The BBC recently commissioned a survey among 20,000 people asking ‘What would you like to do before you die?’ The answers were noted and a list of the most common answers was compiled and entitled ’50 things to do before you die.’

There were some very interesting answers. In at number 50 was ‘to go Polar Bear watching’, the animal theme continued to be popular with ‘to see tigers in the wild’ at number 45 and interestingly, ‘to drive a husky sledge’ reaching number 38. The travelling theme was also present within the list, ‘taking the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok’ featured at number 33 and ‘walking the Great Wall of China’ proved to be a popular choice charting at number 16. However, the silver medal position went to ‘scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef’ with the number 1 answer being ‘to swim with dolphins’.  Read more

Your pension is probably the most important asset you have, hopefully enabling you to enjoy your retirement in the comfort and security that you enjoyed during your working life. The way a pension works is simple, the contributions you make during your working lifetime along with any employer contributions are invested in one or more of a range of professionally managed funds. Any UK resident under the age of 75 is eligible to receive income tax relief at their highest marginal rate on annual contributions to private and occupational pension schemes, up to 100% of UK earning with an annual allowance limit of £255,000 for 2010/11. Because of the favourable tax advantages, pensions have traditionally been seen as an ideal means of providing income in retirement, however, for millions of savers, their retirement plans have been ruined by years of poorly performing pension funds. With the current single state pension in 2010/11 being a maximum of £97.65 and some people receiving less than this, it is important that you are aware of the kind of income you can expect in retirement. According to the annuity specialist Partnership, between 2004 and 2009, 9 out of 10 people who retired had amassed a pension pot of less than £50,000 while 77% of people had less than £30,000, the group saying that a £30,000 annuity in today’s rates would provide an income of just £2000 a year.  Read more

Everyone knows that investing in ventures that make one’s money grow is an excellent means of securing one’s future. What escapes many investors is the understanding that powerful opportunities exist online which have the ability to greatly increase returns. Many of which have the ability to greatly outperform investments touted by the big firms.
Knowing they exist but not knowing quite how to find them is the reason for much frustration for investors seeking such opportunities.
However today, it is easier than ever. When you know where to look.

In this Internet age, search engines have been tools utilized to locate all types of information. So I thought, why not use search engines to look for viable investment opportunities as well. I was really surprised at what I found in my exploration of this concept. Sure, I know readers of this article are thinking. The Internet has been used for investment information from the beginning. I know that.  Read more

10 Questions to ask before investing online or elsewhere

We are faced with so many investment choices today, it Is sometimes difficult to decide which investment will best serve our purpose; as well as which investments are the safest, while giving us the best bang for our buck. While not specifically indicating particular investments, I want to
give you the appropriate guidelines in determining which investment is best suited for you.

Are you happy with the current 1% – 2% a year that most financial institutions are offering? Or does a higher rate of return appeal to you? There are investment opportunities that do offer a higher rate of return with limited risk. However, there are certain guidelines you must follow to determine which of these investments are best suited for your pocketbook and your personality.

As technology has advanced today, so have new investment opportunities, with higher returns; some, obviously safer than others. While the Forex market is now available to the average investor, it is truly a high risk arena and not appropriate for most. Other avenues of investing, which have not previously been available to the average investor, offer a handsome return, with a low risk. How do you find these investments? By doing your due diligence and following these guidelines I’ve outlined below.  Read more

April 21, 2008

Talking with your aging parents about financial matters can be an easy task to put off. In fact, an AARP study shows that two-thirds of all families avoid discussing financial topics until a crisis occurs.

But it is far easier to talk about finances when there isn’t an emergency to manage. Just as difficult as starting the conversation is knowing what are the most important issues and what are the right questions to ask. This is especially true in situations where it may not be easy for your parents to ask you for your help or they may not be comfortable discussing their finances with you. Here are some tips to start the conversation.

Gather information. This kind of conversation can often be started when a friend or relative faces a similar situation. At first, start with general topics, such as who will handle their finances if they become ill? Do they talk about unpaid bills, bank overdrafts or worry about how to pay medical or other bills? If your parents share financial responsibilities, can each spouse pick up the others’ tasks if an emergency should arise?