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The numbers are out for the class of 2011 and two-thirds of the graduating class graduated in debt. If you are an average borrower, you owe $26,600, exceeding the class of 2010 by 5%, Was it worth it? In 2011, the unemployment for college graduates was 8.8% while unemployment of high school graduates was at 19.1% so the employment number would say yes. So you decide to go to college. How do you reduce the amount of money you will borrow, have a good time, and graduate? Here are a few ideas. 1. Graduate on time or early. An extra year of college can cost you can $50,000 or more. To calculate the cost of that extra year, add your tuition, fees and books to your potential starting salary. Say that your tuition, book, and fees are $20,000 and your starting salary is $30,000; that extra year cost you $50,000. This number could be higher or lower depending on where you attend college and your career. Just for fun, calculate your own cost of an extra year of college. If you were to graduate

If you are one among those who relates finical management to book keeping then you need to re-think. In fact, there are many people who consider financial management similar to book keeping or often gets confused to differentiate between both of them. Perhaps, the difference between book keeping and financial management is a common inquiry among numerous sophomores who are eager to gain knowledge and have a career in the sphere of financial and business management. From an elementary perspective, the aspect of financial management is a massive arena, and much broader than that of conventional book keeping methodologies. It is true that most of the financial management programs incorporate the study and application of book keeping in their syllabi, but as a whole, the ins and outs, details of financial planning and management are monumental in quantity and relevance. Generally, the book keeping procedure deals with the traditional methods of accountancy that primarily considers the

With inflation taking a bite out of just about everyone's budgets these days, from single people, to families, to business and government agencies alike, it has become evident that quality healthcare financial management is increasingly important. With so many troubles related to the economy nowadays, and the uncertainty and turmoil that is being experienced by so many, providing good financial management in the healthcare sector is of the utmost importance for all parties involved, from patients to providers to insurance companies. These days there are a number of financial management services for healthcare that provide specific solutions and have been specially designed for the healthcare organizations and the medical professionals involved in providing care for their patients. While there are many money management software programs and many common needs in the healthcare industry, not all of these solutions are right for every healthcare provider and so it is essential to

Over the past decade or so we have been constantly bombarded with news about private and public projects that have either delivered scope at well over the expected budget or had to reduce scope to even come near to the original budget. Current thinking within project management methodologies only discuss the financial aspects of a project at a high level, leaving the "student" without any real way of working to greater understand the impact of their decisions on the financial results of the programme. In turn, the business case development is usually given minimal time and is a rushed job in the end. Investing in the correct people and time up front to review feasibility and secondly the business case is a must to ensure the total on target delivery of a project. In the financial climate we are in, where budgets and costs are being cut, the time is now to ensure that whatever funding a company has available, that they invest it wisely - to do that you need to ensure that

Financial management is one of the most important things you should learn if you wish to venture into any kind of business. It involves financial decisions, techniques on how to ensure high profit, as well as the tools and the methods of analyses in order to come up with sound decisions. Starting a business and making it grow, as we all know, is not an easy task--even if you have all the financial resources you need for your business to thrive. Remember that your money is just a tool for a successful business. What really determines your success are your skills in handling your money and all other your skills in making decisions. If you are new to business, don't worry because there are literally hundreds of financial management software programs available today. The right one can help you make accurate and objective decisions regarding your finances. Financial management programs can help you take care of cash management, accounting, payroll reporting, check preparation, fina

The present world is synonymous with consumerism; therefore, management of finances is often a difficult task. Individuals can spend their money on a wide range of products or services. Over-indulgence in such products can lead to high credit card bills. In many cases, individuals spend their money before earning it, which can lead to a fiscal crisis. At this point, a financial management book comes to the rescue. Every individual dreams of becoming a millionaire, especially in a relatively short period of time. However, dreams are not enough, and you will have to demonstrate effective monetary management. A management book contains useful resources and tips on how to manage your money. A finance management book will give you definite steps to optimize your income and prevent losses. By reading it, you can equip yourself with a definite road map toward economic independence. An important strategy listed in a finance management book revolves around changing your mindset. As a consu

We often underestimate the importance of proper financial management and simply rely on the fact that our bank balance is still in the black; however, we are at a loss to explain where all of the money went. It's not unusual that many individuals are aghast when they look at their monthly bank statement and see that their paycheck deposit is gone through a series of many cleared checks. This situation can be unnerving to anyone, but if you are using personal financial management software, you can see at a glance what was spent, and what it did for you. It's not just about saving money and paying off your credit card bills, but the software should present strategies to maximize saving, eliminate debt, and give a true picture of your current net worth. In short, a financial management program is a highly detailed and complex system that is vital to keep track of spending as well as net worth. The first thing that comes to mind when considering personal financial management s

Perhaps you're starting to feel comfortable again. The markets have been steadily recovering. The Dow has risen over 50% since its lows back in March 2009. The ASX has also performed in a similar fashion. Who needs a financial management course when you're cruising? But is it going to last? There seems to be conflicting views about the recovery. People are still losing their jobs. Banks are still writing off bad debts or making provisions for new ones and governments around the world are still printing money to meet interest repayments or keep their economies afloat. Many 'experts' believe this could just be the calm before the storm and that the Dow could retreat to new lows. Scary stuff. Does that make you nervous about your investment portfolio or retirement savings? It should do. If you have retired or nearing retirement, the last thing you want now is to take another hit, which you may never recover from. And what about your financial adviser - have they revie

Financial managers are present in about every industry and firm whether public or private, and they are responsible for preparing financial reports and managing the investment activities of the corporation. They may also go by the titles controller, credit manager, insurance manager, or finance officer. Controllers are responsible for preparing financial reports and statements and earnings, and finance officers are responsible for managing the budget of the corporation. Credit managers are responsible for managing a corporation's credit and maintaining or improving a credit rating and determining debt ceilings. Cash managers are responsible for controlling and monitoring the amount of cash that goes in and out of the business every month, and insurance managers are responsible for minimizing the risks that an individual or corporation will take during its business operations. The most common areas of employment of financial managers are usually institutions such as banks and i

One important thing the executives and managers should understand is that finance and accounting is not just for people who always take calculators with them, it is also for non-financial managers as well. It helps to learn more about finance for non-financial managers because the financial status of the company can tell much about how the business is performing in relation to the vision, goals, and objectives that have been set. Through a course on finance for non-financial managers, executives and managers will be able to learn how they can integrate financial policies and concepts into management decision-making process, as well as in the budgeting process. They will also be able to learn how to evaluate the financial feasibility of projects and activities with the help of balance sheets and income statements. They will also be able to learn how to use cash flows in analyzing the status of the business, determine and calculate the cost of different business activities, better c

A good part of the success or the failure of a business has to do directly with how much profit the organization realizes from the sale of the products or services that the company provides to its customers. In order to maximize a company's profitability, it is very important to have a good and complete financial management system to handle the important aspects of money management. One of the keys to a good business financial management structure is controlling the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly expenses of the operation. This comes down to simple math and cash management principles. Companies will not be profitable, and therefore won't stay in business long, if they spend more than is required to produce and deliver their product, and end up trimming their profit margin so that it is just too thin to make the business viable. Keeping overhead expenses in check and making sure that the cash in the business is managed effectively through a financial management system wi

Good business financial management principles are some of the most important and foundational things that you can learn if you are planning to take the plunge into owning and operating your own business, either now or at some point in the future. Along with a sound understanding of these principles and acquiring solid money management skills, you should also make full use of the business related, financial management software that is available these days. When business owners, managers and accounting personnel make financial decisions for a business, it is important that they have the most complete, organized and accurate business financial management reports that are available. It is also important that these reports are as up-to-the minute and current as possible, especially in today's volatile economic climate, and good a good software program in financial management is the best way to generate these kinds of reports. Financial management software often comes in suites or b

Finance management or financial management is that aspect of management which involves the application of general management principles to specific financial operations. It basically entails planning within a business enterprise to ensure a positive cash flow and maximize shareholder wealth. Financial management includes a large number of complex practices and processes, including the administration and maintenance of financial aspects and identifying and managing risks. The decisions that financial managers need to make are in regard to financing, investments, payouts of dividends, and working capital management. They generally encounter difficulties in the form of measurement problems, uncertainty, and temporal spread. Financial managers need to be conversant with the tools and concepts of financial management, such as capital budgeting, sources of finance, various types of financial statements, financial accounting, financial reporting, and risk management. Managerial or corpor

From a process perspective, Financial Management is the easiest and simplest business process to take care of no matter what business you're in. But it's often the most avoided and neglected area of any business. So why is that? Well, in my experience it often comes down to our fears around money. The best way to tackle fear is by using knowledge. Not avoidance. I work with many clients who at first will try their absolute best to avoid looking at their numbers, or not paying attention to it, in the hope that it will go away. But unless we know where you're at right now, there's no way we can improve it. This is where putting together a financial management process and documenting this in a financial management operations manual can be of huge benefit both to yourself as a business owner and to your business! The type of Financial Management process that I take clients through is a method that I devised because I was probably way behind where you are now. It comes

At present, nearly all government or private organizations have at least one financial manager to guide investment activities, manage the groundwork of financial reports and develop and carry out cash-management schemes. These days, every organization, whether big or small has financial managers, and they hold a key and responsible position. Although, responsibilities of a financial manager vary according to the position, but some of the common work includes preparing reports that are generally required by regulatory authorities. They also play important role in managing the preparation of financial reports, such as balance sheets, income statements and analyses of future earnings or expenditures. All these describe and determine the organization's financial position. In many firms, financial managers are the key personnel who administer the accounting and budget departments. Financial managers also called as financial consultants or personal financial advisors use their knowl

Many people would expect starting a business to be very easy. With a product or service to sell and enough knowledge to market it properly, many people think that they are ready to go. Starting a business, however, takes more than just products or services and simple knowledge. It takes much more if you want to make your business grow. At the very start of the business, owners or shareholders will instantly be faced with financial matters that require financial decisions. Questions such as what assets to invest in and where to get the cash needed for such investments would require financial know-how. And as the business venture thrives, shareholders have to manage daily finances and make long-term financial decisions. All of this definitely requires more than just a little knowledge in business. It requires knowledge in an entirely different area - the area of financial management. Defined, financial management is the process of planning financial decisions with the ultimat

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to go to Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa and speak in Mark Ryan’s Personal Finance Class. This was the first class that I visited that is using our Personal Finance book. It was really fun and exciting to be at a different college and in a different classroom and answer the student’s questions. The one question that I thought was most interesting was “What is the one key thing, or most important part of your book?” After a little time, I answered that Chapter 1, ‘Values, Vision, Mission and You’, was the most important part of the book. If you know your values and have a vision for your future, financial decisions become easier. Whenever you make a financial decision, ask yourself if this decision or purchase is a reflection of your values. Is this really how you want to use your resource of money? Framing your decisions around your values allows you to achieve your goals and work towards your vision. Knowing your personal mission helps y

It has been six weeks since we sold our house and moved into our motor coach. If you read our previous blog "Homeless" you know it was quite a shock moving from 3,000 to 300 square feet. The idea of living in our motor coach for 6 to 9 months while we build our next home was a great plan as we sat around the dining room table of our old house. The good news is that it gets better. To bring you up to speed, we now have electricity as of two weeks ago but still do not have running water. When we were showering in the motor home, our 85 gallon water holding tank would last us about one week. Tuesday was our day to take the motor home out to empty our tanks and fill up with fresh water. We changed our ways two weeks ago. We now get up at 5:00 am to head out to the Campus Wellness and Recreation Center (CRWC) for a work out and morning shower. We can now stretch our 85 gallons out for one month. Lessons learned over the past 6 weeks: 1. Running water and electricity are great luxu

For some reason, I receive each month a couple of requests from bloggers to make guest posts on my blog. I'm happy to consider such posts, and have done one or two in the past, but they must follow the three As: ACCURATE, ASTUTE, and ANALYTICAL. In other words, no pop history and no lists like "X Reasons You Should Do Y" or whatever. There are plenty of other blogs that do that sort of thing. I also get emails from people who want me to post or link to their "infographics." They tend to be quite sharp looking pics but some fail all three A criteria specified above and I have yet to see one that was sufficiently analytical. Again, there are plenty of blogs out there that post infographics. And please do NOT send me emails claiming that you have read my blog with interest, etc. and then display the utmost ignorance about its actual content. But rest assured I'll happily trade with anyone who offers a mutually beneficial proposal.