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The statisticians may tell us that the recession has been over for three or four years and that incomes have returned to pre-crisis levels. But for millions of people in the UK, the reality is that times are still hard and money short.

The good news, however, is that while you may have had a difficult year financially during 2015, there is no reason why you can’t make a New Year’s resolution to get your finances back on track in 2016. The situation is rarely hopeless, particularly if you are in work or have some other regular income. Even if you have large unsecured debts, there is usually a way for you to start reducing them and increase your disposable income at the same time.

If you want to tackle your financial issues in the year ahead, then you’re going to need some discipline and some determination to change the way that you may have behaved over the last few years. Getting your finances back on track may not be easy but it is probably simpler than you think:

1. Stop beating yourself up

 This is a prerequisite if you want to reduce your anxiety levels and make a start on tackling whatever financial problems you may currently be facing. It’s human nature to keep going over past mistakes and blaming oneself for silly decisions but what is done is done and now is the time to drop the blame and start concentrating on the future. Learn to accept what has happened and move on, concentrating instead on implementing positive steps to improve your financial outlook.

2. Make a financial inventory

Do you actually know how much you owe banks, mortgage companies and other financial organisations? It’s important to have a grasp of your total liabilities so that you can put in place long-term plans to repay this debt entirely. That means making an inventory of everything you owe – both secured and unsecured – as well as the remaining loan terms and the interest rates which you are being charged on each loan and credit card.

3. Prioritise credit with higher interest rates

If you’re going to make inroads into your debts in 2016 and relieve the pressure you’re under, then you should start increasing the amounts you repay on the mortgages, loans and credit cards that charge the higher amounts of interest. This is the only way that you’ll be able to increase the speed that you reduce your total amount of debts.

4. Make a list of everything you spend for a month

If you’ve got Excel or other spreadsheet software and know how to use it, then this is a brilliant tool for doing this important task. Make sure you list all of your income and all of your expenditures. Don’t be tempted to miss out things like coffees from the coffee shop or the odd treat – you need to be completely honest with yourself about where your money is going before you progress onto the next step.

5. Make a household budget

Once you’ve worked out everything you spend for a month, you’ll be in a good position to set a household budget. Using your spreadsheet program, list all outgoings (with the fixed ones at the top) and all of your income. Let the software work out totals (if you know how) and then calculate whether you should have money left over or if you are spending more than you earn. If it’s the latter, look at the non-essentials on your list and consider what to cut. Think about your food budget – could this be reduced either by using a cheaper supermarket or by cutting out some of the items which might be considered luxuries? The household budget will make it much easier to see where you can save money and divert that into reducing your household debt.

6. Consider consolidating debt

If the amount you’re paying in interest, fees and other charges is overwhelming you, you might want to make 2016 the year when you consolidate all those cards and other loans into a single, monthly repayments. Plenty of companies beyond the high street banks offer consolidation loans and the amount of interest you’ll pay may be surprisingly lower than you’re currently used to. The amounts on offer go all the way up to £25,000 for unsecured loans and even higher if you consider secured lending.

7. When you’ve paid off a card, close it

If you’ve got unused credit available, there is always going to be the temptation to start buying things that you probably can’t afford. The easiest way to stop yourself doing this is to close card accounts when you have paid off the outstanding balance. Always leave yourself one to cover financial emergencies but get rid of the rest and use the money you are saving to pay off further debt.

8. Debt repayment is a snowball – learn how to use it

When a snowball rolls downhill, it not only gathers speed but it grows larger and larger as it picks up more snow. Debt repayment is exactly the same if you are disciplined about it. When you start paying back debt, you reduce the amount of interest that you’re paying and so release money to pay off even more debt and so on. If you hit the loans and cards with the highest interest rates first, you’ll be tackling the biggest source of your financial worries and releasing more and more money to pay off other debts more quickly.

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer in the financial sector – working with a selection of companies including Solution Loans, a technology-led finance broker with many years experience – who were consulted over the information contained in this piece.

You’re not alone if you’re asking the million dollar question; “How am I going to make more money?”! In fact this question is on the minds of so many of us. Now some of us are thinking about it, because we are strapped for cash not able to make ends meet and get by every month without landing ourselves in the read. While others ask themselves this question as a way of improving their financial status and security.

Discovering new ways to make more money can be really exciting, especially if you’re thinking creatively and out of the box. But before you jump the gun, take a look at your money earning strategies that you currently have and see how those can be improved, before adding more to your repertoire!

Sometimes we get so comfortable in our jobs that we lose track at what our markets offer in terms of salary, and we forget about other opportunities that could improve our income. Perhaps it’s time to give some thought into changing your job. When you have a job and you’re looking for a new job, you have the luxury of being picky and asking for exactly what you need! When you’re hired for a new position, after demand an increase on your previous income, you have automatically changed your earning potential for future positions, as you continue to move up the ladder. If you’re too nervous to jump ship, then see if your boss is willing to bump up your salary. A raise in dollars can go a long way!

So often, we have a full time job which is our primary focus, that we lose track of other money making opportunities, because we aren’t really looking for them. If you’re looking to make more money, then you need to change your mindset and actively seek out opportunities that will help you to do this. With every job we have we own a set of skills, and things that we do well. So why not use that to your advantage and try to find so freelance work in your free time, to add to your already steady stream of income.

Adding onto that idea, is to really give some thought, if you haven’t already, to the things that you are good at doing. Offering services, either locally or online have shown to be the quickest way to increase your cash flow. People like to hire others for short term projects, to help them do things that they aren’t so good at themselves. When you find what you’re good at, offer that service to others, or offer an online course to help others gain the skills that for you are so simple. In our society today we are taught not to brag and it’s sometimes seen as egotistical to say that you’re good at something. But when it comes to making extra cash, it’s important to be clear on what you’re good at and to not be afraid to publicise it.

Making a commitment to improve your financial situation involves increasing financial awareness, proper planning and controlling debt. Credit card debt can be a stressful situation to deal with and paying down your debts as soon as you can is a critical financial goal.

Financial Planning

If you need to get back on track with your bills and reducing debt, you need to have a plan. Credit card bills need to be paid off every month, preferably in full. You have to establish how the balances will be paid down and fully paid off eventually.

Being strategic will help to preserve your credit and prevent the impact of high balances. Proper planning will enable you to deal with financial emergencies because you will be able to cover any unexpected costs that may arise.

Lifestyle Changes

Saving is another essential financial goal because it enables you to set aside funds and afford purchases without landing in debt. Debt is a habit that is relatively easy to form and there are various lifestyle adjustments that you can make to avoid it. Such changes will make it easier for you to stick to your budget and fulfill your financial responsibilities each month.

Income and Expenses

If your expenses exceed your income, you need to figure out how you can earn an extra income to accommodate your lifestyle. If increasing your income is a challenge, it is advisable to cut down on your spending until you do. The only viable ways to ensure that you do not spend more than your earnings is by getting a higher income or reducing your spending. For more about debt review, visit here.

Positive Attitude

In order for you to be able to handle your money more efficiently, you need to develop a positive attitude. With the right attitude, you will be able to make better financial decisions. Spare some time on a regular basis to evaluate your budget and find out which areas need improvement.

Regardless of how small a debt may be, paying it off is an accomplishment and takes you a step further towards financial relief. One of the best ways to celebrate such accomplishments is by setting up a savings account where you can direct any extra money that you have. As your personal finances improve, you can look forward to being debt free and having access to more money.

Financial Emergencies

An emergency fund will enable you to be self reliant as opposed to depending on credit cards whenever an unexpected financial situation arises. Save a percentage of your earnings and create your own emergency fund. Several households continue to deal with debt as they take on more loans and credit card debt to cover their costs.

Situations such as lack of income and medical bills can cause people to go into debt. If you are in debt, there are various options worth considering. You can find your way back to financial control when you plan, work hard and remain persistent. When your finances are back in order, make an effort to keep them stable and avoid debt.

Take a seat

The stock market can be a confusing place for a newbie. While it’s true that you learn as you go along, you need to come into trading having some basic knowledge of how the market runs and how to play it. At the very least, you should be able to define some common terms so that your investment portfolio manager doesn’t have to speak in a certain way to you…if you get what I mean.

So this is a simple guide into first time investing with all the fancy terminology and great tips. You certainly won’t become a billionaire by sticking to this simple guide but you certainly won’t lose your hard-earned money, and that’s a pretty good deal, right?

Basic terminology

Stocks and funds are not the same thing. A stock is a share in a company that you can buy, hold and sell in the market or privately. A mutual fund consist individual investors buying into different companies together. It is managed by a team of professionals.

If you don’t want to manage your investment, then a mutual fund may be the way to go but then you could also hire a certified financial planner to manage your individual stocks, at a cost of course.

Trading and investing are also slightly different terms. Trading refers to the actual and frequent buying and selling of stocks or funds. Investing, on the other hand, has to do with a long-term approach so the movement of stocks or funds is not as frequent.

Have a plan

No one has money to waste in stocks so you need to have a clear plan going in. You need a CEO and a CFO for the planning and budgeting respectively. This doesn’t mean you should hire people. The point here is to emphasize the need for a vision and a plan as well as a budget and more importantly a reserve fund, in cash, to take care of any emergencies. The reserve fund will help you not have to sell the investment before time, or worse, get into more debt.

Get the capital

Part of plan is to know what you are going to invest i.e. where the cash is coming from. Saving may take too long to make the kind of investment you are thinking about so consider using your 401(K). Most employers have it and it’s pretty easy to have it as your investment capital. Some companies even have ‘classes’ over lunch explaining how it works and would even match your investment dollar for dollar. If you start early, you could have the retirement of your dreams!

Set up a brokerage account

You will need to get a brokerage account with a credible, licensed firm that will conduct your trading and manage your account for you. This is not for free of course, so you will be funding this account. The money will be in the cash portion of the account and used to settle orders. Stocks bought and commissions are debited from this cash, while stocks sold, interest and dividends are credit here as well (which you can withdraw).

Now you’re ready to start the business of buying and selling; and that’s a whole other class. Good luck!

Home loan India is the perfect option for those who want to get a place of their own and do not have the necessary funds to pay the entire amount. For people who have a decent monthly income, this can be really easy however for those who have a fluctuating income it can be a real challenge at times.

The different factors for the housing loan evaluation

To evaluate the kind of housing loan a person is eligible for, there are a few factors that play a vital role. They are

The individual’s job and field- There are certain fields that are not permitted to get a loan due to the nature of the way the field operates. This is called Negative professions. This is one of the main reasons why financial institutions need to know the field that the person work’s in.

Property location – Knowing where the property is located is also another important factor. Just like how there are black listed professions; there are also blacklisted areas as well as limits that are set.

Personal history of the person – This helps the loan company to know how the house operates as well as the number of earning members that are there in the family. This also helps them to know if the person has any other loans taken out elsewhere and help them to determine the creditability of the person’s ability to pay back.

Required documentation to take out a home loan India

Income Proof – Be it a single borrower or a joint one, the income proof is used to make the necessary evaluation and decide how much loan can be given to a person as well as the monthly repayment.

Personal identification Proof – This includes the person’s driving licence / their voter ID/ Pan Card/ Aadhaar card/ passport etc

Resident Proof – If it is a second home, then the person can submit the present address proof which can be in the form of the electricity bill / passport/ receipts towards the property tax paid etc. In the case of the first ownership, then a letter can be taken directly from the builder if it is a new or ongoing project or after the registration is completed.

Business Proof- This is applicable for those who own a business and want to go ahead and apply for a loan.

Experience Proof – Some banks require a letter from the place of employment where they have the experience of a certain amount of time at the present company.

Age Proof – Different banks have different age criteria’s to give different kinds of loans as well as the tenure and amount of the loan.
Property documents – This would include all the various documents such as the sale deed, registration deed, NOC (society or builder), Occupation Certificate etc.

Buying a house requires a lot of finance which has to be paid either in full or in installments depending on the kind of property you choose, home loan India gives you a financial backup to live your dream.