Planning
Top 7 reasons why you should plan for your financial future today
Whether you are sailing along mid-career or on the verge of retirement, it’s important to plan for your future. Financial planning works towards a goal and helps you protect your financial life. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. This famous quote applies best for those planning for retirement but I strongly feel that even those who feel too young should consider it. Investing in your future today may turn out to be a better retirement tomorrow. Here are some reasons why you need to plan for future finances today.
I. To manage change in your goalsA good financial plan gives you the flexibility to alter your financial strategies in order to meet your new objectives. For effectiveness, you should weigh several factors like cash flows and the potential for taking a risk based on the goals. Reviewing your financial plan regularly is important since it allows you to make informed decisions regarding opportunities that arise in the future.
II. For financial freedomFinancial freedom should be an achievement in your life. You may be planning to quit your job tomorrow so having your financial plan will help you a lot. There are many benefits of having a sound financial plan like stability and flexibility. You are able to choose the right types of investments to fit your needs and personality.
III. For protection in bad timesLife is not always a bed of roses. Balancing between various types of insurance such as life, medical and home can be a challenge. It’s important to have an emergency fund as an integral part of any financial plan. Having a good financial plan helps you identify how much insurance you need to protect yourself and future family. Planning the right way when things are good and with a balanced portfolio, you will be able to get through tough times just fine. Coordinating your cash reserve goal with your insurances will help you maintain your financial security.
IV. For marital happinessMaintaining a good budget and financial stability will help you big time. Everyone want to avoid roadblocks that come with past due payments and poor budgeting. Financial strength without focus can never lead to a healthy future. Many people have a healthy income but they inevitably spend more than they earn thus leading a miserable life. With a good financial plan, you are able to spend just enough and save more thus a happy future.
V. You become a planner, not a saverSuccessful people set goals and develop a plan to achieve them. Those people who plan for their future end up with more wealth. Being a good planner makes you a goal oriented person and you are able to take control of your life. Taking control of your life is an important step towards improving your financial independence and security. Planning for your future finances helps you achieve a lot more than you had planned for yourself.
VI. To free up your timeOnce you have a financial plan in place it will be easy to know your financial strength and weaknesses. This will be easy if you are meeting your goals. It will very easily to find out if there something else you need to know when your finances are well managed. Stop worrying about money just ensures your finances are fine and focus on enhancing your lifestyle.
VII. To achieve your goalsA financial plan is a road map to your future since it tells you where you are and the steps to take to get where you would like to be. Your financial plan needs to be regularly monitored to ensure you remain on track. Having a financial plan helps you to know how long you need to save to obtain what you want. Financial planning is the most important step anyone can take towards achieving
ConclusionIf you understand your priorities then achieving a financially independent life is easy. Always set achievable goals and take the right path toward achieving them. Look at yourself as a financial asset. Always remember that investing in yourself will pay off in the future. Improving your career can have a bigger impact on your financial security so it’s important to always make smart career choices.
Top six reasons why you should consult a lawyer for your small business
Every business needs an attorney to provide vital assistance on lawsuits, business incorporation, and liability. A small business may not afford a full-time attorney but it needs access to a lawyer who understands you and your business. A business lawyer will help you handle issues whenever they arise. Here are a few reasons why you need to consult an attorney for your small business.
When dealing with employees issuesIf you are work with independent contractors, create an agreement that stipulates any arrangements you have concurred on. Your attorney could draft it for you or review the draft you have to make sure that it’s in your best interest. A business attorney will help you stay out of trouble with IRS when hiring employees. It’s advisable to consult your attorney before firing any employee to avoid being at risk of discriminatory lawsuits.
Negotiating a contractWhenever you are in business you have to get into one or several contracts. A good business attorney will help you by ensuring you do not sign a contract that will jeopardize your business. In the case of a breached contract, an attorney will spell out any options you have and make sure you do nothing you shouldn’t. They are experts in rooting problems clauses thus helping you escape any lawsuit.
To structure your business easilyThe first thing to do as a small-business owner is to decide the structure for your business. There are many options which include: corporation, nonprofit, and partnership. Your business structure you choose will affect your tax obligations and your exposure to personal liabilities. It may also affect how you acquire funding. A good business lawyer will give you the guidance you need to make the right decision for your business.
Taxes and licensesAn attorney will help you register your business for state tax identification numbers. He may also help you understand the tax consequences and basic transactions your business will engage. This helps you understand all your rights as a person and an entrepreneur.
Environmental issues influence your businessIn the case of any environmental issue involving your firm, you should consult your attorney. These may arise from production or waste emissions thus affecting your business even if you are not directly involved. In this case, you’ll definitely need an attorney to let the law take its cause.
If you negotiating a business saleWhen selling a business an attorney will help you get maximum value from it. He will make sure the stock transfer is done correctly and also help with negotiations. A business attorney is a small-business owner’s close friend in various situations. You should think to find an attorney if you own a small business so that you can have someone to call when there’s need to!
ConclusionA good business attorney will help you in case any government entity files a suit against your business. He is able to plan a course of action to deal with the issues in the best way possible. Establish good relations with a good business lawyer and your business will run smoothly without complaints about more incurred cost and losses.
Have a Business? Good. Now Plan for the Long Haul!
Starting a business is far from simple: it involves tasks and thinking that may be completely new to you. Once you start your business, though, it becomes an inherent part of your life. For many people, their businesses are like their babies. They have created them, nurtured them, and watched them grow into something successful over time. With all that work under your belt, making sure you don’t lose your hard earned profits from business is important to keeping both you and your company financially afloat.
Planning Long Term
More and more, older individuals are beginning to branch out and start their own businesses. No longer just young entrepreneurs, start-ups are shifting towards an older population. Boomers who aren’t ready to retire just yet but don’t want to continue their same job are turning to start ups to help fulfill their desire for an exciting and challenging position. Whether you are in your 30s or in your 60s, though, it doesn’t matter. The need to protect your assets is the same.
If you have experienced success in your business, chances are you have made it out pretty well financially. Hopefully you have enough money saved to cover your retirement (or are at least on your way to that goal) and have a basic plan for your golden years laid out. There is one event that can quickly disrupt and disassemble all of your nicely organized plan and bring it to rubble. Long term health care can happen to any one at any time and often involves huge health care bills that most people can’t afford without prior planning.
You might be thinking, “Long term care? That’s just for old people!”. Well, that may have been the case at one point, but that is certainly no longer the case today. In fact, 40% of all individuals receiving long term care are between the ages of 18 and 65. Long term health care isn’t just for the elderly. It involves services for a number of things including bad falls, recovery from illness or surgery, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and other conditions that require care and assistance, whether it is for just a few months or several years. Pigeonholing long term care into something only for seniors that isn’t necessary can end up costing you big.
Protect Your Business
Because long term care can happy at any time, it makes sense to plan early. Looking into coverage when you are 20 might not make sense, but when you reach your 40s or 50s, it is the ideal time to begin planning for long term care. Just one year of home health care costs more than $40,000. If you have put all your time and energy into your own business and suddenly suffer a bad fall at work, you may be forced to spend all that hard-earned money from your business on your own care. Not exactly the ideal situation, is it?
Business owners are typically savvy people. They can recognize true risks and understand the need for various protections to help keep their business up and running. Long term care is something that if you research for just a few minutes, you will recognize is a huge risk. Too many people have spent through their retirement savings because they weren’t aware of the risk that long term care posed to their assets, leaving them desolate. Putting hard work into your own company means you need to recognize the value of your hard work and help shield your assets from any risk that might come your way, because many exist.
Most states in the US have partnership plans that help individuals plan for long term care, so looking into the program in your state can help you begin the planning process. Planning for the long haul is crucial to any successful business. You must be prepared for any curveballs that could be thrown your way, and long term care is a very expensive curveball.
Owning your own business is an amazing experience that is unlike anything else. The ability to control every aspect of your own work makes all the hard work worth it. Just don’t risk it all by failing to plan for big health care costs later down the road. If you are looking into starting your own business, please read our previous post on strategies to help you decide whether or not beginning your own company is right for you.