4 Ways to Jump Start Your Investing for Retirement

Planning for your retirement is a fundamental part of life. This type of financial planning ensures that you have enough money to live off of in your golden years. 

Retirement planning is a key part of wealth management in London, as well as nearly everywhere around the world. There are a few money managements principles that can help you get and keep the money you need for you retirement.

Start As Soon As Possible

Starting early is a necessary evil. Nearly every financial institution recommends it. No one wants to spend their life thinking about their finances, so getting them taken care of soon takes a huge load off of your shoulders. 

You should consider how much it will take for you to live comfortably during retirement. When you start early, it gives you a chance to build your savings without taking too much away from your day-to-day expenses. Even if you start saving in your 50’s, you will still be able to pad your investments and savings with a little dedication.

IRAs and 401(k)s

IRAs and 401(k)s are a great way to build up your savings for retirement if you live in the United States. A 401(k) allows you to save your own money, with additional contributions from your employer. These contributions can be in small increments or large, one-time payments, depending on how you best like to save. 

Funding an IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, allows you to set your own money aside for later use. Someone who is 50 or older can contribute up to $6,500 annually, which can come in the form of stocks, bonds, investments or cash. 

Reduce Spending

Reducing your spending little by little frees up more money to be saved for later. If you eliminate small, unnecessary things, like coffee or name brand goods, you can save money very quickly. 

This is money that can be filtered into investment programs or your savings account. Where you put the money isn’t the most important thing, just knowing that it is there is helpful. By eliminating or reducing these small indulgences, you are allowing yourself the possibility to enjoy your life more fully in the future.

Hire a Wealth Management Firm

If investment and saving isn’t your strong suite, it is always good to hire a wealth manager. These firms can show you exactly how and when to save for retirement. 

They know the ins and outs of investment strategies so that you don’t have to worry about them. Having a great money manager on your side can save you time and headaches in a way that nothing else can. 

Financial planning is a crucial part of life, especially in your later years. These few, simple to follow tips can lead you where you need to be where retirement is concerned. 

The understanding that you have what you need to thrive in your retirement years can be a huge relief. Knowing that you will be taken care of and that your loved ones won’t have to worry about you makes the decision to retire easier in so many ways.

What are Non-Bank Consumer Financial Services?

Not all consumers use banks for their financial transactions. Non-bank consumer financial services are available for people to cash checks, pay bills, get free money orders and more. 

Entrepreneurs such as ian mackechnie saw the need for services that help people handle their money without using a bank, so they set up companies to offer these services.

An Alternative to Banks

"Almost 25 percent of the U.S. population does its financial transactions outside the financial mainstream of banks."

Some of the services available are:

Check cashing – consumers can get personal checks, payroll checks, insurance, cashier and governments checks cashed as well as international checks, out-of-state checks and money orders. The consumer needs to produce a valid, government photo ID such as driver’s license or passport. In some cases, there is a fee for cashing these checks because the financial company needs to cover its risk. The state government regulates the amount the company can charge as a fee, and many services have lower fees than are allowed.

Money orders – consumers can purchase a money order for free, and pay only the face value of the money order at some financial service companies.

Cash advance – with proof of income, a bank account or a valid government photo ID, consumers can get a cash advance on their salary. The amount given is usually determined on the amount of the consumer’s income and the frequency they are paid. There is no credit check performed for this cash advance.

Prepaid Money card – consumers get an FDIC insured debit card for making purchases anywhere in the world that the card is accepted. They just make deposits into the card account and have the safety and freedom of a debit card. The card can be used for shopping online, paying bills and everyday purchases.

Western Union Money Transfer – consumers can send money to pay bills or to send money to a family member. The consumer will need to give his or her name, address, date of birth and telephone number as well as show a valid, government photo ID. The fees are determined by Western Union.

Other services – many consumers need to have documents notarized, and the best financial non-bank financial services offer Notary services. There is a small fee, and the consumer needs to show a valid, government photo ID. 

There also have a photocopier and sell stamps and envelopes. Customers can write a letter, put it in an envelope, buy a stamp and mail it right at the service center.

Consumers can also pay their utility bills. If their utility company is not listed by the financial service company, they will usually be happy to add a new utility to the list in order to make life more convenient for their customers. 

The same can be said for cell phone bills, if the cell phone provider is on their list.

A high-quality financial service company is like a personal office for people who are looking for non-bank financial services. They can cash checks, send money, pay bills and have postal services all in the same place. 

Many of these companies participate in local, community organizations and develop a working relationship with the people in their neighborhood. It is not necessary for consumers to deal with the high costs and inconvenience of using banks.

5 Small Tips for Living a More Meaningful Life in Retirement

The search for meaning is a quest that, as human beings, we all seem to be pursuing. While we know what will not lead to a more meaningful life — more money, bigger “toys”, popularity or fame, for example — we often struggle to find the path that will lead us to a deeper satisfaction with the life we do have.

Here are five small tips you can try to add more meaning to yours.

1. Choose gratitude. If you put your focus on what you feel you’re lacking, you’ll continue to feel unhappy with what you do have. Instead, consciously choose to look at what you’re grateful for. 

 "Do you have at least one friend you can count on? A roof over your head? Good health? "

There are millions of people in the world who would answer “no” to those questions. Many people are struggling against debt from personal loans or mortgage payments. Others face hunger or poverty. You can be thankful just for the fact that you are not in one of those situations.



If you want to take it to an even deeper level, seek out ways to be thankful in difficult moments. You may be battling a serious illness; is it helping you to learn patience, or has it brought out the best in your loved ones as they show you more affection? 

 Our hard times have an immense potential to create growth in our lives — if we allow it to happen.

2. Serve others. It’s hard to feel bad about our own situation when we’re working to help someone less fortunate. What community organizations in your area could use an extra hand? 

 Who lives near you that might be touched by a gift of a plate of cookies or by finding that someone brought their trash bins in from the curb? We’re all given the same number of hours in a day; what you do with yours can make a difference for you and for someone else.

3. Keep learning. When we’re stuck in a rut, our brains get to feeling stagnant and unsatisfied. If you feel that way, take the opportunity to learn something new. No, you don’t have to go (back) to college: there are hundreds of ways you can add a skill or discover new facts for free.

Interested in learning a new language? Try Duolingo! Always wanted to be an astronomer? Check out the free classes on Coursera or one of the other Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) providers. And, it may be old-school, but your local public library has thousands of books in print and eBook format to lead you on a new intellectual adventure.

4. Practice mindfulness. Too often, we get caught up in worrying about the future and agonizing over the past. It may sound clichéd, but today truly is the only day we have. When we can pause, breathe, and focus on the here and now — even if only for a minute or two — it allows us to appreciate each day that we have and takes the power out of our worrying.

5. Decide to be happy. Despite what is commonly held to be true, happiness is a choice and not something that just “happens to us”. For a genuinely meaningful life, take out the “I’ll be happy when…” from your thoughts and replace it with “I’m happy now because…” 

Quite often, we reach those “when” moments and aren’t any happier than when we started; instead, we then set new targets for our life without taking the opportunity to rejoice in what we did accomplish. 

Don’t defer your happiness: it goes hand-in-hand with choosing gratitude to say “Today, I am happy because it’s a beautiful day outside” or “Even though I’m not rich, I’m happy because I was able to pay the bills this month.”

Any new habit can take some practice, so don’t get discouraged if these five tips don’t come naturally to you at first. Over time, however, you’ll begin to see that with such small and simple changes, your life will feel much more meaningful and satisfying.

How to Work More Productively at Home

Whether you telecommute for work, or you have a part-time job that operates from your home, you could probably stand to boost your at-home productivity some. Increased productivity means less time working, and more time bonding with your family, pursuing hobbies, developing new skills, and more. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Here are some tips on working more productively, even while you’re in the comfort of your own home.

Separate your work life and home life.

As tempting as it is to multi-task by completing work assignments and home-related tasks simultaneously, maintaining a strict separation between the two will allow you to give your full, undivided attention to whatever it is that you are working on. 

Separate your work life from your home life by designating a particular space for work (and only work), defining precise work hours, or even using a different cell phone for your work purposes.

Set up an at-home office.

The ultimate way to separate work life from home life is to set up an at-home office. As this article about highly practical furniture details, investing in the right furniture can make all the difference in your everyday life. 

Creating an at-home office grants you the luxury of having a space that you love working in, that is tailored to the particular work you do, and that eliminates as much distraction as possible. You can set up a home office in a spare room in your home, in the space underneath your stairs, or in just about any nook you can find in your home. 

Just be sure that the space you choose primarily remains a work-space and doesn’t evolve into a personal space.

Schedule out what you plan to accomplish.

Don’t simply write down what you plan to accomplish at the beginning of each day; schedule it out. Writing out the tasks you hope to accomplish each day, and assigning an allotted time to each of these tasks, will motivate you more deeply to actually complete the tasks you’ve set for yourself—on time. 

You’ll become better and better at this with practice. Remember when scheduling out your tasks that you should base allotted time on the time you actually spend working, therefore eliminating time for breakfast and lunch, relaxation, etc.

Plan out your breaks.

It’s important to plan out some down time throughout your day as well, as your mind will need time to rejuvenate after extensive periods of heavy thinking. Plan on setting aside a small pocket of time every hour or so, when you can take a quick walk away from your work area, have a snack, check your email, check social media, etc.

Monitor ambient noise levels.

Sure, you probably already knew that excessive noise coming from other areas of the home is sure to be a major hindrance in your workday. But did you know that an adequate level of ambient noise can actually help you to be more productive? 

This is the premise that sites like Coffitivity work on, providing site visitors with an endless stream of ambient, coffee shop style noise to work to. Hey, you might even find that it’s useful to visit your local coffee shop once or week or so to draw from the natural ambient noise there.

Remove your distractions.

Of course, there are some distractions that you can and should eliminate as you work from home. If you have a home office, keep your door shut as you work, which will alert others in the home to how you are working and cannot afford distraction (not to mention keep pets out). 

If you’re often guilty of spending extended periods of time looking out the window, make sure your desk isn’t oriented in such a way that the window is in your immediate view. If hunger is a major distraction, keep a small arsenal of wholesome snacks on hand that will keep you satiated until lunchtime or quitting time. 

Learn to recognize what distracts you from work, and develop your workday routine around eliminating those distractions.

Act like you are going to work.

As the tips you have read thus far suggest, one major key to working productively while at home is this: act as though you are going to work when you work from home. If you need to dress up for at-home work to get yourself in the right mindset, do it. 

If you need to maintain a separate laptop and phone for work-related things while leaving your personal electronics out of the home office, do that too. Find what gets you in the right mindset for getting work done, and make it a regular part of your workday routine.

How to Live a Frugal Lifestyle

Living a frugal lifestyle may sound hard, but it's quite easy with all the various choices. No matter what you need to buy, there's no longer a need to leave your home. Rather than wasting time and money driving your car into town or to the mall, finding and paying for parking and then browsing the stores to find the best deals, you can stay at home and shop online.

Shopping online has become not only the best way to find good deals, but it's even the spot to find the best car title loan companies. Online car title loans provide you with one hour cash to use for purchases, home repairs, trips or for anything you need.

How to Comparison Shop

Comparison shopping is where you'll save the most money. But first, ask yourself the biggest question of all. Do I really need this? By living frugally, you don't want to binge shop or buy anything on impulse. 

You want to only buy what is absolutely necessary, but if you need it, then find the cheapest source. With online shopping, you can easily compare the same item at several places so you'll get the best price possible. Be sure to also check the online store's return policy.

Food for the Family

After the mortgage and utilities, the food is a big item in a monthly budget. There are different levels of living a frugal life when it comes to food, but without digging a garden and actually growing your own food, finding the cheapest grocery stores prices is probably your best bet. 

Watch the weekly ads for the food markets around you but also take time to visit the local farmer's market. In most towns there is an open market where the local farmers can gather to sell their home grown produce. This can often times be cheaper than the grocery store and you can be sure it's fresh. 

Rather than being transported great distances, it was grown in your area. When shopping at the grocery store, be sure to take newspaper coupons for even greater savings.

Paying by Cash

Once you've saved a lot of money on discount shopping, don't add to the expense by paying for your purchases with a credit card. Credit card companies make a lot of money in the high interest they charge. 

And if you don't get your payment made on time, they'll charge you even more money in late fees and added interest. Avoid all of that hassle and expense by applying for car title loans. An auto title loan is easy to get and there is no credit check. Fill in an online car title loan application form and submit it with your car title. 

In less than an hour you will get a cash advance of $2,501 to $20,000, depending on the value of a car that you own. Use the money to pay cash for your purchases and avoid credit card debt.

How to Make Affording Your Medicine Easier on Your Wallet

Prescription medication is expensive, and it gets more expensive every year. The good news is, there are a number of things you can do to make affording your medicine easier on your wallet. 

If you are getting overwhelmed by medical bills and prescriptions and don’t know what you should really be paying, make sure you get educated. Use these tips at the doctor’s office to help make bills more manageable and easier to understand.

Ask for Free Samples

If your doctor is prescribing you a one-time dose of medication such as an antibiotic or if they are starting you on a new medication, ask if you can get a free sample. Doctors often get samples from drug companies, especially ones that are new to the market.

If you are getting a medication for the first time, you might suggest a free sample as a way to "try it out" to make sure it works before committing to a prescription. Make sure you ask extensively about what side-effects you might experience and discuss any allergies you might have. 

Use Generic Drugs

Generic medicines are much cheaper than their brand-name counterparts, so you can save a lot of money by using them. For any drug you are being prescribed, ask your doctor to prescribe a generic if it is available. If a generic isn't available, ask if there is a similar generic drug you could use. 

Most pharmacies can help you navigate which drugs will be similar enough as well. Always ask questions and do your research. Your pharmacy will be able to help direct you to similar drugs and maybe even over the counter options that do similar things.

Buy in Bulk

Prescription medicine, like many other items, costs less if you buy more of it at once. If your health insurance company offers mail order or bulk purchases, you can save money by buying more than a one-month supply of maintenance drugs you take every month, such as asthma medicine you need refills of often. 

Ask your doctor to give you a prescription for three months, six months, or even a year at a time. If your insurer doesn't offer a mail order option or you don't have insurance, ask your pharmacy if it offers discounts for bulk purchases. There are many ways you can buy in bulk so shop around to find an option that works best for your lifestyle. 

Shop Around

You would think all medicines cost the same at every pharmacy, but that's not always the case. When you get a prescription, you should call around to different pharmacies to see if there is a price difference. 

If you wind up going to a different pharmacy, you might save even more money because they can give you discounts or rebates for switching a prescription to them.

You might also go to an alternative clinic like the ICE, Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence who do their own billing. Talk to them to see what kinds of billing options are available. 

You can often break up bills and find ways to finance with your clinic so you have a system that works best for you. Just asking can help you find ways to save in the long run. Don’t be afraid to ask and get tips for how to finance from others in your position. 

Prescription medication is not cheap, but it doesn't have to break the bank, either. By following these tips, you can ensure you don't pay more than you absolutely need to, which makes it easier to afford your medicines.