Category — Personal Finance

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1. Power, Influence and Persuasion: Sell Your Ideas and Make Things Happen; Harvard Busines Essentials
2. Entrepreneur’s Toolkit; Harvard Business Essentials
3. Getting Started in Consulting; Alan Weiss
4. Making Great Decisions in Business and Life; David R. Henderson, Charles L. Hooper
5. Mindfulness; Ellen J. Langer Ph.D.
6. The Trusted Advisor; Maister, Green, Galford
7. Personal Finance for Dummies; Eric Tyson
8. MarketBusters: 40 Strategic Moves That Drive Exceptional Business Growth; Rita Gunther McGrath
9. The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Body & Healthier LifeMayo Clinic
10. Zaboravite pravila; Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman
11. Kapitalizam i sloboda; Milton Friedman
12. Mali princ; Antoine de Saint-Exupery
13. Asertivnost – veštine vladanja sobom; Jezdimir Zdravković
14. Šta je sreća; Fernando Trijas de Bes, Alex Rovira
15. The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life; Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
16. Misli; Marko Aurelije
17. Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy; Carl Shapiro, Hal R. Varian

Personal Finance Software -Which One is Best?

Personal finance software don’t just make your life easier but they also give you more control over your finances. No longer do calculations by hand, once you have the program set up you automate most of your transactions. Below we will help you determine which personal finance software will best fit your needs.

When you work with any personal finance software, the safety and security of your data is a major consideration. Security is especially important if you’re using a web based service, as your information is then online. When registering for one of these services, always create a new and complicated password. Downloading a personal finance program is generally more secure than using an online one, but if you do this be sure that you have at least one extra copy of everything in case of a computer problem. There’s always the possibility that a hard drive can crash, so you want to be sure to have the information stored somewhere else as well. You can either use a trusted online storage service or an external backup system to store your information.

YNAB stands for You Need A Budget, and this is the name of a popular software program that works with just about every operating system you might have, including Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s features, ease of use and overall functionality have earned YNAB some fantastic rave reviews among consumers. This isn’t your average program, it’s also a teacher of the basic rules of budgeting.

The four rules of cash flow are the basis for hits program helping you get out of debt, control expenses and improve your financial situation. Included with this program are live classes, and tutorials among other helpful resources and support services. Considering everything it does, YNAB is a good value for its price tag.

You’ve almost certainly heard of Quicken, but did you know that Intuit, the company that makes it, also offers a free financial service called Mint? It’s not hard to set up Mint, which is an application you access online. One useful feature of this service is that you can use it from any device that gives you internet access. Not only does it help you manage your everyday expenses, there are resources to help you save and invest money for long term gain. If you use Mint, you’ll have to be willing to look at some advertising in exchange for using this free service. Mint is also limited to U.S. based financial institutions in its operations, so it’s not an international platform. Mint has many advantages, as its features are comparable with those of many programs that cost money to buy.

In the end there are bound to be one of the many software options available that fits your personal needs. Carefully consider what you need you software to do and you will be able to find one with the right features for you. This information should point you in the right direction to discover the right personal financial software for you. Once you choose a program be sure to get it up and running quickly so you can enjoy the added benefits of tracking your finances.

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Don’t let your finances freak you out


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This button at the bottom of pages on wesabe.com takes you to a nice montage of puppy or kitten photos from flickr anytime you get too stressed wrangling with your personal finances. Nice touch.

Do You Know What to Look for in Personal Finance Software

Many have found that the use of personal finance software is not complicated and quite useful for tracking your household budget. Yet some programs are better than others, and you have to choose one that does what you need it to do. There are choices of simple to more advanced, some web based, some downloadable and others meant for tracking investments. I will help you here in this article with some hints for finding the best personal finance software for your needs.

Notwithstanding your exact financial ambitions, you surely wish for personal finance software which will make your life easier. Although, if you use it the right way, it can do more than just automate assignments that you’d otherwise need to weigh on your own. It can also aid you in bettering your financial circumstances by letting you see precisely what’s happening. You can have instant access to all the applicable numbers, like your expenses, income, bills, bank accounts and investments. So if you purchase a personal finance program, make sure you make full use of it so that you can enjoy the true advantages it offers.

There are many personal finance software to consider, and one good one you might not have heard of is Moneydance. This program allows you to access all the features from one page, so it’s quite user friendly. You can easily add or delete accounts, and you have a neat summary of all your information in one place. Some of the tasks it can help you with include online bill paying and advising you about making important financial matters. Best of all, you can use this software for free for your first 100 transactions. This will give you a lot of time to decide if you want to buy it or not.

Quicken Starter Edition 2011 is a good choice if you’re looking for a simple to use yet robust budgeting and money management software. One of the best known names in financial software, this edition of Quicken is designed for the end user who wishes to gain control over their personal finances. Not only can you organize your household budget with ease but you can also track you bank accounts and credit cards. Another added feature is bill reminders so you can avoid late fees. You can even make end of year taxes easier by linking your system up with Turbo Tax. Not only this is software  easy to use it also comes with guided setup features. Quicken Deluxe 2011 is available for those who need their software to have some more advanced features.

Personal finance software come in an array of appearances, to online services to phone apps. A high number of these programs are incredibly powerful and effective if you take the time to get to know each of its characteristics. The programs I’ve talked about in this article are the ones you might discover valuable, although you should check out many of them to decide which one has everything you need. Personal finance software can aid you in having a greater understanding of your finances, and this can be a comfort for you.

Up Close with Personal Finances

It should not be surprising if the news would announce that personal bankruptcy had broken the record and reached an all-time high. Nowadays, personal budget and keeping with it have become more of an exception rather than a rule. Very few people practice self-control in terms of spending habits which then later on find themselves deeply entrenched in their own web of loans and debts.

To manage personal finances properly, it is best to come up with a personal budget. Through this simple financial planning, one can analyze on paper what he can purchase with his resources and how much resources he can earn over a period of time.

To start making his personal budget, he must first list down all his current accountabilities. These may include the debts he owes, bills that come regularly and expectantly, and routine expenses that he cannot get away with if he has to continue living with peace of mind. Afterwards,  he must list down the resources of finances that can offset partially or fully the accountabilities that he has already noted down.  If there is a deficit on the available finances, he must make a crucial decision on how his current funds will be allocated among the competing items that he must settle. For the remaining unresolved red figures on the list, he must decide on how to cover these soon before they bloat further.

There are two ways how one can clear out his credit list. It is either he pays off his creditors little by little, assuming the lenders or the banks would agree on such payment restructuring, until he has them  all settled for good. There are more affordable consumer loans which provide lower interest rates for even a longer repayment schedule. It is also wise to consider the offer of some credit card companies for balance transfer programs where the installment rates are lower.  If all else fails, he has to expand his revenue source in order to get more cash. In short, he has to get a second job.

Managing one’s personal finances entails anticipating future needs as well. There will be unaccounted for situations where the savings or current cash on hand might not be enough to see through the day. That is why it is also important that a person looks at good financial investments and banking instruments.

He may consider depositing a fixed amount regularly in a bank savings account.  There are time deposit accounts that provide better yield for the money deposited.  However, be wary of the bank’s reputation and its possibility of bankruptcy. He will be better off spending time to scout for banks which are more stable and have larger coverage of branches network.  It is best to shop around and compare rates and benefits among the banks in the area.

Another option for him to consider is investing his money on assets that appreciate or depreciate returns over time like stocks, bonds, securities, paper assets in money market, to name a few.  As opposed to savings in banks that earn a fixed amount of value over a length of time, investments are assets where returns can fluctuate.

There are also safer investments that can be made part of one’s personal financial planning. This can take the form of insurance, retirement plans or even real estate ventures. Depending on how wide his funding source base is, he can allocate and distribute his assets among the many financial instruments out there than put all his eggs in one basket.

Personal finance management is indeed a chore not too difficult if one has the discipline to follow the appointed personal budget or just simply live within his means.

CFP Board celebrates its silver anniversary with this video short featuring messages from current and past leaders of CFP Board, sharing an inside look at the cornerstones of the CFP® certification and the evolution of CFP Board. The organization’s history spans a period from 1985 to 2010 that includes the seismic shift in consumers’ personal finance needs during the 1980s and the complex economic problems and market changes taking place today. This video showcases the purpose for the organization’s founding and its successes in furthering its mission to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for personal financial planning.
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Les standards du Web en entreprise : l’exemple de BNP Paribas Personal Finance


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Jérémie Patonnier

Keeping An Eye On Your Personal Finances

The majority of us are sticklers for finances at work, but often disregard our personal finance at home. For those who are not accountants, the process of keeping financial records and ensuring all financial items are squared away can be quite boring and often confusing. Instead of ignoring your personal finance until a problem arises, take the initiative today!

The most important aspect of your personal finance is undoubtedly your credit. Your credit score, often a mystical number of much confusion, is critical to your success in the financial realm. Without a respectable credit score, you will be unable to borrow money or obtain a home or vehicle loan. This number can literally hold you back from completing your goals and can severely limit your future.

The credit in your name has a direct bearing on the credit number. Thus people who do not use their credit cards properly and have huge bills running in their names lend a bad streak to their credit. A point to be noted is that it is not the amount you charge but it is the amount that is kept on credit that poses the threat of being harmful. It is important to keep a check on the monthly statement and you should endeavor to pay it in full each month.

In today’s society, identity theft is often a problem. If someone steals your identity, they can wreck your finances, ruin your credit, and tarnish your good name and reputation. In order to prevent identity theft, carefully monitor all your financial statements and safe guard your personal information.

The attitude of most people towards money is spending today and saving later, thus relegating saving for a later part of their life. But this habit catches them unawares in the later part of their life where they get jolted with the rude shocks of a fast approaching retirement date and a non-existent retirement fund. So do not wait for tomorrow, start saving today by putting some portions of your income in the retirement fund account.

One of the best ways to handle the finances is a budget. This is the best way to keep a tab on the finances and keeping the spending in control. When you create a budget you need to make two columns, one meant for the incomes and the second for expenditures. You need to mention all the items of expenditure in the expenses column such as rent or mortgage payment, car payment, insurance, utilities, and food. Whatever is left after deducting all this from the income is the monthly excess that of course can be used in different ways.

It’s a good idea to consult an accountant if you are not sure about setting your personal finance records straight. This person will help you correct any potential problems and ensure nothing goes wrong in the future.

The world of finance is fascinating. There’s no need to be scared of it. Just keep your finances straight and you will be able to build, or rebuild, your credit score.

Personal Finances – How I Achieved More Money Than Month

Are you familiar with the phrase “More Month Than Money?” It means running short of money either before the end of the month or before your next payday. It’s a condition with which most wage earners are familiar. It was my problem for many years.

I’ve been married to Lois Lane for more than forty years. We raised two daughters. I’ve had several “careers,” and, I’ve always had a decent income. What I didn’t always have was an effective way to manage my income. I’m not an accountant; just a breadwinner who, when I first got married, couldn’t make the ‘bread’ go far enough.

The Early Years

For about the first ten years of our marriage, I used trial and error money management. Even though I had a good job with a decent salary, I never seemed to consistently have enough money to both pay my bills and for day-to-day expenses. One payday we would have more than we needed; the next we would run out of money long before the next paycheck. It was a continual financial rollercoaster. Sound familiar?

Like most people, I had not received any kind of formal or informal training to prepare me for the awesome responsibility of managing my income to effectively support a growing family. I was on my own with no financial roadmap as I searched for any type of a money management method that would work for me. I was looking for a way to both pay my bills on time and to smooth out the amount of spending money available between paydays. I’m sure you can relate to my quest.

I tried budgets and found that keeping track of every penny spent was something I didn’t want to do. My budgets started off great, but they didn’t last long. I tried bill consolidation loans and, after doing several, realized that consolidation loans by themselves are not the answer. They served only to increase my debt instead of helping me to control my finances. Keep in mind that this was all happening over 30 years ago; well before the advent of personal computers. There were no software options for personal financial management. I was on my own.

My First “System”

Over the years I gradually, without any premeditated idea of what I was doing, developed a system for paying my bills which also evened out the highs and lows between paychecks. These were the two features of a money management system that I wanted. This “system” was nothing more that a consistent way of looking at my finances twice a month. I was doing this all on scratch paper with no formal structure.

It’s impossible for me to pinpoint when my very simple approach to cash flow management evolved into something I could use consistently. All I can say with certainty is that while I was paying bills one month it dawned on me that what I was doing on scratch paper could somehow be organized into formal records.

After experimenting with forms design over a couple of months, I managed to create a system of forms that replaced my scratch paper. (Remember, this was in the mid-1970′s; several years before the advent of the personal computer.) With my new forms in place, my informal system had matured to the point that I was able to pay my bills when due without financial strain, and I had a consistent cash flow for day-to-day expenses. I was quite pleased with how my own personal money management “system” had turned out. It was a process that I, nor anyone else to my knowledge, had ever seen or used.

A Friend Gave It A Try

A friend of mine at the time, Fred Thornton (not his real name), became interested in my little system of forms. I had been telling Fred how pleased I was with the effectiveness of the process. My friend was also searching for a better financial scheme. He had an excellent income, plus a generous monthly dividend from a trust fund that his grandparents had set up. Despite his above average income, Fred’s financial condition was characterized by “more month than money.” He had large credit card and charge account balances to which he forfeited substantial interest every month. In addition, Fred was constantly concerned about his ability to pay his bills. He was in the same boat I had been in. At his request, I agreed to create a set of my forms for Fred to try.

After I copied the forms and instructed Fred on the methodology of the system, Fred became very dubious that my set of forms would be any help at all. After he initialized his forms to reflect his financial situation, it was painfully clear that Fred’s finances were a disaster. According to the forms, Fred was in very bad financial straits; bad enough that he doubted his ability to ever get his finances under control. In addition to doubting the usefulness of my forms, both Fred and his wife were afraid that using the system would put unwanted restraints on their lifestyle the same way budgets tend to do.

The Turnaround Was Amazing

Despite their concerns, Fred and his wife decided to give my system of forms a try. They had nothing to lose. Their finances were in such bad shape that they doubted my system could make things worse. The results they achieved so quickly amazed all of us.

After using my system of forms for less than three months, Fred’s finances had stabilized. All of his credit card and charge account balances were under control to the extent that he no longer paid interest on any of his credit cards or charge accounts. Furthermore, Fred and his wife were very pleased that their concerns about having constraints on their lifestyle proved groundless. They were actually able to begin pursuing many interests which, prior to using my system of forms, had been too expensive. As Christmas approached that year, the Thorntons were able to do virtually all of their gift buying without incurring any debt. In the eleven years they had been married, that was the first Christmas that they got through with virtually no additional debt.

The amazing turnaround in Fred’s finances was nothing short of incredible. Because of the original set of forms I had provided to Fred, his finances quickly went from “more month than money” to “more money than month.” After using my “system” for a few short months, Fred found that he was consistently faced with the pleasant problem of having excess income every month. His income had not changed, only the way he managed it.

The Word Began To Spread

My and Fred’s success with the original set of forms was difficult to keep secret. It wasn’t long before I was receiving inquiries from both people I knew as well as strangers; some of whom were out of state. Since I couldn’t make copies of the forms and personally instruct everyone on how to use them, I decided to write a how-to book. The resulting three-ring binder, titled Payday Management System, was self-published in 1975.

Without exception, everyone who purchased a copy of that first book had the same success in gaining control of their finances that Fred had experienced. I began receiving letters from very pleased customers. Sales were slow since all advertising was strictly word of mouth. But, it appeared that, given enough time, sales of the Payday Management System could have taken off. So why haven’t you heard about that first book in the last thirty or so years?

At the time I was still very much involved in my military career and had no time to be a book publisher. Shortly after publishing the Payday Management System, I was transferred to my next tour at sea. Before heading for my ship I put the book aside. I went off to sea and forgot about it. I continued to use the money management techniques; I just didn’t have the time to share them with others.

Fast Forward To Today

It’s now more than thirty years since my personal money management system was formalized in a crude set of hand-drawn forms. Since then, the personal computer has become very much a part of a growing number of peoples’ lives. I decided a few years ago that it was time to update the original book and to convert the manual forms into a personal computer program so that I could again begin sharing this powerful money management process. I was now a software developer with much experience and figured I could easily convert the Payday Management System manual workbook to a Windows program. Boy, was I wrong.

After several years and more false starts, I completed the first version of my personal finance program in the fall of 2006. Expressing the simple techniques that comprised the original Payday Management System proved to be a far greater challenge than I first thought. Those techniques are powerful in their simplicity; and I soon discovered that preserving that simplicity in a technological venue was not easy. But, version 1.0 of the software is finally done. I’ve been using the program for several months. It makes managing our month-to-month finances very simple and easy.

Dennis was invited to speak on Channel 8 “Good Morning Singapore” on 3 July 2009 (Friday) 7.30 am to share about some of the concepts in his book “Mastering Your Personal Finance” 如何做个理财掌门人. PS this is the First Chinese/English Book on Personal Finance in Singapore. What are the things he shared? The topics shared include: Can Average Singaporean become Rich? Why Do the Rich get Richer? Can it be due to they have a different mindset from the average person? What is the mindset of the Rich? To ger Richer, you need to increase your Financial Literacy? What is Financial Literacy? Do you need to be very good in Mathematics to have Financial Literacy? The Average person like to DIY, do you know that this can be one reason that actually hinder them from becoming Rich? What are the basic steps a person need to take to start on the path towards Financial Freedom?
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