Improve Your Home Energy Efficiency with the Green Deal

 (Photo credit: janie.hernandez55)

Unless you are lucky enough to have purchased a relatively new build, eco-friendlier property, it is likely that your home isn’t as energy efficient as it could be. There are several reasons that this is important, the first of which is it increases your carbon footprint if your home isn’t energy efficient. The second is a by-product of using less energy - it costs much less to run an ‘A’ energy efficiency rating home than a ‘G’. In our economic climate, saving money has never been so important, which is why government-backed initiatives such as the British Gas green deal that aim to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the UK, are much needed.

Although the government has not yet committed to a target to decarbonise the UK’s power sector yet, this scheme is certainly a step in the right direction. Saving money on your household expenditure can only ever be a good thing, so here’s how it works.

To start with you will need to arrange an appointment with a Green Deal assessor, who will do a thorough inspection of the current energy efficiency of your home. They will also review how you use energy in your house. Once this assessment has been carried out you will get a Green Deal Advice Report which contains the results of the assessment including an Energy Performance Certificate, which gives you your energy efficiency rating between A to G and your environmental impact rating, also between A to G. The report will also explain how you use energy such as heating, hot water, appliances and lighting, and compare your usage to a typical similar household.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With the Green Deal assessor’s valuable experience in improving the energy efficiency of homes across the UK, an individual recommendation will be made as to what you could have done to your home to improve its energy efficiency, and how the occupants of your household could save money by being more efficient with energy. If you would then like to proceed, they can form a Green Deal plan and arrange the installation of the recommended improvements to your home.

5 Possible Investments for a Better Retirement

The best type of investment for your future will depend on your age, disposable income and the amount of money that you have managed to save so far. Generally speaking, the older you are the less risks you should take. For example, investing in equities may be a good idea for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s but if you are planning to retire in ten years or less, it is probably best to minimize the percentage of your portfolio that is invested in stocks and shares. This is because stock markets can be quite volatile and if you are likely to need your money sooner rather than later, you may be forced to liquidate your holdings when the market is at a low point, historically speaking. 

Below are five areas in which you might like to invest, with some comments on their suitability for people of different ages: 

1. The equity market – as mentioned above, investing in the stock market, whether via exchange traded funds or directly in individual shares, can provide healthy returns over a reasonable period of time but is not advisable for those that are hoping to retire in the near future. Free online advice such as that offered by moneyvista financial planning and other similar organisations can be very useful when trying to work out which equity funds are the most suitable for your needs. 

2. Government bonds – known in the UK as gilts and elsewhere as treasuries, they are considered to be very low risk investments and because they pay a fixed amount, known as the coupon, it is easy to work out exactly how much income you will receive over time from the government bonds in which you invest. The value at which they can be sold does change but if you are going to hold them until maturity this is not an issue that will concern you. 

3. High interest savings accounts – sadly, these are largely a thing of the past. The low rates set by central banks in developed countries across the globe mean that it is very hard to find a safe home for your cash where you will receive interest payments that exceed the level of inflation in your home country. However, if you are prepared to accept the higher exchange rate risk associated with holding deposits with banks in developing nations, it is still possible to get a good return on your savings in certain parts of the world. 

4. Property – if you had asked a hundred people for investment advice 5 years ago, the chances are that nearly every single one of them would have recommended investing in property for those that could afford it. Recent events may have changed some people’s opinions with regard to the safety of bricks and mortar as a home for retirement funds but residential properties still offer a high potential for capital growth when compared to other investment opportunities. As with stocks and shares, it is inadvisable to put your money into property unless you have plenty of time to ride out any possible downtrends and wait for a recovery. 

5. Antiques and art – although not many financial advisors are likely to suggest investing a sizeable proportion of your retirement funds in Queen Anne chairs or paintings by Old Masters, such objects not only offer the chance of making a big profit over time but they also come with the added advantage of providing their owners with many years of pleasure in the meantime. If you appreciate beautiful things and you don’t mind taking a risk, antiques and works of art could be worth further investigation. 

About the Author: 

The MoneyVista financial planning site is a service that aims to provide users with helpful information on personal finances, covering topics on borrowing, saving, and budgeting.

How to Select a Coin Dealer for Your Coin Collection

An American Gold Eagle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you want to build a collection of rare coins as a hobby or investment, it is always better to purchase your coins from a reputable coin dealer. If you are building a great coin collection as an investment you are probably looking to enjoy some capital appreciation somewhere down the line. The best way to build your collection is by using a coin dealer. 

A reputable coin dealer is in the business to make a profit but they also want to continue selling you more coins. Building a relationship is in the best interest of the coin dealer and the collector. The coin dealer doesn't make his income from appreciation of the coin asset, he makes his money by turning over inventory. Establishing a relationship with the customer establishes trust and leads to more sales for the coin dealer. 

A reputable coin dealer who has established a trust relationship is almost like your partner in build a collectible coin portfolio. Coin dealers can be found who specifically deal in the types of coins you may be interested, like 1 oz Gold American Eagles. If your on the coin dealers list of good customers you will not only get first access to the best possible stock but you will also enjoy the best prices. 

Without a good relationship with your coin dealer you are subject to a higher prices when you start to build your collection. If you build a long term relationship the margins the coin dealer charges won't be as high because they want you to return and buy more product.

Another benefit to a relationship with your coin dealer is that they become your expert on other points of interest in the collectible coin world. If you want to buy American gold eagle coins your dealer may not have that type of coin you are looking for but they often have connections in the collectible coin business. They can direct you to other dealers who will provide the coins or services you may need. 

If you are thinking about starting a collectible coin collection, don't go it alone. To often new collectors try to buy coins without the guidance and professional help. They end up being scammed or just paying to much.

Tips for New Investors on Saving Money Effectively

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

“A penny saved is a penny earned” ~ Ben Franklin 

Learning to save money is the best thing for you to get started as an investor. It is good to keep your investment strategy cinch as a beginner in this field. Here are some tips which would help you out in saving more money. 

Investment:

You can take advantage of the investment programs offered by your employer especially the ones which permit you to invest pre-tax money. Pre-tax money means that you are able to invest in 100 percent of the money you earned. Pre-tax dollars are a part of accounts like 401k plans, IRA’s, retirement plans etc. This investment plan will work out for you as a strong foundation for the other investment plans. If you trust the company you are working for then you can hold benefit from the stocks that your company owns and you can always look for opportunities to acquire stocks in your company.

Investing by yourself:

For instance, if you’re running a PPI Claims firm or an interior designing firm or any other financial services, you should know when to invest and where to invest. With the online brokerage investment firms like TDAmeritrade, E*Trade, Charles Schwab Scottrade, etc. help you in investing on your own. You can invest in mutual funds to gain a broader spectrum of investment base. Some of the mutual funds providers are Pimco, Vanguard, Franklin Templeton, etc. They invest in various stocks like Mid-Cap Growth or International Growth Stocks and then would offer fund shares to the investors.

10% rule:

You should aim to at least save 10 percent from your tax earnings before investing. Many millionaires adapt themselves to living with minimum means as they are focused on attaining their financial goals.

Budget:

Budget is the key to any saving strategy. It helps you to identify for what purpose you are spending money. It could help you minimise your spending on unnecessary things.

Investment Pyramid:

You could design your investment plan like a pyramid. You could start with low risk investments at the bottom. Low risk investments include money market account, personal savings account or Treasury bills, etc. Most people would include real estate in this category. Bonds, stocks, certificates of deposits (CD’s), mutual funds would constitute the middle part of the pyramid. The investments with high risk could be a part of the top of your pyramid. Riskier investments could be the ones which would offer high returns compared to the others. Stock options, high growth stocks, collectibles, and so on d fall in this category.

About the Author: This guest post is written by Amy Lawson who is a specialist in financial blogging from Manchester. Apart from blogging, she does research on tax credit phone number.