20 tips to achieve better savings

   아침(2013년 2월 11일)에 집어 든 토론토 스타 신문에서 눈에 띄는 기사가 있어 올려놓습니다. 다이엔 맥카디가 쓴 책‘얼마가 있으면 만족할 수 있을까?’에서 발췌하여 게재한 글입니다. 스무 가지 항목 모두가 새겨 읽고 실천할만한 내용입니다.

  <20 tips to achieve better savings>

1. It’s never too late to start financial planning (or too early).

2. A little is better than nothing.

3. Any interest you pay is money that you can’t spend on yourself.

4. Clearing up debt is short-term pain for long-term gain.

5. Let compound interest work for you, not against you.

6. Pay yourself first: take at least 10 per cent off the top to save and invest.

7. RRSPs put more money in your hands and RESPs put more money in your children’s hands.

8. Revisit your wish list to remember what you’re aiming for.

9. If you don’t want something in the first place, it’s not a deal no matter how cheap it is.

10. Never hand over financial control — no one else cares about your future the way you do.

11. Invest only in things you understand and feel comfortable with.

12. If you miss one opportunity, there will always be others.

13. Get rich slowly — put your money regularly into solid investments.

14. Markets go up and down. Don’t panic.

15. Borrow only for things that appreciate in value (except for your first car, which you may have to borrow for, but will depreciate).

16. A financial adviser can make sure you’re making the most from your money.

17. By taking care of yourself, you’re helping other people.

18. Reward yourself in big and little ways for staying on track.

19. If you know what you want, you can get it.

20. Keep track of where you are on the road to where you’re going.

 

차근차근 읽어 보아 나쁠 것이 없겠다 싶어 올려 놓습니다.

<John Bogle’s 10 rules of investment>

1. Remember reversion to the mean. Selecting your fund from yesterday’s winners is fraught with peril. Over the long run, reversion to the market average is inevitable.

2. Time is your friend. Start early, stick to a plan and ignore the chatter of the day. Let the miracle of compound interest work for you.

3. Buy right and hold tight. once you set your asset allocation, ignore moves in the market. Stick to the plan.

4. Have realistic expectations. Rates of return in the coming decade are likely to be lower than the last. A seven per cent annual return before costs and inflation for stocks and a 2.5 per cent return for bonds before costs and inflation is reasonable.

5. Forget the needle, buy the haystack. Don’t waste time buying individual stocks or stock funds. Cut your risk by purchasing broad-based index or exchange-traded funds.

6. Minimize the “croupier’s” take. Minimize fees by investing in low-cost, low turnover funds. This increases your return.

7. There’s no escaping risk. There’s no wealth without risk. If you don’t save, you’ll end up with nothing. And if you don’t invest for your retirement, your savings will be depleted by inflation.

8. Don’t fight the last war. What worked in the past is no predictor of what will work in future. The past is not prologue.

9. The hedgehog beats the fox. Foxes are sly and represent financial institutions that sell complicated products and charge high fees for advice. A hedgehog does one thing when threatened — he curls up into a spiny ball. Simple, but effective, like an index fund.

10. Stay the course. The secret to successful investing isn’t forecasting or good stock or fund-picking. It is about making a plan, sticking to it, eliminating unnecessary risks, and keeping your costs low.

 

한국이든 캐나다든, 미국이든 휴먼 네크워킹은 중요합니다. 한 가지라도 읽고 실천할 만한 것을 발견한다면 도움이 되겠지요.

<6 Key Strategies for Networking by Sharon Aschaiek>

If the thought of working a room makes you work up a sweat, you’re far from alone. Published Toronto star on Mon Jan 14 2013.

If the thought of working a room makes you work up a sweat, you’re far from alone.

About 20 per cent of people are born with a natural tendency to be shy, according to a March 2010 study by U.S. and Chinese researchers, the results of which published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

But love it or hate it, making those key relationships is crucial to starting and sustaining a small business, says networking guru Donna Messer.

“Networking should be an entrepreneur’s number one business development activity,” says Messer, head of ConnectUs Communications Canada, which runs professional networking events. “Every business has a marketing and advertising budget — they should also have a networking budget.”

By planning ahead, being focused and organized, and having the right attitude, Messer says, entrepreneurs can shift from nervous to natural in their business interactions.

 

Do your homework

Small business owners can network in any number of forums, such as a chamber of commerce meeting, industry conference, trade show or professional association event. But each situation will feature participants with different priorities, Messer says, so it’s important to research the group or function beforehand.

“This will help you learn about who will attend, what they might need, and how you might be able to help them,” she says.

 

Make an impression

While it’s important to dress properly for a networking event — the standard can range from casual to formal business attire, depending on the event — what matters most is standing out so people remember you, Messer says. For women, she says, this may involve wearing a red jacket or striking scarf; for men, perhaps a bold tie or patterned shirt. Messer’s own technique is to wear her glasses on top of her head. When you meet someone, she says, remember the other essentials of making a good impression — solid eye contact, a smile and a firm handshake.

 

Socializing strategies

To alleviate networking angst, Messer recommends engaging with people who are on their own, since they’ll likely be more approachable than groups. She also suggests spending time by the event entrance to watch for people entering by themselves. If approaching a group, she says, wait until there’s a lull in the conversation before asking to participate. Alternately, she adds, the food or coffee line is often a great place to start a conversation.

 

Be natural

While a popular approach to professional networking is the “elevator pitch” — a brief, precise and prepared summary of you and your business — Messer says this can sound like an infomercial. Think of exchanges as conversations, rather than opportunities to pitch, she says. Start with casual talk about the weather or traffic, or ask if the other person has ever been to a networking event.

“People don’t want to be sold to off the bat,” she says. “You have to build rapport, because people buy from and refer people they like.”

 

It’s not about you

The best way to promote yourself and your business at a networking event is to put others first, Messer says. Focus on what people mention and offer to help, not only with business leads, but by responding to personal needs they’ve mentioned, e.g. recommending a good veterinarian, or offering to lend a book they could use.

“If you have a gift to offer, they will think about how they can help you, because you’re trying to help them,” she says.

 

Be card smart

Networking is not about giving away as many business cards as you can, Messer cautions, but exchanging information with people who really need what you have to offer. Stay organized by using one pocket to distribute cards and another to collect them, or tuck the ones you receive into the back of your name badge, she says. After the event, jot down pertinent details on each card, such as the date and location of the encounter, and noteworthy aspects of the interaction.

But the how-tos of effective networking go beyond what you do at any given event — check out Messer’s website for more tips on improving your interactions to grow your small business.