Top Specialty Journal » Finance

Finance Over the Phone

MsTop — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:17:00 +0000

There are a lot of financial transactions that we do in person. However, there are also a lot of really important transactions that take place over the phone. I really hate this fact since I have a much more difficult time expressing myself on the phone than I do in person.

I’ve learned over time how to handle different financial experiences on the phone. For example, I’ve done a credit card debt negotiation over the phone twice. I now know all that there is to know about who to speak with regarding this type of debt settlement. I’m comfortable doing this over the phone because I have experience with it.

Problems with my bank are another story though. Whenever I’ve tried to deal with them over the phone, I’ve been unable to resolve whatever problem I was having. I can always take care of it in just a few minutes if I go to the bank in person. As a result, this is a financial thing I don’t do on the phone.

If I had my choice of how to deal with money issues would I always do it in person? Honestly, no. I’d actually rather do everything online! But I can’t always do that so I’ll handle things in person or by phone as needed.

Technorati Tags: credit card debt negotiation

Mixing Business and Pleasure

TSJ — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:03:05 +0000

As freelance writers, there are a lot of business expenses that we can deduct from our gross income at tax time. This reduces the amount of taxes we have to pay, which is a good thing since the self-employment tax is so darn high!

A lot of freelance writers and other sole proprietors I know are much more liberal than I am about what they deduct, though. I know writers who will plan business trips — such as a trip to attend a professional conference — to a city where a friend lives, so that they can write off the cost of visiting their friend.

I try to be very careful about making sure I’m only writing off expenses that can be justified, so if I planned a trip like that I’d be careful to only deduct part of the cost, the portion of the trip that is for business purposes. If you need to save money and want to visit a friend, I suggest seeing if the friend can put you up while you’re there. If not, you might be able to find a hotel deal online that would make the trip more affordable for you.

I just don’t think it is worthwhile to ever take a business expense that you couldn’t fully justify to the IRS if they audited you. Sure, the chances of an audit aren’t that high, but is that really something you want to gamble on?

Technorati Tags: business expense, business trips, freelance writers, hotel deal

Being ignorant about cash advance tools

topSJ — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:22:50 +0000

How many times have you heard Hollywood success stories where the main character has financed his movie with the use of his credit cards? More than a few times, I assure you. What you never hear, however is the countless stories of those that tried taking this pathway to success and ended up without a penny, homeless and on the street because they had maxed out their credit with no way of paying it all back.

When seeking out fame and fortune, it is important to understand the right and wrong ways to do things. This doesn’t mean one should never take chances or go out on a limb. It does mean that everything should be thought out, and contingencies should be at hand.

One good tool to know about is use of the cash advance. By using advances, it can be possible to take advantage of opportunities today while still planning on making repayments in the near future.

It would only really take one giant success story of a film being financed or massive business success all due to a cash advance for that tool to become more accepted and more readily used. We often malign the things we do not understand. More often than not, though, it has to do with our ignorance rather than with our knowledge.

Technorati Tags: cash advance, credit cards

Get ahead with FHA training

topSJ — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:31:20 +0000

Are you looking to get ahead in your financial services career? Are you concerned that the industry might pass you by with the sweeping changes taking place now? Well, the absolute best thing you can do is to get yourself smarter. Whether that means you seek out FHA training, or look into getting another specialized certificate, doing it sooner will be better for your long term prospects than trying to do it later.

The Government Accountability Office has already made it abundantly clear that institutions receiving TARP (troubled asset relief program) funds will have much higher levels of scrutiny placed upon them. Much of this will come in the form of higher levels of certification and re-education that the employees of the banks and lending institutions must endure.

So, if you’re interested in loan officer training, or becoming a financial instruments specialist, get the jump on the legislation and seek out your future, now.

By waiting until the new certifications are mandatory, my guess is there will be a mad rush on classes and other learning institutions that offer the courses. And trying to fit your schedule with a limited offering of over crowded and required courses is not something you’ll be happy with in the end.

Technorati Tags: FHA Training, Loan Officer Training

Tips for Making More Money when you Sell Gold

MsTop — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:33:19 +0000

Are you interested in trying to sell gold for cash? You’re not the only person doing this but you can beat out the competition if you figure out ways to make extra money when you’re making your sales.

Follow these tips to make more money when you sell gold:

Know your product. Some types of gold are worth more than others. For example, you make more money when you sell gold jewelry than when you sell scrap gold. Know what you have and what it’s worth.
Read up on the gold market. The gold market may fluctuate. Most people don’t realize this so they sell gold whenever they need the money but you can make more if you sell at the right time.
Write about selling gold for money. Once you’ve started selling gold, you’ll know enough about the business to tell others about it. Write a monetized blog or an ebook about your experiences selling gold and you can make money off of the experience.
Teach a class about selling gold. Like with writing about gold, you can charge people to learn about the sale of gold from you through a local class or lecture series.

Get creative when selling gold and you can make more than other people who are doing the same type of thing.

Technorati Tags: sell gold, sell scrap gold

Considering My Options

Topper — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:12:19 +0000

I was curious if anyone could tell me a bit about debt consolidation. My wife and I are finding that we have so many different bills that it’s starting to become tedious making sure that there is money in the right account for the right amount on the right day! A friend mentioned consolidating everything together from our student loans to credit card to make it easier to pay monthly. They said there may even be a chance that our monthly payment would be less than what we’re paying now for all our individual debts.

Has any used debt consolidation? If we decide to try to consolidate all of our debt, should we go through a traditional bank or an online lender? Can we use it to pay off loans that we got before we were married? We were also wondering if we could include our mortgage payments. We really want to make sure that we are using our money the best way, especially with things the way they are economically. Our jobs are both secure now, but who knows what will happen in the future with so many lay offs happening. So any money we can save would be great.

Technorati Tags: credit card, Debt consolidation

Take Advantage of a Buyer’s Market

Topper — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:48:56 +0000

If you have been considering purchasing a home, there couldn’t be a better time. With a market full of foreclosures, finding a home at an affordable price is easier than ever. Whether you are purchasing your first home, relocating because of the job market, or investing in rental property, you can conduct a real estate search of any area in the US, without having to leave the comfort of your home. The recent drop in mortgage rates also makes this a good time to invest in a home or investment property.

Whether you are considering searching the Jacksonville real estate market or somewhere in a cooler climate, you can find everything you need without having to travel from location to location. This can save lots of money for the investor as well as the first time homebuyer or person that needs to relocate for work. A search of the Chicago real estate market will help you find the most for your money while giving you the information you need to decide if the neighborhood is right for your family. The real estate market of the entire US is right at your fingertips along with all the tools you need to find your dream home or your dream investment.

Technorati Tags: Chicago real estate, Jacksonville real estate, mortgage rates, real estate search

Will Choosing a Higher Deductible Help Keep My Health Insurance Costs Down?

TSJ — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:53:39 +0000

In these hard economic times, I am trying to scale down my expenses where ever I can. I have eliminated many entertainment expenses and cut down on many other areas as well. Now I am trying to decide if choosing a higher deductible on my individual Florida health insurance will save me premium in the long run. I am also trying to find a better rate over all but I don’t want to switch to a plan that is a lot less accommodating just to save money.

A friend told me I should check online with an insurance broker who handles Fort Lauderdale health insurance. She gave me a site and said that the site allows the consumer to compare rates with the top companies and explains the different types of plans. In addition, if I still have questions about FL health insurance I can consult with the broker for clarification. I think this will help me make the best choice for my family without accidentally compromising coverage selections.

I know that making these changes will make a big difference in our family’s bottom line which will help us keep everything else in balance right now. It’s great that there are tools like this site available for consumers to make educated choices.

Technorati Tags: economic times, FL health insurance, Florida health insurance, Fort Lauderdale health insurance

Spending Money to Save Money

MsTop — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:17:02 +0000

When you deal with personal finances, you typically focus on the goal of simply saving money by cutting costs in your life. In contrast, business finances often require that you spend money in order to be able to save money. Some of the methods used with business finance organization may benefit individuals who are trying to save money in their personal lives.

An example of how a business might spend money to save money can be seen when cost seg engineering professionals are hired to assist with property taxes. The use of cost segmentation services is designed to analyze the depreciation of the building and allow for reduced property taxes. This service costs a good chunk of money but ultimately saves the business even more money than is spent.

This same type of thing could be applied to personal taxes. You may find that spending the money that it costs to get a professional to do your taxes for you is actually going to result in saving money because you will get more money back on your income taxes than what you spend to get the services of the professional. Learning a little bit about how businesses justify expenses to save money can help you in doing your own spending.

Technorati Tags: cost seg engineering, cost segmentation services