How to Have Financial Success While in Your Twenties

by Sandra Hayes

When you reach your twenties, life seems to open up for you. Whether you choose to go to college or pursue a career right away, the freedom and opportunities that come with it can be exhilarating. But you need to know how to have financial success.

That’s why you need to take care of yourself physically during this time. You need to have the energy necessary to go on all of those adventures! The products from Irwin Naturals, Jarrow Labs, and Vital Nutrients can help you to redefine success in personal wellness.

This attitude must also apply to your finances.

Best Things You Can Do to Take Control of Your Finances

When you can make a financial plan for yourself early, then your future can be brighter. The habits that you build now will help you to achieve long-term success. 

1. Establish a Budget

Knowing how to slice up your income into manageable chunks can reduce impulse spending. It is essential to create definitions for your wants, needs, and dreams. Make sure that you have enough available to manage your daily and monthly recurring expenses.

2. Get Insurance

If something unexpected happens, it can be a devastating experience for your finances in your twenties. Having a policy, whether you rent or own, can help you recover quickly so that life can move on without as much difficulty.

3. Follow a Debt Repayment Plan

Student loans are a reality for many young people in their twenties. Make sure that you have a repayment plan in place that your finances can follow. Then avoid credit card debt whenever possible, even if that means you rein in your spending.

4. Create an Emergency Fund

Having insurance will cover most of your financial needs in an emergency. Having money stashed into a savings account that can supply a month’s worth of your basic needs is also essential to have. If you own a home, having your water heater go out can be a $1,500 expense. If you need a new furnace, that could be $5,000.

5. Save for Your Retirement

Retirement might seem like a long way away, but it will eventually catch up to you. Saving early for it allows you to compound interest, dividends, and earnings to amass enough cash so that you can retire comfortably. Follow these investment newsletters to learn more about investing the right way.

Keep all of your financial information secured in a safe place. Then be proactive about following these ideas so that you can have how to have financial success in your twenties.

How to Pick the Right Accounting Software for Your Business

by Sandra Hayes

Accounting and bookkeeping services can require a lot of time to complete. When you own a small business, those precious minutes translate into real currency.


Time investments are money. That’s why you must create efficiencies whenever possible to keep your small business profitable.

Accounting software is an easy way to simplify your bookkeeping needs. If you are ready to make your bookkeeping life more straightforward, then these tips can help you to choose the best tool for your needs.

Tips to Follow When Choosing Accounting Software

1. Consider Your Needs and Overall Skill Level

The needs of a company that earns over $1 million annually are very different from one that generates less than $50,000 in activities. Your skill level in this area will also dictate some of the selection processes. If you have a high level of financial literacy, then you can choose more complicated tools that can automate processes for you.

2. Look at Cloud-Based Applications.

Accounting software on the cloud will come with a variety of unique benefits. You can access your data at any location with an internet connection, avoid the cost of licenses, and always use up-to-date products. Because all of your records are kept at a data center at a different physical location, there is a lower overall risk of a catastrophic loss.

3. Stick to Your Budget

Business accounting software is available for any budget – including companies that need a free solution. You’ll discover that a lower cost typically creates a more generalized application. If you need a specialized product, then your investment will need to be a little more.

4. Pay Attention to Add-ons

Accounting software that offers add-on features can bring extra functionality without a significant expense. You can use this option to have remote access, accept payments, or fuse your e-commerce platform with this setup. Some providers offer packages that are compatible with tax software so that you can automate many of your financial and reporting processes.

5. Work With an Accountant 

If you have an accountant, then this person might prefer a specific application that’s already compatible with what is currently being used. Every business is a little different, so the individual or contractor in charge of your books can offer an educated opinion that you’ll find to be helpful.
Finding the right accounting software is not a decision to take likely. It is a costly experience to choose one, only to discover that you must switch to a new product within a few months. By making the right choice, you can start working towards bigger goals, such as building credit, hiring staff, buying tools, and finding ways to save big at tax time.

Apply Financial Business Intelligence Offers with These Growth Opportunities

by Sandra Hayes

Financial business intelligence involves various methods of data collection, processing, and analyzing. It takes information from databases in real-time situations to help executives make better business decisions.

Most companies apply financial business intelligence opportunities through SaaS (software as a service) products that run in the background automatically. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, and process higher data loads faster than ever before.

Today’s business leaders understand that time is also money. Data analytics bring everything together for an organization so that financial datasets can create unique insights that encourage growth.

Best Tools to Use for Financial Business Intelligence

Sisense

This tool allows companies to view, analyze, and collate financial data in meaningful ways. It uses a single dashboard with drag-and-drop functionality to offer granular views to users. The software crunches the information for beginners so that everyone can look for scalability or flexibility.

Looker

A web-based interface works with an organization’s analytics team to glean insights from collected data. It uses an intuitive approach that lets leaders build and share reports instantly, using a single code to design visualizations and analytic modules. It accommodates over 25 different variations.

Wyn Enterprise

Teams can use this browser-based report designer to make more sense out of the data they already have. It provides several functionalities right out of the box, including online document designing. You can integrate this tool into some existing software products to take advantage of several different formats. It also provides an interface that’s easy enough to understand for non-technical users.

Zoho Analytics

This software provides an entire productivity suite with several configurable tools that can maximize production. It offers REST API capabilities to integrate data from several third-party systems so that automatic information collection can happen. The interface is also scalable so that virtually any company can process information at any level of datasets. It even has collaborative spaces for teams to stay productive with their analytics reports.

Qualtrics Research Core

If an organization needs a cloud-based tool, then this research software offers a powerful solution for most SMBs. It empowers brands and marketers to look across all of their verticals, supporting virtually every industry. You can use real-time analysis features, project management opportunities, and smooth tracking.


Financial business intelligence starts when companies work smarter instead of harder. These tools can make that outcome become a reality.  Other steps are important, too. Make sure to follow these investment newsletters to help you to gain a broader understanding of how to grow and invest money.

How to Determine Your Home Buying Budget

by Sandra Hayes

How much house do you think your family can afford?

Houses are typically the most significant purchases that a family makes. Figuring out how much you can afford is one of the first steps toward a home buying budget.

If you follow these steps, then you can get an approximation of how much house you can afford right now.

Step #1: Know Your Monthly Income

Start your budget by determining how much you, your partner, or another co-buyer earns each month. Unless there are specific reasons why you shouldn’t include them, all revenue streams like investment profits and alimony should go into this figure.

Step #2: List Your Costs

Now you will want to make a list of your total housing costs. This figure should include property taxes, insurance policies, and the estimated mortgage interest rate that you will pay. Most families pursue a 30-year mortgage, but there are different lending products available. A shorter loan will result in a larger monthly payment, but smaller interest payments and better rates.


You’ll want to make sure that your total down payment gets figured into this rate.

Step #3: Tally Your Expenses

This part of your budget is the money that goes out to other creditors each month. You must be accurate about how much you’re spending because this will dictate the amount of house that you can reasonably afford.

Additional Steps to Take for Your Home Buying Budget

Maximizing your income to buy your dream house is the worst decision you can make. There must be enough room in your budget to manage unexpected expenses, emergencies, and still save something for your retirement.

That means most families should not be spending more than 28% of their gross monthly income on housing expenses. You should also not have more than 36% of your income already claimed by debt of some type. That means student loans and car payments can impact the amount of house you can afford.

Depending on where you live, your income levels might cover a mortgage or cause you to fall short. Even if a lender is willing to write a loan that takes up a significant portion of your wages, it may not be in your best interest to pursue a house. Work on raising your credit score, improve your debt-to-income ratio, and save up for a down payment of 20% if possible.


When you can follow these steps, then your home buying budget will be easier to implement.

How Companies Use Values Management to Align an Organization

by Sandra Hayes

Almost 90% of employees who know and understand the critical corporate values of their employer have increased engagement levels.

That means benefit programs don’t always need to focus on wellbeing products, processes, or brands like Standard Process, Premier Research Labs, or Host Defense.

Educating workers through values management can be an effective way to achieve organizational alignment. Three primary methods are useful when companies are ready to start this process.

1. It Always Starts at the Top

If the leaders of an organization don’t support its foundational values, then the rest of the workforce will feel the same way. Leadership teams must embody what they hope to achieve if engagement is a top priority.

The values of a company end up being a few marketing sentences on a website instead of a map to guide the organization into the future. When the C-Suite provides consistent examples of expectations, then more progress can occur.

2. Recognize Greatness in People

Most people don’t quit their jobs. They quit their supervisors, managers, and executives. One of the most common reasons for a resignation is a lack of recognition. Most employees don’t want much beyond job security and enough money to support their families. Small bonuses that show appreciation can go a long way for today’s workers.

It also helps to offer a genuine “thank you” every so often. Don’t settle for one of those mass-produced certificates that don’t even have a genuine signature.

3. Redefine Normal

When organizational values are too far away from those of each team, then it might be time to redefine what it means to be normal. Bringing employees into this process can help workers to form real connections with the policies and procedures that impact their lives.


When people have pride in what they do, then it gives them more motivation to become productive. If leaders can be adaptable to the evolutionary changes that happen in their industries, then increasing employee engagement through this process is an effective way to align values.

Setting Goals Must Be the First Step

Transparent goal-setting efforts must be the first step of the alignment process. If your organization doesn’t know its aspirations, then it cannot be an effective leader.

Goals require metrics that can measure successful outcomes. The data that these efforts produce can show everyone the amount of progress that happens each day.

When you have a successful outcome, then your company is supporting an engaged workforce with high morale levels.

6 Best Investment Newsletters to Follow in 2020

by Sandra Hayes

Investments are an essential component of modern financial planning. Interest rates for a savings account are well below 2% in most markets, which means your money loses its value if it stays in that account.

It can be scary to start using stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles to grow your net worth. That’s why following these newsletters in 2020 can be so helpful. You’ll receive information and advice that can help you take your financial planning to the next level.

1. The Motley Fool

This newsletter provides accurate stock picks to help your finances grow. The 2018 version of their content saw 57% growth in their choices, and their ideas have outperformed the market by almost 40% by the end of 2019. If you’d followed this newsletter since its creation, your net worth would be up over 350%.

2. Tim Sykes Penny Stocks Alert

This newsletter watches the low-cost stocks found on the market while tracing day-trading activities. A small fee allows you to follow the same trades so that you can start growing your wealth in the same way. It’s a daily update that comes directly to your inbox.

3. Jim Cramer Action Alerts

This newsletter includes a daily round-up of potential opportunities, including recommendations to buy or sell for any stock. The high-level analysis contains detailed information about a company, the action being taken, and why the decisions were made in the way they were. Then a weekly review occurs where Cramer discusses his portfolio.

4. Zacks Investment Research

This free newsletter resource gives you a daily morning summary of the market. You’ll receive relevant information about what the data means and what you could do next to let your portfolio start growing. It contains numerous links to additional content that covers mutual fund picks, ETFs, and top stock options.

5. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

This monthly magazine covers more than the stock market. You’ll receive tips on how to purchase a vehicle, save for retirement, or secure a mortgage. Topics include bond investing, credit cards, and more. Although it isn’t a free resource, it is just $1 per issue when you sign up for the entire year.

6. Stansberry Research

This newsletter offers research data for people who like to self-manage their portfolios. You’ll receive ideas that come from all over the world so that your wealth has real opportunities to start growing.

Money doesn’t grow on trees. It won’t multiply if you keep it sitting in a savings account. Take the time to follow the best investment newsletters this year so that you can create real opportunities for your net worth. 

How Building Business Credit Without a Personal Guarantee Works

by Sandra Hayes

Small business owners find themselves forced into a situation where they must provide a personal guarantee to receive financing. Lenders want to have this promise because it reduces their risk, but that action causes companies to pay more for the credit they need.

If the business fails, then the lender can come after the person who made the guarantee to recoup the losses.

Since many small businesses operate as sole proprietorships, a personal guarantee is already part of the credit application. Owners in this situation already have their individual and corporate assets intertwined.

If business credit is desired without a personal guarantee, then three specific steps must occur for building business credit without a personal guarantee to be viable.

How to Get Business Credit Without Individual Guarantees

Lenders are already hesitant to extend credit to new businesses. Finding an option with zero ties to personal assets will take some time and planning to accomplish.


That journey begins by implementing these steps as soon as possible. Then you can work to improve the financial reputation of the business in question.

1. Incorporate The Business

A business must be kept separate from individual assets to generate an offer without a personal guarantee. That means it must go through the incorporation process or become an LLC. Partnerships and sole proprietorships see the issuance of a business credit card like a personal loan. By filing for this structure, the company will become more like its own individual.

2. Build The Company’s Credit Score

Do you remember what it was like to try to get credit when you were young? Businesses go through this same process. The company must establish a record of repaying its obligations. That means the owners must apply for credit cards, third-party guaranteed lending, SBA loans, or store-based lines-of-credit to create evidence of responsibility.

3. Pay Bills on Time, Every Time

Creditors want to see that a business has the reputation of paying its bills before they will move away from the idea of a personal guarantee. That means the company might pay a higher interest rate on the loans or credit it receives for the first 12-36 months of existence to establish this record. This will be especially important if the economy makes a downturn into a recession and you see existing and new business slow.

Building business credit without a personal guarantee gets easier over time. If you focus on improving your Dun and Bradstreet score now, then the higher credibility levels you’ll need in the future will develop so that your company can secure an excellent lending product with a fantastic rate.

How to Establish Realistic Business Aspirations

by Sandra Hayes

Business aspirations are something that leadership teams around the world must leverage as a way to inspire themselves and others. This action involves setting goals that push the mission and vision of the company to become better than they are in the present.

The idea of pursuing business aspirations is that you’re going to start reaching for the stars. What gets in the way is the foundation from where the leadership team begins.

If the C-Suite wants to decentralize their role in making decisions, then a structure where these executives must make every final choice will never turn intentions into reality. That’s why a realistic approach to these goals must take place.

How to Set Reasonable Corporate Goals

Companies pursue their business aspirations every day. The firms that know how to set reasonable corporate goals are going to be the ones that see the most success.

It isn’t a secret that successful companies follow best practices that help to set the stage fir where anything becomes possible.

1. Make Each Goal as Specific as Possible

Business goals cannot be vague if you want growth. You must define an end goal, and then create a map of how to reach that eventual outcome. Create specific items to accomplish at each checkpoint.

2. Commit to the Goal-Setting Process.

Business aspirations fail when they only receive lip service. The entire company must commit to the process, staying motivated through each checkpoint until reaching the final destination. There must be a way to restrict procrastination and second-guessing choices to prevent delays from happening.

3. Go Public With Each Goal

It is easier to reach goals when there is a measure of accountability built into the aspirational structure. Invite individuals, teams, or other organizations to participate or audit the existing plans to determine if new best practices are possible. Then take the outside feedback received seriously to improve the quality of the work performed.

4. Set Firm Deadlines

When companies refuse to set deadlines, then the goals they attempt to reach almost always fail. Unless a specific date is in place that draws a line in the sand, the indication is that the business isn’t 100% committed to the stated outcome. This step puts the aspirations into their correct context.

When a company reaches a checkpoint successfully, then it should reward everyone in some way. This final step will help keep people engaged so that it is easier to keep pushing forward to the overall business aspirations.

Financial Planning and Wealth Management for Retirement Tips

by Sandra Hayes

If the average couple wants to retire in the United States at the expected date they quit working and achieve the median lifespan, then $1.25 million is needed at a minimum. That’s in addition to any Social Security benefits that may be available.

That figure assumes that a retirement income of $50,000 per year is necessary. If you can live on less, then you don’t need to save as much.

Most Americans don’t even have $1,000 in their savings account right now. The only way to reach the amount needed for retirement is to start focusing on financial planning and wealth management today.

Financial Planning Tips for Success

Making decisions that improve your financial situation isn’t always comfortable. The basics of wealth management always stay the same. If you can get these tips right, then you’ll see your money start growing.

1. Spend Less Than You Earn

It is impossible to get ahead if your spending is out of control. Even if you live paycheck-to-paycheck, look for cost-cutting opportunities to put a little bit away each month. The savings will start to add up over time.

2. Keep to Your Budget

If you don’t know where your money goes, then it is a challenge to stop paying for things you don’t need. Set savings and spending goals in every budget category so that you can figure out where there are some places to trim.

3. Get Rid of the Credit Card Debt

This problem is the primary issue that holds everyone back from financial independence. Use your credit cards for emergencies only unless you can pay off the balance each month to take advantage of a rewards program. If you have $4,000 on a single card with an average APR, then you’re paying over $500 per year in interest payments alone.

4. Contribute to a Tax-Advantaged Retirement Plan.

If you don’t contribute to a 401(k) plan from your employer, then you’re walking away from free money. Try to maximize your contributions to an IRA and other tax-advantaged programs. It’s a simple way to put 5% of your paycheck into savings, and it can sometimes come before taxes come out of your wages.
When you can maximize your employment benefits and income, then you can grow your wealth if you keep spending in check. Resolve to get the basics right this year by following these steps so that your money worries can come to an end.

How to Make a Plan for Recession-Proof Investing

by Sandra Hayes

Recession-proof investing is the easiest way to prevent your financial portfolio from taking a significant hit when the economy starts contracting. It is also one of the most challenging tasks for the average person to navigate.

Dumping your money into a savings account, gold ETFs, or mutual funds isn’t the best way to go. You are going to want to follow some of the following steps to give yourself some protection.

Stay Calm

The economy goes through different seasons. Cycles of correction occur all over the world at times. Don’t make rash decisions immediately when you’ve got a successful portfolio. A small dip in your net worth isn’t the end of the world, and your value will rise again in time.

Have an Emergency Fund

Did you know that the average American family cannot afford a $500 emergency? If you don’t have a fund in place to manage an unexpected expense, then you are not in a position to invest. Build up some savings so that you have a minimum of six months of living expenses set aside. Even having one month of coverage is better than nothing.

Pay Down Your Credit Card Debt

When times are good, then that is when you want to be aggressive with your debt. If you don’t need to worry about high-interest obligations when the finances get tighter, then you’re going to be in a better position if a recession occurs.

Have a Doomsday Budget as Your Plan B

What would happen if you were to suddenly have a significant reduction in income? Having a separate budget in place when you need a Plan B will save you time if your paycheck isn’t what it used to be. Write out everything that you need to survive, from rent to groceries. Then cut out the non-essentials, including Netflix, to see where you stand.

Diversify Your Portfolio

If you want to be recession-proof with your portfolio, then about 40% of your money should be in cash-equivalent items. You can choose bonds, CDs, and money market accounts for this economic period. It helps to build a “ladder” of these conservative investments over time so that you have some almost-guaranteed returns coming your way. Make sure you also still have some equity stocks and mutual funds in there.

Stay True to Your Retirement Plan

Even if a recession hits, you will want to keep investing in your retirement plan. Contribute to your IRA, 401(k), or equivalent products as much as possible. When others are panicking, that is when your interest gains will become more useful. Investing is more about the long-term experience anyway, instead of any short-term gains that are possible.

Have a Side Hustle in Place

If you have multiple income streams, then it is easier to withstand a recession. Freelancing, babysitting, or selling items online are all possibilities. Grab a seasonal job when the holidays arrive if it fits into your schedule. When you save the cash you earn from this endeavor, then your emergency fund will build up quickly.

If you need help, then ask for it. Drowning in debt during a recession can make it a challenge to recover when the economy gets better. Start this process today by implementing these steps.