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Keeping your budget balanced as a freelancer can be difficult. With a regular job, you have steady hours and a steady income that rarely fluctuates. There is a safety and a guarantee in your salary. Normal jobs provide consistent paychecks no matter what is happening in your industry. A freelancer faces a totally different world. You never know when your work will go through dry spells, and you must be prepared financially to handle these dry periods. Special budgeting tips may help a freelancer survive the hard times while they prosper in the good times. Consider these tips for a healthy freelancer budget.

Go All In

When the work is ripe for the picking, keep your nose to the grind stone. You should work extra if at all possible when there is plenty of work for your choice. As a freelancer you probably have a set amount of hours or projects you complete each week. When the work is steadily coming through, you should increase your schedule to match it. If you make extra money when it is there to be made, you can put some of it into your savings account and send money online to an emergency fund. You’ll inevitably find some times when the work isn’t so plentiful, and you should be ready.

Cut Down Costs

If you work from home, you already save money on gas. Did you know that you can also lower your insurance premiums on your vehicle if you drive less miles? If you report to your insurance company that you work from home, you could qualify for a discount due to driving fewer miles per year. You can also claim some of your needs as business expenses and get tax refunds for them. For example, you may claim your monthly internet bill in certain circumstances if you use it for your work. You may also be able to get a tax deduction for your cell phone bills if you use them for your job to communicate with other companies or workers.

With some smart planning, a freelancer can make the financial gains necessary to survive the harsh times. Make sure to check into tax deductions for business expenses. You may be surprised at what your tax representative can do for you. You will need to work hard when the work if plentiful so that you take advantage of the best opportunities. The freelancer life can work for you.

Once your income exceeds your outcome it is time to start thinking about clever financial management that will be efficient tool for wealth building. It is important not just save a certain sum of money and to preserve in a jar poste restante but to make each saved dollar work for you and to make more dollars. This is the point when you have to equip yourself with the knowledge of investment principles, strategies and tools, when you have to find a personal financial counselor, to take advantage of personal loan service, and to track situation on the market all the time.

Your daily activities may not leave you much time to pay it to managing your wealth especially if you have a business which demands 100% of your presence. But successful investment requires much technical knowledge, hours of meticulous analyzes and ability to predict the market. Catching this all is not an easy task that is why it is a great idea to find somebody who will professionally help you to manage your money. It is true that if you wisely choose a wealth management advisor today this will turn in high income tomorrow. It is much better to regularly pay some fee to highly skilled financial manager then to lose pile of cash while making mistakes due to lack of time or knowledge.

Picking up a good advisor is not as easy task as it may seem because except of knowledge this person should emotionally fit you. You may change several experts until you find one and the best. That is why it is important not to be afraid to refuse working with the person if you feel that your money is not in a safe place. Remember that this is you who should take charge of your capital and take all financial decisions. That is why you need to find a person who will provide you with trustworthy and relevant information on time. Here are some requirements that usually apply to any financial counselor:

• Personal wealth manager should be aware of all lucrative investment opportunities which are presented at the market. The world is changing all the time and that means that opportunities may appear at any second. This is the task of the manager not to blow up the chance to multiply your capital.

• Your advisor should always inform you about investment opportunities and market trends so that you could make the last decision. He should also suggest you the best strategies and to explain such choice so that you could understand what you are doing.

• Personal advisor should be a professional in financial area and to have solid knowledge concerning economic principles and vehicles, multiplier mechanisms; he should also have ability structural analyze financial disclosure and to make relevant predictions.

• Wealth manager should also have the ability to clearly express his thoughts, ability to understand and to consider your preferences to flexibly respond in challenging situations.

• Using customized approach to you as a customer makes financial expert the most valuable investment that you would decide to do.

And the last thing which you need to remember is that financial manager is interesting in your wealth increasing when it comes to his interests. Don’t forget to generously reward your personal advisor if he succeeds to hit the jackpot. This will stimulate him doing it again and again and this will stimulate your wealth growing and growing.

Anyone who is serious about their money needs a professional financial consultant to advise them on their personal finance. Many people simply need a little extra help, as not everyone is an expert on financial issues. Financial advisors give advice concerning investment strategies, mutual funds, bonds, and stocks. A good financial consultant is invested in your best interests, and wants to help you move on from your debt and budging issues. Meredon Consulting have created a list of five skills a good financial consultant must have, in order to look out for their clients best interests for the future and maximise their savings.

Education And Certification

A good financial consultant needs a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business. Knowledge of information such as estate planning, insurance investments, retirement planning, and risk management are extremely important. You don’t necessary need a certificate from the Financial Planner Board of Standards, as there is little government regulation of the industry, however certification can give your clients peace of mind and assure them you operate by a standard code of ethics. A master’s degree is useful of you want to work for a financial; firm rather than setting up your own personal business.

Extensive Knowledge

It is an extraordinary fact that many financial consultants don’t actually know a whole lot more than anyone else when it comes to the stock market. They might know why prices fluxuate, and have many theories, but they aren’t 100% sure. A good financial consultant will tell you of their uncertainties while giving you confidence and putting you in the best possible position to succeed.

Attentiveness

No matter what industry you’re in, and especially when money is involved, customer service is extremely important. Your clients will be expecting your complete attention, so you need to return their phone calls and remain attentive at all times. Meet with your clients as regularly as you can to establish rapport.

Relationship-Management Skills

It’s important to have successful people skills and be able to understand different personality types, how to resolve conflicts, how to educate people, and how to counsel clients. Clients need an unbiased financial consultant who understands their personal needs and knows how to help them make financial decisions.

Skills, Interests And Qualities

To become a financial adviser, you will need to have significant skills, interests, and qualities that relate to your clients. These include an interest in financial products and markets, the ability to explain complex information clearly and simply, excellent communication and listening skills, accuracy and attention to detail, the ability to analyse and research information, good sales negotiation and report writing skills, determination and motivation to meet targets, good mathematical and computer skills, and discretion and a trustworthy manner.

Financial planning is a challenging career that requires a wide range of knowledge, skills, and abilities. These five skills are important for a good financial consultant to know and understand in order to operate in a professional and successful manner.

There are few guarantees in marriage, but one of them is this: You’ll have to spend much time discussing your household’s finances with your spouse. It doesn’t matter the age you marry, your commitment means you’ll have to share in the good and the bad. You may have to share your spouse’s credit card debt, student loans, child support commitments and other messy financial troubles – or it could be the other way around where you subject your spouse to your financial woes.

You might be tempted to shelve the topic of your finances for as long as possible. A history of poor financial management may put a damper on romance, after all. But even if you’ve both managed to keep your financial profile intact, marriage links both your finances, so it’s a topic that deserves some thoughtful discussion.

As a start, you’ll have to address questions like: Who will pay the bills? How will you share the expenses? What are your plans for saving? Will you combine finances?

The tips below will help newly married couples to manage their joint financial status and avoid the pitfalls that affect so many couples. Discuss your financial matters today to ensure marital bliss later on.

Commit to Saving A Percentage Of Your Household Income

Don’t assume that you’ll always have the income you now enjoy. Sudden interruptions in your income – whether voluntary or involuntary- may be lurking around the corner. In this uncertain economic climate, there’s the possibility of losing your job. One of you might decide to go back to school or stay at home to care for the children. You’ll have more options if you have a substantial amount of money saved. Your savings will guarantee that you avoid a sharp drop in your lifestyle when one salary is no longer available.

Commit to saving a percentage of your income every month, and stick to your commitment.

Compare Spending Habits

Your spouse might not share your beliefs about money; his spending habits may come as a complete surprise. Spouses who have different financial values need to spend a lot of time discussing their finances. This includes talks about spending habits, debt, and how to manage it.

Plan A Budget

A budget will help to curb unnecessary spending and point out exactly where your money goes. Discuss your financial goals before you build your budget. This will help you to include a plan for meeting those goals.

Get Rid Of Debt

Have a plan to pay off credit cards and student loans. Clearing your debt is the first step towards achieving the goals you’ve set as a couple.

Purchase Life Insurance

You might be uncomfortable discussing the subject of death, but you need to be prepared if the unthinkable happens. Life insurance will protect your finances if your spouse should pass away.

Combine Your Policies

Combine all your insurance policies under one provider and save money. For instance, companies will give you a discount if you combine your car insurance, health insurance and life insurance.

Start a Retirement Fund

It is never too early to start planning for retirement. Make an appointment with a financial advisor to discuss your options.

Live within your means and you’ll enjoy years of marital bliss.

Barry Johnson is a personal finance consultant. His articles mainly appear on money blogs.

Purchasing your first home together can be almost as exciting as your wedding day. If you’ve made that first major purchase together before tying the knot, you may have already built up some equity in your home that can be used for repairs and renovations. Whether you plan on using a home equity loan to put an addition on your home or undertake maintenance on your existing home, here are a few things you should know before enquiring about a home equity loan.

Get Appraised (And Know How to Calculate Your Equity)

When determining your home equity, you will first need to have your home appraised to determine its current fair market value. Once appraised, take your home’s fair market value and subtract the amount of money you still owe on your mortgage. For example, let’s say you bought your house for $250,000. Having paid $50,000 as a down payment, your mortgage is now $200,000.

Fast forward to the future when you decide you want to apply for a home equity loan. At that time, you have paid off $125,000 of your mortgage. After an appraisal, you discover that the new market value of your home has risen in value to $300,000. Since you have paid off $125,000 of your mortgage, you still owe $75,000.

$200,000 – $125,000 = $75,000

Take your new fair market price of your home and subtract what you still owe on your mortgage, giving you the amount of money you qualify for your home equity loan, $175,000.

$300,000 – $75,000 = $225,000

This is the total equity available. A bank will typically lend 70-80% of the total equity available.Now that you understand home equity, you have two main options: You can either get a Home Equity Loan (HEL) or a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC).

Option 1: The Home Equity Loan

Also known as a “second mortgage,” a HEL gives you a lump sum of cash with a fixed rate of interest. You will have fixed monthly payments for a fixed amount of time, normally between 5 and 15 years. A huge benefit to this option is you won’t be surprised by fluctuating interest rates.Some people use their HEL to help pay off their student loans or credit card bills upon discovering that their HEL interest rate is lower than their student loan and credit card rates. This isn’t always the case. Your HEL rate might not be lower than your other rates, but it is worth your time to determine whether your HEL can assist you with your newly-combined household finances, as well as home improvement projects.

The Home Equity Line Of Credit

A HELOC is a credit line given to you by a lender. You have a maximum amount that you can borrow and are given blank checks or a debit or credit card that allows you to withdrawal from those funds. This allows you to borrow what you need when you need it, instead of taking out one lump sum. You don’t have to withdraw the maximum amount. This just means that the amount of money you are paying interest on has the potential of being significantly lower than your determined equity. Keep in mind that there may be transaction fees each time you withdrawal money. Help from Uncle Sam

The IRS Publication 936, “Home Mortgage Interest Deduction,” offers some helpful advice to newlyweds with home equity loans at tax time. It states that joint tax filers can deduct the interest paid on a maximum $100,000 in home equity loans. The maximum is cut in half if the married couple files separately. Keep in mind, this is a maximum and chances are you will not get to deduct near that amount. This deduction also only applies to home equity loans taken out for home improvement purposes.

Remember

Armed with some knowledge beforehand, you can decide which home equity loan option is best for you and your home – and the vision you have in mind for it.

This post was written by Holly Wolf of Conestoga Bank. Conestoga Bank has serviced Philadelphia and the surrounding regions for 120+ years.

This publication does not constitute legal, accounting or other professional advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material.