Guest Post: How Do You Handle Financial Fears And Make The Best Decisions For Your Life?

How Do You Handle Financial Fears And Make The Best Decisions For Your Life?

                                               

Everyone has fears when it comes to money:

                       

• The fear of not having enough to retire.
• Fear of making another bad financial choice.
• Fear of taking a risk like changing jobs/starting a business.
• The fear of choosing the right financial advisor after being burned in the past.

                       

The answer to dealing with your fears, says Al Zdenek (www.AlZdenek.com), author of the bestselling book Master Your Cash Flow: The Key To Grow And Retain Wealth, is starting to take actions that will allow you to live the life you want to live right now and through retirement.

                       

“There is a certain amount of cash flow, if you had it coming in right now and for the rest of your life – inflation adjusted – that would allow you to live the lifestyle you wanted now and forever,  and make you financially independent,” says Zdenek, CEO and founder of Traust Sollus Wealth Management. “Find out what that amount is and start making better choices.”

                       

Making the wrong choices can lead to you working harder and longer in life, and winding up with less wealth and cash flow.

                       

On the other hand, Zdenek says, making better choices around such things as your careers, your business, budget, income taxes, insurance, portfolio management and debt can create the lifestyle people yearn for now and for the rest of their lives.

                       

Zdenek can discuss how to make better financial decisions in everyday life to live better, with less stress and anxiety, while increasing their cash flow and wealth.

                       

About Al Zdenek

                       

Al Zdenek (www.AlZdenek.com) – author, speaker and wealth advisor – is the President, CEO and founder (1982) of Traust Sollus Wealth Management, a boutique wealth management firm dedicated to empowering people to live the life they wish now and in the future by consistently making the best financial decisions. His bestselling book, Master Your Cash Flow (Forbes Books) shows readers how to avoid making poor and disastrous financial decisions, finding additional cash flow from every-day decisions that, if saved, will build wealth sooner. Zdenek has been contracted by ForbesBooks to continue writing the Master Your Cash Flow series, with a new book entitled Master Your Cash Flow: The Key to Build a Valuable Business, to be released in March 2018.  The upcoming book will be for entrepreneurs, business owners, CEOs and anyone who wishes to run a successful business. 

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Guest Post: How To Shave $300 (Or More) Off Your Monthly Budget In 30 Minutes

How To Shave $300 (Or More) Off

                       

Your Monthly Budget In 30 Minutes

                       

                       

In an age when many people live paycheck to paycheck, every dollar saved counts.

                       

But people may not routinely think about all the ways they can cut expenses and make their financial lives less stressful, says Chris Heerlein, partner at REAP Financial LLC and author of Money Won’t Buy Happiness – But Time to Find It (www.moneywontbuyhappiness.com).

                       

“You really should try to cut costs whenever possible, within reason,” Heerlein says. “For example, if you eat before you go to the movies, you are less likely to be tempted to buy popcorn, candy and drinks. In fact, if you just wait for the movie to come out on DVD, you can rent it and save a whole lot more.”

                       

Once you begin to explore all the cost-cutting possibilities, you may be able to trim $300 or more from your monthly expenditures just by making a few quick phone calls or asking the right questions in your day-to-day dealings, Heerlein says.

                       

Just a few ways to do that include:

                       

• Ask for card a credit interest-rate reduction. If you don’t carry a balance on your credit card, then you are in good shape. But many people do carry a balance – in some cases a large balance – and that can be a killer on your monthly budget, especially if you just pay the minimum payments. Heerlein suggests calling your credit card company and asking politely for a rate reduction for a short period. “Most of them will do it if you have a good payment record,” he says. “I’ve seen companies cut the annual percentage rate in half for customers who just ask. You can also ask if they have any zero interest balance transfer offers.”

• Reduce annual fees on credit cards. Some credit cards come with big annual fees because they provide a lot of perks. Just like the interest rates, you can call the credit card company to ask them to waive the fee or reduce it. “Of course, it helps if you have been a good customer for many years,” Heerlein says.

• Seek lower rent. If you plan to stay in the same location for at least four or five years, you would be better off buying a home. But if you need to rent, it’s possible to negotiate how much you pay. “This is especially true with apartment complexes,” Heerlein says. “If you live in a large complex, there could be between $50 and $200 of wiggle room in your monthly rent.” When the apartment manager shows you the apartment, mention that you are looking at other apartments because that’s a bargaining chip for you, he says. An additional bargaining chip could be to offer to pre-pay a few months of rent in exchange for a reduction. “I have owned rental property, and I was always willing to do that for people,” he says.

• Take advantage of online coupons. Heerlein says that whenever he shops online, the first thing he does is type the merchant’s name into a Google search to see if there’s a coupon code for the item he wants.

                       

“There are plenty of other places you may be able to negotiate a price reduction, like with your cable company or your cell phone provider,” Heerlein says. “The most important thing to remember is that it never hurts to ask.”

                       

                       

About Chris Heerlein

                       

Chris Heerlein, author of Money Won’t Buy Happiness – But Time to Find It (www.moneywontbuyhappiness.com), is an Investment Adviser Representative and partner at REAP Financial LLC. He hosts the “Retire Ready” TV and radio shows in Austin, Texas, and has been featured in national media outlets such as Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Money magazines. Heerlein also is an ongoing contributor to the financial publication Kiplinger.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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Book Review: Who Will Care For You: Formulating A Smart Family Plan to Age In Place by John Hemphill

Who Will Care For You: Formulating A Smart Family Plan to Age In Place

by John Hemphill

 

Sooner or later all families come face to face with a situation where a family member may need long term care. Who Will Care For You: Formulating A Smart Family Plan to Age In Place by John Hemphill is about how to prepare for such an event in the event it happens.

This book is chock full of advice and suggestions about things like talking with an elder care attorney and making house modifications before they are needed.

Hemphill, a former CDC employee, has seen a lot of cases, including that involving his parents and his in-laws. He was able to plan ahead, but possibly not as much as he would have liked to.  He and his wife learned from their experiences, and those of others, and seek to impart that wisdom to his readers.

This book is well-researched.  It is well-written with minor editing flaws.  It is very readable and informative. We give Who Will Care For You all five stars.

There are a lot of things we wish we did not have to think about. Who will take care of us in the future is one of those things.  However, it is important to face some of these thoughts head on so that we don’t have to worry about them in the future.  Everyone should read this book, along with Master Your Cash Flow by Al Zdenek, in order to be prepared for our twilight years.  You will be glad you did.

We were sent a complimentary copy of Who Will Care For You.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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