toddkenefsky.com

Many personal finance articles have been written on the issue of money.  Can’t say I have been moved to action by many.  First I’d like to say it is ok that you feel down about the current situation about your personal finances.  I give you permission to feel your feeling for the next 24 hours and then pull yourself by your boot straps and let’s what we can do. 

There exist many a definition, I want to share with you  my personal finance definition:

Financial freedom is not an event, it is a skill.

I bet right now with the current economic situation you are saying to yourself, “I just wish I could the lotto!”  Boy don’t we all and yet statistics and personal finance facts show that the majority of people who win the lottery, end up broke and worse off before their winnings! Imagine that.  You among the many seeking wealth, riches, fame few people realize that money isn’t the solution to their problems;  the way you think about money is the problem and the solution. 

I can almost see you going oh yeah, give me the money and I’ll show you change in mindset!

My favorite entrepreneur of all times, Henry Ford was once asked, “What if you lost everything you own?” He responded without missing a beat: “I’d have it all back and more within 5 years.”

Being a master of your own personal finance is not about what is in the bank; it’s about the ability to acquire the skill that will show you how to produce new streams of income and wealth based on your knowledge and experience.

So before we go any further on this issue let us tackle the real problem here that is impeding your personal finance for good!  Why you might ask?  Well without the mastery of these 5 steps, your desire for your goal for financial success and financial freedom is highly unlikely!  This is why big players in any industry have coaches, Oprah has a life coach, football players and basketball players have coaches and mentors.  Tiger woods after every bad game will go in for coaching and training.  Why?  Those who achieve great financial success do not go it alone.  They always have a team.  Those who achieve great poverty have the do it yourself mentality!

Why is it important to plan personal finances?

5 Steps That Will Guarantee You Become Master Your Personal Finances

1. How do you think about money? Say you come up with an idea to do something. Do you think that will never work?  Are you afraid to follow through?  Are you scared of loosing money or do you see every dollar spent as an investment?

2. How do you manage and invest your time?  The average man has at his disposal  6 discretionary hours.  This is time they can do whatever they want.  No work, no chores etc.  Many will watch T.V., attend pricey sports events, spend money on meals at a restaurant and movies, see where I am going with this? Do you do personal finance budgeting?

3. How do you leverage the talents and life experiences you ALREADY POSSESS?
Most people see their experiences as failures.  They only talk of how they tried to do something as failed.  Thomas Edison failed more than I care to count, and yet he persisted to light the whole world. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas A. Edison

4. Do you have a mentor and/or coach with a proven personal finance curriculum? This is the true measure of your desire for financial freedom.  This is where you literally put your money where your mouth is, can’t afford a mentor you say?  Well what was the last book you read? Gossip magazines do not count as literature sorry ?!

5. What do you think is “risky,” and what do you think is “safe and secure”?  Most people never break into the realm of the 5% wealthy group who own 95% of  the worlds resources because they want to play it safe.  They want the money, the fame, the accolades but they feel they should not have to go through the process of creating this wealth.  No wonder the internet and other places are full of scams and get rich quick opportunities.  Remember this success does not  happen overnight, but one night success does happen.  Someone once said to me, it takes 3 years to be an overnight success!

When you go car shopping, what are you looking for? Are you looking for a sporty little two seater that’s going to impress the babes or a sensible sedan with plenty of room for car seats? Do you want a car that’s going to be good on gas mileage or one that will give you plenty of space to spread out? These are all things that people think about when they’re standing in the middle of a car lot looking for their next set of wheels. What they don’t usually consider is which car will give them cheaper car insurance.

Unless you’ve taken the time to sit down with your insurance agent and find out how they calculate the cost of your car insurance you probably don’t realize that your car itself has as much to do with your insurance premiums as, say, your driving history. Insurance companies don’t like to pay out claims, and there are certain cars that seem to attract trouble like a magnet! You could be the best driver in the world, but if you’re behind the wheel of a “high risk” car cheaper car insurance is going to be as hard to come by as front row seats at a Hannah Montana concert.

So how do you know which cars are going to give you cheaper car insurance? You do your homework. The first thing you should do is make a list of what, exactly, you need in a car. There are a lot of resources on the web that will help you find cars that are cheaper to insure, but they usually forget to mention that this isn’t a one size fits all solution. You’re not going to fit five kids in a Toyota Prius. Not legally, anyway! That means you need to shop with your family in mind.

When you’re shopping for a car you can find out how big a risk your car is the same way your insurance agent does-by consulting the Highway Loss Data Institute. The HLDI has statistics on just about every make and model on the market, and they can tell you whether the car you’re considering buying has losses that are considered to be less than, equal to or greater than the average loss for its vehicle class. Fewer losses and expenses as a result of accidents and/or theft=cheaper car insurance every time.

Regardless of what type of car you’re going to buy, know that cars with advanced safety features are always going to equal cheaper car insurance premiums. Safety features like airbags and anti-lock brakes are going to minimize the injuries suffered by you, your car and your passengers if you’re ever in an accident, which is going to lower your comprehensive and liability insurance costs dramatically. Remember, the less they’re likely to have to pay out, the less you’re going to have to pay in!

Security features like car alarms and GPS tracking systems can also pave the way to cheaper car insurance. Since your car insurance provider has to pay the bill if your car is stolen and/or vandalized, taking steps to stop that from happening will always win you bonus points with your insurer-and the cheaper insurance premiums that go with it!

Cheaper car insurance might not be the first thing on your mind when you go shopping for a new car, but it shouldn’t be the last either. Do your homework before signing on the dotted line and you’ll have the hottest car insurance rates in town every time.