Month: September 2015

5 Reasons To Sell Your Annuity Right Now

    Finance Tips

Get settlement money now

If you’re interested in selling your annuity, you definitely aren’t the only one! There are plenty of reasons why people sell annuity payments, whether they’re dealing with a lottery annuity or with annuity settlements resulting from a lawsuit.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that selling your annuity payments can be simple and stress-free — you just have to be focused and figure out exactly why you want to sell you payments! For example,

  • Maybe you’ve found a better investment for your money — whether it’s real estate, the stock market, or a big purchase like a home or car. Annuities are kind of annoying because the money you put into an annuity really doesn’t appreciate over time; in fact, it depreciates, making an annuity a pretty poor investment strategy.

  • A lot of people just get fed up with all the fees involved in an annuity. Between management fees and the taxes you have to pay when you finally start withdrawing your payments, you can end up paying a lot of money toward basic tasks that don’t really matter.

  • Financial emergencies are another reason why people choose to sell their annuities, and although this probably isn’t the way you’d like to be spending your money, it’s definitely better to spend money that’s already yours rather than borrowing the money. It’s impossible to predict when these emergencies will occur, so it’s understandable if you don’t have savings to cover the costs.

  • One interesting trend that occurred following the economic collapse in the U.S. during 2007 and 2008 was that retirement funds began disappearing — and as a result, more people began pruchasing annuities just to make sure that they had something in the future. A lot of these people are now realizing that an annuity really isn’t a great retirement plan.

  • Last but not least, maybe you want to sell your annuity payments simply because the annuity is yours, the money is yours, and you should be able to spend or save it as you choose! Maybe you want to go back to school, start up a business, go on a big vacation, or just pay off some credit card debt. It’s up to you how to use your money — the only thing that really matters is selling your annuity safely and securely!

Is it Time to Start Saving for Retirement?

    Finance Tips

Financial planners

When you first enter the workforce, retirement can seem very far away. Because of this, saving for retirement doesn’t get placed high on the priority list. The reality is, however, saving for retirement early on can lead to more wealth for you in the future when you need it.

Did you know that about 41% of people ages 18 to 29 admit that they have never even thought about retirement planning (according to a recent survey)? If you find that number surprising, consider this, as well: Out of those who are nearing retirement age, one in five say they have no money saved. With an eye to the future and some good financial planning, you don’t have to be like so many Americans who struggle after retirement due to a decrease in personal wealth.

So, how do you get started?

If you are employed and have a reliable source of income and you’ve begun paying off any debts such as student loans or car loans, you’re off to a great start. Many find that sitting down and speaking with trained financial advisors or financial planners is a great way to get a plan in place. According to a recent survey, 44% of the people surveyed reported using a defined contribution plan such as a 401(k) or a 403(b). Depending on your household income, amount of debt, and size of your family, a qualified financial advisor can steer you in the right direction and help you find a retirement plan that is perfect for you.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an employer-sponsered retirement plan offered at your job, take advantage of it! This is a great way to get the ball rolling and it is a great opportunity to make contributions to your retirement plan before taxes. Many employers will even match your contributions, so you have even more of an incentive to contribute.

How much should you contribute?

While this is different for every individual, it is recommended that you put away 10%-15% of your income for retirement if you are starting to save when you’re young (in your 20s). If you can afford to save more, by all means, go for it!

Remember, you never know what the future may bring, but you can lessen your anxiety and feel confident if you prepare for it. Saving for retirement is a great way to ensure your will have wealth in your future not only for yourself, but for your family, too. And, you’re never to young to start!

4 Common Ways of Funding a Small Business

    Finance Tips

Small business lending

Just how are small business owners able to fund their own businesses in such a shaky economy? The truth is, it isn’t always easy to find financial stability, considering the cost of employee wages, equipment, software, rent, traveling, and a variety of other expenses.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to go about finding working capital loans for small businesses and other types of small business lending opportunities:

  • Traditional banks: This option has long been considered the best option by many funding experts, but these days, more small businesses are realizing that this options might not be the best one. There are certainly plenty of options for small business loans at a bank, but it could take a long time for a line of credit to be processed.

  • Credit unions: These are non-profit member-owned institutions that function very much like banks, but they generally provide a little better rates and terms on small business loans. If you aren’t already a member of a credit union, you’ll have to pay a small membership fee and live within the geographical region of the credit union in order to take out a loan.

  • Government loans: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers many different types of small business loans, especially microloans for businesses that just need some quick cash after a disaster strikes. These loans are fairly good options, but be aware that your business might not qualify.

  • Online private lenders: These institutions are quickly becoming a top choice recommended by many funding experts, because they carefully consider the same requirements as banks consider but they tend to offer better repayment schedules and interest rates.

So which lending option is the best choice for your small business?

Stock Information Takes Some Research To Find

    Finance Tips

Investment opportunities

Following the stock market is not always an easy thing to do. If you are someone who is interested in investing, there are a great number of players to keep track of. There are also a great number of factors that determine which publicly traded companies will be a good bet in the long run and not simply just a flash in the pan. Making money in the stock market long term is an endeavor into which it is foolish to enter on your own. Finding the right investment opportunities takes some help and good advice.

Stocks are a global enterprise, and figuring out the system can be frustrating and even overwhelming. Of all the global stocks in 2012, the largest market by far was the United States with about 34% of stocks. Japan was the next largest with about 6% followed by Great Britain with about 6% as well. In the U.S. alone, there are over 9,000 publicly traded securities.

Stock research subscriptions can give you the help you might be seeking. Finding stock market research tools, for example, can help you on your way to some much-desired stability in your portfolio. Long-term funds are often more stable, typically yielding about 75 to 80% return and are 40% less volatile. For 75 years, from 1926 to 2001, small cap stocks in the United States have given a return on average of 12.27%. This is consistent, but obviously less profitable.

The key to finding stock research subscriptions and good overall stock research is to find a place that shares your particular investment philosophy. You’re looking for information that will give you the kind of outcome you desire, so tapping into the advice and counsel of someone who shares you’re opinions about how to get there can be a very smart move in the trading game.

Investing in microcap stocks, for example, may require advice from more informed professionals because you might not be able to get all of the information you need to make the kind of informed decisions you need to make. Microcap stocks are stocks in companies in the United States that have a market capitalization of about $50 million to $300 million. These companies have fewer resources to make information available to the public than larger companies. They’re also less like to be published and talked about than their much bigger counterparts. Microcap investing can bring in a steady return, but make take more work to get there.

When it comes to stock research subscriptions, there are many ways in which you can garner the information you need. There are newsletters, which come out at different times, depending on who is putting it together. You can subscribe to magazines designed to produce research. Of course online information may be the easiest way to get the most relevant information as quickly as possible.

When you take just a few minutes to do some research, you’ll likely find that an enormous amount of stock information can be found online. If you prefer having things in one place, you’re also likely to find stock research subscriptions that can bring you a great understanding of what to do with your stock investments in U.S. microcap equities and even in foreign opportunities such as the China stock market.

Buy Your Stake in a Profitable Company With the Help of an IPO Service

    Finance Tips

Prime brokerage firm

Every company holds a certain amount of stock that can be divided between investors and high ranking officials. The more stock one holds, the larger share of the company’s value they will be entitled to. At certain points in a company’s run they may provide initial public offerings (IPO), a trend that began to surface during the booming stock market of the 1990’s, to sell more assets for multiple reasons:

  • Growth

    • Younger companies who are vying for a stronger position in their marketplace may choose to begin an IPO, offering anywhere from 10 to 15% of the company on average, in order to use the capital gained from the sales for expansion. However, even with smaller businesses gaining a lot of attention for cheaper and available shares, the information involved in the transactions can be staggering to comprehend; which is where ipo services can help. Prime brokerage firms can separate the information into accessible reports to moderate the purchase of stock.

  • Public Trading

    • If a company becomes large enough, they may choose to take IPOs to the next step and become publicly traded. In most cases regular stock exchanges sell shares while the company’s founders or management are still in total control of the business. Publicly traded companies on the other hand have offered a much larger portion of their company to the public. When these exchanges take place, they represent a piece of the company with which the owner is entitled to their share of assets and profits.

  • Benefits

    • Each form of IPO have their advantages for both holders and for management, which an ipo service can layout into clean categories. Private traders are not required to answer to stockholders over functions of the company, while their public counter parts must disclose operations to all invested parties. However, public companies can continuously tap into the stock market to gain capital whenever they deem necessary. Public traded entities must stick to private funding which still has the ability to gain capital but does not have as much freedom to expand.

With the enormous amounts of money that flow through the stock market at any given time, the financial information involved includes copious amounts of paperwork. In order to help understand these transactions, prime brokers can offer ipo services that divide this information into reports which outline how the process operates. 2015 is projected to be the best year for IPOs since back in 2000, so don’t miss out and allow professionals to ensure your money is making it to the right places for the best investments.
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