4 Ways Real Estate Investors Can Protect Their Assets

If you have recently decided to invest in real estate, then you need to start thinking about some ways that you can protect your personal assets. Even though this type of venture can be lucrative, there are potential pitfalls around every corner, and a minor mistake could wreak havoc on your finances if you aren’t diligent.

Find the Right Insurance

Your insurance is going to be incredibly important in the coming years, and you need to make sure that you invest in the right policies. Even if you don’t plan on having any tenants on your property, you must still have a solid insurance policy. 

Without the correct insurance policy, a natural disaster or personal injury case could end up costing you huge sums of money.

Work with an Investment Group

There are quite a few reasons why many real estate entrepreneurs join larger investment groups. In addition to giving you access to more resources, an investment group could also limit your risks. Most investment groups are LLCs, and that means the individual shareholders won’t be responsible for any major issues with the properties. 



You can also find a group that has an attorney on retainer, and that legal professional is going to be invaluable if a lawsuit takes place.

Create a Land Trust

Also known as a title holding trust, a land trust is a legal entity that could protect you and your assets from a wide variety of risks. When you use a land trust to purchase a piece of property, the title of that land won’t actually be in your name. 

While you can still manage that property, other parties won’t be able to go after your personal assets if any liability issues occur. As an added bonus, land trusts can also be paired with LLCs to further protect your assets.

Limit Your Spouse’s Liability

Even if your spouse is going to help you manage the property, you should still separate your family’s assets from your business enterprise as much as possible. In most states, lenders can’t go after a spouse’s assets unless they co-signed for the credit cards or loans. 

The homestead exemption should keep your primary residence safe as well, but you might want to speak with a tax adviser about that particular exemption.

In addition to these few tips, you should also make sure that you remain patient and never overextend yourself. It might be tempting to jump at the first piece of real estate that you find, but you need to consider all of the variables before you invest any money.

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

Want to Rent Your Home for Extra Cash? 4 Ways to Let Your Property Run Itself

Renting out your home can be an excellent way to make some extra money, but that type of project could become quite stressful if you aren’t careful. Luckily, with a few basic upgrades and some professional help, your property could practically run itself.

Hire a Property Manager

There are quite a few reasons why many landlords decide to hire property managers. In addition to limiting their risk of high tenant turnover, an experienced property manager can also minimize the amount of time that they need to spend on each piece of property. 

Those professionals can be hired to carry out a wide variety of important tasks, including finding and vetting tenants, collecting rent, and taking care of repairs.

Put Tenants in Charge of All Utilities

Covering a few expenses on your own could attract high-quality applicants, but all of the primary utilities should be signed over to your tenant. Once the utilities are in their name, you won’t have to worry about figuring out additional bills or collecting extra money each month. 

As an added bonus, switching the utilities over to a tenant will also limit your risk of a major blow to your credit if the bills aren’t paid on time.

Use Landlord Software

One of the best ways to simplify this process is to use high-quality landlord software. That type of software will allow you to save and track vital information, such as when rent is being paid and how much you are making on your property. 



Some landlord programs also make the process of finding a tenant much easier by allowing you to create eye-catching listings, organize incoming applications, and screen those who have applied.

Invest in Maintenance Contracts

It might be tempting to save some money by carrying out maintenance on your own, but that is only going to eat into your time. Even seemingly simple maintenance could take up hours every month, and that is why some landlords invest in maintenance contracts with local companies. 

Local contractors can help you take care of many different tasks that are going to keep your rental property running smoothly. That includes regular pest control, HVAC maintenance, electrical work, and minor plumbing repairs.

Before you rent out any type of property, you should always speak with some type of financial adviser or tax specialist. Becoming a landlord is going to have a huge impact on your finances, and you want to be absolutely sure that you don’t make any mistakes that could eat into your profits.

4 Ways to Save Money When Restoring a Classic Car

You may have been putting off restoring a classic car because of the expense. However, restoring a classic car doesn’t always have to be extremely expensive, and you can save money by following a few simple tips. Here are four clever ways to save money when restoring an old car.

Redo the Exterior First

One of the main reasons why you probably want to restore a classic car is so that you can drive something that will get heads turning. By working on the exterior first, you’ll have a vehicle that looks its best from the outside. 

If the interior still isn’t up to standard, you can rest assured that not very many people will notice it. You can then fix up the interior over a gradual period and invest the money that’s needed to complete the project at a more leisurely pace.

Get the Most Affordable Parts

Knowing where to look to find the cheapest parts will be key to saving money on your car restoration. There are several online retailers that offer high-quality parts for classic vehicles at great prices. 


Whether you’re looking for Toyota Land Cruiser parts for sale or components for another type of classic vehicle, you’ll be able to easily find what you need by specifying the year, make and model to be shown a list online of the most suitable parts.

Be Willing to Compromise

You’ll likely be able to save money if you’re willing to compromise on the specific parts that you add to your vehicle. This might mean having to forgo purchasing authentic parts for contemporary options that may still look classic in their design. 

By incorporating the newer parts into the vehicle’s layout in the least obvious way possible, no one will have to know that your vehicle doesn’t have all of its original parts.

Don’t Neglect Important Repairs

It might be tempting to abandon certain repairs that the car needs to save money and then address these areas of concern at a future date, but doing so can ultimately cost you more financially. 

Rust, cracks, and holes in the vehicle’s frame could grow into bigger problems and affect the way your vehicle looks and drives. You’ll also want to make sure that all wires in the car are up to standard and aren’t fraying or showing any other signs of damage.

Restoring a classic car on the cheap can be done with some careful planning. By getting the lowest prices on parts and doing all the work in a logical order, you’ll be able to update your vehicle while keeping some extra cash in your pocket.

How to Live Debt Free so You Can Retire with Peace of Mind

Escaping debt can feel like a breath of fresh air. When you are starting to plan for your retirement, one of the best ways for you to prepare is to start mitigating your debt. If you are not sure where to begin, however, following some of these guidelines can be crucial for your future.

Live According to Your Means

Perhaps one of the most obvious and immediate pieces of advice that all individuals should do their best to follow is to reduce their spending. One of the best ways to avoid further debt is to live according to your means. 

Make a list of all of your monthly payments and make sure that they are only things that you need. This means taking a look at your hobbies and seeing where you can afford to reduce your spending.

Look into Immediate Debt Settlement

Bringing experts in to discuss your debt can allow you to get all of your smaller accounts settled as quickly as possible. Basically, a good debt settlement program will allow you to work with expert negotiators to discuss terms with creditors on your behalf. 



They use various negotiation strategies to allow you to pay less on your unsecured debts. These can include credit cards, payday loans and other, smaller unsecured debts based on your situation.

Make Extra Mortgage Payments

Another excellent way to plan ahead for your debt-free future is to try to pay off your mortgage, or car or student loans, as early as possible. This means taking the time to plan out how much money you owe to your lender and pay a little bit extra every month. 

This will allow you to pay off your mortgage sooner and save money in the long-term on your interest payments. Set aside as much as you are comfortable paying on a regular basis.

Set a Goal

Setting goals can be one of the best ways to adjust to your needs. Think about some savings goals that you may have for your future. Do you want to have a certain amount of money saved up before you can retire? Is there a certain degree of debt you want to leave behind before you start planning? Work with financial planning tools to reach your goals faster and easier.

No financial situation is ever the same. Establish a reliable degree of flexibility in your goals in order to see the most efficient results. Always take things at an easy pace to ensure that you are stable during your debt mitigation journey.

How to Budget for Assisted Living Costs as You Age

Assisted living can come in handy for many individuals who are getting older and older. That's because it can stop elderly people from having to deal with the hassles of residential upkeep. It can even lead to invaluable safety advantages. If you want to save up for assisted living expenses in the future, then these realistic and practical budgeting suggestions can accomplish a lot for you.

Write Out All of Your Monthly Expenses

Budgeting finances can be a piece of cake for people who simply take the time to write things out. If you want to budget your existence to save for the future, then you should clearly write out all of your basic monthly expenses. 

Be sure to include costs that are associated with the home rental, mortgages, utilities, grocery store trips, transportation, entertainment, and more. Be as thorough as possible.

Recruit a Financial Advisor

Financial advisors can often be helpful to individuals who are retired. They can often be just as helpful to those who want to get ready for future retirements. If you want to be able to set aside substantial cash for covering assisted living expenses, then you should recruit an experienced, hard-working, and detail-oriented financial advisor. 

Financial advisors can offer you irreplaceable budgeting guidance that can streamline your existence permanently.

Depend on Technology for Assistance

Technological advancements make being alive a lot simpler. If you want to become a budgeting champion, then you should download relevant apps on your mobile device. 



There are all sorts of trusted budgeting apps out there for folks who want to cut costs and plan for hassle-free money circumstances in the future. Ask people if they have any suggestions regarding budgeting apps that are particularly effective.

Downsize Everything in Your World

If you want to pay for assisted living care at a later time, then you should think about perhaps downsizing everything. It isn't uncommon for people to downsize, streamline, and relocate to smaller places before going into retirement. 

You can get yourself a head start years and years in advance by downsizing while you still have your job. Doing so may help you set aside a lot of money and perhaps even save a pretty penny for any assisted living expenses that may be coming up for you.

Early budgeting can save you from scrambling. Assisted living can be helpful to all kinds of older individuals. That's why you should prepare for it without any hesitation.

How to Talk to Your Adult Children About Your Finances

As we get older, we start to think about managing our financial assets for the future. Adult children should have some basic information about our monetary resources so they can assist in the event of illness or death. 

Talking about money may seem difficult for some, but the following tips can help you to take a proactive approach to inform your kids about your long-range plans and preferences.

Prepare Financial Documents

Whatever your financial situation, you should have a Last Will and Testament that explains how you want your assets handled when you pass on. The Will explains who will receive what, and under which circumstances, after your bills and expenses are paid. 

Having a tangible document that lays out a clear-cut plan for your adult children to follow will make it easier for them to take care of things financially when the time comes.

Discuss Finances Directly

Instead of dropping hints or making your adult kids wait to open your Will and find out your wishes, it is a good idea to update them now when you can answer questions and explain where all your accounts and assets are located. 

You don’t have to give them all the details, but a general idea will provide some guidance and save time when they need to take care of things.

Consult a Financial Planner

It makes sense to optimize your monetary assets so you can earn income from investments over time as well as leave something for your children or heirs. You can ensure your finances will be well-cared for by meeting with financial planners for information and ideas about the best ways to save for the future. A planner may recommend starting a stock portfolio. 

Or you may be interested in buying a rental property. There are many ways to build financial security and even wealth, and a financial planner can offer suggestions or experienced guidance to help you make wise choices with your money. You may want to take one or more of your adult children to a meeting with your financial adviser to keep everyone in the loop.

Update your Estate Plan

Over time, changes may occur in your financial circumstances or among family members that lead to changing your financial goals. Inform your adult children of major changes that will impact them so they can avoid surprises later.

You may decide to discuss your finances with adult kids incrementally instead of all at once. That works, too, as long as they have an idea of what to expect and how to proceed in the future.