Get the best bang from your credit card

August 31, 2015 by

Shopping for a credit card.

If you are going to use credit cards, why not get the most reward?  Instead of YOU paying interest to your credit card company, the credit card company could be PAYING YOU each month, assuming you’ve paid your bill on time.  Now that is a switch!

Some of the best reward cards we have found are:

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express offers 6% cash back at US supermarkets up to $6,000 per year which equals up to $360 per year!  In addition they give 3% back on gas and select department stores.  Even with the annual fee at $75, it is still a great deal!  Everybody needs to eat, right?

Citi Double Cash Card offers essentially 2% back on all purchases with no restrictions and no annual fee. This is another good choice.  The way the card works is you get 1% cash back when you buy, plus another 1% when you pay for those purchases.  This would be a great option for a student to start earning some cash back without the annual fee.

Capitol One Venture Card is a flexible travel reward card.  One of the best benefits is that you can book travel on any airline at any time.  The card offers two miles for every dollar spent which could turn into a pretty nice vacation!

An easy to use tool can be found at http://creditcardtuneup.com/ to help determine what card works best with your spending habits.  Check it out!

Sorry, but we have to mention a best practice when we discuss credit cards, so if you use credit cards ALWAYS pay them off in full each and every month.

Disclosure:  No compensation of any kind was received from any of the businesses mentioned above.

Filed Under: Money Management Tagged With: , , , ,

Keeping more of what you earn

August 17, 2015 by

These money saving tips could make a HUGE difference in your financial situation.  Take the time to watch and change your future!

Filed Under: Money Management Tagged With: , , , ,

Take another look at healthcare…

August 4, 2015 by

Check out our webinar from last month on healthcare, it will certainly open your eyes!

Join us this Thursday, August 6th at 7:30PM EDT for some Money Saving Tips that will have you keeping more of what you earn.  Click here to register for the FREE webinar series.

Filed Under: Money Management Tagged With: , ,

Untangling Your Healthcare Options

July 2, 2015 by

Healthcare On Smartphone Shows Medical Care And Healthy Living

Are you aware of your healthcare options?  Do you understand them?  We started looking into our health care options recently and discovered it didn’t mean what we thought it meant.  Do you know what we mean?  What a mess…then we found Alice.

Tonight at 7:30PM EDT Alice Young from The Paige Insurance Agency will help us untangle health care options for individuals, couples, single parents and families without employer sponsored plans.  It is a jungle out there but she specializes in health care and will help clear away some of the confusion.  Alice will be covering questions like:

What should I consider when choosing a plan?

What type of network is best for me?

Can I keep my doctor?

If I am out of state and get injured will my healthcare plan cover my bills?

You might be very surprised to find out the answers to these questions.  We certainly were.  If you are not covered by an employer’s health plan, you shouldn’t miss this webinar!  Click here to register to join us tonight at 7:30PM EDT.

 

Filed Under: Business Boost, Money Management Tagged With: , , ,

Exciting Options Trading Opportunity!

June 23, 2015 by

Bearish Butterfly logo - PLAY TO WIN!We are thrilled to announce that John Locke has been invited back to the SMBU Options Tribe to discuss his Bearish Butterfly strategy.  This has been a core strategy of his for many years and he is excited to show this powerful strategy in action today at 5PM EDT.

This strategy teaches:

1.  Trade guidelines that offer a high win rate in most market conditions AND potential high returns in certain market conditions.

2.  Provides BIG profits in bearish trending and volatile markets.

3.  A systematic and objective way to appropriately size your trade and adjust your profit targets based on time and market conditions.

4.  A simple once a day management method to adjust your Bearish Butter to changing market conditions.

CLICK HERE RIGHT NOW and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for two videos which were made a couple years ago showing this strategy in action.  Then today at 5PM EDT CLICK HERE TO LOG IN to listen to John’s discussion showing this strategy has stood the test of time.

Click like if you will be attending the FREE webinar today!

Filed Under: Stock Market Tagged With: , , , ,

Put your money to work

June 22, 2015 by

Your money taking care of you on the beach!The fifth and last phase in our financial freedom plan is to “Put your money to work”.  Here is where the fun begins.  Now you can build up piles of cash for investments.  To build those accounts use the money you were putting towards your debts and emergency fund in phases three and four.

The following must be maintained to stay on the road to financial freedom:

1.  Stay debt-free.

2.  Accelerate paying off your mortgage to at least 15 years or less.

3.  Maintain at least 15% of household income towards retirement, a fully funded emergency fund, and adequate term life insurance, if needed.

4.  Pay cash for everything (except possibly real estate, an appreciating asset).

5.  Diversify your investments.

Always keep in mind that you MUST fully understand the investment BEFORE you invest in it.  Relying on someone else to “manage” your investments can lead to disappointment and frustration.  So be sure that you have a complete understanding of all the risks before investing.  Always remember no risk, no reward.

Please list some investment options in the comments that should be investigated.

 

Filed Under: Business Boost, Money Management, Real Estate, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Negotiate more than just pay

June 19, 2015 by

yellow please pay here signSometime you can feel stuck in a job and the boss just won’t (or can’t) increase your pay.  Is there a possibility that some other type of compensation could make you happy?  Cash is king but there are other things that an employer could offer that might be able to make up for it like:

  • Additional vacation time – Everybody likes extra time away from work!
  • Telecommute – Even one or two days a week will have you saving money and time from commuting.
  • Flexible hours – Not everyone is at their best between 9am and 5pm.  See if your work hours could be adjusted around your peak time.
  • Membership perks – Maybe your employer would allow you to keep the airline miles you rack up for the company?  Or maybe there is a professional organization they would pay for you to join.  Lots of possibilities!
  • Special project – Is there a project that needs to be completed you would like to work on?  Ask!  You my even gain some additional marketable skills!
  • Bonus structure – Propose a bonus structure based on time or performance that is measurable and can easily be calculated so you know what you will get.

Even when a pay increase is off the table there are other ways an employer can offer incentives for their treasured employees.  Give it a try, you might be surprised!

What other types of benefits or compensation could an employer offer?  Please comment.

Filed Under: Career Development Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

6 free sensational apps for your properties

June 18, 2015 by

Color Swatches and plansInformation is important when making decisions.  Especially when real estate investments are on the line.  Here are some FREE apps that can give you some information when you are on the road and may need to make a quick decision.

1.  iFixIt – There is repair information on topics like plumbing, electrical, doors, windows, appliances and even swimming pools which can give you a quick idea of what might be the problem and how to fix it.

2.  Handyman Calculator – Complete construction calculator used to calculate materials and time on various projects.

3.  iHandy Level – Use your phone as a fully functional level with calibration capability.

4.  MagicPlan – This app can measure your rooms and draws floor plan just by taking pictures.  No more tape measures!

5.  Benjamin Moore Color Capture and Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap – Snap a picture of any painted wall and get a match from either manufacturer.  Quick and easy!

6.  Houzz – Can provide interior and exterior design inspiration with photos by style, room and location.  Get inspired!

We hope you can make use of these great apps to save time and money on the properties you own.

Please list any other real estate apps in the comment section that you use that could help others.  Thank you!

 

Filed Under: Money Management, Real Estate Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

4 benefits of business groups

June 17, 2015 by

Business strategyConsider joining a business group of some kind.  There are numerous benefits that your business can gain from with  a small time investment in an active group.   Some are:

1.  Sharing your knowledge and gaining satisfaction from helping others.  This will give your business the professional edge and you will become viewed as an expert in your industry.

2.  Gain referrals and make connections.  Since you are viewed as a professional amongst other helpful professionals you will gain more valuable referrals.

3.  More opportunities.  While you are contributing to the business group there will be many opportunities that will be brought for individuals and the group to participate in.

4.  Infusion of positive influences.  Business groups are filled with optimistic people who love to help others.  If your business is going through a rough patch and you need a fresh view, the positive outlooks of the group members will lift you up to carry you through.

Networking can be a lot of fun and help grow your business.  So get out there and mingle.  The small investment of your time will pay back HUGE dividends!

Please list business groups you are or have worked with and how it was a benefit to your business.

Filed Under: Business Boost Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Establish goals then lean in

June 16, 2015 by

Beautiful beach - Locke up Hawaii 2016Are you meeting your trading goals?  Do you have trading goals?  Everyone should have goals, it is a way to measure your progress.  If you don’t know what you are reaching for will you ever get it?  Probably not.  How can you reach a target you don’t have?

Begin with the end in mind.  For instance, how much will you need for that dream vacation?  If we planned a dream vacation for next year with a budget of $12,000, would we be able to go?  It depends.  If you carefully plan and track your progress, it is certainly more likely.

For example if the balance in your trading account is currently $50,000 you would need to earn 12% on those funds over the next twelve months to book the trip.  Should you just check back on your account in a year to see if you reached it?  Of course not, break it down further.  If you earn 1% each month on your account less fees, that will be 12% over the course of a year.  This goal should be checked on at least monthly to ensure it is on track.  You certainly wouldn’t want to start planning a dream vacation you cannot afford to take!

We have established just such a goal for our students under Locke In Your Success, LLC called Locke Up Hawaii 2016!  We congratulate all the participants as it is a big step to publicly state a goal for all to see.  It creates a greater sense of commitment and community around the goal.  Consider publicly stating your goals and find supportive peers to provide accountability and encouragement for you to meet them.

Please click like if you have publicly stated your goals and comment about your results.

 

Filed Under: Money Management, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , ,