February 22, 2006

You Are A Recent College Graduate, Have A Job And Now What

Filed under: 64bestloan1_yourmoneysave — admin @ 7:08 pm

Plan your financial future after college, through your twenties and beyond.

A new car is the first purchase most college graduates want to make directly after graduation. You may ask yourself, what is the matter with being rewarded with something nice after completing such a hard task that you have been working towards your whole life? Depending on what your entry-level job pays; it would be wise to spend accordingly with your available income. Many graduates think they are getting better paying jobs than they actually get after college, so they purchase a vehicle way out of their price range. “I know when I graduate in December, it will be nice to get a new car, but I know there will be student loans and other living expenses to pay off first,” says Jayne Santucci, a senior at Florida Atlantic University. “When recent college graduates get their first job, they see their co-workers with brand new cars, so they think they should get one also, not knowing the co-workers experience and salary,” Santucci adds.

If you are going into a career that coincides with your college major, you may want to consider starting with an entry level position rather than taking a higher paying job in an unrelated field. The entry level job will be better for you in the long run because it will give you more opportunities to advance in a field that you were trained in. If you start with a higher paid job in a different career, you might lose interest quickly and have little room for advancement. Stick with your career, and the money will eventually come.

When you get hired for your first job in the “real world,” find out what kinds of retirement plans are available. The majority of employers offer 401(k) plans or other tax-deferred retirement options. With every paycheck you receive, you can contribute money into the 401(k) and many employers will match some part of your contribution. This will help you save for your future. Start your savings account immediately and if at all possible have your money directly deposited into your account. Learn to pay yourself first!

According to CNN Money, college graduates of 2005 are being paid more in starting salaries than the class of 2003-2004. Here is a list of the average salaries for college graduates:

Accounting - $41,039;

Management - $35,811;

Teaching - $29,733;

Sales - $37,130;

Nurse - $38,775;

Financial /Treasury - $45,596;

Software -Design - $53,729;

Consulting - $49,781;

Source: CNN Money 2005

After obtaining their landing your first job, many college graduates think it may be a good idea to move back home with their parents so they can save money. Saving money is not always the case when moving home. Having the feeling of fewer bills can provide you more freedom for going out and buying an expensive car, stereo or designer clothes. So, instead of saving your money, graduates could be spending it on items they do not really need. It might be a smarter idea to actually stay independent because you will grow and may learn faster what it means to be self-reliant. As a college graduate, you may struggle starting out at first, but it will be beneficial to you in the long run.

The most important word to you, a recent college graduate, should be “b-u-d-g-e-t.” By creating a budget, it will give you the opportunity to design a method to pay your bills and save for something you really want. The better you are at sticking to a budget, the more peace of mind you will have when it comes to your personal finances.

A person’s twenties could be the most important years to start achieving your financial goals. The earlier you invest the better. If a 25-year-old who invests $2,000 a year at a 6 percent compound interest annually for fifteen years and never invests another dollar, after the age of 40, the 25-year-old will earn more by the age of 65 than a 35-year-old who invests $2,000 a year at 6 percent compound interest annually for 30 years, even though the 35-year-old would have invested twice as long.

Last but not least, it is important to identify a short, medium and long-term goal for yourself. A short-term goal may be a new car, a vacation or a television. A medium-term goal could be buying a business, a house or paying for your child’s education. A long-term goal can be retirement and traveling.

Managing money as a young adult can be the most important in terms of your financial situation. It is best to do research and want to learn about how to manage your credit, bills, and any extra expenditure before it is too late. Be smart with your money.

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February 15, 2006

A Review of Jobs in Medicine

Filed under: 64bestloan1_yourmoneysave — admin @ 11:04 am

We would usually think about doctors and nurses when we think about people who work in the field of medicine. However, the jobs in medicine are not limited to nurses and doctors, there are other opportunities that can be found in the service area of health care. Some of these career options are administrative, and some can be super scientific like lab work or genetic research. Jobs in medicine can be enjoyable if you posses the personality and the training to go along with the work requirements.

If you want to work as a doctor, you have to undergo years of schooling and training from an accredited university. The normal requirement for this job includes four years of college work, four more years of medical school, and four to nine years of training under another doctor for an internship and residency. If you choose to specialize it will take you a few more years, depending on the field of your choice.

Jobs in medicine are numerous and well paid, some up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, but expect long work hours and a lot of debts in student loans to get the proper education. Nurses earn above the normal salary income, but this job requires a special personality and a lot of time on your feet.

Other possible positions include working in the hospital insurance department and in a clinic. You can also consider working as a technician that draws blood or collect specimens and samples of other bodily fluid for analysis. Jobs in medicine are certainly not for the faint hearted. The medical field is also a good job hunting ground for technicians who specialize in x-rays, CAT scans, and MRI.

You can also find peripheral jobs in medicine like repair technicians, janitors, lawn care, or even as repair service specialist for the machines inside the hospital complex. You can also find a potential career in the hospital gift shop, or care for people in the hospital as a sitter, to help families take a necessary break away from a sick loved one.

You should consider your personality when you are considering any career path. To find success in any jobs in medicine, you have to be a compassionate and caring person. You’ll spend the majority of your time caring for sick people. If you are impatient and tend to be frustrated easily, jobs fin medicine may not be the best work for you. On the other hand, if you want to spend your life caring and helping other people, choosing a profession in the field of medicine is a wise decision.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Jobs in Medicine. Visit our site for more helpful information about Jobs in Medicine and other similar topics.

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February 8, 2006

Mortgage Marketing - How to Find Your Niche

Filed under: 64bestloan1_yourmoneysave — admin @ 8:07 am

Ann Landers, Dr. Phil and Roger Ebert take pleasure in being recognized as leading experts in their respective fields. Because of this status they enjoy greater visibility and reputation than their peers. So instead of having to cold call or advertise for new clients, they benefit from prospects seeking them out. Yet, when you study these experts closely you realize that they’re no more talented, smarter or knowledgeable than the rest.

They achieved expert status not because they’re good at what they do, but because they’re great at marketing themselves. They identified a niche they could occupy as a leading expert. You can find a niche to fulfill as a leading expert and attract real estate agents the same way.

To Find Your Niche, Discover Your Unique Knowledge

Over time and with work experience, every loan officer learns unique knowledge, skills and expertise that Agents can benefit from. By discovering this special knowledge, you begin the first step in the process of finding a niche that you can fill.

A loan officer doesn’t achieve leading expert status because of extraordinary creativity or Herculean effort. Their mastery comes from learning through repetition and a discipline established from research, self-study, education and experience.

We live in the Information Age. You can position yourself as a knowledge expert in a particular topic or subject. Therefore, Agents needing help with your topic turn to you first.

Agents prefer to work with someone they view as an expert than to waste time shopping services. Remember we live in a period with greater urgency than in the past. Your status as a leading expert will attract clients because they value time as a precious commodity.

The first step is to take an inventory of your knowledge and skills. Use these questions as a guide to discover your unique knowledge.

- What problems have you solved repeatedly for realtors?
- Do you have any specialized training?
- What are your favorite or best loan programs?
- What compliments about your skills have your realtor clients shared repeatedly?
- What are you most passionate about in your business?
- What knowledge or skills from previous jobs can relate to your present work?
- What single area of your business are you best at?

What elements keep appearing? Are you onto a topic that you can further develop? What niches are you spotting?

To Find Your Niche, Focus On One Area

By focusing on one area you can devote all your resources to it. Time, energy and money are resources you can put toward your development of your niche. That way, no resources are wasted and everything you learn builds toward your base of knowledge.

As you develop your knowledge in one area, you can build a reputation around it. The greater your reputation becomes the less likely Agents will question your service abilities, shop your fees or question your judgment.

As you become a recognized expert in your field of specialized knowledge, you can become more selective of whom you choose to work with. Agents are less susceptible to walk over the relationship or take it for granted.

And since you do not have to spend as much time marketing or selling yourself, you can spend more time servicing quality relationships that bring you more production. This adds wealth to your business.

To Find Your Niche, Decide Agents Need Your Expertise

A great mistake is to assume that the knowledge you possess is already widely dispersed. An expert’s knowledge is valuable to those who don’t have it.

Dr. Phil propelled himself to the top from his self-promotion and thanks to Oprah Winfrey. He could have easily assumed that there wasn’t need for his expertise because of scores of other doctors in his field. But he discovered the niche he occupies, Family Relationships, wasn’t being adequately filled.

Survey Agents to learn which of their needs aren’t being met that relate to your niche. My experience from surveying Agents has taught me that many basic needs aren’t being met; inconsistencies in the loan process, lack of communication between lenders and Agents, too many fires at the close of escrow, etc.

The recognition of your unique knowledge and the calculated development of it is the first step to achieving leading expert status.

Jeff Nelson helps mortgage companies and individual loan officers increase loan originations by developing customized relationship-building strategies that secure quality relationships with real estate agents. Click here to get a free copy of the Marketing Planning Guide, a 20-page workbook designed to help you outline a strategy to becoming an Agent Magnet.

Visit us at http://www.loan-officer-marketing.com

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