Get Cash For Gold Without Getting Ripped Off

You’ve probably heard about getting cash for gold, or you might have seen the commercials on television. But how do you know that you aren’t going to get ripped off? How can you trust them? And, you certainly need to ask: How can a company pay top dollar for gold when they willing spend thousands on television commercials?!?

Clearly, the better option is to find a low profile, reputable gold refiner who pays cash for gold but has developed a “solid gold” reputation online. As you research who to send your gold to, here are some factors to take into consideration:

Cash for gold factor #1: Check the prices
If they tell you what the current gold, silver, platinum, and palladium prices are, and if you know that you get a percentage of those prices, you can feel far more confident than if you simply hear something like “we’ll just send you ‘money’ for your gold.” A reputable gold dealer will be clear in how they tie their prices to “spot prices”, which are the commodity prices in the industry.

Cash for gold factor #2: Get the seller to quote the price per gram
When you ask for gold prices, there is far more transparency when you compare apples to apples. If one seller gives you a gold price per gram and another one per ounce and another one based on a fraction of a pound and another one just gives you a flat fee… how do you know who’s giving you the best deal? Instead, get them to quote you a price per gram so you can compare one quote against another, or so you at least know what they are paying as a percentage of the commodity spot price.

Cash for gold factor #3: Bypass the middleman and work directly with a gold refiner
So-called “middlemen” get their money from doing nothing else other than buying at a low price and reselling it at a high price. By selling directly to the gold refiner, you are able to sell your gold for cash, but get more cash than if you were to sell it to a middleman first. In some cases, you might get as much as 100% to 300% more than if you sold to a middleman.

Cash for gold factor #4: Watch for helpful and reputable gold refiners
If you’re selling your gold for cash to a company that doesn’t tell you what they do with your gold, and who doesn’t give you a clear price, then steer clear! A reputable gold refiner will tell you that they are selling your gold to dentists, dental laboratories, and jewelers. Compare that to someone who doesn’t tell you; it’s likely that they are just a middleman who will then be selling your gold to a refiner!

Cash for gold is a great way to make money and clear out your old, broken, or unwanted gold (and other precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium). Finding the right cash for gold company can make your experience even more enjoyable and profitable.

Paul Coulter has recently used a Toronto Canada cash for gold service, Cash Gold Canada, and was very satisfied with the payout and service. Cash Gold Canada provides services for both Canada & the USA. For more information, or to request a free gold kit, visit http://www.cashgold.ca

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Boomerang Kids

Twenty-nine-year-old Robert was confident that his MBA in finance would secure him a solid career and a comfortable future. After getting laid off from his enviable position at a top financial institution, he found it difficult to replace his income and had to accept a job with a 50 per cent pay cut. Unable to afford his rent and faced with mounting unpaid bills, Robert had no choice but to move back home with his mother.

Susan, a 46-year-old divorcee, had very little to fall back on after her husband of 25 years left her. She had not worked for a long time and was desperate without a place to call home. With no children, the only place she could turn to for help was her elderly parents. Despite her best efforts, Susan has been unsuccessful in obtaining a job and feels frustrated about being dependent on her parents for survival.

Aspiring artist Melissa is adamant that living at home with her parents is the only option that makes sense to her. After graduating from the Edna Manley College of the Visual Arts four years ago, she is in no hurry to go out on her own. “There’s no way that I can replicate the standard of living that I have grown accustomed to at home with Mom and Dad,” she declares. “Why should I leave and struggle to survive?”

There are several circumstances, such as loss of income or divorce, which may push adult children to move back into their parents’ home for a short time. In fact, it’s not unusual for grown children in Jamaica to remain a part of the family household without ever venturing out on their own. However, the current challenging economic climate has led to a marked increase in persons who are forced to return to their parents’ nest because of financial difficulties.

The Boomerang Generation

Thanks to this phenomenon, the media has coined a term ‘boomerang generation’ to refer to young adults, usually in the 20-35 age groups, who live at home with their parents and are financially dependent on them. Just like the Australian tool that gave them their name, these adult children boomerang right back home when the going gets too tough on their own.

The financial reality of our times doesn’t leave many options for today’s boomerang kids. Even though more persons are gaining tertiary-level qualifications, the number of job options to accommodate them is dwindling. Many college graduates are burdened with tuition debt that obliges them to stay at home until they can sort out their financial situation. It’s now also harder for young adults to afford to purchase their own home than it was for those in earlier generations.

Although some parents may initially welcome their adult family members back home, there are several issues which could affect their financial and emotional well-being that should be considered. Adding dependent children to the household’s budget can be an unplanned financial burden that can have severe implications for the parents’ future prosperity.

Here are some suggestions on how parents can balance the effects of their boomerang kids:

Set firm guidelines

To prevent disagreements and misunderstandings about the living arrangements, it’s best to first have frank discussions about the reasons that prompted the move back home. If the boomerang children are trying to recover from an adverse financial situation, agree on reasonable time limits on when they should be back on their feet. Help recent school leavers to set goals about attaining their independence outside of the home. Arrive at a mutual understanding about personal issues such as guests, partying and household rules.

Ask for a financial contribution

Although some parents may be appalled at the thought of asking their children to pay rent, it is important to have them contribute to the household expenses. Their presence in the home usually leads to higher utility and food bills, and they should be required to share these costas. If they are without a source of income, ask them to take on some duties such as cooking or cleaning. It’s tempting for adult children to forget that their parents are no longer obligated to take care of them, so they need a structure to help them participate in the running of the home.

Maintain your financial security

At the end of the day, having adult children back at home should not put parents in an adverse financial condition. If they are facing challenging debt problems, help them to find options to reduce their obligations. Some parents would like to provide financial assistance, but they have to be careful about using money that should be earmarked for retirement needs. It’s also important that children don’t develop a dependency on their parents to bail them out whenever they make financial mistakes.

Boomerang kids can actually help to foster family togetherness by bringing multiple generations under one roof. However, parents must ensure that they protect their financial interests while enjoying their children’s company!

Copyright ? 2009 Cherryl Hanson Simpson.

Cherryl is a financial consultant and coach, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at http://www.financiallyfreenetwork.com and http://www.financiallysmartonline.com. Contact Cherryl.

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The Role of Financial Advisers

Effective financial advisers become just that if they are effective communicators. Clients ultimately remain with their advisers because they trust their fiduciary impulses more so than they trust their own. Good advisers can create a certain aura about themselves as being wise and savvy consultants, as advisers whose opinion in perceived to be always right. “Let me talk to my guy,” is a frequent response to investment propositions.

COMMUNICATION THE FIRST STEP

Of course no one is always right when it comes to finance. But there are responsible ways of advising clients that provide them with the guidance they need to achieve their goals, and effective communication is the basis of any healthy fiduciary relationship. Financial advisers should be responsibile of initiating these communications and keeping updates.

RETAINING THE CLIENT’S CONFIDENCE

Different individuals prefer different levels of knowledge about the current status of their portfolios. This is established when the account is first opened. Advisers should be staying in constant contact with their clients, updating them on all new developments, and keeping them aware of any market movements that might affect their overall position, you will retain their confidence and their business.

THERE IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD

Keep in mind that the most important time for financial advisers to keep clients up to date is when their portfolios suffer setbacks. People understand the risks they undertake if they are fully informed at the time of investment. Likewise, they appreciate an adviser who keeps them fully informed as conditions change.

Copyright ? 2009

Your Retirement Strategies offers services like financial advisers, financial advice, Independent financial advisors, early retirement planning, pension schemes planning, retirement annuities, early retirement plans, long term care plans & much more in Worcestershire, UK.

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Now’s the Time to Protect Your Pension

Life may change for lots of British expats passing their days away sipping sangria in Spanish bars as the recession aftershock forces more and more businesses in to liquidation.

The high street or industry may miss another name, jobs will go – but more importantly if the firm goes bust, it’s likely the pension scheme will go down as well. Then fixed income expats overseas are going to find they have to rely on the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) to cover their bar tabs.

The problem is the PPF is ?1.2 billion in the red already and the deficit is growing. This is made worse by pension schemes closing because that means one less member to contribute to PPF assets by way of an annual levy on the scheme but more people needing a pay out as well. So every final salary scheme closing is a double whammy for anyone expecting to live on a certain level of income.

City analysts scoff there is no immediate worry because the fund has ?3 billion of assets and is paying out ?38 million a year. Then those guys don’t have to live off a fixed income and haven’t planned their life around their pension payments. Yes, the PPF will pay out, but probably at a reduced level to the original scheme.

Sad state of affairs

The PPF also says the scheme expects to pay out ?300 million a year by 2012 and it doesn’t take a maths wizard to work out that if pay outs continue at that rate or more for too long, the fund will soon dwindle. The time has come when none of us can rely on the state to pay a reasonable pension to help us through old age and we have to start making plans for ourselves.

If you are in a final salary scheme protected by the PPF, now’s the time to look at securing your future. Benchmark the scheme against other options to see if you can transfer your pension elsewhere – and if you can is the likely return and change in benefits worthwhile.

Drawbacks of retiring on a UK pension

The drawbacks of drawing a UK pension in Spain or France, both popular places for Brits to retire, is currency fluctuation. Switching your Pound to Euros is subject to ever shifting exchange rates and can decrease your spending power.

Buying an annuity also presents a whole new set of problems with interest rates at rock bottom giving a poor return on cash in. Then men have to consider their partners. Women do not do well out of pensions because they often do not have the time at work to clock up a decent fund, so they rely on their husband’s pension to see them through.

Two factors make older women cash poor – any annuity dies with the husband and if the couple is not married, inheritance tax rules apply. This may change soon as the government has announced partners who live together may get the same IHT protection as spouses or civil partners.

Limited Parliamentary time before the next election may put paid to this depending on how many votes the government think they may wring out of legislation.

If you have UK pension rights and live overseas permanently, then a possible solution is a QROPS – short for a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme. QROPS are tax effective and flexible retirement schemes that wipe out most of the drawbacks of holding a UK pension.

Benefits of a QROPS

A QROPS can invest and pay out in many different currencies- including US Dollars and Euros. This removes the effect currency exchange fluctuations have on a pension’s spending power.

Retirement strategies can be planned without factoring in buying an annuity. No Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme has any requirement to buy an annuity, which neatly moves on to inheritance rules.

No annuity means the QROPS does not die with the member and for tax purposes, the fund is outside of the member’s estate for inheritance tax, so can be passed on to any beneficiary tax-free. This resolves the problem of a man leaving his partner cash poor if she does not have enough retirement resources to support herself.

Taking the right advice

Like any other financial strategy, consolidating your pension savings in to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme may be the right move for many but not for a few, so it is vital that anyone considering an offshore pension takes independent financial advice.

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Investment – Don’t Rely on Someone Else to Tell You Whether an Investment is Right For You, Or Not

No matter what type of strategy you use to generate wealth, you need a system where you are fully informed. You need the ability to make your own decisions. It is risky to rely on somebody else to tell you that a particular product is a good investment. You need to be able to analyse that investment and determine for yourself whether the product is a good investment.

Get educated. Be an informed investor. Have the ability to do the numbers and make your own decision as to whether an investment or business is going to give you the returns you are seeking. Get educated so you know how to do this. We go to university and study for a minimum of three years for many careers and then think we need no education and commit hundreds of thousands of dollars to an investment. If it is one of your goals to achieve financial freedom, I would highly recommend setting up personal financial statements to monitor your personal financial results.

Most businesses have a Balance Sheet and a Profit and Loss Statement. The Balance Sheet illustrates the financial state of the business at balance day. In other words, if all the assets of the business were sold, and then all the debts were paid off, what would be left? This is the owner’s equity, or the actual value of the business the owner owns once the debt has been paid off. It shows how financially stable a business is, or it’s ability to generate wealth or value.

The second common report a business creates is a Profit and Loss Statement. The purpose of a Profit and Loss Statement is to determine whether, as a result of their trading operations, the business has made a profit or a loss. It also provides a summary of the various expense and revenue items for a period and is therefore a useful tool for decision making.

What I find interesting is that most businesses have a Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Statement. Businesses know the importance of knowing both the current financial state and financial performance of a business.

If financial statements are important to a business, they are also important for you personally. After all, you are a business. You have a primary aim; you have goals or targets. You need to know the current financial state and performance of yourself in relation to achieving your Primary Aim. We need to start applying these same disciplines to yourself.

My husband and I have a Personal Balance Sheet and a Personal Cash Flow (or Income) Statement. We update our Balance Sheet whenever there is a significant change in our personal assets or liabilities for example the purchase of an additional investment property, re-financing of investment loans. We update our Personal Cash Flow Statement whenever there is a significant change in our personal income or expenses, for example interest rate changes, rental increases, fixed wage changes. I use our Personal Cash Flow Statement to set our business revenue targets. To me there is a very strong relationship between the achievement of my Primary Aim and our personal financial statements.

There is also a very strong relationship between your Balance Sheet and your Cash Flow Statement. If you want to become financial independent, you need to buy assets that will increase your cash flow; for example property is an asset because it improves your cash flow in the way of rent. However, a boat would not appear on your Balance Sheet as it does not improve your cash flow. In fact, it would probably drain your cash flow in the way of fuel, mooring expenses, etc

I need to work backwards. What date do I want to be financial independent by? What financial state (Personal Balance Sheet) do I require to be financially independent? What do we require our financial performance (Personal Cashflow Statement) to be to be financially independent? What passive cashflow do I need to generate through my business to achieve that financial performance? How many investment properties do we need to purchase to achieve that financial state and generate that income? What personal cashflow do I require to live the lifestyle of my Primary Aim?

Because we have these personal financial statements set up, we do not need to rely on anyone else to tell us whether an investment is a good investment. We can drop the figures into our spreadsheet to see what impact it will have on our cash flow. If the investment does have a negative impact on our cash-flow (for example a negative geared property), as long as we have done our research properly and believe we have purchased a well located property that will go up in capital value over time, we may be happy to accept a short-term negative cash-flow. The point is, we are using our own financial tools to assess an investment rather than relying on somebody else to tell us it is a good investment. We can take their figures and drop them into our own spreadsheets, which makes us fully informed, rather than relying on someone else’s opinion.

My Primary Aim requires financial independence so I must have personal financial statements to monitor my progress and help me set regular targets.

Suzie Crawford specializes in teaching people how to say goodbye to their day job and be free to do what they love. To register for your free You and Money Audio Program including bonus Personal Financial Tools visit http://www.youcan.com.au.

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Don’t Buy Checks From the Bank

Don’t buy checks from the bank! I made that mistake on a couple of occasions and was shocked at the prices I paid. Although checks can seem pricey anyway, the difference from buying them online, rather than the bank can be huge. It seems to me that the banks are not really in the business of selling checks anyway. When I opened a new account, at a different bank, there was no mention of checks past the initial sample checks given at that time. It was as if the purchase of checks was my idea. It almost seemed like a hassle to them to have to worry about it anyway. I had just thought it would be easier to order them right then and there, than to get online and go through the hassle of setting up the new information through a Check Ordering Service. Boy was I wrong.

I always order duplicate checks, as my husband and I are not great at keeping a log of expenditures. I need that carbon copy of the original to keep track of our finances and balance our account. Although I was sure I had specified that to the bank, I ended up without the duplicate. What an annoyance that was. Here I was out of the sample checks and now I had to get the others redone. The most discouraging part of the whole thing however, was that I had looked at an advertisement for Checks online and realized that I had spent so much more than I would have spent going with online ordering. They really do make it easy and there are so many choices. I was mad at myself for not sticking with what I knew to be the best way to get checks.

Now I always take that moment to reorder checks online. They keep all my information on file and it is just a matter of punching in the number of boxes I want and any changes in style or pattern that I might want. More often than not, I just want more of the same, and that is so easy to do. The best part is that I know I am getting the checks at the lowest possible rate.

Jan Holman, Toggle Brain Editor/Blogger Order Checks Online.

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Are You Self-Employed Or Self In-Debt?

Are your best customers Visa, Discover and American Express?

I heard recently heard from a former leader in the Direct Marketing business these very words. She’s fine now and made this comment with a chuckle. I got to thinking about it this morning and thought this topic deserves some discussion along with a serious warning – DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

I get very excited about teaching Authentic Marketing and here is what I know for sure. You have to have a plan; a niche and a target market. You need to run your business as a business and that means tracking all of your expenditures. Yes, everything, regardless how small it is. This can be a very simple process. A good friend of mine who is also self employed, taught me to carry a small sheet of paper in my wallet to record everything: she now uses excel on her phone…How easy that is!

Become your very best at authentically marketing yourself. Think about who you are meant to serve.
Who do you love to be around? What are their occupations? Where do they live and work? What excites you about being around these people? Think about your very favorite clients and consultants. You know the ones who really bring out your best and fill you with positive energy. Working with them feels effortless and is incredibly rewarding. Describe each of them as thoroughly as you can and pay particular attention to common threads they share. What positive characteristics do you attract? What similar problems do they seem to have that you help them solve? (Your client problems may be different from your consultant problems.)

In doing this you create a picture of your ideal client. The next step is to be where they are. Learn your “elevator” speech, (what problems do you solve and what solutions/results do you offer).Write, study and learn your compelling story. Be able to recite your defining moment, what created a major change in your life

Put your emphasis on being authentic, run your business as a business. You are in business to provide solutions to other people, not to sink yourself into the deep dark bottomless pit of debt! It’s a business run it as one that you can succeed and celebrate with pride and integrity. Besides, all your business buddies really do know how you run your business, your not kidding anyone! Build it big! Build it right!

Lindel James is a Professional Management Coach, Consultant and Trainer who is passionate about you , the Mary Kay Director or Leader growing your business on a strong and solid financial platform. Let her experience in Sales and Marketing help you be at the Top of the Charts!!

http://www.hotpinksuccess.com

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False Sense of Financial Security – How to Manage Money

You are currently living the ‘American Dream’. Right now you are blissfully married, you have two kids, a dog, the nice home with a white picket fence, you drive an SUV and a station wagon and you are in debt. Your story is just like millions of other people out there. Okay, so your story isn’t exactly as I just described but its pretty similar. In fact the debt part is probably the only absolute truth. You are able to make all of your minimum monthly bills and are making ends meet – or so it seems. You’ve been drawn into the false sense of financial security and assume that you know how to manage money. The reality is you may be in too much debt. I’ve created a list of ten warning signs indicating that you might be in over your head.

1. You have little to no savings

2. You are only able to make the minimum payment on your credit cards and other bills

3. You have been denied credit

4. You use cash advances from your credit cards to pay other bills like heat and hydro

5. Once in a while you’re late with your bill payments

6. You keep buying things with your credit card adding to the balance

7. You don’t even know how far in debt you are

8. Your bank accounts are overdrawn and once in a while you bounce checks

9. You have one or more credit cards that are close to the limit or are maxed out

10. You have been secretive to family and friends about your debt and over spending

Does one or all of these statements sound like you? Even if just one of those is true you might be in some sort of financial trouble and may need to learn how to manage money all over again. The good part is you can. The bad part is you need to start taking control of your finances ASAP. The longer you wait, the worse the problem will get. Finances are something that can’t be ignored or forgotten about.

STEP 1: Now is the time to create a check list and go through it. Sift through these ten things and find out the parts that correspond with your life.

STEP 2: Find a way to correct those problems. You have no savings? Start creating your emergency fund. Add $25 a week or any amount that is possible to increase that balance to $1000. You keep adding to your credit card balance? Start buying things with cash and start making larger payments to your credit card. The list goes on and on but you have to fix those problems.

STEP 3: Set goals and start making them into reality. Next week isn’t the best time to begin making goals. Start today – better yet, start right now. Don’t set your goals too high, create financial goals that are able to achieve like cutting your hydro bill by 5% or 10% or save some cash by quitting smoking. Small steps are key to goal setting and learning how to manage money.

Being lured into a false sense of financial security is easy if you don’t know the signs of serious financial problems. If you have gone through this list and have found any matches it might be time to start fixing those problems before your security becomes a huge issue. Understanding how to manage money can be simple and everyone is able to make it happen.

You can pay off your debts and save money at the same time! Say goodbye to your boss forever! A blog that will show you the secrets of the wealthy: http://www.howtomanagemoneytips.com

Get a free budget sheet, net worth calculator, tools and more: http://www.howtomanagemoneytips.com/ebook2.html

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How to Find Government Grants?

Are you puzzled about getting government grants? Are you in serious need of government grants to manage your finances? I was thinking along these same lines couple of months ago. A couple of my friends had received the grant money and naturally I was very intrigued to obtain government grants for myself. Hence I turned to the internet for finding the application process for government grants.

But you need to take care that the internet is filled with various grants programs which are pretty much useless, hence I would always advise you to try a government grants which you have legitimate reviews for from your friends or family.

If you do not want to buy a kit, then you can search the grant sources yourself through the internet. I have tried both ways that is buying a kit as well as doing it all on my own. I honestly prefer purchasing the online kit because it takes days to collect the information which you will get readily in the grants kit. Moreover another problem with collecting the information yourself is the lack of sample applications whereas the kit contains the procedure to fill out the application. I tried both ways of obtaining grants, but finally got approved after doing it the way mentioned in the grants kit. I was rejected continuously when I did it on my own without the help from the grants kit.

So overall there are two ways to find grants. If you want to spend days on searching information on grants then searching it on the internet. Otherwise I would recommend going with an online grants kit like I did.

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How to Take the Worry Out of Making Money

No company can prosper without the correct plans to guide the company through good times and bad. In business, planning is paramount to the success of any company. Perhaps this is more important when it is the small business planning companies which deal with one man companies or such like.

Many smaller outfits or Mom and Pop companies as they are sometimes called will be hard pressed to keep all the accounts in order. The owner becomes the ‘jack of all trades’ and will cover everything from accounting, sales, delivery, manufacturing and so on. This leaves little time for the owner to deal with clients or source for new customers.

By using a professional company to do the accounts, the company will be given guidelines on taxes, be able to make important expansion decisions throughout the year and will probably be more credit worthy in the long run. This becomes very important when loans or advances are necessary or requested from banks and lending institutions.

Forward thinking will also be necessary to keep the company afloat through lean times so the more decisions that can be made well in advance, the better. There will be no or fewer surprises which can sometimes bring down a small enterprise.

Tax laws have a nasty habit of changing without the sole ownership enterprises – or smaller companies – being aware of how the changes affect their entity. With a professional company, these types of unexpected occurrences will be kept to a minimum. That is exactly why they are in this trade and why they are getting paid. They are literally there to ‘baby-sit’ the clients and if they are good, then the company will be protected from all and any shocks as they happen.

One of the great things about building up a good relationship with these professional companies is that they will always have the company at heart. Advice on charity projects, personal taxation, and expansion and so on will also be of interest to them. They would not wish for the company to take a risk that is too great and this would indeed reflect upon them as professionals. Who would want to be with a firm that sank an enterprise?

Their reputation is firmly on the line and they will do everything in their power to make the smaller companies successful.

Most of these accounting firms get referrals from smaller and medium size companies. Word of mouth is a good advertising tool and costs nothing so they are apt to take care of their clients very well.

Some smaller companies will also own stocks and stock options. With a professional accounting firm at the helm, all tax breaks will be taken into account. The owner may have personal stock options that won’t necessarily be connected to the company. However, expert advice may still be needed to make good decisions. All this will come under the same umbrella for the accountant since the owner is just as important as the company. Without the captain, the ship could sink!

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