Even the best financial preparation can sometimes not be enough and a need for quick cash can arise suddenly. Unforeseen circumstances, events, immediate repairs and emergencies all give rise to a need for access to funds immediately. There are financial safe ways to raise the cash on short notice that will not do incredible damage to ones overall financial health and there are also methods of raising cash that can have a negative long term effect on finances. The tips outlined below offers suggestions on raising money in a short amount of time without unduly hurting your financial situation.
The best defense against a financial emergency is a prepared one. The most important addition to a healthy financial plan is the establishment of an emergency fund. Experts recommend a savings amount of at least three months and up to six months of income set aside for emergencies. This can help take the financial burden off of immediate cash sources such as a paycheck or credit card.
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Unless you’ve been featured in Forbes, you probably have rent or mortgage payments that have become a bit harder to handle since the recession hit. Thousands of renters out there continue to pay more every year because the landlord wants to account for “inflation.”
Wages Down, Rents Up? Take a Stand
Income has dropped nearly five percent, yet rent has risen. Income across the country dropped between 2008 and 2009; many people lost their jobs altogether. With so many people being unable to afford rent year after year landlords have to come to terms with the fact that some money is better than no money at all. Sure it is arguable that the economy is picking itself up, but it still hasn’t even recovered to what it was which means landlords and realtors alike are in bad shape. With the housing market in the tank, this is the perfect time to start paying less.
How to Bring It Up
You have to approach the topic tactfully. Simply
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Can you really save money if you have a lot of credit card debt and other bills?
While it may seem impossible to build a nest egg with all your other financial obligations, there are things you can do to reach your savings goals.
- Review: Carefully review your income and spending to determine exactly where your money is going. Do whatever you can to trim your expenses, including cutting services you don’t need or use, switching utility plans, cutting out impulse shopping trips, etc. The money you cut from your budget can go toward debt reduction or savings.
- Consolidate: Consolidate credit card debt and other bills to cut down on interest charges. Paying less interest over time allows you to allocate more income to paying down debt or adding to savings. Obviously, once your debt is paid off, there will be more money available to boost savings accounts.
- Get Counseling: Use a debt counseling service to get your finances back on track. If you’ve done everything you can to save money and pay off debt with little results, you may need help. Deb
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According to Energy Star experts, the average yearly costs of energy usage in the home are $2,200. Energy usage is a big part of modern day living and takes up a sizeable part of the household budget. Consumers are becoming savvier about their spending and are looking for ways to cut costs in all areas. Following some basic guidelines can help to make the home more energy efficient while realizing significant savings in the home energy bill.
The best ways to save on energy are by finding ways to conserve the heat and air in your home during the winter and summer months. Heating and cooling costs account for over 46% of the home energy bill. One of the most efficient ways to conserve is by insulating the home during the winter. Doors, vents and windows are a few of the places from which heat can escape during the cold winter months. These leaks cause us to keep the heat on longer and to turn the furnace up higher in an effort to compensate for the loss of heat retention in the home. To counteract this, start by sealing up windows during the cold winter months.
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Don’t expect the government to let you get away with not paying your tax bill. As many high-profile cases involving celebrities such as Wesley Snipes and Al Pacino and have shown, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expects to get paid no matter what your sob story may be. If you don’t set up some type of payment plan with Uncle Sam, don’t be surprised if the situation escalates into an IRS wage garnishment.
What is wage garnishment?
The government can legally deduct a portion of your wages–up to 25 percent–to pay back what you owe. A wage garnishment usually results after repeated warnings and letters about unpaid tax debt. The IRS would rather work with you to set up some other type of agreement for paying your tax bill, so do whatever you can to avoid having a levy placed on your paychecks.
The biggest problem with wage garnishment is that you are likely to struggle even more to pay household bills and other expenses. If you ar
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Setting up a private family foundation is not just for millionaires. It can be a great way to legally circumvent hefty estate taxes while contributing towards worthy causes. Depending on the amount of assets within your estate plan, it may be beneficial to consider the merits of setting up a private family foundation as part of your estate plan.
Private foundations offer many benefits including tax breaks, as well as the ability to control your gifts and share the causes you value with future generations. They allow you the flexibility of determining where your charity funds will be distributed as well as which causes you are choosing to focus on. The contributions needed to maintain a private foundation are not excessive and can one can be established with a minimum of $25,000 a year. These contributions can be sourced from outside donations, charitable gifts and endowments.
The funds deposited into a private foundation can be tax deductible by up to 30% of the donor’s adjusted gross income. In addition, all contributions specified in a will are tax deductible for purposes of the estate. W
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