Always be Positive and Inspired.
Winners will sniff out a Loser and they won't back you if you are Negative and Dull.
Winners will sniff out a Loser and they won't back you if you are Negative and Dull.
Quote: (01-23-2018 05:16 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:
I always think I should put money in investments but I'm too scared to do it.
Quote: (01-24-2018 12:54 PM)mcw78912 Wrote:
Quote: (01-23-2018 05:16 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:
I always think I should put money in investments but I'm too scared to do it.
I was the exact same way about 4 years back. One suggestion would be to perhaps look into ETFs (I believe it is VTI) corresponding to Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX, VTSMX).
The potential advantages of these ETFs (my opinion) are the low expense ratios, that you're diversified, and the price point to get started. Fidelity and others have their ETFs/index funds too, so pick what you are comfortable with. Try bogleheads.org for advice.
Quote: (01-24-2018 02:39 PM)John Michael Kane Wrote:
Quote: (01-24-2018 12:54 PM)mcw78912 Wrote:
Quote: (01-23-2018 05:16 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:
I always think I should put money in investments but I'm too scared to do it.
I was the exact same way about 4 years back. One suggestion would be to perhaps look into ETFs (I believe it is VTI) corresponding to Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX, VTSMX).
The potential advantages of these ETFs (my opinion) are the low expense ratios, that you're diversified, and the price point to get started. Fidelity and others have their ETFs/index funds too, so pick what you are comfortable with. Try bogleheads.org for advice.
For those of you who want lower cost ways to invest, I highly recommend Charles Schwab. Their expense rates are lower than even Vanguard: https://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/inv...compare_us
If you're doing equities, it is only $4.95 per trade. Schwab also has quite a few office branches around the United States, so if you want to take it a step further and get an in-person advisor, they offer that as an option.
Quote: (01-24-2018 07:37 AM)bacon Wrote:
- Dont have kids you can't afford.
- Get a prenup before you get married.
........
Quote: (01-24-2018 03:01 PM)redbeard Wrote:
Quote: (01-24-2018 02:39 PM)John Michael Kane Wrote:
Quote: (01-24-2018 12:54 PM)mcw78912 Wrote:
Quote: (01-23-2018 05:16 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:
I always think I should put money in investments but I'm too scared to do it.
I was the exact same way about 4 years back. One suggestion would be to perhaps look into ETFs (I believe it is VTI) corresponding to Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX, VTSMX).
The potential advantages of these ETFs (my opinion) are the low expense ratios, that you're diversified, and the price point to get started. Fidelity and others have their ETFs/index funds too, so pick what you are comfortable with. Try bogleheads.org for advice.
For those of you who want lower cost ways to invest, I highly recommend Charles Schwab. Their expense rates are lower than even Vanguard: https://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/inv...compare_us
If you're doing equities, it is only $4.95 per trade. Schwab also has quite a few office branches around the United States, so if you want to take it a step further and get an in-person advisor, they offer that as an option.
Schwab's free checking account is awesome, too.
Free ATM use anywhere in the world. They even pay back the fees.
No more $10 strip club ATM fees.
Quote: (01-24-2018 05:08 AM)John Michael Kane Wrote:
You asked for 5, I'll raise and spot you 10 answers.
1. Have a damn plan. Seriously. You need to write out a financial plan and review it on a weekly and monthly basis. A monthly basis to get the high-level stuff, weekly to check in on your investments, spending habits and income. What gets tracked, gets measured. What gets measured gets a chance to make changes in what is not going right, and to keep up what is headed in the right direction.
2. Keep your spending in check. The less you have, the more you need to not waste. Review all your existing bills. Do you have a neighbor you're friendly with? Split the internet bill and share the WIFI. Have family members or friends that you're tight with? Get on a family plan for your cell phone and reduce your monthly cost. Kill subscription services you aren't using. Haven't watched a Netflix movie in weeks? Cancel it and get a library card to rent DVD's. Don't spend on things that you don't use or derive value from.
3. Don't buy a new car unless you are loaded, or have a very specific business need for one. If you have a business, sometimes buying a new vehicle makes sense from a write-off standpoint. It almost never makes sense to buy a brand new car as a consumer. Instead, buy one only a few years old. Already 25% depreciation (and thus your savings), but still tons of life left.
4. Never pay full price for anything. Use cash back websites like http://www.ebates.com, http://www.befrugal.com and others to reduce the cost of purchases through cash back. Still, don't buy things you don't need. Always negotiate on bigger ticket items. You always have the power of the walkaway in any deal if the price isn't right. Learn from Trump on this. Walk away if it is a bad deal.
5. Get your credit to be top-tier ASAP. It will save you countless thousands in the long run. Get great cashback credit cards (4%-5% cash back for gas with Costco, PenFed, etc.), an everyday 2% cashback like Citi Double Cash, etc. Make sure all of your bills are set to auto-pay off cashback credit cards. You're going to pay anyway, so get the rewards. Every six months, ask for a credit line increase on each of your cards, but not if they will hit you with a hard inquiry. Call to find out.
6. Get a personal line of credit, just in case of emergencies or some other unexpected expense. Leverage matters and the best way to have more leverage to get out of trouble (or invest) is to have more access to capital. I've built up $200k worth of available credit that I rarely charge things to. It is always there if I need it. Remember, leverage gives you options.
7. Just like a car, don't buy more house than you can afford. If you haven't been on a strict budget for yourself for a long time before buying a house, becoming a home-owner will be a rude surprise. Buy at least 10% less house (or cheaper!) than you can afford. You WILL have unexpected expenses. Keep your monthly payment manageable, even if you were to lose your job for six months, you should be able to still make payments on a crappy job and/or from your rainy day fund.
8. Don't dump all your investment cash in highly volatile instruments like Bitcoin. Portion out a growth strategy and a stability strategy. Mix it up. Diversity in risk matters. Use dollar cost averaging when investing. Study, study, study, then study some more. Then study. Then invest.
9. Don't be afraid to live with roommates or parents as long as possible. Stack that cash to make the largest down payment on a house possible. A friend of mine has a $350k mortgage that is being paid for each month by 3 roommates. He's basically living in his own house with zero rent bill, while building equity in an expensive part of California. He'll be able to pay off his mortgage early at this rate. While we're speaking of mortgages, learn about how evil amortization schedules are for you, the borrower. Your first several years of a loan are the most expensive. Pay down that extra principal as fast as possible and build equity. You can always borrow against your house if you need funds later on. A 30-year mortgage turns out to cost you twice or three times what the house costs you if you pay it on the original schedule.
10. Last but not least, get a money mentor. Find a wealthy dude who likes sharing his knowledge, and become his confidant and friend. Help him solve his business needs and in exchange, show curiosity and ask questions. Most of what I learned about building wealth you don't find on CNN Money or CNBC. You talk with old money that knows the score. If you're old and wealthy, it is because you're smart enough to outlast the rest. Find a teacher and take notes, then put it into practice.
Bonus, here's even more:
11. Don't go to college if you're not in STEM, or you don't have a full-ride scholarship. The math doesn't square. If you're going to drop $100k of your own money in debt, go open up a business. Being your own boss is a great thing if you're smart and disciplined. If you're not an entrepreneur type, join a trade school and make money with your hands.
12. Sell things you don't need. Besides the regained money from Craigslist, amazon, ebay, etc., you'll clean up your house and be a lot more focused. Making money is largely about focus. Find your niche and focus like a hawk. When you have less crap and distractions, you can achieve your goals a lot easier. Turn off your cell phone during financial planning stages. Use Evernote to spell out your financial future and how to attain it.
13. Sites like http://www.personalcapital.com and http://www.mint.com are great budget and wealth tracking tools. Stay on top of things.
14. Don't hang around people will poor money management skills that show no desire to improve. Part of making money is being around people that don't waste it. If all your friends are club rats that blow money on bottle service, pretending to be rich, but carrying $30k worth of credit card debt....guess what...you'll probably be in debt too you hang out with this crowd. The golf course is a great place to meet real money. Network there and skip the club.
15. Give value to other people. Just like what I and other posters did, share your knowledge. Other altruistic people will be willing to give back. Surround yourselves with a circle of givers, as they can help fund your ventures, or just give great advice so you can grow in knowledge and wealth.
Quote: (01-24-2018 07:51 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:
Was in Vegas a few years back for a Bach party. We hit up a few strip clubs and at some point I ran out if cash and had to use the atm. I shit you not the ATM fee was $20! I went ahead with it anyway because cmon man you gotta buy the groom to be some private dances.
Sure enough at the end of the month, I checked my statement and Schwab reimbursed the fee. I was impressed they are true to their word...
Quote:Quote:
Suits said:(1) If you die with debt, you don't have to pay it. This is a great way to beat the tax man too.
Quote: (01-24-2018 04:24 AM)Australia Sucks Wrote:
-Do not own a credit card and pay for all expenses with cash/savings (I.e. no personal or consumer debt)
-Take a decent amount of risks (not stupid/crazy risks though) when you invest. The biggest risk of all in the long term is not taking enough risk.
-Borrow (a sensible amount) money to invest. No point playing it so safe that you only get rich when you are too old to enjoy the money. An average wage earner needs to leverage up to an extent if they want to get Rich before old age.
Quote: (01-23-2018 07:46 PM)Steelex Wrote:
1. Do everything you can to maximize your income. If you're not making 100k+ a year, you're not really trying very hard or you've chosen a really shitty field.
2. At the end of the day, busting your ass and working hard will pay off. The benefit may not always be immediate, but you'll develope an edge that other people don't. This will translate into a higher yield career.
3. Quit eating out. It's a waste of money.
4. Quit drinking. It's a waste of money.
5. Don't finance vehicles if you can help it. It's a crappy investment all the way around.
6. Don't do credit cards. The whole point of a credit card is to make money off of you, how the fuck could that work in your favor???
7. Be really careful about buying a house.
8. You can't outsave a shitty income.
Quote: (01-23-2018 05:06 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:
Why the number 25% for accommodation budget?