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Fascinating Facts About The Credit Card

Did you know the Credit Card has been part of our purses and wallets for over 50 years?
Love them or loath them, here are some interesting facts about the credit card.

fascinating facts about the credit card - infographic

This credit card infographic was created by Sainsbury’s Bank

Where Does Money Come From?

Nice infographic which shows the three main types of income and can help answer the question where does money come from?

http;//thefinancialfairytales.com where does money come from

3 types of income- where does money come from?

New Money Book For Kids – Getting Rave Reviews

Troll Bridge cover - Money book imageThe Troll Bridge is the latest release in the multi award-winning Financial Fairy Tales series of children’s books.

The series helps explain money ideas and principles to children at a young age with a view to developing positive values and habits such as saving, responsibility, making money grow and entrepreneurship.

“To capture the imagination of children and give them an understanding of modern life within a story is fabulous. I look forward to reading more Daniel Britton stories to my family”- John Whiteman, Business Troubleshooter & author of 9 Days To Feel Fantastic

The Troll Bridge is a fun and innovative way of looking at why we pay our taxes. Everyone and everything crossing the bridge has to pay the troll. Everyone accepts this until a young boy starts asking why.

The Troll Bridge is released on Wednesday May 7th – look out for exclusive launch day offers and bonus materials!

“Often parents struggle to teach their children about money. Well – problem over! Dan’s Financial Fairly Tales are a brilliant way to introduce children to money concepts. All wrapped up in wonderful stories.” Elizabeth O’Shea, Parenting Specialist at Parent 4 Success

Just for fun, I’ve made a series of 3 videos – please take a moment and vote for your favourite. You can also leave comments below and share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Video 1

The financial Fairy Tales: the Troll Bridge

Video 2

The Troll Bridge preview

Video 3

The Troll Bridge

 

Top Things to Consider When Buying a Property

Buying a property is often one of the biggest decisions you can make in life, so it’s important to make the right choice. Christmas generally stalls the house-hunting process but now that 2014 has arrived you may be starting to think about recommencing your search. Here are a few top tips for choosing the perfect property.

Plan your budget

Once you start house hunting it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of finding your dream home.  You may love to be able to approach Mayfair estate agents or other exclusive areas but if the area is not within your budget then there’s no point in starting your search. It’s important to establish your budget before you do anything else. If you need to seek finance for your purchase, most banks will require a 10-15% deposit. You should also speak to your bank or a mortgage broker to find out how much you will be able to borrow. You need to take into account other expenses as well such as stamp duty, mortgage arrangement fees, the valuation, removal fees and the cost of furnishing or renovating your new home.

Think about the location

Location is everything when it comes to buying a home. You not only need to think about how suitable the location is for your needs (transport links, schools, local amenities etc) but also how the location may affect your property as an investment. Research up-and-coming areas which may give you a bigger return on your investment if you eventually come to sell.

Go on as many viewings as possible

Many people say that when they find their dream home they know as soon as they walk in through the door. Although house hunting can be exciting, it’s important not to rush into buying the first great house you see. Don’t feel pressurised by an estate agent telling you they’ve already had a lot of interest in the property. Move at your own pace so you can be sure you’re making the right decision.

Buying a new property can be a very fulfilling step to take but it can also be very stressful and be prepared for the fact that things might not move as quickly as you’d like. Complications can arise and you may be stuck in a chain which prevents the sale from moving forward. Remember to stay patient and make sure you go through all of the necessary protocols to ensure your sale goes through as smoothly as possible.

Why Teach Children About Wills?

image of willTeaching children about all aspects of finance early in life is important, but it needn’t be boring. The trick lies in getting children to understand the whys and wherefores of money in a way that is both fun and which will carry them through life. This isn’t about attempting to get rich; rather, it’s about instilling in them the knowledge that the sensible management of money can help bring about freedom, independence and peace of mind.

As part of this overall process, it’s also important that children understand the whole principle of inheritance. In this way, they will be better prepared for their independent financial lives when the time comes when they do inherit money – and it will help develop in them a sense of the permanence of the value of goods, property and investments.

This is a desirable thing for most parents to achieve with their children. But it’s very important not to confuse this educational process with any sense of greed or materialism; it’s a fine balance which wise and far-sighted parents should be able to achieve. And there are fun ways this can be achieved – with plenty of resources on this website to investigate.

But when it comes to leaving legacies and instilling an understanding of this whole area in children – the process is a little more delicate. Most children instinctively understand, by the time they reach somewhere around double figures in age, that life is fleeting. At this age, they’re beginning to understand the permanence of death. They’ve usually had first hand experience of a grandparent or other family member passing away – or someone else close to the family – and understand what it’s all about.

Around his sort of age, it’s perfectly sensible and natural to talk to children about things like wills and probates – and to help them understand what happens after someone’s death – to all their belongings and assets. It’s easier to talk and think in terms of something that will mean something to children rather than a person’s entire estate. There may even be a keepsake that a relative or friend has bequeathed to a child – and this can become a pleasant and happy memory; a nice way of remembering someone fondly after the initial period of grief has passed.

It’s also a good way of understand the process of bequeathing things in the way you want them.

Overall, teaching children about wills is a natural part of understanding the basics of finance in a way which will help them in later life. The knowledge that they will inherit something at some point in the future – but not to rely on such inheritance – is also helpful in allowing children to come to terms with the one inevitability of life – which is, of course, death. But instead of being in any way morbid – this knowledge should help set children’s minds free to appreciate the present and to always carpe diem whilst simultaneously being sensible with money. As the saying goes; live as though you’ll die tomorrow, but farm as if you’ll live forever.