Cash flow planning is a very useful tool for businesses; however they can be helpful for personal finances as well.

Thinking about the future

When you’re young you feel invincible; it rarely occurs to you that one day you will no longer be young. You don’t think about how you will cope when you are no longer able to work. If you have children, you will most likely spend more time worrying about their future than your own.

The future can be quite worrying, so it’s important that we do all that we can today to alleviate some of those worries. We cannot predict the future, but we can try and minimize the impact of what the future may throw at us.

How can cash flow planning help?

Every month more and more families are finding it difficult to cope with the increasing costs of living. When you have people struggling to deal with paying for now, then it is understandable that they will fail to plan for the future. However, it is possible to improve your situation now so that you can look towards the future.

A cash flow statement is a plan which takes your income and measures it against your outgoings to assess your net cash flow.

Revenue for your cash flow plan can include –
• Wages/ salary (individual or household)
• Interest earned on all savings accounts
• Benefit payments
• Investments
• Assets from houses/ car/ etc
• Anything else which generates an income

Outgoings for your cash flow plan can include –
• Rent or mortgage
• Utility bills (electricity/ gas/ water/ phones/ etc)
• Weekly/ monthly shopping costs
• Travel costs (petrol/ bus/ train/ taxi/ etc)
• Leisure (clothes/ books/ days out/ restaurants/ pubs/ etc)
• Anything else which you regularly pay

To calculate your net cash flow, you will need to subtract your outgoings from your income. If your income is greater than your outgoings, then you are considered to have a positive net cash flow. However, if your outgoings are higher than your income, then you are deemed to have a negative net cash flow.

If you have a negative net cash flow, then you may need to reassess your outgoings and see where you can cut down.

How can I improve my net cash flow?

If you currently have a negative net cash flow, or you want to improve your positive net cash flow, then the best way to achieve this is to look at your outgoings.

Start with the things that you want and don’t need (such as holidays or football season tickets) and work your way upwards. Once you take care of your wants, then you can work on your needs.

If you have travel costs, then see how you can make these cheaper. If you drive then, you can work out if public transport would work out cheaper. If you live near your place of work then maybe you can walk or cycle to work.

As you work your way through your cash flow plan, you will be surprised with some small changes you can make to reduce your outgoings.

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Do you find you are waiting for the payday every month? Are your wages not lasting the whole month?

When pay day feels far away

When your salary just doesn’t quite stretch until the payday, it can feel like a trap with no way out. This situation is affecting more and more families across the country. It may feel like there is nothing that can be done but that’s not so.

Here are some ways to improve your finances.

Don’t live beyond your means

The living beyond your means is a simple but often ignored sentiment. The number one way to give your income a much-needed boost is to make sure you are not spending more money than you have coming in.

Something as simple as completing a budget sheet can help you compare your income against your outgoings. Once you know what you have coming in and out, you can then have a better overall picture of your finances.

The best budget sheets include details of all money going in and out. Once you have completed a budget sheet, you will be able to cut out waste and improve your cash flow.

Stop unnecessary shopping

Although it may seem like you do at the time, do you need the latest game or that dress in the shop window? Stop. Think.

A lot of our income gets wasted buying things that we want rather than need. These expenses are not always such a bad thing; however if you consistently find yourself in a situation where you struggle then, all these unnecessary purchases could be detrimental to your finances.

Once you have your finances under control, then you can allow yourself the occasional treat.

Sync your pay and bill dates

If you find that your bills come out at different times of the month, and so some bills are constantly going unpaid as a result, then it may be the time to coordinate your bills.

However you find it easier, paying everything off at once or spreading the payments over a short period, most companies will be willing to adjust their paydays if you contact them and explain your situation.

Limit the number of credit cards you have

A credit card can be a lifeline for many people; they improve your credit ratings, and they can be a life saver in financial emergencies. However, if you are struggling to repay multiple credit card bills, then it may be time to start limiting yourself to one or two cards.

As brilliant as credit cards are, it is incredibly easy to fall into debt after missing a few payments. Credit cards work best when you pay off as much of your bill as you can afford each month.

Do not let financial stress affect your family

In times of stress, we tend to take out our frustrations on those we love rather than deal directly with the source of our frustrations. This stress can be extremely damaging, not only to ourselves but also to our relationships.

You may feel that by keeping your financial struggles to yourself, you are protecting them. However if the weight of your financial problems is causing you to lash out then, they will still be affected.

Rather than working without your family consent, become a team and work together.

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When merging two families into one, there are always plenty of things to consider to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Like a lot of these things, there may be no single ‘right’ answer to the question of how to manage your finances when blending families. Different people will have their situations, needs, and concerns. The important thing is to figure out what’s going to work for you.

Where is square one?

Pretty obviously, the main thing is to keep everyone on the same page. Talking things through openly and honestly before making any decisions is vital to avoid issues down the line.
It’s also essential to both be candid about your finances – income, expected spending, investments, debts – as well as what your financial priorities are. Knowing what you’re working with and what each of you feels you need to consider allows you to make informed joint decisions.

Who else is in the picture?

Outside of your ‘new’ blended family, there may still be the other parents to consider, as well as grandparents and other relatives. Considering how they will affect your decisions before making your mind up over how you plan to manage your finances together can save a lot of hassle.

Altogether, or separate?

The question of whether to pool resources or each be responsible for ‘your’ half of the kids is one of the first things to solve. Simply pooling everything and working from a single joint set of finances may be the easiest solution for some people. It can also avoid the issue of having two halves of the family, potentially operating on very different budgets.
For others, though, it may be more appealing to each keep a separate ‘childcare’ account for dealing with your kid(s), with another for ‘family-wide’ spending. Reasons for this vary, but commonly include concerns from a previous partner regarding where their childcare contribution is going or merging existing accounts and savings being complicated and overall detrimental.

Straight down the middle?

When merging finances, the fairest approach to any pooled resource can appear to be an equal contribution system. You both put in a set amount per paycheck; fair’s fair. However, if you have noticeably different salaries, one of you can end up getting the raw end of the deal – so think about whether you might in the long term have fewer money-related misgivings if you go for a proportion set contribution instead.

How will this affect our tax?

As with all financial decisions, make sure to look at how it’s’ going to affect your tax. Depending on your situation, you may be better off filing tax returns separately or jointly. You’ll also need to figure out whether you can file all, some or none of the children as dependents.

What about inheritance?

It may not be what you want to think about when planning your new life together as one family, but it’s worth putting some thought into what happens in the long run. Making wills and other plans to ensure that it’s crystal clear how you want the estate divided up and what happens if one of you outlives the other can prevent arguments later on and leave you reassured you’ve made the best plans you can for your loved ones.

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Searching for a credit card can be an overwhelming and confusing experience.

A quick search on various credit card lenders and a comparison website will bring up an endless selection of credit cards all claiming to offer you the best. It’s important that you understand what you’re applying for before you sign up for a credit card.

Here are some things you should know before applying for a credit card.

What are the benefits of a credit card?

When one uses their credit card responsibly, it can be a valuable and rewarding way to make purchases.

Credit cards offer a quick and handy way to make large, and small, purchases. A lot of credit cards also have additional bonuses for example–
• Consumer protection
• Cashback
• Spread the cost of large purchases
• Loyalty points

What protection do credit cards offer when making purchases?

In the UK under the Consumer Credit Cards Act 1974, consumers have extra protection when they purchase an individual item worth between £100 and £30,000.

However, in the Republic of Ireland, this is not the case. The level of protection for credit cards is the same as debit cards. Purchases made with credit or debit cards are protected by ‘chargeback’.

Through chargeback, you will be able to claim a refund through your card provider for purchases that don’t arrive or are damaged/ not as described. This protection applies regardless of whether the retailer is still trading or not.

Although offering chargeback is not a law, it is still worked into the procedures of most credit and debit cards. Both Visa and MasterCard’s have added chargeback to all of their cards.

Chargeback is also available in the UK.

What exactly is APRC (or APR)?

APRC stands for Annual Percentage Rate of Change (or Annual Percentage Rate as it’s also known as). Mortgages, loans, and credit cards include APRC and APR.

With the help of APRC/ APR, one can understand what percentage of interest you pay throughout the year.

What about interest-free?

The majority of credit cards have an initial interest free period. This term, essentially, means that you can borrow money without incurring any interest charges; this however only applies as long as you pay off your card in full each month.

It is best to check the exact details of your interest-free card, for instance, it’ll be good to know –
• Length of interest-free period
• Charges for cash withdrawals
• Any other additional fees or charges
• The rate which you will begin with post the end of the interest-free period

What are the downsides of a credit card?

As with all things in life, there are downsides to credit cards. The biggest issue people face with credit cards is debt. If you fail to pay your full bill each month, then you will find that interest will quickly build up.

The best course of action is to pay as much of your bill as you can afford each month.

There are also other additional charges for missed payments, late payments, or exceeding your credit limit. There are also substantial charges applied for cash withdrawals; these may still be applicable during interest-free periods.

The post Important Things You Should Know About Credit Cards appeared first on My Money Platform.

Banking scams have hit the UKs financial industry; this has caused fraud rates to rise by 26%. The biggest contributor to this was remote fraud which has cost the UK consumer £168 million in 2015.

Financial fraud is rising

In 2015 £755 million was stolen from financial institutions and British consumers.

The methods adopted by fraudsters are becoming increasingly smart. They are starting to target people directly as a result of financial institutions tightening up their security measures.

Attempts have been made by various organizations and companies to alert the public to new scams adopted by fraudsters. The advice giving out is to remain vigilant and do not give out personal details unless you are 100% certain to whom you are speaking.

Despite these measures, fraud is still continuing to rise.

Remote fraud

Fraudsters will pretend to be bank staff, police officers, or even representatives from various companies. They will contact you directly to either obtain your bank details or encourage you to send money to them.

This type of fraud has become a gray area in the industry, and banks have been known to refuse refunds on the basis that victims handed over their details voluntarily. Victims of this type of fraud have also reported that the police have also shown little interest.

There has been a 64% rise in internet banking fraud and a 92% rise in telephone banking.

Other areas of fraud

In 2015 –
• Card fraud rose by 18% to £567 million
• Cheque fraud fell by 6% with a total of £18.9 million reported lost
• There was also a reported 2.8 million lost toward mobile banking
• Card companies and banks successfully prevented a total of £843.6 million.

What is going to be done to talk financial fraud?

The UK in February announced the creation of a new task force to tackle fraud.

The taskforce will include representatives from the police, the government, and the banking industry.

Despite the announcement of the new task force consumer confidence has been damaged. When you take into considerations that victims get a reply of “we are helpless, or we cannot rectify the problem” by the police or by bank staff then this it’s not surprising.

How to prevent fraud

There are steps which you can take to lessen the risk of being a victim of fraud –
• Remain alert – there is an increase of fraudsters who are imitating Government and company officials
• Do your research – if you are unsure about a phone call, email, or letter you have received then look online, people are sharing their stories and companies also regularly issue warnings
• Be care with payments – be wary of those who demand you pay upfront or want you to use companies such as Money Gram to send them money, legitimate companies and Government organizations will not require you to pay them in this way
• Do not rush yourself – it’s a common tactic among fraudster to rush you or demand you give them an immediate answer, do not allow yourself to feel pressured, take your time and make informed decisions

These are just a few steps you can take to keep yourself safe. New scams are operating all the time, so it is crucial that you safeguard yourself and keep an eye out for fraud alerts.

The post Bank Scams Are Causing Fraud To Increase appeared first on My Money Platform.

It’s a typical situation. You wrote out a to-do list, set out to tick everything off…and somehow despite your attempts at organization; you didn’t manage to get everything done. Maybe you didn’t even manage any of it. Sometimes it’s because something major came up, but most of the time it boils down to not knowing how to maximize your productivity within the day.

The early bird gets the worm

Even if you’re by nature a night owl and can’t function in the morning without consuming a concerning volume of coffee, your productivity is still likely to peak in the morning. Studies suggest that within half an hour of getting out of bed – even if you had to drag yourself out rather than springing joyfully into the new day – your energy levels are starting to climb. By the afternoon, they’ll start to tail off. The power cycle is part of the circadian rhythm, or ‘body clock’, which affects your productivity throughout the day.
So the best time of day to get on with that checklist of things that need to get done is ‘first thing’. Naturally, sometimes this may not be possible – if you want to tackle odd jobs around the house but have to go to work, you may have just to get things done when you get home. Even then, doing them as soon as you get home is likely to be better than waiting until just before you go to bed.

Every so often

If this is the case then maybe it’s worth actually having a few separate to-do lists: things you need to do in the morning before you go to work, things that can get done on your lunch break, and things that need to get on with when you get home. You’ll avoid that crushing ‘i didn’t get everything done’ feeling and break things down into manageable time slots.

Prioritise the time

Even when you know when you’re most productive, realistically you still can’t get everything done in that window of opportunity. Instead, prioritize your to-do list. Urgent tasks first, and those that require more mental involvement.
Urgent emails may be best done the first thing so that they hit your recipient’s inbox at the start of the day and write them when your brain is getting into gear. Necessary but routine tasks such as filing or shredding old documents can wait until the afternoon when your productivity is naturally tailing off.

Plan ahead

The first step to tackling your to do’s isn’t actually to decide when to tick things off the list – it’s making the list in the first place. Setting aside time at the end of the day to write out what you need to do the next day means that when you get up to get those odd jobs done or sit down at your desk at work, you don’t have to think about what needs doing. You can dive right in and get started when you’re at your most productive.

The post The Best Time of Day To Tackle Your To Do’s appeared first on My Money Platform.

Small changes or actions can make a big difference. It’s applicable to several walks of life, and holds true when it comes to your personal finances as well. What seems like a small action now can have big benefits to you down the line.

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves

Like it or not, the first step in making any changes to your finances is to make sure you know what’s going on now. Most people already do, but there’s no harm in digging out your latest statements and double checking that you’ve got an up to date spreadsheet of your bank balance(s) and investments.

Not only does keeping an eye on these things regularly make sure you know what money you’ve got, where it is, and what you’re spending, it also means you’re more likely to spot any fraud that’s slipped through. Banks are getting better and better at picking up suspicious payments, but it’s worth keeping your own eye on things as well.

Make a budget

If you don’t already, from having checked your accounts to budgeting is an obvious step. Having a guideline budget based on expected income and spending means you can gauge how much of a cushion you have, and from there whether it’s sensible to either add to existing investments or investigate new ones.

For rainy days

Many people find it helpful to set up an ‘emergency fund’ when they can. This is a savings account that you can easily access in times of real need, but that you’ll aim to forget about except for making deposits and checking the statements. After any initial minimum payment for setting up an account, making small but regular transfers will eventually add up – a self-generated fund for rainy days.

Online saver accounts tend to have higher interest rates than regular accounts. As you usually can’t get a card and can only access the money by transferring it into another account, they’re a great way to strike a balance between investments and making sure if something unexpected and urgent comes up you’ve got some funds to dip into.

Plan ahead

Not just in the general sense of ‘I should save up’: think about times ahead when you expect to need extra funds for a specific purpose – when in your life would you expect to be buying a new car? Or paying a deposit on a flat? – and look at possible investments to cater for those.

For example, fixed term ISAs aren’t going to give massive returns, but over 3-5 years, the interest does start to add up. Taking advantage of any windfalls or current profits to set aside an investment for something you know you’re going to need saves a lot of stress later on.
Planning ahead also means reviewing options and thinking critically about the pros and cons of different investments. Even the options you discard now may become useful later on, and if nothing else you’ll have picked up a little more knowledge about the system – which will help inform later decisions.

The post Sweet Financial Advice | It’s The Small Things That Add Up… appeared first on My Money Platform.

Making sure that you know what you’re getting into and stay wise to any hidden potholes makes a big difference to your finances. Not knowing what your options really are can lead to you not getting the maximum possible benefit from any investments. Not knowing the common hidden fees and downsides tucked away in the fine print, as we’ve all probably found at some point, leads to nasty shocks down the line. Wising up to the details of your finances gives you the certainty that you’re making the most informed decision you can.

A problem at all scales

Pretty much everyone knows that, in the end, bankers are out to make money. Ideally, they manage this without you getting burnt by unexpected fees, questionable investments, and the like. But it often feels like the opposite is happening, and the banker is cashing in while your finances seem to be in a tailspin.

Even when things aren’t that bad and it looks like you’re both benefiting, there’s a difference between ‘not going badly’ and ‘best case scenario’. Understanding your finances and how the financial system works can help you to direct your finances to maximise the benefit to you, rather than to a third party.

Sometimes, this is even the case with super simple stuff. When a trust matures – for example, a trust fund set up for a young relative to be accessed once they hit twenty-one – the bank will automatically convert it into a new account unless directed otherwise in time.

In itself this isn’t a bad thing. It’s just that the type of account is going to be the one with the least return for you. And it’s easy to just let it drift into that state of being. Sure, it’s a helpful default that means if you’re not sure where to invest or move the money immediately, it starts racking up interest. Just at a negligible rate.

Knowledge is power

Knowing what the options are, and how the default compares, can make a pretty big difference even at this level to what happens to your finances. Unfortunately, the world of finance is up there with legal jargon for being inscrutable.

It’s also easy to get sucked into decisions thanks to a particularly magnetic promise – particularly good interest rates, say – and not pick up on the conveniently less advertised downsides. So-called ‘hidden’ fees, such as charges to use your card abroad, aren’t exactly something most banks want to splash all over their advertising material! Even just knowing exactly what these fees are can allow you to plan how to minimise how many of them you pay…so long as you can figure out exactly what fees you’ll be charged, when, and why.

Luckily, there are also people who make it their business to breakdown the jargon and go past the flashy advertisements. Not just in the form of advisors for hire, either. The internet is full of people discussing the financial world and how to navigate it, so long as you’re prepared to set aside a little time to browse.

The post How Do You Stop Lining The Bankers Pockets? Knowledge.. appeared first on My Money Platform.

In a world which appears to be run by the banks, it can feel like we are powerless. However, you may have more power than you thought?

Take back control of your money

Money affects all of us, without money we would struggle to survive. This is why it’s so important to look after your money. However, our financial system is designed to make money at our expense.

Since the system is designed to be against us it’s understandable that many people feel unable to fight it. Most people don’t realise that it is possible to be in control of your own money.

Here are some ways in which you can take some power back

Do your research beforehand

The banks are there to make money; they do not always have the publics’ best interest at heart. Bank employees are under immense pressure to make sales and reach targets. This quite often means that customers do not always get the products they want/ need.

If you do your research before speaking to your bank you greatly reduce the risk of being sidelines by hard pressured sales.

Pay cards and loans in full and on time

The banks make their money from debt, the banks rely on people not be able to manage their money. It’s important you ensure you also have sufficient funds in your account and you always pay your credit card and/ or loan payments fully and on time. This minimises the amount of money the banks are making from you.

Switch your bank accounts

Banks rely on customers depositing money into the bank, this money is then used to lend to other customers. The banks then make a profile from the interest and bank charges.

If you feel you are paying too much then shop around and see if you can get a better deal. You also do not need to stick to strictly with banks. Credit unions are a good not for profit alternative to the high street bank.

Look for alternative to loans

A loan is not the only way to obtain money, there are alternatives available –

• Sell goods – you can sell pretty much anything on the internet and there are also shops in the high street which will take various items in exchange for cash
• Online – there are various websites available which will pay you to take surveys, watch videos, etc
  Rent things out – from conventional things like parking spaces and garages from the things you probably never thought us like exercise equipment and electrical goods, you can rent out almost anything
• Odd jobs – from babysitting to mystery shopping there is a whole host of possible ways to make money on the side
• Peer to peer lending – instead of banks lending money to customers you can lend to or borrow from other people

Invest smartly

If you are going to invest, then be smart about it. Firstly, don’t throw all your money at one thing, spread your investments out. Secondly, see investments as a long term commitment, don’t get pulled in by the highs and put off by the lows. Thirdly, make sure you fully understand everything about what you’re investing in, I cannot stress enough about the importance of doing your research.

The post How To Beat The Banks appeared first on My Money Platform.

We are all contributing to the economy one way or another, either through taxes or shopping. We all have our part to play in keeping things going.

The financial industry relies on us

If we stopped banking, spending money, going to work, or any other activity which involves money being circulated then the whole economy as we know it would collapse.

This would cause unknown chaos and it’s something which governments and financial experts have been trying to prevent. This is evident by the countless bailouts, tax increases, benefit reforms, and economic stimulation done by the government

Our contribution starts with the bank

The banks are the financial industries main point of contact with the general public. The bank is where we get paid, where we place or savings, where we get our loans/ credit cards/ mortgage/ insurance. There are very few people who have never had any dealings with a bank.

The banks generate income from charging interest and fees; as long as we keep paying them then the banks continue to turn a profit.

Banks keep money circulating, whether that is through deposits, lending, or allowing people to make purchases. As long as money is exchanging hands then the economy keeps flowing.

We work and pay taxes

If you earn enough of an income then you will be required to pay some level of tax. These taxes are then used to pay for things such as education, emergency services, council services, etc.

As much as we all begrudge paying them, they do play an important role in our society.

The unemployed will still pay some level of tax, even if it’s only VAT on purchases. They may also need to pay other types of tax depending on other sources of income. However, if their only source of income is via welfare benefits then this is unlikely to be the case.

How important is shopping?

It doesn’t matter if we are shopping for leisure or for necessity, shopping is a huge part of our lives. It is also probably the most direct way the general public pumps money into the economy.

The way we shop is changing, we are more likely to shop online and seek out bargains. This has had a major impact on the retail industry and they have had to adapt. Those that didn’t adapt or adapted too late have paid the price.

The economy and me

There are of course other ways you may contribute to the economy, you could be a business owner or a landlord. These are only a few ways in which the majority of the population. Whatever your contribution, it doesn’t change how important a growing economy is.

This is why the economy has been such a hot topic recently. The financial crash has bought the economy into the limelight and people are suddenly taking notice. The media is continuing to report whether we are in recovery or not.

One thing is certain, that money is the foundation as to which our society is built on.

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