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

How To Be A Great Partner With Your Finances

How To Be A Great Partner

Just being romantic has to mean a variety of things to each and every person, but as you and I both know, romance involves doing that little extra to express affection in a meaningful and sometimes unexpected way. Unfortunately, a lot cannot be done the way you want because of money and finances. We know that the true act of romance requires creativity and above all sincerity, which is often inspired by love. 

One of the better ways is to treat your partner like you are single... , remember when you were trying to earn their affection and trust. And we all know that the opposite of being romanced can and will backfire when it presented as some kind love sick game and gets taken for granted. No one wants to feel like they have already been trapped... because quicker than you can blink... it's over and done with.

In a marriage relationship, communication is the best policy. Having your finances in order can be a great help with that. It can at times be difficult, but the simple truth allows relationships to breathe. No matter what happens, no one can ever challenge the fact that you are truthful, which in itself means that the other person will invariably end up giving you the same respect. When communicating with your partner, believe me, they will be the first to let you know if something does not suit them and if it does not feel right or good... they will not trust you or your opinion in love, marriage, romance or money. 

While you are dreaming up ways to win their affections... make sure not to talk their ear off,... but do make sure that if you have any problems that could possibly affect their mood, they are made aware of the reasons for those concerns. Make them the center of everything around you when you're talking to them. If you ask your partner a question, ask because you really want to know the answer. And above all, please... pay attention to that answer. You would be surprised how far that little gesture will carry you up the mountain of love, affection and understanding. 

In discussing opinions, try to see their side and understand the reason why they feel or thinks the way they do. Make sure you are really actually listening, not just waiting for your for turn to insert some interesting little quip that makes you look good. Great partners honour their commitments, accept their duties, portray their loyalties and are accountable for any and all damages, debts and other problematic happenings they make along the way in the relationship. 

Be the bigger person and clean up after yourself and your finances (figuratively and literally). In sharing responsibility, both men and women know that anyone can father a child or give birth... but only a person who understands and accepts that responsibility can be a good parent. How to be a great partner means that you refuse to make anyone do anything that you yourself are unwilling to do. 

Financial Independence for Women

For security reasons Ladies, it is important for us to have the knowledge about how to make financial decisions. 

Facts that many of us choose to be single, and the divorce rates are getting higher should underline the more important reasons why we need to equip ourselves with complete financial knowledge to survive in our life. 

We must know that: 

We cannot live from month to month. It is important to save some part of our income, whether from our partners or from our own salary. 

We must have our own personal account instead of a join account with our spouse. It will increase our self confidence as well. Having a personal account will be useful when something happens to our spouse, as our personal account will give us more flexibility and authority than our joint account. 

We must have our own investment and retirement account. This will help protect our finances when the breadwinner of the family turns his heart against the family. 

We must have our own credit card. The best time to have a credit card is when you need it the least, when you can pay on time. A credit card will be very useful under urgent circumstances, when you do not have enough cash on hand. Although we may think that you may not need a credit card, it is recommended to have one for urgency. 

We must get involved in monthly family finances. Almost all of us have something to eliminate, by working together with our partner, as a collective, we could save more than before. 

Having enough money in our savings will give us the courage to leave an unpleasant job or a horrible marriage. 

What should always be remembered is being able to manage a family and personal financial does not mean that you can forget your destiny as a woman. 

To build a happy and harmonious family, women and men are equal, we should not compete against each other. 

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  

Financial Planning Challenges that Women Face

If you were to guess which issue women worry about most right now would you guess kids, family, our partner being faithful, health, time management, mental health or stress, or maybe even equal rights? 

The answer is...... our finances. 

This response may or may not surprise you now, but consider the following list of financial issues unique to us:

• We are more intimidated than men about financial issues 
• We earn less money than men (82 cents in the $)
• We are less prepared for retirement as we have less money to retire on
• We live on average 8 years longer than men 
• We don't know who to trust with our finances so we tend to leave it in the bank or spend it
• We are more conservative investors than men
• It is more challenging for single mothers, even more if you are a working parent
• We are caring for elderly parents 
• Our health insurance plans cost us more
• We tend to defer to men regarding long term financial decisions, even though we manage the daily household finances 
• Money may have been managed by our spouses  when married and then we do not know how to manage money if we end up divorced
• The finance Industry doesn't really cater for women and we generally don't trust the men in suits
• Women of Colour are the most dis-advantaged statistically when it comes to equality and earnings

A study by the National Center for Women and Retirement Research showed that women investors were more worried than men about running out of money in old age, preferred more conservative investments, wanted fixed/steady returns, were more unnerved by stock fluctuations and worried more about investment decisions. 

Due to this, our retirement years are severely impacted as we have earned less money, therefore we have less to retire on whilst we live longer.

Most and Anthes note that according to the Administration on Aging "...half the elderly widows now living in poverty were not living in poverty before their husbands died. 

The picture is even worse for older women in many minority groups.

The next generation of retirees may have been raised in an environment in which men handled the money decisions. 

Despite more women actually pay the weekly bills, we tend to have little knowledge of the larger family finances such as retirement plans, insurance, annuities, etc. because we defer this to our spouse's to make the decisions. 

It is essential for women to understand the 'big picture' of their finances, especially for retirement, divorce, or death of their spouse. 

Because we earn less than men, we are less prepared for retirement, and receive smaller retirement benefits, we need to make sure that our husband's retirement benefits will pass to us if our husband dies first. 

Because we may be more intimidated about asking questions of our attorney or financial advisor, we may miss crucial details (such as single-life annuity which may bring higher levels during the husband's life but that ends when the husband dies first), or incorrect beneficiaries on life insurance policies. 

During a divorce, we may be more concerned about custody issues and keeping the house than our future retirement and may agree to forgo retirement plans. 

Single parenting brings a whole host of financial challenges, including lost wages from parenting responsibilities and childcare and babysitters. 

If the extra expenses and possibly lower income are not included in the divorce settlement, as single mother may find that she is unable to keep the house and she loses the two most valuable assets: the house and her retirement plan. 

Women not only make less money than men, our health plan may cost more than for men due to mammograms, the cervical-cancer vaccine, Pap tests and pregnancy related services. 

This is unfair, but while the inequity exists, we must make an extra effort to contribute the difference to a Health Savings Account or savings program to avoid using credit to pay for the added medical bills if needed.

Another huge drain on women's finances is caring for our aging parents. 

More women care for aging parents than men. 

However distasteful it may be to condense a daughter's love for her parents into a discussion of money, this issue must be addressed so that women can prepare. 

Because of the aging baby-boomer population, these numbers will soon become staggering. 

If you add caring for young children into the mix at the same time, the financial results can be devastating. 

Because of the special issues facing women, it is crucial that we educate ourselves about finances and the realities of financial gender inequity and plan for our future. 

The male-dominated financial services industry is just beginning to realise the unique financial planning issues for women. 

This is where we come in ladies, to ensure you have the financial education so you have the knowledge you need to become financially fabulous.

We support you with the basics of financial education and ensure that you find trusted advisors that understand your issues and are helping you plan accordingly. 

Don't be afraid to ask your advisors questions (we put a guide together on this exact topic so you know what questions to ask and are fully aware of the process). 

Now is the time to begin planning for the future: 

• Have a plan 
• Increase your knowledge and understanding of financial matters 
• Utilise trusted professional advisors to implement your plans  
• Regularly monitor your progress

Femvestorsglobal is your starting point to your financial journey, we will ensure you reach your "Moneymoon Destination"

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.

Women and Real Estate

If you don't already own a home, there are so many reasons to from a financial perspective: 

• build equity
• save money on taxes and use your equity as back-up security 

Equity is the ability to increase the difference between your home value and the amount you owe on your mortgage.

Moreso, as a woman there is an even important reason, it is a tremendous source of security for your future. 

Many women that own real estate have seen success in other parts of their financial lives as well! 

This could include renting out spare rooms for additional income.

If you already own a home, you should think about paying down your mortgage a bit more each month or year. 

If you are married, this will only increase the value of your assets towards your retirement. 

In fact, it is an opportunity to become more active within the financial realm of your life. 

By becoming interested in the insights of the financial details of how it works (i.e. through paying off your mortgage earlier, refinancing when rates lower or appraising the home when values rise), it can lead to taking more of an interest in other areas of your family's personal finance. 

For women that end up alone, either through divorce or widowed, owning a home can provide tremendous financial security. 

It provides options that provide security later on in life such as: tapping into the value of the home, getting extra income or taking advantage of the increased value. 

Since real estate prices have gone up so much these last few years, partially due to low interest rates, you might be thinking that you can't afford to get into the real estate market where you live. 

You can look in other areas. 

For example, central CBD locations have become prohibitively expensive. 

Therefore, many people are buying homes in the outer suburbs and have already seen property values rise. 

Or you might be thinking that you don't have enough saved for a down payment. 

Many people don't believe in mortgage insurance, the reality is that this may be worthwhile to enable you to purchase a home. It is likely you will see this money returned as the value of your home may have gone up so the insurance is money well spent.

If you don't do anything about it, you still won't have enough saved for a down payment. 

The alternative options is that you could buy a small 1 bedroom apartment and rent it out. It doesn't always have to be the home you need to live in.

My first investment property was a 1 bedroom apartment in a boutique development in Melbourne's CBD in Australia. I have since purchased further investment properties and have not lived in any of them.

I am a "rentvestor" which means that I rent myself and buy houses to rent out to others.

If owning a property is aligned to your goals, the key is to just get started!

Women and Money: The Fairy Tale

It always seems to surprise me that even in 2022 where women are making more money than previous years, obtaining corporate management positions, creating businesses and in some cases earning more than than their partner, we still struggle with the concept of "understanding our financial superpower."

I listen to so many of my clients who have no idea where important documents are, how much they owe on their home or where their pertinent financial information is stored. 

I see the same behavior today, where women are making very good incomes, yet they have nothing to show for it but a nice wardrobe and car. They often are not maximising contributions to their retirement plans at work or building a savings nest. They save all these "money decisions" for their "prince charming" to take care of and they simply don't make money a priority in their busy lives. 

Let's bring some reality into this picture, shall we? "Prince Charming" is a Disney character! 

Most often than not your partner wants someone to have some sort of financial goals and independence. 

Also what about the 50% divorce rate? If something does happen, where does that leave you? 

Understanding your net worth, credit scores, and living expenses makes you a powerful and intelligent woman. 

Why would you not invest time into securing a success financial future? 

In addition to the reason of divorce, we know that women out live men, so why would you continue down the path of being financially crippled when you will be left to take care of yourself if he dies first? 

The answer should be "learn how to manage your money now, before you find yourself broke and taken advantage of later." 

Ask yourself these questions. 

Do we have adequate life insurance coverage? 

Am I on the title to our home? 

Is there a living trust in place and a will? 

What are the assets we own? 

How much do we owe on the house? 

If you know the answers to all of these questions, then you are on top of your finances. 

However, if you don't know the answers to these questions, you need to get to work. 

Believe me when I tell you that men understand the value of money management and they stay in control of financial decisions. 

We as women must take the time to learn just as much as our male counterparts as well as teach our daughters how to take care of their financial future.

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

Financial Success Habits and Our Old Beliefs

Are you struggling with your money goals and your finance goals? I think a lot of people are these days, especially with the current economic climate right? Why do we all struggle with these goals to achieve in life? Why do we grapple with issues around accomplishing a goal in terms of our finances? In my experience, this is all deep in our subconscious and goes back to our childhood and throughout our teen and adult life. 

In the past couple of years, I have been blessed to see some of the most successful business men and women in the world. I have sat for hours as they speak about how they struggled to overcome their own struggles with their money goals and finance goals. I have listened to speakers who slept on the streets, slept in train stations etc... to conquer their money goals and finally learn how to set life goals! I have seen the pain in their eyes and the emotional attachment that this period still has with them. 

Why do people go through periods of struggle with their money and finance goals? Well, when you think about it, as kids we are very much subjected to a lot of "myths" about money and how it is viewed by society. Have you ever heard some of these common myths before... 

• Money is the root of all evil 
• Getting rich is a matter of luck or fate 
• Having a lot of money will make me less spiritual or pure 
• Money will change me 
• Money won't make me happy 
• I'm too young to be rich
• I'm too old to start making money
• I don't deserve or not worthy of money 
• I'm already quite comfortable
• I don't need to push myself 

I bet these sayings are familiar to the majority of you? We struggle with our money goals and finance goals because we have been so conditioned by phrases like "I'm not made of money" or "Money doesn't grow on trees", that it is inherent in our subconscious. It is almost like a disease and we don't even realize it! I have been very lucky to attend various seminars on this subject that have really brought this to my conscious mind. When something is conscious, we can train the brain so that success in our money goals and finance goals becomes habitual. 

After attending seminars, reading books and being more aware of these myths and negative stories we have all heard about, I began to realise that this severely impacts our goals to achieve in life, in such a negative way. I then started to see things differently and made an observation that many people I have spoken to lately, have agreed with. What we watch on TV has a big impact on our money goals and finance goals! 

I grew up in the "Disney" era, where my beliefs on money stemmed from my childhood and romantic movies and books. I would live happily ever after, Prince Charming would always look after me. My childhood toys were Barbie having a fabulous life with Ken. Outside of Barbie dolls, I had toys such as a pram to push my kids in, a toy cooker, plastic tea set and a toy convertible car and caravan that Ken bought me. I had make-up, shoes and princess dress-up outfits, a plastic girl's head for practicing hairstyles.

Growing older, I continue to buy these "so called toys" into my adult life- clothes, shoes, handbags, expensive cars, designer make-up, frequent holidays and high self maintenance activities. I spiralled into a lot of debt.

Fast forward paying off the credit cards, loans and eventually getting myself out of debt, I started to then seriously focus on my financial habits and following others. Once you start to model and try to replicate successful people, you see things with new eyes. I often speak so highly of the seminars and the business speakers that I have been privileged to see live. After spending three full days at an event on "money goals" 3 years ago, someone once remarked that I was in a "cult". It made me think, perhaps I have been in a "cult" with my money goals and finance goals before I began to see the light that the successful gurus have shown me. 

So I guess its time to debunk some of the myths above and leave you with some new belief systems to mull over: 

1) Making money doesn't restrict freedom, it PROMOTES freedom 

2) To master money, I must MANAGE money 

3) Wealthy and successful people aren't smarter than me, they just have better money management Financial HABITS 

Some people think that the concept of changing your mindset is all "mumbo jumbo". 

I beg to differ. I think that if we begin to look at things with new eyes, that we can really start to focus on our money goals and finance goals. In fact, you can focus on new ways to achieve your goals in life! So what are your new money associations? 

Fill in the blank: Money is__________ 

Only 20% of people set goals. 

The other 80% think they have goals... but these are only wishes! 

Are you open to some different perspectives on how to set and achieve goals?

If so, check out Femvestorsglobal.com

We support you with goal setting, getting clarity on a vision for your life and turning your dreams into reality. We give you the GPS to your "Moneymoon Destination".

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

Make Sure You Are Crystal Clear About Your "Invest" Definition

In today's unstable economy, many people are searching for alternative means of making money and creating their own retirement plans. It is becoming clear that corporations and governments cannot guarantee your retirement plan upon turning 65. As a result, many are taking control of their own futures and putting their money into investments like property and shares. For others, it may be a distant dream, but they are not quite sure where they should begin. The definition of "invest" is a broad one and there are several methods. 

Buying a property is considered a fairly safe kind of investment, because real estate generally appreciates in value. There are a couple of different options to choose from. You can purchase a single home, a multi-unit complex or a vacation home to rent out to various tenants; alternatively, you can purchase a home for a low price and renovate it, then sell it for a higher price. Each option has its pros and cons and it's important to do some research before making a decision on which method you will go with.

Becoming a landlord is a huge responsibility, and you will need to become familiar with the local laws regarding tenants. They will be well aware of their rights, so you should be aware of yours. If you consider yourself a DIY person and can install floors, renovate bathrooms and apply a coat of paint, then flipping properties may be for you. 

When you complete the renovations yourself, you save money and increase your profit. When everything has been done, sell it at market value. Once it's sold, you can collect a nice big lump sum of money. Now, you can find another home and repeat the entire process. When you rent your properties, you receive a smaller amount of money, but it is a steady monthly income.

Keeping a lump sum of money in a bank account is not a good wealth-building method. If you decide not to purchase any more properties, another investment option is shares. When you buy the shares of a company, you are becoming part owner of that company. There are many public organisations and companies that offer their shares for purchase. You can get them via a self-directed investment account or a stockbroker. Due diligence and research are imperative before deciding which companies to include in your portfolio. 

You make a profit with shares by buying low and selling high. Depending on the type of company you invest in, you could see profits in just a few weeks, or it might take a few years. Many people buy stocks and hang on to them for at least 10 years; others sell them as soon as they realise they will make money.

An easier option is to invest in Index funds and or Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) where you are buying a group of companies as opposed to one individual company. Buying into a group of companies protects you when the prices fall as you are not as exposed in comparison to one individual company.

But above all be clear as to your invest definition, and increase your knowledge and resources, you are able to make better decisions. Having a comprehensive plan is a good first step to taking care of your financial security. The time has come to stop depending on governments and corporations to provide your funds for retirement. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mike_McLoughlin/587899

Strategies For Investing In Physical Gold

Buying physical gold has become a popular investment amongst investors these days. People who want to see their investment secure elect to invest in physical gold rather than Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The reason for wanting to acquire this precious metal is that it is easy to locate and easy to buy. 

Gold can be bought in the form of coins, ingots and bullion, and it comes in different shapes. In the current economic climate, it is an alternative investment class to stock market investing. 

The price of gold has risen steadily since the Second World War and has continued to grow. When it has fallen, it has only dipped a little bit, and most gold investors get their money back. Or if they want they hold onto their purchase and save it for when the price goes back up again. 

Three facts about buying physical gold 

Firstly, Let us take gold jewellery; there are remarkably few people who don't own a gold item.  If physical gold is dressed up in some delicate jewellery is worn by some important personality, the price will increase extensively. If you want to sell your gold jewellery, you would get a return when the markets are thriving. Every woman always has several items of gold jewellery that they have bought over the years. Jewellery can go out of date, and any gold that you may have can be sold as scrap for a price. 

Secondly, a more secure form of investing in gold is the ultimate gold bar. It is true; you cannot find it easily in some places. However, in many countries, you can order online and have it sent through via the postal service. You need to ensure you buy from trusted sources to ensure authenticity. The biggest gain in owning a gold bar is that it's price will undoubtedly increase according to shifts in the economy. This is also influenced by the rise and demise of gold mines around the globe. 

Thirdly, gold bullion is clearly a safe investment because it props up some of the other investments in the conventional markets. All governments always have some money tied up in gold, as a hedge against any financial mishaps. It will require extensive research to find and buy it but it is possible. However, compared to gold bars, you will have the assurance that it contains one hundred percent pure gold. The bullion is not adulterated by being fused with other metals such as copper. Gold bullion usually has the governmental stamp to convince you of it's purity. Therefore, if you are rethinking your strategy on investment, then gold may be an investment class you wish to consider.  It will help offset any shortcomings if the market crashes again. If you are a small investor, then buying a few gold bars every so often will not be difficult to keep either. You could put them somewhere safe in your home, and not forget where you put them. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Taneem_Sira_Sarwar/1495041

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!