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Dropping a few hundred (or thousand) dollars can be easy to do over the holiday season. Between now and the start of 2011 there are a lot of events taking place that will require money. Do you have enough?

Here are some tips so you have enough cash over the next few months:

Estimate how much you will need from now through New Year’s Day. For the holidays you may be purchasing gifts, food, decorations and have some travel expenses. For New Years you may need money for a new outfit, night club entry, dinner and transportation. Make sure you have enough money by listing the items you want to buy and how much they cost.

Filed under: Money XLive • Money XLive

Life After College

September 30, 2010

When’s the best time to start planning for ‘life after college’?

Now!

Check out what John Salley, Brian Deegan, and others say about planning for life:

It’s never too early to start thinking about where you want to travel, what type of relationships do you want, what type of career you think you would enjoy, the impact you want to make in this world and how much money it will take for you to live the lifestyle you desire.

Filed under: Money XLive • Money XLive

Is College Your Ticket to the American Dream?

August 30, 2010

It’s the start of another school year, and as you get your assignments, many of you are wondering, “So why am I going to school anyway?”

You might think it’s simply to get into a good college, to make your parents proud, or because it might be tough to find a job right out of high school. If you take a deeper look, you might find that you are going to school so you can live your own personal “American Dream.”

Check out the video of Wilmer Valderrama and you’ll find the American Dream has spread worldwide and people from all corners of the globe are searching to live a better, richer, and happier life.

Filed under: Money XLive • College Prep • Money XLive • Financial Aid & Scholarships

A ‘Deadbeats’ Approach to Build Your Credit Scores

July 31, 2010

You want the credit card companies to refer to you as a ‘deadbeat’ or a ‘freeloader’. That may not sound like a good thing; but it is. That is how credit card industry insiders use to refer to people that did not carry credit debt and paid off their balance in full each month.

To know why these financially savvy customers are referred to as ‘deadbeats’, we need to look at it from the credit card company’s point of view. Credit card companies want customers that are ‘revolvers’. Revolvers are customers that carry credit card debt; that’s how they make their money. Their ideal customer is one that makes the minimum payments. These people will have carry credit card debt for a long time. Depending on the interest rate, if you make just the minimum payments, it could take you more than 15 years to pay credit card debt off.

Credit card companies also like customers that frequently make late payment and go over their limit. Just by paying late, credit card companies can jack up your interest rates and charge you additional fees. Going over the limit can have the same consequences. The credit card companies may force you to pay the balance below the limit or you risk having these fees add up month after month.

So strive to be a ‘deadbeat’ and ‘freeloader’. Be the credit card company’s worst customer! This is the first step to long term financial success planning.

Filed under: Money XLive • Money XLive

Networking Advice

July 19, 2010

Networking is one of the most important skills you can have in today’s age. “It’s all about who you know” – that statement isn’t 100% accurate but knowing the right people is very important. Networking is an important skill that will help you in every area of your life. It can help you find a job, start a business and it’s always good to build long-term, trusted friends.

Networking Tips:

- Set clear business and career goals for yourself. If you don’t know exactly what you want to do start with the things you enjoy doing and put your focus on thinking about how you want to live your day-to-day life.

- Be able to share your business goals in 30 seconds. Your ‘elevator pitch’ should be well polished and clear so when people ask “what’s up” your prepared with an answer that will help you reach your goals.

- Educate yourself in the areas you want to excel in. Know enough to hold a good conversation.

- Look for ways you can help others accomplish their goals while you accomplish yours. Always be looking for ways to mutually benefit each other instead of just asking “how can they help me”.

Filed under: Money XLive • College Prep • Money XLive