building investments

Common 401(k) Mistakes People Make

There are many pitfalls when it comes to investing for your retirement. Unfortunately, a good many of these mistakes center around the 401(k), which can be a tremendous boost to your retirement plans when appropriately used to build your portfolio. The problem is that the mistakes are often the only things we hear when it comes to retirement plans and investing. I suggest beginning with the errors so that we can move along to better information and advice soon.

The first and perhaps largest mistakes that people make when it comes to 401 (k) is not signing up. Yes, you heard that right. What people do not understand is that this is something your employer offers so that you can have some security for your future. It is a manner of saving money for your future that shouldn’t be overlooked or taken for granted. Even a bad 401 (k) plan is better than no 401 (k), and with strict regulations, those are few and far between. More importantly, if your company offers to match the funds in your 401 (k) plan not taking them up on that offer is tossing money in the garbage can.

The next big mistake when it comes to your 401 (k) is risking too little. Rewards begin with risk. If you aren’t taking any chances with your investment, then you are by and large throwing money down the drain. In addition to that, it is nearly impossible to meet your retirement goals without taking some risks, and some hits along the way. It doesn’t mean you should be reckless but along the way you are going to need to make some calculated risks to receive the bigger payouts that most of us hope for when investing in their retirement funds.

They are risking too much. There are many risks involved when investing in the stock market. There are a few that deserve a little more mention than others. First, stocks present a relatively significant risk, particularly to the uninitiated. While it is true that great rewards are most often the product of great risks you do not want to risk the bulk of your retirement by investing it all in stocks.

Another thing you want to avoid doing if possible is investing in your company stock. We’ve seen too many lives destroyed when companies go undertaking the financial stability of their employees along with them. Many companies offer incentives to employees for investing in their stock, which may be tempting but I recommend spending as little as possible in your company stock whenever possible as this could lead to problems down the road.

Finally, borrowing against your 401 (k) is the worst thing you can do. There are so many ways in which this could go wrong, and the penalties for this are more than a little prohibitive. They are designed to be that way so that you will use the funds for their intended purpose. If you have no other option is the only way I would recommend borrowing against your 401 (k), and I would seriously consider selling a kidney before doing that.

When it comes to your financial retirement, 401 (k) mistakes can be far more costly than you may realize. Avoid common mistakes, and you will have an enjoyable retirement.

We hope this information was beneficial. You can have anything you want if you are enthusiastic about putting in the time, effort and plans to get to your goals. Discover the secrets why the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Click Here to view a video with more life tips!

In closing, we invite you to share your comments on this and our other posts. If you find the information useful, please Like & Share us and subscribe to this channel for an update as we reveal new strategies. Remember to keep an open mind and Shift 4 Freedom.

Effective Ways to Manage Money

There are many ways and tips on effective ways to manage money in general. Technically, all these tips talk about one thing: being able to have money when, or where needed. A lack and unfulfilled desire to acquire wealth when the call arises does not necessarily mean not being able to manage money effectively but may just be an overreach of expected events. Nevertheless, the person should be able to acquire and find ways to come up with the needed amount if ever there is a strapped budget from the unexpected event that requires to comply.

Look at The Future Goals

One of the most important and progressive values of a person to have effective ways to manage money is to have a sense of foresight. This foresight pertains to the ability of a person to know what things are most likely to happen to him in the future and be able to prepare beforehand with a substantial amount of time.

With this is the responsibility of being able to properly organize the timeline and the budget allocation of funding and financial distribution. Also, in this regard, the consideration of all other fees, bills, and payment allocations would have to be correctly identified and included in the plan.

An option of having to put an allowance or extended goal would be beneficial to the planner to allow himself to adjust and be able to cope with unexpected events with a bit more ease. In this manner, the one who manages the money can have an extra for a rainy season ahead.

Invest, Invest, Invest!

Another method to effectively manage money is to invest in progressive and productive endeavors which could be other sources of income. Instead of just allowing the savings to rest in a bank and earn a small amount of interest per year, it would be wise to allocate some of the money and other resources into a business. Of course, it may prove unproductive and detrimental, but the allowance of such funds to different paths of productivity would widen the scope in which a person could determine and discover the best way to manage and have more money to alleviate the status in society.

Investing does not only mean having to go into a business venture but also in being able to become a stockholder, no matter how small into an existing business. Being a stockholder and becoming a part owner of a running business puts a person into a profit-oriented state by having a percentage of the earnings that the said business generates. Nevertheless, the risk of losing the capital used for this investment is as significant as having a self-owned one.

The 3:3:4 Paradigm

This paradigm considers that all the other utilities and monthly bills have already been paid and the amount left is the extra money that is left available. Most people probably would not be lucky enough to have this, or if possible, just with a tiny amount. Still, no matter how small the amount is, it is a good start. The 3:3:4 paradigm means that 30% of the free money is to be saved in the bank, 30% is then used to allocate for the investments of choice, and the remaining 40% is assigned to the leisure and luxury of the household. The last aspect is essential to provide a sense of reward for the earner to clear the mind of burden and discouragement.

These aspects, when combined, are often effective ways to manage money and not be burdened of having to earn money to pay off previous debt. This would be helpful to the wage earner to look forward to an increasing pace of living rather than retroactive maintenance.

In closing, we invite you to share your comments on this and or other articles. If you find the information useful, please Like & Share us and subscribe to this site for an update as we reveal new strategies. Remember to keep an open mind and Shift 4 Freedom.

Invest in Property to Secure Your Retirement

Have you considered property investment to secure your retirement’s financial future? There are many great ways that you can let real estate build a nice little nest egg for your retirement, and the sooner you begin the process, the better.

While there are all kinds of stocks and mutual funds that confuse even the most intelligent among us, real estate is a straightforward business. The problem is that many people feel it is too risky. The truth is that there are many different types of real estate investing that all carry different risk to the buyer. One thing is for sure, and that is that with proper care and attention properties tend to gain value over time rather than lose value. If you purchase properties today and adequately maintain them, you can not only reap years of rental income while paying the mortgage on these properties, but you can also find your retirement home and pay today’s prices for it rather than the rates of tomorrow.

When it comes to real estate, it is always good to arm yourself with knowledge before taking any steps, and you should carefully discuss all plans for your financial future with your trusted financial planner or advisor. His or her job is to guide you when making plans and purchases that will affect your financial stability and security. They can also help you with the matters of taxation, cost analysis, estimated inflation, and the average rise in property value for an area.

As mentioned, before there are always risks when it comes to any investing. The same holds for real estate investing. Things can go wrong. On occasion, you will find lemon properties; for this reason, you need to have a complete and thorough inspection performed before you purchase the property. You should also make sure that you are aware of your state and local laws as they apply to landlords. For this reason, it is a good idea to consult with an attorney that specializes in financial investment in addition to your financial advisor.

Rental properties aren’t the only way to build a property investment portfolio. There are all kinds of property investment opportunities for those that are willing to take the risk. When it comes to property investing, the more significant risks often net the greater potential rewards. The thing you must remember is that you are gambling with your financial future. I tend to stick with rental properties as they are a safe bet and pay for themselves over the years while building a nice nest egg for my future.

There is the eternally fascinating investment opportunity that property flipping presents for one. When flipping a property, you purchase a property below market value—preferably one that requires minor cosmetic repairs. Make the repairs. Then sell the house for a substantial profit. It is a risky venture for those who are novices to the field, and many would be investors have lost a great deal of money doing this. Successful investors, however, can net significant profits in a short amount of time if they have the knowledge and skills to do the work themselves and time things correctly.

There are even more property investment opportunities that provide even higher risk, as they are highly speculative known as pre-construction investing. It is the investment that creates millionaires. On the flip side, it has sent many into bankruptcy along the way as well so tread very carefully before engaging in this sort of real estate investing and take great care never to spend more than you can afford to lose.

As you can see, there are ample opportunities in real estate to create an outstanding financial retirement plan for you and your family. You only need to decide whether property investment is the right thing for you.

Why Must You Keep Up to Date about Best Trading Systems?

If you think that you already know everything about the foreign exchange market and you can go on successfully without any help, you must think again. It is not every day that you will be able to make the right decisions. You cannot predict the road that you must follow as you go along with your venture. You can have a successful streak for a time, but eventually, you will lose the magic and you will feel lost in this world where you thought that you are already the master.

Such a point will eventually come for traders who don’t want to accept that technology can help them become better. There are some people who rely on their own guts in this matter. There is nothing wrong with that if you are performing well, and you are succeeding with all your goals when it comes to your trading patterns. But once you feel like nothing is going the way you planned them to be, this is the best time to rely on to something that can help you get back on track.

People versus the Machines

If you are still not convinced about the benefits that you can gain from using the best trading system, you must not drop the idea altogether. Why don’t you try it first and see what it can do and how it will be able to change your strategies and fate before you judge the system? There are other traders who would only listen to other people when it comes to their decisions on their trading life. They get mentors and advisers to help them at points when they are finding it hard to place their bets on the foreign exchange market. These people study the market to provide you with what you need to know. They investigate all aspects that you must be concerned about when you are making your decisions.

You may have the right people and the best in the field. But you cannot expect them to perform at the top of their game all the time. This may be their job, that is why they do everything in order to know the things that can help their clients. But they also have other things to attend to. They have lives outside their work. For this reason alone, they are not capable of looking into the market and all its moves all the time.

Therefore, certain products that aim to help you with your trading schemes are created. There are systems which were developed to investigate the movement of the markets all the time. These can be compared to robots that will not stop delivering what you expect from them if you are still using their services.

You will greatly rely on the data that this type of system will be able to provide you with. For this reason, you need to acquire only the best. You should not get tired in looking out for the better product when it comes to the tools that can help you advance with your investment strategies. You don’t want to be outdone by your competitors just because you were too lax about the matter.

You must keep yourself updated with the latest trading systems to know which one the best is. This way, you will be able to invest on a good kind and the one that can lead you to greener pastures on the trading arena.

In closing, we invite you to share your comments on this and or other posts. If you find the information useful, please Like & Share us and subscribe to this site for an update as we reveal new strategies. Remember to keep an open mind and Shift 4 Freedom.

Which Retirement Plan is right for You?

So many people find the chore of planning their financial retirement future confusing? If you are one of those this article is dedicated to explaining the differences between a 401 (k) plan and an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). There will be many terms you will come across during your research that will be somewhat confusing until you get the terminology down. The path to financial doesn’t have to be as complicated as we tend to make it.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to seek the guidance and advice of a professional financial planner. The resources and knowledge that a competent financial advisor can share with you will be invaluable when it becomes time to make the decision that will affect how your retirement savings are put to work for your retirement. We go to a mechanic for mechanical advice (at least I do) so it only makes sense that we would go someone who has trained in financial matters for financial advice.

Getting back to business, when it comes to financial retirement planning you should find that both IRAs and 401 (k) plans have strengths and weaknesses. There are also limitations as to how beneficial they can be when used in combination with one another as well as their own limitations. Every benefit that aids you in taxes and retirement should be considered carefully before leaping.

Let’s first look at the 401 (k) plan. This is a plan that offers a few benefits that are much preferable to many over other retirement plans. The first thing you might want to consider is that you can invest up to 75% of your salary or a maximum of $18,500 per year (as of 2018). Of course, that is assuming that your employer doesn’t have limits on how much you can invest. The money invested in your 401 (k) account is pretax money so it lowers the amount of taxes you are paying out of each paycheck. Many people also find that because the money is taken from their checks before it arrives it is far less painless to part with. As someone who has closely watched taxes, FICA, and Fido get my money for years I can say that it is no less painful for me, but some find it comforting and that is a real benefit.

Finally, and perhaps the most important thing to consider is that many employers will match a percentage of your contribution up to a certain amount each check. As an employee, this is a boost to your investment that is well deserved and hard earned. I hope you appreciate the implications it has on your future earnings. You should keep in mind that the penalties for accessing these funds early are harsh indeed in order to discourage this practice from occurring. Take care that you do not over-invest in these funds to the point that you will need to access them in times other than dire emergencies.

IRAs are another creature altogether. You will find much stricter limitations on IRAs than on 401 (k) plans to begin with the fact that if your employer offers a 401 (k) you must make very little money in order to qualify for the tax deductions that this retirement fund generally allows. The maximum yearly contribution for your IRA will be $4,000 or 100% of your annual income; whichever is greater up until the age of 49. Once you’ve reached the age of 50 you can invest an additional $1,000 to your fund. The other major drawback when it comes to an IRA is the fact that you must begin receiving payments at the age of 70.5 from your account. You will also be heavily penalized if you make an early withdrawal from these funds.

Make sure you discuss the pros and cons of a 401 (k) plan versus a Traditional IRA plan before you make your decision.