Guest Contributor on Money Questions and Answers Blog

Cash in a Flash: Why You Need to Start an Emergency Fund Today

Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step One - $1,000 Emergency Fund In The Bank

One of the most important pieces of financial advice around there is to start an emergency fund. Most people are aptly aware of it but still choose to do nothing about it. They are not sure how to start an emergency fund. There could be many reasons for this as to why no one has acted on this advice yet. But, because of this over a third of Americans are unable to pay for unexpected emergency expenses, as their savings is simply not there. There is a lot of reasons to start an emergency fund today. How to Start an Emergency Fund Starting the Fund There are strategies and various reasons behind starting an emergency fund. You’ll need to stack … Read more

Saving Money Everyday – How To Save On Everyday Expenses

by Guest Contributor

We live in a world where the cost of living is going up each day. In order to keep up, we either must find a way to earn more or find a way to reduce our expenses. These are a few tips to help you save on your everyday expenses.

Make a list

Before you go shopping, make a list and make sure to always stick to it. Pick out everything on the list first before anything extra. Do not go window shopping because you might end up impulse buying. Get everything on the list and leave the store.

Discounts

Look out for great discounts. Learn all there is to know about promo codes and always be keen so that no deals go by. You can get great deals by watching out for these. Do not rush for these offers though, note that they have no refunds and the sale is final. Be very sure about your purchase.

At Amazon.com, you can also enjoy discounts once you sign up for their “Subscribe and save programs”. Goods are also usually shipped to your location for free. Save a few dollars a week.

Splitting bulk goods

When you got to Costco with a friend, you can buy a product in bulk for a cheaper per unit price and split the items. The both of you can save a lot of money by doing this every time you go shopping together. Pair up with a friend and do this on a regular basis.

Investing Demystified – A Five Video Series from Popular Investing Book

by Guest Contributor

You may unnecessarily be paying the equivalent of five Porsche sports cars to the finance industry over your working life! Check out this investing video series on www.kroijer.com by Lars Kroijer, who used to run a hedge fund in London and wrote the book, “Investing Demystified: How to Invest Without Speculation and Sleepless Nights“. Basically, it says you can’t beat the market, and explain why that is important.

It’s as easy as watching a cute cat video online, except it’s about index funds! But if you spend six minutes watching the first video it could well change how you think about investments. Also, it may save you reading 200 pages of an investment book or give you a good riposte for next time a broker calls you with a hot stock tip.

Investing Demystified

The series consist of five videos – here is a bit on each:

Video 1: Investing Demystified – (Intro Overview – Part 1 of 5)

The Investing Demystified video series is based on the premise that most investor can’t beat the market (or pick investment funds to do so for them). Those investors should only buy world equity index trackers for their equity exposure, and can easily implement the simple and cheap portfolio tailored to their risk profile. They will most likely be far better off in the long run as a result! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_chiIIxMGl0

A Passive Dollar: How to Generate Income with XTrade Europe

by Guest Contributor

No matter what industry you work in, you know that no money comes for free. Any payoff involves an investment of resources such as time, capital, raw materials, or labor. That being said, the recent growth of forex trading has provided an opportunity to traders across the globe to make some extra money from anywhere in the world.

Forex trading – also known as CFD trading or online currency trading – is a market that revolves around the buying, selling, and exchanging of world currencies. The market is based on the changes in currencies’ values and how they are valued in comparison to each other.

Thanks to the omnipresence of the internet, it is possible to trade forex from anywhere in the world, at any time. For example, if you reside in Europe, you can trade using XTrade Europe on your own schedule – whether it be at home or while on vacation.

Keys to Successful Trades

Without a doubt, one of the most important aspects to quality trading is to pay attention to the markets and current events. The more educated you are, the more likely you are to succeed. As a beginner trader, you need to invest the time and effort into learning about the market and how it functions. This means learning about the different terms used in the industry and learning about the different currencies that are used across the globe.

There are a number of different resources, but XTrade Europe runs an educational website where they help beginner traders get on their feet. They have tons of valuable articles, videos, and training materials that will help you get a thorough understanding of how the market works.

Understanding the Civil Litigation Process Can Save You Time and Money

by Guest Contributor

The following is a guest post by Kenn Goldblatt, the author of, “The Pro Se Litigant’s Civil Litigation Handbook“. If you’d like to submit a guest post on Money Q&A, please check out the site’s guest posting guidelines.

The legal industry is the only activity I know where if you make a mistake, you pay. If your attorney makes a mistake, you pay. If your paralegal makes a mistake, you pay. Also, if the opposing attorney makes a mistake, you pay. And if the judge makes a mistake, you pay.

So understanding the civil litigation process can help you avoid expense-causing mistakes and help you keep your lawyer on track – or keep yourself on track if you opt to proceed pro se and represent yourself.

If the lottery worked the same way, the store clerk would tell you to go outside and buy your ticket from an agent. And, the agent would tell you that he or she would take your money. But, they wouldn’t guarantee that you would get a ticket – or get any money if you win.

Understanding the Civil Litigation Process

These days, more and more individuals are deciding for a variety of reasons to represent themselves. In fact, in state and federal courts across the United States, about five million individuals are handling their own civil cases of various sorts.

Whether or not they will be successful and prevail depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is understanding precisely how the civil litigation process works and how they can produce the documents they need to convince the judge that they should win.

Typically, judges loathe pro se litigants because they come to court believing what they learned in sixth grade – that if you just come to court and tell the truth, everything will be all right. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Over 5 million individuals are handling their own civil cases in court each year.Click To Tweet

Shrinking bigshots: Seasoned Leaders Getting Their Kicks

by Guest Contributor

The following is an excerpt from Bill Treasurer’s book, “A Leadership Kick in the Ass“. It has been reprinted with permission for Money Q&A.

The transition of a leader’s career from the top of the crest to the other side can actually be a beautiful thing. This is the time when your wisdom is ripest, when the bulk of your legacy has been established, and when your influence has left a tangible and positive mark. At this stage of your leadership career, you are a leader in full. It’s worth noting that the leadership influence of many leaders became fully expressed late in life.

Benjamin Franklin was 70 when he signed the Declaration of Independence (Samuel Whittemore was 81). Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became president, and 77 when he left office. Golda Meir became Prime Minister of Israel when she was 71. Dr. Ray Irani, the CEO of Occidental Petroleum, is currently 75 years old, making him the oldest Fortune 500 CEO.

While your leadership career may span many years, the current average retirement age in the United States is 62. Given that average life expectancies have been steadily growing, figuring out what to do with all that accumulated leadership wisdom and influence before you retire, will help soften whatever butt-kicks may come when the gates of your career close.

By butt-kicks, I mean embarrassing and humiliating moments in your leadership that serve as a starting point to discover your strengths and values, and become better.