Becoming An Advocate or Affiliate

 One sure way to make some money without too much work is to become an advocate or affiliate for multiple companies. 

From Amazon to Aweber to any company selling anything, if they have a web page, they probably have a way for you to join their associates' program. Usually, you scroll way down on their home page and look for the affiliate, associate, or advocate program. Click on that and fill it out and you get a link customized for you. 

When you add this link to your blog or webpage and someone clicks on it a/o buys the product, you get paid. This is an example of the Aweber link. These can be valuable tools and can generate money if you have enough traffic to your space.

Saving For Retirement- Starting With The Basics

Thinking about saving for retirement can be scary. Most people put it off, I know I did.

If you are 7 years or less away from retirement, it is time to start planning in earnest.

First- it's time to face facts.

1). Do you have a budget? (I didn't)

2). Where is your money? 

3). If you have some savings, how is invested?

Before we go further, full disclaimer, I am not a financial analyst. I am going to share information based on the research I have done and on what has worked for me.

Budgets- everyone needs a budget. There are many out there, easily available on the internet. You have many to choose from. Try fresh Books or odoo or any of the many others available. These 2 happen to be free.

Put in all your expenses and all your income. Allow extra for those expenses that might not come up every month but that we all know are coming- a new roof or replacing an appliance. Let's call this the replacement fund.

When you've accounted for all possible expenses that will come your way, and worked it into monthly sums, you're ready to move to the next step which is what to do with this money.

When you have a total of one month's expenses (mortgage, car payment, gas, food, utilities, and whatever you have in your replacement fund per month), multiply that amount by 3.

This amount should be kept ready in case you need it, you lose your job or have some family emergency. You may want to keep it at your local bank. Let's say your monthly expenses total $5000.

Triple that for a 3 month safety net and that's $15000.

This should be in a savings account, but you should check out the interest rate. So many of us don't know what interest our local bank will pay on our savings account. Why leave it in an account at 1% when it could be gathering 3% or more?

$15000 at 3% interest is $17424.25 after 5 years. While $15000 in an account with 1% interest is $15768.74 after 5 years. That's a difference of $1,655.51 just for putting it in the right account.

So, invest in a savings account with at least 3% interest rate. Use Nerdwallet Calculator to check out how your money will grow.

To see accounts with interest rate of over 1%, go to Save Better for a list of banking options. All are covered by FDIC rules, and some require as little as $1 to start investing.

Next time- investing the next $15,000.

Why Saving For Retirement Feels Impossible

 

I really like this book for doing my taxes since I retired.

Targeted for the retiree and easy to follow.

 The economic storm clouds are gathering and it's looking like the U.S. is in for some tough financial weather. 

If the U.S. catches an economic flu will the rest of the world get pneumonia? The warning signs include a credit crunch, a real estate depression, rising inflation (including gas prices), higher unemployment, a weak dollar with rising deficits, widening trade balance, lower interest rates engineered by the Fed, a highly volatile stock market and widespread forecast of economic recession. 

The Bush administration and Congress, with the endorsement of the Fed, are crafting a stimulus package to bail out the economy. Consumer confidence is low and sinking with investors rushing toward safety with their retirement dollars. 

In the first few trading days of 2008, investors have moved billions from the stock market into safer options. If you're leaving

 your money in the market, make sure your retirement plans won't be derailed by the worst case outcome. If so, you need to head to higher investment ground. If you're taking your dollars out of the market to safer places, what are your options?

First there's bank CDs, Treasury bills and money market accounts. The good news is that these are super safe, ready available and easy to cash in when the time comes. The bad news is the interest rates they pay don't even keep up with inflation. These options are super safe if your only concern is "safety of principal" but they are extremely unsafe if you're afraid of "outliving your retirement money". Since these options have historically not kept up with inflation, they may be a good short term parking place for your retirement money but are not a long term solution. Plus, income taxes take a big bite out of your paltry earnings.

Corporate or government bonds can provide you good safety but not during times of low interest rates. As rates rise - and you may be assured that the interest rate cycle has not been cured - the market value of fixed rate bonds will decline. Yes, you'll get your principal back at maturity but in the meantime you'll have a hard time keeping up with inflation. Plus, if you have to sell before maturity the loss could be a shocking surprise. Not a good long-term solution and much too risky for the short term.

What about real estate? Since most retirees are not real estate gurus, the safest route is to put your money in real estate investment trusts where it is professionally managed. Given the recent track record of "professional real estate investors who fueled the sub-price meltdown" are you sure you want to entrust your money to them? Maybe a good long term solution but why buy when prices are dropping like a rock? International investments available in mutual funds and stocks are getting strong endorsements at this time... so maybe this is the ideal place! The last time I looked mutual funds (which are nothing more than a collection of stocks and bonds inside a single investment) and corporate stocks waxed and waned with economic gyrations. If the U.S. sneezes and the rest of the world catches a cold, you'll be caught outside without a coat. Generally way too much risk for retirees and that why your exposure to international markets, even in the best of times, is a small fraction of your total portfolio.

How about annuities? These are savings options guaranteed by insurance companies that offer more than safety if you stick to the fixed variety. Variable annuities are nothing more than mutual funds wrapped in a tax deferred package by an insurance company - they still have risk plus the ownership costs are much higher than just plain mutual funds. Stay away from variable annuities. Fixed annuities on the other hand come in several varieties: traditional fixed that mirror a bank CD and offer a set interest rate plus no current income taxes on earnings; index-linked which offers the opportunity for a higher rate because the interest rate they pay depends on the movement or growth of a stock/bond market index like the S&P 500 ... but if the market nosedives you don't because the worse you can do is the minimum return guaranteed by the insurance company; lastly there is the income annuity which guarantees you a period certain or lifetime income in exchange for depositing with the insurance company all or some of your retirement money. The income annuity can give you what employers once guaranteed their retiring employees: a lifetime income you can't outlive - even if you live to be 125. If you haven 't yet discovered the fixed annuity option, get in touch with your financial advisor and demand to know more about them - just steer clear of the variable annuity because they pose market risk just like a stock, bond or mutual fund. Oh yes, don't be leery of fixed annuities because they are guaranteed by insurance companies because you'll be dealing with some of the world's oldest, largest and financially strongest businesses that have weathered wars, economic depressions and failure of governments. These are the same companies that insure your home, car, life, health, business and virtually every valuable you own or risk you face.

When the economy goes into a tailspin and investments sink like a rock thrown into a lake, wall street and its army of brokers go into battle mode because their commissions hang in the balance. Their war cries include "now is the time to buy at bargain prices", "don't sell just buy more to average down" and "over the long run you'll do just fine by leaving your money in the market". Remember: no sale - no commission and that is bad for Wall Street and it brokers. Granted, longer-term the stock market has outperformed the safer alternatives but the ten years you need to ride out the market cycles is a substantial portion of your retirement years. Years when you'll be worried about your financial well-being, whether your money will run out before you do and whether an emergency will force you to sell at a loss before the long term has run it course. Retirement is a time to keep what you've got rather than speculate in hopes of making more. If you lose your retirement money, there will be no second chance. Consult with your financial advisor and check out all the safe options - it could be the most important retirement decision you'll make.

If you'd like to hear and see what others are forecasting for 2008, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op4BNyU6QQ4

For more information on Retirement Planning and safe investing topics - tools, Calculators, Videos and updated articles, go to the Retirement Pros at http://www.theretirementpros.com/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Shelby_Smith/155473

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How Much do you need to retire? By Anthony Caruso

While there are countless generic retirement calculators available on line, there are several serious limitations to them from a planning standpoint. First, knowing how much money you will need for retirement is uniquely personal and specific to you and your circumstances, and there is no one size fits all tool to determine your needs. Second, and more problematic, there is simply no crystal ball that exists to predict the future. How much will you earn between now and retirement? How much will you be able to save? How much will I really need when I retire? What annual inflation rate should I assume before and after retirement? Will Social Security even exit to help defray my living expenses? What might happen between now and retirement to derail my plans? Yes, there at lots of things we just don't know and can't completely plan for, and that is just the nature of life. But, perhaps the best we can hope for is to make some basic assumptions and at least get started on a plan. As with a business plan, a personal retirement plan works best when it is first created, and then modified each year to meet changing circumstances and the twists and turns life brings to us all. So let's get started with some homework you should do before any calculations are made. How much money do you make today? Your current income is a logical starting point for calculating your retirement planning savings needs. Generally, the more you make today, the more savings you'll need for retirement to keep pace with the lifestyle you will be accustomed to at the point you retire. For most of us, the incomes we earn when starting out, and the lifestyles we lead, are far more humble than those later in life. When you retire, you want to maintain the last and/or best lifestyle you have grown accustomed to if at all possible. When do you want to retire? If you wait longer until retirement, not only will you be retired for a shorter amount of time, but you will also work more years, meaning you can save more before you do finally retire. Conversely, the younger you are when you retire, the longer you can expect to live during retirement and the more you need to have saved beforehand. In addition, the effects of inflation can severely impact retiring too early, or even retiring then maintaining your lifestyle. What do you want to do once you retire? What do you envision for your retirement years? Does your vision of life in retirement look like the one you have now with more spare time, or do you dream to do all the things you were not able to do during your working years, like travel to exotic places, own a vacation home on the lake, or perhaps buy an RV and travel the country? Conversely, perhaps you fancy the idea of an early retirement in exchange for a lower standard of living. There is no right or wrong answer to this of course, but understanding your desired retirement lifestyle is an essential element in answering the "How much savings will I need?" question. How much will you collect from Social Security? Most financial planners will calculate retirement needs assuming that monthly social security payments will defray living needs in retirement. Expected future benefit payments are available annually from the Social Security Administration and are based on your lifetime earnings to date. Personally, if you are currently under 50 years old, I would not count on the social security income in retirement. In fact, as a practicing CPA and money manager, I have advised my clients for the last 30 years NOT to count on social security as we planned for retirement. Believe me, I do hope it is there for you and me, but I consider it only icing on the cake at best, and simply would not count on it being there the rest of my life. One needs only look at massive budget deficits and the political landscape today to see just how possible the reduction or elimination of social security is more than possible. Will you receive any 401(K), IRA, or other pension benefits during retirement? If you contribute to an IRA or your employer 401(K) plan, or if you are covered under another type of pension plan, then congratulations and do continue funding as much as possible where you can do so. These plans not only defer taxes, but increase the amount of money you will have available to meet your living needs during retirement. Calculate your expected retirement benefit from these plans when calculating the amount of savings you will need to provide to meet your living needs. How do you invest? During your working years, to the point of your retirement, how you invest will help determine what you might be able to accumulate towards your retirement nest egg. Historically, if you invested more aggressively over 20 years or more, you would reasonably expect a higher rate of return on your investments as compared to investing more conservatively. That would mean you would have had to save less money compared to another individual who insisted on keeping all investments safe but low return types of portfolios or bank accounts. Having said that, the truth of the matter is that the last decade has produced a very volatile stock market, and when measured by the S&P 500, returns have been flat to down during this time frame. However, a mix of small cap, international and emerging markets investments, along with a proper balance of fixed income, has actually produced reasonable results. The point is then, that traditional thought of investing aggressively in large cap US stocks has not provided superior returns, while a well diversified multiple asset class portfolio has, with less risk to boot. Therefore, getting some very good advice on how to construct your portfolio for retirement is critical. How old are you now, and how much have you saved already? The younger you are and the more you save, the less you'll need to save in the future in order to achieve the same retirement standard of living as someone older or with less money saved up until this point. Unfortunately, many cannot start a significant savings program until the kids are out of college and on their own. Waiting too long is of course a real disadvantage, but not impossible. If you are ten to fifteen years to retirement and still have not amassed any savings, it's not too late, but you must start now in a serious way. Up to this point, the above items can reasonably be determined and are based on your personal facts and circumstances. Just recognize that over time, these too will change and that is why you should review your retirement plan at least annually. Now for any of the online calculators used for retirement planning, there are several numbers you must enter that we cannot possibly know with certainty. Again, annual updates will help to smooth out changes in the economy, markets, or personal circumstances to help you stay on track. Unknown number 1 - the rate of Inflation For the last decade or so, we have enjoyed a very low rate of inflation, but it has not always been that way. During the 1980s and other periods in our history, the rate of inflation has been very high. Currently, inflation is running about 3.5% per year. The government publishes several inflation indexes, the most popular known as the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI is often reported as the "core rate" which excludes food and oil. Personally, since I use food and oil to a large extent in my daily life, I prefer the CPI "Headline" rate of inflation, which includes food and oil. It is usually a much higher number than the core rate, but a much better reflection of real inflation. The CPI rates are available on line monthly. Many believe that the inflation rate will spike up in the next few years, due to the massive spending and money printing policies to stimulate the economy. The higher the rate of inflation you use, the more conservative your retirement savings calculations will be. At a minimum, use the current headline rate, but make sure to update annually. Don't underestimate the rate of inflation issue. You may be shocked to learn that the amount of money you need to live on today will likely be a much higher number 20 or 30 years from now. For example at the current rates of inflation, if you spend $40,000 per year today, you will need $113,000 per year in 25 to 30 years just to maintain the same standard of living. While many planners also assume that you will need less than your current income when you retire (75% to 80% of your current income), I do not subscribe to this theory. Most of my clients are spending as much or more during retirement, not less. Unknown number 2 - the rate of return on investments All retirement calculators require you to enter an assumed rate of return on your investments between now and the date you expect to retire. The truth is, the brightest minds in the country have no way of knowing this any more than you or I do. They just sound really confident when they guess. Up until the early part of this decade, most financial planners assumed the average rate of return on the S&P 500 (the stock market) would be about 11%. At least that is what is was from the depression forward. If you look at the last 10 years or so however, the S&P has been flat - no return at all. If we couple that with the fact that long term treasury bonds are only paying under 3% right now, it would appear that returns will be muted in the short term. Again, a balanced portfolio of many asset classes, global and domestic, is the approach we take to balance returns and risk. In addition, the older we get, less money should be allocated to stocks and equities, and more to fixed income to control risk. For now, an estimated return on investments should be a more reasonable number, such as 6% or less for a conservative investor. Unknown number 3 - the "safe" withdrawal rate The withdrawal rate is the annual percentage of money you would expect to be able to take from your investment portfolio during retirement, and never run out. Ten years ago, most planners used an annual withdrawal rate of 5%, but that was when market returns were much higher. I would suggest an annual withdrawal rate today, of 3.5% to 4% per year to be safe. The worst possible outcome would be to run out of money during retirement, so I tend to lean conservatively on the withdrawal rate. In conclusion, you can see that there is no one size fits all way to plan for retirement. The earlier you start this process however, the greater chance of success in saving enough to retire comfortably. For more information please visit http://www.carusoandcompany.com Anthony Caruso, CPA has practiced as a certified public accountant and investment advisor for over 30 years. Caruso and Company, P.A. is a Registered Investment Advisor offering fee based money management, tax and financial planning. Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anthony_C_Caruso/1408768 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7273242

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How to Start a Blog in 2022 (FULL TUTORIAL) By Nakisha Wynn

 

Why You Should Blog To Make Money Online

The Blog        

Before you even start to create your own blog, it is necessary to know what a blog really is. 

The term blog is actually derived from the word Weblog or Web log. Back in the days, around the late 1990's, these Web logs were utilized by individuals to track updates and references to other resources online. They served as journals, which made them useful as a publishing tool for the user's stream of consciousness. Of course, the readers can still comment and share their thoughts on just about anything under the sun. Technically, blogs are also known as CMS or Content Management Systems. Being a CMS, blogs allow the writers to easily publish to a specific Web site and manage the content without the need of having to deal with the program code. Publishing software also provides users with a GUI or Graphical User Interface for easy pointing and clicking of their articles. Through the use of easy-to-do procedures, you can perform configurations and set up, which can ease your job as a blogger since the tool can automatically organize your published articles the next time you publish.

The Advantage of Blogging

The main question is; why should you start blogging? The first thing you need to know is that blogging can enhance and support your online communications. However, you must first understand the outcome of your blog that you desire in order to attain success. The main reason why you should start blogging, is that it can be both an excellent outlet for your frustrations or excitement. What you are passionate about and profitable at the same time. It does not mean that if you are not into blogging, you should not blog. Being in a business, especially those with dealings on the Internet, requires you to establish a clientele that are actually interested in your products or services. Blogs can do this easily due to its accessibility and being an excellent medium for marketing that it is, blogs are essential for businesses. More so, if you are handling a business, there is a good chance that your competition is blogging about their products and services. This is an easy method for you to examine the competition and what their clients' preferences are. Additionally, blogs can create strong customer relationships since your target market can easily and directly communicate with the authority within your business. This kind of opportunity is hard to resist since a strong customer relationship can eventually lead to lasting trust to your product and services; hence, eventual increase in your revenue.

How to start a blog as a business -- here are 7 steps to get you started on your journey to creating a blog for profit. Follow this step-by-step guide that shows you how to be a blogger who provides value to your readers.

1. Find a Blog Idea (Business Idea) Which "Fits" YOU!

In order to determine how to start a blog, we've still got to go back to the basics of determining a terrific blog idea.

We're back to "fit" again - blogs are just like business ideas -- they need to be a "fit" for you, your personality, interests, and expertise.

2. Check-Out Your Competition

Another important factor for how to start a blog is to take a look at your competition to determine what they might be doing? This is good market research! Spend some time on their blogs...

What is the competition doing well - can you incorporate this into your blog? What ideas do you have to improve your blog compared to the competition? How can you write your blog to incorporate information which you don't readily see available? What will be your internet voice - witty, humorous, serious, challenging, etc.?

3. Brainstorm Some Domain Name Ideas

Sit down with a notebook when you're learning how to start a blog and start jotting down a variety of names which get at the intent of your main topic idea and/or your spin. This will give you and your business a head start determining a terrific domain URL and providing you with the most flexibility and traffic at the beginning for your business blog.

4. Find Your Domain Name

When you're first figuring out how to start a blog, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to do this as cheaply as possible. Don't do it with your domain name!!!

You're domain name will cost you around $10 - do this step! It's important and will save you problems down the road. Remember that this is like any other business and do the right steps!

Find a domain that has your specific topic in the domain name - this will help you with the search engines and building your traffic organically over time. Maybe you can even get your "spin" in the name to give your domain some character.

Try to purchase a .com or .net URL -- this will serve your business best since these are the most recognized tags on the internet (this may change over time, but for now these remain the standards). Avoid "cutesy" or "weird" domain names - while they're fun in the moment, others may totally miss your point if they find you at all on the internet.

One of the free tools which I find particularly helpful is at http://www.NameCheap.com.

5. Decide On A Software/Hosting

When you are learning how to start a blog, one of the major decisions you'll make is deciding on blogging software and hosting sites, make sure you are comparing apples to apples (and not oranges). Many sites which claim to be "free" are anything but free. There are some perceived cheap options in the hosting world (or so it seems when you're just getting started!)

However, these options may cost you more in the long run since they do not actually provide you with a business building system (BBS) and the support you need and deserve to make your life easier and to help grow your business. As you compare options, make sure you consider both your short-term and long-term needs for your business blog. Ask yourself what tools will be important to your business blog over time.

You'll want to read the fine-print and check out any site restrictions to determine if they will work or may negatively impact your future business plans.

Does your host offer you training (you'll need it for whatever type of business and software you're using)? Look for a system that includes everything you need to build a business -- this includes built-ins which offer keyword searches, software built-ins so everything works together, e-zines, quality monetization models, constant upgrades as the internet and Google become smarter, and support forums to help you grow your business.

Beware of hosting systems requiring you to pay extra for every little plug-in you'll need to build a successful business. With this type of hosting model, you're charged for each individual piece of business software including a separate fee for your domain name, domain hosting, blogging software, keyword searches plug-in, new business plug-ins, premium templates, e-zine support, traffic analytics, even extra charges for additional traffic as your blog followers grow, etc. This can cost your business a fortune!

And as you are learning how to start a blog, make sure to take advantage of any tutorials offered. These will be a tremendous value and benefit for you and your business -- remember you're learning a whole new industry and language. There will be specific nuances you'll need to learn at each step along the way. Keep learning and building your blog so it looks professional to your visitors.

6. Create Good Quality Content for Your Visitors

This is VERY Important step when you are starting a blog! You want to provide your readers with good quality information - and you'll want to have a minimum of 30 pages, but 50+ is much better to get started with. Each of your pages should be between 350 - 500+ words (<350 are not enough to provide valuable information to your readers).

If you plan to make your blog a business, you will need to write proficiently for several hours each day... That's why it's so important to LOVE your topics and write about what you know and are interested in. Many bloggers will quit because this is work and it's a business! This requires dedication just like starting any other business.

When we're talking about how to start a blog, we'd be remiss if we didn't discuss the need for good quality original content. Your content needs to be interesting, honest, and you must be yourself when you're writing. This means you can be witty, charming, motivating, or rugged depending upon your personality. Just keep it real! This will keep your readers engaged, interested, and coming back for more of your terrific featured articles.

Write your blog content for folks with a short attention span - this is not a novel where folks will stick around until the end of the plot. They will be looking to gain their information in quick short bursts.

7. How To Start A Blog & Promote It

One of the best ways to promote your blog is to gain traffic organically through the use of specific keywords being searched for by your visitors. When you use the right keywords, the search engines will reward you by delivering your blog site to readers throughout the world. Get comfortable identifying specific words being searched within your niche.

Make sure to tell your family and friends about your blog - ask them to visit and give you constructive feedback. Make any necessary changes you think will help your blog.

Get your blog link published on your social media websites to encourage your social friends to visit your blog. Look for other media opportunities to get the word out about your blog. You can also advertise in hard copy magazines, online websites, or share links with other bloggers to encourage their traffic to visit your blog.

Who knows... maybe your friends will ask you how to start a blog and you can send them here!

Thanks for reading my article, hope that it was helpful and that you enjoyed.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mickey_Smythwood_Sr/2073971

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