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By Ty Hallsted

Putting some of your savings into an IRA is a real no-brainer. So much so that, according to the latest figures, the average IRA account today contains well over $25,000.

But no matter which kind of IRA you have — traditional, simple, SEP, Roth, (not to mention 401K or Keogh plans), chances are your money’s invested entirely in

market-oriented

holdings stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

The reason for this is simple; almost all IRA plans share one common attribute –: they’re administered by someone

else

. Employer-sponsored plans are run by a company-designated custodian, and normally offer a limited choice of places for you to invest an assortment of mutual funds, for example.

Even a privately-held IRA will usually be administered by your broker, banker, or financial advisor so it’s no surprise that the investment options available will be the ones they’re most familiar with (and can most easily earn commissions on!).

But in order to derive maximum benefit from their tax-deferred status, your retirement savings have to be invested for maximum

growth

. And limiting your IRA to market-oriented vehicles may not be the best way to achieve this.

What long-term average return can you reasonably expect from stocks? According to some experts, a reasonable estimate is currently no more than 7% to 8%. No less an authority than Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffett touts the following formula: “3 to 4% for real GDP growth + 2% for inflation + 2% for dividend yield = 7 to 8% long-term total return on stocks.” And, in his most recent annual letter to shareholders, Buffett said he’s “found very few attractive securities to buy.”

If

Warren Buffett

doesn’t think he can make much money in the stock market, what chance does he

average

guy have? If you decide it’s time to diversify your IRA beyond stocks, bonds and mutuals, the next question is

how

?

With a Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA).

SDIRAs are nothing new they’ve been an available IRA option right from the start. But not many people are aware of all the features of an SDIRA that just might make it the perfect choice for your retirement nest egg.

You may think you already have a Self-Directed IRA – after all, you can choose which stocks, bonds or mutual funds to purchase, right? But what if you found out about a house down the street that was going on the market for half its value. or a private company paying 15% for a short-term bridge loan? Could you invest in either of

these

from your current IRA? With a

real

Self-Directed IRA you could.

As the name implies, the administrator of this IRA is you.

You

decide how your money is invested. And your available choices are much wider besides the usual securities, you can also expand into real estate, tax liens, judgments, and a long list of other “non-traditional” but lucrative investments.

Does this mean “anything goes”? No – remember, Uncle Sam intended your IRA account to be a good, safe place to save for your eventual retirement so even SDIRAs include constraints on what’s considered a suitable investment choice. But your SDIRA will definitely give you more latitude to diversify your holdings.

Setting up your SDIRA is about as involved as opening a bank account. There are a few forms to fill out to open and fund your account. You can do this easily, once youve decided on a custodian and received their forms.

Is a Self-Directed IRA right for you? If you wouldn’t invest in anything but stocks, bonds and mutual funds anyway then, no. Stick with your current IRA.

But if you’re ready to expand your IRA

beyond

these traditional investments then you need a Self-Directed IRA. You can “rollover” some or all of your current IRA funds into it then take advantage of the myriad other investment options now available.

For a list of custodians that offer Self-Directed IRAs go to the Resources page of the link below. This link also discusses LandBanking, which may be the single best investment available, for IRA or non-IRA funds. It offers real estate appreciation without the normal hassles of real estate – finding the property, dealing with tenants and contractors, long, tedious closings etc. Just a simple, affordable and passive investment with

tremendous

growth potential.

The best part? If your IRA falls into the “average” range mentioned above of $25,000 you

already

have more than enough to participate in and benefit from LandBanking!

The difference between 8% and 20, 30 or 40% adds up quickly, especially when tax deferred. Don’t let the opportunities available from a Self-Directed IRA pass you by. Click below for more info:

About the Author: Ty Hallsted is a software developer and real estate investor who has had a Self-Directed IRA since the mid-’90s. In 2006 he and his wife became IRA LandBankers. Click below for more info:

BestIRAInvestment.com/3070

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By Jay Moncliff

Competent financial advisors don’t have a particular look about them, even if they claim to have proof of their ability. To protect yourself, it is important to ask the kind of questions that will indicate whether the potential advisor has the requisite level of skill to handle your financial affairs, or whether you should look elsewhere. The following simple questions will help you determine if the advisor under scrutiny can really help with your financial affairs.

The first enquiry you should make relates to education. Competence and quality with advisors comes in the form of a relevant tertiary education, professional memberships of financial advisory groups, and certificates or further qualifications that show ongoing professional development. It is also important to enquire about length of experience in the financial industry, and in particular how long the individual has been working as an advisor. This should be considered the first step in your financial advisor selection process.

The second avenue of enquiry relates to payment for services. This question is important as financial planners can bill hourly, work for retainer and some work on a commission basis. Each of these payment channels attract differing fee levels, and this information will influence your choice of financial advisor. It pays to know up front.

Another excellent gauge of success and ability is testimonials, and in particular referrals. If the financial planner you are considering cannot provide referrals you should be sceptical about any claims about past success they may make. The opinions of previous clients are excellent indicators of the ability of a financial planner.

Finally, ask for a plan. Any financial advisor worth their fee will happily outline the scope of their services, tell you what information you need to provide them, and work with you across all relevant areas to develop a plan for you to reach your financial goals.

About the Author: Jay Moncliff is the founder of mileniumfinancialservices.com a website specialized on Financial Advisor, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Financial Advisor. For more info on Financial Advisor visit: mileniumfinancialservices.com

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By Josh Neumann

So you’re looking for information on investment for planning your retirement? The truth is, investing is the most important vehicle to help skyrocket you to achieving your financial goals. Without the power of compounding interest, you simply won’t have enough money for your retirement years.

The sad reality is that most people reach their retirement years without nearly enough money to support them and their lifestyle. Therefore, they either have to severely scale back their plans in their later years, or continue working just to make enough to survive.

All of this could have been easily avoided with some simple retirement and investment planning. So which investment vehicles are best to get you to your retirement goals? There really is no right or wrong answer to this question.

The truth is, many investors have made a fortune in many different fields, whether it be real sate investing, stock market, etc. So which is the right one for you? The best way is to pick one you are interested in, and focus on that.

However, the most important part is to pick one avenue of investment and focus on that. Don’t dabble in many fields; focus in on one, and stay with that.

For instance, if you decide to become a real estate investor, don’t also invest some in penny stocks, futures, foreign currency exchange, etc. It will simply eat away at your time you could be spending finding more real estate deals.

Now, here’s by far the most important component no matter which retirement planning investment vehicle you decide to go worth; find someone who’s already successful in that field, and model their success. For any result you want to achieve in the world, there are already people who’ve successfully done it.

Therefore, you could either stumble around, make a million mistakes until you learn how to be successful (like most do) or cut years off your learning curve by learning from others and modeling their success. Also, you might want to consider an investment in a financial retirement planning services company.

No, don’t completely surrender your financial future to these companies; however, these experienced companies can certainly give you some advice that will be helpful in helping you map out where you want to be in your retirement years and how to get there. Hopefully this information on investment for planning your retirement will help you achieve your goals, no matter how lofty they may be. Remember, don’t limit yourself in this process; think big, believe you can have it, and it will be yours.

About the Author: For more great

retirement planning investment

advice, check out

online-retirement-planning.com

, and achieve your retirement goals.

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By Robbie T. James

On the lookout for a new checking account? You may find yourself wanting to switch banks because you have become dissatisfied with your current bank’s level of customer service, their availability of local branches near you, or their draconian fee policy.

Or, maybe you have been having trouble qualifying for a new checking account. If so, it is possible that your name has been reported by your past bank to a database called ChexSystems. This database is what banks use to report risky bank customers to each other. Once you are in ChexSystems, it can be hard to qualify for a new bank account with most banks.

Whatever the reason for your shopping for a new bank that offers an excellent checking account service, you are going to want to have a list of the most important criteria that you should be looking for in a bank. By having such a list of criteria, you can take the guesswork out of how to choose the right bank for you.

Here are 5 criteria for how to choose the best bank for a checking account:

1. Make sure they are FDIC-insured:

While most banks today are FDIC-insured, some are not. The FDIC – or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – was established in the U.S. in 1933 as a way of protecting individual bank depositors from losing their money in the event of a bank closure. The overall goal: to increase consumer confidence in the U.S. banking system. Today, FDIC-insured banks will insure your money for up to $250,000 – even if the bank itself were to fail.

2. Ask whether they charge a monthly checking account fee:

Fees, fees, fees! These are the biggest source of customer complaints about their banks. Start your line of inquiry about your prospective bank’s fee policy by asking about monthly checking account fees. Most banks today offer completely free checking, but not all do.

3. Find out what other per-usage fees may be charged:

What about other fees? Be sure to ask. Some fees are charged on a per-usage basis, such as when you write more than a certain number of checks in given a month. Also, look into potentially hidden fees such as those charged for you to be able to view past checks you have written that have cleared.

4. Ask about their overdraft protection policy:

Overdraft protection was a wonderfully-lucrative invention by banks. Gaining in widespread popularity in the early 2000s, overdraft protection was devised as a way to protect bank customers from having their checks bounce or debit card transactions denied. However, with fees of up to $35/instance and no limit to number of instances in a given day, what overdraft protection amounted to was a huge money-making scheme for banks.

Recent Congressional legislation now requires that banks allow new checking account customers to opt in (rather than merely opt out) to overdraft protection. Still, once you are enrolled, these programs can become quite costly for the bank customer. Buyer beware!

5. Find out if they offer online banking:

Finally, ask about your prospective bank’s online banking services. Through their service, you should have the ability to make balance transfers between your accounts, pay bills online, and even inquire about an auto loan or equity line of credit.

Bonus tip: if you have had trouble qualifying for a new bank account, look for “second chance checking” banks: they will never look at ChexSystems when deciding whether to approve your checking account application.

Keep these 5 criteria in mind as you find the best bank for a checking account.

About the Author: Find out how anybody can qualify for a checking account at:

Checking Accounts For Everybody

.

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byadmin

Have you ever visited a place to get licensing services and thought that you never, ever, want to go back? Was the wait time obnoxiously long, only to have to deal with rude and incompetent workers? If you had to endure the typical long wait times and terrible customer care, then it is understandable that you do not want to go back to a place like that for those services. However, you must know that there are places that pride themselves on making your experience an enjoyable one. When you need vehicle licenses and title transactions you must research to find a place that can help you in the friendliest and most efficient manner. Here are some ways to know that you have found the best place to handle your needs.

Getting the Proper Documentation

When you need to obtain documentation that deals with titles and licenses you must make sure that you only deal with places that have the authority to provide those documents. They must be a certified agent for your state. If they have this requirement, then they are a legitimate company that can complete all of your transactions.

Convenience

When you have found a place that has the power to provide you with the paperwork you require, there are further steps you must consider. You also must make sure that they can process all of your documentation quickly and proficiently. It is also nice to know that you have found a place that can handle not only licenses but also title transactions such as title transfers and other documentation. Even though many places offer these services, not all places provide them in a great environment. It is always best to get greeted with friendly and efficient workers whose main goal is customer satisfaction. Getting the documents you need is only half the battle; obtaining them in a quick and stress-free environment makes your process complete and successful.

If you are need of vehicle licenses and title transactions, please go to West Suburban Currency Exchanges, Inc.

byAlma Abell

If a person finds themselves in a financial problem they cannot get out of, their only option may be filing for bankruptcy. If an individual is considering filing for bankruptcy, they should hire a bankruptcy attorney in Hamilton OH. There are several ways that an attorney can help.

Realistic Evaluation of the Situation

In some cases, bankruptcy may be the individual’s best options. In other cases, a credit counselor can help the individual get out of financial trouble without needing to file for bankruptcy. Most people would not be able to look at their situation and know the best course of action to take. A Bankruptcy Attorney in Hamilton OH can look the individual’s financial situation and give them the best advice for their particular situation.

Chapter 7 or Chapter 13?

If bankruptcy is the best option, the individual would need to figure out which type of bankruptcy would best suit their needs. Chapter 7 would remove any unsecured debt that the individual has. Also, it would remain on their credit report longer than Chapter 13 would. Chapter 13 give the individual more time to pay their bills. It takes the knowledge of a bankruptcy attorney to help the individual decide which type would be best for them.

Knowledge of Bankruptcy Laws

There are several bankruptcy laws that most people would not have any knowledge of. The lack of knowledge of these laws can have a serious effect on the bankruptcy case. When an individual hires a bankruptcy attorney, they will have someone on their side to help them understand the laws and processes.

Assistance With the Paperwork

There is a great deal of paperwork involved in a bankruptcy case. If the paperwork is not filed properly or on time, it can cause a delay in the case. In some cases, it can cause the application for bankruptcy to be denied. When the individual hires a bankruptcy lawyer, they will have someone to help them with the necessary paperwork, so there are no delays in the process.

The decision to file for bankruptcy can be a difficult one to make. Also, the process can be very complicated and confusing. If an individual is considering filing for bankruptcy, they should contact Dean Snyder Attorney At Law. With a lawyer in their corner, they can be sure to make the right decisions.

By Kausik Dutta

The honeymoon is over and you are facing some problems with your marriage. Sound familiar? Chances are you are one of many American couples with minor problems affecting your relationship. If identified and dealt with together, these minor problems can be just a bump in the road, but left unresolved, they can turn into major obstacles. Below are three of the most common issues plaguing marriages today. Read on to find out if these are problems you are facing and how to deal with them.

Communication

Marriage is held as the most intimate of relationships. When you feel distanced from your spouse because you cant communicate with them, that relationship starts to break down. Try to identify why you are having a hard time communicating. Do you feel that you dont have enough time with your spouse to talk? Are you worried that they wont understand so you dont bring it up at all? Are you afraid of a potential argument that may come up because of a discussion? Maybe its a simple lack of quality time with your spouse that allows you to talk. Whatever the reason, identifying what holds you back from actively and openly communicating is the first step to making progress.

Boredom

The honeymoon has been over for a while now and your marriage has lost a lot of its excitement. This is a very common and normal problem. As your relationship develops over the years and you settle into a routine you may find that the initial excitement and interest of your relationship has fizzled. A marriage without excitement is in as much jeopardy as one with a lack of communication, even if you rarely argue. You have to remember that just because your marriage doesnt have any obvious problems (like constant arguing), doesnt mean that it doesnt require effort. Keeping your relationship interesting and spontaneous is hard work, something that requires the effort of both people. Take the time to talk about what you would like to bring back into the relationship, and what new things you are both willing to try.

Money

Financial problems are noted to be the main cause of divorce in the United States. This is no big surprise, as money matters are a very delicate issue. If you feel that you dont have enough say in the financial decisions, ask to be a part of the process. Whether its paying the bills or budgeting for the month, you may feel better helping out and your spouse may feel better sharing the burden. Either way, make sure to always discuss financial issues in a calm, mature way. Better yet, set aside time to talk about finances. If you are in a hurry, stressed out, or not prepared to talk about this sensitive issue, chances are you wont have a productive discussion.

No matter what your marriage problems may be, there are many different programs that can help you solve them if you find that you arent successful doing it on your own. Marriage counseling, books, and online resources are just a few options that can get you started on your path to dealing productively with these problems. Either way, keep in mind that it will take partnership and patience to achieve your common goals.

About the Author: For more information about marriage help visit

marriagemax.com

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