Financial independence compilation, habits of successful people, get rid of debt and make money

Welcome to the November 29, 2010 edition of financial independence.

Your Financial Independence Articles

Ten habits of highly successful people -  There are many different sayings that reinforce the importance of learning from others with more experience than ourselves.  This can save a lot trouble and can help us to achieve our objectives faster.

I have compiled a list of 10 habits, or qualities, of highly successful people. I honestly believe that anyone can develop these habits and progress to achieve anything in life.

Maybe I am a little naive but hey, it worked for them so it will probably work for me as well.

How to make some extra money - I have read quite a few articles about how to make some extra money. There is a wide range of advice that goes from saving, to keep the money in your pocket, to using your credit card to make money through rewards.

Here are a few of my favorite tips.

Personal finances management for when you are broke, debt consolidation home equity loans - It can be very difficult to budget when you are under financial stress. The following tips are aimed to us to budget when lacking a bit of cash.

Reasons to say NO to credit - It is very easy to get credit these days. Many credit card companies offer introductory rates that are very attractive, combine it with a culture that encourages to spend money then there is potential for a personal finances disaster.

Our society seems to place value on the things we have and not who we actually are. I observe this whenever I go. People compare the cars they drive, the school the kids go to or the clothes they wear. It is ridiculous. This encourages people to purchase stuff using credit.

Here are a few reasons why you should say no to credit.

Videos on how to be successful - The following videos provide quick and valuable  tips on how to be successful.

Reader’s Articles

Jason Vincion presents How to Invest posted at For the Love of Creativity, saying, "A blog post that offers suggestions on how to find sound investments that accrue interest over the rate of inflation."

Rosetta presents Cash Flow Notes posted at Stock Tips, saying, "Cash flow notes are similar to an IOU for debts that can either be purchased or sold. Get some investment tips if you wish to have smooth transactions with potential note buyers."

Everything Finance presents The Top 3 Ways to Entertain your Business Clients posted at Small Business Resource, saying, "When it comes to business, it is vital that companies form good working relationships with their clients. Trust is invaluable to fostering a successful partnership; socialising with your contacts outside of the office environment can be a great way to build it. If your clients are based far away from you and you only have the opportunity to meet every so often, you need to make the most of this time in order to get to know each other."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents PenFed Credit Union Credit Cards Review posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Have you thought about getting a credit card from a credit union? Here's a review of cards from PenFed."

Ryan @ MFN presents How to Find Unclaimed Property and Money posted at The Military Wallet, saying, "Tips on how to search state records for free to find missing money, such as paychecks, tax refunds, and other money you are owed."

Tim Chen presents Get $100 With the New American Express Blue Sky Preferred posted at NerdWallet Blog - Credit Card Watch, saying, "American Express just rolled out a spanking new offer, introducing the Blue Sky Preferred credit card, and they’re giving away $100 to boot."

Ray @ Financial Highway presents Car Maintenance: 8 Tips to Cut Down on Costs posted at Financial Highway, saying, "Maintaining a car can take up a large chunk of your income, here are 8 tips to help you cut down on your expenses."

Highest CD Rates presents Choosing the Best CD for You posted at Highest CD Rates Info, saying, "A certificate of deposit can be a low risk part of any investment portfolio."

Odysseas presents ‘Money is Not Easy, but It’s Simple’ posted at Wallet Blog, saying, "Hey, taking control of you financial future takes patience, but it does not have to be complicated when you set appropriate goals and know what your priorities should be."

Jeff Weber presents Who Can and Can't Benefit from the Citi Platinum Card posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, "The Citi Platinum select card is good for consumers who can benefit from low rates, but not ideal for those who pay their balances every month and could realize greater benefits with a rewards credit card."

Andrea McDougal presents Follow the Money:12 Big Public Works Projects Funded by US Stimulus Money posted at Masters in Project Management, saying, "Big public works are being funded by US stimulus money. These things range from major road and public transportation revamping to smart grid projects throughout the country."

BWL presents Is it Smart To Borrow Money To Invest? posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying, "A look at whether or not investors should be borrowing more money to invest..."

Mitch Archuleta presents Roth IRA CD Laddering posted at RothIRA.com's Retirement Planning Blog.

Michael Pruser presents Citi $50 Cash Back Student Holiday Offer posted at The Dough Roller, saying, "thanks for the inclusion"

Michael presents 20+ Christmas Gift Ideas Under $100 posted at Consumerism Commentary, saying, "A great list of Christmas gift ideas"

PT presents 2010 Tax Brackets: What Is My Tax Bracket? posted at Prime Time Money, saying, "Know your brackets and know how to plan to pay fewer taxes."

Alexander presents A Defensive Stock With A Generous Yield posted at Dividend Stocks, saying, "Value investors looking for a long term stock with a dividend that is likely to increase over the next few years should turn their attention to Lockheed Martin."

Moneyedup presents What About Savings Bonds? posted at MoneyedUP, saying, "These investments are perfect for everyone from infants to the elderly. Savings bonds have been around forever and are still as popular as ever."

freefrombroke presents Building Credit From Scratch – Are Young Adults Doomed for Financial Failure? posted at Free From Broke, saying, "Do young adults have the cards stacked against them as they try to build up new credit? Temptation and student loans make it difficult for young adults to get ahead."

Ryan @ CML presents How to Calculate the Yield on Cost of a Dividend Stock posted at Cash Money Life, saying, "Tips on calculating the yield on cost of a dividend stock, an important indicator of how your dividend portfolio is performing."

Ryan @ MFN presents When Should You Start Receiving Social Security Benefits? posted at The Military Wallet, saying, "Choosing to delay receiving Social Security Benefits can increase the amount you receive. These tips can help you maximize your Social Security Benefits."

Stretching the One Income Dollar presents Stretching the One Income Dollar: 10 No Money Down Ways to Buy Real Estate posted at Stretching the One Income Dollar, saying, "Thank you for consideration of my article."

MoneyNing presents How To Teach Your Kids To Budget posted at Money Ning, saying, "How would you teach your kids how to budget? Do you think it's important?"

Arjun Rudra presents Discussing the investment case for Kinross Gold (K:TSX) with Bruce Campbell of Campbell & Lee Investment Management posted at Investing Thesis, saying, "While many have argued that gold will continue to outperform going forward, there are equally as many who argue against an investment in gold , including the Oracle of Omaha. While there are valid points on either side of the argument it is you who has to judge on which side of the debate you fall. Having said that, if you happen to fall on the side that calls for an investment in gold , you’ll likely enjoy the following interview."

Money Crashers presents » What Is Divorce Insurance Coverage? posted at Money Crashers, saying, "One of the latest products to be rolled out by the insurance industry is divorce insurance. Yes, you heard me correctly, divorce insurance. The question is, what exactly is it and should you consider it?"

Youdondour torres presents Quick sameday advance posted at Pay Day Loans For You Today!.

Youdondour torres presents Payday loans online and how they work posted at Quick and easy payday loan!.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of financial independence using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati Tags: financial independence,habits of successful people,make money

Videos on how to be successful

The following videos provide quick and valuable  tips on how to be successful.

Stephen Covey on setting priorities video

Setting priorities

 Quest for success: get very clear on how you intend to live your life

Quest for success

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

Technorati Tags: personal finances,financial independence,successful people

Ten habits of highly successful people

There are many different sayings that reinforce the importance of learning from others. It can save a lot trouble and can help you to achieve your objectives faster.

I have compiled a list of 10 habits, or qualities, of highly successful people.


1. Successful people look to see opportunities where others see nothing

Successful people are always looking for opportunities. They don’t listen to the people that discourage them. They objectively look at every business opportunity even when others see nothing.

That does not mean that their ideas always work out. However they are willing to think outside the box and to try things out.

You may start thinking that you are just an ordinary person that doesn’t know how to think outside the box or that everyone else is more clever than you. Don’t think that way. Looking for opportunities is a skill that you should practice and learn with experience.

Personal finances application: Look for opportunities to make extra money. It can be through opening a small online business, a blog or many other ways.

The following articles show you a few ideas ion how to make extra money:

• How to make money blogging videos
  
• A few strategies to make some extra money

2. Successful people are solutions focused

Successful people are always trying to find solutions to problems. They don’t dwell on the problem, they understand it and look for ways to solve the problem.

Personal finances application: Do you have financial problems? Maybe you have a bit of debt that you want to get rid of or you struggle to follow your budget. Stop focusing on the problem, stop saying to yourself that you have a problem and make a list of possible solutions.

Once you have that list prioritise it and work you way through your ideas in order to find solutions to your problems.

3. Successful people create their own success

This is key to anyone that wants to achieve anything in life. Success won’t come your way, you need to chase it, to create your own success.

What that means is that you will not wait without action to achieve your dreams. Successful people are action oriented, they look for opportunities and they take action. This way you will attract success towards you.

Personal finances application: Define what financial success means to you and write it down. make this list your objective and work hard towards achieving it.

The following articles contain great tips on how to pursue your own success.

• The science of getting rich - how riches come to you
  
• The science of getting rich - increasing life

4. Successful people are fearful but they take action anyway

Successful people are just like you. They think about the things that can go wrong and they are fearful of them. However they are not controlled by their fears. Being brave is taking action despite fears. That is exactly what successful do.

Now, don’t go crazy on this. You need to evaluate your actions and risks involved. Look at reach potential risk and think about ways to remedy those risks if they ever evaluate. Once you do this you are ready to take action.

With a bit of planning and risk assessment you can take action despite your fears.

Personal finances application: Are you afraid of starting your own business, maybe a blog to start with? Maybe you are afraid that your action won’t bring the results you expect.

If you have made a list of potential solutions to your financial problems (from item 2 above) then evaluate the possible outcome of each option and think about ways to remedy those risks if they ever eventuate.

Once you have done that you are ready for action.

The following article relates to risk taking when investing in shares:

• The risks and benefits of investing in shares

5. Successful people take responsibility for their actions and outcomes

Successful people take responsibility for their actions. If they are responsible for the action of others such as their employees for example, they also take responsibility for those.

They don’t blame anyone else. If you want to be successful you need to take a critical look at your actions and their outcomes and take responsibility for them.

If you stop blaming you open doors to start learning. Once you say that something is your responsibility you are ready to evaluate what happened and learn from it.

Personal finances application: Can you think of anything you have done in the pats to address your financial issues and the outcome wasn’t quite what you expected? Maybe you blamed somebody else, the world economy, the customers that didn’t buy your product of the investment that didn’t go quite right.

Look at what happened and take responsibility for the outcome. You step is t them look at what happened and learn from it.

The following article discusses the topic of taking responsibility for your personal finances:

• 10 tips for financial security

6. Successful people look for ways of maximizing their potential

Successful people know they shortcomings and the areas that they need to improve. They know that they are as talented as anyone else and that there is lots of potential for improvement.

If you want to be successful you need to recognize the areas that you need to improve and work on them. Successful people are always improving themselves in whatever field they are involved in.

Personal finances application:  Take a critical look at your financial skills. Can you see any areas that need improvement? Maybe you want to learn more about basic accounting or real estate investment.

Focus on the fact that you know that you can address those areas and start working on it.

The following link takes you t an article about basic accounting. Anyone on the road to financial independence needs to control basic accounting principles and know how to apply them in real life.

• Basic Accounting Principles - The start to financial

7. Successful people are productive

Successful people are always busy. They are always doing something. They don’t sit around doing nothing. They are focussed on their objectives and they work hard towards achieving it.

It is very important to live a balanced life as well. If you have a family it is important to spend time with them. Being focused and action oriented does not mean that it is the only thing you do in life. it means that when it is time for work you are doing something and working hard towards achieving your objectives.

It is important to take breaks and to live a balanced life so you can enjoy all areas of your life.

Personal finances application: Create a action calendar. Mark the days and the time where you will be working towards achieving your financial objectives and stick to it.

Be flexible and adapt your calendar to suit all aspects of your life including the time you spend at work and with your family.

The following article discusses the topic of taking action in order to achieve your objectives:

• The science of getting rich - efficient action

8. Successful people develop relationships with like-minded people

Successful people relate to people that are like-minded and that will encourage them to achieve their objectives.

Look for people that want to achieve the same objectives as you and develop and relationship with them.

This does not mean that you will be calling a few people and then to be your friend. That would be pathetic. You can do this by looking for like minded people on the internet and read about what they do and if possible communicate with them.

This can be done by following the blogs of like minded people, following them on twitter and facebook. It may not look like you are developing relationships with them but you are. You are listening to what they have to say, you are commenting on their blogs and exchanging ideas. That is developing a relationship.

Personal finances application: Do you want to be financially independent one day? If yes them follow me on this blog, twitter and facebook. Comment on the articles on this blog and I will make sure to reply to your comments as quickly as I can.

The following links will take you to my twitter and facebook accounts:

• http://twitter.com/#!/ditchtheboss1
  
• facebook

The following links will take you to some other blogs about personal finances. If you like what the other authors say then follow them or comment on their blog posts.

• http://www.knsfinancial.com
  
• http://www.getrichslowly.org

9. Successful people innovate rather than imitate

Successful people don’t copy what other people do, they innovate, they look for opportunities and improve on what others do.

Microsoft for example, they keep on buying other companies and they improve their software and make tons of money by improving them.

Look for ideas of what other people have done and look for opportunities to improve or innovate what others have done.

Personal finances application: Look for small business opportunities. Maybe you can teach someone or provide a service. Look at what other people are doing and improve on it. Innovate. You can teach using a different, improved technique or resources.

10. Successful people have a clear vision for what they want for their lives and work towards achieving it.

If you want to achieve anything in life, the first step is knowing what you want to achieve.

Write down your dreams and objectives clearly and concisely. Then visualise them, memorise them and focus on the fact that you know that you can achieve it.

Personal finances application: Write down your personal finances objectives. Make that your master list, perhaps set yourself some dates and work towards achieving them.

Make the list a dynamic one that changes as you achieve your objectives or that changes as your life changes.
Include long term and short term objectives and have an action plan.

The most important of it all is knowing what to achieve and to take action towards achieving your financial objectives.

Technorati Tags: personal finances,financial independence,make money,successful people

How to make some extra money

I have read quite a few articles about how to make some extra money. There is a wide range of advice that goes from saving, to keep the money in your pocket, to using your credit card to make money through rewards.

Here are a few of my favorite tips.

Create ad supported websites or blogs

This can be a bit time consuming and it can take a while to give you the return you want. Nevertheless there is a lot of potential for long term, enjoyable earnings.

An easy way to start is by using the Google’s blogger site. It will take literally a few minutes to setup a blog, and then you can add a variety of monetisation strategies including adsense, chitika ads and more.

Sell your old stuff

A garage sale can put some money in your pocket and, at the same time, help you to get rid of your old stuff.

My neighbor does at least 2 garage sales a year and often makes more than $1000 from them.

The kids also like to join in the fun and sometimes they sell drinks for $.50c.

It is great fun!

Resell items

Do a little research online and find which items are on demand and how much you can get by selling them online. Once you have your little list go shopping. Buy those items in garage sales or cheap shops and resell them online for a profit.

Don’t forget to including postage when you calculate how much you need to charge for your items.

Offer your service to others

There are many people that need different types of services. Lawn mowing, pet sitting, grocery shopping and more. Try offering your services through your local paper and you can probably make a few bucks from it.

Use your current job skills

Take what you do in your current job and consider offering the same service to others during the weekend or night time.  A similar option is to teach what you know to others.

Telecommute, car pooling

Make money by saving the money you spend in gas. Speak to your employer about the possibility of telecommuting or speak to your colleagues about car pooling.

Flip websites

If you have the technical skills then create websites with traffic and income potential and flip it. Have a look at flippa.com for a few ideas.

Sell photos online

Anyone cam get out there in the great outdoors and take some good quality pictures. During the weekend take your camera with you, take a few pics and sell them online.

Before you go out taking the pictures do a little research online to find out the topics that are in demand. This can help you to take targeted pictures which will improve your sales potential.

Take a real estate course and become a real estate agent

I know this sounds a little wild but it is definitely an idea with huge earning potential. if you are a stay at home mum talk to your partner about take weekend courses on real estate selling and get yourself licensed.

Once you do that you can start an online real estate agency which has less overheads to you and therefore you charge a little les commission from your customers every time you sell.

People already do that on eBay. There is nothing preventing you from creating an online shop to sell, well to sell properties.

If you do that make sure you do your research to get yourself insured and make sure that you follow all of the required legal obligations.

Technorati Tags: financial independence,adsense,chitika,ebay,personal finances

Reasons to say NO to credit

It is very easy to get credit these days. Many credit card companies offer introductory rates that are very attractive, combine it with a culture that encourages to spend money then there is potential for a personal finances disaster.

Our society seems to place value on the things we have and not who we actually are. I observe this whenever I go. People compare the cars they drive, the school the kids go to or the clothes they wear. It is ridiculous. This encourages people to purchase stuff using credit.

Here are a few reasons why you should say no to credit.

Self Control

Lack of self control when dealing with your finances can end up in financial disaster. Exercising self control in financial matters can help you to achieve other things in life such as weight loss or the endurance to achieve very difficult goals.

Having self control is very important because it can help us to achieve or dreams. Financial self control can help us to buy a house, to go on holidays (fully paid with cash of course) and to stay out of trouble that can come from unsecured debt.

Using credit means you are not following your budget

Budgeting does not need to be complex. All you need is to do some simple planning and track your expenses. If you are using your credit card to finance everyday purchases then you are not following your budget.
If you are using your credit card to help with your cash flow then it is likely that you are spending more than what you earn.

Get those expenses under control, find other streams of income and get your budget on the black.

Whatever you do avoid using credit to finance everyday purchases.

If you want to learn how to create a budget and stick to it then click here.

Credit card interest rates are very high

The average credit card will charge over 20% pa interest. That means that if you owe $5000 over the course of one year you will pay $1000 in interest. That is almost $100 a month just for interest. Again just for the interest.

These days $5000 in a credit card balance is low. Creditcards.com says that average credit card debt per household is $15,788. If you are paying 20% interest on that, it is an amazing $3157 per year. Imagine what you could do with all of that money.

Poor financial habits can impact your personal relationships

Money is often the reason that couples fight. it is a very touchy subject especially if the couple is not working together. Budgeting for the family should be done with the family. If one person tries to enforce a budget the chances of success are very low.

Using credit cards can lead to bankruptcy

In the worst case scenario, if you spend too much and then cannot repay it you may have to declare bankruptcy which can affect your credit rating for up to 10 years. Prevention is better than cure.

Debt free brings peace of mind

Being in debt is very stressful. You are constantly worrying about your cash flow, making your payments and when you will be debt free,

Not having any debt brings an amazing peace of mind because you don’t have to worry about paying interest and you are in control of your cash flow. being debt free lets you worry about other things such as when you go to the beach next or how you are going to achieve your next financial objective ( not with credit please).

Conclusion

Credit card can be useful in case you are caught in a emergency situation without an emergency fund. Apart from that there are plenty of reasons for staying away from debt.

If you cannot afford to buy something with cash then you cannot afford to buy it with credit, then just don’t buy it. This article provides a few tips on how to avoid credit card debt.

Become your own financial hero by staying away from debt.

Technorati Tags: credit card,financial independence,personal finances,debt

Personal finances management for when you are broke, debt consolidation home equity loans

It can be very difficult to budget when you are under financial stress. The following tips are aimed to us to budget when lacking a bit of cash.

Avoid getting evicted

It is very important to address immediate issues such as rental or mortgage payments.
if you are short on cash to pay for these bills then take a look at other bills you have to pay, such as electricity and mobile phone, and try to call the other companies and delay the payment of those bills in order to pay for your mortgage or rent.

Review your credit cards

Take a look at your credit cards and their due dates. A few months ago I was paying my credit card every time I got paid and I couldn’t figure out why I was short of cash before the next pay came. On top of that I couldn’t figure out why my credit card debt was not going down.

Turns out that I was putting too much cash into the credit cards and when I ran out of cash at the end of the pay period I used the credit cards again and the debt was never paid off and I was always running out of cash.

Now that was stupid. Take a look at the due dates of your credit cards and ensure that they are paid on time but, depending upon your circumstances you may be able to reschedule the dates you pay your credit cards in order to free up some cash for other obligations.

Just make sure you pay at least the minimum amount by the due date.

An couple of options to help you to pay off your credit card debt is debt consolidation and home equity loans.

With debt consolidation you can consolidate all of your unsecured debts into one payment that should be easier to afford.

If you have enough home equity you can also look at taking that equity out and use it to pay off your credit card debts. This is often a good idea because mortgage interest rates are much lower then credit card rates.

There are a few options to help you, do your research and take action.

Your Financial Independence Compilation, investing, personal finances and more

Welcome to the November 22, 2010 edition of financial independence.

Your Financial Independence Articles

How to make money blogging videos

Best tips for last minute Christmas shopping. It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Shopping centres a decorated, Santa is around to take photos with the children, shops are playing carols and more…
I do think it is a little early to have all of that. I’d prefer they started at the beginning of December. But hey, it is not about the real meaning of Christmas, it is all about money. Oh, sorry about that, my cynicism is starting to show.

A few habits that are keeping you in debt. There are certain habits that we may have that unconsciously prevent us from paying off our debt and getting ahead.
Following are seven habits that may be holding us back from paying off debt and getting back into the black. Remember debt matters, it is important to get ahead in order to turbo charge you journey into financial independence.

Save you money shopping online. Online retailers are able to offer you more discounts than the normal shop because they don’t have the overheads of paying for rent and other expenses related to having a physical building.

How to turn income into wealth. The secret to financial independence is to turn your income into wealth. In other words, in order to be wealthy you need to take what you earn and make it work for you instead of you constantly working for money.

Reader's Articles

Rosa Wilson presents Change of Address: 10 Ways to Save Money On Your Grocery Bill posted at Change of Address.

Rosetta presents Interest Rates for IRA posted at Stock Tips, saying, "Finding the best IRA interest rates available today is a good way to protect your retirement portfolio. Learn how to calculate the interest rates for IRA to help get you better returns."

debt kid presents Are You Too Comfortable? posted at DebtKid.

Mark Aucamp presents Will the Buy-to-let market damage the housing market? posted at Money Saving Tips, Consumer Finance, Expert, Advice and Help | Talk Money Blog, saying, "Interesting view point"

Sun presents Treasure Hunt for Outing Discounts posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary.

Tim Chen presents WalMart MoneyCard vs Western Union MoneyWise: Prepaid Debit Card Showdown posted at NerdWallet Blog - Credit Card Watch, saying, "You’ve probably seen the WalMart MoneyCard at your local WalMart, offered in partnership with Green Dot Financial. While it’s definitely one of the better deals out there, it’s not the best deal."

FIRE Getters presents Tools - FireSafe Your Personal Finance Documents! posted at FIRE Finance, saying, "It's a nice idea to keep our important personal finance stuff in such a way that we can grab hold of it and leave at a moment's notice. In case we cannot do so, it'd be great to have a back-up at a safe place with an easy access in case of natural calamities or unforeseen disasters ...."

Steve Smith presents Several Reasons Why You Should Learn Currency Trading posted at Forex Trading System Central, saying, "Trading currencies can produce income that you need to support yourself and your family in these difficult times."

Cynthia Merritt presents 10 Things College Students Should Know About Credit Cards posted at College Crunch.

Jessica Bosari presents Investing for Your Retirement: Is it Time to Get Back in the Game? | billeater.com posted at Billeater, saying, "Is it time to start investing again?"

Jane Sanders presents How to Get Debt Collectors to Leave You Alone posted at Debt Management.

Alexander Peter presents Do Students Need A UTR Number? posted at UTR.org.uk, saying, "If you are self employed student you may need to apply for a UTR number to pay your taxes."

Charles Chua C K presents Effective Personal Budget for Financial Freedom posted at All About Living with Life.

David de Souza presents 4 Things Everyone Should Know About Inheritance Tax posted at UK Tax Blog, saying, "Guide to inheritance tax, how it works and what tax allowances you can claim"

Jessica Bosari presents Five Financial Problems Women Face and How to Manage Them | billeater.com posted at Billeater, saying, "Women's financial concerns"

Arjun Rudra presents Discussing Investing In Income Producing Assets Like Bonds And Dividend Stocks with Benoit Poliquin, CFA of Pallas Athena posted at Investing Thesis, saying, "Discussing income investing using preferred shares and dividend stocks."

Alex Deeds presents Top 50 Blogs for Yard Sale Aficionados posted at Associate Degree, saying, "If you’re wondering what people did before eBay, the short answer is yard sales. The practice of putting ones old or unused items up for sale to the public can be found in just about every neighborhood on any weekend of the year."

Stephen Kavita presents Personal Finance Tips That Ensure You Generate Wealth And Achieve Financial Freedom posted at Self Improvement Tips, saying, "Financial discipline and delayed gratification can be achieved through a system of rewards and punishments to yourself."

Mike Piper presents International Bond ETFs and Funds: Should You Own Them? posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, "Does it make sense for U.S. investors to own international bond ETFs or funds?"

Jeff Weber presents Capital One Venture Card Review posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, "The Capital One Venture card is good for consumers who don't carry credit card debt from month to month, but not the best option for people who don't spend heavily and pay their bills in full every month."

CreditShout Kevin presents How To Develop a Customized Debt Payoff Plan posted at CreditShout.

BWL presents Amazon Subscribe & Save: Save Hundreds & Automate Your Shopping posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying, "A look at a little known subscription program that can help you save money on items you buy each month and simplify your life in the process..."

Robert Alan presents 5 Secrets a Credit Card Company Would Never Reveal posted at Credit Cards Blog | CreditCardAssist.com, saying, "Here are 5 secrets credit card companies know but wouldn’t likely reveal to it’s customers"

Tom Tessin presents 10 Identity Theft Facts to Know posted at FSC Blog, saying, "Identity theft effects a lot of us, and you need to learn on how to fight it, as well as know how many people become a victim."

Michael Pruser presents Ink Bold℠ with Ultimate Rewards℠ – $100 Bonus Cash Back posted at The Dough Roller, saying, "thanks for the inclusion"

Michael presents New Jersey Ranks Fourth for Innovative Companies posted at Consumerism Commentary, saying, "thanks for the consideration"

Odysseas presents Recovering Your Credit After the Great Recession posted at Wallet Blog, saying, "Hey, I think your readers will enjoy our submission this week because it shows people one main option for improving their bad credit. You are not alone if you are suffering from bad credit. Luckily, we have one solution that can help."

freefrombroke presents Ways To Increase and Improve Your Credit Score Without a Credit Card posted at Free From Broke, saying, "Fixing credit card habits isn't the only way to build up your credit score. There are also a couple of ways to build credit without a credit card."

Jane Chin presents Wealth Building 101 » Wealth Building is about Mastering Impulses posted at Wealth Building 101, saying, "Wealth building is one of those things where You get a lot of people telling you how you “should” do it, how they would do it, why you’re doing it wrong and you should do what they say, which of course, would be “right”."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents American Express Delta Credit Cards For Flight & Miles Rewards posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Here's a review of a credit card for those who travel often!"

Judy Blackburn presents What Sets Christian Debt Relief Apart From Others posted at Debt Consolidation, saying, "Is there a difference between Christian debt relief and the run-of-the-mill debt relief service."

PT presents Which Debt Do You Pay Down First? posted at Prime Time Money.

Youdondour torres presents Quick same day advance loans posted at Quick and easy payday loan!.

Youdondour torres presents Advance cash loans posted at Pay Day Loans For You Today!.

Youdondour torres presents Bad credit payday loans, apply now! posted at Quick and easy payday loan!.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of financial independence using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati Tags: financial independence,personal finances,financial advice

How to make money blogging videos

Are you looking into blogs as a way to make some extra money? These video will give you a quick introduction on how to turn your blog into a stream of income.

Enjoy!

How to make money blogging

Technorati Tags: blogging,financial independence

Best tips for last minute Christmas shopping

It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Shopping centres a decorated, Santa is around to take photos with the children, shops are playing carols and more…

I do think it is a little early to have all of that. I’d prefer they started at the beginning of December. But hey, it is not about the real meaning of Christmas, it is all about money. Oh, sorry about that, my cynicism is starting to show.

Here are a few tips to help you with your Christmas shopping if you are a little unprepared.

Make a list

First first thing to do is to determine how much you can realistically spend on your Christmas shopping overall. Be realistic.

Once you have done that then list all of the names of family and friends to whom you will give presents to and assign an amount to each person. This bit can be a bit of fun…

When you finish with the list make sure you are not overspending. Adjust the list until you are happy with it and within budget.

Do not go over budget

Don’t let your emotions run over you. If you are following your budget you cannot let your emotions run over you. I know this does not sound very nice but it is a fact.

Overspending will break your budget, get you into credit card debt, if you are using your credit card, and create a precedent. Your friends and family will expect expensive gifts from you every time.

Pay it all with cash

One way to increase your chances of following your budget is to carry only cash with you. Don’t go shopping with your credit cards, leave all of your cards at home.

Every time you go shopping  know which presents you are buying, know how much you are going to spend and take the exact cash you need.

This way you will follow your budget and you will not regret it later on.

Shop by yourself

There is research that indicates that people who shop alone have a tendency to spend less. Needless to say, go shopping alone.

Your family or friends will distract you and potentially influence you to buy something that is not in your budget.

Don’t buy presents for yourself

When you go to the shops you will certainly see stuff that you like. Don’t fall into the temptation of spending your money on the things you want. If you family and friends ask what you want for Christmas, get them to buy the things for you. Al so remind yourself that this is the season for giving, not getting.

Be creative

If you are really low in cash, or just want to do something different, search on the internet about do it yourself Christmas gifts. This will cost you only a fraction of what you would spend on the shops and, to me anyway, are much more valuable than just stuff from the shops.

Gifts you make will have your own personal touch and you can make them to suit to person receiving the gift. There is no shame in that!

I think that the main idea is for you to enjoy the season and bring a smile on the faces of the ones you love. This does not need to come from expensive gifts. Something you make to suit the person will have a much more long lasting impression than something that will be used a couple of times and thrown away.

Don’t make Christmas shopping a torture, don’t break the bank and make it part of a wonderful festive season.

Have a great time!

Technorati Tags: personal finances,financial independence,christmas

A few habits that are keeping you in debt

There are certain habits that we may have that unconsciously prevent us from paying off our debt and getting ahead.
Following are seven habits that may be holding us back from paying off debt and getting back into the black. Remember debt matters, it is important to get ahead in order to turbo charge you journey into financial independence.

Not knowing your account balance

It is very important to keep track of the balance in your bank account. This is especially true is you know that the balance is a little low.

Banks will allow you to overdraft on your bank account but they will charge you very, very high overdraft fees.

It is therefore very important to watch your account balance and ensure that it remains in the black to avoid hefty fees.

Click here learn more on how to organise your finances with online banking.

Paying too much in fees

Fees, fees, fees. Banks charge us lots of fees to access our own money. That makes very little sense to me. If you have several different accounts, consider consolidating them into one, this could save you lots of money in fees.

Nowadays many banks advertise accounts with no fees. You have to be very clear because most of the time there are conditions attached to a no fee account. These condition could include a minimum monthly deposit amount r a maximum number of monthly transactions.
The key is in researching the various options and organising your bank accounts in a certain way to save your own money.

Paying only the minimum amount

If you have credit card debt, the only way to pay it off quickly, and to save lots of money in interest, is to pay more than the minimum monthly payment amount.

The banks are not interest in you paying off your debt. That is why they only want you to pay the minimum payment amount. They will keep on increasing your credit limit so long as you can afford to pay the minimum amount.

Don’t fall into this trap, do all that you can to pay more and reduce that credit card balance as soon as you can.

Click here to learn how to avoid credit card debt.

Taking credit card cash advances

We all know that getting a cash advance in our credit cards is a really bad idea.

When you do a cash advance you not only pay a lot more interest on it but you also start paying that interest from day one. The banks usually don’t give you interest-free periods for cash advances.

Conclusion, avoid cash advances as much as possible.

Not bargaining for the best deal

This can be a bit tricky but it has the potential of saving you quite a bit of money. Call your debtors and ask them to lower your interest rate. The banks want your business and with the increase in competition amongst the banks it is likely that you can succeed in negotiating a better deal with your current bank.

Ask for options. These days many banks offer credit cards with a set period of very low, or no interest at all.

There are credit cards now that offer you the first 6 months interest free for balance transfers. This can be a great help to turbo charge you payments and get the most out of your own money.

One word of warning. If you are looking at these credit cards look at the conditions and at the interest rate you will pay once the initial period of low interest rate is over. Some of them will charge a much higher interest rate than other cards so do your research before signing on the dotted line.

Not knowing where your money is going

One of the biggest mistakes one can make in personal finances is not knowing where your money is going.

Get a budget going, use your online banking to export your transactions into a spreadsheet or a personal finances software and ensure to track where your money is going.

Set goals to pay off your debt and track your progress against your goals.

Click here to learn how to create a budget and stick to it.

It may feel like debt is here to stay for a long time. This does not need to be true. The biggest mistake you can make is complacency. Take control of your finances so you can be out of debt as soon as possible,

Technorati Tags: financial independence,debt,money,credit card

Save your money shopping online

 

Online retailers are able to offer you more discounts than the normal shop because they don’t have the overheads of paying for rent and other expenses related to having a physical building.

Compare prices and reviews

It is very easy to compare prices online. You get to figure out where the best deals are from the comfort of your home. There are websites that can help you with comparing prices.

The internet also gives you the ability to look at product reviews before you go ahead with the purchase. It can be very helpful to find out what the others are saying about the product you are planning to buy.

Free shipping

Online shopping not only saves you the money you would pay for the petrol to get to a from the shops, some retailers also offer free shipping depending upon what you are purchasing. Make sure the price of the item has not been inflated to cover the costs.

Look for discount codes

Up until a few months ago I did not know about the huge amount of discount codes available on the internet. Look for coupons from the retailers you are likely to buy from. This can also save you a bit more on top of the other saving you are making if you shop online.

Buy bulk and save

Many online retailers offer you extra savings if you buy in bulk. Think about any future use of the product you are buying and consider making extra savings buy bulk buying. Many online shops offer you free shipping if you buy more than a certain quantity of the product. Do the numbers, consider your needs and save!

Auction

You probably know eBay. There are other online auction sites that offer you the possibility of bidding for a particular item. Online auctions offer you the potential to save lots of money through the bidding process. Just make sure you don’t get caught up in the process and end up paying too much for the item you are looking for.

Conclusion

If you are still hesitant with online shopping, start using the internet as a way to research and compare prices. You will probably be shopping online, and saving your cash, sooner than you think.

Technorati Tags: online shopping,personal finances,save money

How to turn income into wealth

The secret to financial independence is to turn your income into wealth. In other words, in order to be wealthy you need to take what you earn and make it work for you instead of you constantly working for money.

This short blog post will give you just an overview of the topic, you need to research and learn more about it. As you research you will continually find different ways of making your money work for you.

Here is how it works. Earned income from your job (whatever is left after your expenses) is saved and then invested into assets which then gives you passive or portfolio income. Passive income is income you get from rental properties or money you earn without having to work for it. Portfolio is the kind of income from earn from paper assets as dividends paid to you.

Once you earn the passive income, you invest it into assets which buy you more assets. As you accumulate enough passive income you then use it to pay for your lifestyle expenses such as big TVs, vacations, etc…

The best part of having passive and portfolio income is that your money is working for you so you don’t have to go to work to earn the money.

Each month your assets pay for your bills and buy you more assets therefore increasing your wealth even further.


That is the key to wealth, use your earned income to buy assets and then income form the assets to buy more assets. Each of your assets function as a stream of income that keeps on generating you more and more wealth.

Technorati Tags: finance,money,real estate,business

Financial Independence Compilation, investing money, financial independence and more

Welcome to the November 15, 2010 edition of financial independence.

Your Financial Independence Articles

 Top 20 Personal Financial Tips - If you are like me, you have never had any formal training on managing personal finances. You may have read books and researched the topic on the internet, however you probably don’t have any formal training on the subject …

10 Tips for Financial Security - Many people strive to achieve financial security. It is however very difficult to deal with the pressures and expenses of the normal daily life and at the same time try to achieve financial independence…

Is it possible to live without a credit card? - During the weekend I read an article on the newspaper about how hard it can be to live without a credit card. Our society pushes us into debt. Marketing campaigns, online marketing, junk mails and other strategies are all designed to lure us into acquiring stuff that we don’t need…

Top 5 millionaire habits that can make you rich - Do you ever catch yourself thinking how you would manage your money if you were a millionaire? Do they even care, they have so much money that they probably don’t even care about it?…

Reader’s Articles

Molly Cunningham presents The Top 50 Real Estate Blogs posted at Business Administration Degree, saying, "Real estate can still be a good investment, even though the housing bubble’s collapse has had a disastrous effect on the economy. Real estate newbies and experienced professionals can all get excellent real estate news, information, and commentary thanks to some very dedicated bloggers."

Mike McFate presents Mutual Funds or Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)? Which is Best? posted at CompanyInvest.com, saying, "The tips in this article can save readers thousands over time."

Youdondour torres presents Apply now for a unsecured personal payday advance loan posted at Quick and easy payday loan!.


Medhat Youssef presents Prophet1 EA posted at Forex Trading Online, saying, "The popular Expert Advisor for automatically trading the currency market is being reviewed heavily on the web. See what traders think about it."

Youdondour torres presents Using cash in advance loans posted at Pay Day Loans For You Today!.

Andrew Yeung presents Saving Money Tips For This Holiday Season posted at ComboInk Blog, saying, "If you are looking for meaningful and enjoyable holiday season, then here you can find some saving money tips for this holiday season."

Shaheen E Lakhan presents The Price of Happiness posted at Brain Blogger, saying, "An analysis of income and happiness in the United States reveals that a salary of $75,000 does, in fact, buy happiness."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Should You Get Low Cost Life Insurance? posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thoughts on life insurance."

Moolanomy presents 4 Things You Should Know About Retailers Before the Holiday Shopping Season posted at Moolanomy.

debt kid presents Getting That Home-Stretch Feeling posted at DebtKid.

Tim Chen presents How Will a Charge Card Affect My Credit Score? posted at NerdWallet Blog - Credit Card Watch, saying, "Charge cards function a bit differently than a standard credit card, in that you are required to pay your bill off each month; there’s no revolving credit line. So if you can’t carry a balance, and you don’t have a credit limit, what does this mean for your credit score?"

Robert Alan presents Tips and Advice on How To Dispute An Erroneous Charge posted at Credit Cards Blog | CreditCardAssist.com, saying, "How to dispute erroneous charges on your credit card."

Michael Pruser presents Ink Plus with Ultimate Rewards - $100 Bonus Cash Back posted at The Dough Roller, saying, "thanks for the inclusion"

Michael presents Recent Changes in My Personal Finance Plan posted at Consumerism Commentary, saying, "thanks for the inclusion"

MoneyThinking presents Diversify my portfolio? Why? posted at Money Thinking, saying, "If you listen to professionals (which I usually do, they’re called professionals for a reason), they tell you not to “put all your eggs in one basket” and only get one type of stock or mutual fund from one place. Diversification is the best way to success. But why? Why is it less risky to distribute the $10k that you’re..."


Alexander Peter presents Lost your UTR Number? posted at UTR.org.uk, saying, "Get organized before tax season. If you are self employed and have lost your UTR number this article will show you how to get a replacement."

Buck Weber presents Ten Tips to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck posted at THE BUCK LIST, saying, "The figures are startling to say the least – over 70 percent of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. By the time pay day comes around, they’re broke and waiting to get their hands on the money that is due them. It’s a vicious cycle that they cannot seem to break; it becomes a habit that is hard to get rid of; in short, it’s like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off."

Susan Howe presents 10 Home Repairs You Shouldn’t Ignore posted at Welcome to the Insure.com Insurance Blog: Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Car Insurance news and opinions, saying, "Failing to maintain your home can cause you home insurance problems. Here are 10 home repairs you can't ignore."

HomeList presents The Basics of Real Estate Negotiation posted at HomeList.

Mike Piper presents Buying Fixed Immediate Annuities posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, "Tips on shopping for a fixed immediate annuity for investors in or nearing retirement."

FMF presents Digital Moonlighting: The Best Ways to Earn a Little Money Online posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "How to earn some extra income online."

Jim Nariel presents How affiliates that make money online by using powerful keywords posted at Point and Click Program Revealed, saying, "How to get great keywords for ranking up the search engines"

Arjun Rudra presents How To Manage Risk, Increase Income and Maximize Returns With Mohsin Bashir, CFA Of Highwater Capital Management posted at Investing Thesis, saying, "How To Manage Risk, Increase Income and Maximize Returns With Mohsin Bashir, CFA Of Highwater Capital Management"

Miranda presents How Much Do Your Friends and Family Know About Your Finances? posted at Money Ning.

BWL presents Why Refinance A Car? posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying, "A look at why you may or may not want to refinance your car loan..."

Jeff Weber presents American Express Blue Cash is a Dangerous Credit Card posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, "The Blue Cash card is a dangerous piece of plastic. Anyone who doesn't read the fine print and pay their balances in full every month could end up spending a fortune on interest while earning much less cash back than they might otherwise be led to believe."

nissim ziv presents Success Definition: What Is Your Definition of Success at Work? posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, "This question can be asked by an interviewer in your upcoming job interview or either can be asked in many other occasions."

Odysseas presents Make Your Credit Cards Work for Your Business posted at Wallet Blog, saying, "Hey, I think your readers will enjoy our submission this week because it illustrates when to use a business credit card as well as a personal credit card for financing your business. For your convenience, I have prepared a short summary of the article: "Business credit cards, despite their name, are actually not the best choice for financing your business."

Sunil presents Why Even Little Passive Income is Worth More Than You Think posted at Sunil from The Extra Money Blog, saying, "What’s the big deal about a blog making only $50 per month? Plenty! Passive income is worth a ton more than you think, and it increases your effective hourly wage from your job. Consider a side business the generates residual income streams from Google Adsense, rents, royalties, etc."

Joe Morgan presents How Amazon.com Lost Me as a Customer. posted at Simple Debt-Free Finance, saying, "Here's a case study from one of how one of the world's largest retailers made a costly and avoidable mistake. Entrepreneurs take note!"

Zarathustra W. presents Five criteria to identify asset bubbles - Also sprach Analyst posted at Also sprach Analyst, saying, "Five criteria to identify asset bubbles"

Alexander presents Blackrock Equity Dividend Fund posted at Dividend Stocks, saying, "Learn how the Blackrock Equity Dividend fund can produce high yields for your portfolio."

Stretching the One Income Dollar presents 3 Ways to Earn Money on a Cruise Ship posted at Stretching the One Income Dollar.

Rick Schiano presents Biblical Prosperity posted at Ricks Victory Blog.

freefrombroke presents Charge Cards Are Not Credit Cards – Understanding the Difference posted at Free From Broke, saying, "Credit cards and charge cards are often confused but they are, in fact, two different credit tools that consumers should understand."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of financial independence using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati Tags: financial independence,passive income,debt,money,rich