Personal Financial Planning Tips: Video Series

Two ways to buy stocks include a dividend reinvestment plan or DRIP offered by Fortune 500 companies or by buying through a discount brokerage. Purchase stocks for investing in Wall Street with tips from a financial planner in this free personal-finance video.

Before deciding when to sell stock, have a price in mind to sell it for at time of purchase. Make an investment in stocks count by understanding when the best time to sell stock is with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

The best way to get out of debt is by keeping expenses lower than income and use any low interest-bearing savings account money to pay off higher interest credit cards. Avoid the pitfalls of debt with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Obtaining a copy of your credit report can be done with one website on the Internet, but be careful of websites promising free credit reports as they may sign you up for a credit monitoring service. The government allows an individual a free credit report every 12 months from all three credit bureaus, so learn how with advice from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Monitoring stocks can be done through a brokerages Web site or through Web sites like MSN or Yahoo Finance which allow tickers to be set up for a portfolio. Keep an eye on stock earning potential with helpful hints from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

When creating an investment portfolio, consider what the risk tolerance is and the time horizon. Conjure an investment portfolio for a retirement or shorter financial goals with ideas from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Selecting a good mutual fund is tricky, but as long as the fund has at least a five-year track record, that is an ideal history time line. Choose a well-performing mutual fund with a long-term performance record with advice from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Calculating your net worth is a simple equation that involves adding assets like cash, investments and cars and subtracting them from liabilities like rent or utilities. Figure net worth by adding and subtracting all the right assets and liabilities with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Setting up a living trust is a complex process dealing with who property owned is going to be dispersed to inheritors. A trust can be a changing document as is easier to set up with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

When creating a financial plan, the first thing to consider is setting up a budget to better understand how much money can be saved. Learn why a budget is crucial for setting up a financial plan with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

The IRS requires proper records like a receipt, canceled check or investment statement for all cash donations under 250 dollars. Avoid an brutal IRS tax audit with proper book donation bookkeeping with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

When hedging against inflation as an individual, it may be wise to pay attention to bond prices as they are directly affected by the rate of inflation. Discover why long term bonds may be more affected by inflation than short term bonds with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Consolidating debt can be done with a credit-card balance transfer or through refinancing a home mortgage. Lower monthly payments through consolidating debt with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Ways to invest in a money-market account include through a bank, a mutual-fund company or through a discount brokerage. Earn interest on saved money with a money-market account with advice from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Life-insurance policies come two ways, a term policy or a whole-life policy, and they can be bought online or through a life-insurance agent. Purchase a life-insurance policy and give family members piece of mind with helpful hints from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

When designing a savings plan, it is wise to calculate a working budget for figuring out extra money to dedicate to the plan. Formulate a savings plan for short-term goals or retirement with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

When buying your first investment property, something to think about is the possibility of being a property manager or maybe hiring one if being a landlord is not appealing. Research is crucial when buying investment property, so learn what to look for when buying land with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Estimating how much is needed to retire is a complex problem that usually requires an online tool or hired services. Learn some simple steps for calculating a retirement fund with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

When investing in a tax-free mutual fund, be sure to take a look at the taxes and how they're handled as not all mutual funds are free from taxes at federal, state and local levels. Find out which mutual funds are truly tax-free, like a bond mutual fund, with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Getting credit-card debt relief starts with the ability to set up a good budget and paying down credit-card balances. Discover other ways like dipping into savings or doing credit-card balance transfers to eliminate debt with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Getting a low-interest personal loan involves going to the bank and applying for one and is easier to get with stable income and a good credit score. Secure a low-interest personal loan to build credit or pay off other debts with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

College tuition can be deducted from taxes with the hop credit or with the lifetime learning credit, but both are subject to adjusted gross income limitations. Understand how these tuition credits are used for tax credit purposes with advice from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

The best way to build an emergency cash fund is to start with a working budget and put away any excess income. Start a nest egg of savings with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Determining fair market value of charitable donations has been changed by the IRS and can be done by looking online at the value through various websites. Factor in age and condition when calculating fair market value of charitable donations with advice from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Starting a foundation involves considering if it's going to be public or private, how long the foundation will be around, administrative time for managing the foundation and setting up bylaws. Build a foundation like a trust fund, family or lump-sum distribution from corporation with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.