Anita J Patel

You do need to take control of your finances, but you don't have to do it alone.

Financial planning is about planning for the life you want instead of letting life just happen to you.

Does the balance in your bank account dictate the way you live your life?  Do you even remember all the dreams you have squashed because the numbers in your accounts weren’t high enough?  Does it seem like no matter how much money you make, the balances never go any higher?  Or maybe you are always saving, but it never feels like enough? 

Wouldn't it be nice instead to ponder what you want out of life and push your money around to make it happen, instead of letting your money push you around.  Financial planning is about truly understanding what you want out of life and using your money and your investments to make it happen.

In most areas of our lives, we start with dreams and goals.  Then we make decisions and work to make them happen.  If we want children, then we look for a good mate to have them with, or a good neighborhood in which to raise them.  If we want a certain career, then we educate ourselves and look for opportunities to move it forward.  Financial goals are the same – the more we understand what we want, and the more time we have to do it, the easier it is. 

Financial planning doesn’t have to be about fearing all the things that you can’t have.  It is about planning to get the things that you really want.
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Managing Cash When Interest Rates Are Low

It's generally a good idea to keep three to six months of income in an emergency fund, but where should cash be kept when interest rates are low? This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and money market funds.

Settling on a Salary

As a company's profit situation improves, business owners may be in a position to decide whether to take home a larger salary or use more of the proceeds to invest for the future. This article discusses the possibility of choosing a business-owner salary that allows for other benefits, such as building the business, saving more for retirement, and adding employee benefits.

What Kind of Investor Are You?

Although most Americans seem to understand that investment involves risk, there is a wide spectrum in how much risk each investor is willing to assume. Among the factors to consider are comfort level, time horizon, and net worth. This article helps investors to consider their appropriate level of risk.

Averaging Ups and Downs

Stock market volatility was the norm in 2011, and that can be hard on an investor’s nerves. Utilizing a dollar-cost averaging strategy may help even out your portfolio’s ups and downs, as explained in this article.

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