Category: Finance

Need a hand with setting financial goals? If so, if you’re really not alone, especially since there are almost $90 trillion of international assets under management right now. Not sure how to find an expert with financial advising experience? To tell you the truth, finding the right professional to help you handle your finances requires knowing your options. Take a look at a few factors to consider when selecting financial advisors below!

1. The Suitability Standard 

If you’re looking for a financial advisor who will put your needs first, consider this. Financial advisory firms that meet the suitability standard address and disclose any “conflict of interest” they may have when representing you. On the bright side, most financial advisory firms will put this down in writing for future reference.

Besides this, it’s also essential to think about whether or not your firm is an RIA, or Registered Investment Advisor. That’s because they are held to a higher standard as well!

2. Upfront and Clear Fees

Let’s be honest. No one wants to work with a financial advisor who isn’t clear about their fees. That being said, figuring out the total cost of getting your portfolio together can be a difficult and confusing task.

On the other hand, finding a financial advisor you can trust means that they will be more than happy to break down all of their fees for you.

This can include everything from:

• Hourly financial planning fees
• Fees for managing your portfolio
• Other hidden fees

Once you’ve made sure that all of your financial fees are as transparent as possible, you should be good to go.

3. Accurate Performance Reports 

Now that we’ve got that covered, it’s also essential that your financial advisor of choice provides accurate performance reports. That’s because user-friendly transaction and holdings reports are the keys to managing your portfolio successfully.

To get started, you must decide whether you like to receive your reports on a:

• Monthly basis
• Quarterly basis
• Semi-annual basis

We highly recommend that the more you review your financial portfolio, the better!

4. A Simple Investment Process

When you’ve found the right financial advisor for you, the next step is to ask them what their process for investments is. For instance, they may let you know which investment vehicles are products that will work in your favour.

In addition to this, your financial advisor should also let you know whether not you need to make any changes to your existing investment portfolio. Besides this, they may also ask you about your primary contact information.

In exchange, we encourage you to ask your financial advisor about their professional credentials and experience as well.

5. An Independent Custodian 

Additionally, you should ask your financial advisor if they use independent custodians like:

• Charles Schwab
• Fidelity
• TD Ameritrade

In case you didn’t know, independent custodians are great for providing additional asset reviews and records aside from your financial advisor. They’re also helpful in protecting your account from any fraudulent activity! 

6. Honest Offerings and Services

You should also clearly understand the level of service that your financial advisor will offer. For instance, email and ask them if financial planning is included in their initial package. Also, find out what kind of financial planning software they use and whether or not you will have access to it. Believe it or not, this can potentially make or break your deal as well.

To get the ball rolling, here are a few more questions that you should ask your financial advisor:

• Do they schedule weekly, monthly, quarterly meetings?
• How long will it take to hear back from them?
• Do they provide investment offerings for beginners?

Once you learn more about the financial services that you are looking for, picking the best financial advisor for you should be a piece of cake.

7. Events and Education 

Another important thing to consider is whether your financial advisor provides any educational events. This is particularly helpful if you’re interested in learning and understanding your overall financial portfolio.

To get started, be sure to ask your financial advisory firm if they will take the time to answer any questions you may have during your regularly scheduled meetings. Also, you can ask them if they will continue to educate you on your financial portfolio as time goes on. Finally, covering complex topics such as asset management is vital to your success as well.

8. Life Transitions

Last but not least, do your best to choose a financial advisor who puts your life transitions as their top priority. This can include common event such as:

• Getting married
• Having children
• Getting divorced
• Losing loved ones

Ask your financial advisor if they have any experience dealing with customers who are going through difficult life changes. 

If so, what did they do to help them? As long as you feel comfortable opening up to your advisor, you should be in a good position to put your finances in their hands!

Why Hire a Financial Advisor?

Sometimes, going through a major life event is enough to make you want to rethink your personal finances. Typically, this type of event will include some sort of major gain or loss of money.

So that’s why it’s important to seek a financial advisor if you are:

• Close to retirement age
• Receiving an inheritance
• Getting married soon
• Going through a divorce
• Lost a partner
• Helping your parents with their finances
• Unsure of how investing works
• Looking for a “second opinion”

Now that we’ve got that covered, choose your advisor wisely!

Selecting Financial Advisors Is Simple 

Having a hard time finding the perfect financial advisor for you?

Here’s the thing: When it comes to selecting financial advisors, the process shouldn’t be complicated. Fortunately for you, we are here to help.

From comparing advisor fees to reading references and reviews, we’ve got everything you need to succeed. If you’re finally ready to talk to your advisor, don’t forget to read our handy guide first!

Looking for my financial and banking help?

If yes, don’t hesitate to read more of our blog right away.

If you are serious about managing your money and accumulating wealth, the benefits of a financial planner can take all the stress and burden away from doing it yourself.

Sure, you could feel competent at investing and money management, but do you really have the time to go in-depth? 

Yet, opting to work with a financial planner won’t suit everyone. There are pros and cons when using a financial planner or adviser, but we do think the benefits we’re going to discuss are well worth considering.

So let’s check out seven benefits of a financial planner.

1. Full-Time Professionalism

The first and obvious benefit of choosing to work with a financial planner is that they are full-time professionals, making investment decisions day in day out.

They will have a wealth of knowledge and plenty of tips about where to invest money. Plus, they can prove to you with past clients the sort of returns they achieve. 

With all their training and know-how, it would be hard to compete with what they are capable of in terms of investing and managing your money wisely year on year. 

Keep in mind, however, just because someone is a qualified and experienced financial adviser, it still doesn’t give you any solid guarantees that you won’t lose money. Going with a financial adviser is always a risk.

But typically, a financial planner will run you through different investment options with varying calculations of risk attached to them. Ultimately, you will be the decision-maker in the process. Your financial planner just handles the more technical aspects of your investments, as well as offering tips and advice.

2. Tax Advice

When anyone invests their money and makes capital gains on their wealth, tax is always an issue. In some cases, taxes can destroy the point of investing as they can simply erode away your gains to a pittance.

A financial planner should be experienced enough to know how to navigate the tax realm in your favor. They will tend to let you know various options you can choose to help reduce your tax burden, and they’ll be up-to-date on new regulations and changes in the law.

3. Objectivity

One key benefit of a financial planner is that they are likely to be a lot more objective than yourself when investing your money. 

This benefit is strongly linked to the professionalism of a financial planner. They are just doing their job investing your money – they don’t have emotional attachments as you may have. 

When emotions get in the way of investing, you’re treading on a pathway to ruin. Objectivity is essential to make wise investment decisions, and a financial planner will give you that.

They can either consult with you about investment decisions they’d like to take for you and explain them clearly.

4. Partnership

A financial planner doesn’t just get the keys to your car to drive off alone into the sunset. They will be available to discuss things with you and keep you updated on what’s going on with your hard-earned cash.

A financial planner is someone you can collaborate with, they’ll listen to you, and they’ll try their best to understand your wants and needs.

As well, the communication aspect of your partnership can be extremely beneficial. By speaking out ideas and strategies allowed, they can become more obviously viable, or conversely, something to avoid.

Plus, there are plenty of tips out there that will help you monitor your financial adviser. 

5. Proactivity

This benefit is linked in a sense to the points of objectivity and professionalism.

A financial planner will be poised and ready to anticipate almost every eventuality that could happen in the markets and with your money. They don’t let their emotions get the better of them, which is easier for them since they are trained professionals.

They will also seek out new investment ideas that you might be aware of and get you tied up in some lucrative opportunities ahead of the curve.

Furthermore, they can implement any ideas that you may have with speed, which you might not be capable of doing yourself.

6. Organization

For many of us with busy schedules and limited time, managing the flow, saving, and investment of our money can become overwhelming.

It may be that you’re losing money that can be easily kept if your finances and payments are restructured in a more organized and logical manner. 

Having control over your finances can relieve a lot of stress, and it could even be the case that you save more money by actually paying for the services of a financial planner. 

It’s funny how they don’t properly teach us the ins and outs of taking care of money and investing at school. Now you have the opportunity to see your financial planner, not only as a money manager but a teacher of investing and finance too. 

7. Relaxation and Free Time

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have all your financial worries set aside and dealt with by someone you can trust?

Most of us have enough on our plates already with work, family, and other commitments. Choosing a financial planner’s expertise will surely give you the peace of mind you deserve and some much-needed relaxation. 

The Benefits of a Financial Planner

We’ve just mentioned only seven benefits of a financial planner. There are loads more benefits to take advantage of if you decide to take the leap and regain control of your finances.

It will be like starting off on a new journey into the unknown at first, but once you get your bearings and develop a rapport with your financial planner, we think you’ll be surprised at the positive changes that will occur.

Please check out our blog for more financial advice and wisdom.

Your credit score can have a major impact on what you can and can’t achieve in your life. In these modern times, your credit score rating can determine whether or not you get a car loan, a mortgage, an apartment, or even a job.

If you’ve got a less than perfect credit score, you don’t have to fret. While rebuilding your credit won’t happen overnight, you can take steps that will help increase your score over time.

Are you wondering what you can do to boost your score so it stops limiting you?

Let’s take a look at eight tips for improving your credit score rating.

1. Reduce Your Credit Utilization Ratio

There are a number of different factors that determine what your credit score is. 30% of your score reflects your credit utilization ratio. This ratio signifies the total amount of credit you have access to and how much of that credit you are using.

Basically, if your total credit limit is $10,000 and you have charged $2000 to your credit cards, you have a 20% credit utilization ratio.

In general, it is recommended to not use more than 30% of your credit card limit. Some experts even suggest keeping your utilization ratio under 10%.

Are you trying to learn more about credit in general? Check out the different types of credit here.

2. Fix Any Credit Report Errors

Occasionally, credit report errors can occur that can hurt your credit score. This means that even if you are doing everything right, you should review your credit report periodically.

If you do find any errors on your credit report, you will need to contact the credit bureau and file a dispute.

3. Request an Increase to Your Credit Limit

It is a good idea to periodically request a credit limit increase. Different credit card companies will have methods for this process, but it is usually a quick and easy thing. In fact, most companies will allow you to request an increase online.

The reason that this can help to improve your credit score rating is that it lowers your utilization rate.

There are a couple of things that you will want to keep in mind when you do this, though. For one, don’t request an increase on a new credit card, as many companies won’t give increased credit limits for new cards.

Secondly, you want to make sure your request does not require a hard inquiry on your credit report. Relatively small increases can typically be approved automatically. If the company asks for more information, declined the request, as they will likely do a hard inquiry which can negatively impact your credit score.

4. Make Your Payments on Time

The most influential factor that determines your credit score is your payment history. This means that it should be your highest priority to make your payments on time.

One of the best ways to ensure that you are never missing payments is by setting up automatic bill payments. This way, the money is withdrawn from your bank account on a specific day every month to ensure that you never have late payments.

5. Be an Authorized User on Someone Else’s Credit Card

Do you have a family member that has a higher credit score and you? If so, they can add you as an authorized user to their credit card. This can help to boost your credit score if they have made on-time payments, have a low credit utilization ratio, and the account history is long.

6. Use “Dormant” Credit Cards Every Once in a While

Over time, as you build your credit history, you will be able to qualify for cards that have better interest rates and better rewards. However, it is not usually a good idea to close your first credit card. Instead, make occasional purchases with that in order to keep it active.

If you completely stop using a credit card, the bank might close the card or reduce the credit limit. If you receive a credit line decrease than your credit utilization ratio will also go down.

It can also hurt your score to close an old credit card account. The only reason you might want to close an old credit card that you no longer you as if it has an annual fee. Even so, though, you might be able to downgrade the card to want without an annual fee without closing the account.

7. Diversify Your Accounts

It can be beneficial to your credit score to have a number of different credit accounts. Of course, you should only borrow money when it is necessary. However, it can demonstrate to lenders that you can manage credit responsibly when you have a variety of credit accounts.

This might mean having a home mortgage, a credit card, and a car loan.

8. Negotiate With Creditors With Whom You Have Outstanding Debts

Paying off debt will help to lower your credit utilization ratio. However, if you have been missing payments than your credit score can be negatively affected. You can often negotiate with credit card companies to have the negative hit removed from your credit report in exchange for paying off your debt in full.

If you go this route, remember to get the agreement in writing.

These Steps Can Help Increase Your Credit Score Rating

Boosting your credit score rating takes time, organization, and commitment. That being said, you can help to increase your number over time in a way that can offer serious benefits to many aspects of your life.

Are you looking for more resources to help you navigate the complicated world of finances? If so, check out the rest of our blog for more informative articles!

Are you dreading tax time and don’t know where to start? You’re not alone. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), it takes small business three weeks every year in order to comply with tax rules. You’ll find that preparing ahead of time by doing research and budgeting will help you pay self-employment taxes easily without the stress. The confusion comes from how much you have to pay depending on different percentages of your earnings. We’re here to help cut down on the time and smooth away some of the confusion. Read on for our top six self-employment tax tips so you’ll know how to do taxes correctly once the time comes! 

1. Budget for Taxes

If you were working on a side-hustle and didn’t earn over £1000 throughout the year, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to tell the HMRC that you’re self-employed. You also don’t have to pay taxes for the first £12,500 you earned. 

If you make more than this, however, it’s important that you plan ahead and budget for taxes. According to UK tax laws, you’ll need to pay 20% for income between £12,500 and £50,000. This bumps up to 40% for income between £50,001 and £150,000. 

Lastly, it increases to 45% for income of over £150,000. This also includes your income if you rent out properties. 

We recommend setting some money aside in a separate savings account every time you’re paid. This will help you keep track of what you owe and also help you remember that not all the money you earn is yours–even if it feels like it! 

2. National Insurance

It’s also important that you budget for the National Insurance payments that need to be made. If your profits from self-employment are greater than £6,475, you have the pay a rate of £3.05 a week for Class 2 National Insurance. This is paid through direct debit to HMRC. 

If you’re making between £9,500 and £50,270, you’ll also need to pay 9% of your income for Class 4 National Insurance as well. For profits greater than £50,270, you’ll have to pay 2% of your profits. What you have to pay for National Insurance will also show up in your Self Assessment tax return. 

3. Payments on Account

Even if you budget ahead of time, you may find that the HMRC is asking for a task bill that’s higher than you predicted. One reason could be because they’re asking to collect taxes that are due in the current year as well. They calculate this based on your earnings from the last year. 

You’ll need to make your payments on account in two instalments: before midnight on 31 January and 31 July. Budgeting ahead of time will help for your first payment, as this is where you’ll find that for your first year, you’ll need to pay 1.5x more. 

4. Claiming Mileage

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to pay based on your entire profits. You can claim expenses that you used for business in order to cut down on what you owe come tax time. If you use a vehicle for business, this is one of the easiest ways to claim some expenses. 

Here are the mileage rates that you need to remember: 

• For the first 10,000 miles in the tax year, 45p per mile
• 25p per mile above 10,000 miles
• 24p per mile for motorbikes 
• 20p per mile for bikes 

The easiest way to keep track of these miles is to use an app that can automatically log your route and do the mileage calculations for you throughout the year. Many of them allow you to name and categorize your trips.

If you take frequent trips to the same location, you can even have the app automatically categorize the trip based on the route so that you don’t have to always manually input the information. 

5. Claiming Home as Office

If you work from home frequently, it’s also important that you also make note of this on your Self Assessment. If you’re a sole trader or partnership, the easiest way to do this is through the simplified expenses rules.

Depending on the hours you work from home, you’ll be able to claim a flat rate. For instance, if you work for 25 to 50 hours, you’ll be able to claim £10 per month. If you work 101 or more hours, you’ll be able to claim £26 per month. 

6. Find a Bookkeeper and Accountant

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to suffer through taxes alone. As your business begins to grow, there’s no shame in finding the help of a bookkeeper as well as an accountant. A bookkeeper will help keep all of your records organized and up-to-date so that they’re easier to compile during tax time. 

An accountant can help you through the process of doing your taxes. Even better, throughout the year they can help you make smart business decisions. They’ll analyze the data and help you find ways to maximize profits and minimize expenses. 

Self-Employment Tax Tips: Preparing Ahead of Time

When it comes to self-employment tax tips, our best piece of advice is to begin preparing as soon as you begin your small business. Keep track of your income and expenses so that you can predict how much you need to pay and how much you can deduct.

Then, create a separate savings account so that you can funnel a percentage of your earnings away. That way, you won’t become attached to the income you earn that still belongs to the government. 

There’s also no shame in asking for help–bookkeepers and accountants are professionals that work with small and large businesses each day. They’ll help you explain the tax rules and procedures better as well as provide ways to keep your income organized. Even if you’re not looking for tax advice, accountants can help you make better business decisions. 

Ready to stay in-the-know when it comes to financial news for SMEs? Take a look at our finance archives to stay on top of the latest developments throughout the world! 

Are you looking to prepare your child for a future of academic success? While not all children will choose college after they’re finished with school, there are over 2 million students in higher education programs in the United Kingdom alone. This means that it isn’t unlikely that your child will become one of them.

But how do you afford higher education? With the costs of colleges rising by the year and student loans setting students up for financial distress, it’s a good idea to start saving for college as soon as possible.

It’s a daunting idea, but we want to help give you some direction. Keep reading for a few tips on how you can start setting your child up for academic success by learning how to save for college ahead of time.

Start Early

This is the most crucial advice that we can give you when it comes to preparing your child for college. You need to start as early as possible. 

Higher education is expensive. While it’s possible to put aside enough money as your child enters their teen years, it’s much more difficult, especially for families who are in lower income brackets. 

This means that you should start while your child is still young, preferably in their infancy or toddler years if you’re able. Some parents choose to start before the child is born.

The longer you have to save, the more money you can accumulate with fewer adjustments to your day-to-day spending. This is even more important if you have multiple children who all plan on going to University. 

The rest of our tips apply regardless of how early you choose to start saving, but they’ll be more helpful if you start with plenty of time to save.

Create a Budget

Every household, regardless of the intention to go to college, should have a budget to adhere to. This makes saving easier.

First, calculate the income of your household. If your children have jobs, only include their income if they contribute to household necessities. 

Make a list of all of your bills and spending that can’t be avoided or changed. These include internet, taxes, utilities, and the costs associated with your home such as rent or mortgage. Take these out of your income. 

After this, consider your grocery bill. How much do you spend every month, and where can you cut down? Also, consider other areas in which you may be able to cut back, whether they’re necessities or not.

How much do you spend on gym fees or leisure activities? What about shopping? 

With all of these things, you’re going to break your list down into “needs” and “wants.” These categories will help you learn where you can cut back. 

Everyone needs food and clothing, but how much do you spend that isn’t necessary? For example, how much food waste do you accumulate? How often do you buy excess snacks, or expensive brands of items when the basic brands are just as good? See what you can do to reduce your spending in this area. 

Do I Have to Cut Out Everything? 

You can still spend money on non-essentials. You should be careful and work them into your budget ahead of time. 

You want to add a percentage of your earnings to emergency savings, saving for the future, and college savings. All of these are important. 

After this, set aside money for fun and leisure activities so you’re still able to go on holiday and provide nice products and experiences for your family. 

Put Aside a Portion of Every Paycheck

Speaking of setting aside money, putting aside a portion of your paycheck dedicated to college is a great idea. The earlier you start, the smaller the portion needs to be. 

Make sure that it’s a reasonable amount based on your necessities. For some people, this may be as small as 1% to 5%, but this amount still makes a difference in the long run. 

Choose the Right Savings Account

Savings accounts aren’t all equal. While you may be used to the savings account associated with your normal bank, consider alternatives.

When you’re choosing a savings account for a college fund, look at interest rates. You’re saving for a long time, and a higher interest rate means that you get more out of your account. Your money won’t be sitting, it will be accumulating. 

Most savings account interest rates are available to view online. Don’t choose a savings account before seeing what the best bank can do for you. 

Involve Your Child 

Your child can help you save for their education once they’re old enough.

If you like, you can give an allowance for household chores when they’re young. Teach them the value of money by taking a small portion out of their chore money to save. If they save even a small amount every week, by the time they’re ready to go to school they’ll have a small, but not inconsequential, amount of money. 

As they get older and get their first jobs, talk about putting aside part of their paycheck for college. They may be resistant, but if you’ve been successful in teaching them about money, they’ll understand how important this is. 

Finally, encourage your child to strive for scholarships. There are plenty of scholarships available based on demographics and academic performance that your child can apply to in order to help offset the expense of a college education. 

Saving for College Paves the Way for Success 

Affording college is difficult for many families. This is why saving for college early is so critical. With the right steps, you can send your children to school so they can reach their full academic potential. 

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