Find Your Passion and Start Living It!

Retirement can be an exciting time in your life, but it can also be daunting. You may feel like you've lost your sense of purpose or structure now that you're no longer working. The transition from a full-time career to retirement can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. If you're about to retire or have recently retired, there's a book you need to read called "So What Do We Do Now?: The Babyboomers Guide to Enjoying Retirement" by Eva Bennett.

Bennett draws on her own experiences of adapting to her husband's retirement, which involved moving to a seaside town. She ranks the impact of this life-changing experience right up there with childbirth. While we had the benefit of antenatal classes and new mothers' groups, there's very little available for impending retirees or the newly retired.

Retirement isn't always what people expect. Recent retirees said they were happier when they were working because they felt they had a purpose and structure to their days. Retirement doesn't mean retiring from life. There's an increasing trend for people not to retire outright, but to start working less. Research has shown that retirees who cease to contribute and to be productive and active, die earlier than those who continue to engage fully in society.

According to Bennett, the beginning stages of retirement are like a honeymoon period. You don't have to get up to go to work, you can play golf or go fishing whenever you like, and don't have to work to deadlines. But the euphoria and the novelty soon wear off. After all, there are only so many lattes you can drink and only so many times you can go fishing. Then what? Life can get boring. We need to re-evaluate who we are and what we want out of life because our former identity is no longer relevant.

There are three stages to the transition from old to new:

1. Endings (where we let go of the past),
2. The Neutral Zone (where we review the past and reflect on what we want to do now) 
3. New Beginnings (where we decide what we need to change or do differently)

As you create the new you, it's important to keep all aspects of your life in balance, including your finances, home life, health, relationships, leisure time, and your purpose in life.

One of the secrets of a healthy, active, and happy life is to feel young psychologically. It's never too late to find your passion and start living it. The so-called Third Age is the time to give back to the community and share your knowledge and wisdom. Being positive is an important part of enjoying your retirement and contributes to living longer. Some people enter retirement filled with negative thoughts and fears of ill health and lack of money. The key to happiness is to be happy with whatever you have.

In conclusion, retirement can be a challenging transition, but it's also an opportunity to create a new and fulfilling life. By reading "So What Do We Do Now?: The Babyboomers Guide to Enjoying Retirement" and following the three stages of the transition from old to new, you can find your purpose and balance in life. Remember to keep a positive mindset, stay active and engaged in society, and enjoy all that retirement has to offer.

The key is to find activities that align with your interests and passions, and to stay open to trying new things.

Money and Family Dynamics

Money is an incredibly sensitive topic in any family and attributes to one of the main reasons why couples divorce or separate. If you have been watching the TV show "Succession", you will know exactly what I am referring to.

For most people, their "success" or "failure" in life is gauged by how much money they make. Now many people, myself included, feel that there's more to success than just money, however, we can't escape the fact that many others don't feel the same.

Money, in a family dynamic, can cause more strife than any other single topic. Money does not cause family dysfunction, it merely amplifies any underlying dysfunction that was always lurking beneath the surface. We're currently and continue to experience the largest transfer of wealth ever and the implications are huge.

The easiest way to avoid future conflicts over money is to do careful planning before it ever becomes an issue. When starting the estate planning process, it's important that all interested parties be aware of what's going on so that there are no nasty surprises when the transfer of assets actually happens. By undertaking due diligence ahead of time, any issues can be addressed and hopefully, minimised with much less pain. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard potential heirs complain that their parent/grandparents are frittering away "their inheritance." 

If you are a business owner with family members involved, if you've accumulated enough wealth to have a family charitable foundation or trust, or if you simply want to give it all away when you die, it's critically important that you let your heirs know what you intend to do with your estate upon your passing. There's nothing worse than having a child that thinks they're going to inherit a fortune, only to find out that you intend to give it all away to your favorite charities. Many baby boomers are counting on their inheritance to finance their own retirement so imagine their surprise and anger when they find out their own retirement plans have been derailed. At a minimum, not involving your heirs in this discussion could lead to incredible animosity, years of therapy and, most likely, legal wrangling in an attempt to undo your wishes. That's why, long before it becomes an issue, you need to ask yourself the following questions: 

While I'm alive and in my twilight years, who's responsibility is it to take care of me when I can no longer take care of myself? 

When I do die, what do I want done with my estate? 

Are my children capable of carrying on the visions and goals of my business? 

Will my heirs use the money in our charitable foundation the way I intended, or will they change its mission to something completely different? 

If you plan to give it to your children or grandchildren, and they inherit a large sum of money, will they be able to handle it responsibly or will they "blow all of it"?

One of the trends we're seeing is inheritance based on reaching certain personal milestones. For example, instead of giving your beneficiary a lump sum inheritance when they turn 21, the trust will dictate that a certain amount will be distributed upon reaching certain milestones i.e. graduation from college, marriage, starting a new business, etc. 

The wealth transfer process, by its nature involves many parties including family, charities, attorneys, accountants, wealth managers and a host of others. By having open, honest discussions with your family and advisors regarding the transfer of your own wealth, you can have your estate go where you want it and in the amounts you want and, hopefully, all those involved will be on board so that the process is as painless as possible.

Generational Financial Responsibility

As with most skills, talents, and overall 'education' gained throughout a lifetime of experiences, remember - practice makes perfect, and consistency is key. We suggest that when imparting knowledge of finances; from children saving change in a piggy bank, to teenagers saving a percentage of an allowance or gifts in cash, working with them in a mentor role, as they start their very own bank accounts is critical to generational success. 

Practice Makes Perfect 

Every day, month, quarter and year, there are activities and habits needed to be accomplished consistently. This helps ground children in the basics of financial literacy, which are appropriate to their family wealth factors and long-term responsibilities such as philanthropy. 

Children who will inherit significant wealth and the responsibilities that go along with it, require world-class preparation. Balancing income and outgoings and understanding compound interest is one thing, but managing assets, establishing a growth-mindset, and teaching a child to have vision, is another. Parents may have built up a very successful business, but your children may someday need to sit on the board and also approve the management of investments that support an extended family.

One way to engage children is to play off of their passions; otherwise, financial education will feel like classroom instruction. There are "family wealth advisors" who work with families to identify the things their children already have an interest in, and are willing to spend time pursuing such as a favorite sport or activity. From this identification, these counselors develop a learning program around the child's interest or passions as a theme. 

The end goal is to help each family member of the next generation to have an individual 'economic vision statement,' and to have developed the skills required to realise their unique vision and support in turning the vision into a reality.

While many families want their children to understand the basic concepts and terms, their children need to go beyond the introductory level of money management to incorporate family values, such as those related to charitable giving or volunteering, as well as their particular interests in participating. Their 'economic vision statements' themselves will evolve as these children mature and become more focused in their individual interest and goals. 

Consistency is Key 

Every family takes for granted that if a child is going to be a proficient at tennis, golf or the piano, they need regular lessons, a great teacher, and practice. It's that same thing for financial education. And so, those kids who get practice, great instruction, and lessons do better." By incorporating the "passions" and interests of your children - regardless of age. 

Those parents who hope a financial education specialist can take their kids and tutor them may have good intentions, but they're not taking necessary actions to address the challenge. Parents and children must be involved. To do it otherwise is just a waste of time and money, not every family has the appetite to take on this work. It's costly. It takes a fair investment of time. And it certainly requires all family members to begin to look at their actions in a different way. In general, there's certainly interest in financial education, but I think a lot of it is just trivial unless there's an ongoing commitment to the process. The commitment needs to be at least as powerful as the commitment to building the next pro golfer.

Planning for Financial literacy 

Learning starts early - just as models of non-productive behavior do. While parents may have good intentions for raising money-mature children, they often fail to succeed because they don't move from 'soft' intentions to a realised program of financial education tailored to the age and interests of the next generation. 

The kids who do well have parents who've gone from good intentions to being intentional. Every parent has the good intention for their children to grow up financially intelligent, but few of them really act on it. Parents who have a growth mindset, are committed to their intentions can help ensure the orderly transition of financial planning from parent to child.

Hot Tips: 

• The prime age is between 6 and 14 for learning and building good, solid money skills 
• Preparation for building and managing wealth is an on-going activity, if you want to create and sustain long term generational financial responsibility
• Consistency, planning and practice truly does make the real difference

4 Things That Women Should Accomplish Before Saying "I Do" or "Settling Down"

Statistically 50% of marriages ends in divorce and in certain parts of the world, we legally can't get divorced so the real numbers are actually higher.

The Myths - 

In today's world, women are more independent than ever; however, many of us are still haunted by the myths of "happily-ever- after" and "love can conquer all", which plays a major part in the high divorce rates. 

But Let's face it ladies.......... many of us still long for the fairytale ending of some handsome Prince sweeping us off our feet, taking us away from all our problems. This only works in the movies. In real life, after the honeymoon stage, everyday life starts to pay a visit-and often. 

The Culprit - 

The truth of the matter is these are some of the real culprits that threaten our happy ending: 

• Finances 
• Sex 
• Communication 
• Family 
• Religion 
• Resentment 

Many relationships are doomed to fail before they even begin because they are started under such false pretenses. There are no guarantees, but if you're thinking of getting married or co-habiting longer term, at some point in your life and want to increase the odds of happiness, take that L.E.A.P. These four simple must do's (as I like to call it), prepares you for whatever's to, come by starting with the one in the mirror, you! 

L-is for Lifestyle 

First take inventory of the life you currently live and the kind you see yourself living in the future. You may lead a quiet, laidback, walks-along-the-beach type of life or you may like the excitement of concerts, parties etc. You may be quite the traveler; can't stay put for long periods of time. Are you a vegan, religious, or a neat freak? Do you live lavishly, accepting only the finer things that life has to offer? You get the idea. Compatibility is a major aspect of a relationship. Learn your lifestyle. 

E- is for Earning 

Get your finances in order. Money's not everything, but let's be real honest-when things go wrong in a relationship, there's nothing happy about being broke and alone with no plans. Set your income goals and go for it -full speed. Make sure you have a high interest savings account in your own name and never give this up. You may have stocks, property and other investments- ave you protected your assets is something happens and your situation changes. Are you in debt? Take a look at your credit reports. See where you stand on paper and take the proper steps to improve your score. Don't wait until you get into a relationship to do these things, because love has a way of distracting us, especially women. Go in solid or close to it. 

A-is for Alone 

This one may seem obvious, but few of us truly get this. Spend some alone time with, that's right, you. Fall in love with you first before loving someone else. Ask yourself, "Who am I"? Figure out what truly makes you happy. Do you have trust, commitment, or jealousy issues? Are you religious or are you spiritual? If you don't deal with these issues now, they will surface once you're in a long term relationship (married or otherwise), I promise. 

P-is for Passion 

Last, but probably the most important of the four. Follow your dreams. Never and I mean never give up on your dreams. Take every single step towards that dream. Focus on you before you focus on someone else. If you do it the other way around, 9 times out of ten, you'll end up putting your life on hold. Find that career and do what it takes to achieve it and thrive. 

So enclosing my friends, remember-although nothings guaranteed and no rule is set in stone, one thing's for sure-no one can give you happiness, you must supply yourself with a plethora of it...then there will be plenty to go around. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rhonda_Phillips/383764  

Women and Retirement - What We Need to Know Before We Retire

Women in many parts of the world have made tremendous strides in improving our overall financial outlook and closing the income gap with men. During the last two decades, we have become better educated and more self reliant regarding our financial future than our mother's would ever dream. For example. Today, more women are graduating from University than men.

Although women's incomes and economic power have increased steadily over the years, we face many unique challenges when it comes to planning for our financial future. We must be cognisant of the set of circumstances which set us apart from others as we attempt to capitalise on our economic potential and secure our financial future. 

Increased Lifespan 

One distinctive and sometimes overlooked characteristic of women is the differences in life expectancy between men and women. Typically, women can expect to live an average of seven years longer than men. This increased longevity for women creates several challenges that we must consider before we can build a sound financial plan for ourselves. In many cases, because we are expected to outlive our husbands, we must plan for more available income during our retirement years to maintain our lifestyle and independence.

In fact, due to advances in health sciences, we are living longer than ever before. Consequently, many retirees are spending as much as twenty years or more enjoying their senior days. When asked, the majority of retirees felt their number #1 concern regarding retirement, was the prospect of outliving their retirement savings. and future female retirees, the increased chances of a long retirement should be an important consideration in addressing our retirement plan priorities.

Although more women have joined workforce over the years, we often still maintain the more traditional maternal roles within the household, such as raising kids and being the chief caregiver to the entire family. We remain the most likely family members to sacrifice career aspirations to provide care to elderly parents, children or disabled spouses. 

For many women, living longer will also mean we potentially outlive our own primary caregivers-our spouses. It will also increase our risk of needing the services of a nursing home facility due to sickness, injury. It is estimated that the majority of women, over 50%, (as opposed to 33% of men) reaching the age of 65 will need nursing home care before they die. Although healthcare programs are designed to protect us in later years from big medical expenses, it pays for nursing home care only in certain limited and very specific circumstances. With the average nursing home care facility running as much as $120,000 per year, the cost of these services can have a tremendous impact on personal savings, lifestyles and in some cases restrict financial independence. 

Divorce Statistics 

Divorce rates today also have a significant impact on our ability to create long term personal wealth. With divorce rates as high as 50%, the results for many of us are a loss of income and often a dramatic change in lifestyle. As if the psychological impact of family separation were not enough, many divorced women are unaccustomed to handling our own finances and many of us do not have the confidence to take on the role of financial planning for our senior years. 

Often after years of unemployment, many divorced women must re-enter the workforce in order to supplement or maintain existing standards of living while continuing to provide primary child care responsibilities. As a result, women in this circumstance are likely to find ourselves with access to fewer resources, limited years available to generate retirement assets, and insufficient experience in dealing with issues of finance and risk planning. 

Managing Risk

Another consideration for many women is how they handle the inherent risks we all face. In particular, the risk of premature death or disability. This is especially true when it affects the primary income earner in the home. For homemakers, dependent on a spouse's single income, the risk of financial setback is even greater. Although women in our situation are at greater risk, very often there is not adequate insurance protection to ensure enough income replacement beyond the prime child rearing years. Often couples are more focused on paying for college expenses rather than their retirement or their risks of income loss. Moreover, many couples in this situation don't consider the number of years of female life expectancy in this equation when considering insurance protection. 

The consequence of inadequate insurance protection means that many of us are left to support our children without enough income to maintain existing lifestyle. Many of us are forced to sell our home and uproot our children from our neighborhood, schools and friends. Typically, we must now return to the workforce after being unemployed for many years. 

Understandably this creates a shift in focus on immediate income needs and issues of retirement often become less of a priority. In the majority of cases, providing enough income replacement protection is a result of poor advice or other priorities. However many husbands are reluctant to provide adequate coverage due to negative perceptions and stereotypical ideas. In some cultures, it is not unusual for husbands to reject the notion of insurance all together due to a feeling that they will be leaving their spouse's wealthy and also may be providing opportunities for future husbands. 

Additionally, there is evidence that some women are reluctant to insist that our spouses provide us the protection we need despite the recognised risks. Ladies- in this situation we must understand how important insurance is in creating wealth and mitigating risk for our families and particularly for ourselves. A suitably positioned insurance plan can often create an "instant estate" and prevent unnecessary upheaval and the sacrifice of our retirement goals. 

Retirement and Savings

Although the number of women who are working is increasing, we are less likely to work for companies that offer retirement plans. Where we are offered employer sponsored retirement accounts, we tend to be more conservative investors and often do not fully understand how to maximise our investments plan options. Women without access to employer sponsored retirement plans, place ourselves at greater risk of dependence on government supported programs to provide resources during retirement. 

Over the years, retirement programs have provided us supplemental income for millions of retirees. However, according to many estimates, the long term financial viability of these government led retirement programs is now in doubt. This will have a tremendous impact on millions of Generation X retirees and women retirees who fit this age demographic. 

Another important issue for women is the personal savings rates. Personal savings rates have been declining for years. This means we are actually spending more money than we earned. Part of the reason for a smaller savings rate is that the banks are private institutions and are ultimately businesses operating for their shareholders. Governments and Central Banks have a limited ability to hold banks and financial institutions to account, especially since investments such as stocks, bonds, and real estate have been performing well, there has been no need. 

In addition, the availability of low interests, also discourage savings and encourage borrowing for big ticket items such as cars and personal real estate. Economies run on consumption and we are encouraged by government and media to spend at record levels to continue fueling our economy. 

To Conclude 

Building a sound financial future has never been an easy task for the vast majority of women. The task is now more difficult than ever with the current state of the economy. The current economic slowdown only serves to exacerbate an already complex and formidable undertaking. The current economic recession has given us wide spread job losses, the meltdown of retirement accounts, rising inflation, budget deficits, and the potential for higher taxes. This has and will continue, for the foreseeable future, to have a devastating impact on millions of us and our families. 

Despite all the advances we have made, women must also carry the additional burden of longer life spans, high divorce rates, and lower saving rates. This places even greater pressure on us, faced with building a retirement nest egg, to ensure that they will not outlive our savings and decreases the odds of achieving financial security. 

The good news for many of us is that there are many financial strategies available to help us address these unique challenges and put us in a position to create and preserve our wealth. 

As we become better educated and financially savvy, we are realising that we do not have to go it alone. 

This is why we created Femvestorsglobal, so we can support you on becoming financially fabulous and a confident money master.

Relationships and Our Finances - Why New Couples Fight and Solutions to Solve

It is common for new couples to fight over money. In fact, research has proved that one of the most common sources of misunderstanding among couples stems from financial problems. There is no such thing as easy money. Individuals work hard to earn enough for their daily expenses, to pay out bills and to survive day to day living. Before tying the knot or moving in with your partner, it is important that couples understand some of the reasons why partners may come to fight over finance and more importantly why budgeting needs to become an essential part of the relationship. 

Spending too much. In every couple, one will always spend more than the other. Stereotypically it's the women. However, there are also men who love to splurge on cars, tools, sports and so on. The difference is, one wants to spend this much and the other doesn't. Now of course neither want to compromise their wants or needs. This can quickly cause an argument. So before settling down, couples should be ready to make major adjustments with their spending. Both need to realise that in marriage compromise is a must, especially when there are more important bills to pay like the mortgage, car, and possibly even baby preparations. 

Credit Card Bills. Credit card bills can sometimes seem like the end of the world in a relationship. Avoid them all together and use cash instead. Fights are generally a given when a credit card bill arrives. That whopping figure - the night when the husband took his friends out for rounds of drinks, the new kitchen appliances she bought, the new suit, a collector's toy, etc. They all add up and it can be very hard to work out who purchased what and when at the end of every month. New couples tend to think that just because they are married, the better half will tolerate the shopping splurges and shouted rounds of drinks at the bar. But this is not the case and more often than not, they end up fighting. So avoid the fight all together and pay in cash instead that way you will avoid the monthly credit card bill you both dread. 

The other option is to have your own credit cards and agree collectively how to align on spending and making payments, outside of a joint card for household bills and expenses.

Envy. Money and Envy tend to go hand in hand and when your married this situation can be even more intense. Some couples get jealous when they find out that their neighbour has just bought a new luxury car. They feel that they need to have one or else, their marriage won't be as good as the neighbours. So they order one out of impulse. The results are destructive. Shopping for luxury items on an impulse can result to financial turmoil. This ruins a couple's chance to enjoy a wonderful future. They end up paying for something that they do not really need. Throwing away money they could have used the to save up for their kids' education or a magnificent holiday getaway to rekindle the love. 

Conjugal debt. Some couples fail to discuss individual debts before settling down. These could be student loans, car loans, etc. When the issues arise, whether it be early or later in the relationship expect a major argument among couples. This stems solely from a lack of communication. So it is essential that couples, even before they are married, learn that open communication amongst each other is the sole key to a happy long lasting relationship. 

It is very important for couples to discuss their individual financial statuses before they get into living together/married. People work hard for their money, and with every couple one will always work harder than the other, the same way that one will always be a bigger spender than the other. But there's no such thing as easy money or an easy marriage/relationship. So to avoid heated discussions and arguments over finances, couples are advised to lay their cards on the table before tying the knot. Going into a joint spousal relationship unaware of circumstances, confused or scared to communicate is a recipe for disaster. 

Do You Have the Right to More Energy & More Money?

Thoreau said, "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." 

What if you came to the realisation that you are, indeed, exchanging your energy for your life? Would that change some of how you spend your time, i.e., your energy? I think it might. So, wouldn't it be wise to make sure that as often as possible, any energy that you're expending on an activity or expending on a person, you make into a positive exchange rather than a negative exchange? 

Let me ask you a question: 

Do you believe you have a right to more positive energy? 

If you don't believe you have a right to positive things, which includes positive energy, then I'm not sure you're going to find much value in this article. 

Let's flip for a moment to thinking about finances. Your sense of whether you have a right to positive energy is related to your sense that you have a right to ask for certain amounts of money when you are negotiating. The reason I'm bringing this up here is because when you value yourself (and the energy of your life), you will be better able to charge appropriately for your time, services, and products.

I recommend reading Suze Orman's book, entitled Women and Money, Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. When I first got this book a couple of years ago, I read almost the whole thing in one evening. The title of chapter 4 is, "You Are Not on Sale." In this chapter she discusses how women in particular devalue themselves. She states,

If you under-value what you do, the world under-values who you are, and when you under-value who you are the world under-values what you do.  

This is a big message for all of us. There is extensive research available about how women continue to under-value what we have to offer much more so than men do. For example, a very interesting book was published a while back, titled Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation and Positive Strategies for Change (Princeton University Press, 2003), was so influential that Fortune Magazine named it as one of the 75 smartest business books of all time. The book also was a Finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Two academic women examined women professors and how they start out with the same amount of education and the same amount of experience as men, yet over time the women are always paid less and always ask for less. Apparently, men keep asking for more and they get more. The authors also looked at what it ends up costing women over their lifetime. It is not costing you $10,000 over your lifetime; it is costing you closer to half a million dollars. So, not only do you need to know how to ask...but you have to recognise your VALUE. 

Now, the second question I'd like to ask you in this article is: 

Whose responsibility is it for you to have more positive energy? 

This is clearly tied to the valuing of who you are and what you do. Again, as women, we tend to think people will notice what a good job we do and they will, of course, reward us with money and promotions and all kinds of things. And I will bet if I took a little poll here among the readers of this article, we might all find out that's not exactly how it works. We must truly value what we do and then know how to ask for the appropriate compensation for that. 

You do have some control over your time, energy, and compensation and I believe it's your responsibility to exert that control. You have to know what you have that is of value and you have to let other people know that as well. 

In all ways, you want to explore the ways you can maximise your positive energy - and the return on that energy. When you do, you're maximising your life.

Article source: Meggin Mckintosh

Women and Finance: Household CFOs

In more and more households, it is the women sorting the mail and email as it comes in, separating the bills and ensuring they get paid on time via their online bill pay system. Women also typically continue to make day-to-day purchasing decisions that have a lasting impact on a family's finances, such as where to make grocery and clothing purchases, and whether to use club cards or discount vouchers. In addition, many women have taken on increasingly complex financial tasks, such as eliminating credit card debt, investing for retirement, saving for their children's education, and engaging in family estate planning. 

The Household CFO (Chief Financial Officer): An Old Term that is making a comeback.

Yes, we are undertaking these tasks but no one is taking it a step further. When we have money saved, what do we do with it?. Many of us have grown up believing that the Banks are a solution. They are not but where else do you go?  Yes, some businesses that provide financial services are beginning to cater to even more women and to give us the respect we deserve. But can we trust them?

Women and Finance: Doing it Their Way 

As marketers, web designers, sales people, financial advisors and other business professionals learn to target women more effectively, they are consistently realising that women think differently about finance than men do. 

Here are some strategies that these professionals should keep in mind as they target women in finance.  

1. We are voracious information gatherers. And we like to get our information in community settings. This is where Femvestorsglobal support you as we will certainly carry this appetite for information-gathering into your finance habits. 

2. Many, but not all women, lack confidence in their financial skills. This lack of confidence is somewhat ironic, because many of us are actually quite competent and so our lack of skill is often perceived, rather than real. 

Unfortunately, the Finance Industry has been a boy's club for centuries and we have been kept in the dark around how things operate. Femvestorsglobal can bridge this confidence gap by speaking in plain English, rather than attempting to impress you with financial jargon that the Professionals use to their advantage. 

3. We tend to thrive in networks. Femvestorsglobal created a Community to support you and hold your hand every step of the way.  Regardless of your time zone, time commitment or finances, we cater for YOU. We listened to what you needed and created a global solution to this issue. 

4. Our values are Honesty, Integrity and Trust. Yes, it takes time to build trust, once you are in our network, you will see the difference we will make to your life and your loved ones. We are true to who we are. 

There are certainly companies and whole industries that have not gotten the memo. We certainly listened to You and created our Community for You.

Check us out at www.femvestorsglobal.com to see how we can support you!

5 Ways to Reduce your Spending & Create Immediate Money to Start Investing

Most of us are well aware that in order to improve our finances and to become wealthy, we need to follow a process that takes us from being in debt to having financial assets that provide us with an income. 

If so many people are aware of this, why do so few ever acquire investments? 

There are two reasons: firstly, many of us are already living on more than our income each month, and so finding money to invest often seems unlikely. 

Secondly, there is a common misunderstanding that investing is complicated. 

Femvestorsglobal are here to tell you that it is not.

By following these five steps, you can easily save a regular amount of money sufficient to act as your investment money: 

1. Reduce your entertainment spending 

Chances are, you don't know exactly how much you spend on entertainment each month, and the total is probably higher than you would guess. Common entertainment splurges are alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, nights out drinking, trips to the cinema, Netflix, weekends away, holidays and family activities like bowling and swimming. All of these quickly add up, especially if you are paying for two (you and your spouse) or four (you, spouse and two children) people each time. Rather than seeing entertainment spending as a necessity, you must be realistic about the amount you can afford to spend on these things each month. What can you sacrifice to help your investment budget? 

2. Take control of our duplications

The things we buy time and time again, despite having similar things already. The obvious is 10 pairs of black shoes. How many black handbags, pairs of blue jeans, summer jackets or winter coats, luxurious bubble baths and shower gels, lipsticks, red nail varnish or excessive bedding for our home do we really need?  Identify what your duplications are and assess whether you need all of the items you have already. Sell any you don't use or pay attention to, and commit to not buying any of these items for a 6 -12 month period. Be aware that when you are around these items, you will feel a temptation to buy. Either avoid the malls and avoid scrolling on the internet online. 

Don't give in- Your future self will thankyou

3. Watch your food spending 

Meals to celebrate a birthday, the weekly grocery shop, the chocolates to cheer us up, the lunch bought each day at work, the ice cream while walking the dog, the Starbucks on the way to the office, extra treats for the kids, the takeaways when you're just too tired to cook... food spending takes up a huge chunk of our income each month. Unless your end goal is to be obese and unhealthy, this is a habit well worth overcoming right away. 

A shocking amount of food bought ends up being thrown away and wasted. You are literally throwing away a portion of your income each month by buying food that will not be used. To get your food spending under control, make sure you plan your meals in advance each week and buy accordingly, never go food shopping while hungry or without a list, and don't make the mistake of aimlessly wandering up and down every single aisle in the supermarket. 

Calculate how much your shopping will total and take that amount in cash - do not have a debit or credit card with you. If your shopping exceeds the amount of cash you have, replace some less essential items. Buy cheaper brands of cleaning products, toilet rolls and alcohol. Arrange alternative celebrations- don't treat food as a reward or comforter.

 4. Buy less 'treats' and stop impulse buys 

Do you have a gym membership? When was the last time you used it? The majority of people who have a gym membership will actually pay less over the course of a year if they cancel the membership and pay for each gym session as they attend. Cancel your membership now - unless you really go several times every single week. Consider your magazine and newspaper subscriptions. How many of these can you access free online? How many do you not even get around to reading properly? With the amount of free information available online, there is rarely a need to pay for any magazines or newspapers. 

If you're wondering how you will manage without these 'treats', consider if you are trying to hide from some real pain (a deep rooted issue) that can be better managed. 

5. Avoid ATMs

Give yourself a weekly budget and withdraw this amount at the beginning of the week. Then hide your credit and debit cards (or give them to a friend who will not give them back to you until the next week or put them in the freezer like I did and delete all payment apps on your mobile) and force yourself to spend just that amount. 

This will force you to closely examine your spending and will change the way you think about money and spending. 

By following these five steps, you will have an extra amount of free cash each month that can be invested however you choose. 

If you are new to investing, discuss your options with Femvestorsglobal. 

In no time at all, you will have an investment plan prepared and will be on the road to controlling your own finances. 

Our team are here to support you every step of the way. We offer a variety of programs at difference price points and timeframes so support you with your investing journey.

How Do I Get Into Commercial Real Estate Investing?

First of all, commercial investing is not as hard as people think. There seems to be a stigma surrounding commercial investing. People think it's the big glass 100 million dollar buildings downtown. Sure, it is, but it's not always that. There are many different kinds of commercial investing that you can get into. You can start small and work your way up. It's not as hard as people think. It's not as hard to get funded, to find deals, and sometimes not as much work, once you have the deals. 

Everyone that owns commercial properties are not like Donald Trump. They don't all have their own TV shows, aren't in the news, aren't in the casinos, own sports teams, and don't have the perfect woman on their arm. It's just real people that own most of the commercial properties out there. People like you and me. It's the guy next store. The guy that owns a few Dunkin Donuts stores. There are all types of commercial properties. 

Let's talk about the basics. First off, what is commercial investing? When it houses a business, it's a commercial investment. Business parks, where it's one level, and there are many different buildings, those are commercial rented condos or business offices. It consists of office buildings in office parks. There are also industrial parks which look like office parks, but they are mostly blue collar businesses like manufacturers, warehouses, and storage places. This also includes strip malls where there are Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, UPS stores, etc. It's one building, one-story tall that's broken off into many different stores. Then we have our indoor malls where there are hundreds of stores inside, which include an anchor store, which is the main store, like a Decathlon or Target to get your attention. There are also office condos which house doctors, offices too. Also, we have warehouses, and even apartment houses. These are considered recession-proof properties. Assisted living facilities are commercial properties as well. Let's not forget about land. People are buying land and putting a cell tower or antennae on the land and making money. 

When you are out driving around, please pay attention to what you are seeing. Start noticing these commercial properties. Start thinking about commercial investing! Commercial investing adds a zero. You can do one deal a year in commercial investing and become a multi-millionaire. Some people have done one deal and it has changed their life, enabling them to retire. Don't let it intimidate you. It just has one more zero on the end! 

One of the things about commercial investing is that once you own the property, it's easier to maintain it because most of the time, you will let the pros handle it. You will have a management team to handle the payments, as well as attorneys and accountants handling the day to day work. There will be less day to day work once you own that commercial property, versus a residential property. Let's face it. If you own one piece of property with tenants in there, you know how much work that is. If you have a few properties, it's even more work dealing with tenants not paying, collections, disappearing tenants, and cleaning it out and finding new tenants. It's a lot of work! Virtually, you can pretty much have the pros do it for you. You can hire a management team, attorney, and accountant. Properties generally throw off enough monthly cash flow so that you can have it all taken care of for you. 

Anything you do with residential properties, you can do with commercial properties! You can buy and hold a house and rent it out, as well as a commercial property. You can wholesale it, get a contract on it, find someone to pay more, flip it, and step out of the deal. You never owned it. You get your finders' fee or spread, but instead of making $3,000 or $8,000, you can start making $50,000 to $200,000 just by flipping commercial deals. Just add another zero or two! Don't let it intimidate you! 

You can also lease commercial properties with the option to buy and make the big bucks! 

All of the same techniques you can use with houses, you can use with commercial properties. Note that one of the main differences is how you get the value. You can have two apartment buildings across the street from each other or in the same complex, and both apartment buildings can be identical. But, if one is 30% occupied and one is 70% occupied, and the first one is worth $700,000 and the next one worth 3 or 4 million, the only difference is how much it's occupied. How do you make big money fast in commercial investing? You find the one that is 30% occupied, find 5 or 6 tenants and bring it up to 70% occupied, and then you sell, get out of it, and make the spread. You can double or quadruple the cost or equity of commercial property by controlling it, filling it, and then getting out of it. It's a beautiful thing! 

Don't let commercial investing intimidate you. Add a couple of zero's to the profit! Consider opening your mind about commercial investing. Start thinking big! 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nick_Cifonie/237825

How Any Woman Can Become Rich

Did you know that there is no shortage of money? The problem is that you may not believe that you are worthy of having a lot of money. Anything you believe you can have, you will receive it. If someone is going to get rich, then why not YOU?

Many women are on the list of the rich and famous today. There is no secret on how to get money. You either inherit money or acquire it through some type of business (unfortunately, a lottery win is extremely unlikely). People's reasons for acquiring a lot of money are different from others. Some will apply money to their daily needs and wants to live a better life. Others may save their fortune and leave it to their children. Some use money to devote to a charitable cause to make the world a better place to live. 

If you want to create wealth, you must do something different. First, pay off all those credit cards and get out of debt. Second, you should make saving and investing your money a high priority in your life. To keep most of your money, you must make wise investments. You may start this process by seeking the advice from financial experts. 

When you use money to fulfill your purpose by starting a business to help others fulfill theirs, then you are doing good. When you are doing good with money, you can expect to draw more money to you. Once you start drawing money to you, then the sky is the limit. This means that you can get lots of money or as much as you want or need to fulfill your purpose. It is like standing under a water fall, "If you stand under a water fall, you are bound to get wet." The same is true with money, if you follow the principles of making and investing money, over a period of time, you are bound to get rich.

To the new and experienced entrepreneurs, getting help with your small business is very crucial to your success. Getting the right help will cause you to avoid costly mistakes, and it can also help you to save a lot of time, money and energy. You will need to get the right help to form the legal structure of the business, financial, management, procurement/certification, marketing, pricing products, preparing a business plan, and more. 

There are many successful business coaches and mentors that you can learn from, you just need to be clear on the areas you require support with. Look for recommendations within your local communities, FB groups, online sites such as Upwork and network with those around you. 

Always remember when you are starting out- to focus on the areas you are good at, get support in the areas you are not so great. You do not need to hire full time employees, look at pay on demand type services for booking keeping, accountancy, virtual assistants etc. I would also suggest you look for collaborations with others where you can exchange services which is a won-win for many people.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Mary_E._Waters/99920

Where to start when Investing in the Stock Market

Investing in the share market has never been as easy as it is today thanks to share market platforms where everyday investors can invest as little as $10 at a time. Compare that to investing through a share broker where fees make this uneconomic unless you are able to invest a few thousand dollars at a time. Problem with this is that unless one had tens of thousands of dollars to invest then diversification where money is invested in a variety of companies is out of the question. 

The solution to this is Index funds, where your money is pooled with those of other investors. The Index fund tracks indices such as the S&P500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, FTSE, ASX, Dax etc. Expense ratio fees are low and the benefit is that you don't have to pay buy and sell fees to an advisor every time an organisation leaves or joins an Index. 

Your money is also now invested in a variety of companies and industry types for diversification and for risk mitigation.

Sharesies is a popular trading platform in New Zealand but is certainly not the only one; Hatch, Kernel, and Invest Now are others. In the US, Robin Hood and Webull are popular trading platforms. In Australia Raiz, Spaceship, CommSec are popular and in the UK you can open a Stocks and Shares ISA which allows you to have a tax efficient trading account.

There are so many benefits of getting involved in the share market in this way with the main one being that it improves your financial literacy. It is all very well just reading books of a financial nature but knowledge comes from action otherwise what you may have learned on paper is just information. 

The basic rules of investing still need to be adhered to such as not placing all of your eggs in the one basket and investing according to your goals. If you require the money in the short-term then investing in growth stocks which are high return but with higher risk is not a suitable investment because chances are that the stock price will be down at the time when you need the money.

Micro investing is an excellent way to get involved in the share market. It helps to build your financial know-how, not to mention your wealth. 

Femvestorsglobal supports you in all areas of financial education as we help you with the basic fundamentals of investing, we give you everything you need so you have both the confidence and courage to start investing yourself.

So what are you waiting for?

Why Should I Invest in the Stock Market? The Truth Revealed!

Why do people invest in stocks? For some, it's like gambling. They high associated to the adrenaline that comes as a result of throwing hundreds or thousands of dollars into high-risk, high-reward endeavors. Of course, many individuals are highly calculated and look at investing in the stock market as a way to fund their future, perhaps in an extremely comfortable fashion. Of course, this is actually very possible to do, but not without the proper psychology, mechanics, and discipline in place. 

So why should we invest in the stock market? 

No matter how you look at it, your stock picks will be a gamble. It is possible for an undisciplined individual to bankrupt themselves very quickly. With that being said, there are several advantages of stock trading and investing that far outweigh the risks involved. 

Firstly, with a long-term focus, there is seldom a regulated market that doesn't rebound. This means that with a bit of due diligence, you can continually invest in an index fund whether the market is weak or strong, and chances are good that you'll come out on top eventually. 

Imaging this scenario. You invest in the stock market in a fairly low risk way, meaning you pick an  index fund (you can even invest in the NASDAQ itself) and invest $300 per month into your fund. What happens when the market goes up? Your stocks are worth more! But what happens when the market goes down? While the pessimist may panic, the wise man or woman will simply view this as an opportunity to purchase even MORE shares for that same 300 bucks! 

Then, when the market goes back up, you've got LOADS of shares enjoying this increase in value. Does this make sense? I know it's pretty basic stuff, but the basics are where a LOT of people unfortunately make their mistakes. 

Another reason I invest in the stock market, and why I firmly believe you should, too, is that you can get out of a bad decision in a heartbeat. Just sell your shares. Done. Do you think you have that kind of freedom to just walk away in the real estate business? Not a chance!

 The point is - and hear me loud and clear, I LOVE real estate - the stock market is a far more streamlined investment. For all intents and purposes, it's digital vs. physical. Both are valid in terms of return on investment, but only the stock market allows you to be incredibly efficient with your investment maneuvers. 

Consider starting small, if you're a beginning investor. And above all else, educate yourself. Read books, attend courses, join and converse with Femvestorsglobal... it's YOUR capital, so you'd better know your stuff! Do NOT blindly trust the "experts," as they're just people... and they can be just as wrong as anybody else!

Remember, education is everything!

Ladies- What are your Investment Goals?

One of the most important aspects of investing your money is your investment goals.

The first question you ask when looking to invest your money, whether in a new pair of shoes or an investment type, is what outcome you want from your investment. Just as the shoes can provide either heels for a cocktail party or comfortable work shoes, the investment can provide income (such as dividends, rental income and/or profits), an increase in value (which can include property price increases), emergency funds, or a combination of these. 

The main investment objectives are: 

• Capital Preservation-being there when you want it 

• Capital Appreciation-increasing in value 

• Income-paying out money during ownership 

Today we'll look at combining objectives. We all want the best of everything, so naturally we ask why we can't get more than one of these major objectives from an investment. As a general rule, if you are focusing on one objective, then you will sacrifice a little of the return toward that objective when you throw in a second objective. 

This is much like the search for the perfect little black dress that we want to serve two purposes; we want to be able to wear to it work but we also want to wear it to cocktail parties. If it is too formal, then we won't be able to dress it down, but if it is too causal, then we won't be able to dress it up, however, some dresses will meet both objectives. If we focus on one objective more than the other, we sacrifice the goal of it providing the perfect outfit for each type of occasion. The good news is that like the little black dress, there are definitely investments that both increase in value, and provide income at the same time, particularly when an investor considers the overall price trend of an investment class before buying and selling it. 

Some types of investments that are known to pay out decent income are high yield bonds, real estate, commodities. These investments normally pay out the highest income during riskier times, because they have to make higher payouts to attract investors for higher risks. 

This also typically coincides with the low end of the price range for that particular type of investment. When an investor buys such an asset at the low end of the price range, she will receive capital appreciation once the investment increases in value back to more normal valuations. In the meantime, she will receive the income from that investment, so it is meeting two objectives. 

Once again, investment objectives are like most other things in our lives; we begin our search with the outcome we want. 

Begin with first knowing the main thing that you want from an investment; for it to be there when you want it, grow in value or pay out income. 

Understanding and considering your investment goals is one of the first steps toward successful investing that everyone must take. 

Being a Financially Independent Woman and In a Relationship

You take care of yourself emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, but you may never have thought of it that you had to take care of yourself financially. Being in a committed relationship (married or co-habiting) doesn't mean you have to be totally dependent on your spouse to provide for you. Just because you are in this relationship shouldn't mean that you lose yourself in your partner and their life. You still are a human being, an individual and you have your own two feet to stand on (figuratively speaking) as well as your own hands and backbone to do what needs to be done. Your husband or partner isn't there for you to ride on. 

Here is an example of what I am talking about. When you watch those guys on the unicycle in the circus, they can do some pretty amazing things right, especially up on a high wire. But when you add two people to that single wheel, things get pretty intense and while you watch them on that unicycle you find you hold your breath a lot. What about when you add three people to that one wheeled vehicle? Really gets scary right? 

I know I have seen those circus people get up to 5 people on one tiny little wheel. Not for me thanks. I prefer 4 wheels and a running board. You have a good, sturdy car with 4 wheels on the ground; it's solid and safe for more than just one person to be in, right? Well, why would it be any different for a marriage/relationship and finances? It doesn't matter where you live in the world, why would you put all your trust on a one wheeled vehicle, namely your husband's financial wheel? What if something happened to them? What if something happened to the money they brought in? Look at the way this economy is going? Wonder why it's not as good as people keep wishing it to be? That is a story for another time; but just understand that you don't have to be stuck on that unicycle with your partner or husband. Grab a wheel, stretch out of your comfort zone and get financially independent. It will not only help you in the long run, but think of the benefits of earning an income for yourself, having investments and working as a 'team' WITH your partner rather than expecting them to have it all while you sit in the dark.

When you are financially independent it isn't saying you are expecting the worst of the marriage/relationship, you are just making sure that it is on equal terms so that you can work towards having an awesome relationship. You would be surprised at how many partners actually love knowing that their spouse's don't 'need' them financially and feel more secure knowing that if anything was to happen to them that their partners were very well taken care of and strong enough to get through anything. I have also been told that when they see  their partners financially independent they (the spouse) feel like a huge weight lifted off their shoulders and they don't have this 'thing' hanging over their heads. They WANT to create a cash flow rather than HAVE to create one. 

There are poems, stories, sayings about how strong women are and yet soft on the inside. Why not use that to our benefit financially? We are great at multi-tasking and taking care of others, so why not take care of ourselves too? We would most certainly sleep better knowing the bills were paid, savings account was in the black, kids were well taken care of, what our investments were doing, etc because we are involved in the creation of these things. 

The next time you see an opportunity to help you get financially independent don't be afraid to take the chance...grab that opportunity, it could be the best thing you ever did for yourself and your family. Until next time, have a  prosperous week. 

Women Can Love Investing

Women can learn to love investing. Investing is a huge passion of mine. I find it empowering, freeing, and confidence building! You can learn to have your money work for you and make you money, so you're not dependent on working the rest of your life. It's awesome to see money being made with your computer and not from your work efforts! Once you learn to invest, it's like having your own golden goose. The golden goose provides more money for you over the years and works hard, so you don't have to.

Did you know women are better investors than men? There have been studies of men's and women's investment clubs and women consistently made more money with their investing. The reasoning is that women think through their investment decisions longer before selecting them and hold their investments longer.

Another reason women make good investors is because investing is like shopping. We're used to comparing prices, knowing brands, and watching for sales! Investing is the same way. You figure out what you want and you wait for a good price to buy it. You do that every week!

90% of women will have to manage their own money at some point in their lives (the average age of widowhood is 59). Do you want to learn about money when you're grieving and least able to deal with it or when you choose to?

Making money is simply a function of 3 things:

• the money you have to start with
• the time you have to compound 
• the rate you earn

The more of any of those 3 things you have, the easier it is. If you don't have a lot of money to start with, but you have a lot of years before you need the money, or you can compound (earn) a high rate, you can build wealth. 

If you want to learn how to swim, you can't cling to the side of the pool. Eventually you have to let go and try to swim. When you get good at swimming, you can eventually go into the deep end. You don't try that on the first day! It's the same thing with investing. If you want to build wealth, you can't keep your money in a savings account. You must give yourself time to learn to invest and let your money create a golden goose for you! 

The reason it's important to take some measured risk with your money, is because it allows you to get a higher return. For example, a savings account is paying 1% interest. At 1%, it will take 72 years to double your money. Not a great way to accumulate money to retire! But the stock market has returned 10% on average over the long-term, which will double your money in a little over 7 years! That will build wealth - the savings account won't - and you will be able to have a comfortable retirement. That's why you need to invest in stocks! 

I often hear women say they don't feel "worthy" of having a lot of money. I think this stems from the fact that women don't know their worth. Studies have shown that men know what they are worth in their job and women don't. Women are taught to be of service, to put our needs behind others, to be polite, to defer to others. If we translate that behavior to money, it means we won't feel worthy. We give the power away. We will have fears around it and "trust" others to handle it for us. We don't need to do that. Not anymore. 

I'm here to say women, you can do it! You can overcome your fear of loss or overwhelm. Investments don't require much time to manage once you've got the hang of it. I spend less than an hour a week handling my long term investments. More of my time is spent reading about investments and looking for new opportunities than tweaking the investments. 

I started in my late twenties with $0 (after paying off all my debts)and read lots of books about millionaires and investing. I taught myself how to invest in stocks and became a millionaire at age 38. The next year, I made $1 million in one year! I teach clients exactly the steps I took. It begins with having a wealthy mindset and ends with creating your legacy. Only one step involves investing! Did you know that you don't even have to have a lot of money to start investing? You can open an investment account online with only $500. There's no excuse not to learn! 

If you have a mentor, it can help take the fear of overwhelm away. A mentor can show you how to navigate easily, just like a tour guide can in a foreign country. Over time, you will gain confidence and realize it's not as difficult as you first thought. Like anything with practice, it gets easier - and the rewards are much better! You can learn to build serious wealth which will make your life a lot easier, less stressful, and give you a better marriage and family life. 

What is a stock? A "stock" is simply a share of ownership in a company (think of companies like your favorite brands in handbags, shoes, food, etc.). Companies sell shares of stock in their company when they want to raise money. Suppose up-and coming designer Tory Burch wanted to open boutiques around the world? She could sell shares in her company and raise the money to do that. The "stock market" is simply where lots of companies are selling shares. Initially they sell shares from their company to raise the money and from there investors buy and sell them to and from each other. It's kind of like eBay, except you're buying and selling shares of companies! 

But isn't it risky? Isn't it like gambling? There is risk, but you can mitigate risk several ways - buy spreading it out among multiple companies you own, by buying companies that have a low fluctuation of price, by not owning just stocks and adding in other types of investments. Some people speculate, but most people are not trying to "get rich quick", they are investing for the long-term, which is the safest way to invest. The longer you stay invested, the more likely it is you will make money with your investments. If you stayed invested during the crash of 2008, the stock market is up 80% from the low point. 

The Dalai Lama has said, "The Western woman will save the world." I believe that's true. Women are cooperative, intuitive, and we like to share with others. I see a lot of women giving to the less fortunate, like helping women start businesses with "micro" loans. The average loan someone in a foreign country needs to start a life-changing business to feed their family is only $27! The women in villages teach others in the village how to run a business, so the effects are far reaching and magnified. My mission is to change the statistics for women, where 1 in 5 of us are retiring with Zero dollars. 

Isn't it time you empowered yourself to learn about money and investing? Isn't it time you felt your own worth and independence? Learning to create wealth yourself will do that for you and investing is a way you can build a lot of wealth. You just have to decide to do it and find a mentor such as Femvestorsglobal to reduce the learning time and improve your success rate. 

Soon you will have your own golden goose and love investing too!