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Is the Real Estate Downturn Done?
IS THE REAL ESTATE DOWNTURN DONE?
Maintaining Your Credit Score Critical
Maintaining Your Credit Score Critical
Even More Important During the Continuing Credit Crunch
Why Financial Planning Matters in the Toughest of Times
Why Financial Planning Matters in the Toughest of Times
Why enlist the services of a financial planner when your holdings are down and you’re facing a host of financial problems? Because as dark as times may seem, you’re actually giving yourself a fresh start in building a stronger financial future.
Indeed, many people don’t make that choice. A recent Financial Planning Association/Ameriprise Financial survey showed that many people try to go it alone when it comes to a financial plan—and they suffer considerably worse performance in their investment and savings goals over time than those who do. The cost of a financial planner may not be prohibitive due to factors we’ll mention below and young people have a particular advantage on their side when using one — time.
Here are some things to know about financial planning process.
The Health Care Debate
CLEARING UP THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE
Who would fund the reforms? Would there really be a “death list”?
The town hall debates over health care reform have ignited Americans like few recent issues. Discourses have become shouting matches. Away from the noise, here is a roundup of where things currently stand.
Who would pay for all this? Over the next 10 years, the federal government will need (by President Obama’s estimation) $950 billion to fund the prosposed health care programs. As planned, roughly a third of the money will be raised through increased revenues (i.e., limiting tax deductions for the wealthiest Americans) and two-thirds of it is supposed to come from reallocations of taxpayer money the federal government is already scheduled to receive(think Medicare savings on the elderly).(source) A coalition of pharmaceutical industry CEOs met with the President in July and have since pledged $80 billion in cost savings over the coming decade to help pay for the reform.(source) From the August 7, 2009 Kiplinger Tax Letter, this is the 2007 tax return data from the IRS: It is apparent who will pay for health care reform, especially with the proposed income tax increases.
NAPFA Consumer Webinar Series
NAPFA Launches Consumer Education Series to Help
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the country's leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors, has been a vocal advocate for consumer protection in the financial industry. Now NAPFA is gearing up to further educate people on a variety of topics in an effort to help Americans become educated consumers of financial planning advice and products.The Consumer Webinar Series is a year-long initiative beginning August 7, 2009 that will provide an opportunity for anyone in the country to learn about a wide range of financial issues from NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisors. Each month a new session will be conducted live online. Consumers can attend the live session after registering for free, or listen to an audio file after the program. The instructors NAPFA has recruited for the various sessions are among the industry's leaders in truly comprehensive financial planning and includes members of NAPFA's National Board of Directors, past NAPFA national chairs, educators, and authors.
"Each session is intentionally designed to help attendees better understand a specific issue and why it is of particular importance to them," said NAPFA National Chair Diahann W. Lassus, CFP®, CPA/PFS. "We want attendees to take something away from the sessions that helps them tackle these issues at home. As an industry we have done a poor job of helping consumers increase their financial knowledge. This program, along with the successes of the Your Money Bus Tour, is NAPFA's way of doing its part."
The series will include 12, one-hour sessions delivered via the internet. The individual sessions will be conducted from 1 to 2 pm Eastern time and will include:
September 4, 2009 - Kids & Money
October 2, 2009 - What is Financial Planning?
November 6, 2009 - Protecting What You Have
December 4, 2009 - Investments: The Basics
January 8, 2010 - Investments: Advanced Concepts
February 5, 2010 - Managing Your 401(k)
March 5, 2010 - Leaving a Legacy
April 2, 2010 - Women and Money
May 6, 2010 - Financial Planning and Small Business Owners
June 4, 2010 - Your Retirement
July 1, 2010 - Financial Windfalls
Registration for the 2009 sessions is open now. Learn more about the Consumer Webinar Series by visiting http://www.napfa.org/consumer/ConsumerWebinarSeries.asp.
In addition to registering for the sessions, consumers can learn more about the topics and the NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisors who will be instructing the sessions.
"We hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to better themselves and their families. Only through education will consumers be better capable of addressing their own financial situations," added Lassus.
Members of the media who would like to learn more about the Consumer Webinar Series can contact Benjamin Lewis of Perception, Inc. at 301-963-7555 or Benjamin.lewis@perceptiononline.com.
About NAPFA
Since 1983, The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) has provided Fee-Only financial planners across the country with some of the strictest guidelines possible for professional competency, comprehensive financial planning, and Fee-Only compensation. With more than 2,100 members across the country, NAPFA has become the leading professional association in the United States dedicated to the advancement of Fee-Only financial planning.
For more information on NAPFA, please visit www.napfa.org.
Getting a Mortgage Today
GETTING A MORTGAGE TODAY
Remember when getting a mortgage was easy? Now, you need pre-approval. So how can you increase your chances of passing that all-important test?
You want a lender in your corner. Sellers and agents don’t want to waste their time working with a buyer who isn’t pre-approved. Why should they contend with uncertainty.
