Tag Archives: Debt

Historic Inflation Worries Americans

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Worries by Americans over historic inflation level and higher retail prices are now larger than concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, according to recent polls from Monmouth and AP-NORC.

The U.S. consumer price index rose 0.8% in November from October. The Labor Department said consumer prices grew last month at an annual rate of 6.8%, which is the highest in 39 years since President Carter administration. The growth in prices were led by cars, food, gasoline, electricity and fuel oil.

As the bulk of Americans cite inflation and paying their bills as their top concerns, President Joe Biden’s job approval ratings fell to new lows with 69% disapproving of how he is handling inflation, according to an ABC/Ipsos poll.

Additionally, inflation concerns could potentially cost the President and Democrats’ their coveted social and environment legislation. It is believed that adding additional fiscal spending to already exploding government debt that adds juice to the economy might worsen inflation critics assert.

Most economists agree that the Build Back Better bill would add to inflationary pressures in the short run, however, they differed over its effects on inflation over the long term. Furthermore, most economists see inflation coming down sometime next year, but the debate is over how soon and by how much.

The bill will probably increase demand over the next few years, Harvard University professor Doug Elmendorf said. “That will tend to push up GDP and employment and inflation — which is not the policy impulse we need right now,” he added. Elmendorf served in the administration of former Democratic President Bill Clinton

References:

  1. https://www.barrons.com/articles/two-thirds-of-americans-polled-disapprove-of-how-biden-has-handled-inflation-51639331904
  2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-17/top-economists-see-biden-s-spending-plan-adding-to-inflation

Planning and Achieving Financial Freedom

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Financial freedom can be an elusive—and hard-to-define—goal.

Financial freedom is often said to be in the eye of the beholder. To some it may mean freedom of debt and being able to fund your lifestyle with your cash flow; to others it may mean early retirement on a Caribbean island. Whatever your financial goals or definition of financial freedom, there are ways and things you can learn to help you get your financial house in order.

Once you’ve decided that financial freedom is one of your top goals, you can start taking steps to achieve it. Thus, the first step toward achieving financial freedom is to define exactly what it means for you. You can’t generally achieve something that you haven’t defined. So, once you’ve defined what financial freedom means to you, you can start taking steps toward your goals.

“What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes.” Marcus Tullius Cicero

Just because you have money does not mean you have financial freedom. There have been numerous people, especially professional athletes and entertainers, who have earned millions of dollars and subsequently lost it all through reckless spending and debilitating debt. Thus, even if you have a lot of money, if you don’t know how to manage and make your money work for you, it will more than likely disappear.

Financial freedom typically means having enough savings, financial assets, and cash on hand to afford the kind of life you desire for yourself and your families. It means growing savings and investments to a level that enables you to retire or pursue the career you want without being driven to earn a wage or salary each year. Financial freedom means your money and assets are working hard for you rather than the other way around…you’re working hard for your money.

In other words, financial freedom is about much more than just having money. It’s the freedom to be who you really are and do what you really want in life. It’s about following your passion, making choices that aren’t influenced by your bank account, net worth or cash flow, and living life on your terms.

Track your expenses

It’s difficult to know how to save money if you don’t have a good idea of where your money is going. Carefully track your spending habits for a typical month. Doing this will help you to become more conscious of your discretionary expenditures. It will also reinforce what expenses are essential and remind you to plan for unexpected expenditures, like medical emergencies and car repairs. Therefore, it is vital to understand and to know where your money is going.

Make a budget

Once you’ve taken inventory of your expenses, next step is to create a budget. While budgeting can sound like a cumbersome task, you may want to start by using a budgeting calculator to get a feel for how you are currently spending your money and how you’d like to change your spending.

One popular budgeting method is the 50/30/20 rule. The 50/30/20 rule is a way to divide your post-tax income based on your needs, wants and savings. The rule states that people should spend 50% of their income on their needs. This includes health insurance, housing, transportation, and groceries. Then, the guideline states that people should spend 30% of their income on wants or non-necessities such as entertainment, travel, and more. Finally, the last 20% of a person’s income should be saved or invested. This might include retirement savings and building a stock portfolio.

Once you have created a budget, don’t put it in a drawer and forget about it. Instead, make it a working and living document that you check and refer to often. Spend a half-hour per month reviewing how your actual expenses match your budget and make adjustments as necessary.

Automate your savings

Automating your savings and investing is one of the easiest steps you can take to ensure that you are on the path to financial freedom. You can set automated contributions to your employer-sponsored investments, including your 401(k) contributions and employee stock options.

When your savings and investing are automated, your money will continue to grow without you having to think about it. This will help you to reach your financial goals easily and quickly.

Have some percentage (10% to 20%) of your paycheck automatically deposited into a separate account—whether it’s a savings account, a 401(k) or an IRA. Money that isn’t easily accessible is not easily spent.

Unfortunately, many Americans are not saving enough to maintain their current standard of living during their retirement years. It was found that about 21% of Americans have nothing saved for retirement, according to the Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning & Progress Study.

Start investing early

Follow the adage, the best time to start investing was twenty years ago; the second best time is today. You should start investing in a tax deferred account, preferably with your employer matching a portion or all of your contribution.

Planning for retirement is a marathon and not a sprint. Even if you are starting small, the most important thing is to get started. Therefore, it will likely take decades to reach your goal. Therefore, it is important to remember why you want to achieve financial freedom. Keeping your purpose, goals and the bigger picture in mind will help you navigate the day-to-day financial decisions.

Once you become financially free, you have more choices of how to live your life and spend your days.

When you decide that you want to start working toward financial freedom, it is important to remember that you will not become financially free overnight. However, according to certified financial planner David Rae, in a 2018 article in Forbes magazine, there are eight hierarchies of financial freedom that you can work towards:

  1. Level 1: Not Living Paycheck to Paycheck – The first level of financial freedom is building up an emergency fund and paying off any credit card debt. Unfortunately, living paycheck to paycheck is the reality of millions of Americans. According to the Federal Reserve’s Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2017, some 40% of households could not cover a $400 unexpected expense.
  2. Level 2: Enough Money to take a sabbatical from your work – Accumulating enough money to be able to take a break away from work can be rewarding. This does not mean you have to quit your job, but it sure is a good feeling to know you can.
  3. Level 3: Enough to be Financially Happy and still Save – it’s about enjoying your life and having the money to do it. There can be peace when you are earning enough to save, doing the things you enjoy and still having extra at the end of the month.
  4. Level 4: Freedom of Time – Many people desire more flexibility with their schedules. Freedom of time and financial independence go hand in hand. Together, they are about following your passion, or spending more time with family, and not going completely broke doing it.
  5. Level 5: Enough for a Basic Retirement – Think about what your bare minimum retirement would look like. By knowing your bare minimum retirement, and knowing that you have enough money saved to at least cover some standard of living in your retirement, will also influence other life choices you may make along the way.
  6. Level 6: Enough to Actually Retire Well – Knowing you are on track to accumulate a nest egg to support that lifestyle is a big win. Well done to those who have accumulated enough assets, or passive income streams, to be in a position to retire well.
  7. Level 7: Enough for Dream Retirement – It would feel great knowing that you are on track to have enough money to retire and be able to live your dream life. What is stopping you from getting there.
  8. Level 8: More Money Than You Could Ever Spend – Having more money than you expected to spend is great. Building enough wealth so that you could not possibly spend all of it is another.

Bottomline is that if you want to be financially free, if you want to be able to live the lifestyle of your choosing while responsibly managing your finances, you need to become a different person than you are today and let go of the financial mindset that has created your current financial predicament and has held you back in the past.

Attaining financial freedom, which means having enough savings, investments and cash flow to live as you desire, both now and in your later years, requires a continuous process of growth, learning and emotional strength. In other words, whatever has held you back and provided you comfort in the past or kept you less than who you really are will have to be replaced. You will have to become comfortable for awhile being uncomfortable. And in return, the financially empowered, purposeful, and successful you will emerge — like a butterfly shedding its cocoon.

References:

  1. https://www.richdad.com/what-is-financial-freedom
  2. https://smartasset.com/financial-advisor/financial-freedom
  3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrae/2019/04/09/levels-of-financial-freedom

Americans in Debt

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“U.S. adults carrying debt hold an average of $23,325, exclusive of mortgages

Most Americans carry some form of personal debt. In fact, 77 percent of Americans have debt, according to the 2018 Northwestern Mutual Planning and Progress study.  And, if you have significant levels of debt, you need a financial plan to manage your debt and get out of it. That’s because debt can cost you money, potentially a lot of money for a long period of time.

In fact, if you take the time to tally how much you’re paying in interest over the life of your debt, it might just be the motivation you need to finally make a big push to pay off your debt so you can spend that money on something you enjoy or can invest in your long term financial freedom.

The Northwestern Mutual’s 2021 Planning & Progress Study showed that among U.S. adults aged 18+ who carry debt, they hold an average of $23,325 excluding mortgages. This represents a downward trend of over 20% since 2019.

While overall debt is on the decline, 30% of Americans’ monthly income on average goes towards paying off debt other than home mortgages.

Far and away, the top source of debt after mortgages is credit cards, accounting for more than double any other source, according to the study:

  • Credit card bills – 19%
  • Car loan – 8%
  • Education loans – 7%
  • Home equity/lines of credit – 4%

Debt under control, or controlled by debt?

“78% of Americans say debt has impacted their ability to achieve financial security.”  Northwestern Mutual’s 2021 Planning & Progress Study

When prioritizing debt versus savings, the interest rate on your debt is a key consideration. The higher the rate, the more you stand to save by paying off the debt.

But also consider the type of debt. A debt can be “secured” or “unsecured”. A secured debt is backed by an asset, also called collateral. Auto loans and mortgages fall into this category: Both allow the lender to repossess the asset if you stop paying the loan. In other words, they can take what you bought with the loan and sell it to get their money back.

With debt consuming nearly a third of monthly budgets on average, many people also say that it has negatively impacted their ability to pursue other financial milestones. Because of Americans personal debt:

  • 29% delayed making significant purchases
  • 18% delayed saving for retirement
  • 14% delayed buying a home
  • 8% delayed having children
  • 7% delayed marriage

Having to pay down debt also carries weight in the way people feel about their long-term financial stability – 78% say that debt has impacted their ability to achieve long-term financial security.

“The latest numbers show steps in the right direction compared to previous years, but we continue to see debt hindering many Americans from having the financial freedom to make other important decisions in their lives,” said Christian Mitchell, executive vice president & chief customer officer at Northwestern Mutual. “Having a plan of action to manage debt and stay on top of payments is critical to achieving future financial goals.”

Although debt is holding some back from major decisions, there are positive indications that people are looking ahead to manage and reduce their debt. Two-thirds (66%) of those with some debt say they have a specific plan to pay it off, and have a timeline for doing so:

  • 45% only expect to be in debt for 1-5 years
  • 20% say for the next 6-10 years
  • 14% say between 11-20 years
  • 9% say for the rest of their lives

The cost of debt can add up quickly. Thus, it’s important to manage the amount and reduce the cost of your debt, and get it paid off. That way you can put that money to work for you financial freedom or toward something more fun, like your next vacation or retirement.

“Rather than lamenting you have too much debt, imagine how much better your life would be with less.”

There’s almost no better way to reduce your expenses and save money than unloading credit card debt. Ridding yourself of this high-interest debt offers returns that few investments can match over multiple years. Even though the S&P 500® has long-run average annual returns of 10%, most people should only expect to earn about 6% a year on average because they’ll hold a mix of assets (including bonds) that lowers their overall risk (and expected returns).

Here are several recommendations to assist you manage your debt and to think through what’s best for you and your money, according to Northwestern Mutual:

  1. COME TO GRIPS ABOUT SPENDING – Debt can pile up for all kinds of reasons. Paying it down should be pretty straightforward — but for that to happen you have to be honest about your spending. Putting your spending into perspective can help you manage and develop a plan to get yourself in better financial shape.
  2. GIVE IT A POSITIVE SPIN – Rather than lamenting you have too much debt, imagine how much better your life would be with less or none. Then set specific financial goals with a focus on debt reduction and elimination.
  3. AUTOMATE YOUR PAYMENT PLAN – Put as many of your credit card and/or loan payments on auto-pay from your checking or savings account. That way, you’ll be sure to avoid any unnecessary late fees.
  4. PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE – If you can’t pay all your debts each month, prioritize what you can pay. Give high priority to debts secured by a house or car, necessities like utilities and debts you can’t discharge, including student loans and unpaid federal taxes. Then tackle unsecured debt like credit cards. You’ll want to identify the credit card with the highest interest rate and pay that one off first. That way, you’ll save yourself money by avoiding unnecessary and excessive interest rate charges over the life of your debt.
  5. PAY AS YOU GO – It may seem old fashioned, but avoid paying with plastic and start using cash, check or debit card instead. Sure, it will take a little extra planning to make sure you have sufficient cash in your wallet, but doing so can help you clearly connect to where your money goes each day. It may also help you avoid impulse purchases and other unwise spending.
  6. MAKE MORE OF YOUR INCOME – Many people believe they don’t have enough money to put toward debt reduction. Ask yourself: Do I really need a latte every morning, or special cell phone services? Sticking to a budget isn’t easy, but if you save small amounts, you’ll be able to pay off your debt that much faster.
  7. DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF RETIREMENT – Paying off debt isn’t a free pass to put your retirement savings on hold, especially if your 401(k) at work offers a company match. Even if you’re paying off a high interest rate on your credit card debt, the employer match on your retirement savings makes your retirement plan contribution the better deal.

When it comes to your retirement, you want to make your money work for you. That’s where investing becomes most important. Sometimes, saving and investing makes more sense than paying off debt. With the interest rate on your debt below 6%, you may want to pay off that debt on schedule rather than making extra payments.

As an added incentive, the tax advantages of investing through retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs can help your money go further over time than it would by paying off debt early.

Plus, you can only contribute so much each year to retirement accounts. Every year you don’t contribute is a missed opportunity to save. With many workplace plans, you also miss a chance to earn matching contributions—i.e., free money—from your employer. And thanks to compounding, the earlier you save, the more your investments could grow over time.

Personal debt has its purposes and financial benefits until it becomes unmanageable and you have trouble paying it off. In the worst case scenario, debt can result in you going bankrupt if you’re unable to make your monthly credit card or mortgage payments.

The pandemic has put some Americans behind and has allowed others a chance to gain some ground on their debt. Specifically, 34% say it will take them longer than expected to pay off their debt because of the pandemic, while 23% expect to be able to pay it off sooner.

When it comes to paying off debt or saving money for emergencies, retirement and other goals, your financial priorities will depend on several factors. These include the types of personal debt, their interest rates, your disposable income and your long-term goals. You can weigh your options, depending on how much debt and how much money you already have saved for the future and invested to for the long term.

References:

  1. https://news.northwesternmutual.com/2021-08-25-Northwestern-Mutual-Study-Finds-Americans-Personal-Debt-Has-Dropped-More-than-20-Over-the-Last-Two-Years
  2. https://news.northwesternmutual.com/planning-and-progress-2021
  3. https://www.prudential.com/financial-education/how-to-pay-off-debt-and-save
  4. https://news.northwesternmutual.com/2018-08-14-New-Data-Personal-Debt-On-The-Rise-Topping-38-000-Exclusive-Of-Mortgages
  5. https://article.smartasset.com/financial-advisor-secrets-1/

Take Control of Your Finances

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There are ways to feel more in control of your financial situation–and make the money you have go farther. The key is to take a close look at your current budget and to better manage your cash flow. You can best do this by finding expenses you may be able to pare back or eliminate, and by potentially finding new sources of income.

Smart spending and saving strategies, according to FinTech company SoFi, to follow are:

Create a Budget and Manage Your Cash Flow – Take a close look at your monthly spending to get a full picture of your spending, and start tracking your spending (every cash/debit/credit card transaction and every bill you pay) for a month or so.

Once you understand your average monthly spending, compare it to what’s coming in. You can look at your bank statements for the past few months to get an idea of much after-tax income you are taking in on average per month.

Comparing what is coming in vs. going out will help you know exactly where you stand financially.

Uncovering Places to Save – Once you understand your monthly spending and group your expenses into categories, the next step is to list your expenses in order of priority, starting with the essentials and going down to the “nice to haves.”

Once you’ve established which expenses are the most important, you can start looking for places to cut some of your unnecessary spending. For example, if you are spending a lot on restaurants and take-out, you might consider cooking at home a few more nights a week.

Negotiating with Service Providers – You may be able to negotiate for a lower rate from many of your providers, especially if you’re dealing with a company that’s in a competitive market.

Before you call or email a business or provider, it is important to know exactly how much you’re paying for a service, what you’re getting for your money, and how much the competition is charging for the same or similar service.

It’s also a good idea to make sure you are communicating with someone who actually has the power to lower your rate and, if not, ask to speak with someone who does.

You may also want to let providers know that if they can’t do better, you may decide to switch to another company.

Cutting Back on Bigger Expenses – Look at the big items in your overall budget. For example, if your car payment too high, you could buy a less expensive to cut monthly payments.

If rent is eating up too much of your income, you might want to look into finding a cheaper place to live that’s still nice, taking in a roommate, or moving in with friends.

The lower you keep these costs, the easier it will be to live well within a tight budget.

Knocking Down Debt – Having too much debt can hamper your chances of achieving financial security down the line.

That’s because when you’re spending a lot of money on interest each month, it can be harder to pay all of your other expenses on time, not to mention grow your savings.

Reducing debt may seem like a tall mountain to climb, but choosing the right debt reduction strategy may be able to help you chip away and slowly improve your financial situation.

Since credit card debt typically costs the most in interest, you might consider tackling these debts first, and then move on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate, and so on.

Starting an Emergency Fund – Start putting a little bit away into an emergency fund each month a priority: An unexpected expense—like your car breaking down or a visit to an urgent care clinic—could put you over the financial edge.

If you start putting just a small amount aside each month into an emergency fund, it won’t be long before you have a decent financial cushion that could prevent you from having to run up high interest credit debt the next time something unexpected rolls around.

Spending Only Cash for Everyday Expenses – Using plastic that can make it feel like you are not really spending money. Thus, switching to cash (and leaving the credit cards at home) for other expenses can be a great idea when money is tight.

The reason is that using cash places a harder limit on your spending and helps you become more aware of your choices. When you can literally see your money going somewhere, you may find yourself becoming much more intentional in the way you spend it.

Another benefit of cash is that it’s more difficult to get into debt since you can’t spend cash you don’t have.

Starting a Side Gig – Once you’ve done some basic budgeting, it may be clear that additional income could help ease things while money is tight.

Sometimes all it takes is some extra time and energy, but taking on a side hustle, or using your talents to pick up some freelance work can bring in additional income.

Some ideas for generating extra income include:

  • Selling things on eBay or Craigslist
  • Hold a garage sale
  • Creating an Etsy store and selling homemade goods
  • Driving for a rideshare or food delivery service
  • Giving music lessons
  • Renting out a room on Airbnb
  • Walking dogs
  • Cleaning houses
  • Babysitting
  • Handling social media for small businesses
  • Selling writing, photography, or videography services to clients

Start saving and investing, immediately – Your first financial goal should be to create an emergency fund and to establish the discipline for saving by “Paying yourself first”. To take advantage of compound interest, start investing early and regularly.

Takeaways

You can gain control of your finances by calmly sitting down, creating a budget, and determining your cash flow. This entails looking at your monthly income, as well as your average monthly spending, and seeing how it all lines up.

To create a monthly budget, you must allot funds for expenses such as rent and other bills, then sets aside a small amount directly for savings and uses the rest to live off for the month

Once you have a sense of your cash flow, you can take steps to reduce unnecessary spending, negotiate to lower monthly bills, chip away at expensive debt, and even start building a financial cushion.

References:

  1. https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/what-to-do-when-money-is-tight/
  2. https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2012/04/25/7-steps-to-take-control-of-your-financial-future/37391767/

Financial Metrics for Evaluating a Stock

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“If you don’t study any companies, you have the same success buying stocks as you do in a poker game if you bet without looking at your cards.” Peter Lynch

Anyone can be successful investing in the stock market. But, it does take thorough research, patience, discipline and resilience. And, it’s important to appreciate that “Behind every stock, there is a company. Find out what it’s doing”, says Peter Lynch, who managed the Fidelity Magellan Fund from 1977 to 1990 and achieved an impressive return which reportedly averaged over 20% per year.

With a long-term view to investing, Lynch would patiently wait for the company to become recognized by Wall Street for its growth, which subsequently unleashed an explosive rise in its stock price as smart money and institutional investors rush to buy stock.

In his book “One Up On Wall Street”, he reveals his principles and metrics for successful investing. Here are 11 financial metrics investors can utilize to evaluate a company’s value:

  1. Market Cap – Shows the current size and scale of the company. “If a picture is worth a thousand words, in business, so is a number.” Peter Lynch
  2. Strong Balance Sheet (Cash on Hand / Long Term Debt to Equity) – Shows how financially sound a business has become and its capacity to withstand an economic downturn. Determine if the company’s cash has been increasing and long term debt has been decreasing?
  3. Sales and Earnings Growth Rates – Shows if the business model works & current growth rate
  4. Free Cash Flow – Shows if company generating or burning through cash
  5. Returns on Capital (ROE / ROIC / ROA)- shows capital efficiency of business
  6. Margins (Gross Profit Margin / Operating Margin / Profit Margin / Net Income) – Shows current profit profile of products, spending rates, & potential for operating leverage
  7. Total Addressable Market – What is market size and long term growth potential for the company.
  8. Long Term (5+ years) Stock Performance vs. market – has the stock created or destroyed value for shareholders. “In the long run, it’s not just how much money you make that will determine your future prosperity. It’s how much of that money you put to work by saving it and investing it.” Petere Lynch
  9. Current Valuation (Price to Sales / Price to Earnings / Price to Book / Price to FCF) – How expensive or inexpensive is the stock price.or is the company reasonably priced. “If you can follow only one bit of data, follow the earnings (assuming the company in question has earnings). I subscribe to the crusty notion that sooner or later earnings make or break an investment in equities. What the stock price does today, tomorrow, or next week is only a distraction.” Peter Lynch
  10. Mission and Vision Statement – Understand why the company exist.  What is it doing. “Behind every stock is a company. Find out what it’s doing.” Peter Lynch
  11. Insider Ownership – Do insiders have skin in the game. SEC Filings. Information available on proxy statement.

Additionally, it is important to figure out:

  1. What is changing
  2. What is not changing
  3. Is there an underappreciation for either. “Your investor’s edge is not something you get from Wall Street experts. It’s something you already have. You can outperform the experts if you use your edge by investing in companies or industries you already understand.” Peter Lynch

Do that well, move on #3, you’re the best investor in the world.

As an investor, unless you understand the underlying business of a company, you will not be able to hold its stock when the price is falling. You could end up selling a great company out of fear – even though its price will recover in the future and give you great returns in the years to come. The ability to hold a good company even when its stock price is falling or undergoing a time correction – will play a crucial role in you becoming a successful investor.

In the long run, the stock price will go up only if the business of the company does well.

In Peter Lynch’s own words “I think you have to learn that there’s a company behind every stock, and that there’s only one real reason why stocks go up. Companies go from doing poorly to doing well or small companies grow to large companies”

If you like a stock, buy small quantity of shares. Study the company in more detail. Buy more shares if you like its business. As your understanding of the business increases, your conviction (confidence) will also increase, this will allow you to give higher allocation in your portfolio.

Categories of Stocks in the Stock Market

Peter Lynch divided different stocks into six categories

Slow Growers – Slow growers are those stocks that have a slow growth rate i.e. a low upward slope of earnings and revenue growth.These slow growers can be characterized by the size and generosity of their dividend. According to Peter Lynch, the only reason to buy these stocks are dividends.

The Stalwarts – The Stalwarts have an average growth rate as that of industry and are usually mid to large companies. They have an earnings growth between the 8-12 percent CAGR range. According to Peter Lynch, investors can get an adequate return from these stocks if they hold these stocks for a long time.

The Fast Growers – The fast growers are generally aggressive companies and they grow at an impressive rate of 15-25% per year. They are fast-growth stocks and grow at a comparatively faster rate compared to the industry average and competitors. However, Peter Lynch advises that one should be open-eyed when they own a fast grower. There is a great likelihood for the fast growers to get hammered if they run out of steam or if their growth is not sustainable.

The Cyclicals – Cyclical are stocks that grow at a very fast pace during their favorable economic cycle. The cyclical companies tend to flourish when coming out of a recession into a vigorous economy. Peter Lynch advises investors to own the cyclical only on the right part of the cycle i.e. when they are expanding. If bought at the wrong phase, it may even take them years before they perform. Timing is everything while investing in cyclical stocks.

The Turnarounds – The turnarounds are characterized as potential fatalities that have been badly hammered by the market for one or more of a variety of reasons but can make up the lost ground under the correct circumstances. Holding turnarounds can be very profitable if the management is able to turn the company as these stocks can be bought at a very low valuation by the investors. However, if the management fails to bring back the company on track, it can be very troublesome for the investors.

Asset Plays – Asset Plays are those stocks whose assets are overlooked by the market and are undervalued. These assets may be properties, equipment, or other real assets that the company is holding but which is not valued by the investors when there has been a general market downturn. The real value may be worth more than the market capitalization of the company. Peter Lynch suggests owning a few of these stocks in your portfolio as they are most likely to add a lot of value to your portfolio. However, the biggest significant factor while picking these stocks is to carefully estimate the right worth of the assets. If you are able to do it, you can pick valuable gems.

“Average investors can become experts in their own field and can pick winning stocks as effectively as Wall Street professionals by doing just a little research.” Peter Lynch

Infinity income – When your income from investments is higher than your expenses, you might be able to live off those returns for 10 years, 30 years, 50 years… or forever!

References:

  1. https://stockinvestingtoday.blog/the-investing-style-of-peter-lynch?
  2. https://www.thebalance.com/peter-lynch-s-secret-formula-for-valuing-a-stock-s-growth-3973486
  3. https://goldenfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/summary-One-Up-On-Wall-Street-Peter-Lynch-2-scaled.jpg

Five Money Goals to Financial Wellness | TIAA

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According to TIAA, there are five big financial goals anyone seeking financial well-being should include on their list:

  1. Max out your 401(k) / 403(b). One rule of thumb says that by the time you turn 30, you should have the equivalent of your annual salary saved (that’s all savings, not just retirement assets); double your salary saved by age 35; three times the amount by age 40. And, it’s essential to take full advantage of your employer match, if you have one: With a $50,000 salary from an employer matching up to 6% of your contributions, you’d be turning down $3,000 (free money) each year! Letting your employer match go to waste would be like you accepting a $3,000 pay cut without a fight. In the absence of an employer plan, contribute to an IRA instead, even though the target is much lower (the annual contribution rate for 2021 is $7,000.
  2. Build an emergency fund. Each year brings economic uncertainty to many and, even for the financially secure, life happens in the form of medical bills, domestic catastrophes and other unplanned expenses. As a general rule, it’s good to maintain an emergency fund that would cover three to six months of living expenses in case you find yourself unemployed. Once you’ve calculated how much you should save, set aside a certain amount from each paycheck to set you on your way.
  3. Get your financial affairs in order. Estate planning is something you can’t afford to ignore. Getting your financial affairs in order, and designating the right people to manage them in the event of your incapacity or death, takes a huge weight off your shoulders. Necessary documents include durable powers of attorney, which designate someone to manage your day-to-day affairs, and a living will or healthcare directive to instruct your doctor what to do if you’re unable to make medical decisions for yourself. Don’t forget to inform those assigned with the task of handling your estate, who need to know the location of your will and other estate planning documents.
  4. Give yourself a debt deadline. Bad debts. You know which ones they are: the loan you took out to pay for a wedding; the credit card with the sky-high interest rate whose balance keeps rolling like a New York subway car. Convincing yourself that minimum monthly payments are okay? How about setting a deadline for repayment and getting rid of this exponentially growing interest?
  5. Create a budget (and stick to it). If you find that your spending is a bit out of control, you may want to press the reset button on your out-of-control spending behavior with a budget.

Setting these five money goals is enough to start you well on your way toward financial well-being.

References:

  1. https://www.tiaa.org/public/learn/personal-finance-101/5-must-have-financial-goals

Financial Mindset

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“It’s difficult to master the psychology and emotions behind earning, spending, debt, saving, investing, and building wealth.”

Personal finance is simple. Fundamentally, you only need to know one thing: To build wealth and achieve financial freedom, you must spend less than you earn. Yet, it seems challenging for most people to get ahead financially.

Financial success is more about mindset and behavior than it is about math, according to J.D. Roth, author of Get Rich Slowly. Financial success isn’t determined by how smart you are with numbers, but how well you’re able to control your emotions and behaviors regarding savings and spending.

Financial Mindset

“Change your mindset and attitude, and you can change your life.”

You sometimes have to make sacrifices in order to improve your financial situation. For instance, if you are in debt, you need to sacrifice some expenses so you can pay more towards managing and eliminating your debt. It is these financial sacrifices that will require you to have the right financial mindsets so you can overcome the obstacles that derail people from managing and eliminating their debt.

According to an article published in USAToday.com, Americans do not have a financial literacy problem. Instead, Americans simply make the wrong financial decisions and have bad final habits which does not necessarily translate that they are unaware of the best practices of financial management. We know how to make the right choices about our personal finances. The problem, according to the article’s author Peter Dunn, is that Americans have a financial behavioral problem. It is bad financial behavior, decisions and habits that usually get them into money trouble. It is what put them in a financially untenable position.

A perfect example is that you should never spend more than what you are earning. It is logical after all. But does that mean you follow it. Some people still end up in debt because they spend more than what they are earning.

Other examples of beliefs about money and personal finance include:

  • Taking personal responsibility regarding your finances is everything.
  • You shouldn’t buy things you can’t afford.
  • You don’t have to make a ton of money to be financially successful.
  • You can give yourself and your family an amazing life, if you’re able to remain disciplined and think long term.
  • Borrowing money from or lending money to your family isn’t recommended.
  • Education can get you a better job, if you get the right education.
  • You should buy life insurance.
  • You have much more to do with being a financial success than you think.

Financial literacy gems such as “spend less than you make,” “you need to budget” and “save for the future” are impotent attempts to help. However, lacking the correct financial mindset can make following the simple financial gems quite challenging.

There are 5 destructive financial mindsets that are the norm in our society today but you should actually get rid of starting today, according to NationalDebtRelief.com.

1. Using debt to reach your dreams.

This can actually be quite confusing. A lot of people say that it is okay to be in debt as long as it will help you reach your dreams. There is some truth to that but you should probably put everything into the right perspective. Buying your own home and getting a higher education are some of the supposedly “good debts.” It is okay to borrow for these if you can reach your dreams because of that debt. Not so fast. It may be logical to use debt to reach these but here’s the key to really make it work – you should not abuse it. If you get a home loan, buy a house that will help pay for itself. That way, the debt will not be a burden for you. When it comes to student loans, make sure that you work while studying to help pay for your loans while in school. Do what you can to keep debt from being a burden so it will not hinder you from reaching your dreams.

2. Thinking you do not need an emergency fund.

The phrase, “you only live once (YOLO)”, should no longer be your mindset – especially when it comes to your finances. You always have to think about the immediate future. If you really want to enjoy this life, you need to be smart about it. Do not splurge everything on present things that you think will make you happy. It is okay to postpone your enjoyment so you can build up your emergency fund. You are not as invincible as you think even if you are still young.

3. Settling for a stressful job to pay off debt.

“The most important thing when paying off your debts is to pay off your debts.”

Among the financial mindsets that you need to erase is forcing yourself to stay in a stressful job just so you can pay off your debt. You are justifying the miserable experience that you are going through in your job because you need it to meet your financial obligations. This is the wrong mindset. You need to put yourself in a financial position where you will never be forced to stay in a job that you do not like. Live a more frugal life that does not require you to spend a lot so you can pursue a low paying job and still afford to pay your debts.

4. Delaying your retirement savings.

Some young adults think that their retirement savings can wait. Some of them think that they need to pay off their debts first before they can start thinking about the future. This is not the right mindset if you want to improve your finances. You have to save for retirement even when you are drowning in debt.

5. Failing to have a backup plan.

The last of the financial mindsets that you need to forget is not having a backup plan. Do not leave things to chance if it involves your finances. You have to make a plan and not just that, you need to have a backup plan. If you have an emergency savings fund, do not rely on that alone. What if one emergency happens after another? Where will you get the funds to pay for everything? Think about that before you act.

Takeaway

Remember, personal finance is simple…it’s your emotion, behavior and habits that are challenging. Bottom-line, it comes down to your financial mindset.  Smart money management is more about your mindset than it is about personal financial math of net worth, cash flow, saving and investing. The math of personal finance is simple and easy. It’s the psychology that’s tough and challenging. Essentially, the concepts to improving your finances and achieving financial freedom are simple but it is not easy to follow through with them.

References:

  1. https://business.time.com/2013/03/11/why-financial-literacy-fails/
  2. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2015/09/27/americans-financial-literacy-behavior/72260844/
  3. https://business.time.com/2011/09/22/debt-tsunamis-debt-snowballs-and-why-the-conventional-wisdom-about-defeating-debt-is-wrong/
  4. https://www.nationaldebtrelief.com/5-financial-mindsets-you-need-to-get-rid-of/
  5. https://www.getrichslowly.org
  6. https://obliviousinvestor.com
  7. https://petetheplanner.com/yes-you-are-an-investor-think-like-one/

True Cost of Credit Cards

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Credit cards make buying things easy, but at a significant cost

Credit cards provide security, convenience, and even rewards based on spending. However, if cardholders don’t manage their cards carefully, they may find themselves facing unwanted consequences like a poor credit score or hidden fees.

If you don’t pay off your credit card balance every month, the interest assessed on your account means you may be paying more than you expect. And if you spend beyond your means, the resulting interest and debt can become significant.

Pros and Cons of Credit Cards

To make the most of your credit cards and maintain a great credit score, it’s essential to understand their pros and cons. Maximize the benefits and minimize unnecessary costs by learning about the advantages and disadvantages of credit.

Advantages

  • Instant Purchasing Power – Credit can help with unexpected emergency expenses and give you the flexibility to pay them over time.
  • Security – Lose cash, and it’s gone. Lose a credit card, and it can be canceled with no harm done in most circumstances. Also, you need to be prompt about reporting a lost or stolen card to be protected against its unauthorized use.
  • Record Keeping – Your credit card statement is an itemized list of your monthly expenditures, which can be helpful when it comes to budgeting.
  • Convenience – Credit cards are more widely accepted as a form of payment than checks, and they’re generally faster to use.
  • Bill Consolidation – Bills can be paid automatically via credit card, consolidating several payments into a single sum.
  • Rewards – Using a credit card with a rewards program may earn you benefits like free travel.

Disadvantages

  • The main disadvantage to credit card usage is the potential cost in interest and fees. Wise use of credit means understanding those costs and acting accordingly. Keep track of your spending to ensure that you can repay your credit card bill in full when it is due each month.

It’s important to understand the true cost of credit cards when interest and fees are factored in. Using credit may be less convenient if it means paying more for purchases over time when interest is factored in.

Payment by credit card is quite different from the cash payment methods like cash, check, or debit card. With credit, a promise to pay later is a part of the transaction. With credit cards, credit is provided by a third party (someone other than the seller), the seller receives full payment for the item. The seller must pay money back to the third party who provided the credit. In this way, the person receiving the credit is delaying payment.

Many people use credit to pay for meals at restaurants, even to make small purchases without having to use cash. Because the use of credit is so common, it might appear that credit is unlimited. However, people who do obtain credit are subject to credit limits, meaning that they can only get so much credit.

Get to know these credit cards terms:

  1. Annual Fee – The once-a-year cost of owning a credit card. Some credit card providers offer cards with no annual fees.
  2. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – The yearly interest rate charged on outstanding credit card balances.
  3. Balance – An amount of money. In personal banking, balance refers to the amount of money in a savings or checking account. In credit, balance refers to the amount of money owed.
  4. Credit Line – The maximum dollar amount that can be charged on a specific credit card account.
  5. Grace Period – The period of time after a payment deadline when the borrower can pay back the borrowed money without incurring interest or a late fee.
  6. Introductory Rate – An interest rate offered by credit card issuers in the initial stages of a loan. These rates are often set much lower than standard rates in order to attract new cardholders. Make sure you know how long the introductory rate will last and what the standard interest rate will be once the introductory period ends.
  7. Minimum Payment – The minimum amount of money that you are required to pay on your credit card statement each month in order to keep the account in good standing.
  8. Overdraft Protection – A banking service that allows you to link your checking account to your credit card, thereby protecting you from overdraft penalties or bounced checks in the case of insufficient funds.

Credit cards can be a convenient and flexible form of payment, but they have to be used responsibly in order to make the most of your money. Though credit cards allow you to purchase items instantly without using cash, it’s important to use your cards as carefully as you would handle your cash.

References:

  1. https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/learn/credit/credit_basics
  2. https://www.econedlink.org/resources/the-costs-of-credit
  3. https://www.thebalance.com/the-true-cost-of-credit-cards-1289627
  4. https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/learn

Road to Wealth | American Association of Individual Investors (AAII)

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You can build wealth by saving for the future and investing over a long term. The earlier you start, the easier it is for your money to work for you through compounding. 

Building wealth is essential to accomplish a variety of goals, from sending your kids to college to retiring in style. Wealth is what you accumulate; not what you spend. Most Americans are not wealthy. and few have accumulated significant assets and wealth.

How long could the average household survive without a steady income.

Every successful saving and investing journey starts with a set of clear and concise goals, whether they’re as big as retirement or as small as wanting to save for new tires for your vehicle. It’s important to determine and write down what are your savings, investing and wealth building goals.

Rather than trying to guess what’s going to happen, focus on what you can control. Each financial goal calls for a positive step you can take no matter what the market or the economy is doing.

The Wealth-Building Process can help you keep many of these financial goals and investing process on track. It is designed to give you clarity on what you are investing for and what steps you need to take to reach and fulfill those goals.

The key is to stick to your financial plan and recalibrate the investing process throughout the year. One way to do so is to set up reminders that prompt you to go back and review your goals. Positive change often requires a willingness to put yourself back on track whenever you drift away from the plan.

With that in mind, here are financial and investing tactics for investors:

1. Only follow strategies you can stick with no matter how good or bad market conditions are.  All too often, investors misperceive the optimal strategy as being the one with the highest return (and often the one with the highest recent returns). This is a big mistake; if you can’t stick to the strategy, then it’s not optimal for you. Better long-term results come to those investors who can stick with a good long-term strategy in all market environments rather than chasing the hot strategy only to abandon it when market conditions change.

One way to tell if your strategy is optimal is to look at the portfolio actions you took this past year. Make sure that you are not taking on more risk than you can actually tolerate. Alternatively, you may need to develop more clearly defined rules about when you will make changes to your portfolio.

2. Focus on your process, not on your goals. Mr. Market couldn’t care less about how much you need to fund retirement, pay for a child’s college education or fulfill a different financial goal you may have. He does as he pleases. The only thing you can control is your process for allocating your portfolio, choosing investments to buy and determining when it’s time to sell. Focus on getting the process right for these three things and you will get the best possible return relative to the returns of the financial markets and your personal tolerance for risk.

3. Write down the reasons you are buying an investment. One of the most fundamental rules of investing is to sell a security when the reasons you bought it no longer apply. Review your current holdings and ask yourself the exact reasons you bought them. Recommend you maintain notes, so you don’t have to rely on your memory to cite the exact characteristics of a stock or a fund that attracted you to the investment.

4. Write down the reasons you would sell the investments you own. Just as you should write down the reasons you bought an investment, jot down the reasons you would sell an investment, ideally before you buy it. Economic conditions and business attributes change over time, so even long-term holdings may overstay their welcome. A preset list of criteria for selling a stock, bond or fund can be particularly helpful in identifying when a negative trend has emerged.

5. Have a set schedule for reviewing your portfolio holdings.  If you own individual securities, consider reviewing the headlines and other relevant criteria weekly. (Daily can work, if doing so won’t cause you to trade too frequently.) If you own mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or bonds, monitor them quarterly or monthly.

6. Rebalance your portfolio back to your allocation targets. Check your portfolio allocations and adjust them if they are off target. For example, if your strategy calls for holding 40% large-cap stocks, 30% small-cap stocks and 30% bonds, but your portfolio is now composed of 45% large-cap stocks, 35% small-cap stocks and 20% bonds, adjust it. Move 5% of your portfolio out of large-cap stocks, move 5% out of small-cap stocks and put the money into bonds to bring your allocation back to 40%/30%/30%. How often should you rebalance? Vanguard suggests rebalancing annually or semiannually when your allocations are off target by five percentage points or more.

7. Review your investment expenses. Every dollar you spend on fees is an extra dollar you need to earn in investment performance just to break even. Higher expenses can be justified if you receive enough value for them. An example would be a financial adviser who keeps you on track to reach your financial goals. Review your expenses annually.

8. Automate when possible. A good way to avoid unintentional and behavioral errors is to automate certain investment actions. Contributions to savings, retirement and brokerage accounts can be directly taken from your paycheck or from your checking account. (If the latter, have the money pulled on the same day you get paid or the following business day.) Most mutual funds will automatically invest the contributions for you. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) can be automated to avoid missing deadlines and provide a monthly stream of income. You can also have bills set up to be paid automatically to avoid incurring late fees.

9. Create and use a checklist. An easy way to ensure you are following all of your investing rules is to have a checklist. It will both take the emotions out of your decisions and ensure you’re not overlooking something important.

10. Write and maintain emergency instructions on how to manage your portfolio. Typically, one person in a household pays the bills and manages the portfolio. If that person is you and something suddenly happened to you, how easy would it be for your spouse or one of your children to step in and take care of your financial affairs? For many families, the answer is ‘not easily’ given the probable level of stress in addition to their lack of familiarity with your accounts. A written plan better equips them to manage your finances in the manner you would like them to. It’s also a good idea to contact all of your financial institutions and give them a trusted contact they can reach out to, if needed.

Even Warren Buffett sees the value of this resolution. In his 2013 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter, he wrote, “What I advise here is essentially identical to certain instructions I’ve laid out in my will. One bequest provides that cash will be delivered to a trustee for my wife’s benefit … My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund.” Considering the probability of Mrs. Buffett having learned a thing or two about investing over the years, it speaks volumes that Warren Buffett still sees the importance of including simple and easy-to-follow instructions in his estate documents.

11. Share your insights about investing with your family.  If you’re reading this, you likely have some passion for, or at least interest in, investing. Share it with your family members by having a conversation with them. Talk about how you invest, what you’ve learned and even the mistakes you’ve made. It’s a great way to pass along a legacy to those younger than you and to maintain a strong bond with those older than you. You might even learn something new by doing so. Our Wealth-Building Process can provide a great framework for facilitating these types of conversations.

If a family member isn’t ready to talk, don’t push them. Rather, write down what you want to say, give the letter to them and tell them you’ll be ready to talk when they are. For those of you who are older and are seeking topics that your younger relatives (e.g., millennials) might be interested in, consider our discount broker guide, which includes a comparison of the traditional online brokers versus the newer micro-investing apps.

12. Check your beneficiary designations. It is critical that all of your beneficiary designations are current and correctly listed. Even if nothing has changed over the past year, ensure that the designations on all of your accounts are correct. Also, make sure your beneficiaries know the accounts and policies they are listed on. Finally, be certain that those you would depend on to take over your financial affairs have access to the documents they need in the event of an emergency. We think this step is so important that we included a checklist for it in our Wealth-Building Process toolkit.

While you are in the process of checking your beneficiaries, contact all of the financial institutions you have an account or policy with to ensure your contact information is correct.

13. Be disciplined, not dogmatic. When you come across information that contradicts your views, do not automatically assume it is wrong. The information may highlight risks you have not previously considered or that you have downplayed in the past. At the same time, don’t be quick to change your investing style just because you hear of a strategy or an approach that is different than yours. Part of investing success comes from being open to new ideas while maintaining the ability to stick with a rational strategy based on historical facts. When in doubt, remember resolution #1, only follow strategies you can stick with no matter how good or bad market conditions are.

14. Never panic. Whenever stocks incur a correction (a decline of 10%–20%) or fall into bear market territory (a drop of 20% or more), the temptation to sell becomes more intense. Our brains are programmed to disdain losses as well as to react first and think later.

This focus on the short term causes us to ignore the lessons of history. Market history shows a pattern of rewards for those who endure the bouts of short-term volatility. We saw this last year. The coronavirus bear market was sharp, and the drop was quick. Those who were steadfast—or used it as an opportunity to add to their equity positions—were rewarded with new record highs being set late in the year and so far this year.

Drops happen regularly and so do recoveries. If you sell in the midst of a correction or a bear market, you will lock in your losses. If you don’t immediately buy when the market rebounds—and people who panic during bad market conditions wait too long to get back in—you will also miss out on big gains, compounding the damage to your portfolio. Bluntly put, panicking results in a large and lasting forfeiture of wealth.

15. Don’t make a big mistake.  Things are going to go haywire. A stock you bought will suddenly plunge in value. A mutual fund strategy will hit the skids. A bond issuer will receive a big credit downgrade. The market will drop at the most inopportune time.

If you are properly diversified, don’t make big bets on uncertain outcomes (including how President-elect Biden’s administration and the Democrats’ control of Congress will impact the financial markets), avoid constantly chasing the hot investment or hot strategy and set up obstacles to prevent your emotions from driving your investment decisions, you will have better long-term results than a large number of investors.

16. Take advantage of being an individual investor. Perhaps the greatest benefit of being an individual investor is the flexibility you are afforded. As AAII founder James Cloonan wrote: “The individual investor has a distinct advantage over the institution in terms of flexibility. They can move more quickly, have a wider range of opportunities and can tailor their program more effectively. They have only themselves to answer to.”

Not only are we as individual investors not restricted by market capitalization or investment style, but we also never have to report quarterly or annual performance. This means we can invest in a completely different manner than institutional investors can. Take advantage of this flexibility, because doing so gives you more opportunity to achieve your financial goals.

17. Treat investing as a business. The primary reason you are investing is to create or preserve wealth, and no one cares more about your personal financial situation than you do. So be proactive. Do your research before buying a security or fund, ask questions of your adviser and be prepared to sell any investment at any given time if your reasons for selling so dictate.

18. Alter your passwords and use anti-virus software. There continues to be news stories about hacks. The best way you can protect yourself is to vary your passwords and use security software. A password manager is helpful for this. Anti-virus software and firewalls can keep viruses off of your computer and help thwart hackers.

19. Protect your identity. Identity theft can cause significant problems. Freezing your credit, monitoring your credit reports (Consumer Reports recommends AnnualCreditReport) and paying your taxes as early as possible can help prevent you from becoming a victim. Promptly challenge any suspicious charges on your credit card or telephone bills. If you get an unsolicited call asking for personal information, such as your Social Security number, or from someone claiming to be an IRS agent, hang up. (Better yet, don’t answer the phone unless you are certain you know who is calling.) It’s also a good idea to cover the keypad when typing your passcode into an ATM. Never click on a link in an email purporting to be from a financial institution (a bank, a brokerage firm, an insurance company, etc.). Instead, type the company’s website address directly into your browser.

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 required credit bureaus to allow consumers to freeze their credit reports at no cost. The following links will go directly to the relevant pages on each credit bureau’s website:

  • Equifax: www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
  • Experian: www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
  • TransUnion: www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

20. To help others, invest in yourself first. Investing based on your values, donating to charity, devoting your time to causes you are passionate about and giving to family and friends are all noble actions and goals. To do so now and in the future requires taking care of yourself. Keep yourself on a path to being financially sound through regular saving and controlled spending. Good sleep habits, exercise and following a healthy diet (eat your vegetables!) are also important—as are continuing to wear a face mask and practicing social distancing. The better shape you keep yourself in from a physical, mental and financial standpoint, the more you’ll be able to give back to society.

For those of you seeking to follow an ESG strategy, be it due to environmental, social or governance issues, make sure you stay on a path to achieve financial freedom. The same applies to other values-based investing, such as following religious beliefs. While it is possible to do well by doing good, every restriction you place on what you’ll invest in reduces the universe of potential investments you will have to choose from.

21. Be a mindful investor. Slow down and carefully consider each investment choice before making a decision. Ensure that the transaction you are about to enter makes sense given your investing time horizon, which may be 30 years or longer, and that it makes sense given your buy and sell rules. A common trap that investors fall into is to let short-term events impact decisions that should be long-term in nature. If you think through your decision process, you may well find yourself making fewer, but smarter, investment decisions.

22. Take a deep breath. Often, the best investing action is to simply take a deep breath and gather your composure. Short-term volatility can fray anyone’s nerves, but successful investors don’t let emotions drive their trading decisions. It’s okay to be scared; it’s not okay to make decisions that could impact your portfolio’s long-term performance based on short-term market moves. If you find yourself becoming nervous, tune out the investment media until you get back into a calm state of mind and then focus on resolutions #1, #2, #3 and #4 (found in last week’s Investor Update). Success comes from being disciplined enough to focus on your strategy and goals and not on what others think you should do.

“I found the road to wealth when I decided that part of all I earned was mine to keep. And so will you.”  The Richest Man in Babylon

Finally, remember that you have a life outside of the financial markets. Investing is merely a means to an end. Put the majority of your energy into activities you truly enjoy, including spending time with family and friends.

References:

  1. https://www.aaii.com/learnandplan/aboutiiwbp
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jrose/2019/09/26/ways-to-build-wealth-fast-that-your-financial-advisor-wont-tell-you

Managing Credit

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Credit is the cornerstone of financial life in the United States, and if you’re starting from scratch, your first step will be establishing your credit history. This means opening or getting added to an account, often a loan or credit card.

As you start building credit, your financial goals may go beyond simply building credit or getting a credit score. Good or excellent scores can help you qualify for the best offers and not get held back by a lack of credit.

  • Understanding what helps—and hurts—your credit score is important when deciding how to use credit and how much debt to take on.
  • The best way to maintain good credit is to borrow responsibly and always make payments on time.

Credit and debt are right at the top of the list of money management concerns and building wealth. Here are 10 common credit facts that can lead to financial well-being:

1)  A credit score is important when you need to borrow money and other areas.

Your credit score is a big part of your financial identity. It can be the most important factor in determining whether you can get a loan and how much it’ll cost you. Your credit score impacts your ability to borrow, and it can affect many other areas of your life, including:

  • Interest rates—Whether you’re looking to finance a home, a car or a washer and dryer, the better your credit score, the lower the interest rate you may be offered.
  • Renting a new home—A prospective landlord can run a credit check to see if you’re a good risk. Things like late payments and collections not only lower your score, they can be a deal breaker when it comes to renting.
  • Insurance premiums—In some states, insurance companies use credit-based insurance scores to determine your premiums. A poor credit score can increase your costs for home and auto insurance.
  • Job prospects—More and more companies use your credit history when screening for jobs. This can impact your ability to get—and keep—a job, as well as your eligibility for a promotion.
  • Security clearance or military deployment—For federal workers in national security positions including members of the military, late payments, collections, bounced checks, large debts or credit report errors can upend your career, jeopardizing deployment or a promotion.

2) Carrying a high balance does not helps build credit faster.

The only thing carrying a credit card balance builds is your interest payment—and the total cost of what you financed. To build credit, it’s much better to pay off what you charge each month and never carry a balance.

3) As long as you don’t go over your credit card limit you’re fine.

To improve your credit score it’s best to use less than 30 percent of your credit line to keep your “debt utilization” rate low. Debt utilization is the amount you borrow relative to the amount you’re able to borrow. A high utilization rate—or even an increase in the amount of credit you’re using—can flag you as a higher risk, lower your credit score and raise your interest rate.

4) Closing out credit cards will not improve your score.

Closing cards decreases your available credit and increases your debt utilization ratio, making it look like you’re borrowing at a higher percentage. Second, closing cards can reduce the average age of your accounts, making you seem like a newer borrower, which can lower your score.

However, closing a credit card can help you manage spending and protect you from identity theft if you’re not using the account. If you decide to close a card, you may want to adjust your spending or pay down existing balances at the same time to keep your debt utilization ratio steady.

5) Getting married does not merges your credit history.

Your credit histories always remain separate, unless there’s a joint account or authorized user. In that case, there’s a shared history, and you’re jointly liable for any charges. If you’re divorced or separated, a joint account still means joint liability, and any new or unpaid debts can affect your credit score. I suggest every couple openly discuss their attitudes toward credit and debt early in their relationship.

6) You can pay a company to quickly remove bad credit marks from your history. 

Accurate negative credit information can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. Bankruptcies can stay on your report for up to ten years. In fact, no one can remove negative information such as late payments from a credit report if it’s accurate, no matter what a credit “repair” company promises you. Use caution before signing up with any company that offers credit repair or counseling services.

7) Checking your credit report will negatively impact your score.

Absolutely not. You’re entitled to receive a free credit report annually from each of the three major credit rating bureaus (Equifax, Experian, Transunion), and I highly recommend getting them. Just go to annualcreditreport.com.

8) There are multiple credit scores.

There are quite a few credit scores, and different rating agencies often have more than one. You can even have different credit scores from the same agency because scores are calculated at different times and according to different criteria. For instance, FICO recently made changes to its criteria, which I discussed in a previous column. 

The important thing for consumers to understand is what basic factors go into a credit score: payment history, unpaid debts, age of accounts, debt utilization ratio, new credit applications and types of credit.

9) Shopping for credit will not hurt your credit score.

It depends on how you shop, the type of credit you’re shopping for and your timeline. For instance, applying for multiple credit cards within a short time can have a bigger negative impact on your credit score than shopping for a home or auto loan. In general, comparison-shopping within 14 to 45 days for an auto loan or mortgage is considered a single inquiry. But trying for a mortgage and a car loan at the same time could have a negative impact.

That said, it makes sense to shop around. To minimize any negative impact, pull your credit report in advance to check for errors, and concentrate your rate shopping into a short amount of time.

10) Having more credit cards does not improve your credit score.

Having multiple credit cards can improve your credit history. But it can also tempt you to spend more and be late on payments, which would lower your score.

Ultimately, the best way to improve your credit is to borrow responsibly. Understand these myths and you won’t be fooled into taking on too much debt—a financial prank to avoid any time of year.

Reference:

  1. https://www.creditkarma.com/advice/i/how-to-build-credit-from-scratch
  2. https://www.schwab.com/resource-center/insights/content/money-myths-10-ways-we-fool-ourselves-about-managing-credit
  3. https://www.creditkarma.com/advice/i/how-to-build-credit-from-scratch#Next-steps-build-excellent-credit
  4. https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com/en/taxes-income/understanding-tax-terms