Is Investing in Stocks a Good Option for the Youth?

(This is a guest article by Sharon Smith*)

Investing in stock... sounds scary? Many of us do not have much idea about stocks at all. Especially the youngsters who are just starting out, often inquire about how to start investing. Let’s start out with simple answers to the basic questions.

What is a stock?

A stock is, mostly simply termed, the partial ownership of a company. A lot of companies issue stocks when they plan growth. They sell stocks with the purpose of not falling into the clutches of debts. As stocks are equivalent to ownership of the company, the company is not liable to pay back the stock holders.

Why should you invest in stocks?

The simple reason is, once the company earnings increase, the value of stocks increase as well. Some of the companies pay dividends to their stock holders. Every quarter, companies calculate their profit percentage. Then, they reinvest certain profit amount into the business and pay out the rest of the amount as dividends to the stock holders. For example, if you buy $10,000 worth of stocks, each costing you $10, then you are buying 1000 shares of the company. Now, if the company earns a profit of 25% in that quarter of the year, it might reinvest 20% of the profit back into the business and decide to pay the rest 5% amount as dividends to its stock holders. Thus, you are earning $50. This is a legitimate income that you are earning and it is taxed.

There are usually two kinds of stocks - common stocks and preferred stocks.

Common stock is the ownership of the company in general. The companies offer common stocks through public offerings and tenders. The only obvious risk with common stock is that the price of the stocks fluctuates often. However, the investors can only lose their initial investment in case the stock prices fall.

The preferred stock is less risky than the common stock. Thus, the returns on the investment are also less. However, preferred stocks guarantee regular dividends for a fixed time period. Should the company default on dividend payments, and declare bankruptcy, the priority is given to the preferred stock holders regarding the assets entitlement. Preferred stock generates income for the investors, while raising the capitals for the company.

Start investing now

According to a mutual fund company, T. Rowe Price associates, if you wish to accumulate $1 million by the age of 65, you should begin investing at 25. Starting from this age, if you invest around $3900 annually, by the time you are 65 years old, you will be able to earn a return of 8% per year.

Here are four very important tips that you should keep in mind while considering investments.

1. Investment is not a gamble. It is true that a lot of investors gain and lose huge money in pretty short time. However, you should understand that investing in small amount consistently will fetch you better result by ensuring financial security. Investing is a long term process and you need to leave your money for circulation in the financial market for at least 10 years.


2. Do not consider investment, if you are in debt. Credit card debt is a big barrier towards financial stability. In case of debt, consolidate the outstanding amount and pay off. Do not incur any further debt on your card. It sounds difficult, but once you do that, it would be the best financial decisions that you would ever make.


3. Get insurance first. Insurance is something that most young people do not give much thought to. However, that is a huge mistake. You must have proper insurance before investing your hard earned money. You may never need it, but in case you ever do, you will be glad to have it in place.


4. Have an emergency fund. Emergencies can happen any time and under any circumstances. The biggest benefit of having an emergency fund is it prevents you to withdraw from your retirement accounts. In some types of emergencies like fire, illness etc, waiting periods for receiving insurance benefits might take more than two weeks. If you set yourself an emergency fund, that will keep you going during such crisis periods.

Once you have considered the above points, start investing. Just remember, investing in stocks would combat the risk of living beyond your means.

*About the author: Sharon Smith is a financial writer. She is associated with the Oak View Law Group. She offers advice on various debt management programs.

*Image Credit: Photograph by wonderwebby[via Flickr Creative Commons]

6 Steps to Help Your Child Learn About Money

(This is a guest article by Andrew Salmon*)

Your child is going to have a love/hate relationship with money as they grow to adulthood.

If you’d like to push that relationship to be more about the former than the latter, here are six steps for teaching your child about money:

6. Good Morning, Early Birds

The best way to provide your child with a solid understanding of money and what to do with it, it’s best if you begin early before any bad habits can creep in while your back is turned. From as early as age 3, you can begin teaching your kids about handling money.

5. Make Allowances

There’s no better way to teach a child something than with hands on experience. Providing your child with a weekly allowance gives them spending power. Let them pick out items they want and pay for them with their own money. Have them work around the house to earn the stipend. Pick their birthday as a point for an annual raise.

4. Work It Out

Working around the house is one thing, working a “real” job is something else and the sooner your child gets this experience the better. Encourage them to get a part-time job in their mid-teens so they can learn what working is all about. They’re going to spend decades doing this, so they might as well learn it early while they have a chance to make money blunders that don’t result in catastrophe.

3. Practice What You Preach

Kids learn by example and your child is no exception. They are sponges and absorb whatever they are exposed to. So, instilling good money handling habits begins with the face in your mirror. Practice what you preach. Don’t stress saving and budgeting while displaying some extravagant purchase to the entire household. This will undermine the lessons you are trying to impart. Stick to you own budget, pay your bills on time. Economics Class is always in session.

2. Hold Your Hand Out

Take your child along with you when you stop off at Good Will or the Salvation Army to drop of your unwanted clothes, toys or gadgets. Stress how important this action is for people who can’t buy these things for themselves. Not only will they learn the importance of giving, but explaining the plight of the poor and needy will give your child a solid understanding that no one wants to be poor, that it is a state to be avoided and that through good money management, they can avoid poverty.

1. The Future Is Now

Money tends to burn holes in the Kids’ pockets. But one can at least make an attempt to teach one’s child to squirrel away into a savings account some small portion of their income whether it be from an allowance or a first job. Not only does this exercise stress how important it is to save, but it can also provide them with a nice start up nest egg for when they fly the coop.


*About the author: This is a guest post contributed by Debt Management. It was written by Vancouver based author and freelance writer Andrew Salmon.

*Image Credit: Photograph by kellyv [via Flickr Creative Commons]

Are Prepaid Cards the Right Option for You?

(This is a guest article by David Pratt*)

Recent college graduates and students still in school will now find it much harder to get their first credit card under new Federal credit card rules that went into effect in March. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act is meant to protect consumers from unfair credit card billing practices. The law includes rules to help protect people under 21 from going into deep credit card debt at the start of their work career.

The good news is that for many young people, a reloadable prepaid card is a safe and convenient alternative to using a credit card, cash or checks for making purchases and paying bills. Prepaid cards are widely available online or at retailers such as drug stores and grocery stores.

"Increasingly, prepaid cards serve as a powerful tool to encourage financial responsibility for college students," said Kirsten Trusko, President and Executive Director of the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA), a non-profit trade association. "Prepaid cards provide all the flexibility and security benefits of a branded payment card without the risk of running up debt and overdraft charges."

Harder to Get a Credit Card

Under the new rules, people under the age of 21 now have to prove that their income is high enough to make monthly credit card payments. Or, they need a co-signer, such as a parent. What’s more, if you are under 21 and have a co-signer on your account, you will need the written permission of that co-signer to let the bank to raise your credit limit.

In addition, card companies are no longer allowed to market on college campuses. The days of handing out t-shirts, sodas, and posters on the quad in exchange for obtaining filled out credit card applications from students are over.

It’s still possible to get a credit card without a co-signer if you are under 21, but you will have to have a high enough paying job as well as something of a credit history already—through bill payments or a track record of paying a card loan—certainly possible, but out of bounds for plenty of grads, at least in the initial time after graduation.

How Prepaid Cards work

Provided you are 18 and can pass a simple identity check required under the U.S. Patriot Act (which means providing your name, address, birth date, and social security number) it is easy to get a prepaid card. A prepaid card is plastic card that looks like a credit card or checking account debit card. It is issued by a bank and has an account number embossed on the front and embedded in a magnetic strip on the back. It typically is tied to either the MasterCard or Visa debit network. These cards are widely accepted by hundreds of thousands of merchants nationwide and around the globe for transactions such as buying groceries, clothes, gasoline, and eating at restaurants. They can be used in person or online with a signature transaction or by using a PIN number.

But instead of making purchases on credit, you "prepay" for those purchases by putting your own money into the card account ahead of time. Thus, you are drawing upon your own funds rather than borrowing money or paying interest charges. You can add money at a Western Union agent by handing cash to the agent who then for a small fee, deposits that cash into your card’s account. Similarly, you can buy a Green Dot Money Pak for $4.95 and transfer the money from the Green Dot Money Pak into your card account. You can also take advantage of direct deposit to have all or part of your payroll check deposited directly to your prepaid card account. In this way, you can reload your card with funds and continue to use it indefinitely.

When shopping for a prepaid card program, check that your funds are insured under the FDIC program. Under MasterCard and Visa policies you should be protected if your card is lost our stolen. If reported within 48 hours your liability will be limited to $50 under those policies and capped at $500 if you somehow failed to report the lost or stolen card as late as 60 days out. But if you waited longer than that, you could be out whatever amount you had on the card.

Advantage for Budgeting

Prepaid cards do have some fees, which vary from card to card. These typically include an activation fee, a monthly account fee, and per transaction fee. Still, compared to alternatives such as check cashing fees, overdraft fees, and interest payments, prepaid cards can prove cost effective for many people.

A prepaid card can help you track your spending and live within a budget. Like paying for things with cash, you have to have enough money on your card to cover your purchases. You can check your balance and review your transaction history online, via ATM machines, by calling a customer service number, or even through mobile text messaging, with most prepaid card programs.

In today’s economy, more people are limiting their use of credit cards and just getting one credit card with lower credit limits, or favoring debit cards—either check cards or prepaid cards.

*About the author: This guest post is contributed by David Pratt, marketing director for MiCash.net who writes on the topic of prepaid debit cards. You can reach David at dpratt (at) micashcard . com.

*Image Credit: Photograph by jepoirrier [via Flickr Creative Commons]

All the Serious Money is Indexed

A recent New York Times article discussed how index funds are not only the most efficient way for people of modest means to accumulate wealth but are also the best way for wealthy investors to keep and grow their wealth.

The reporter interviewed Princeton professor of economics Burton Malkiel, author of the 1973 investment classic "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" and pioneer in research which shed light on the folly of trying to beat the market. In the article he postulated that of all of the mutual funds in existence or created since the 1970s, the number that actually beat the broad indexes through 2009 would be in the single digits.

The counterpoints in the article from some active managers border on laughable. One compared stocks to baseball batters, saying "If you find the ones with the higher average, you're adding real value." Well no kidding...except that study after study shows that the odds of doing that are about the same as the odds of any single person reading this becoming an American Idol winner.

The same manager also said "We're selecting high-quality companies with earnings streams and eliminating all the bad stocks in the S&P that you have to own because it's an index." Apparently they're buying those great stocks from other active managers who prefer low-quality companies without earnings streams. (Remember they're not buying them from those silly indexers, because the indexers own a proportionate share of everything in the market.)

Malkiel also dispels the notion that commodities belong in a portfolio as a distinct asset class, because by properly diversifying one already has such exposure: "...if you're really well diversified and into emerging markets you're going to have some investments in Brazil, which is natural resource rich. It's simple."

Malkiel also divulges his personal holdings, which include buying some individual stocks "because it's fun. All the serious money is indexed."

How to Stop Collection Agency Calls

(This is a guest article by Garrett Driscoll*)

Debt collectors can be very difficult to deal with. They get paid based on their ability to collect a debt, so they have a pretty big incentive to get the money owed. Creditors (like credit card companies, mortgage holders, etc) outsource these debt collections to collection agencies. These agencies get paid based on what they collect, so they are determined to get that fee. I've recently read that in one instance a collector called a debtor at work 80 times in 1 day. Sometimes a collector's efforts to collect a debt can turn into harassment. This is why you need to know your legal rights.

Fortunately, there are government protections against harassment from any type of debt collector, lawyer, or collection agency. A law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was created to stop unwanted disturbances from collectors. The FDCPA covers personal, family, and household debts like credit card, medical, and mortgage debt. There are certain rules that these collection agencies need to abide by or they are in breach of the law. If they break these laws you can even seek punitive damages against them.

These rules are:

1. They can only contact you between 8 A.M and 9 P.M. local time.


2. They aren't allow to contact you at a time that is inconvenient to you.(such as at work)


3. Threaten to contact people about your debts, such as your boss or neighbors.


4. They cannot misrepresent themselves to be a government agent or employee or a credit bureau.


5. They may also not collect any type of fee or interest on top of the debt that you owe.

The easiest way to get a collector to stop calling you is to send them a letter stating you would like them to cease communication with you. This is called a "cease and desist" letter. After you send them this letter they are allowed to contact you only if: the collection efforts are stopping, or that the collector is going to take certain actions (like proceed with a lawsuit). If they contact you further they are violating the FDCPA. You can even take legal active if these violations are significant.

Make sure and send your cease and desist letter certified mail. This way you can prove that the collector received the letter. This will be important in the future in case you are still receiving harassing phone calls. You definitely should start a file and record the date and times of your communications with the collector. Be sure and photocopy all letters and correspondence with the agency, especially any calls or letter that sound threatening or abusive. Its important to keep a paper trail if you need to prove your case in the future.

If you feel that a collection agency has violated any laws you can report them to the FTC, you local attorney general, or even take them to court. You can sue the collector for up to $1000 in damages if you can prove their harassment led to lost wages or medical expenses. But remember if a collector breaks the law in trying to collect the debt, it still doesn't stop you from owing it.

One more way that you can completely stop collection agencies, is to declare bankruptcy. It is not the recommended method, because it will severely damage your credit score for 7 years, but it will stop all current collection efforts.

When you start chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy a process called automatic stay starts. Automatic stay will stop all creditors, lawsuits, and the foreclosure process for a period of time. This stay in effect until a judge lifts the stay, the debtor get a discharge, or the debtor no longer owns the property do to bankruptcy.

For obvious reasons you would want to avoid bankruptcy in most cases, but it is available as an option of last resort. If you are in way over your head and negotiating, settling, or managing your debt isn't an option, then you might consider bankruptcy. Otherwise, set up a monthly budget for yourself and work with your creditors. You might be surprised how much they might be able to negotiate with you if you come at them with a plan of action to get your debts paid off.

*About the author: This is a guest post by Garrett from Debt Eagle. Visit debt eagle if you need credit card debt relief. He discusses the differences between debt consolidation, debt settlement and credit counseling.


*Image Credit: Photograph by alancleaver_2000 [via Flickr Creative Commons]

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What Everybody Ought to Know About Bankruptcy

(This is a guest article by Dorothy Anderson*)

Recession has affected a lot of us in disastrous ways. Businesses big and small have gone bankrupt all around the world. Being in debt itself creates a lot of pressure on human minds. To top it, if you are in knee deep debt, you may feel perplexed about the various options available for the repayment of your debt. Many people do not give this problem much of a thought. Instead, they file for bankruptcy, thinking it to be the easiest and safest way out of debt. However, bankruptcy is not a viable option. It should rather be the last resort that you choose.

Bankruptcy is lawful declaration of incapability of an individual to pay his creditors at a given time interval. In case of a personal bankruptcy, you need to surrender your non-exempt property to a court appointed trustee, who liquidates the property and distributes the money to your creditors.

Basically, there are six types of bankruptcy in total; however, the two key ones are as follows:

1. Straight bankruptcy or chapter 7 bankruptcy- In this type of bankruptcy, you can have all your debt cleared, after your assets are liquefied and used to repay your debts. Just remember, that you should not conceal any records related to your present financial condition. You will not be granted any discharge, in case you do so. Relief, in such cases of bankruptcy is available only once in every eight year period.


2. In case you wish to enroll yourself to a wage earner’s plan, also known as reorganization bankruptcy or chapter 13 bankruptcy, this can clear you most of your debt. Once you file for the petition of the plan, you are protected from lawsuits and all other legal actions that creditors could have taken against you. The plan allows you to pay off your debt from your future earnings, while you are under the protection of the court. Your debt is paid according to a debt management plan set up in cooperation with your lawyer. You pay a fixed amount of money each day to a court appointed trustee. The trustee then distributes it to your creditors. The repayment plan is usually of three to five years. The creditors may object to the payment amounts, however, the judge has the final say.

In case, you have a secured debt, like a car loan, that you want to continue paying, then, reorganization bankruptcy is a better option as, chapter 7 bankruptcy requires you to liquefy assets.

According to the US Bankruptcy code, if you have more than $922975 in secured debt and $307675 in unsecured debt, you are not eligible to file reorganization bankruptcy.

In both the above cases of bankruptcy, you need to receive credit counseling from an approved firm, before filing the petition. Personal bankruptcy laws are complex to deal with. Therefore, make sure that you seek advice from an attorney before filing the petition.

So, what are the ways that you can choose to avoid bankruptcy altogether?
Check out the below-mentioned alternatives that you can choose from:

1. Debt consolidation program - This kind of programs help you to make your monthly bill payments at reduced interest rates. Here, you can consolidate all your debt into one easy monthly payment. Moreover, late fees and all other charges are eliminated. This also has a positive effect on your credit ratings. However, there are various effects of consolidating debt.


2. Debt settlement - When you cannot manage even minimum payments on your debt, debt settlement can be an option for you. In this kind of program, the creditors reduce your debt amounts by 40-60%. All you need to do is, negotiate with the creditors. You can obtain help from professional debt settlement firms.


3. Debt management - If you choose to opt for debt management, you need to visit a credit counseling agency. They will offer you a plan to repay your loans. They would help you to get reduced rates of interest on your debt. Furthermore, any interest charges incurred due to late payments would also be waived off.

Also, before filing for bankruptcy, check out the cons of filing for a bankruptcy petition:

1. Filing for bankruptcy will ruin your credit listing - A declaration of bankruptcy will remain on your credit score from six to ten years. This will make it difficult for you to get new loan approvals. Hence, it is always better to pay off your debt rather than go for bankruptcy filing.


2. You may be rendered homeless - Unless, you qualify for state or federal exemptions, and you may lose your car / home. This is because, if you are filing for a chapter 7 bankruptcy, your assets are sold off to repay your dues.


3. You cannot get rid of all your debt - Filing for bankruptcy will not get you exempted from all your debt. There are taxes, student loans etc which you have to pay.


4. Bankruptcy may influence your security clearance status, thereby affecting your financial situation.


5. Not all retirement plans are protected - According to the bankruptcy laws, 401k retirement plans are protected. However, any amount above $1 million is used to pay off your debt.

So, before considering bankruptcy, see whether, it is right for you. Think about the below mentioned points:

1. Try negotiating with your creditors - Creditors are human too. They would rather settle a debt instead of having it discharged in bankruptcy.


2. Get yourself credit counselor - Credit counselors can help you bargain at lower interest rates and monthly payments. Explore the option as an alternative to bankruptcy, since under the bankruptcy law, you will have to get credit counseling advice, before filing for bankruptcy.


3. According to the American Banking Institute, if your creditors have garnished your wages, filing for bankruptcy will stop it.


4. Your medical bills too, can be discharged completely, if you file for bankruptcy.


5. Everyone deserves legal help. Contact a consumer law attorney to discuss about your bankruptcy options. Only, he will be able to review the facts and give you the correct advice.

Ultimately, you can work your way out of bankruptcy, only by changing your spending habits.

*About the author: This is a guest post by Dorothy Anderson. She offers advice to consolidate debts. Dealing with debts is all about choosing the right option.


*Image Credit: Photograph by blehk [via Flickr Creative Commons]

5 Ways To Avoid Getting Stuck In The Credit Card Debt Trap

(This is a guest article by Kris Bickell*)

If you've ever used a credit card, you know how easy it is for the balance to grow REALLY big, REALLY fast. And like a ball rolling down a hill, once it starts rolling ... well, once it starts rolling it's a lot easier to wait until it stops rather than chasing it down the hill.

So, think of credit cards like the ball.

And hold onto them tightly. Because once you start building debt, it's a lot like the rolling ball.

I know, that's much easier said than done. For most people, by the time you figure out you've got a debt problem, you've got a HUGE debt problem!

Trust me, huge debt problems don't go away quickly. Or easily. So do yourself a really big favor. And don't get stuck in the "debt trap" in the first place. One of my friends used to say "Money doesn't come with instructions". Which is so true. And even more true with credit cards. You get all the fine print about terms, rights, penalties, privacy policies. But nothing that tells you "don't charge more than you can pay off when the bill comes!"

I got my first credit card when I was in college. Imagine that!

I had no income. No credit. And no idea how to use it.

Yet American Express thought it was a good idea to give me a card anyway. Why? So they could make money off me, of course. Fortunately, American Express cards must be paid off each month. But the cycle of debt was started when I was only 20.

I remember my friends went on a day trip to Atlantic City and called me to tell me how much they missed me, because there were machines that took credit cards and gave you cash (of course, they didn't really miss me - they just wanted my fancy new AMEX card to use to get cash!)

The moral of the story is that the whole business of credit cards is nothing more than a money machine - for the banks!

So here are those instructions mom and dad never gave you. And American Express never gave you (or CitiBank or Chase or Capitol One, etc.) Here are 5 ways to avoid getting stuck in the credit card debt trap:

1) Don't fall for the lure of rewards cards (unless you can pay off the debt every month):

Rewards cards sound great. And if you can pay off the balances, they are. But if not, you'll probably end up paying a LOT more in interest than you gain in store discounts, frequent flyer miles, or other rewards.

2) Don't keep transferring balance & getting more cards:

Sure, credit card "surfing" is very common - constantly shifting your debt to low interest promotional offers. But in the long run, it's easy just to dig yourself a deeper hole, as you keep getting more and more credit. Want to use this as a temporary "quick fix"? OK. But as a long term strategy, this is like throwing the ball down the hill.

3) If you have more than one card, hide it:

It is tempting to use a retail card to save an extra 5% or 10% on purchases. Or use the new fancy looking card you just got in the mail. Or use the one with the lowest interest rate. And if you can pay it off when the bill comes, OK - then feel free to use them. But if you do fall victim to the temptation often enough, before you know it your credit card ball will start rolling down the hill!

4) Take yourself off the offers list:

The best way to keep yourself from getting caught up in the credit card trap is to keep yourself from getting all the tempting offers in the first place. So go to www.optoutprescreen.com and www.dmachoice.org to get your name off the most common mailing lists!

5) Don't use your credit cards as a spending account:

Make sure to set up a savings account to use for emergencies. Then, when you need some immediate cash, you can use this money instead of a credit card.

So there you have it. Sounds so simple, doesn't it? Sure, it takes some discipline. And many of your friends and family won't understand why you don't rely on credit cards to pay for everything. But if you follow them, these five steps will keep you out of the credit card debt trap!


*About the author: This is a guest article by Kris Bickell. If you would like to learn more about avoiding the credit card debt trap, visit www.Debt-Tips.com. You'll learn how the author, Kris Bickell, paid off all of his credit card debt and the various debt relief options you can use to improve your financial problems.


*Image Credit: Photograph by Leonid V. Kruzhkov [via Flickr Creative Commons]