Eight Ways To Sink Yourself Financially

1. Don’t focus on your finances.

The reason most people get into debt is because they don’t spend enough time focusing on their finances. You need to get a grasp of where you’re at financially, keep track of your income in relation to expenses and spending habits.

2. Failure to develop a good financial plan

No one would imagine going on vacation without planning for it. Yet when finances are concerned, many people don’t plan. A good financial plan can be the difference between comfortable living and struggling to get by.

3. Waiting too long to invest

When making investments, time is of the essence. Compound interest earns money over time; so don’t wait too long to save for retirement. The longer you wait to invest, the smaller your return on investment.

4. Marrying the wrong person

Who you marry has a huge impact on your finances. Couples with different views on money, create stress in their marriage. Divorce apart from the emotional pain and suffering causes financial heartache.

5. Habits

Although habits seem minor, the prices add up. Buying a $1 coffee each day cost you $365 every year. Imagine how much more money you spend by eating out regularly. If you smoke, the cost of cigarettes along could drive you to quit.

6. Running up credit card balances

If you carry unpaid balances on credit cards, you are already losing money in interest payments alone. Credit card companies have high interest charges that accumulate with unpaid balances.

7. Be under-insured

You need to protect yourself and your family from unforeseen emergencies, sickness, accidents and possible death. The goal is to make sure that you have proper financial coverage incase anything should happen.

8. Investing in things you don’t understand

If I had a dollar for every sure fire stock tip… I’d be rich. Then I’d lose that money by investing in those tips. Make sure you know what you are investing in, by asking a lot of questions, don’t hesitate to get another financial opinion.

University: A Course in Personal Finance

Recent findings from the Educational Policy Institute indicated that the UK is the third most expensive place in the world to go to university. Combine this with figures from the Prudential, showing that a third of university students have considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they have encountered, and it is not surprising that many prospective students are finding the need to seriously think through the merits of going to University.

Whilst it is true that there are currently loans available from both the government and from banks that are designed to see students through their period of studies, for many this will mean emerging into their adult life with mountains of debt. Barclays Bank has stated it believes that once top-up fees are introduced it will cost about £33,000 to put a child through university in England and Wales. At a time when the number of students has greatly increased and the number of high paid graduate careers appears to have diminished, students now have to factor in the cost of living when making the important decision of where to study. In an article by the Scotland On Sunday, the experiences of a university student from Glasgow show that the question of finance already weighs heavy for some students in their choices of where, or even if, they can study. Moving out of the parental home to take full advantage of university life may become less of an option for students as costs increase and financial assistance decreases.

The president of the National Union of Students in Scotland, Melanie Ward, said: “I think most students underestimate the amount of debt they will leave university with, which will be above £13,000.”

With graduates needing to earn £22,000 a year in order to pay off anything more than just the interest on their student loans, many people are in their 30s or even 40s before their debt is fully cleared.

Graduates are also finding that they have to make tough decisions as soon as they complete their courses. With banks, building societies, credit card companies, and other private sector lenders requiring the sums borrowed to be repaid. The immediate question of, “Do I build on the knowledge, work experience and internships, that I’ve had over the last few years and pursue my dream career, or does the chasing of the perfect job I’ve been working towards for years, have to take second place to getting back into the black?”, is now an all too intrusive reality for many.

Some students are finding it so difficult to make ends meet that they are trying to seek alternative means of resolving their debt. Checkmyfile.com has shown that that the number of students declaring themselves bankrupt tripled in 2004. Another method of reducing graduate debt is getting the loans written off through undergraduate bursary programmes by the military or teacher training, in return for agreeing to a placement period following graduation. There are however some potentially serious drawbacks to both types of schemes. These include possible damage to future career prospects or compulsory placement period in a career which the graduate does not want to proceed with long-term.

All is not doom and gloom however, with university authorities and the Students’ Union offering advice at college, and after graduation. Public sector organisations like the Citizens Advice Bureau can provide advice if real difficulties occur. Speaking directly to your lenders can often resolve problems. Switching between loans and credit cards is a good way to help reduce interest payments. Financial websites like Moneynet can provide a useful source of information by enabling students and graduates to see which loan or credit card provider is currently offering the best deal and 0% introductory rate.

It seems budgeting and hard decisions are required by all potential students these days, with a degree in personal finance a desirable pre-requisite before starting actual studies.

Understanding and Controlling Your Finances

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have complete control over your finances?

If you are like most normal people, you have a job. You go to your job every day. Every week or two weeks or month you get a pay check for some amount.

You have taxes.
The government, in an effort to make your life easier, lifts something like a third of your pay check without your having to do a thing.

You have problems.
For example, you get a speeding ticket one day, and then your insurance goes up. Or your car blows a gasket. Or you lose your job!

Then you have desires.
All humans do, some more than others. You might desire new living room furniture, a new TV or stereo, new clothes… Whatever. You may desire all of it all at once. Occasionally you cannot control yourself and one of your desires is filled.

Therefore you have debt!
Debt makes up the difference between income and expense. For most people day-to-day debt goes on a credit card, and large items like cars and houses are handled with more formal loans. Debt itself is not bad. The problem arises when debt accumulates for no apparent reason. Problems and desires would push your credit card balance upward each month because there is no other place for the money to come from.

Notice what you do not have in the above scenario?
There is no mention of a savings program. Nor a retirement plan. There is no particular hope of reaching future financial goals. No safety net! And most importantly, no peace of mind, no sense of control, no control of your life and your finances.

Let’s face it!
Investment planning is not the activity of choice for most individuals. If we had our way, the various pieces of our financial lives would magically fall into place. All of our financial needs would be met effortlessly without having to devote even a minute of time to planning!

Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work that way!
Making sense of your finances requires more time and effort than ever in today’s constantly changing economic environment. You are likely to have many different – and sometimes conflicting – financial goals. Deciding how to meet those goals requires careful planning.

So, is there a solution to this problem?
The answer is “maybe!”…
But it does require a big mental shift and if you are willing to make the mental shift the answer is yes!

It turns out there is a different way to live life. This way of life involves figuring out what you really want to do, and what is really important to you as an individual, and then working toward those goals rather than proceeding randomly.

What you gain in the process is a sense of control and satisfaction, and a sense of achievement, that is difficult to beat.

Can You Afford Not To Look After Your Personal Finances?

Investing is a subject a lot of people don’t want to think about. And there is good reason for that. Investing seems scary. It either sounds like something only the rich do or something that only a skilled professional can do. But the truth is that investing is something that everyone can and should do—as soon as possible.

Why should you start now?

Think about this. There are two ways to make money. You can exchange your time for money or you can make your money work for you. Most of us work 40 hours a week. In this case, you are trading your time for money. But wouldn’t you rather earn more than you are making? If you are making $1,000, wouldn’t you rather be earning $5,000? Most people think the only way to earn more is to work more. Work overtime is their motto! But there is more to life than working. Investing gives you the chance to let your money work for you—saving you time and earning you money.

But is the purpose of investing to get rich?

Some people don’t invest because they think that investing is something you do to get rich. They figure they’ll never earn enough to get rich, so why bother. But that’s not what investing is for. Investing is a way for you to be able to maintain your current lifestyle.

Think about this: what if the company you worked for suddenly closed down? What are you going to do when you get to retirement? Sometimes working more is not a viable option. Investing gives you another source of savings and earning income. You don’t invest to become a multi-millionaire (of course no one would stop you if that happens); you invest so that you can provide for yourself in the way you are accustomed to both before and after retirement.

Many people are convinced that investing is the right thing to do at this point, but, there are some misconceptions people have about investing that prevents them from actually doing it. These misconceptions are that:

Investing is too hard

Investing is too risky

You need a lot of money to invest

Let’s look at each one of these misconceptions.

Investing is too hard.

You may think that investing is just too hard. But a lot of that has to do with the terminology of the investment industry. I mean who knows what Fed Fund rates, mutual funds, indexes, or blue chip stocks are? But you don’t need to be scared off by a bunch of words—in the end they are just words. Just like you probably didn’t know what PMI was before you bought your first house or what APR was before you got your first credit card, you can learn what these things are. And you will find that they aren’t so hard to learn. And if you seek the advice of a professional, they can explain it to you.

Investing is too risky.

Some people have the idea that investing is risky. Movies such as “Wall Street”, no doubt, lead people to think that. But the fact is that investing is only as risky as you want it to be. Do you want to take huge risks? You can invest in international stocks. Want to play it safe? Go with bonds. The risk level is up to you and only you.

I can’t afford to invest.

Many people think they can’t afford to invest. But when you look at the alternatives (social security may not be there, job security is not 100%), you really have to ask yourself how can you afford not to invest. And the earlier you start, the more money you will earn. Even if it’s only a small amount, the money you invest today will earn you big in the future.

What’s The Truth Behind Your Finances?

Between 15 – 20% of people in our country (UK) own there own businesses. This statistic is on the rise thanks to the incredible invention of the Internet. The staggering truth is that of these only 5% are genuinely financially free! You may well see lots of expensive cars driving on our roads and big houses inhabited by the seemingly wealthy, but these houses and cars are not yet paid for.

Never in our history has it been so easy to lend money. Banks and building societies are falling over backwards to lend us money. You can sign your life away to a 50-year mortgage these days if you choose! Banks and building societies are offering 125% mortgages to first time buyers and business is looking outwardly great.

The credit card companies also love today’s economy. You can borrow enough money on a credit card nowadays to buy a brand-new car! The loan companies are also cashing in on ignorant and naive individuals and this really concerns me. The advertisement marketplace is going wild on media adverts for consolidation loans. You know the type? “We will help you to consolidate all of your existing loans into one affordable monthly payment” They call this type of loan a HOME OWNERS loan. Yes you can consolidate all of your existing debts into one affordable monthly loan, but what do you call affordable? People are consolidating their present debts into one huge debt and loaning the money to repay this new debt. To actually repay this debt in full will take these people years. What’s more they’ve secured this loan on their one and only ASSET – their HOME!

These unfortunate people aren’t thinking about the future and their long-term future plans, they’re thinking about the immediate and present situation. In the meantime what happens when the interest rates begin to rise? The interest rates on a consolidation loan will take years to pay off and whilst you owe money to your lender you’re not secure at all because your consolidation loan is secured on your home.

What does this mean?

If you cannot pay your loan the Loan Company will TAKE YOUR HOME as payment!

The reason it is so easy to lend money at present is because the interest rates are so low. At the time of writing this web page our present government has set the base rate of lending so low that people are dangerously getting themselves into debt through their own ignorance towards the economy. What is really happening will become all too apparent in the next few years when the tide turns and the interest rates begins to rise sharply. If you’re not financially free or in control of your assets when the tide turns you will lose everything. History always repeats itself and sooner or later a recession will hit the world trading markets and all of those people who borrowed huge amounts of money to buy their big house and their BMW or Mercedes will be in big financial trouble.

Wait, it gets worse!

SHOCK – HORROR!

Once the tide turns the interest rates will saw and if you’re not secure your financial world will come crashing down. The mistake that people have made is to foolishly believe that their loan rates will remain the same, they won’t. Let me explain in simple terms to you my theory by giving to you a simple example:

If you have a current ‘interest only’ mortgage of say £100k and the interest rate applied is £5% your monthly payment will increase with the interest rate. What happens if the interest rate climbs to 10%? Your mortgage could double. In 1989 the interest rate sawed to 15%. If this happens (and it could) your present mortgage payments could treble! How will you survive financially?

Your mortgage payments could increase by 300% inside 12 months and any other loans you may have will also require payment. If your wage doesn’t allow sufficient funds to meet these demands than you will lose everything slowly and painfully. When the interest rates do begin to rise (and they will) the debt consolidation companies will cash in on you. Before you know it you could owe money for the rest of your life and if you can’t pay what you owe than your lender will take your car your home and the clothes off your back to meet their demands.

SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

My advice to you is to pay off your existing debts as quickly as possible. If you are driving around in a car that is financed by a finance company pay this loan off as quickly as possible. Contact the finance company and ask them for a final settlement figure. This way you’ll know exactly how much debt you’re in. If you can afford to settle your finance early than take advantage of this and settle immediately. This way you’ll own your car outright, you’ll have paid less in interest and you’ll have some equity if you need it. If you can’t afford to settle the finance at the present than check what interest rate you are currently paying and search around on the Internet or in the high street for a lower rate of interest. Whatever you do, don’t delay in taking control of your finances today.

Another mistake people make is to fall into the trap of ‘false economy’. They begin with the right intentions by searching for a lower rate of interest for their mortgage. What this means is that their monthly payments become lower. The mistake they make is to think they’ve got more money in their pocket. In affect this is a false economy. Instead of settling for more money in your pocket and still enduring a 10 year (or whatever) term loan ,why not use this extra money to increase payment on the capital of your loan?

This simple technique is called ‘Mortgage Acceleration’ The Banks and Building Societies know all about Mortgage Acceleration they just don’t mention it because it loses them lots of money in interest payments!

If you increase the capital payments of your mortgage every month you’re paying off the entire loan quicker. If you can shave 2 years off your loan you’ve not only shortened your mortgage by 2 years you’ll have saved yourself a packet in interest charges. A 25-year £50k mortgage repaid 16 years early could save you over £60k in interest! (dependant on the interest rate) Ask your Bank or Building Society about ‘Mortgage Acceleration’ and see the look of loss on their face!

Don’t settle for a lower rate of interest and extend your loan payments thinking that you’re saving money, you’re not. You are only extending your debt! You need to pay off this loan as quickly as possible whilst the interest rates are low. The longer you take to pay off your mortgage the more interest rate the Bank or Building Society will take from you. Whilst the interest rate is currently around 5% accelerate payment NOW and save even more money! Take advantage of the fact that if the interest rates are currently low than the amount of interest that you pay on top of your loan will be also low. If you can afford to increase payment whilst the rates of interest are low than I urge you take advantage of this immediately. If there is any way that you can accelerate your loan and pay it off early than I would strongly advise you to begin your financial organisation here and organise this today. A simple increase of £50 per month in mortgage payments will save you money in interest payments in the long run. Your first step to taking control of your financial world is to pay off all of your existing debts as quickly as possible. When you have no debts, you’ll be financially free and you’ll feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

POSITIVE PLAN OF ACTION:

Contact the bank or building society that you have your mortgage with. Ask for a final settlement figure on your mortgage and also enquire into the current interest rate that you are paying. Chances are that if you’ve not checked the interest rate you are currently paying in the past 12 months than you could save yourself money immediately by choosing a better deal. There are currently plenty of lenders all willing to offer you competitive deals on your mortgage and I would advise you to check them all out before you commit yourself to one. A simple saving of 1% in interest can save you pounds every month. With this saving in interest payments, use this extra money to increase your capital payments. If you only manage to shave a year off the length of your mortgage it will be one less year that you are in debt and one year sooner to becoming financially independent.

Talking of your mortgage, if you currently have an Endowment policy running alongside your mortgage than investigate this policy thoroughly. Most endowment policies are useless in today’s interest market. What this means is that when your mortgage term ends there may be insufficient funds in your endowment policy to pay off what you owe to the lender. If this is true than your lender will be knocking on your door for this short fall. If you can’t afford to pay than you could lose your home after 25 years or more of payments! Recently I read that some Endowment policies were running a short fall of up to £13000! If this happens to you you’ll owe your lender £13k plus interest!

The smartest mortgage you can take is a straight ‘repayment’ mortgage. As well as paying the interest back to your lender you are also paying the capital off from the offset, therefore reducing the total amount you owe quicker. My advice is to accelerate your mortgage and pay it off as quickly as possible before the interest rates sky rocket and your payment doubles or even trebles. When the tide turns (and it will) you’ll be smiling in the content that you own your home and you own your car and nothing can take these away from you.

The Wright Place – Finances

Women have a love/hate relationship with money. Most of us do not enjoy dealing with it, yet we know not having finances under control will cause our entire family to suffer.

A recent guest on the show Karen Franks, explained how important your credit is and how you should check on it often. ‘At least twice a year”, says Karen Franks. Checking our credit is one important proactive way we can make sure we are in good financial shape. She also mentioned that many married women have better credit score than their husbands, even if they do not make as much. When another show guest, Dan Contreras talked about financial planning, he stressed using a professional. ‘Don’t rely on hearsay, get some real understanding about your situation.” And Linda Hollander the author or Bags to Riches says “Mentors are the fast track to success”. Find someone who has reached the same financial goals you want to reach and then do what they did. This simple technique works even if your goals are modest. While everyone’s situation is different, I really just want to motivate you to do something to have a positive effect on your finances. Here are a few simple things you can do that will start the ball rolling.

1. Get a copy of your credit report and check it for errors( free if you have been turned down for credit)

2. Look at your savings plan, are you on track, do you need to increase or decrease the amounts you are trying to save?

3. Look for your insurance policies, be able to get them immediately, know exactly where they are.

4. Start some financial education with your children. Start a student saving account.

5. Start planning next year’s financial goals. What do you want to change, what goals do you want to accomplish, what new accounts do you need to open and which accounts should be closed.

If you handle your finances you’ll be in The Wright Place!

Know Thy Finances

The first step to financial success lies in knowing your financial situation at any given time. There is an anecdote attributed to John D. Rockefeller–that as a child he was given a monthly allowance from his parents, but upon stipulation that he had to save 10% of it, give away 10% to charity, and account for the rest of it. While his parents required that he record down to the penny where he spent it–you can be a bit more lenient on yourself!

Track your spending for 1-2 full months

Use a program like Quicken to keep track of all your personal finances. I recommend the latest version of Quicken or a similar financial program if you already own one. You should start out by entering in your present-day personal checking account, savings, investments, and cash situation.

To complete this step, you will also need a cheap plastic filing container or something similar. You can purchase these for about $15 at Office Depot, etc. As you make payments, keep track of all the receipts you receive, the checks you write, and any other monetary transactions you make. Like I mentioned earlier, you don’t need to be exact when it comes to cash–just try to be, as much as you can tolerate.

At some later time, at your leisure, enter all this transaction data into Quicken. As you do so, put the purchasing receipts into the file folder under the appropriate Category. Make separate labels for each of the file folders– I suggest some of the following:

Personal
Household
Charitable
Books & Education
Dining Out
Business Expenses
Taxes
Misc.

You can also add your own categories or remove some as appropriate. At this point, you may be wondering why you have to do all this. For the moment, just trust me that it will be beneficial to you (I will explain it later on). Also, it takes a grand total of about 10-15 minutes per week to do what I just described. The next section, Budgeting, will take a little longer. But budgeting also requires that you need to at least perform the first step mentioned above, that is, keeping track of what you currently spend.

Planning your Budget

I can already hear what you are going to say–oh no, not a budget! I don’t like them either, because they tend to reign in my emotional spending or “I gotta have it” mentality. The truth is, you are the master of your financial destiny (not to sound corny, but its true for the most part). If you want to buy that fancy knickknack with the wireless PDA attachment downloader, then by all means, get it. But if it doesn’t serve your needs in the long run, then you will have wasted $X dollars to serve your fleeting emotional desires. Besides, you will notice after tracking your budget for several months where the real money is flowing. You might buy a fancy computer toy only occasionally, at $200+ dollars, but eating out at lunch everyday + dinner with the girlfriend at fancy restaurants all the time is leaving you broke. How about going to bars? I like to drink, but a beer at a bar or nightclub can range from $4-$10. It’s probably even more if you live in areas like San Francisco or New York.

Anyway, the point of planning your budget is just to get a better grasp on directing the flow of your money. I’m not saying that you should totally change your lifestyle or even change it at all–but if you are complaining about not having enough then there are certain things you should do, mainly spend less. It will be described later the benefits of saving & investing your money (which you probably already know anecdotally, but perhaps do not have extensive experience personally).

Good Luck!

Money Matters: Strengthen Your Marriage by Putting Finances in Order

Did you know that 43% of all married couples argue over money issues, making it the major reason couples fight? If you and your spouse handle money differently, now is the time to talk, establish expectations, and draw up a financial plan.

Money is a very big part of a marriage. Having enough to spend, and to do the things each wants to do, is important to both parties. When couples are not able to do that, then other issues pop up in the relationship. When husband and wife are not on the same page as far as family finances go, other difficulties inevitably arise.

Effective communication often emerges as the most difficult obstacle to establishing goals and expectations, and developing a financial plan. Many of us have been taught during childhood that discussing money is somehow inappropriate. Couples must understand that it is not only appropriate but absolutely necessary to managing finances in a marriage. Just as finances must be planned in a business, they must also be planned in a marriage. You must communicate in spite of any difficulty.

For example, how do you get your spouse to understand that he or she will need to curb their spending habits so that you both can begin putting money away?

There s got to be a viable agreement, because most couples discover that a lack of money, a lack of spending control, or a lack of fall-back savings eventually causes other problems in a marriage. Little things grow into much bigger things. However, as emphasized by Daniel Smith a noted financial expert cited in The Marriage Medics, future arguments over finances can be avoided by simply communicating, creating an understanding of expectations, setting objectives and agreeing on a financial roadmap.

The Marriage Medics outlines the following financial plan of attack for couples of any age:

1. Stop living beyond your means.

2. Treat the household like a business.

3. Create an income-and-expense statement.

4. Create a balance sheet.

5. Create a budget.

6. Figure out how to pay down your debt. Agree on a plan of action in which you both share equally in cutbacks.

7. Find ways to cut expenses.

8. Go on a debt diet starting with the little stuff.

9. Have only one credit card for your entire family.

10. Celebrate when you pay off a debt.

There are many resources for help in creating family budgets and living within them. For instance, Jim Miller, a Registered Investment Advisor, author of Retire Dollar Smart, and the host of a financial advice radio show is an excellent source. Visit his web site at: www.retiredollarsmart.com. In sum, married couples have an important opportunity to plant the seeds for a healthy marriage by simply talking with each other, being realistic about expectations, and making that financial plan. Money matters!

A Fresh Start for Family Finances in 2005

While 40% to 50% of us make New Year’s resolutions on January 1—a ritual that has existed since ancient times—approximately 60% to 80% of us have already broken them by the end of February, according to researchers.

It’s still not too late, however, to reset the trajectory on your family’s finances, experts note.

1. Build a Budget

If you haven’t already done so, create a realistic budget.

Approximately 85% of your income should be set aside for necessities like housing, food, health care and clothing, according to the professionals at VISA USA.

This leaves 15% for entertainment—and something many consumers completely neglect: savings.

2. Distinguish “Needs” from “Wants”

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you need in life versus what you want in life.

You need to pay for the antibiotics when the doctor diagnoses a respiratory infection. You don’t need to buy the latest movie released on DVD to aid in your recovery.

You need to pay the rent or mortgage. You don’t need to buy the lovely accent pillows that beckon to you from the interior design boutique.

Always separate the needs from the wants—particularly if money is tight.

3. Monitor Your Spending

To see what you really spend each month, keep a running log of all purchases—no matter how small—for a full month. This will give you a visual display of where your money goes after you deposit your paycheck.

You may find that the $3 cup of coffee that starts each day adds up to $90 a month—a pocketbook pincher that may prompt you to buy a pound of coffee beans at the local market and grind them yourself. That $90 blossoms into $1,080 in savings at the end of a year.

4. Create an Emergency Fund

Life is full of surprises—both positive and negative. If you happen to lose your job or suffer an illness that temporarily sidelines you, you will need cash reserves to support you during the rough months.

“In most cases, consumers who find themselves dealing with a financial hardship are unprepared and have not saved for unexpected situations,” says Diane Giarratano, director of education for Novadebt, a U.S. financial management service agency, with multiple locations, that provides credit counseling, budgeting and financial education.

5. Educate Yourself

When you attended high school or college, you studied history, mathematics, language and science, but there was probably no course in basic money management.

If you need help in meeting a financial goal—whether it’s buying a home or reducing your debt—take advantage of community resources.

“Consumers should feel free to contact a good credit-counseling agency to obtain free advice with regard to establishing a budget or to learn how to handle unexpected hardships,” Giarratano says.

6. Don’t Become a Victim

Identity theft has become an international epidemic, so be extremely cautious when giving out your credit card or personal identifying information. Monitor your credit card bills carefully for unauthorized charges, and immediately report suspicious activity to the issuing company.

“Identity theft is often an inside job,” warns Robert L. Siciliano, a personal security expert with Boston, Massachusetts-based SafetyMinute Seminars and author of “The Safety Minute.”

“Lower-level help desk workers and frontline call center employees often have access to all our personal information in their databases,” he says. “What are you doing to protect yourself? If you’re not paying attention, you could be a victim, too.”

And when a disaster strikes, such as the recent killer tsunamis in South Asia and East Africa, be wary of scammers from fake charities before reaching for your checkbook. Unfortunately, there will always be unscrupulous individuals who seize such opportunities to profit from others’ misfortune.

“Avoid using your credit card to make contributions,” advises James Walsh, author of “You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man: How Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Frauds Work…and Why They’re More Common Than Ever.”

“Even though this can be a convenient way to proceed, many crooks are looking for credit card numbers,” Walsh says. “They will press strongly for ‘immediate support.’ Don’t rush.”

Instead, initiate the call yourself, and select a reputable charity.

“Go with recognized names,” Walsh says. “No organization is perfect; even the best-meaning groups occasionally misallocate money or fall victim to abusive employees. But larger charitable groups—like the Red Cross, the United Way and Catholic Charities—have the mechanisms in place to audit their people and performance.”

Charitable contributions are tax-deductible, so keep good records of all donations—including small cash gifts.

5 Ways to Absolutely Destroy Your Finances!

Ben Stein has a book called How to Ruin Your Finances. To be honest, I’m not sure an entire book is needed on the subject—there are some fairly quick and easy ways to accomplish the task. (Before continuing, let me be clear that I do not actually recommend such activities—This is a reductio absurdum argument, meant to spur an opposing realization.)

#1: Buy everything, yes, everything

You never know when a neighbor may come over to use your dish towels, so make sure they are Ralph Lauren, less than six months old, and all the same color. While you’re at it, buy things that you don’t need now, but may need in the future, such as eleven new sweaters, a top-of-the-line treadmill, and some bestselling novels (just in case you ever read the 38 already on your bookshelf).

#2: Charge all purchases

That way you can itemize all your spending, which is sort of like budgeting. When the bill comes each month, be consistent—pay only the minimum. If there’s anything left at the end of the month, see #1.

#3: Don’t be concerned about retirement

That’s what Social Security is for! Our country is run by intelligent economists, and they’ll make certain there’s enough for you in 25 years.

#4: Buy a $4 million home, with 1% down, and a 30-year mortgage

Then, spend your entire working life paying it off. Don’t worry if you haven’t invested in anything else—you can sell the home when you reach 65, rapidly adjust your lifestyle to match your new one-bedroom condo, and live off the difference.

#5: Start being frugal ‘tomorrow’

Please, finish your $7 mocha latte and go about your day. After all, this article was obviously written for the other guy!