Setting Financial Goals

Its time to set your big financial goals for the year and make a plan for achieving them.

Despite the fact that an Allianz Life survey of more than 1,000 people in November found that getting in shape is a bigger priority than improving finances for most people, 4 in 10 said they aimed to manage their money better in 2015. About a quarter of respondents said they were more likely to get help from a financial professional in the coming year. Paying off credit card debt, building up emergency savings and increasing retirement savings were also among the common goals cited.

The relative health of the economy compared to a year ago seems to have alleviated some of the pressure Americans feel to set financial goals. A recent survey of more than 2,000 adults by Fidelity found a decline in interest in setting money-related financial resolutions for the new year. Just 31 percent of respondents said they were making a financial resolution, compared to 43 percent in 2014. The most popular financial goals included saving more (55 percent), paying off debt (20 percent) and spending less (17 percent).

The Fidelity survey also found a correlation between expressing a financial goal and improving one’s financial life: About half of those who made a money resolution last year said they are now “better off financially," compared to just 38 percent of those who didn’t set one.

According to Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, president of the Charles Schwab Foundation, one of the biggest barriers to meeting financial goals is that people just don’t know how to get started. In Charles Schwab’s Fall Financial Pulse survey of 1,466 adults ages 25 to 65, more than half said they “don’t feel they are on top of their finances,” and 27 percent said they “don’t know where to start and need more education or information.” In addition, 15 percent said they didn’t want to deal with their finances because it’s “too overwhelming.”

If you fall into that category, then you might also want to consider the research of Christine Whelan​, a faculty associate​ in the Department of Consumer Science at the University of Wisconsin--Madison and self-improvement expert. She developed two self-improvement programs for AARP’s Life Reimagined website that help people prioritize their goals and define the next steps for achieving them.

Her research has also found the importance of not just setting a resolution, but making sure the goals you set resonate with your values and priorities, and not outside influences. Meeting those goals also requires high levels of self-control, which gets stronger with practice, she says.

Time to set some financial goals for the new year and develop a plan of action to achieve them. A small bit of forward progress goes a LONG way in a year.

                                                         

In 2015...

With the advent of a new year brings an optimistic look at the greatness of things to come.

I have refined my focus from the 2014 campaign of do whatever you can to my new outlook of 2015 to HELP as many people as I can. I am utilizing my talents in a far greater way and expect great things from Camp Capra.

The most predominant change will be Reverend Zesty (http://revzesty.blogspot.com/), Intellectual Coitus (http://intellectualcoitus.blogspot.com/) and The Provenance Project (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Provenance-Project/415417865280714?ref=hl).

Reverend Zesty is a foul mouth, agnostic preacher who uses Intellectual Coitus (a podcast) to deliver a message from the pulpit unlike any other. It isnt about whose god has the bigger dick. I dont give a shit about that. I preach and teach a message of prosperity using all available resources both secular and religious.

The Provenance Project is an endeavor to gather up resources from across the nation serving people in need at a local, community and national level. Tackling issues like homelessness, hunger and personal finance to name a few, The Provenance Project is my way of giving back to a world that has given me great things and taught me much.

So stay with me and give my message a try. See if it makes the most sense to you and be a disciple. Together we can AND WILL change the world.

What's Your Score?

Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit. It also may be used to help decide the terms you are offered or the rate you will pay for the loan.

Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, whether you pay your bills by the date they’re due, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit report. Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the loan repayment history of consumers with similar profiles. For example, a credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are: how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when they’re due.

Some insurance companies also use credit report information, along with other factors, to help predict your likelihood of filing an insurance claim and the amount of the claim. They may consider this information when they decide whether to grant you insurance and the amount of the premium they charge. The credit scores insurance companies use sometimes are called “insurance scores” or “credit-based insurance scores.”

Your credit report is a key part of many credit scoring systems. That’s why it is critical to make sure your credit report is accurate. Federal law gives you the right to get a free copy of your credit reports from each of the three national credit reporting companies once every 12 months.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) also gives you the right to get your credit score from the national credit reporting companies. They are allowed to charge a reasonable fee for the score. When you buy your score, you often get information on how you can improve it.

Everything Has Its Price

Although being rich does have its price, I want to address the price one pays by choosing the path society tells you to take. The path that keeps people just poor enough just to have the illusion of security. The path that takes you through (maybe) college and to find a job. The path that a vast majority of people take.

And the reason the vast majority of people are miserable and poor.

What price does choosing this path cost? I would have to say; your freedom mostly. Freedom to live the life you want. The life of your dreams. As children we all had our dreams of what we wanted to be when we grew up. But somewhere along the line we were subtly convinced that life didn't matter any longer. What mattered was the false security of our parents and what society tell you. Our dreams have died.

So why on earth would you actually choose a path of slavery to a job that you hate and a life that falls short of your dreams? Why would you choose a path of constant struggle and worry? Why have you demonized money simply because you have none? Shouldn't you more be demonizing your educational choices that didn't teach you about how to use money as a tool. A tool that, once learned, will break those financial chains that bind you to your boss that treats you like shit. You all have them dont lie. Every person I know that has a job and a boss does nothing but piss and moan about them.

Why would you want to have such misery in your life?

Im addressing this article to myself just as much as to the reader. I too need to adjust my perception about things in my life - money included - because I KNOW I want more in life than I have. So do you my dear reader. I hope this churned up some feelings within your gut. That proves that you're alive and there is still hope for folks like us.

Its time to change our perceptions about things. Things that REALLY matter to us. To ignore the distractions and truly focus on what we want our lives to be like. Dare to dream the dreams of our youth once again. What do you really want? Remove all limiting beliefs and just dream about what you want, who you want to be and how you really want to live. It ALL has a price, just as the choices you have made until now have.

EVERYTHING has a price. Figure out what you want and what price it comes with. Then just figure out how to pay that price.

My New Project

Pay Attention to The Inner Creatives

There comes a time in a persons life when they have an epiphany where they realize that everything is going to work itself out fine in line with the direction you have in your mind. A feeling of self confidence and clarity that is almost overwhelming starts to overtake you. You start to get excited like you haven't been in years.

That's where I'm at now. The voices in my head seem to be in tune with one another to the point where I have that "but of course" revelation. It's so simple why didn't I see it before. It's these types of things that make me believe that we put things together when we sleep. Our brains are going 24/7 and we might access the solutions to once perplexing issues if we just become aware.

2015 is going to be awesome. The last couple of years have been life changing and it seems that things are going in a positive direction. I will spend the next couple of weeks reflecting on things accomplished and planning my wants, needs and desires to be attained in the coming year. This ones gonna be epic!

Listening to your gut feelings or your instincts can help you achieve any outcome desired in life. All you got to do is PAY ATTENTION!

I hope to get to know you dear reader. As you get to know me. Please share this with others in your life who you think might enjoy this blog. In 2015 I am taking it to a new level and would appreciate any feedback.

We Have Been Duped

Robert Kiyosaki and his infamous book Rich Dad, Poor Dad lays out the reality of how we are being taught wrong concerning money. We are taught from birth to be slaves to money and society is the jailer. We need to start thinking outside the box that the world has kept us in.

I am quite offended on how we are trained to be obedient little workers bee's and conform with the status quo. To go with the flow. Everyone I know that works a job they hate complains about never having enough money. They get behind on their bills. They are devastated if an unexpected expense comes up. Why? What is it that separates the haves and the have nots?

Why do we live like we do? Ultimately it all boils down to being a choice so why do we choose to not live the life of our dreams?

Crazy right?