CAN I AFFORD TO RETIRE?Written by Peter F. Baigent CFP, CLU, CHFC, RFP
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unacceptable to you or vice versa. Many of our clients have down sized their housing in recent years to take advantage of high real estate values. They have moved to townhouses or further away to some of outlying suburban areas. As a result, they have come to us with difference, to invest it in an income producing portfolio. Although this may appear as an ideal solution to some, it is not for everyone. Some want to stay in their present neighbourhood, because of friends, family or health facilities. They see others as moving to wither away in wilderness. There is no doubt that you can buy two, three or more houses in smaller centers for price of one city house. If that fits your plans, it is a great way to be able to retire early. So, once you have decided how much gross, pre tax income you need to live on in today's dollars, we then need to know if you intend to use your investment portfolio for your retirement income or do you wish to leave capital intact for your beneficiaries. Many parents decide that children will inherit home and all of their personal effects, but they regard their investments as their pension plan and want to retire as soon as they can and will use capital as well, to supplement their income and to protect against inflation. With those two pieces of information and amount of existing investment portfolio, it becomes just a mathematical calculation to tell you how soon you can retire. With a little bit of advance planning it is often easy to achieve early retirement. It doesn't happen on its own, but nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough.Copyright 2004 – www.money-software.com
Peter F. Baigent CFP, CLU, CHFC, RFP. is a Past President of the Canadian Association of Financial Planners for British Columbia, a former Director of the Canadian Association of Financial Planners. He has spoken across Canada on financial planning matters and has taught courses for the Chartered Financial Consultants & Certified Financial Planners degrees. He is the founder of Money Minders Software which produces financial planning software.
| | Warning - This Lease Might Explode Any MinuteWritten by George A. Parker
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Perhaps, one of best protections against getting stuck with service-related leased equipment is to thoroughly evaluate service provider before proceeding. Make sure service provider is financially sound and has a long track record of providing excellent service. If possible, ask for and review financial information on service provider. Do an Internet news search to make sure there are no troubling stories about service provider. Be partial to services that offer equipment under contracts that tie service and use of equipment together, such that your obligation to pay is conditioned on service being provided. Lastly, since these transactions always carry some risk, make sure that an abrupt interruption in service will not have a material negative impact on your company or cause financial hardship.
George Parker is a Director and Executive Vice President of Leasing Technologies International, Inc. (“LTI”). Headquartered in Wilton, CT, LTI is a leasing firm specializing nationally in equipment financing programs for emerging growth and later-stage, venture capital backed companies. More information about LTI is available at: www.ltileasing.com.
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