Not all managed funds make money for their investors and one point that is constantly hammered home is that past performance is no indication of future performance. The top performer from last year is rarely the top performer two years in a row.
You also have to be aware that you do not dictate where your money is invested so it is essential you choose a fund that closely matches the companies or industries you are keen to invest in.
Don't forget that managed funds attract fees and charges and these vary from fund to fund. Some charge an entry fee and no exit fee, some charge the reverse while others don't charge any fees. You need to familiarise yourself with all fees so you don't get a shock when your statement comes. The time to ask questions is before you invest.
When you get a statement from your managed fund, it will itemise your tax liabilities on the distributions you have received. Distributions comprise both income from dividends and interest and income from the sale of assets (capital gain). Dividend income is taxed at your marginal tax rate. If the dividends have been franked, you will receive franking credits. Don't forget to include the distributions you receive in your annual tax return.
You will be taxed on just 50 per cent of the capital gain component of your distribution if the fund owned the asset for more than a year. The statement does not include any capital gains you may have made if you disposed of any of your investment.
Costs of investing in managed funds vary but usually involve entry and exit fees and an annual management charge.
Entry and exit fees can range from nil up to 5 per cent depending on the type of fund you select. Cash management trusts and mortgage trusts typically have no fees. However, international shares tend to attract a higher fee. The situation of charging entry and exit fees is changing with the introduction of discount brokers (such as InvestSMART, a subsidiary of Fairfax Digital Limited) who generally rebate the fee. Advisers also tend to rebate the fee if you buy units through them.
Not all managed funds charge exit fees. Some reduce exit fees depending on the length of time you keep your money in the fund, usually eliminating the fee entirely if it is more than five years but charging around 5 per cent if it is less than a year.
Some managed funds offer lower entry fees but higher ongoing fees. If you are planning on investing for the long-term, it can be better to pay a higher entry fee upfront.
Ongoing fees
This fee is an annual charge that covers the cost of the fund manager's services, administration fees and the commission paid by the managed fund to the third party with whom you dealt with to buy into your managed fund. The Investment and Financial Services Association requires fund managers to publish a fee that encompasses all costs, so investors can more readily compare apples with apples. This figure is called the Management Expense Ratio (MER). Ongoing fees vary depending on your choice of investment. The MER on cash funds is usually much lower than the MER on international share funds. This is because monitoring international share investments involves greater input from the fund manager. The range is approximately 0.5 up to 3 per cent
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Managed funds
There are several ways to invest. From 0ur studies, I realise the most viable option for me to start creating my wealth is via managed funds. I would like to start investing in property as well, but that I feel will have to be further down the track.
An interesting website to learn more is: http://www.moneymanager.com.au/investing/guides/managed_funds_guide.html.
From here, I will reproduce the following information:
Managed funds - also known as unit trusts - are vehicles that allow you to pool your money with a number of other investors into a single fund that then is able to invest in assets that might otherwise be out of your reach. Managed funds are what they say - funds managed for you by others - namely, investment professionals such as fund managers. Managed funds can invest in a variety of assets including shares, property and fixed interest or a combination of these. All managed funds have a prospectus which allows you to see where it is investing.
The attraction of managed funds is the diversification they offer. If you wanted to invest in shares but only had $1,000, realistically you could only invest in one company. If the company performs badly, you could lose your money. But if you invest that money in a managed fund, depending on the fund's profile, you may have an interest in 10, 20 or even 50 Australian or international companies. The same applies to property trusts. You may want an exposure to property in your portfolio but cannot afford to buy a house. If you invest in a property trust, then depending on the sector it invests in, you can have exposure to major shopping centres, CBD office blocks, or a leisure resort.
Investing in a managed fund also gives you the benefit of a professional fund manager. Fund managers have access to much more research than the average investor and presumably a better knowledge of investment markets. Of course, you won't necessarily have the control to choose the individual investments made by the fund manager, but with thousands of managed funds now on the market, you'll certainly be able to choose a fund that reflects your risk profile and closely mirrors the choices you might yourself have made. However, be aware that not all fund managers make money for their investors. You need to do your own research to ascertain how comfortable you are with a fund manager's approach to investing.
If you decide to invest in managed funds using a regular savings plan, because you are contributing a set amount each month, managed funds are also a simple and convenient savings vehicle.
How much do I need to invest in a managed fund?
Usually you need to invest a minimum amount of $1000 to buy into a managed fund although some let you start your investment with as little as $500, especially if you also commit to a regular savings plan where you add to your investment on a monthly basis from as little as $100.
When you invest in a managed fund, you are buying units of equal value in the fund. If the value of the investments owned by the fund rises, then so too does the value of your units. If the value of the investments fall, then so too does the value of your units. The value of the units that you have invested in at any time is the market value of the fund's investments divided by the number of units issued, less any debt. This is known as the net asset value.
Types of managed funds
Managed funds can be both listed and unlisted. Those that are listed can be traded on the stockmarket and have a market value that is determined by supply and demand. These funds tend to be closed - that is, there is a finite number of units on issue.
Non-listed funds can be either open or closed. If they are open, new units are issued to meet demand with a new prospectus released every six months or so. Unlisted funds are valued at least weekly, if not daily, by the fund manager. The value is calculated by dividing the current value of the total assets plus either the buying or selling costs by the number of issued units. If you want to sell your units in an unlisted fund, you need to contact the fund manager who will have set out in the prospectus how quickly you can access your money. It is usually no more than two weeks and often within day
An interesting website to learn more is: http://www.moneymanager.com.au/investing/guides/managed_funds_guide.html.
From here, I will reproduce the following information:
Managed funds - also known as unit trusts - are vehicles that allow you to pool your money with a number of other investors into a single fund that then is able to invest in assets that might otherwise be out of your reach. Managed funds are what they say - funds managed for you by others - namely, investment professionals such as fund managers. Managed funds can invest in a variety of assets including shares, property and fixed interest or a combination of these. All managed funds have a prospectus which allows you to see where it is investing.
The attraction of managed funds is the diversification they offer. If you wanted to invest in shares but only had $1,000, realistically you could only invest in one company. If the company performs badly, you could lose your money. But if you invest that money in a managed fund, depending on the fund's profile, you may have an interest in 10, 20 or even 50 Australian or international companies. The same applies to property trusts. You may want an exposure to property in your portfolio but cannot afford to buy a house. If you invest in a property trust, then depending on the sector it invests in, you can have exposure to major shopping centres, CBD office blocks, or a leisure resort.
Investing in a managed fund also gives you the benefit of a professional fund manager. Fund managers have access to much more research than the average investor and presumably a better knowledge of investment markets. Of course, you won't necessarily have the control to choose the individual investments made by the fund manager, but with thousands of managed funds now on the market, you'll certainly be able to choose a fund that reflects your risk profile and closely mirrors the choices you might yourself have made. However, be aware that not all fund managers make money for their investors. You need to do your own research to ascertain how comfortable you are with a fund manager's approach to investing.
If you decide to invest in managed funds using a regular savings plan, because you are contributing a set amount each month, managed funds are also a simple and convenient savings vehicle.
How much do I need to invest in a managed fund?
Usually you need to invest a minimum amount of $1000 to buy into a managed fund although some let you start your investment with as little as $500, especially if you also commit to a regular savings plan where you add to your investment on a monthly basis from as little as $100.
When you invest in a managed fund, you are buying units of equal value in the fund. If the value of the investments owned by the fund rises, then so too does the value of your units. If the value of the investments fall, then so too does the value of your units. The value of the units that you have invested in at any time is the market value of the fund's investments divided by the number of units issued, less any debt. This is known as the net asset value.
Types of managed funds
Managed funds can be both listed and unlisted. Those that are listed can be traded on the stockmarket and have a market value that is determined by supply and demand. These funds tend to be closed - that is, there is a finite number of units on issue.
Non-listed funds can be either open or closed. If they are open, new units are issued to meet demand with a new prospectus released every six months or so. Unlisted funds are valued at least weekly, if not daily, by the fund manager. The value is calculated by dividing the current value of the total assets plus either the buying or selling costs by the number of issued units. If you want to sell your units in an unlisted fund, you need to contact the fund manager who will have set out in the prospectus how quickly you can access your money. It is usually no more than two weeks and often within day
Monday, February 1, 2010
What is an Investment?
Investment is the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value. [1] It is related to saving or deferring consumption. Investment is involved in many areas of the economy, such as business management and finance no matter for households, firms, or governments. An investment involves the choice by an individual or an organization such as a pension fund, after some analysis or thought, to place or lend money in a vehicle, instrument or asset, such as property, commodity, stock, bond, financial derivatives (e.g. futures or options), or the foreign asset denominated in foreign currency, that has certain level of risk and provides the possibility of generating returns over a period of time.[2]
References
1{{cite book investment is the employment of fund on assets with the aim of earning income or capital appreciation. last = Sullivan first = arthur authorlink = Arthur O' Sullivan coauthors = Steven M. Sheffrin title = Economics: Principles in action publisher = Pearson Prentice Hall date = 2003 location = Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 pages = 271 url = http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZ3R9&PMDbSiteId=2781&PMDbSolutionId=6724&PMDbCategoryId=&PMDbProgramId=12881&level=4 doi = id = isbn = 0-13-063085-3}}
2 Graham, Benjamin, and David Dodd (1951). Security Analysis. McGraw-Hill Book Company. ISBN 0071448209
References
1{{cite book investment is the employment of fund on assets with the aim of earning income or capital appreciation. last = Sullivan first = arthur authorlink = Arthur O' Sullivan coauthors = Steven M. Sheffrin title = Economics: Principles in action publisher = Pearson Prentice Hall date = 2003 location = Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 pages = 271 url = http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZ3R9&PMDbSiteId=2781&PMDbSolutionId=6724&PMDbCategoryId=&PMDbProgramId=12881&level=4 doi = id = isbn = 0-13-063085-3}}
2 Graham, Benjamin, and David Dodd (1951). Security Analysis. McGraw-Hill Book Company. ISBN 0071448209
Monday, January 25, 2010
DELI's continued
Accepting what life interests you have is hard if it doesn't match up with your chosen profession.
I am studying civil engineering and I have not enjoyed it as much as some of my other friends. I have realised this is because it doesn't match the two life interests I have which are:
- counselling and mentoring
- managing people and relationships.
I have been thinking about doing psychology after finishing my degree and this seems to agree with my DELI's.
This is a hard decision to accept as it means that my civil engineering degree is in some ways a waste of a few years of my life. However, I am going to try to have a positive approach and think that it has opened doors for me that otherwise would not have happened.
I am studying civil engineering and I have not enjoyed it as much as some of my other friends. I have realised this is because it doesn't match the two life interests I have which are:
- counselling and mentoring
- managing people and relationships.
I have been thinking about doing psychology after finishing my degree and this seems to agree with my DELI's.
This is a hard decision to accept as it means that my civil engineering degree is in some ways a waste of a few years of my life. However, I am going to try to have a positive approach and think that it has opened doors for me that otherwise would not have happened.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
DELI's - Deeply Embedded Life Interests
The following information was from the Havard Business Review of 1999 regarding DELI's.
The real keys to job satisfaction are neither skills nor values, but "deeply embedded life interests."But the fact is, strong skills don't always reflect or lead to job satisfaction. Many professionals, are so well educated and achievement oriented that they could succeed in virtually any job. The answer is, only if the job matches their deeply embedded life interests. These interests are not hobbies — opera, skiing, and so forth — nor are they topical enthusiasms, such as Chinese history, the stock market, or oceanography. Instead, deeply embedded life interests are long-held, emotionally driven passions, intricately entwined with personality and thus born of an indeterminate mix of nature and nurture. Deeply embedded life interests do not determine what people are good at — they drive what kinds of activities make them happy. At work, that happiness often translates into commitment. It keeps people engaged, and it keeps them from quitting. Think of a deeply embedded life interest as a geothermal pool of superheated water. It will rise to the surface in one place as a hot spring and in another as a geyser. But beneath the surface — at the core of the individual — the pool is constantly bubbling. Deeply embedded life interests always seem to find expression, even if a person has to change jobs — or careers — for that to happen.
many people have only a dim awareness of their own deeply embedded life interests. They may have spent their lives fulfilling other people's expectations of them, or they may have followed the most common career advice: "Do what you're good at."
The eight life interests identified , as a key tool for managers to retain their best employees can be equally valuable for employees themselves. This model distinguishes itself from other career interest models in that it is activity-based, rather than based on general interest patterns. It's founded on the notion that interests, not skills, should be the foundation of peoples' careers.
This model provides a measure of interest patterns as they apply to business work roles and work environments in the following core function areas:
- Application of Technology measures interests that are often associated with engineering, production, operations, and the general use of technology to accomplish business objectives
- Quantitative Analysis measures interests that are realized through problem-solving that relies on mathematical analysis
- Theory Development and Conceptual Thinking measures interests involving broadly conceptual approaches to business problems
- Creative Production measures interests that are realized through highly creative activities such as the development of new products or marketing concepts, the gernation of new business ideas, etc.
- Counseling and Mentoring measures interests that involve developing relationships as a crucial part of business work, such as coaching, training and mentoring
- Managing People and Relationships measures interests that involve developing relationships as a crucial part of business work, such as coaching, training and mentoring
- Enterprise Control measures interests that are realized through having ultimate decision-making authority for complete operations
- Influence Through Language and Ideas measures interest in exercising influence through the skillful use of written and spoken language
The real keys to job satisfaction are neither skills nor values, but "deeply embedded life interests."But the fact is, strong skills don't always reflect or lead to job satisfaction. Many professionals, are so well educated and achievement oriented that they could succeed in virtually any job. The answer is, only if the job matches their deeply embedded life interests. These interests are not hobbies — opera, skiing, and so forth — nor are they topical enthusiasms, such as Chinese history, the stock market, or oceanography. Instead, deeply embedded life interests are long-held, emotionally driven passions, intricately entwined with personality and thus born of an indeterminate mix of nature and nurture. Deeply embedded life interests do not determine what people are good at — they drive what kinds of activities make them happy. At work, that happiness often translates into commitment. It keeps people engaged, and it keeps them from quitting. Think of a deeply embedded life interest as a geothermal pool of superheated water. It will rise to the surface in one place as a hot spring and in another as a geyser. But beneath the surface — at the core of the individual — the pool is constantly bubbling. Deeply embedded life interests always seem to find expression, even if a person has to change jobs — or careers — for that to happen.
many people have only a dim awareness of their own deeply embedded life interests. They may have spent their lives fulfilling other people's expectations of them, or they may have followed the most common career advice: "Do what you're good at."
The eight life interests identified , as a key tool for managers to retain their best employees can be equally valuable for employees themselves. This model distinguishes itself from other career interest models in that it is activity-based, rather than based on general interest patterns. It's founded on the notion that interests, not skills, should be the foundation of peoples' careers.
This model provides a measure of interest patterns as they apply to business work roles and work environments in the following core function areas:
- Application of Technology measures interests that are often associated with engineering, production, operations, and the general use of technology to accomplish business objectives
- Quantitative Analysis measures interests that are realized through problem-solving that relies on mathematical analysis
- Theory Development and Conceptual Thinking measures interests involving broadly conceptual approaches to business problems
- Creative Production measures interests that are realized through highly creative activities such as the development of new products or marketing concepts, the gernation of new business ideas, etc.
- Counseling and Mentoring measures interests that involve developing relationships as a crucial part of business work, such as coaching, training and mentoring
- Managing People and Relationships measures interests that involve developing relationships as a crucial part of business work, such as coaching, training and mentoring
- Enterprise Control measures interests that are realized through having ultimate decision-making authority for complete operations
- Influence Through Language and Ideas measures interest in exercising influence through the skillful use of written and spoken language
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Smart Buying and Credit
Prior to this course, I had little thought or regard over the way I purchased my goods whether it be eftpos, cash or credit. However, I did notice I spent less if I tracked my cash by putting my allowed spending amount into my wallet for my weekly expenses. It made me prioritise necessities and wants. It also meant there was no chance of me paying credit on my purchases by not paying the full balance on my credit card at the end of the month. So if you want to buy something, try to pay cash or lay-by.
Credit cards can be handy in emergency situations but they do lead to overspending and spending your paycheck early. I have had this problem several times and I need to rectify this. Firstly, one tip from Clitheroe is to always ask before handing over the credit card if a transaction surcharge applies. Secondly, always pay off your balance in full before the required date to avoid paying interest. Thirdly, shop around for the best deals if a credit card is necessary. Last year I was able to get a 0% balance transfer interest rate with no annual fees with HSBC which helped me enormously. Unfortunately I ended up creating another debt as I did not learn my lesson as my parents helped me pay off my debt problem. So I am in the process of paying it off again but this time on a NAB 0% balance transfer and this time I am being more careful with my money.
Having too many applications on your credit rating can tarnish your credit rating. One positive though is that if you show that you always pay off your credit card and that you are a safe person to lend to, your credit rating increases! Which means down the track I will have a higher credit rating than someone who may never have had debt by not owning a credit card.
Credit cards can be handy in emergency situations but they do lead to overspending and spending your paycheck early. I have had this problem several times and I need to rectify this. Firstly, one tip from Clitheroe is to always ask before handing over the credit card if a transaction surcharge applies. Secondly, always pay off your balance in full before the required date to avoid paying interest. Thirdly, shop around for the best deals if a credit card is necessary. Last year I was able to get a 0% balance transfer interest rate with no annual fees with HSBC which helped me enormously. Unfortunately I ended up creating another debt as I did not learn my lesson as my parents helped me pay off my debt problem. So I am in the process of paying it off again but this time on a NAB 0% balance transfer and this time I am being more careful with my money.
Having too many applications on your credit rating can tarnish your credit rating. One positive though is that if you show that you always pay off your credit card and that you are a safe person to lend to, your credit rating increases! Which means down the track I will have a higher credit rating than someone who may never have had debt by not owning a credit card.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Savings
Saving is the key to financial security. As a student, I have many expenses and it is very difficult to save. Thus little savings can make a big impact on my lifestyle.
In chapter 3 of Money, it states that "no other factor is as important in becoming financially secure as saving. It's even more important than investment."
Savings = deferred consumption
It is not a spend later on account. Now that is a tricky concept which I had not realised before beginning this course.
Also a high interest online account is better value than term deposits. With term deposits, you can't access your cash in case of emergencies. It is fixed in so you can't take that money out.
From my research, Ubank is the online account to open (which I did and my brother and his girlfriend also have on my advice)! It has a high base interest rate of 5.51%, with a .10% bonus if you deposit $100 per month into the account. I had one question regarding my statement and the customer service was quick and polite. Very impressed with Ubank!
The next highest base rate was ME online savings at 4.85% with Bankwest being the next highest for max interest rate at 5.51%. I personally don't like Bankwest's offer as the rate drops down to 3.75% if you withdraw money.
Another important aspect when looking for savings accounts is to check the frequency of the interest calculation and when it gets paid into your savings account. As it takes time for the compounding power to kick in, the earlier you start the better!!
In chapter 3 of Money, it states that "no other factor is as important in becoming financially secure as saving. It's even more important than investment."
Savings = deferred consumption
It is not a spend later on account. Now that is a tricky concept which I had not realised before beginning this course.
Also a high interest online account is better value than term deposits. With term deposits, you can't access your cash in case of emergencies. It is fixed in so you can't take that money out.
From my research, Ubank is the online account to open (which I did and my brother and his girlfriend also have on my advice)! It has a high base interest rate of 5.51%, with a .10% bonus if you deposit $100 per month into the account. I had one question regarding my statement and the customer service was quick and polite. Very impressed with Ubank!
The next highest base rate was ME online savings at 4.85% with Bankwest being the next highest for max interest rate at 5.51%. I personally don't like Bankwest's offer as the rate drops down to 3.75% if you withdraw money.
Another important aspect when looking for savings accounts is to check the frequency of the interest calculation and when it gets paid into your savings account. As it takes time for the compounding power to kick in, the earlier you start the better!!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
MoneyStrands
More on Moneystrands. It really is an excellent site for a student. You need to play around a bit with it to understand it but that effort goes a long way.
The customer service is excellent. I had a few problems and thus I emailed late in the afternoon. By the next morning I had a response. 5 stars for this!
My main problem was getting my balances to adjust. You have to realise that the settings is on US dollars, not Aussie and so you need to go to the settings section to change it.
The other problem is putting your transactions into the right categories. This needs to be done manually sometimes as the computer doesn't correctly identify where you spent your money.
After you do that you can look at the analysis page that creates pie charts to show you how you have spent your money over different periods.
You can also create a budget and during the month it tracks how much you have spent against how much you have budgeted.
Overall, this is an excellent site for a student to track his or her money in a simple, easy manner!! Very impressed!
The customer service is excellent. I had a few problems and thus I emailed late in the afternoon. By the next morning I had a response. 5 stars for this!
My main problem was getting my balances to adjust. You have to realise that the settings is on US dollars, not Aussie and so you need to go to the settings section to change it.
The other problem is putting your transactions into the right categories. This needs to be done manually sometimes as the computer doesn't correctly identify where you spent your money.
After you do that you can look at the analysis page that creates pie charts to show you how you have spent your money over different periods.
You can also create a budget and during the month it tracks how much you have spent against how much you have budgeted.
Overall, this is an excellent site for a student to track his or her money in a simple, easy manner!! Very impressed!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Personal Finance Software Packages
In an earlier blog, I spoke about the use of tracking your expenses. Knowledge is power and if you know what your financial circumstances are and what you can afford to spend, it makes saving and wealth building much easier.
With the course, we were given the expense tracker assignment to follow the movements of our incomes and expenditures. It was briefly spoken about and I went off and researched it.
Microsoft Money was the first financial software I researched. "Microsoft Money Plus is no longer available for purchase. All purchased Money Plus products must be activated prior to Jan. 31, 2011. Online services extensions are no longer available for Money Plus." (http://www.microsoft.com/money/default.mspx) Thus, I don't think there's much point to trying to locate it.
Secondly, whilst researching I realised that most programs you have to PAY for to track your money. So I decided to just research the free programs. At the moment, I don't need a sophisticated program as I don't have a complicated income or expenditure. In the future, I will look further into different programs that can amalgamate all my financial costs such as saving, mortgage, expenses, deferred saving, credit cards, car insurance and health insurance.
As a student, FREE is beautiful.
The first software program I looked at was http://www.mint.com/. This had many good reviews. I liked the setup. However when I tried creating an account you needed a zipcode, thus it was more suited to the American market.
The second site I looked at in detail was http://www.clearcheckbook.com/. This was suitable for people from many countries as they had many currency types. However, when you looked further into the site you realised that for you needed premium membership to get all the benefits of the site. Thus, it is no longer free.
Third site was http://www.myspendingplan.com/. This once again needed a zipcode so not useful for Australian residents.
The fourth site I looked at and eventually joined was https://money.strands.com/. I quite like this site. It is secure, Mc Afee protects the website so you don't need to worry about getting hacked. As the program is over the internet, you can access it anywhere you have an internet connection. The first thing you do is add accounts. This site is also American based but it is very user friendly to people from other countries. One thing I did not like was that my totals were slightly off. This is because for one of my transactions that was a bpay from my savings account to pay a bill, they added it to my credit card payment. So a few things will need to be changed manually. This program also creates pie charts of your costs but you will need to manually change some of the categories they are in if the website interprets them wrong. However, this is still a great device they have. They also have lots of other sections so it's quite impressive for a student who has never used such a tool before.
With the course, we were given the expense tracker assignment to follow the movements of our incomes and expenditures. It was briefly spoken about and I went off and researched it.
Microsoft Money was the first financial software I researched. "Microsoft Money Plus is no longer available for purchase. All purchased Money Plus products must be activated prior to Jan. 31, 2011. Online services extensions are no longer available for Money Plus." (http://www.microsoft.com/money/default.mspx) Thus, I don't think there's much point to trying to locate it.
Secondly, whilst researching I realised that most programs you have to PAY for to track your money. So I decided to just research the free programs. At the moment, I don't need a sophisticated program as I don't have a complicated income or expenditure. In the future, I will look further into different programs that can amalgamate all my financial costs such as saving, mortgage, expenses, deferred saving, credit cards, car insurance and health insurance.
As a student, FREE is beautiful.
The first software program I looked at was http://www.mint.com/. This had many good reviews. I liked the setup. However when I tried creating an account you needed a zipcode, thus it was more suited to the American market.
The second site I looked at in detail was http://www.clearcheckbook.com/. This was suitable for people from many countries as they had many currency types. However, when you looked further into the site you realised that for you needed premium membership to get all the benefits of the site. Thus, it is no longer free.
Third site was http://www.myspendingplan.com/. This once again needed a zipcode so not useful for Australian residents.
The fourth site I looked at and eventually joined was https://money.strands.com/. I quite like this site. It is secure, Mc Afee protects the website so you don't need to worry about getting hacked. As the program is over the internet, you can access it anywhere you have an internet connection. The first thing you do is add accounts. This site is also American based but it is very user friendly to people from other countries. One thing I did not like was that my totals were slightly off. This is because for one of my transactions that was a bpay from my savings account to pay a bill, they added it to my credit card payment. So a few things will need to be changed manually. This program also creates pie charts of your costs but you will need to manually change some of the categories they are in if the website interprets them wrong. However, this is still a great device they have. They also have lots of other sections so it's quite impressive for a student who has never used such a tool before.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Savings
Saving is the conservation of money. Methods of saving include putting money aside in a bank or pension plan. Saving also includes reducing expenditures, such as recurring costs. In terms of personal finance, saving specifies low-risk preservation of money, as in a deposit account, versus investment, wherein risk is higher.
Saving is different to DEFERRED SPENDING. This is a concept that I had not thought of until this course. Real saving is when you never plan to spend that money. Saving for a holiday is deferred spending as you will eventually spend the money.
I realise I have only ever done deferred spending. A scary thought. I also realise that with my situation, I won't be able to begin building real savings until after I finish my degree this year. I will also need a savings buffer of $10,000 in case of emergencies. I won't have that by the end of this summer. I am aiming for a $2500 buffer amount for uni which I believe will get spent as Centrelink Austudy and rent assistance will not cover my bills and accommodation expenses.
Thus most of my savings thoughts are for the beginning of 2011 when I will earn a full time salary. I plan to live in Perth next year with my parents to eliminate the cost of rent and most bills as my parents will subsidise my living expenses. However, I aim to give my parents half my wage to help them reduce their mortgage costs.
The most important aspect of saving is knowing your limits. I need to relearn what is a "need" versus a "want". I need to be SMART (Specific Measurable Achieveable Realistic Time). I also believe contentment in life is important. You can't measure happiness and someone who earns more money is not necessarily more fulfilled in life.
Ways to save as a student:
- Shop at ALDI for groceries with a weekly shopping list. NO IMPULSE BUYS!!
- Go to the gym often, thus using up some of your time that you might use to go spend money.
- Make lunch for uni every day.
- Reduce going out and only take the amount of money you are willing to spend in your wallet. Leave all other means of obtaining money at home.
- Borrow movies and books from friends, thus not having to pay for entertainment.
- Use the University library for all internet purposes, thus not having to pay an extra bill.
- Pay with cash, then you know exactly how much you are spending.
- Don't use shopping as a hobby, find other activities that take up your time.
- Shop around and WAIT FOR SALES!
- Go to the Fruit and Vegetable market to buy fresh produce for the week as they are normally much cheaper.
- Borrow friend's textbooks who have already passed the course to reduce uni costs
- Have a cup of coffee at home before you go to uni
- Collect coupons and follow the weekly sales at the grocery store
- Kick the bottled water habit; support your local tap water and drink for free.
- Pick up a local newspaper and check upcoming events for freebies: concerts, arts and crafts fairs, theater, festivals, art galleries, and museums.
-If you have to shop, make sure you patronise places that offer student discounts.
- Buy in Bulk.
- Try to get an appartment which is close to campus to avoid paying travel costs.
- Communicate via email, thus saving texting fees.
- Use skype to skype as this is FREE!!
- Go to the uni hair dresser for a haircut - only $30!!
- Take hand-me-downs!
- Have a pre-paid mobile.
- Eat less meat, meat is expensive!
Saving is different to DEFERRED SPENDING. This is a concept that I had not thought of until this course. Real saving is when you never plan to spend that money. Saving for a holiday is deferred spending as you will eventually spend the money.
I realise I have only ever done deferred spending. A scary thought. I also realise that with my situation, I won't be able to begin building real savings until after I finish my degree this year. I will also need a savings buffer of $10,000 in case of emergencies. I won't have that by the end of this summer. I am aiming for a $2500 buffer amount for uni which I believe will get spent as Centrelink Austudy and rent assistance will not cover my bills and accommodation expenses.
Thus most of my savings thoughts are for the beginning of 2011 when I will earn a full time salary. I plan to live in Perth next year with my parents to eliminate the cost of rent and most bills as my parents will subsidise my living expenses. However, I aim to give my parents half my wage to help them reduce their mortgage costs.
The most important aspect of saving is knowing your limits. I need to relearn what is a "need" versus a "want". I need to be SMART (Specific Measurable Achieveable Realistic Time). I also believe contentment in life is important. You can't measure happiness and someone who earns more money is not necessarily more fulfilled in life.
Ways to save as a student:
- Shop at ALDI for groceries with a weekly shopping list. NO IMPULSE BUYS!!
- Go to the gym often, thus using up some of your time that you might use to go spend money.
- Make lunch for uni every day.
- Reduce going out and only take the amount of money you are willing to spend in your wallet. Leave all other means of obtaining money at home.
- Borrow movies and books from friends, thus not having to pay for entertainment.
- Use the University library for all internet purposes, thus not having to pay an extra bill.
- Pay with cash, then you know exactly how much you are spending.
- Don't use shopping as a hobby, find other activities that take up your time.
- Shop around and WAIT FOR SALES!
- Go to the Fruit and Vegetable market to buy fresh produce for the week as they are normally much cheaper.
- Borrow friend's textbooks who have already passed the course to reduce uni costs
- Have a cup of coffee at home before you go to uni
- Collect coupons and follow the weekly sales at the grocery store
- Kick the bottled water habit; support your local tap water and drink for free.
- Pick up a local newspaper and check upcoming events for freebies: concerts, arts and crafts fairs, theater, festivals, art galleries, and museums.
-If you have to shop, make sure you patronise places that offer student discounts.
- Buy in Bulk.
- Try to get an appartment which is close to campus to avoid paying travel costs.
- Communicate via email, thus saving texting fees.
- Use skype to skype as this is FREE!!
- Go to the uni hair dresser for a haircut - only $30!!
- Take hand-me-downs!
- Have a pre-paid mobile.
- Eat less meat, meat is expensive!
December Expenses
As I am living at home, my Expense Tracker does not portray my average income and expenses over the year. My parents subsidise my living expenses dramatically as I don't have to pay for rent and bills. My only costs are personal which consist of the Humor Foundation, gym membership and a mobile phone. However, due to Sydney being expensive and living beyond my means I am in debt to my parents of $8500. Thus my repayments to my parents will be similiar to rent, bills and other living costs. I aim to create a budget where I will only spend $150 a week on personal expenses for living in Sydney which will include food, mobile phone, gym, travelling and miscellaneous. I don't know yet if I am being overambitious as every year I come home with debt so I shall see if I can create a budget by the end of the blog that can satisfy my personal needs without putting too much pressure on myself.
Education -29
Healthcare -54.8
Income +4178.09
Telephone -27.45
Food -43.75
Professional -18
Miscellaneous -172.6
Financial -3492.13
Charity -25
Gifts -583.52
Clothing -427.38
Computer -61
Personal -40
Transport -184.8
Holidays -375
Total -1356.34
This month I have overspent by a lot which is completely UNACCEPTABLE! This means I need to reevaluate my spending habits.
However a few expenses were due to the christmas period or paid for in advance. Next month my gifts column will be reduced dramatically as I will only have Mavis' bday to account for. Transport and holidays were flights I have paid for in advance and thus were one-offs. I will no longer have a computer expense as I no longer have a computer. However, I am looking into getting a laptop for uni. I need to evaluate whether this is a necessity or a luxury and whether my budget can accommodate it.
This month my healthcare is going to sky rocket as I need to go to the dentist and naturopath. These are necessary and important. I am lucky as I am under my father's HCF private cover as I am still a dependent as I am a student for and this will reduce costs for me. I need to research what I am covered for and what the different private covers are as I will soon graduate and will no longer be under my father's cover.
Education -29
Healthcare -54.8
Income +4178.09
Telephone -27.45
Food -43.75
Professional -18
Miscellaneous -172.6
Financial -3492.13
Charity -25
Gifts -583.52
Clothing -427.38
Computer -61
Personal -40
Transport -184.8
Holidays -375
Total -1356.34
This month I have overspent by a lot which is completely UNACCEPTABLE! This means I need to reevaluate my spending habits.
However a few expenses were due to the christmas period or paid for in advance. Next month my gifts column will be reduced dramatically as I will only have Mavis' bday to account for. Transport and holidays were flights I have paid for in advance and thus were one-offs. I will no longer have a computer expense as I no longer have a computer. However, I am looking into getting a laptop for uni. I need to evaluate whether this is a necessity or a luxury and whether my budget can accommodate it.
This month my healthcare is going to sky rocket as I need to go to the dentist and naturopath. These are necessary and important. I am lucky as I am under my father's HCF private cover as I am still a dependent as I am a student for and this will reduce costs for me. I need to research what I am covered for and what the different private covers are as I will soon graduate and will no longer be under my father's cover.
Unit 2 - Your Budget
A budget is your best guess of what your expenses will be.
Creating a budget and STICKING to it is vital to good money management. Sticking to a budget forces you to become disciplined with money. One of the main problems with budgets, which I have often done myself, is to place unrealistic expectations on yourself for the amount of money you will save and spend.
The first step in creating a budget is tracking all your income and expenses for 2 months prior to making a budget. This is being done currently for the course with the Expense Tracker. This will help you to create an accurate and FLEXIBLE budget.
There are software programs that can help you with it as lecturer Andrew Hingston has suggested such as Quicken or Microsoft Money. As of yet I have not seen these two programs but will post my thoughts on it on further blogs.
Creating a budget and STICKING to it is vital to good money management. Sticking to a budget forces you to become disciplined with money. One of the main problems with budgets, which I have often done myself, is to place unrealistic expectations on yourself for the amount of money you will save and spend.
The first step in creating a budget is tracking all your income and expenses for 2 months prior to making a budget. This is being done currently for the course with the Expense Tracker. This will help you to create an accurate and FLEXIBLE budget.
There are software programs that can help you with it as lecturer Andrew Hingston has suggested such as Quicken or Microsoft Money. As of yet I have not seen these two programs but will post my thoughts on it on further blogs.
Wealth Builder - Chapter One
From Making Money, there were a few quotes that sprung out at me.
"You will only achieve your objectives by spending less than you earn."
"It's not what you earn that matters - it's how much you spend."
"Make a commitment to the concept "if you can't afford it, you can't afford it""
"If it looks to good to be true then it is".
These quotes made me look and question my money spending habits. From my past, I was bad with money but I never looked deep into what I did wrong and how I could fix it PERMANENTLY. I created debt and then I repaid it with interest as I lived above my means. If I want to live a comfortable life I need to change my behaviour and the concept Getting Rich Slowly hit home. I need to save money slowly to become rich in the long term. I need to compromise with myself. I have a bad habit of getting into cycles where I overspend and then to compensate I underspend which leads me back to overspend as I feel as if I owe it to myself. This cycle needs to break for a healthy monetary pattern. My only defence is that I have very little money as I have to live away from home and the circumstances have made it hard to save money, but not impossible.
I don't think it will be feasible for me to start permanent savings until after I finish uni as I need to repay the debt I owe to my parents. That is my first priority - a short term goal that will be achieved by the end of 2010.
This blog will help me analyse what I spend my money on, possible cutbacks and future budgets for when I have a stable income. The key is Get Rich slowly, small savings over a long amount of time. I need to be patient so that the retired Sabina will have a healthy nest egg to live off.
"You will only achieve your objectives by spending less than you earn."
"It's not what you earn that matters - it's how much you spend."
"Make a commitment to the concept "if you can't afford it, you can't afford it""
"If it looks to good to be true then it is".
These quotes made me look and question my money spending habits. From my past, I was bad with money but I never looked deep into what I did wrong and how I could fix it PERMANENTLY. I created debt and then I repaid it with interest as I lived above my means. If I want to live a comfortable life I need to change my behaviour and the concept Getting Rich Slowly hit home. I need to save money slowly to become rich in the long term. I need to compromise with myself. I have a bad habit of getting into cycles where I overspend and then to compensate I underspend which leads me back to overspend as I feel as if I owe it to myself. This cycle needs to break for a healthy monetary pattern. My only defence is that I have very little money as I have to live away from home and the circumstances have made it hard to save money, but not impossible.
I don't think it will be feasible for me to start permanent savings until after I finish uni as I need to repay the debt I owe to my parents. That is my first priority - a short term goal that will be achieved by the end of 2010.
This blog will help me analyse what I spend my money on, possible cutbacks and future budgets for when I have a stable income. The key is Get Rich slowly, small savings over a long amount of time. I need to be patient so that the retired Sabina will have a healthy nest egg to live off.
Top Ten Tips From Clitheroe
Paul Clitheroe is one of Australia's leading media commentators on financial issues and is renowned for his ability to explain complex money issues in plain English. His books have sold more than 600,000 copies. He is a regular radio commentator and writes weekly newspaper columns.
From his book "Making Money", he has 10 top tips for looking after your cash:
1. Have a Plan (In Writing).This is basically a Financial Plan. This is one of the requirements of the course.
2. Budget and take control of your money.
The Expense Tracker Assignment will allow you to see how you are spending your money and from it an adequate budget can be made.
3. Save little, save often.
4. Avoid punting and silly risks.
5. Don't plan to save cash.
6. Plan to own your own home debt-free.
7. Super is good - use it.
8. Minimise tax.
9. Protect your assets.
This means insurance.
10. Take advice if you need it.
That is the purpose of the course, to learn more about managing money.
These are the fundamentals of creating and protecting your wealth. Through the blog, and the course we shall learn how to make the most of these 10 tips!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
My situation
The thing I have not done very well with my finances is organising my cash flow. It is vital to know the comings and goings of your income and expenses, especially if you don't have much to play with as I do.
There are four forms of income (as stated in Andrew Hingston's slides):
1. Salary or Wage
2. Building savings investment portfolio
3. Parents
4. Social Security
Currently, I am working over the summer with Main Roads Western Australia as a student engineer. I am earning approximately $1200 fortnightly after tax. I also receive some Youth Allowance as I am independent for Centrelink purposes. However, I don't receive Rent Assistance at the moment as I am living with my parents over the break. My financial situation over summer is very different to what I experience over the majority of the year. I am in debt to my parents as I have lived above my means in Sydney during the uni semesters every year since I started. My aim is to pay of $3500 of the $8500 I owe to them, as well as having enough savings so that I no longer need to ask my parents for money over the uni break.
Thus, currently my income is 1 and 3 but for the majority of the year it normally is 3 and 4. Option 2 has been non-existent. My aim for the rest of the year is to exist on 2 and 4. I am not financially independent as i rely on my parents for money to help support me.
There are four forms of income (as stated in Andrew Hingston's slides):
1. Salary or Wage
2. Building savings investment portfolio
3. Parents
4. Social Security
Currently, I am working over the summer with Main Roads Western Australia as a student engineer. I am earning approximately $1200 fortnightly after tax. I also receive some Youth Allowance as I am independent for Centrelink purposes. However, I don't receive Rent Assistance at the moment as I am living with my parents over the break. My financial situation over summer is very different to what I experience over the majority of the year. I am in debt to my parents as I have lived above my means in Sydney during the uni semesters every year since I started. My aim is to pay of $3500 of the $8500 I owe to them, as well as having enough savings so that I no longer need to ask my parents for money over the uni break.
Thus, currently my income is 1 and 3 but for the majority of the year it normally is 3 and 4. Option 2 has been non-existent. My aim for the rest of the year is to exist on 2 and 4. I am not financially independent as i rely on my parents for money to help support me.
Introduction
Financial Security is having enough cash to support yourself for the essentials and having an emergency stash for times of trouble so that you never need to worry about money. It is a very important aspect to life. Without financial security, there is uncertainty about the things that you can afford and thus do. Without financial security, there is a lot pressure about when the next paycheck is coming.
As a student, I don't have financial security as I don't have a secure income that is able to cover all my expenses with extra for luxuries and savings. This creates pressure and through this blog I am hoping to create a financial plan that is able to help me through my final year of university debt-free, an achievement I have not been able to do in my previous years!
As a student, I don't have financial security as I don't have a secure income that is able to cover all my expenses with extra for luxuries and savings. This creates pressure and through this blog I am hoping to create a financial plan that is able to help me through my final year of university debt-free, an achievement I have not been able to do in my previous years!
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