By : Martin Vika The Retired Millionaire. Releasing His Secret On How He Made His Fortune. I Made Over $12,000,000 In My Years, All On The Internet. Now I'm passing On My Step-By-Step Guide To $400,000 Your First Year, With No Start Up Cost, No Experience Necessary, How to Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney? By : Anthony Russell In case of bankruptcies, the bankruptcy lawyer plays a very crucial role in deciding the future of your business. T The Great Gatsby's Self-Help Contract Blueprint For Wealth By : marciano guerrero Successful individuals set goals for themselves for the short run and for the long run. And they write those objectives down. This is the secret of success. How to Survive the Great Depression and be Able to Spread Your Wings and Fly High By : jhen felipe During a recession or a depression many people panicked and don’t know what to do. It is because they do not have enough knowledge to battle recession. This article will tell you how to survive the great depression and be at your best at hard times Battling The Recession Effect By : vicky sparks Recessions Effect to many people around the globe are very negative and it's hard to fight. Scarcity and depression are slowly creeping and that people, businesses and the government itself are losing hope. Missing Money: Hints to Finding Your Lost Cash By : Arthor Penz Unclaimed money is something American's have heard of but are ignoring. Their doubt on its legitimacy may be stopping them from seeing if unclaimed money is real. Well, it is not only real, chancing are you or someone in your family is owed some! This article will provide you helpful information and tips to searching for and finding your unclaimed money. Household Budgeting: Getting it All in Order By : Carlos Montes Consider for a moment that your household is a business; no business would ever do well without keeping track of what money came in and what the monthly expenditures were. Try considering your home a business to help your assets grow! Communicating with the People You Owe is a Win-Win for Everyone By : James Dicks Premieretrade, james dicks, goals, personal finance, money, bills, collectors, debt, honesty, economy How To Turn Bad Credit Into Better Loan Terms! By : Jim DeSantis How you handle loans impacts your FICO score more than you might imagine in your credit report. It's a fact, you are scored heavily on the kinds of loans you have, the length of time of those loans, the oustanding balances, and your repayment history, are key clues that credit bureaus use to calculate your credit score. If you can wisely manage your loans, you will add points to your credit score quickly. Here are 4 key tips... Youth Financial Literacy Programs - What You Need to Know By : Vince Shorb Discover how to choose the most effective youth financial literacy programs so that today's generation receives a practical financial literacy education. General Asset Protection By : Berber Asset protection is now an important part of the planning an average American needs to do. Successful business owners have to worry about getting hit with a devastating frivolous lawsuit. Government regulators, the IRS, and half the entitlement Joes are waiting to take away everything they have. Most lawyers don't really concentrate on asset protection, because they make their living cleaning up the mess that comes when somebody tries to take your assets away from you. We all face disasters, such as death, divorce, lawsuits, taxes, catastrophic illness or accidents, and identity theft. It doesn't matter which one of the disasters hits you, they are a big asset protection threat to you. If you do some asset protection planning now, you're financial outcome following one of life's disasters will be a lot different than it would be if you do nothing. Most asset protection techniques are based on the concept of ownership. When you are attacked in an asset protection disaster, if you don't own an asset, it can't be taken away from you. Rather than having you "own" all of the assets, an asset protection plan will usually place ownership of assets under your spouse and/or children. In a good asset protection plan, you technically will be giving up ownership but not control and enjoyment of the assets. The majority of homes on my street have doctors or other professionals living in them. If you go down and search the county records, you'll find out that my neighbors don't "own" the house they live in. They have done asset protection planning and moved ownership of their homes away from themselves. Usually the spouse is the direct or indirect owner of the professional's house. Assuming the spouse owns the house, it will be protected when the professional or businessman is sued. Make sure that you use a living trust to "own" the house rather than putting it directly in your spouse's name, so that you don't go through probate if he or she unexpectedly dies. There are only a few "legal tools" that an attorney can use to move ownership of assets in an asset protection plan. Living trusts can be used to hold assets, but you should note that they don't give you good asset protection. The trust is not protecting the property. You can get good asset protection using a corporation. They are primarily used in business structuring, but they can form part of a family asset protection plan. Limited partnerships are held out as a great asset protection device. When they are used in a family asset protection plan, they are called a Family Limited Partnership or FLP. A limited liability company or "LLC" is the most flexible asset protection legal tool we have today. Whatever asset protection plan structure you create, the living trust will be at the center of the plan, because the entities (corporation, FLP, LLC, etc.) will be owned by the living trust in order to get estate tax advantages, avoid probate, and distribute the assets after a family member's death. My new book, Guaranteed Millionaire, will walk you through how to use living trusts and establish a good foundation for your more advanced asset protection plan. Get it NOW! When you get the Guaranteed Millionaire, you'll also get a FREE 90 minute DVD on asset protection. The DVD normally sells for $19.99 without the book. It is a great overview of the asset protection tools available to you. 4 Do's And Don'ts For Personal Finance By : Brandon Schmid Here are 4 Do's and Don'ts about some excellent Personal Finance decisions you could make to help make these tough times a little easier. The Difference between a Will and a Pour Over Will By : Berber What does "living trust will" mean? It's not really a legal term. But, it is a term that is often used when people start looking into living trusts. People are used to having a will distribute property after the death of the person making out the will. A trust also distributes property after a person's death, which can lead to the confusion and the use of the term "living trust will." In a sense, a living trust is a substitute for the standard will. A living trust and a will are two separate items. So, when the term "living trust will" is used, as a lawyer, I am not sure what is being referred to.A living trust is a different legal document from a will. A special type of will, a "pour over will," always accompanies a living trust. Using a pour over will is a safety device implemented with living trusts. Sometimes living trusts are known as --"living revocable trust" or "revocable living trusts". The key here is that they are revocable. That means that the maker of the trust can revoke the trust and move everything back to status quo anytime he or she wants. Living trusts are used to avoid probate which will give their heirs a larger inheritance and prevent them from having to pay estate taxes. A revocable living trust only avoids probate if it is properly managed by the person who sets it up. Even though a trust can avoid probate, most do not. Some in the legal community are coming out in opposition to living trusts since so many clients are not really getting the probate protection they thought they were getting. The trust is not the difficulty. The way attorneys are educating their clients is the problem. Clients will not know how to avoid probate unless they are educated on how to "use their living trust. A living trust will avoid probate if it is handled appropriately. If it doesn't, then the deceased's assets will need to be probated. Now the family has to endure a drawn out legal proceeding in probate court. When there is a will, the probate court will use it to help them make decisions throughout the probate proceedings. If there isn't a will, the probate court will treat the case as an "intestate" proceeding. Intestate means that there isn't a will. When you get a revocable living trust, you should also get a pour over will. The probate courts can use the pour over will to direct them through the process if probate becomes necessary. The pour over will won't be needed if the trust works properly and actually avoids probate. Pour over wills don't make a distribution of the property, as standard wills do. Once the property is probated, a pour over will directs the court to "pour over" all of the property into the revocable living trust, so that it can be distributed according to the terms of the living trust. In his new book, Guaranteed Millionaire, Lee R. Phillips discusses in detail revocable living trusts and pour over wills. Protect Identity Theft By : reliacredit reliacredit In order to keep your finances and your credit report protected, it is important to take certain steps to protect yourself against identity theft. Unfortunately, thousands of people become victims of identity theft every year and trying to clean up t Manage My Money: Turn $25 Into $34,000 By : Brandon Schmid Is there a way to easily save for your childs education? I will explain how you can turn $25 a week into $34,000 to help get the best education for your child. Bankruptcy And Attorneys - Part 1 By : Judy Dixon Ideally, the debtors are not advised to avail the benefits of Chapters 7 and 13, and financial experts often advise against filing for bankruptcy. However, the fact remains not all business concerns and individuals are eligible for other alternative Please! Avoid These 5 Common Repair Credit Scams! By : Jim DeSantis The Internet, Radio and TV, newspapers and magazines are running advertisements these days for credit repair services and many are scams. These scams often promise to fix your bad credit overnight. In reality, many of these so-called 'experts' will either overcharge you, involve you in illegal activity, or actually put you in a worse financial situation. Here are the 5 of the most common scams. Please! Avoid Bankruptcy At All Costs! By : Jim DeSantis Choosing a bankruptcy will negatively affect your credit score more than just about any other debt relief solution. Bankruptcy will virtually destroy your credit score for many years. Most people understand, after a bankruptcy, they will not be able to get loans but few people realize that bankruptcy will impact their entire life and that of their family in many unforseen ways. Enjoy Retirement by Recreating a New Mental Outlook By : Shane Flait Retirement is our third phase of life. Our first phase found us growing up and becoming educated to make a living. In the Second phase we create a family and the wealth to support and raise the kids through their own first phase. we need to recreate our outlook for our third phase to reap a new opportunity for enjoyment and avoid the depression and loss of purpose that many retirees feel. This article addresses how you can do just that. Tips to Teaching Money Management Skills By : Vince Shorb Teaching Personal Finance to teens will help youth avoid many of the mistakes that are plaguing so many young adults today. By teaching money management skills they need to excel in today's society; you are giving them a gift that will benefit them their entire life. How To Overcome A Personal Credit Disaster Fast! By : Jim DeSantis Financial disaster can happen anytime - good economy r bad economy - bankruptcy, divorce, legal judgments, unemployment, illness, etc. Any of these are very personal and can affect your FICO credit score in a big way. If you have faced a financial meltdown, you need to take action quickly and work diligently if you want to fix your credit and rebuild your FICO score. The Free Credit Report Sales Pitch! By : Jim DeSantis Just Google "free credit report" and you find find tons of sites and advertisements promising fast access to your credit history and FICO credit score. It's overwhelming unless you know how to sort out the really free reports from the sales pitches. Start here... Securing Your Student Finances in the Midst of Recession By : Nancy Havenford The economic recession has brought about financial difficulties in many areas of life, from rising oil and food prices to decreased job opportunities and income levels. General Asset Protection Information By : Berber Asset protection has firmly established itself as part of every successful American's life. Small business owners have to worry about losing their business to the frivolous lawsuit. The IRS, other government regulations, and a dozen other predators are out to get them. Attorneys don't do much asset protection planning for clients, because they make their money cleaning up the mess, not preventing it. Common disasters, like lawsuits, divorce, taxes, illness, and identity theft are something every one of us faces daily. You will get hit by one of these disasters, and when you do you'll have a major asset protection problem. If you do some asset protection planning now, you're financial outcome following one of life's disasters will be a lot different than it would be if you do nothing. Most asset protection techniques are based on the concept of ownership. When you are attacked in an asset protection disaster, if you don't own an asset, it can't be taken away from you. Your spouse or children will own all or part of "your" assets. The trick in asset protection planning is to move ownership away from you and still have you control the assets and get the beneficial enjoyment of the assets. Most of the houses around mine have businessmen or professionals living in them. Looking at the county records, you can't tell who my neighbors are, because they don't "own" the house they live in. Each one of my neighbors has done asset protection planning, and the "ownership" of their house isn't in their name. Usually the spouse is the direct or indirect owner of the professional's house. Assuming the spouse owns the house, it will be protected when the professional or businessman is sued. Have the spouse's living trust actually own the house, so that you don't end up probating the house if your spouse dies. There are a limited number of asset protection tools that an attorney has available to "move" ownership of assets. Living trusts do not provide asset protection. Having said that, you should also note that living trusts are used to move ownership in asset protection plans. You can get good asset protection using a corporation. They are primarily used in business structuring, but they can form part of a family asset protection plan. Limited partnerships are another good asset protection tool that can be use in a business structure or a family's asset protection structure. When a limited partnership is use as part of a family's asset protection shield, it id termed an FLP or "Family Limited Partnership." The most flexible tool an attorney has for asset protection is undoubtedly a limited liability company (LLC). In any asset protection plan, a living trust needs to be used to hold "ownership" of the other entities used, such as the LLC, FLP, and corporations. Using the living trust as part of your asset protection plan, you can avoid lots of estate taxes, avoid probate, and even manage assets from your grave. Get the book, Guaranteed Millionaire, and learn step by step how to lay the foundation of an asset protection plan. When you get the Guaranteed Millionaire, you'll also get a FREE 90 minute DVD on asset protection. The DVD alone is $19.99. It shows you all of the asset protection tools you have available today. It's Never Too Late to Create an Agreeable Retirement By : Shane Flait If you're a Boomer or fast approaching retirement age but you're far behind in retirement savings, don't give up. You can still pull together a retirement that you can enjoy. With perseverance, planning, and sacrifice, you can retire in relative comfort even with a late start. In this article I show you how to set up a strategy for achieving a good retirement by maximizing your retirement income and minimizing your living expenses. Guardian Selection is so Important in a Will By : Berber One of the saddest areas of Estate Planning law that I deal with is the situation where the courts are appointing guardians for children when the parents are dead and they have failed to write a will and name guardians. When the judge gives his final determination for guardian, he does the best he can, but without a will naming guardians, he can't know what the parents really want. I have seen families torn apart when the judge makes his final determination. The kids are often taken away and their family seldom, if ever, sees them again. Many times couples are unable to agree on guardians for their kids when they come in to do their estate planning. As a result they don't ever complete the task. It is a hard decision. Who wants the kids? Who has the ability to best watch over your kids? Where will the guardian bring up the kids? Will your children be loved? Who do you pick as guardians for the children when you do your estate planning? Think of the judge, if it is hard for you. Make sure to protect your children now, by naming guardians for them in your will. If you are a grandparent, you need to make sure your kids do their estate planning or at least have wills that name guardians for the grandchildren. Grandparents need to make sure their kids do their estate planning and name guardians for the grandchildren in a will. There was one estate planning case where the grandparents hoped to raise their grandchildren when their parents were in an auto accident and died. There was no will. The judge appointed a shoestring relative as guardian. The Court was petitioned by and appointed a distant relative to be guardian. The accident acted as a wake up call to the grandparents to get their own estate planning done. They called me and I helped with the trust, wills and other documents. Their estate plan provided that a substantial amount of their assets be left to the orphaned grandchildren. It has been twenty years, and the grandparents just requested I take the grandchildren off the list of beneficiaries in their trust and will. The grandparents hadn't seen the grandchildren for twenty years. When you name guardians in your will, the probate court will make the final determination and give that guardian legal custody and legal authority to raise your children. The court will almost always honor the selection you have made in your will. Before you do your estate planning or draw up a will, take a moment to think about who and what you really want for your children's guardian. It is an important part of the process. As you write your will you can "educate" the probate court because you understand what it is you want. Your will should list two or three selections for guardian. If the first selection doesn't work for some reason, the second selection will be next in line and so on. Every selection the court considers should have restrictions or things for the court to look at. Anticipate that the guardians could start to serve after quite a time lag, and you will want to take that into account. For instance, the health of the grandparents could change, so you could restrict their service on the condition of their ability to care for the children. The condition, that the aunt or uncle is still happily married to their same spouse, protects the children. The guardians could be restricted by the judge to raise the children in your family home, or have them raised in a specific religion, if you ask for it. Of course the court appreciates any help you give. Most lawyers never take the time to put these types of restrictions in a will. To include these restrictions in your will, just ask your attorney. My new book, Guaranteed Millionaire, gives you a lot of detail on naming guardians in your will. Naming guardians won't give you a million dollars, but sometimes things are worth more than money. Order my FREE DVD now to receive more information on protecting your financial future. How to Name a Guardian in a Will By : Berber One of the saddest areas of Estate Planning law that I deal with is the situation where the courts are appointing guardians for children when the parents are dead and they have failed to write a will and name guardians. Without a will, the courts do their best, but I have seen families torn apart when the judge makes his final guardian determination. The family will, often times, never see the kids again. Many times couples are unable to agree on guardians for their kids when they come in to do their estate planning. As a result they don't ever complete the task. It is a hard decision. Who wants custody of your children? Who has the ability to best watch over your kids? Where will your children be raised? Will the children be cherished? Your choice of guardians for your children is important when you do your estate planning. Think of the judge, if it is hard for you. Protect your children by naming guardians for them in your will. Do it now! If you are a grandparent, you need to make sure your kids do their estate planning or at least have wills that name guardians for the grandchildren. Grandparents need to make sure their kids do their estate planning and name guardians for the grandchildren in a will. I handled one estate planning case where the grandparents wanted to raise their grandchildren after the parents were killed in an auto accident. The parents had neglected to do their estate planning.The judge appointed a shoestring relative as guardian. The guardian the judge appointed was a shoestring relative. Right after the accident, I got a call from the grandparents to make out a trust and set up their estate plan. Their orphaned grandchildren were to be left with a substantial amount of their estate. I just helped the grandparents update their trusts and wills, after twenty years, and the grandchildren were removed from the list of beneficiaries. It has been twenty years since the grandparents have seen the grandchildren. The guardian is who the probate court will give legal custody and legal authority to raise your children, after considering who you name in your will. The selection that you make in your will is almost always honored by the court. Before you do your estate planning or draw up a will, take a moment to think about who and what you really want for your children's guardian. It is an important part of the process. Once you understand what you want, when you write your will, you can "educate" the probate court. List two or three different selections for guardian in your will. If for some reason the first selection doesn't work, next in line will serve and so forth. You should add restrictions or things for the court to consider, with each selection. The guardians could start to serve many years from now so you have to take that time lag into consideration. For example, you could restrict the grandparents' service on the condition that they have the health to take care of the grandchildren. The condition, that the aunt or uncle is still happily married to their same spouse, protects the children. If it is important to you that your children be raised in your family home, or in a specific religion, add that restriction. Any help you give the judge in your will would be appreciated by the court. Restrictions like these are seldom included in a will; lawyers won't take the time. These restrictions should be included in your will-just ask for them. Get in depth information on naming guardians and other estate planning details in my new book, Guaranteed Millionaire. Some things are worth more than money. Naming guardians won't give you a million dollars, but it will be well worth it to you. Take the first step to protect your financial future by ordering my FREE DVD! Will Your Will Avoid Probate? By : Berber Let's talk about the term "living trust will." It is not really a proper legal term. Nevertheless, it is a term occasionally used as people begin to explore the use of a living trust. A will is what people naturally think of when we think of how property will be distributed after someone dies. A trust also distributes property after a person's death, which can lead to the confusion and the use of the term "living trust will." A living trust and a will are separate and distinct, although a living trust can be thought of as taking the place of a standard will. So, as a lawyer, if someone asks me about a "living trust will," I'm not sure what they would like.There is a legal document called a living trust and a different legal document called a will. Actually, there should always be a will accompanying a living trust. It is called a "pour over will." A pour over will is a safeguard mechanism for a living trust. Living trusts are often referred to as "living revocable trusts" or "revocable living trusts," because they are always revocable. That means that the maker of the trust can revoke the trust and move everything back to status quo anytime he or she wants. People use living trusts to avoid probate and get more value to their heirs without paying any estate taxes. A revocable living trust only avoids probate if it is properly managed by the person who sets it up. Even though a trust can avoid probate, most do not. There is some debate in the legal community against living trusts, because they are not providing the probate protection intended. This isn't a problem with the trust. The way attorneys are educating their clients is the problem. Most of them don't give the client enough education, and they don't know how to "use" their living trust, so the trust fails to avoid probate. The deceased's assets will need to be probated if the living trust does not function properly. Now the family has to endure a drawn out legal proceeding in probate court. In the probate process, the probate court depends upon the will to understand the deceased's wishes. An "intestate" proceeding is what takes place when there is no will. Dying without a will is dying "intestate." A pour over will should be drawn in conjunction with a living revocable trust. When assets need to be probated, the probate courts will use the pour over will to help them through the process. The pour over will won't be needed if the trust works properly and actually avoids probate. A pour over will does not outline how property is distributed in the same way a traditional will does. A pour over will instructs the court to "pour over" all of the assets into the living revocable trust and distribute the assets as stated in the living trust. Revocable living trusts and pour over wills are discussed in detail in Lee R. Phillips' new book, Guaranteed Millionaire. Personal Finance: What To Do When Bad Credit Is Not Your Fault! By : Jim DeSantis Don't be a victim of credit report errors! You need to go right to the source - all three credit reports. Yes, all three reports! You must get reports from all three major credit bureaus. They are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Do not get the free versions. Pay for them and get your FICO credit score at the same time. Here is why... Retirement Planning – Start Early and Enjoy Financial Independence By : moore14960a Everyone retires one day so the earlier you start your retirement planning, the better for your future. Having Some Debt Is Fine, It's Having Too Much That's The Problem By : Michael Redbourn There is so much talk now about getting out of debt, and about how bad it is to have debts, but it's simply not true. Are you supposed to pay cash for your home or your car? Of course not. And if you move from a furnished place to an unfurnished one, are you supposed to live without furniture, a cooker and a fridge? Of course not. It's having too much debt that's the problem, but we'll look at some different ways to reduce it right now. Know Your Rights By : James Dicks James Dicks discusses the Fair Debt Collection Practice act and how to effectively deal with nasty Debt Colelctors. How We Pushed Our Credit Score To Over 800! By : Jim DeSantis The economic meltdown in 2009 changed the consumer credit picture, perhaps forever. In 2008, a FICO credit score of 650 was a golden ticket to favorable financing rates to buy a car, purchase a house or get a low-interest credit card. Not any more. Ways To Save Money After Losing Your Job By : Denise Brienne In difficult financial times one of the most common concerns we all face is job stability. No matter what your job may be or how strong your company may appear to be, there is always that nagging wonder about whether or not your position is firm. Knowing how to handle a period of unemployment before it occurs will help you weather the difficult times ahead. IRAs and Qualified Plans Offer Limited Asset Protection By : Shane Flait You can lose your assets to creditors (whom you've borrowed from), to claims under divorce or paternity suits, to trumped-up claims against your deep pockets, or to government for taxes owed. What you have in your IRA or other qualified plan has some asset protection. But federal and state laws together determine when and how much protection those assets actually have - and from whom. That's what this article addresses. A Self-directed IRA: the Pros and Cons By : Shane Flait Government rules allow use of your IRA for more types of investments than banks and mutual fund companies allow. But you must steer clear of violation self-dealing rules for those nonconventional IRA investments. But, taxation of IRAs obliterates the tax-advantages of some alternative investments. This article overviews nonconventional investments, tax rules and restrictions, and suggests reasons for and against investing in them. Retirement Planning – Start Early & Enjoy Financial Independence By : Carole Dople Everyone retires one day so the earlier you start your retirement planning, the better for your future. It really does not matter whether you would be retiring in the next 5 years or the next 20, start planning now. That would definitely improve your financial future. How To Fill The Gaps In Your School Grant Money By : Denise Brienne If you are like most college students, you will not be able to find enough grants or scholarships to pay for your entire education. If you find that you are struggling to pay your bills, even with the grants or loans you can get, a good budget can help you free up some more money to pay for your schooling. Tweaking Your FICO Credit Score To Above the National Average! By : Jim DeSantis If you believe media, average folks are facing a harsh reality, the reality of tougher credit influencing FICO credit scoring by the major credit rating bureaus. Well, read this if you find yourself with a weakened FICO credit score and credit rating. There are some smart steps you can use to turn your credit around.
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