Five Sure Fire Way to Secure Your Financial Future

"You can be poor when you're young, but you can't be poor when you're old." That was the tag line used some years ago in a financial services television commercial.

Truer words were never spoken.

I was relatively poor when I was young. Just about everybody I knew was and it was kind of fun. We lived an almost communal lifestyle, sharing money, accommodation, food, beer, cigarettes and other essentials of post-pubescent life. Would it be as much fun if I had to do it again today? Could I do it again? Not on your life!

Now I'm anything but a financial genius but there are five basic principles that I've learned and used to secure our financial future. And while far from wealthy, I have every confidence that I will not have to live in a refrigerator box whenever I quit working and that my wife will be able to comfortably carry on in the event of my premature demise. (You should know I'm at an age where I think eighty-five is a premature death!)

Is building a secure financial future akin to rocket surgery? Absolutely not- you need to do five key things to get started:

1. Determine your short and long-term financial goals. Start by taking a comprehensive snapshot of your current situation-your assets, net income, debts and living expenses. Once you've done this you can start setting long and short-term financial goals. Decide what lifestyle you want to enjoy between now and when you retire; what retirement lifestyle do you expect to have and what sort of education do you expect to provide for your children.

2. After you've assessed where you are now and where you want to be in the future take steps to protect your ability to get there--and stay there once you've arrived. A major part of your family's financial program is to insure against major financial loss. There are simply no guarantees against serious illness, accidents or untimely death. So take the steps necessary to insure against loss of life, loss of income and loss of physical assets.

3. Pay yourself first. Save at least 10% of pre-tax income ? more if possible. Pay down your mortgage as quickly as possible, especially in times of low interest. In the short term, you'll be better off reducing a mortgage that costs you 6% than earning around a taxable 1.5% (or less) in a savings account.

Maximize your RSP/401K contribution every year and make the contribution at the beginning rather than at the end of the year. Simply doing that will substantially increase the size of your retirement nest egg when you're ready to cash out.

4. Avoid credit traps. If you use credit cards, always pay any money owing before interest is due. Consider paying off your credit card immediately if you have money in a savings account-as with the mortgage, the interest earned on the savings is certain to be lower than what's charged by the credit card company. Avoid using credit cards for cash advances. Usually the interest charges are higher for these and the charges begin immediately. If you do carry a balance on your cards try to negotiate a lower rate with the credit card company. If you need money urgently, it's usually cheaper to negotiate a personal loan with your bank or credit union.

5. Finally, protect your family in the event of your death. Make a Will. If you die without leaving a Will in all likelihood the only thing you'll really leave your loved ones is a bloody mess-one that could take many years and a whole bunch of money to sort out.

Without a Will, the court/government will decide how your property and possessions will be divided. I would expect there are two chances of them acting in a way consistent with what your wishes might have been-slim and none!

Making a Will doesn't mean the Grim Reaper is about to pay you a visit. It simply means that your affairs will be sorted out in the ways you want and, as a result, you can go about your life with a peaceful mind because your loved ones are protected.

These five principles are only a starting point-a few suggestions that any financial management professional can improve and expand on. If I have one regret about how I've handled my financial affairs over time it is not enlisting enough professional help. When we were starting, the financial management business was neither as big nor as sophisticated as it is today. Who knows, with better help, I might be writing this from some warm Caribbean tax haven rather a cold Calgary office!

"Don't try this alone-use a trained professional," is absolutely the best advice I'm really qualified to give.

About The Author

© Dr. Tom Olson 2004, All Rights Reserved.

Permission to reprint article granted as long as this signature remains intact.

Dr. Tom Olson is the author of Don't Die With Your helmet On. Visit www.Dontdiewithyourhelmeton.com for more information about Dr. Tom, the book and his work. info@dontdiewithyourhelmeton.com

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Google News Updated : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:51:33 GMT UK government takes stake in three banks - CNN International Canada.com UK government takes stake in three banks CNN International - 32 minutes ago LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government on Monday said it would make a multi-billion investment in three of the country's major banks to help them through the "first financial crisis of the global age. In quotes: Bank bail-out reaction BBC News TEXT-Lloyds TSB terms for acquisition of HBOS Reuters guardian.co.uk - Wall Street Journal - Bloomberg - AFP all 1,923 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:18:47 GMT European, Asian markets bounce back - The Associated Press Vancouver Sun European, Asian markets bounce back The Associated Press - 1 hour ago LONDON (AP) - European markets opened strongly Monday following Asia's lead in response to the widespread government efforts over the weekend to shore up the world's troubled financial system. The financial crisis A light at the end of the tunnel? Economist World stock markets welcome European bank rescue AFP MSN Money - New York Times - New Straits Times - Voice of America all 769 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:23:04 GMT Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win - FOXSports.com Washington Post Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win FOXSports.com - 4 hours ago by Ken Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. LA revitalized at Moyer's expense MLB.com Kuroda's pitch serves its purpose for Dodgers USA Today New York Times - Los Angeles Times - Boston Globe - Philadelphia Daily News all 2,467 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:36 GMT Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around - Washington Post Chicagoist Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around Washington Post - 2 hours ago Columbus Day will feel a lot more like Labor Day as temperatures climb to around 80 degrees. This unseasonably warm weather will continue for the next several days. Enjoy a warm, sunny Columbus Day Times Herald-Record Beautiful start to the work week The Star-Ledger - NJ.com The Capital Times - Journal and Courier - Richmond Times Dispatch - The Virginian-Pilot all 241 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:03:26 GMT Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire - Washington Post Washington Post Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire Washington Post - 3 hours ago Dallas Cowboys' Mat McBriar (1) has his punt blocked by Arizona Cardinals' Sean Morey as Monty Beisel (52) looks on during overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. Blocked punt downs Dallas San Francisco Chronicle Backups Burst Through Line and Lift Cardinals in Overtime New York Times Sports Network - FOXSports.com - Houston Chronicle - Philadelphia Inquirer all 749 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:15:50 GMT Manatee dies before reaching rehab site - Boston Globe WHDH-TV Manatee dies before reaching rehab site Boston Globe - 4 hours ago By Emily Canal After a 27-hour trip to Florida, Dennis the manatee, rescued from the frigid waters of Cape Cod, died in Orlando yesterday as SeaWorld employees carted the mammal to a rehabilitation center. Video: Rescued Manatee Dies After Mass. Rescue AssociatedPress Manatee rescued off Cape Cod dies en route to Florida Sea World New York Daily News WFLA - eFluxMedia - Cape Cod Times - South Coast Today all 565 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:21:21 GMT 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered - TG Daily Product Reviews 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered TG Daily - 6 hours ago By Wolfgang Gruener Chicago (IL) - T-Mobile’s upcoming G1 may not be the best-looking iPhone rival, it may not have the most complete feature set and T-Mobile may have undersold the device at the recent launch event. Get ready for next-gen mobile InfoWorld HTC G1 Android Phone Racks up 1.5 Million Pre-orders eFluxMedia Brighthand - InformationWeek - ReadWriteWeb - ZDNet all 153 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:21:21 GMT RSS Software Increased Web Site Traffic

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