January 2016

Tweaking Your Life Stage Investment Strategy

by Jeremy

No matter what your attitude is toward money, the one thing that we all have in common is the need for financial security. The safest approach is to start a savings account, but that won’t get you too far when it comes to big life events like buying a home, raising a family or getting ready for retirement. While it’s important to accumulate cash for emergency liquidity, it’s equally important to devise a smart investment strategy to grow your wealth. You have to make sure that it’s flexible enough to change as your life circumstances change. This approach requires you to think realistically about your future and get really specific about how much money you need to live comfortably at each … Read more

What’s in Your Pocket Change? How To Start Coin Collecting

by Guest Contributor

The following is a guest post. If you would like to write an article for Money Q&A, please visit our Guest Posting Guidelines page and then send me an email.

Could you imagine a hobby that would enhance your appreciation of art, while expanding your knowledge in politics, history, and geography? You should consider coin collecting. This would help you gain and strengthen organizational skills, which means you’d have better opportunities socializing with other people who have the same interest.

If the answer is yes, then coin collecting might be perfect for you. So, the question is, would it be practical to embrace such a hobby?

Would coin collecting be valuable once you hit your golden years? The answer is yes, and we’d bet a bottom silver dollar on it. Here’s why.

History of Coin Collecting

Coin collecting is very popular nowadays. In fact, a lot of collectors buy and collect coins for personal pleasure and enjoyment, but there are those who also see it as an investment.

In ancient times, coin collecting was a hobby that only appealed to royalty, and was known as the “Hobby of Kings”. Around the 14th century, coin collecting became seemingly popular and records of coin collecting began to mark history in numismatics. It wasn’t until the 19th century that coin collecting spread to other social classes.

Today, coin collecting is more systematized and extremely accessible. There are coin conventions almost anywhere you go, as well as a number of numismatic organizations to join.

Begin With Pocket Change

There are several levels of coin collecting. To start, here are some of the oldest coins that are worth more than the face value and could be in your pocket change.

Saving for a House Deposit When You’re Already On a Budget

by Guest Contributor

Have you struggled saving for a house deposit in the UK? You may have heard about the helping hand that first time home buyers are getting in the UK from the government, with the Help to Buy scheme and Help to Buy ISA.

Unfortunately in the US, we don’t have anything similar. And, saving for a house deposit can be extremely difficult for people looking to buy their first homes. Here are some tips for saving for a house deposit.

Tips for Saving for a House Deposit On A Budget

If you’re struggling with saving for a house deposit which can be such a daunting sum, here are some tips on saving for a house deposit and get your savings back on track.

Open a Separate Bank Account

Open a separate bank account for your savings. While this seems obvious, many people let their savings add up in the bank account their salaries are paid into, meaning that once your savings start to build up, it’s easy to accidentally dip into them.

Having your savings in a separate bank account also means you can choose the account that offers the highest interest rate to maximize your money.

Bank Any Surprise Cash

If you receive a sum of money you hadn’t planned for a tax return, a bonus at work or even money from friends or family, then bank all of it. No matter how large or small, putting these unplanned funds into your savings account rather than treating yourself.

A Brief Overview of Chapter 11 Reorganization Bankruptcy

by Hank Coleman

Bankruptcy is an ever present specter for businesses large and small, and though it can happen unexpectedly or over a long, drawn out process where the business just can’t manage its debts, it’s not the end of the world. A business has the option to file for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy.

Naturally, if it’s your business that you have started and grown from small through medium to large, it can be quite a blow when you find that there are problems with the business’ finances. When you reach the stage where you have financial difficulties that you can’t sort out yourself, then you need to look at options for moving forward as soon as you can.

As a business, therefore, you have the option to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but you need to know what is involved and the implications of doing so. You can also file for Chapter 11 as an individual sole trader or as a partnership if the circumstances permit.

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An Overview of Chapter 11 Reorganization

How to Start

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy case starts when a petition is filed in the bankruptcy court and is usually voluntary. As the debtor, you will generally take the initiative for the filing.

Though a group of your creditors can get together and file what is known as an involuntary Chapter 11 petition. This would be against a defaulting debtor.