Being wise about money involves making each plan count. Steps to financial planning success involve thinking about ways to make life more comfortable and following these. Financial intelligence should not come at the cost of monetary losses. Money is an essential resource for living life well. So, think ahead and plan well for optimal financial security.
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Earn more, spend less.
This is a cardinal rule of effective financial management. You need to spend less and earn more each year to maintain your lifestyle. Making every penny count is a sure fire formula for financial planning success. Consider each item of expenditure and see if your business/personal finances can handle the burden. If it is too heavy, you need to rethink your financial strategy.
Be fair to yourself
The important key to financial planning success is that you should ensure you have enough savings for a golden retirement and an investment account that would sustain you for life. Many people pay their bills, but do not save for the rainy day. Businesses make losses for these reasons too. Capital needs to be set aside for tough times otherwise you are in for hard knocks from the financial perspective.
Objective risk-benefit analysis is a must
Scrutinize the risks in life or business and insure them appropriately. If you are young, morbidity is your biggest risk. If you are a single income household and have kids, you need to consider life insurance. Similarly, if your business is just growing, you need to guard its financial health. Taking out an insurance for your business involves checking the profit-loss ratio and other financial indicators. You need to measure the risk, check out the value of the options, consult professionals and cover larger risks.
Play the numbers game
Don’t shy away from checking on your finances. Remember that your personal or professional success depends on the degree of your financial know how. Financial intelligence and knowledge of numbers and accounting principles should never be neglected. Whether you lack the interest or the time, neglecting this aspect of financial knowledge can prove too pricey. You have to ensure that you have good working knowledge of how much you earn and spend, your debts and net worth. Monitor your personal and professional accounts well, if you want to flourish in the business of life.
Know your attitudes towards money
Are you a spender or a saver? Is your approach towards money that of avoidance or fear? Analyze your attitude towards money to take more steps towards financial planning success. Your history, spending habits, and perspective towards your finances is the key to smart financial planning. Consider each part of the equation to get the perfect formula for financial planning success.
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Consider the number of essential expenditures and your money related values
You need to invest some time and energy, besides money to find out what your priorities are. Whether you are financial planning for business or life, financial success is largely a matter of being clear about your values towards money. People may talk about the disastrous business deal which lost them cash or how the recession hijacked a retirement plan, but you can come out with flying colors if you think ahead. The important point is to remember that you need to assess your values and decide what counts most for you, money wise.
Assess which income generating investment is the best for you
Equities and stocks are long term investments. Those looking to make a quick buck must remember this before placing their money in stocks. You need to be well diversified. Putting all your eggs in one basket can prove as detrimental as counting your chickens before they hatch, as far as investments are concerned. Always expect the unexpected when it comes to financial events.
Don’t use your life savings for investments
Whatever short term money and emergency funds you have, make sure it is distinct from the money allocated for investments. Just because stock markets shoot up does not mean you gun for it by using your life savings. The get rich quick schemes are the most deceptive. Even if the idea of leaving cash on the sidelines is a big issue, losing the money in one go will certainly not be a small problem. So, don’t be swayed by the stock market and euphoria of sudden gains.
Watch out for financial con artists
Don’t buy into the rags to riches schemes touted in the financial community. A bio tech stock guaranteed to make a fortune after USFDA approval, a tech stock which will shoot up following a financial merger….rumor mongering in the markets is rampant. Just don’t get caught in the bull run and be subjected to a financial stampede when the stocks plunge. The highs and lows of financial markets and schemes are not for everyone.
Financial goals and objectives are vital
From a car that starts its journey to an athlete in training, everyone needs goals to get to their destination. Goals and objectives should provide the perfect roadmap for your financial future.
Goals for financial planning should be agreed and documented with financial advisers to assist in measuring progress. Most importantly, goals should be reviewed periodically to adjust to changing circumstances. The relevancy of the goal must be high.
Organize your financial and personal information
The success of the financial planning process is largely dependent on how clear and available your vital information is, to your financial adviser. This includes the following:
Risk attitude
Risk tolerance
Risk aversion
Capacity for risk
Income
Expenditure
Assets
Liabilities
Analyzing financial information: The perfect formula for financial success
Financial planning involves the use of ratios to promote a deeper understanding of financial circumstances and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This includes metrics such as the Solvency ratio, Savings ratio, Debt Service ratio and Liquidity ratio. Risk tolerance plays a central role in asset allocation for investment.
Formulating a stable financial plan
Financial planning is based on receipt of information and analysis of the same. A financial plan must contain the following:
Annual consolidated taxes estimate
Net worth status( a balance sheet)
Annual cash flow report (with surplus or deficit)
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Implementing and reviewing the financial plan
Once plan analysis and development is complete, recommended courses of action will be outlined involving the implementation of an investment strategy, the role of the debt provider and adjustments to income and expenditure. Interaction with financial product providers will play a major role here too. Goals need to be reviewed annually to take into account any changes in circumstances, incomes, asset values or more.
Financial security goes hand in hand with wealth generation
Financial planning involves a guarantee for financial security as well as wealth. Income is not necessarily a determinant of financial success, but financial security is.
Creating a spendings and savings plan
Goal oriented financial planning helps in tracking progress. There are 3 types of goals namely short range, mid range and long range.
Short range goals are met in a year or less while mid range goals involve a period of one to five years. Long range goals are those which are accomplished in more than half a decade. Taking an objective view of your current financial situation is equally important. For the perfect roadmap to financial planning success, you need to be clear whether you are on the right track or changes must be made.
The ABC of Financial Planning
a. Net Worth: Assets which are owned have monetary value, while liabilities are obligations that must be met. Assets equals items like house, savings account while liabilities are the loans, debts that one incurs. Net worth is the difference between the two, whereby assets are more than liabilities if net worth is positive and vice versa.
Net worth is a snapshot of the finances at a certain point in time. Net worth needs to be calculated and for financial success, it should increase with time.
b. Cash flow: Where the money goes or the cash flow each month is also an important consideration. If you do not detect symptoms of financial distress quickly, monetary problems will continue to plague you. Assessing the cash flow is an important step in successful financial planning. While incomes are cash inflows, expenses are cash outflows. A Cash Flow worksheet is used to get an idea of accurate income and expenditure. Gross income is tax deductible following which it is known as net income. Savings are an expense too. A spending and savings plan should specify current as well as future expenses.
c. Savings and Spendings plan: Creating a savings and spending plan involves taking the golden rule of money management into account:
Expenses<Income: Most Preferable
Expenses=Income: Acceptable
Expenses> Income: Not Preferable
Think of ways to increase your income and reduce your expenses, if you want to attain financial planning success.
Form an emergency savings fund
Saving for that rainy day is important. Your very own financial umbrella can protect you from the storm, whether it is a job loss, car breakdown or foreclosure. Another key to financial planning for financial emergencies is to ensure that money is parked in such a way that there are no penalties for easy withdrawal. Savings are easier if they come to you naturally. But even if you are penny wise and pound foolish, savings can act as a natural buffer against financial insolvency. Many financial institutions allow periodic automatic transfer of funds too, if regular deposits are difficult to make.
Invest keeping the rules in mind
Investment classes are roughly three and each have their own golden standards.
Stocks: Share of stock represents percentage of ownership within a corporation. From owning one millionth of a company to being its primary shareholder, there are infinite options. While there are no guarantees, stocks are generally worth more than what they were purchased for, with the passage of time.
Bonds: Cementing a solid financial base is a bond which is a loan to a firm or organization such as the government. As a bondholder or leader, you are a source of funds for which you receive the principal known as par value at the time of the maturing of the bond and periodic interest while you hold it. Bonds form the golden mean between stock and cash equivalents with respect to risks as well as return.
Cash equivalents: These are assets which are easily convertible into cash, such as savings and checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, treasury bills and certificates of deposit.
Money for short range goals should be in cash equivalents while for long and medium term ranges, it can be in stocks or bonds. Note that return on cash equivalents is less than the rate price rise or inflation over time. Stocks and bonds have higher return as compared to cash equivalents. The longer the investment period, the lower the risk that investments will lessen in value.
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Diversify, Diversify, Diversify!
To reduce the risk of losing money and increase the chances of financial planning success, investing should be diversified. As in life, balance is important in investments too. A well balanced portfolio with a mixture of cash equivalents, bonds and stocks will help you to maintain your financial equilibrium. Mutual funds are a good way to ensure diversification.
Insurance: Making sure you are covered
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Come hail or storm, your insurance will act as protection against the rainy days. So whether it is events like illness, accidents or fires, quelling the storm is simply a matter of insuring yourself. Health insurance is a necessary element of financial planning. Having catastrophic medical insurance which covers more than routine costs has high deductibles, but low premiums. For those who are employed, disability insurance is important because this replaces a portion of your income following inability to work. For those who are dependent on you, nothing is more important than your life.
That is why insuring your life is a critical step to take if anyone relies on your support. Another must is car insurance. To drive the point further, in addition to liability coverage, medical expenses coverage is included alongside uninsured motorist protection coverage and collision protection. This is why insurance policies can be beneficial for you, no matter what the damage is. Those who have a mortgage on their properties must have house insurance. From theft and liability to fire, all types of losses are covered by this type of insurance.
Credit History: Get a good financial scorecard
Credit report and scores can influence everything from eligibility for loans to finding a job and getting insurance at low premiums. Credit score is the numeric summary of information within your credit report designed to measure the risk of non payment of loans.
Catch 22: To get a good credit report and score, you must have credit and approval for credit relies on having a good history.
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The Magic Bullet: Secured credit cards can be a way out for first time credit takers. These are easier to get than regular credit cards. On the downside, credit limit is low and fees can be high. Another option is to get a cosigner with a good credit history to vouch for you.
Kickstart your debt repayment
A good ingredient for the perfect recipe for financial planning success is never carry a balance on credit cards. Having debt can swallow up a large chunk of your income and cost you much more in terms of interest payments. Increase your payments to ensure freedom from debts. Lowering your interest rates is a good financial strategy too. You can ask creditors to lower interest rates. Transferring the balance to a card with lower interest rate is also an effective tactic. Another sound financial move is to pay off debt with home loan or encash on refinance. Remember that you can use multiple strategies to speed up the debt repayment process, which is a very important milestone in the roadmap to financial planning success.
Do your homework
Financial matters are easy to handle, if you do enough research. Money matters, whichever way you look at it. Apart from financial attitudes, tuning into a financial professional can also serve as a channel for financial planning success. This includes investment advisers, financial planners, credit counselors and insurance agents. Continue on the path towards learning all about financial planning to hit that jackpot. Successful financial planning is a continuous process. You have to monitor spendings, savings and investments and make modifications to your financial plan on the basis of this.
Be SMART about your financial goals
Financial goals should be the following:
S= Specific
M=Measurable
A=Achievable
R=Realistic
T-Timely
Listing your obligations and identifying your areas of strengths and limitations is also important to assess yourself accurately.
Conclusion
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Financial planning success is simply a matter of considering all the complexities and examining money matters from every angle. It can be attained through a system of steps that will bring you closer to your destination, only if you have the determination to execute the plan. Any plan is only as good as its successful execution. Investing in financial knowledge will pay good dividends too. Financial Planning for success involves bringing future challenges into the present so that you can take action in the here and now. How you will live tomorrow depends upon your present investment plan, so make it count.
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