From the Wall Street Journal.. Federal prosecutors indicted Mr. Belfort in 1998 for securities fraud and money laundering. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $110.4 million in restitution to his victims. The court ordered him to pay 50% of gross income to victims until the full amount had been repaid. In exchange for…

A simple way to figure out how long it will take to double your investment funds if to take the number 72 and divide it by your expected return. For example if you expect an 8% return (The average return of stocks over time) you would divide 72 by 8 and it would take you…

An excellent rule of thumb is to take out no more debt then you expect to earn in your first post college job. If you expect to earn $35,000 your first year you should not have $50,000 in student loan debt. This is a simple way to know if you have overextended yourself. Pass this…

1. Your personal info is wrong. 2. You find accounts you never opened. 3. You are getting messages from lenders you do not know.   This is why you must check your credit report on a regular basis. For more read this excellent article from learnvest  http://www.learnvest.com/knowledge-center/worried-about-credit-fraud-heres-how-to-spot-it/

1.Dont fall for low introductory rates. These can increase dramatically 2. Find out what others are paying and ask for the same rate. 3. Ask for free training sessions as a condition you will join 4. Find out if there is a membership limit. If not the gym could be very overcrowded at peak times….

Debit cards are different than credit cards. It is not so easy to just cancel your card and get a new one. With a debit card, people are actually withdrawing money out of your bank account. It could take months to be reimbursed. Avoid this by following these tips.. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/checking/risky-places-swipe-debit-card-1.aspx?ic_id=tb_10046

suitable= suitable investment not necessarily in your best interests  (Broker or salesperson) fiduciary= must act in your best interests and disclose all conflicts (R.I.A. that is fee only)   If you do not understand this you are TOAST!!!!!   The problem is there’s nothing illegal about brokers putting their interests ahead of those of their…

Bad habits are hard to break. It is no different with your finances. Just like a bad diet and a lack of exercise these habits will slowly destroy your future. The first step is to be aware then you can begin to change. Are you guilty of these?? 1. Not budgeting 2. Making late payments…

 Studies have shown people are much more willing to take advice when they are made to feel anxious. Pushy stock brokers and insurance salesmen know this all too well. The worst part of this is people will take advice even thought they know it is conflicted. The lesson learned is not to make financial decisions…

Going to college is very expensive. Not going costs even more. Here is a realistic plan to attend college without running up huge debt and taking six years to graduate. This is from Morgan Housel an excellent writer from the Motley Fool. Take two years off after high school. Get a job. See what the…