Steps needed to plan your Retirement

November 15th, 2011 124Steps

Start Early and Invest

If you are like many Americans, planning your retirement should begin with your first job and taking advantage of one of most important financial planning steps a person can make: invest in your retirement account.  Most employers will offer a certain percentage  and the key to have a comfortable retirement is to start investing in your retirement early.  That is not the only means of saving for retirement, but it is certainly one of the more lucrative and one of the easiest steps along your path to a comfortable retirement.

 

Lifestyle and Living Arrangements

Next step is to look at the lifestyle you have now and the lifestyle you would like for retirement.  If you are looking to travel extensively, budget accordingly.  Do you have family that lives far from you and would moving closer to them be a goal upon retirement?  Factor in the elements that are most important to you – I would suggest picking only two or three things that you would want to accomplish or indulge in once you’ve retired and ask others who are already retired and done something similar what hurdles you may need to cross.  No one knows what retirement is like better than someone already living it.  While every generation will have its challenges, it’s good to get the perspective.

Know What You Need

For any financial advice, this is the cornerstone.  Knowing what resources you will need to live on now and what you will need for retirement is the key to a comfortable and successful retirement.  Set a solid savings goal.  Think long term and set a figure that you want to have saved and an age that you want to retire at.  Next, all you need to do is break down that goal into smaller sections for you to accomplish within a given timeframe.  Set aside all or a portion of any windfalls you may encounter to help cushion your savings.  You cannot save enough for retirement if you do not know how much money you will actually need.

Annual Portfolio and Savings Review

At the end of the year, it is very important to review your IRA, 401K, savings, and other investments you’ve created for retirement and with the help of your personal banker, financial advisor, or accountant, see if you are able to invest any more into your retirement for the year.  In doing this, you maximize your retirement allotment and possibly shift you into a lower tax bracket.  As each state has its own laws regarding savings and retirement, it is best to contact someone regarding what you are able to do to take advantage of your retirement.

Planning ahead for retirement doesn’t need to be expensive or time consuming, but the dividends can be substantial.  A solid plan starts with clear goals, both short term and long term, and knowing what it takes to reach those goals.  Reviewing your plan annually keeps you up to date on how you are doing on those goals

Steps to take to Vote For None of Them

November 12th, 2011 124Steps

If you are anything like me, you’re tired of all of the bickering going on in Congress. Politicians and their politicking have become a joke. If you have preference for either party, chances are, you can find more fault with one than the over. That’s okay. It’s perfectly natural. However, wherever your party loyalties lie, the truth is, the stalemate in Congress is the fault of both parties. Both parties are culpable, at least in part.

 

This ongoing fight for control of Congress is getting in the way of what every Congressman and woman promised to do for their constituents, create and vote for policies that were in their best interest. It seems that very few are actually doing this. They are instead toeing the party lines, whatever they happen to be. Each is voting for their parties and not for the people and America is suffering for it.

 

We no longer live in an age where ‘politics as usual’ is sufficient. No, there is too much at stake. With terrorism, hostile enemies, nuclear weapons in the possession of rogue nations, a flailing economy (both nationally and globally), high unemployment rates, even higher energy costs and a dependency on oil, mostly controlled by our enemies, we can’t afford to have a congress that is proving to be more concerned about each upcoming election then they are about solving real problems. The future of our country is in the balance and many congressmen and women are content to play politics. Well, I say no more. Vote for none of them.

 

This of course, wouldn’t be a responsible response to congresses’ ineptness. Not voting is simply seceding, or giving up. Rather than not vote, a better approach would be to vote out those who aren’t attempting to work together to bring about real change. Simply saying “no” without offering any real and meaningful alternatives is playing politics, while not be willing to compromise is doing the same.  Both Democrats and Republicans have fallen into either and sometimes both camps. If Congress is going to turn things around, what’s best for the American people will have to be the primary concern, not what’s best for a particular party.

 

So what do we, as Americans, do? Besides showing our displeasure via rallies, which may or may not prove to a catalyst for change, we need to get informed. Determining which of our congressman and women are actually doing their jobs and which ones are simply collecting a paycheck, content to continue fighting along party lines, is the first place to begin. The next step is to campaign against those politicians and then seek out vote for those who are willing to work together to bring about real change. If they fail once in office, they should be voted out as well. Serving in Congress is a privilege and one, we the people, should quickly revoke, if and when a congressman or woman isn’t acting in the best interest of the public.

A Few Steps to Running a Home Business

November 9th, 2011 124Steps

With the economy continually leaving everyone to wonder what the future job market will be like, a lot of people starting to realize the benefits of running a home business. Whether you just want to get rid of the pressure of having a boss and decide to be your own or enjoy the flexibility of working your own hours, it can be a fulfilling and lucrative career. However, when running a home business there are many mistakes that are made but could easily be avoided.

Plan

– Planning is one of the biggest keys to running a home business successfully. You can’t expect your business to grow overnight so you must constantly be thinking of the next step and be ready for any difficult obstacles that may come your way.

Organize

– Multiple levels of organization are crucial parts of running a home business that are often overlooked. Whether you are filing away receipts and invoices you need to make sure that you have a clean, concise, planned way to get all of your items organized.  If possible use a room designated just for running your business.

It is also extremely important that you know how to organize your time. Things go wrong and plans change. Because of this you need to know how to effectively manage the clock so that you have time for emergency repairs or business meetings and still be able to get your work accomplished.

Keep Focused

– While there is a lot of allure for running a home business, it’s easy to get drawn into your new boss-less surroundings. Just because you have a TV there doesn’t mean it has to be watched. Also, just because you have the ability to sleep until 5pm doesn’t mean you have you.. Don’t let the small things distract you from what you started running a home business for in the first place. Just because things seem slow doesn’t mean you can slack off .

Never Give up

– As the adage goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Neither will your business. Running your business means that you have to put up with the good times as well as the bad. With hard work and dedication, anyone can succeed in starting a home business. It’s often too common that a business owner gives up running a home business when just sticking it out just a month or two longer would have been the turning point.

Steps to Smashing Email Spam

November 7th, 2011 124Steps

Almost everyone who has an email address has been spammed. Spam is unwanted junk email that is sent for a variety of reasons: to spread viruses, get business, or simply to be annoying. For whatever reason spam is sent, it's irritating and often dangerous for the person receiving it. How can one avoid getting spam, and once it's there, how does one get rid of it and avoid a repeat situation?

The first step is to protect yourself. Be sure you are using spam blockers, whether they are offered by your email provider or you have to find one on your own. Also, make sure your computer has basic protection. If you get an email virus, you want your computer to quickly take note and take care of the situation. There is a countless amount of great freeware available, or you can choose to purchase commercial protection. Just find a reputable system and don't download the first thing you find or you'll probably have another problem altogether.

Now that you're protected, check out your email and look for a pattern in your spam. Is there a common theme (there often is) or is all coming from one location? A theme you may see in your spam includes a stranger offering kind regards or needing your immediate attention. Spammers often use very generic names such as Mary Smith sending her best wishes or big names that grab your attention, such as Ban Ki Moon requiring your signature on a very large check. If you don't know the name on a personal email or the subject just sounds too good to be true, don't open it. It's probably spam, and opening it will likely lead to more.

If you find that a website that you've signed up for is sending you excessive spam, scroll to the bottom of the email and look for a unsubscribe link and let them know that you're not interested. Whether or not you find one, block the sender.

Most emails will allow users to create custom filters for incoming mail. These vary by provider, but they generally allow users to set specific guidelines on how they want their mail sorted. For example, someone working at a law firm can have all the messages with their firm's name sent to one file. This can be used to sort out potential spam if your account doesn't already have a good spam filter. If you do have a spam filter automatically or if you've set one up yourself, be sure to use it. When you get a spam email, be sure to alert your email account that this is spam rather than simply deleting it. This will help automatically sort future emails.

Sometimes it is helpful to have an extra email account. Dangerous spam can take over your email and automatically send out messages to your contacts without your consent or knowledge. Signing up for a free account and adding yourself as a contact will quickly alert you by sending you automatic emails that your contacts may be seeing, some more embarrassing than others. This way, quick action can be taken to prevent future instances.

Probably the most important rule about spam that everyone should follow is simply not to open it and certainly not to respond. Opening a suspicious message can lead to a takeover of your account, viruses, and of course more spam. So unless you personally know that Nigerian prince, just block it, send it to the spam folder and step away.

Two Steps To Become An Expert Marketer

November 5th, 2011 124Steps

Are you looking to become an expert marketer? Not sure what steps you need to master in order to become an expert? If so, this article on two steps to become an expert marketer is definitely for you. Everyone who is in business is in marketing. Having the knowledge and ability to market and sell yourself, your product, or idea is a crucial skill to master in order to find success and build the business of your dreams.

The moment you are no longer marketing is the minute you should close up shop and but an out of business sign on your door. Remember marketing never stops!  Here I’ll go over a few key steps one needs to master in order to become an expert marketer.

Learn how to shine in a competitive marketplace

– If you’ve taken the time to create a product or come up with an idea then you need to make sure your offer for the product or idea really stands out. A great way to achieve this is through positioning the offer. You’ll want to go through whatever it is you’re promoting and find ways to add value!  You’ll be able to accomplish this by discovering what your product is missing from it or by creating the perfect bonus to add as a companion to the original product.  Now when it’s time for people to decide on who to buy from they see your offer and the unique reasons why they need to buy from you instead of from your competitors. By marketing your product in a way that makes it seem unique or better than other similar products you’ve separated yourself from the competition!

Analyze your presence online

- In today’s world if you want to get the most out of your marketing efforts you need to have a solid web presence. Be sure to join social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to further build your brand or product. Also join and become an active member of a few of the many social networking and professional online communities like LinkedIn. You can make important contacts and build future marketing relationships without ever having to leave your computer.

Remember marketing should be showing you where you’re wrong and right. In order to be successful you need to learn from your mistakes and turn them into future successes.  Hopefully, this article on two steps to become an expert marketer has shown you a couple key things to focus in on and implement into marketing your business.

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