Depending on which analyst or talking head you listen to, the “American Dream” is doomed, or at least highly endangered.

According to Liberty for All: A Manifesto for Reclaiming Financial and Political Freedom however, there are still a lot of things that ordinary consumers can do to build their own fortunes, especially in this day and age where traditional rules of success have been thrown out the window. Below are a number of “new rules” taken from the book. Enjoy

One of the first is also the most interesting. It’s the ability to stay mobile and move wherever economic opportunity exists.… Read the rest

If you’ve been an adult for any length of time you know that life is full of surprises, some good and some, well, not so good. Some of the “not so good” surprises include major car repairs, unforeseen illnesses and getting laid off from the job, all of which can catch you completely off-guard and leave you financially strapped.

When that happens, one of the best things that you can possibly have to help you is an Emergency Fund of cash set up to fix those repairs, pay those bills or see you through until you get your next job.

The so-called “experts” in finance will tell you that having an emergency fund of 3 months’ worth of money is a good idea, but frankly having 6 months or even 12 months’ worth of cash put aside “just in case” is much better.… Read the rest

Managing your finances can be tricky. Many people have never really got to grips with effective budgeting and sorting their cashflow so everything is always paid on time, and some end up in quite difficult situations with their money.

Below are some top tips for better money management, so read on to learn how to get your finances in better shape.

Keep spendings below earnings

Sounds simple, but most people spend more than they earn from their job thanks to credit cards, loans and overdrafts. There is nothing inherently bad about these things, but they should be used sparingly and wisely.… Read the rest

Hello and welcome back for Part 2.  In Part 1 we went over the first 2 Keys to a sound retirement as outlined by the Society of Actuaries  (SOA).  In this second part will be taking a look at the remaining five and, without further ado, let’s get started. Enjoy.

The 3^rd Key to a sound retirement, at least as far as the SOA is concerned, is the need to compare your expenditure needs against your anticipated income. Will the fact is, will retirement is just as filled with expenses as any other part of your life. Expenses during retirement are basically the minimum that you need to sustain your standard of living plus a bit extra for any needs that are nonrecurring and any money needed to help meet a person’s dreams.… Read the rest

There are plenty of financial myths that are running amok, but perhaps none more than the supposed financial calamity of leasing a vehicle.  I personally ONLY lease cars, and have never purchased one.  In fact, I am on my 7^th lease in the past 14 years of my life, that’s how much I am in favor of it.  Which is why I’m going to take the opportunity to lay out some common myths that you often hear about leasing vehicles.

First and foremost, you too often will hear that leasing is simply a bad deal.  Nothing could be further from the truth. … Read the rest