7 Great Qualities Shared by the Rich and Successful

This is a guest post from Galina Vardanyan. Galina has lots of experience investing in stocks and financial blogging and volunteered to write this motivational piece for SmarterSpend readers.

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Most Rich People Share a Few Common Traits

There are several qualities that are shared by almost everyone who has “succeeded” in their career or hobby. Most of these skills can be acquired by everyone and must be closely followed. If you have ever wondered about the answer to the following questions, this article is for you:

What makes rich people “rich”?  Read more...

Free Excel Spreadsheets for Budgeting your Finances

Excel Spreadsheets Organize Your Finances

Personal finances can be very hard to manage without the use of spreadsheets for simplification, organization, and error reduction. However, designing a spreadsheet takes a lot of time and often requires the expert hand of an accountant. This is true especially for business spreadsheets, which take into account lots of expenses and income.

I have selected the finest spreadsheets from around the Internet for your use. Enjoy!

1) 401K Planner

Take into account all the variables of your 401k saving to see your retirement amount. Change the amount saved per check or the age of retirement and even the expected annual return. Comes with a cool graph to visualize your earnings.  Read more...

7 Must Have Stocks for Winter 2010

The early months of 2010 will see the stock market quietly gain ground on huge losses in 2008. Coming from the abyss, some publicly traded companies will immediately feel the benefits of a better economy, while others will not be affected until the end of 2010.

In 2010, Wall Street will bet on the positive direction of the economy, interest rates, and inflation. However, in the first quarter, smart investors may also benefit from good research and strong picks. Strong individual results – especially unexpected earnings and sales growth – could help certain stocks stand out from the crowd.  Read more...

10 Great Ideas for a Rainy Day Fund

Even when the economy is steady, having a 6 months rainy day savings can go a long way in securing a stable future for your family. Nowadays, the government recommends a family has enough to live on for 8 months, provided all income sources are removed. Hence, managing your money for a personal or family emergency is a must in today’s financial climate. If you want to start saving money, here are some great ideas and tips you can use to build your own security backdrop.

I. Analyze your Spending Pattern, Calculate your Needs

1.Calculate your monthly expenses that are mostly static- insurance premiums, mortgage payments, tax payments, household purchases etc.  Read more...

7 Tips on How to Build Your Online Business

10 People that Will Shape Your Financial Future

It is safe to say, and scary to believe, that the entire world economy depends on the decisions made by a handful of people. Including top government officials and wealthy businessmen, these people wield a disproportionate amount of power on the future of the world. Although some names are easily recognizable and one could easily predict their dominance in the world scene, others are less well known but can easily impact the lives of many.  Read more...

Seven Most Powerful Corporations of the Future

The year is 2019, the global recession has ended and the market has witnessed a great shift in consumer spending, buyer habits, and marketing.  Older businesses that did not adapt to this change were swept away in a wave of bankruptcies and buyouts. The larger of the top companies in the world will have revenues somewhere near the trillion dollar mark per year, more than the GDPs for most countries.

Who will lead the business renaissance of the next decade?
The current (2008) annual revenue for the business is shown and businesses are ranked in predicted 2019 revenue. Some of you might be surprised at the shape of the market in just a few years time.  Read more...

Companies Facing Bankruptcy in 2009

During the early days of the recession, as stock markets were vacillating between gains and losses, investors had hopes that 2009 would bring about a slow economic recovery as the housing market stabilized. However, two quarters later, with stocks at their lowest levels since the mid 90s and no turnaround in sight, Americans are bracing for what could be a devastating depression. The pain has been felt around the world with 8 members of the European Union pleading for help, loss of jobs all around the world, and a drop in commerce levels.  Read more...

10 Stocks to Avoid in 2009

This is the second part of SmarterSpend.com series on managing your stock market funds.

In the first part of my series, I highlighted the best performing stocks in the 2008 year, including the dismal third quarter, and analyzed the significance of the recession on stock performance in the upcoming fiscal year. I will use the same approach to identify 25 key stocks that every investor should avoid in 2009. The key to finding successful stocks in a recession this deep is identifying the effects of the lack of money supply to consumers, businesses, and corporations.  Read more...