In the last few posts I’ve been writing about the dreaded “B” word—budgets. If you track how you’ve spent your money instead of how you intend to spend it and visualize what you’re saving the money for you’re probably on your way to better financial health, but don’t stop there! If things are going well, you might notice that you have more money in the bank and your savings account. Rather than let it tempt you to splurge on that fantastic new gadget that just came out that everyone has and you now have exactly that amount in your account, you should put the money to work for you. You can talk to a financial planner or do the research yourself. Where would the money do the most for you? How long before you need access to it? There are so many choices and ways to invest even small amounts of money. You don’t need to be uber-wealthy to think carefully about your wealth and treat any amount of money with the same care and consideration as millionaires do.

One kind of expert you might consult is a buyer of structured settlement annuities. They are experts at getting cash when you sell annuity payments. By treating all parts of your financial portfolio as important, you’ll find that you may not be as far off track as you previously thought.

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Sell annuity payments
Many times an investment opportunity comes up that dictates you may want sell annuity payments. Check out this tip if you sell

39) Stocks come in all sizes- Large-cap stocks
Large cap have market value of $5 billion or more.

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Drawing inspiration from the “… for Dummies” series of books, today is a quick overview of what structured settlement annuities are and what your options are for getting more cash out of them now. This article is for all of those people with structured settlement annuities that may not realize what it means to have one or furthermore, may not realize they have options when it comes to receiving and selling some of those payments.

Structured Settlement annuities come in various forms but some of the more common ones include:

- Personal injury payments resulting from an accident or illness.
- Workers compensation for an accident on the job.
- Lottery winnings that have been taken in the form of an annuity rather than a lump sum.
- Real Estate Notes and Deeds of Trust, which typically involve a trustee, a trustor and a beneficiary.
- Life Insurance Polices in the form of senior settlements, which allow for the policy to be sold before the policy matures.

Many people who sell structured settlements of various types count on that money to provide a stable means of income to pay bills and other financial obligations. What many people don’t know is that there are legal options to sell annuity payments to a third party for cash up front. What these people need to do is contact a buyer of structured settlement annuity payments to see if their particular annuity type qualifies for such a sale and if so, how quickly they can get the process started.

There is no reason not to be informed about your structured settlement annuity and of your options for getting more cash in your pocket when you need it and not just when the regular check comes around. Just look around for structured settlement buyers annuity payments on the web and go from a layperson to an informed owner of a structured settlement annuity.

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One tool that financial experts and counselors use to help motivate people to spend more carefully is to ask them about their hopes and dreams. The accumulation of wealth for wealth’s sake will only motivate the average person so much. Think, instead, about what you want in your wildest dreams and how your resources could help make that a reality. You don’t have to moan that a winning lottery ticket is your only way to make your dreams happen. You also don’t have to be resentful of people who have more than you. With careful planning and execution, you can come a lot closer to making your dreams than you might think.

Sounds too good to be true? I didn’t say it would easy! Or that it wouldn’t require you to make other sacrifices and tough choices. If, for example, you really want to retire early you might have to sell off assets or downgrade your post-retirement expectations. That might also mean that you might move in order to have a lower cost of living in a beautiful part of the country where you could go fishing every day. Doesn’t sound so bad?

Again, it all depends on where your priorities are. Knowing where you want your money to take you can be a powerful tool against impulse or reckless spending that wrecks your finances. Another way to help balance your accounts is to sell structured settlements. Structured settlement buyers can help you make the right decision for you.

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Cash for structured settlements
Any time you receive cash for structured settlements be careful about how you invest.

38) The best way to find a cheap growth stock.
Divide the forward PE ratio by the expected growth rate. Less than 1.2 may be an undervalued growth stock. The caveat is the assumption of earnings and growth.

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In the last post, I talked about how frustrating creating a budget can be. You practically have to see into the future to guess how much you might spend. One exercise that can help you create a more precise financial picture and budget is to track all of your expenses for a designated period of time, either one month, three months, or six months. Just write everything down. Many banking programs and credit card website offer services that can make this a lot easier. Use whatever format works for you. Once you have the information, divide it up by category like before but be as specific as you need to be. Instead of car expenses, say gas, maintenance, car washes and detailing, insurance, parking fees. Also, don’t forget to track your cash. How do you spend it?

Now, you have a much more useful tool to help you look at how you spend your money. Rather than it mysteriously disappearing you know exactly where it went. If your finances are tight, you might find areas that you could do without. For example, it could help you realize that Netflix is making your cable subscription obsolete and it’s much much cheaper.

When creating this kind of backwards or shadow budget, tracking where the money went instead of guessing where it might go, you’ll find yourself more able to make informed decisions about your future. You might even ask if this is the right time for you to “sell my annuity?” and receive cash for structured settlement payments. Talk to an expert and start taking control of your future.

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Sell structured settlements
Any cash that is generated when you sell structured settlement deserves your full attention to wise investing. Follow my thought about this rule of thumb.

37) The difference between a growth stock and a value stock.
With growth stocks you are betting more on the come. They are exciting, mesmerizing and risky if you are on the wrong side of the curve. Value stocks are more staid. These are a Ben Graham or Warren Buffett type investment. Buy out of favor solid value and wait for it to perform.

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So, honestly, have you ever stuck to a budget? Have you ever even written a budget? Most people write their budget looking forward. You know how much your major expenses are, right? Mortgage or rent, car payment, insurance, utilities, food, entertainment, and miscellaneous. Oh, and travel and Christmas and birthdays and there was something else? Right, the veterinarian and my medical co-pays. Also, the dentist, the eye doctor, and that thing I ordered online that I forgot about…

It is very difficult to be predictive with this kind of budget. You find yourself reacting to every individual situation rather than being prepared for it. Either you forget entire sections of what you need to allocate money for or you create categories that are so large that they are practically meaningless, ex: miscellaneous. How do you know if you’re spending too much on miscellaneous if it includes almost everything?

Most people find the exercise of writing the budget to be helpful, but the implementation is maddeningly frustrating. What happens when a quick trip to the emergency room destroys your budget? If you need help finding more cash in your budget you might want to talk to a buyer of structured settlement payments about how to receive cash for structured settlements. It could make all the difference with your budget.

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Cash for structured settlement payments
If you are actively trying to get cash for your structured settlement payments in order to invest the proceeds, then here is an investment tip. Here is a rule of thumb and my comment about it.

36) The difference between forward P/E and trailing P/E.
Remember there is a huge difference between what has happened (trailing) to what investors expect to happen (forward).

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While Valentine’s Day may dominate the collective consciousness, or at least the retail stores, immediately after Christmas and New Year’s, there are other holidays to enjoy in late winter. Here’s a quick round-up, not exactly in order.

1. Chinese New Year, Feb. 3 – This year ushered in the year of the hare (or rabbit). 2011 is supposed to be a placid year compared to 2010, the year of the tiger.

2. Mardi Gras, March 8 – You don’t have to go to the French Quarter to celebrate it. Share some gumbo, beignet (a kind of New Orleans donut), or King Cake with a friend. Maybe you’ll find the baby! Traditionally a plastic baby is baked into the King Cake.

3. Presidents’ Day, February 21 – Rather than just taking advantage of bargain shopping, take some time to find out more about our presidents. There are some great biographies out there.

4. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 17 – This is a special holiday. Besides revisiting the Civil Rights Movement, a long quiet walk might be the perfect way to celebrate it.

5. St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 – This brings us to the cusp of Spring. Skip the green beer and head for some Guinness Stew or Rare bit (think sharp queso served with dry bread).

While these holidays are barely a blip on the consumer radar, each has it’s own special charm to enjoy and sets these days apart. If you’re watching the calendar closely you may be thinking about when would be the right time for you to sell structured settlements. You can start by finding the right structured settlement buyer to help you get cash when you need it.

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