Finance
The Impact of Money on the Self
Money has a strange effect on people. Those who launch companies that become successful, especially the young, may feel conflicted on what to do with their sudden accumulation of wealth. There may be guilt, that one person earns more than others. It’s also common to feel joyous and waste it all in a frenzy with no real sense of planning. The truly wealthy are those who exercise extreme discipline in managing their money and its impact on the self.
The Meaning Behind Money
Listen to some people and you’ll hear that money is the only thing fueling charity and museums. Others will tell you money is systemic of greed. Some will say money can help preserve nature, others say the accumulation of wealth is the directly related to the destruction of nature. That signals a deep divide in how some people perceive wealth. Those who argue that more should be given to the poor may not donate money or time themselves. This is not to say the rich are to be pitied, only that there is a disconnect between what we can do with the means we accumulate.
If wealth is the root of all evil, then wealth will remain unattainable and the world will always seem unfair and opposing. After all, only evil people get rich.
So it’s important for all of us to understand the impact that money has on the self. Be honest with your intentions on spending money and money will find a positive use.
Samuel Phineas Uphamis an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Samual Phineas Upham website or Linkedin page.
Why Real Estate Investing is In Vogue Again
Investing in your future seems very overwhelming at first glance. There are differences between stocks, bonds, and funds that signal higher or lower returns and tax implications for you. Real estate is another factor that is often overlooked by the average investor, but it’s a simple prospect that almost anyone can get into. Even owning your own home is considered some form of real estate investing, and upping the returns on your investment can be as simple as paying attention to your local market.
Renting is Up
Rental properties are increasingly finding value, especially in areas like Los Angeles. First time home buyers are increasingly choosing to wait on their investments, pooling their money together and looking for a higher down payment. When you buy a property for real estate investment, renters are the most obvious source of cash flow. Look for properties in a good area with a high concentration of renters if you want to get the most out of your initial investment.
Larger Returns
The returns on a property, even a property you own yourself, will be much greater percentage wise than those of your average low-risk savings vehicle. That is to say that the money you invest in the property, in the form of improvements to it, tend to have a higher payout for you if you invest that money strategically. Places like the kitchen, master bedroom and bathrooms are likely to give you the highest bang for your buck.
Choosing how to invest is almost as important as choosing what to invest in. Also realize that your income levels will change over time, which means you can put more in the bank.
3 tips for choosing a mortgage
Choosing the right mortgage can be a tough decision. There are many factors that ought to be taken into consideration in order to avoid any contingencies in the years to come. The tips below might be helpful.
Know what you can afford
Most financial decisions would start with this step. Knowing what you can afford is about knowing where you stand financially. You might think about going through your monthly spending to determine what is within your budget in terms of the house, insurance, mortgage and property taxes. You might also think about including monthly maintenance and utility costs. Your credit report would also have to be checked to ensure that get the lowest interest rate possible on your mortgage.
Compare Loans
This shopping around takes time and energy, but it is unfortunately required in order to guarantee the best decision and more savings. You can consider a mortgage lender or mortgage broker. Brokers would sell you a loan from a lender. However, neither of these professionals would be finding the best loan for you. You would have to carry out the research yourself.
Understand loan prices and fees
Customers often make the mistake of accepting the first loan that they are being offered without thinking about looking around for a better deal. You might also keep in mind that lenders and brokers alike have a consideration for the profit that they would receive once you agree to the terms of a particular loan with higher interests or higher fees. Understanding and comparing prices yourself is the best way to strike a deal.
All about Online Credit Card Acceptance
Article submitted by Total Merchant Services
If you are looking for an internet or retail merchant account, then you can consider taking help from Total Merchant Services. It is a fact that with an increasing popularity of online shopping, most of the web based businesses have started providing credit card processing services to their clients. Today, a lot of people depend upon their credit cards for satisfying their buying habits. If you also wish to enjoy online shopping facility, then it is extremely important for you to look out for some worthy online credit card acceptance services. Today, more than 80% of the goods are purchased with the help of credit cards through online sites like www.total-merchant-services.com.
If you are facing any kind of problem in locating the best online credit card acceptance services, then you can consider taking help from professional and experienced online business merchants. A lot of people derail their efforts in order to get the best online credit card processing services. However, there are certain facts that you must always keep in mind or else, you might end up on the losing side. First of all, you must consult an experienced online business merchant and take help of his online business merchant account. Secondly, you need to choose the right provider who can easily help you in attaining the right business merchant services at best price rates. You must always try to plan out your financial resources carefully because most of the provider asks for tech support fees and software fees. You can also consider taking help of wireless credit card terminal services in order to save your money.
Merchant Account Contracts: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Guest post Provided by Charge.com Payment Solutions, Inc. Charge.com a company designed to serve small business merchants that accept credit cards online, while providing low cost and flexible options. Visit the Charge.com website for more information.
When most people hear the word “contract”, be it a cell phone contract or a lease agreement, they shift a little in their seats. Contract sounds like a bad word. Contracts can mean a loss of freedom, and a sneaking suspicion that you’re not the one truly benefitting from it. But there are certain advantages and disadvantages to having a contract with internet merchant accounts.
The Good: Contracts with credit card processing companies do have certain benefits for online merchants. A contract outlines the responsibilities of each party so it is clear and concise.
The Bad: Six month or yearlong contracts are not always in the interest of the merchant. Contracts are made by the merchant service to protect their profits, and rightfully so. But as a merchant you need to make sure that the benefits are in your favor as the merchant if you accept credit cards online. Be sure if you do choose a contract, to read the fine print, make sure the agent hands you all the pages, and make sure there are no termination fees.
The Ugly: But there are many hassles that come with a contract that you may not want to deal with. For example early termination fees that could come with a contract are a bad sign. You need flexibility for your merchant services for more freedom and control. You can’t predict everything in the future as a merchant, and sometimes you simply just need to change your mind about how you do your business. Termination fees can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000. Say goodbye to a month’s worth of leasing, or goodbye to that new investment that could really profit your business or even goodbye to that new desk chair. There is always a cost of doing business, but why make sacrifices that don’t need to be made?
Cash Back Credit Cards
Because of the increasing popularity of credit card use nowadays, a lot of companies are competing with one another in terms of getting more customers. Because of this, a lot of promotions and schemes have been offered by various credit card companies, and one of them is cash back credit cards. These credit cards reimburse the holder for a certain percentage of their purchases. The cash back credit cards usually offer 0.5% up to 2% rebate from purchases. Some of these cards raise the percentage of rebate up to 5%, which attracted more people.
Cash back credit card rebates can be claimed in many ways. First, you can accumulate the rebates you get and use it to pay your annual fees. Second, the credit card company can write a check for the amount of rebate, and finally, the credit card company can deduct the rebates you have earned in you current billing statement.
Some of the benefits that cash back credit card holders can enjoy are the convenience of not having to pay for annual fees ever again. Another advantage is that you can convert these cash back rewards into other rewards like miles conversion or rewards points conversion, which entitles you to exchange the said points for some gifts. Finally, the cash back credit card is the only credit card which is flexible. Unlike other types of cards like the miles card, and other credit cards, you cannot convert them into cash or points. The cash back credit card is an all-in-one card which gives you the flexibility of having all the benefits of other cards into one credit card.
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