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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Newsletters

New Rules Are in the Cards

In 2010, the federal government issued a dizzying array of rules and reforms affecting consumer credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards. This article explains some of the important developments resulting from enactment of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009.

Why You Want to Know How Much Your Business is Worth

An up-to-date valuation may seem like an unnecessary expense for a small business, but it could prove to be invaluable to achieving long-term goals. Knowing the current value of a business can affect how an owner might approach everything from retirement to estate conservation to a succession strategy.

Never Retire? Don't Count on It

In a recent survey, just 40% of wealthy individuals indicated they are totally confident they will have enough money for retirement. The other 60% said they will shun traditional retirement and work as long as possible. However, it could be dangerous to believe that a retirement income shortfall can be overcome by working past the traditional retirement age.

Another Economic Stimulus

Temporary incentives could affect businesses of all sizes. Although Congress was unable to tackle the controversial issue of future income tax rates before the 2010 midterms, it quietly passed a little-noticed tax package, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2009 (H.R. 5297), that may benefit small businesses and even individual taxpayers.

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