Four Life Events You Should Seek Financial Consultation For

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Financial consultation refers to seeking financial advice from a qualified financial planner. The work of a financial planner is to help you identify your financial position, your needs and goals, how close or far you are to your goals and how to attain your goals. These four aspects of financial planning are especially important to keep in mind when planning for the following life events:

Marriage

Tying the knot is a major, life-changing event in people’s lives. This is often largely due to the integration of the couples' bills, investments, expenditures and savings. Financial planning in marriage starts from before the wedding and should address every aspect of each partner's financial situation. These discussions can often lead to talk of prenuptial agreements. 

Prenuptials have become a necessity for some parties, owing to high divorce rates and an increase in attorneys specializing in alimony and divorce. A financial consultant can help determine if creating a prenuptial is the right move for a couple's financial future.

Buying a Home

Buying a home can be termed as a lifetime investment. Large investments like this can be either a really good thing or a really bad one, depending on both factors you can control and some you cannot. When looking to buy a home, one should seek advice about whether or not they are able to afford the purchase. 

The consultant will help you know whether you can buy the house at the current time, what type of house you can buy, or when the best time will be to buy a home. This planning applies to both daily live-in homes and vacation homes. Having a working knowledge of an area's home value trends and potential is necessary when making an investment of this magnitude. 

If you are unfamiliar with the area or housing market trends, seeking consultation from a financial expert with experience in real estate is one of the best ways to ensure the home you purchase will prove a solid investment.

Investment

People often wish to invest in certain projects in a bid to make more money and find financial comfort. This could be in form of buying property, investing in a business or buying shares. However, some investment options are definite time bombs that would land one in to big trouble. 

As such, it is best to consult a financial adviser when seeking to venture in to some sort of investment. This expert will advise you on whether to undertake the investment, how to proceed with it or whether to abandon it. They can also help you find the best investment avenue in the event that there are options.

Retirement

Retirement is a big deal, since it means that one will not be able to engage in normal employment opportunities. Anyone planning on retiring in the next decade or so should take action immediately to ensure there are sufficient funds put away for the event. Future retirees should seek a financial assistant who can consult with them and help them know how to still live comfortably after retirement. 

A financial adviser can help them make informed decisions about their expenditure and possible investment avenues. These advisers are able to calculate your saving potential within the context of possible inflation and price shifts, to plan for uncertain living costs with their clients' current earnings, investments, and assets.

Financial consultants help people avoid economic trouble by finding the best solution for them. When you find yourself facing a major life event or financial hurdle, it is often best to seek financial advice and assistance.

Informational Credit to WBLI

5 Tips to Creating a Will that Will Benefit the Whole Family

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No matter how much your assets are worth, writing a will is an important part of ensuring your family’s future. Here are five tips to make your will benefit your family as much as possible.

1. Take Inventory

Because your will “is the document which will record who is awarded your belongings and how to allocate your finances after death,” it is essential that you take an accurate inventory of your belongings (Donnell Law Group). Whether you have several cars and a summer house to take into account, or only a few family heirlooms to consider, it is important that you take an inventory of your assets.

This step can be done under the guidance of an estate planning lawyer or before you meet with one. Make a written list of all your assets. These can include physical things like a house or vehicle, and intangible things like investments. Make sure you do your research, though, as some things, such as retirement accounts, may not pass via your will. A licensed estate planning attorney will be able to answer any questions you may have.

2. Consider a Trust

Think trusts are only for the wealthy? Think again. According to Suze Orman, “A revocable living trust allows your heirs to avoid probate entirely and keeps you in complete control of your finances while you're alive.”

One of the best things about a revocable living trust is you will be able to make changes regarding the management of your assets as needed. After your death, your elected trustee will follow your directions for care and distribution of the trust.

3. Be Specific

As with your inventory, the best way to make your will effective is to avoid generalizations. Don’t hesitate to give brief descriptions of items or add stipulations to the distribution of your assets.

Being specific is most important when you are establishing the care of your children in the event of your death. This is where you outline exactly who should have custody and care of your children.

4. Look into Life Insurance

If you do not already have a life insurance policy, there is no time like the present to investigate your options. Life insurance is one of the easiest ways to provide for your dependents. Life insurance also can be used for settlement of your “debts, funeral expenses, and income or estate taxes” (Nolo).

5. Take this Chance to Discuss Life Planning with Your Children

Whether you have small children or your kids are all grown, the best time to talk to them about the contents of your will is when you’re writing it.

For young children, this can be a chance to introduce and explain concepts like death and funerals. This may seem intimidating, but it is better that your children have a construct of death before they are asked to deal with a death in their family.

For teenaged and adult children, this is a great time to feel out how you would like to divide your estate. Have personal, one-on-one conversations with your children about what property they would like to have pass to them. Having a specific, written will can prevent disputes later on.

Don’t wait to handle your estate planning. Writing a will is fairly simple, but it offers invaluable protection. Having a written will and other legal measures, like a revocable living trust, will provide financial and legal security for your family.

How to Save Money on Your Parent's Senior Living

Nursing Home (Photo credit: LOLren)

When you are thinking of moving your parent into a senior living home or you are considering assisted living, knowing how to go about saving money on costs altogether can help to alleviate stress on you and your family throughout the actual transition of moving itself. Saving money on your parent's senior living can be done with a bit of research and an understanding of your parent's needs and wants in a senior living care facility or home.

Amenities and Features

Consider the types of amenities and features your parent is looking for with a senior living care facility or program. The types of amenities and features that are often available within senior living homes and facilities range from medical doctors and nurses to professionals to assist with bathing, cooking, cleaning and other daily activities. With a diverse array of amenities and personalized services, residents can select the lifestyle that best aligns with their needs and desires. The vibrant community environment encourages social interaction, allowing individuals to connect with others while enjoying their independence. Typically, somewhere like one of these Choice Connections independent living options can offer seniors the perfect balance of autonomy and community support.  Consider the type of activities your parent enjoys as well as outdoor options that may be available before selecting senior living care for your loved one.

 Determine Needs

Before selecting a senior living solution for your parent, it is important to consider their needs as well as the space they require before comparing your options. If your parent requires daily care and medical aid, keep this in mind before shopping around for the right senior living facility or home care solution.

Consider Your Budget

Consider the budget you have available to pay for the costs of a senior living facility monthly, annually or even if you choose to opt for home care. It is also important to consider whether your parent is eligible for medical aid from the state or government based on their age and current state of health.

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I remember looking for a place for my dad to stay and budget was huge for my family. Sunshine Retirement Communities was a place we found that happened to have a cost of living calculator on their site. This was very helpful in projecting the costs our family would need to take into consideration when planning to finance his retirement. More info about that calculator here.

Sharing Space

According to Paying for Senior Care, sharing an apartment space or senior assisted living home is also another way to reduce costs, which is ideal if you are on a budget but still seeking additional amenities for your parent.

Compare Out-Of-State Assisted Living Homes

It is also highly advisable to review and compare out-of-state assisted living homes and senior care options. Some states throughout the US have a drastically lower cost altogether for healthcare, including healthcare for seniors.

The more time you take to research various senior living homes and services, the easier it is to find a suitable location for your own parent. Taking the time to research occupancy, available space, and amenities featured at various senior living homes can also give you and your parents more insight into determining the right placement for any age.

Finance 101: How To Stay Debt Free In Today's Economy

Having some level of debt is common in today's society. However, you don't have to let debt consume you. What are some things that you can do to stay out of debt and put your money to good use? Let's take a look at how you can live without a large credit card balance or expensive monthly payments:

Rent Instead of Buy

When you acquire something, you need to consider the total cost of ownership. While renting a house may appear to be more expensive than buying a house, you have to consider the additional utility costs as well as taxes and mortgage interest. Whether you are looking at homes, cars, home tools or more, renting could save a lot more money than buying.

Buy Used Instead of New

Buying items that are used can allow you to buy something nice without paying full retail for it. For example, buying a 2012 car in 2014 may be the better deal because it won't depreciate as much. When you buy clothes or shoes at a thrift shop, you can pay pennies on the dollar for the latest fashions. Most items won't give you any problems if they are gently used, but it will save your wallet a lot of extra money. 

Save Money Ahead of Time

Instead of financing 100 percent of the purchase price, try to save up as much as possible. Having equity in your asset makes it easier to sell it if you can no longer afford to make payments on it. 

Keep Your Credit In Good Standing

Those who have good credit will pay less in interest charges than those who have bad credit. Borrowing $100 at 10 percent interest means that you pay $110, while you would pay $130 at 30 percent interest. Over a larger scale, that savings adds up. 

Create a Budget That You Can Stick With

Make sure that you create a budget for your monthly and yearly spending. It will keep you within your means and ensure that you don't deplete your savings and rely on credit cards to pay bills. While you may want to be strict with your budget, it's important to still be realistic so you can meet your financial goals.

Resist the Urge to Upgrade

Driving your car for as long as possible after it is paid off enables you to avoid a car payment. Keeping your current TV allows you to save $500 or more that you can put in the bank or use for an emergency situation. If your items are still working, wait until you save more money to upgrade.

If you want to stay debt-free, you have to be willing to make some sacrifices to stay within your budget. If you feel overwhelmed with debt, it's important to talk to professionals who can help. Staying debt free is very possible, and following these tips will help get you started on having better control of your finances.

Informational credit to A C Waring & Associates Inc.