November 2017 - Page 2 of 2 - The Financial Fairy Tales Blog The Financial Fairy Tales Blog

How to Build Up Your Property Portfolio

November 17th, 2017 Posted in Property Investment

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There are few safe investments you can make but one of the best is property. Putting your some of your money into bricks and mortar is a good way to make it work harder for you and will give you a great investment in return.

If you are a smart buyer, finding the right properties will give you a good financial edge and should help you quickly build up a sizeable nest egg. Buying to let is a good way of safeguarding a property and making money while your investment remains. However, if you are looking to make a quick buck, buying and doing up a property is a good route to go too.

Fixer-upper

There is a lot of money to be made in the development of old properties and if you are willing to move about a bit, you could quickly make enough to stay in one house while you do up another. There is a wide range of houses that fall under the term from a fresh coat of paint to full building works so think about what you are willing to take on before you start.

If you have never fixed up a property before, you should definitely request the advice of planning consultants before you implement any radical changes. You will need to gain planning permission for structural works like reconfigurations or extensions and a planning consultant will be able to advise you on the best plan so that you don’t waste any time going through rejections and appeals.

Buy-to-let

When you are looking for a property to rent out, you need to be sure that you will get a renter soon in order to cover your costs. If you can, use savings only to invest in the property, leaving you with enough cash for a rainy day. Otherwise, you need to make sure that your renter will be able to pay enough to cover any buy-to-let mortgage you take out.

You also need to consider who you want your rental to appeal to and decorate accordingly. If you are looking for student lets, make sure that you provide enough neutral furniture so that they can move straight in at the start of term. For other renters, you might be better off showing an unfurnished house as they are more likely to move in for a longer period and want their own things.

Holiday Rental

With the likes of AirBnB arriving, now is a really good time to offer up a property for short term holiday lets. You might not have the security of long term tenants but you will be able to make a considerable amount of profit.

The rules for interior design are also slightly different. You might consider going for a themed house or apartment to make it stand out from the masses or you could use smart design to give a luxury appearance and charge accordingly.

Whatever you choose, investing in property is good idea for your financial future. It will give you a real investment you can fall back on as will as work your money hard to build up a decent nest egg.

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The Best Places To Invest Your Money

November 17th, 2017 Posted in learning about money

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Making money is one thing, but knowing where to invest, it is something else. Smart investments can see huge returns for very little effort on your part. Money that is not being invested or gaining interest in some way is being wasted. With that in mind, here are some places where you could invest your hard earned money.

Bank Savings Account

You should always search around for the best possible savings account.You want one with the highest interest rate possible, so using comparison websites and Google searches will help you with your research. Some banks also offer one time sign up offers, so you might be able to get some bonus money or a free gift, too. Once you have decided on a bank account and have put money into savings, all you need to do is wait for the interest to accrue. This is something that will happen every year, and it means that your money is safe for when you need it and you are slowly gaining more of it. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to switch savings accounts if your current bank drops the interest rates or somewhere else is offering a better offer. Being aware of the financial market and how the changes in interest rate affect your savings is also important.

Stocks and Shares

Both stocks and shares can be a little risky. There is a chance that if you make some poor investments that you could lose your money. This is why it is important that you either get professional advice or spend considerable time researching and understanding how the various systems work. However, if you know what you are doing or have consulted a professional, then you could stand to make a lot of money. Stocks especially require you to constantly monitor what is happening, and thanks to apps like eToro everyone can get involved in the stock market and easily keep up to date with their portfolio. Shares, on the other hand, tend to pay out a dividend each year or allow you to sell them in the hopes of making a profit.

Housing

The housing market is a popular place to invest your money. You could invest in buying a flat or house for the purposes of renting. Or perhaps you know how to renovate a house and then flip it for a profit. Both of these are excellent investment choices. Whichever you decide to invest in you might want to consult a property management company. They can give you the best advice and provide all kinds of services that make you housing investment a more fruitful venture.

Shipping Containers

This one might sound odd, but you can, in fact, invest in shipping containers. One website claims a 12% rate of return which far surpasses something like a savings bank account, so this could be something worth investing in. Like any investment, though it isn’t without its risks and as such requires the same level of research and consideration. There are also many different companies you can invest through, and you will need to research the best one for you.

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College Is The First Step To Fantastic Finances, What Comes Next?

November 14th, 2017 Posted in student finances

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We all know that to get a decent salary in life, you need a college degree. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, that’s the hard truth. A degree will get you in at a ground floor position in a company, and if you do exceptionally well in college, getting great grades, it might even be a prestigious company. What is often not discussed is what comes next.

It’s worth pointing out that we said a decent salary, not a great one. We also said a ground floor position not a key figure in a company. We should be teaching students and perhaps even kids that their journey to financial success isn’t over once they have that degree in hand. There are a few other things that they will need to do to gain the income level they hoped for. Let’s start by thinking about making sure that they do stand out on the market.

The Side Hustle

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Side hustles like blogging, writing or freelancing aren’t about making money. Anyone who tells you that these types of activities (completed in your spare time) are going to have a substantial impact on your finances is lying. But that’s not the point of them. The point of side hustles is to show initiative and to show some skin to your employers. By doing this, you can make sure that you stand out on the market and that you do look like the type of person that they want in their business.

Remember, for the best positions, employees aren’t looking for someone who is green. They want an individual who had experience even before they left college. That’s how to ensure you’re considered for the position that brings that big paycheck.

The Additional Degrees

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The first four years of college should never really be the end of your learning path. You should, in your spare time be looking for ways to boost your official qualifications further with additional degrees. You might think that this means you have to go back to college, but that’s not true. Even industrial degree likes engineering can now be obtained online. a masters in engineering management online will give you the qualification you need to soar in this industry. It won’t just gain you access to a position in the company, it will ensure you are considered for a top role in the business.

Nothing Less Than Your Best

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Last but not least, you must make sure that you are always giving your best in any position you take on before or after the end of college. It’s unrealistic to think you’re going to get your dream position in your ultimate company straight after you leave school. There’s going to be a lot of positions that you use the fill in the gaps. That’s fine as long as you treat them with the importance that they deserve. You can not afford to mistake these jobs as a place where you can complete the minimum work until something better comes along. References matter when you want to succeed and get your income to the highest possible level.

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