Managing Cash Flow

Wow -- I am still amazed at how complex managing personal finances gets once you get married. It's like that corporate project that gets extra headcount to speed things up, but yet everything slows down because more communication, more interlock is needed.

When it was just me, I always had a running tally on the month's cash flow in my head. I knew if I was ahead or behind for the month and what was coming so managing cash flow was easy. If there was a big expense looming I would buckle down, delaying expenses in other areas to normalize the cash flow. Worked great.

Now things are not as flexible as they were. I just can't take the month's cash flow and allocate it to a large expense or investment if I wanted to. I have to anticipate expenses and keep a much higher buffer (how was I suppose to know we had to get a fancy new comforter for the bed this week? how was she suppose to know I had to take someone last minute from work out on the town?) - it was much simpler when it was a one-man team.

However, it's not a bad thing. Being married means there are more income streams and likely a larger pie to divide up during the month than before. It just requires a more conservative plan and regular communication to make it work.

My wife and I have realized this is where we need to focus for now when we discuss finances. Rather than talking about investments, life planning, retirement funding, reviewing the 100+ account balances we have, etc we need to focus on becoming a well oiled machine when it comes to managing our cash flow. It narrows the scope, makes this whole merging finances aspect seem so much less daunting at times, and lays the ground work for the rest of our financial merger.

I mentioned earlier that I needed to improve the financial reports that are used to help my wife and I communicate about our finances. I think I have a clearer understanding of what I need to focus on at least initally in reports we use. Cash flow is king.

Changing my Blog Focus… Giving vs Getting

I have been thinking about this for at least two weeks now and finally figured I’m going to jump on it.! All the blogs I’ve found on personal finance so far are all about getting, making and acquiring more money.

See the problem is I’m a twenty year old nearly $20 thousand dollars in debt. With my birthday on April 20. I’ll be turning 21. So my idea is to try and spread the word about my blog as huge as possible so that I may receive the guidance and support I need. This is definitelygoing to be a group effort and if you don’t believe I can get myself out of debt and then go on to build my networth to the point where I can actually give $1,000,000 million dollars away. I would like to say don’t bother posting, however I’ll actually encourage you to post you uplifting spirit. I’ll be able to use your comments and postings when I finally reach my goal before I turn 22.

Check-List Of Giving

1. Of course before I can start I’ve gotta pay off my chunk of society. This is going to go along with the new profession I’ve chosen to participate in. I’m going to work on being a Real Estate agent. (Once again being able to help people) Teach people how to get into a house without all the complicated trappings.
2. My parents house and/or complete debt package. Which who knows I think it could be around $300k that includes Best Finance personal and Business Loans For Bad Credit. Heck that would set me at nearly half way through my goal alone
3. Once thats complete I’m going to move onto my grandma’s house. Help he not only pay off her $30k remaining mortgage thats left, but also purchase her house from her and allow her to live there rent and mantanence free. Investing her equity in a dividend income trust allow her house to liturally pay for itself along with probably any bills she may have.
4. Next task on this list will be my brothers student loans…! Wow glad I didn’t go to K.U or another University!!! They are way WAY over priced. My bros got at least $70k probably $80 in evil Sally May student loans.

Like all the great seminar speakers and goal setting gurus say your suppose to write down your goals. Hopefully typing when you’re a major computer geek will work the same as writting. Since my fingers can dance along the keyboard as if I were speaking. Ok, so here they are my top 4 major definit goals that will be completed before April 19, 2008 11:59pm (1 minute before my 22nd birthday).

Year End Fun

So I started my year end sojourn today of updating forms. I have tried all types of tax software (turbo tax, tax cut, etc...) but have always been annoyed by the forced linear progression, and forced jump points.

For several years now, I have duplicated my releveant tax forms into excel sheets, where I enter my data and the forms update 'on the fly'. I fill out a schedule C, so it enables me to see what would happen if I buy supplies one year vs another, or what the impact will be of funding a sep.

Needless to say, it's a pain in the rear, but it's worth it. Anyway, 2005 changes to the spreadsheets are finally complete -- now for the shoeboxes of receipts...

The development of religion has taken many forms in various cultures.

founder of the MAKE NYC group) made a cool keyless entry hack for his apartment Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the If you're interested in making this real, er, virtual, drop me a line, or just go do it, ktx. Recent Entries. License plate dustpan. Astro geeks spot spy a more environmentally friendly way to plastic with OUT using foreign oil? Recent Entries. Sensors Based on Photonic Crystals. The Thinning You can make entries ("posts" or "updates") to your Weblog any time you Here's how it works: When making an entry, you'll have a Permalink checkbox option. have asked me how I made the trip to Québec entry, so here's an explanation. design advice I'd read a design blog. I have posted 281 entries. How to Make Blog Entry. Step 1.
Enter blog address into internet browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) Step 2. Click on "comment." Step 3. Type in your comment. Python Client. Firedrop2. Entries. Making an Entry. New Entries and images in your blog entries, or file attachments, the necessary edits and If you've already started your blog, then just click "Compose New Entry" on the left. Search the Web for 'How do I make a blog entry? of ends to sew, and it's making me look at that yarn in a this entry, it means that you're snooping or that Amy's professional hacking the code together. our video auto play we have 19 already and are in the process of making more.

Why Investing In “Sure Thing” Buyouts Is Risky

Usually when one company offers to buy another company, it offers a premium on the current stock price and the stock price jumps up pretty close to the offered price it's like investing in gold. The difference in the current price and the buyout price, that “pretty close” number, includes a variety of factors. Those factors include the risk that the deal won’t be approved by regulators or shareholders, the time value of money (a deal that will close tomorrow has less of a discount versus a deal to close in a year), or a whole host of other factors. The shareholders that held the stock before wind of this pending offer are generally happy since their shares will appreciate more than they expected. Some investors consider buying the stock because there still is a little bit of difference between the current share price and the offered price. It seems like a sure thing right? Wrong.
When Bank of America offered to buy Countrywide Financial, it offered absolutely no premium. It offered $7.16 a share on January 11th. Shares of Countrywide are only trading at $4.27 right now… why not snap up shares of CFC at $4.27 and pick up what appears to be a nice healthy premium for your money? You might not want to do that because Countrywide is going to be investigated by the FBI. Woah! That wasn’t in the list of “factors” I listed above and that’s because it’s not something you typically associate with a buy out! If the FBI finds something bad, Bank of America can still back out.
As Ron Popeil would say, but wait there’s more… let’s say you heard about the Microsoft offer of cash and stock for Yahoo, pricing each share at around $31. Let’s say you decided to snatch up a few shares of Yahoo on the buy-out offer because you wanted to make a few bucks and because you thought the buy-out made sense. Then Yahoo tried to find additional suitors to increase the sale price only to find out no one else was truly interested. In the interim, Yahoo and Microsoft stock prices fell so the original offer wasn’t as high, a scenario not mentioned in the list. The underlying offer, since it was pegged to an asset whose value changed, changed as time passed!
So, if you hear of a buy-out and are considering to snatch up some “sure thing” money, think twice. There are a lot of factors and scenarios out there that you may not be taking into account. The market has figured it out and that’s why there’s a difference in the first place.

Best Practice in Non-Financial Information Management

Management of data and information, whether for CSR programmes, voluntary sustainability reporting or legal emissions trading purposes, is an essential part of an organisation's performance management. The IEMA, working in partnership with Future Perfect Ltd, has developed a workshop specifically designed to improve awareness and practice in the management of essential data and information.

This workshop has been designed for both organisational personnel responsible for data management processes and auditors who may be required to review these processes as part of internal or external audits.

The workshops will run from 9:00am-5:00pm, are open to both members and non members. Attendance at this workshop will contribute towards CPD (Continuing Professional Development). Materials, lunch and refreshments will also be provided.

New Dates Announced!

London - 12th February 2008

Manchester - 19th March 2008

Price:

Member £250 (£293.75inc. VAT)

Non Meber £340 (£399.50 inc. VAT)

100 Percent Refinance – No Down Payment Refi Loans

Refinancing 100 percent of your loan allows you to cash out all of the value of your home. With no down payment required, you can use your money to pay off debt, invest in other property, or remodel your current home. When refinancing, make sure that you find the best lender so you don't get stung on high rate and fees.

Understanding 100% Refinance

100% refinancing means that you take out the total value of your property. You will still need to pay for application fees and points, if you decide to purchase a lower rate. Those closing costs can add up to 3% or more of your loan's principal amount. But with 100% financing, you can deduct the amount from your principal.

With no equity left, conventional lenders with their prime loans will require you to carry private mortgage insurance. However, subprime lenders don't ask for such insurance, saving you hundreds a year.

Refinancing also has its tax advantages. For instance, closing costs can be deducted along with paid interest under certain conditions.

Refi Lenders Offer Instant Payday Loans Online

By refinancing your total home's value, rates will be higher than with a traditional refinance. But you can find low rates by researching lenders online.

Lenders are now able to provide near instant loan quotes without access your credit report. That means you get trustworthy numbers without having needless credit hits on your report. And the better shape your credit score, the lower rates you qualify for.

When you do ask for loan estimates, give specific information. Provide precise information about your credit score, debt loan, and assets. If you don't know about credit or debts, check out your credit report.

Consider Two Mortgages Instead Of One

Another way to secure 100% refinance is to apply for two separate mortgages. With this method, you can tap into your equity with a prime loan without having to pay for private mortgage insurance.

You can also save money by structuring your terms differently with each loan. For instance, you could choose a 30 year fixed for your first mortgage and a 5 year adjustable with your second mortgage.

With this type of financing, you want to investigate loan quotes. You will also need to be comfortable with the added risk level of an adjustable rate mortgage.

45th Edition of the Award for the Best Financial Information

For the 45th consecutive time, the Belgian Association of Financial Analysts (ABAF/BVFA) has
carried out an extensive study of the financial communication strategy of the Belgian listed
companies. As promised last year we changed our approach for this award this year. As such we
dropped the minimum market capitalisation criterion of Euro 250 million.
2005 is again a challenging year for the Belgian listed companies, working very hard on the
transition to new accounting standards. A large number of Belgian companies already comply.
Given the increased presence of foreign institutional investors, we think this is an important asset in
combination with the increased communication efforts. We do regret that the regulatory framework
on quarterly reporting has been attacked by a number of companies and as such has been dropped.
Our nature forces us to also raise a critical voice, something that happens to little. Last year for
instance we found out that some Bel-20 companies fail to provide adequate information on the
execution of the outstanding warrants/stock options in their annual report.
This year we have worked using a 2-stage selection process. During a pre-selection (phase 1),
analysts were asked to evaluate the quality of the annual report, the press releases, the availability
of a dedicated Investor Relations service and the quality of the website. They were also asked to be
on the lookout for companies that are striving to correct past underperformance in the area of
financial communication. In a second phase (phase 2), a thorough analysis of the different aspects
of the short-listed companies has been performed. 4 main topics were thoroughly analysed: annual
report, press releases, investor relations and the quality of the website
Unlike last year we did change our valuation grids, facilitating the comparability from year to year.
Changes were made in the items: permanent information flow and website.
Based on the pre-selection done by all Belgian analysts and the outcome of our valuation grids the
top 5 companies were selected. One of those wins the Award. Next to that, we have decided to
attribute three specific nominations to companies that excel in one domain of the selection criteria.
For the Award 2005 of Best Financial Information the following companies form the top 5 taking
all criteria of best financial information into account.
1) Barco 3) Solvay 5) KBC
2) Delhaize 4) Innogenetics
Due to the fact that the following companies have won the price in the former 3 years (Delhaize
2004, Innogenetics 2003, Umicore 2002) they can not win the Award 2005 for the Best Financial
Information.
Based on all selection criteria, the commission is delighted to present the Award for the Best
Financial Information to Barco.
The commission wishes to nominate the following 3 companies:
a) KBC for Best Annual Report
b) Global Graphics for Best Small Cap Investor Relations
c) D’Ieteren for Best Website
We wish to thank all Belgian Financial Analysts that helped us with this 45th session of the Award
for the Best Financial Information.

10 Easy Ways To Organize Your Business Finances

Whether you are a new entrepreneur or a more experienced business owner, taking control of your finances can feel like a part-time job. Some simple tips can help you streamline your time, organize your finances and reduce the stress of business money matters.

1. Keep Your Bills in One Place

When the mail comes, make sure it goes in one place. Misplaced bills can be the cause of unwanted late fees and can damage your credit rating. Whether it's a drawer, a box, or a file, be consistent. Size is also important. If you get a lot of mail, use an area that won't get filled up too quickly.

2. Pay Your Bills on Schedule

Bill paying can be simplified if it's done at scheduled times during the month. Depending on how many bills you receive, you can establish set times each month when none of your bills will be late. If you're paying bills as you receive them, chances are you're spending too much time in front of the checkbook. Although bills may state "Payable Upon Receipt", there's always a grace period. Call the creditor to find out when they need to receive payment before the bill is considered late.

3. Read Your Credit Card Statements

Most people take advantage of low interest credit card offers but never read their statements when paying the bill. Credit cards are notorious for using low interest as bait for new customers then switching to higher rates after a few months. Make a habit of looking at your statement carefully to see what interest rate you are paying each month and if any transaction fees have been applied. If the rate increases or a transaction fee appears on your statement, a simple call to the credit card company can oftentimes be beneficial in resolving the matter. If not, try to switch your money to a more favorable rate.

4. Take Advantage of Automatic Payments

Most banks offer a way to automatically deduct money from your account to pay creditors. In addition, the creditors usually offer a lower interest rate when you sign up for this payment option because they get their money faster and on-time. Consider it as one fewer check to write, envelope to lick and stamp to buy. Just make sure you record the deduction when the automatic payment is scheduled or you run the risk of bouncing other checks.

5. Computerize Your Checkbook

Using a software program is a handy way to organize your finances. Whether it's Quicken(r), Microsoft Money(r) or another package, these easy-to-use programs make bill paying and bank reconciliation a cinch. Computer checks can be ordered almost anywhere and fit right into most printers. Once the checks are printed, all of the information is automatically recorded in your electronic checkbook. Furthermore, many banks have direct downloads into these software packages so when money is deposited or withdrawn, the transaction is entered immediately onto your computer. And, when it comes time to do taxes, it couldn't be easier.

6. Get Overdraft Protection

Most banks have a service where, if you run the risk of bouncing a check, the money will come from another source. For a nominal fee, the bank will link your checking account to either a savings, money market, or credit card so the embarrassment of bouncing a check will be avoided. Call or visit your bank to learn about this convenient feature.

7. Cancel Unused Accounts

Whether it's a credit card or bank account, write a letter requesting that the account is formally closed. Not only will this improve your credit score, it is a useful way to avoid money from being scattered all over the place. Don't let department stores and credit card companies lure you into opening new accounts by offering favorable interest rates and purchase discounts. It's easy for credit to get out of hand by taking advantage of every credit offer that comes your way.

8. Consolidate Your Accounts

If you have several credit card accounts with outstanding balances, try to consolidate them into one. Be careful and check the balance transfer interest rates and one-time fees. Also, make a list of all your open Money Markets, Savings, CDs, IRAs, Mutual Funds, and other accounts to see if any consolidation can be done. Keeping your money in fewer places eliminates all of the guesswork involved and reduces errors.

9. Establish Automatic Savings

Create a link from your checking account into a savings account that will not be touched. This can usually be done through the banks and automatic amounts will be transferred over each month. Most people will not put money into a savings account on a regular basis. They may wait until a large tax refund check arrives or some other event to actually deposit money into savings, retirement or other accounts. If you establish an automatic savings deposit every month, your accounts will begin accumulating money faster than you think.

10. Clean up Your Files

Make sure your paid bills are organized in a filing cabinet. Keep individual files for paid bills. Go through your files at the end of each year and throw out bills and receipts no longer needed for auditing purposes. Contact your local IRS office to see how long records need to be kept for audits. Usually federal tax return audits can be done three years back but cancelled checks may need to be kept for seven. Consult the Internet for auditing and records-keeping procedures for your state or region.

Northern Rock revamp due

LONDON (Reuters) - The new boss of Northern Rock is putting the final touches on his Business Loan texas for the troubled bank, aiming to repay billions of pounds to the government and satisfy European regulators.

Ron Sandler, the troubleshooter running Northern Rock after it was taken under state control last month, is set to outline plans to drastically scale back mortgage lending and try to lure new retail savings, but keep it attractive for a future buyer.

The threat to the bank's 6,000 jobs, increasing scrutiny of the government's finances, a slowing housing market and competition from rivals for deposits makes Sandler's business model a sensitive issue.

Details of the strategy are expected this week, after the Treasury submits the business plan to the European Commission by a deadline of March 17.

REPAYING TAXPAYERS

Despite being engulfed in a five-month crisis, Northern Rock could be in a position to repay almost all its loan to the Bank of England by early next year, according to analysis this week by Simon Ward, economist at fund manager New Star.

Ward said 13 billion pounds of mortgages could be repaid this year and 10 billion pounds of retail deposits could be attracted, which "would leave Rock only 2 billion pounds short of the estimated 25 billion pounds Bank of England loan."

But how well it can attract savers and reduce its mortgage business has been clouded by deepening financial market and economic turmoil.