What is the Sept Fed All About? Caution, in general, has turned out to be a safe option for most investors. The US equity market decline that happened in August and the volatility in the market at present (mainly because of concerns related to China and the emerging markets) has made caution all the more important. The continued concerns about very low US inflation rates just adds to this. The September meeting of the US Federal Open Market Committee made a lot of things clear for the common man. Chair Janet Yellen and the Committee kept interest rates on hold….

The months of May and June are usually a very busy time of the year in terms of financial activities. Financial gurus and professionals like market watchers, accountants and even financial writers tend to focus more on June 30, the end of the financial year, than anyone else. With the financial year coming to an end, individuals as well as businesses face a task in studying their financial decisions in the past year and how they will affect decisions in the next year. Whether you hire the help of a financial adviser or not, the new financial year offers great…

Planning your retirement sounds like is would be good to do but the actual process of planning is not always fun. There are so many things that you need to consider if you are looking forward to an excellent retirement, when you actually do retire. Many people do not like the hassle that comes with retirement planning like for example when do you plan to retire and what do you plan to be doing when you retire from your job? Early retirement The thought of early retirement tickles many people’s fancy. It is such a beautiful thought and a very achievable…

The federal budget was released last night and was called the “have a go budget”. There was tax breaks for small businesses and help for working parents. If this years budget was like last years, then the prospects of some of the items making it through the Houses of Parliament is not great. The 2014 budget was supposed to stimulate the economy. The general consensus is that if the world wide economy does not remain rosy, the government will not achieve the goal of being in surplus. There was nothing in the 2015 federal budget to suggest a strategy to…

A financial planner is a professional who helps you take care of your finances. They work with both individual and corporate clients. They help you save, invest and spend your money. Whatever your financial goals are, financial planners will help you achieve them. They will consider your financial situation and submit intelligent suggestions for implementation. Financial planners should have expertise in fields such as retirement preparation, insurance, taxes, saving, investing, etc. They will connect you with other professionals such as lawyers, accountants, and investment advisors. Their skills are often tested in the following financial planning areas: asset management, risk management,…

At whatever stage of life you may be, there will always be these dreams and goals that you create for yourself and your loved ones. Retiring comfortably, saving for your children’s college education, buying a business or a home, reducing taxes, taking a dream vacation are only some of the goals that people are trying to achieve. To turn these dreams into reality, your finances need to be managed wisely. It is your own ultimate responsibility to handle your finances; however you shouldn’t be alone in making decisions on complex financial issues. Financial planners can help you in the following…

After realizing the importance of having someone planning for your future, you have decided that you would want to find a financial planner. The problem is finding the professional who is best suited to your finances’ needs. You should look for someone who you can work with comfortably in putting your money to the best places. It may take you some work to find the right financial planner, but it will be worth the effort. After all, he or she will be handling your hard earned money. So how do you start the search? Compile first a list of potential…

When it comes to hiring a financial planner, people’s most common questions are: “what would I need a financial planner for?” and “what benefits do I get in using a financial planner?” Such professionals can help you in a number of ways, especially if you are not like some people who are gifted in managing their money. The following are the common areas where hiring professional planners can be beneficial. Expert Advice Making major decisions about financial matters can be daunting, and this is the area where you can immediately see how important financial planners can be. These people give…

Australians have 33 billion dollars of credit card debt and rising. We live in an instant society of microwaves and downloading movies verses going to the movie store. People are looking for instant gratification. Now if you are reading this article, you may not have a debt problem or you may have heard these statistics before and think “boring, tell me something I don’t know” so here are some facts that should scare you: 73% of people when they retire will be fully reliant of the government to support them Australians spend 103% of their income. They are living off…