Personal Finance Lessons We Should Learn From This Stock Market Crash
By Lee M Hall
With most of the failing financial institutions gone or acquired by others and a bailout trying to take shape, we should take a moment to reflect on our personal financial situation. In the last several months, people have lost their jobs and homes, lost money in the stock market and endured an emotional roller coaster that no one wants to ride. It’s been tough, to put it mildly. But, it also offers an opportunity of hindsight. Here are a few takeaway lessons we can personally learn from, so we never have to feel trapped like we did for the last few months.

Learning to be flexible and creative

Learn to invest smarter the rest: Easier said the done, right? Actually, it doesn’t have to be complicated as we think. We just have to take a more proactive role in learning to invest rather than just say “we are in it for the long term.” We don’t have to be in the stock market 100% of the time to be in it for the long term. We just need to know what to invest in, when to invest, when to stay out, what to look for, have a stop program to protest us and learn to the correct way to diversify. These posts and my guide give great insight in how to get started. There is no excuse for you not to do better!

Build an emergency savings account: Yeah, yeah, I heard that one before. I know it’s hard and takes discipline, but we realize how important that becomes when things get rough. Having an emergency savings account offers several advantages:

You don’t have to tap your 401(k)
You have to time to rearrange your finances to make things work
You have a financial and, more importantly, an emotional cushion that you can rely on
Developing the discipline to save is a handy, transferable skill that can be used to pay off other things, like credit cards

Pay off credit card debt: Now may not be the best time to pay off your credit card, but you should start to develop a plan of action to eventually pay off credit card debt. That extra $200 or more a month you pay in debt could’ve gone into your pocket or help pays bills. From now on, consider the savings from not having your monthly payment as a raise without asking your boss or as an extra savings advantage when times get tough in the future. Or, you could be putting it towards your retirement plan.

Frugal Living: Tightening your belt during tough times puts you into survival mode. Imagine if you are able to extend that through good times as well. Being able to live cheaply throughout your life provides you not only the economic cushion of savings for you to invest what you have, but cheap living also gives you the resourcefulness of being able to change your life in an instant. If you know how to cut back because it is a part of your normal routine, you can start to build that psychological freedom to reach your life goals. You will now have more economic freedom to move your life in the direction you want it to go. Start by living below your means.

Be willing to change your job or careers: I know it sounds obvious, but when it comes down to it, many don’t want to change. They already know how to do their jobs. Tell that to all the mortgage brokers, real estate agents, construction workers and Wall Street investment bankers who lost their jobs in the last few years. It’s in our best interest to be on the lookout for trends in our own industry, and to be flexible to move to another industry if need be. Focus your attention on the transferable skills you already have. If you need more education, approach your boss, or look to more cost effective educational solutions at the community college to provide alternative career paths.

Value what’s important: Investing right and saving is not the only thing in life that matters. They are just tools so you can live the life your want to live. While they help provide the ability to make choices, it is up to you to examine what you want to do with you life, where you want to go and what you want to experience.

Tough times are a measuring stick for how we handle and adapt to difficult situations. But it also demonstrates how flexible and creative we can be as life changes. We can’t always have an ascending line of wealth presented to us. It’s is up to us to make the changes necessary to give us room during the more difficult times so we can get back on that path when times get better.

At Cheaplee.com, we stick it to the man one penny at a time by showing you how to invest and grow your wealth, share tips to save money and help build a successful retirement plan in order for you to retire early. Learn to secure your future at http://www.cheaplee.com

Financial Advice - How to Choose the Best Loans to Fit Your Needs
By Steven Clarke
Financial advisors will tell you that it is time to embrace the saving days of the past and forgo the borrowing days that are here. But no matter how many you hear this, you will still borrow money. Why? Is borrowing so entrenched in our society that it is impossible to scrimp and save until you can afford something? Hardly! The truth of the matter is that saving for major purchases is just not as feasible today as it was in the past. Soaring property prices, business expenses, costly repairs and the price of living have created a need for loans and other modern financial options.

No matter what you need in today’s economy, there is a loan to assist you. Some of the best loans offered include home loans, car loans, education loans and business loans. Other types of loans include personal loans, Christmas club loans, and revolving loans such as credit cards and store credit cards. Not all loans are created equal. And even the best loans can bury you in debt if you don’t use them the right way.

To ensure that you don’t ‘max out’ your borrowing power and end up under a mountain of debt, you have to assess your needs and choose only the best loans to fit those needs. You may want a top-of-the-range car, nice house, designer clothes and scrapbooks full of holiday photos, but can you afford all of it? This is where loan abuse can come into play. You should only borrow what you should afford. Never finance a lavish lifestyle that is above your means.

When you assess your loan needs, you may have to make sacrifices. For example: If you want to live in a sought-after neighbourhood, you will have to pay more for your home. In order to afford such a home, you may have to drive an old second-hand car that is paid for until you can SAVE the money for a new car. It’s all about picking and choosing the best loans to suit your needs.

When it comes time to choose the best loans to fit your lifestyle, you need to really think about how you live. What is important to you? What can you live without? Do you NEED a nice, dependable car for work? Do you need to pay for a child’s education? Put all of your needs on a list and mark them according to your priorities. The needs that come out on top are what you should finance. You can save for the rest.

You should also keep a close eye on your mix of credit. Most financial advisors recommend that you have one secured loan for every two to three unsecured loans that you have. This includes credit cards. A house payment and a couple of credit cards are ideal. Once you get multiple secured and unsecured loans, you may not be able to keep up. Remember; even the best loans need to be used properly.
Steven Clarke - Marketing Manager for http://www.theloanshelpline.co.uk - We offer a loans advice service which compares all the best UK cheap loans to get you the cheapest loans deal.