Many people use financial planning as a tool to steer themselves to a brighter future. When people speak with a certified financial planner, they often want to jump to the growth part of the story. However, paying debts is usually what a financial planner wants to talk about first. Let's examine why paying debts normally comes before investing and growing your money. Debt Imposes Headwinds Even if you're getting excellent returns, say 10% per year, paying on debts at the same time pulls that down.

Student loan debt is a serious issue, but student loans help many students go to school. As you consider money management services in your college years, you might have a lot of questions about how finances work in this regard.  These are the things every student should learn about student loans and repayment options. What Kinds of Loans Can You Get? As a college student, you can receive several types of student loans, including Direct Stafford loans (subsidized and unsubsidized) and PLUS loans (for parents).

Risk in an investment portfolio is a complicated facet. It's a necessary evil in order to get better rates of return, but too much risk makes those same investments a potential hazard to your finances. So, how can you use risk wisely no matter where you are in life? Here are five times when you should adjust your level of risk either up or down.  1. Adjust Retirement Risk as You Age.

The birth of a child changes your life in more ways than you might have imagined, especially when it comes to your finances. Not only will your expenses change, but your savings plan and your future overall financial goals will likely also swift. If you are lost on how to make this transition for your new addition, here are some tips to get you started. Expand Your Emergency Fund Again, how much you spend each month on your obligations will change now that you have a little person to care for.

As a newcomer, the world of investing and financial planning can feel overwhelming. Yet, most people find their way over time. However, how you begin this process and who you partner with are incredibly important factors that affect your experience. For many novice investors, the ideal partnership involves a fee-only financial planner. Read on to learn more. More Opportunities Traditionally, fee-based planners, which are the opposite of fee-only planners, are employed by large financial institutions.

If you've already made a few investments on your own, you might think you're in the clear. This is especially true if you've made money off your investments. It's when you start making money that you need the extra help. That's when you need to hire a wealth management service. A lot of planning goes into your wealth management. Here are four of the reasons you need wealth management planning. 

Improving cash flow helps any small business plan for the future rather than simply living from day to day — spending money as it comes in and hoping for better the next day. When you know when funds are arriving, see them as quickly as possible, and plan for expenditures, you'll be able to de-stress your business activities and start planning ahead.  So, how can you improve the cash flow in your own business venture?

Facing a lot of debt can be stressful. You may be in a situation where things don't seem like they'll get better any time soon. In this case, you should work with a credit counseling service. They can help in the following ways.  Build Up and Maintain Good Credit One of the main downsides of having a lot of debt is your credit score is negatively impacted. This can make it hard to fund large purchases.

Recently, the stock market suffered a large downturn. Indeed, the DOW Jones Industrial Average is down over 30% from its record high in February. There is a lot of fear out there today, but there is also a tremendous opportunity. While the stock market decline news is devastating to the market, it presents a substantial opportunity for young investors looking to break into equities. Even with this large decrease in the stock market's value, stocks remain historically overvalued.

Working with a payroll company is a common practice for a lot of businesses. Many customers, though, don't take full advantage of the offerings available to them. Let's take a look at five ways you can fit payroll consulting services into your business plans. Relieving Some of the Burden Enterprises of all sizes face a lot of demands to track each employee's work time. Working with a payroll company means you can offload some of that burden to a team of professionals.