3 Personal Investment Ideas to Fund a Comfortable Retirement

A secure retirement is never something that should be left to chance. Trying to get by with just a pension or a 401K could prove to be a far greater challenge than you might have expected. 

Finding the best personal investment ideas and devising a long-term investment strategy is of paramount importance when it comes to ensuring a more comfortable, emotionally fulfilling and financially secure retirement.

Bond Markets and Mutual Funds

Few individuals possess the time, resources and level of financial experience needed to navigate all the different financial markets. Fortunately, there are plenty of firms and services that can assist in the process. 

Bonds and mutual funds are among the most popular investment opportunities and for good reason. Bonds provide passive-income as well as the chance for a larger pay off once they have matured while mutual funds allow you to benefit from long-term economic growth. Speaking with a financial professional regarding these options can often be the best way to get started.

Gold and Precious Metals

Starting a precious metal IRA can provide your portfolio with some much-needed security. A downturn in the market can be devastating, especially for investors who fail to diversify their holdings. Gold, silver and other precious metals are renowned for their stability and may continue to hold their value or even increase in situations when your other assets may be struggling.

Real Estate

Investment properties can provide the opportunity to make huge gains very easily, given the right market conditions. Leasing properties in the meantime can also provide you with more passive income, income that can be used to increase your spending and buying power when pursuing other investments. 





Versatile and lucrative, real-estate holdings often prove to be the cornerstone of a successful investment strategy.

Saving for the Future

The earlier you begin your retirement savings the longer your assets will have to mature. While a late start may cap your efforts, the right savings and investment efforts can still provide you with the chance to enjoy a worry-free retirement. 

Relying too heavily on any one investment opportunity can be troublesome as a less diverse portfolio may not be able to perform as well in certain markets. Casting a wider net and building a strategy that will be based on finding a greater range of personal investment ideas may hold the key to generating superior returns and a greater degree of long-term success.

How to Make Money by Visiting Estate Sales

If you want to start making extra money, then you should visit the estate sales in your area. Estate sales offer higher quality merchandise than garage sales do, but you must spend some time learning about the process of shopping at these events. Here are some of the ways to make money with estate sales.

Update or Repair Furniture

Estate sales typically have furniture for sale, but the items may need repair or updating. If you know how to fix furniture, then you can offer a lower price for a distressed item before selling it to a new buyer at a higher price. 

When you are creative, you can see ways to update old-fashioned furniture to make it usable by someone who is willing to pay more than you paid for the item.

Finding Vintage Garments

If you love fashion, then learning more about vintage garments can help you to make money. There are online and local clothing stores that accept vintage clothing, so you can offer a low price for a designer dress before selling it to someone else at a website, such as Poshmark. Look for garments that are clean and in good condition so that you can sell the clothing faster.

Learn About the Toys that Have the Most Value

When you decide to specialize in buying toys, you should learn about the types that have the most value. Get into contact with Transformers collection appraisers or a beanie baby collector who understand the value of each type of toy. 


You can use a smartphone camera to send a photograph of a toy to the expert to learn if you can earn a profit by buying the item at an estate sale before selling it again to a collector. The tip is to know you have a treasure when someone sells it for a junk price. Do the research and start your own hunt.

Understanding the Collectible Market

The collectible market is changing daily, so you must learn what buyers are demanding today. If you can remain aware of the value of the collectible items along with learning how to check for damage, then you can find buyers who are willing to pay you more than you did for the thing that you bought at an estate sale.

Think About How You Will Transport Goods to Your Home

When you are visiting an estate sale, you are responsible for transporting the goods to your home. If you are buying a table or a bookcase, then you will need to have a truck, or you might need to hire furniture movers. To avoid the extra cost of hiring delivery drivers, you may want to concentrate on buying smaller things.

How to Avoid Low Credit Problems in Small Business

Having low credit scores is a problem for many small businesses when they’re getting started. This is because it takes time to establish your credit. Here are some of the solutions that you can use in order to avoid falling into these common pitfalls of low credit in small businesses.

Track Your Progress

Keeping track and creating a budget when it comes to your expenses is going to help you stay out of trouble. Falling behind on paying bills negatively impacts your credit score. It can be difficult to dig yourself out once you start to fall behind. 

Set reminders of when things are due and track your progress to stay on top of your expenses. There are all sorts of software packages available that are designed to help you navigate the financial aspects of your business.

Analyze Risks

The risk that you present to banks and other types of lenders could be holding you back. Make sure to analyze and research your credit risk. This can be difficult for small and large businesses to do accurately and effectively. 



Look into a highly accurate credit risk analysis provider to help you determine your credit risk and how to fix it. They’ll be able to tell you where you need to focus your efforts in order to overcome certain problems.

Prepay Bills

For some contracts, you may be able to prepay for a year. This can help you to have one less thing to handle on a month-to-month basis. It also looks good on your credit report because everything is being paid on time. 

This is important for the long-term health of your credit score. Not having more credit than you can handle, keeping up with your debt load, and having enough assets to keep your business operating are what combine to create your credit rating.

Incorporate Your Business

Many small business owners make the mistake of not going about creating a separate entity for their company. What this essentially does is remove your finances from the equation in terms of your business. 

It also makes you look better if you’re trying to apply for a small business loan. Using personal finances as a crux to help your business along is going to hurt you in the future, so try to incorporate as soon as possible.

Establishing credit and recovering from a low score can be hard to overcome. Use these tips to help you avoid the difficulty of a low credit score for your small business.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan

How to Organize Finances While Going through a Divorce

Navigating a divorce can be quite an emotional journey. It can lead to all sorts of financial ups and downs as well. If you want to get your finances on track in the midst of dealing with a divorce, then you don’t have to feel overwhelmed and confused. 

Getting your finances in tip-top condition is something that’s actually a possibility for you. It doesn’t have to be that hard, either.

Talk to a Divorce Attorney about Finances

A consultation with a capable lawyer may help you figure out how to deal with all facets of the divorce process and finances. Look for a divorce attorney with a superb track record with everything from splitting up assets to managing alimony matters. 

Click Here "Financial Planning Ultimate Guide: Helping Single Parents with Divorce"

A legal professional may be able to get you tips that can turn your monetary life around for good.

Ask Finance-Savvy People for Tips

Ask yourself if you know any people who have been through divorces relatively recently. Ask yourself if you know any finance-savvy ones who have specifically. If you do, then you should reach out to them for any suggestions. 

Find out what they did to get through a divorce without wreaking havoc on their bank accounts forever. If you get any good insight, try to emulate it. You may even find out what you shouldn’t do.

Recruit a Financial Advisor

Hiring a financial advisor can be beneficial for getting your finances on track. Try to recruit a professional who has a solid track record with people who are trying to navigate divorces.



A seasoned and talented financial advisor may help you figure out how to deal with your existing finances. He or she may help you figure out how to safeguard your finances for the future as well. Professional insight can often be priceless.

Write out Your Monthly Budget

Writing things out can often be terrific for people who want mental clarity. If you want to organize your money, it can help you considerably to write out your budget. Write out exactly how much money you have to work with every month. 

Write out all of your expenses in detail. These may include everything from grocery purchases to transportation costs. Be thorough.

Organizing your finances doesn’t sound fun. It’s something that you have to do after splitting up with a spouse, however. Disconnecting your lives can help pave the way for a brighter and more promising future.

The Top VA Disability Claims You Can File For

These are some of the top VA disability claims you can file for. With that said, it is important to remember that this list is by no means exhaustive and there are several other problems and types of injuries that can be claimed.

The Veteran Benefits Administration Fiscal Year 2018-2019 report shows that there are certain health issues and problems which occur commonly in veterans. If you are wondering whether your condition is eligible for a claim or not, take a look at the following top VA disability claims:

1. Tinnitus

While most people would combine tinnitus with hearing loss, this is not the case. Tinnitus is usually considered as a secondary disability. It also gets a rating of only 10%. That’s why it is usually classified as a low-value claim. If Tinnitus is an underlying condition of some other issue, testing will be required to determine the cause.

2. Hearing Loss

This ranks among the top VA disability claims because hearing loss can happen easily with service duty. In order to file for this claim, you might be required to take an audiogram and speech test. Treatment of hearing loss is necessary because it has been linked to lowering the quality of life of senior citizens and incurring higher medical expenses.

3. PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is among the top VA disability claims. Around 90.7% of all veterans were given a rating of 30% or more for their mental health whereas 41.1% of all veterans had a rating of 70% and more for mental health. 



High ratings are given for high-value claims and PTSD is included in this mix. Additionally, PTSD always has a strong correlation to service—especially field duty.

4. General Scars and Skin Conditions

General scars and skin conditions are low-value claims but they’re among the top VA disability claims as well. Establishing a claim for skin conditions can be difficult especially if someone has a pre-existing skin condition. Proper documentation via photographs is needed for this area. Even scars need proper visual documentation. Color photos work best to show the extent of skin condition or scarring.

5. Limitation of Movement – Knee Problems

Musculoskeletal injuries can drastically limit movement for people. Pain in the joints—especially knee joints—can occur because of arthritis, weakness, or due to a duty injury. Musculoskeletal injuries can also decrease the health and quality of life of a person. These can also be considered to be secondary conditions that are linked with other conditions such as PTSD, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD), neck and spinal injuries, and more.

6. Limitation of Movement – Ankle Problems

Ankle problems also qualify as musculoskeletal injuries but they are low-value claims. Much like with knee problems, ankle issues are secondary conditions that are often linked with more severe conditions. Establishing the link between the injuries with service duty is necessary for this claim.

7. Cervical or Lumbosacral Strain

This condition happens because of a torn tendon, cervical strain, or even because of trauma caused by an injury. While it is usually treated using only over-the-counter medication, cervical or lumbosacral strains can be painful and can limit one’s range of motion until it is treated.

4 Ways to Cut Costs on Common Car Repairs

Getting your car fixed doesn’t always have to be an expensive endeavor. There are many ways that you can get the repairs that your vehicle needs without having to pay an exorbitant price. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by keeping these four cost-saving tips in mind when your car needs certain common repairs.

Get Oil Changes for Free

The dealership where you bought your vehicle may offer free lifetime oil changes. This can save you a significant amount of money each year that you’d normally have to pay at auto mechanic shops or quick lube places every few months. 

Your dealer may even provide a high-quality oil that’s formulated to be better on vehicle engines without charging you extra. In addition to changing your oil, your dealership might offer free brake checks and minor maintenance services each time that you get your oil changed through them.

Wait for Specials on Windshield Replacement

The best auto glass shops are known to offer frequent deals on replacing windshields, and waiting to take advantage of one of these deals can give you a price break. Windshield replacement may not need to be done right away if yours is still in good condition or has only a few minor dings or scratches, and waiting for the right special could pay off handsomely.

Buy Your Own Brake Pads

Dealerships and auto shops will charge you for both parts and labor when making repairs, and you can save money by buying your own brake pads. It’s possible to find these parts online or in stores for significantly less than what you’d pay if you were to purchase them at the time of your repair. 

After buying your brake pads, you can take them to the place where your vehicle is going to be repaired to have a mechanic put them on for you without charging you for the parts.
Keep Jumper Cables in Your Trunk

Your car could lose power at a moment’s notice, and keeping jumper cables in your trunk will give you a way to restart your vehicle and keep driving it until you’re able to get it fixed. 

Whenever you have trouble starting your car, you can hook up the cables to another vehicle that will give your car the power that it needs to run again. This isn’t a great long-term solution, but having your car jumped will allow you to delay getting the repairs that it needs until you have more money or find the right special deals.

Saving money on car repairs can be done if you’re willing to think outside the box. By finding the best ways to save on repair work, you’ll be able to keep your vehicle running while also keeping some extra money in your pocket.