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Finding the right accountant should be one of the first things you do once you’ve set-up your business; but it isn’t as simple as just going with a recommendation; accountants are all very different and so the perfect accountant for a friend or family member is not necessarily going to work well for you; it is important therefore to do a bit of ground work, make a checklist, ask questions, explore your options and make a careful choice. Here are ten top tips to help you on your way.

Make sure that you choose a qualified accountant. Anyone can call themselves an accountant but check that yours is a member of one of the main three professional bodies: The Institute of Chartered Accountants, The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants or The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants; if things go wrong you’ll have some redress through their professional association or institute. Pick an accountant appropriate to your needs. Accountants come in all shapes and sizes. Be aware of what different types of accountants can and can’t provide for you; think about what is important to you and your firm, because your accountant will probably be your main business advisor and for small businesses in particular may end up as a sort of unofficial finance director.

Look at their shop window. An accountant’s website should give you an idea of how seriously they take different aspects of their job, as it is where they advertise their wares. Check that they take things like tax adviceat least as seriously as ‘compliance’ work like filing documents correctly and on time as it will be the tax advice that saves your business money. Focus on fixed fees. Accountants rarely all charge in a uniform way, Read more of this >>

These days most of us avail loans to buy a land, set up a business, or buy a car. Many students take loans to pursue their education. How soon the loan is sanctioned, the rate of interest, and the amount sanctioned will all depend on your credit score which is based mainly on your credit report. People with scores of 700 and more than are the beneficiaries of lower interest rates and avail quick sanctions.

Imagine if your score is greater than 700 and another person has a score of 698 then the person with score 698 will have to pay interest that is higher by one-half percentage point. And, this means over a year a person with a lower score will pay USD 19,000 and more as interest on a loan of say USD 165,000. A credit score takes into consideration: payment history, current earnings, current debt, length of credit history, types of credit utilized, and your new credit. If two or more members of your family are earning then apply for a loan jointly.

You can take a few easy steps and ensure that your credit score is higher than 700. Sustain a long healthy credit history. Keep alive your oldest credit card and be sure to pay all bills in time. Never keep bills pending over a 30 day period. If you are in a financially tighten position at least pay the minimum debts. Do not use too many credit cards. Learn to say “NO,” to offers of free credit cards. And, manage a good credit limit. Avoid using all the available credit on the cards. Make sure that the credit report you have is accurate and that there are no clerical errors or otherwise. Plan your finance such that it is healthy. Consider debt consolidation. Read more of this >>

Entering into a debt consolidation program does not mean you’re debt problems will be “magically” resolved. Your debt consolidation professional will help you out to tackle your debt issues. The procedure still needs some of your involvement. Here are few tips that will help you to make your Debt Consolidation successful. Select the Right Company. The first step to go through with debt consolidation is to make a careful decision about the company you choose. Read more of this >>

Staying on budget is a struggle faced by many. There is tendency to spend your paycheck on wants more than needs and this may lead to financial problems if left unchecked. Creating a budget is not difficult but adhering to it is the tricky part. A person may have impressive budgeting plans but it does not mean much if he/she fails to adhere to it. Individuals and families have to establish a healthy spending pattern to be able to save and accumulate wealth.

Sticking to a budget prevents mismanagement of resources and maximizes wealth in the long run. There is tremendous power in having financial discipline and consistency. Therefore to address this issue, there are various tips on budgeting available for your reference. To establish a sound budgeting plan, you will need to first determine the income you have and work to create a weekly, monthly or yearly expenditure outlook. Be realistic. Identify the areas where your money goes to. This includes food, accommodation, transportation and entertainment amongst others. Besides expenses, do you have other liabilities awaiting payment? House mortgage, car loan balance and credit card balance are some of the areas where a portion of your income goes to. If you would like to purchase an expensive item, you should allocate a separate fund to cover the purchase. The savings for this purchase can be included in the budget as well.

This plan may be thwarted by uncontrolled use of credit. When left unchecked, the convenience of credit cards may turn out to be harmful for your financial plans. You should guard against impulsive purchases which are beyond the budget set. Work to cut off bad habits and you might be surprised at how much more you can save. We should all seek to live within our income means. The tips on budgeting mentioned above will not be of use unless we are determined to change and take charge of our financial planning. Plan wisely, and you will reap the fruitful results of your discipline soon.