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The 4 Main Issues That Are Driving Your Online Customers Crazy

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One of the key reasons to start an online business is the ability to cast a wider net. The Internet allows you to reach more people and offer them a convenient shopping experience. While online businesses have their perks, the simplest technology glitch can throw a monkey wrench into the works. For instance, a poor payment processing experience can spell disaster for your entire operation.

Time-consuming

Most people are discouraged by the prospect of having to create an account to buy goods from a website. Accounts are a good option if customers are frequent visitors to the site, there are incentive programs, or they want to keep their credit card and shipping information on file for future purchases. However, when customers don’t shop on a site regularly, then there should be a guest option that allows them to input their credit card number and address on an as-needed basis. This pet peeve doesn’t imply that you should completely reject the possibility of customer accounts because it certainly does offer a degree of convenience for repeat customers. Just don’t mandate it on your site for everyone.

Go mobile.

More than ever, people are always on the go and rely on their smartphones to perform a variety of tasks. That includes online shopping. Consider developing a mobile app so customers can easily navigate your site. Otherwise, a website that doesn’t lend itself to easy viewing through a smartphone screen will result in lost business over the long term.

Outages

Creating the perfect website is a challenge, and you are apt to identify improvements along the way continually. Inevitably, there will be outages that affect your service. Be sure to monitor and address system issues as quickly as possible. Frequent errors during the checkout process are problematic in more ways than one. Customers are likely to give up and search for products from your competitors. Also, repeatedly inputting sensitive account information could look suspicious, and your customers might worry about fraud or duplicate charges.

Inconsistent company names

Be as transparent as possible throughout the purchasing process. Alert the customers upfront if the charges will appear on their statement under another vendor name, so there’s no confusion or unfounded fears about a potential scam. If your site directs them to another page, give advanced warning and explanation.

Whatever online business you’re looking to establish, handling and protecting customer data should always be a priority. Work with reputable payment processing companies that safeguard data and keep transactions secure. Sometimes, you may run into a roadblock with mainstream banks if your business is less traditional like selling vaping products, but you can still set up an e-cigarette merchant account with specialized companies that offer the same protection.

Essentially, if you just put yourself in your customers’ shoes, you’ll understand not only how to build the ideal checkout process, but the total customer experience. The Internet doesn’t have to completely take away the personal touches we take for granted when shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. Try to create a welcoming and inclusive website that not only addresses the customers’ issues, but also anticipates their needs.

Image source: Pexels.

How Does Trade Policy Affect Me?

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With talks of trade and tariffs filling headlines, I thought it fitting to explain what these terms actually mean and how they affect our economy.

Trade

In its most basic form, trade is the exchange of goods and services. What we’re talking about, however, and why this article is so relevant, is global trade.

The current “trade war” between the U.S. and China is about “unfair” trade (so President Trump says). Now I’m not debating as to whether trade between our two countries is fair or if I agree with his use of tariffs, I’m going to explain why this all matters.

China and the U.S. are complete opposites when it comes to trade. China is a net exporter and the U.S. is a net importer. China exports more than it imports and the U.S. is the reverse of that.

China is able to produce goods at a much lower cost because their cost for labor is so low. The U.S., on the other hand, is more costly to employ workers.

Tariffs

President Trump is utilizing tariffs to do two things. One, he’s trying to keep people employed domestically, instead of companies shipping jobs overseas.

A tariff increases the overall price of a good. By doing this, it gives employers an incentive to keep jobs in the U.S. because the money they save by shipping jobs abroad is reduced or taken away.

Two, he wants to reduce our trade deficit. Remember the U.S. is a net importer. By slapping tariffs on Chinese goods, it encourages U.S. consumers to buy products from U.S. manufacturers. Thus, fewer imports from China.

Theory vs. Practice

In theory, this sounds like a great plan, but in practice, however, it’s the consumer that pays the price.

When a tariff is used, the exporting country doesn’t see any taxes or penalties. The end result is an increased cost for each product.

For example, if you bought a pair of headphones for $100 and the electronics that make up those headphones are the recipient of a 15% tariff, those same pair of headphones now cost $115.

Now here’s where things get a little more complicated.

China’s Response

China has retaliated with tariffs of their own, but what they’ve also done is manipulate their currency.

You may have seen that in the news a few weeks ago when President Trump labeled them a currency manipulator.

When Trump put tariffs on Chinese goods, China reduced the value of its currency compared to the USD (U.S. Dollar).

This counteracts the effect those tariffs have.

Why It Matters

One, the markets hate uncertainty, so the more this is dragged out, the less likely we are to see an agreement between the two countries. Uncertainty leads to volatility, volatility leads to selling, and selling leads to declines.

Two, through the use of technology and more efficient supply chains, our planet has become very interconnected.

Global trade is a great thing. Each country has its strengths and weaknesses. When countries can focus on their strengths, we can produce more of something for less cost, and then trade with each other. Everyone wins.

Protectionism

This trade war does the opposite. It’s reducing everyone’s willingness to work together by creating a protectionist environment.

A protectionist mentality favors home country and doing business only in your home country. That restricts global trade and the exchange of goods.

The goal here is creating a fair trade agreement that benefits the global economy and (now) minimizes damage to individual economies.

What You Can Do

The most challenging part about this whole situation is we don’t know what’s going to happen. If a deal gets done, the market will like that, but if a deal doesn’t get done, I see a stock market decline in our future.

How do you prepare then? My best advice is the same as the advice I usually give, allocate according to your risk tolerance and time horizon. Those two things should dictate your investment strategy and whether or not you should be concerned with the outcome of this trade war.

Further reading:

Interest Rates and Trade

Why Asset Allocation Matters

Trade, Interest Rates, and Australia

Questions You Need To Ask Yourself

My Thoughts On The Market

 

Please be advised: Everything written in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice. Opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinions of this publisher or my employer.” 

Inexpensive Fall Activities

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With Fall quickly approaching I thought it’s fitting to write an article about the (inexpensive) activities you can partake in that won’t break the bank.

Below you’ll find a large number of fun things you can do when the leaves start to change.

  1. Go for a hike – Depending on where you go, this can be free! If the hike takes place in a state park, there might be a small fee. Regardless, a hike is a great way to spend time, get exercise, and experience nature.
  2. Pick pumpkins – This is an autumn staple! Go to your local pumpkin patch and pick out your favorite pumpkin. Then figure out what design, pattern, or face you’ll carve into it and go to town!
  3. Have a picnic – Ingredients for sandwiches, potato salad, chips, and a dessert item. What else could you need? Through in an item from below (scenic drive) and a nice spot to set up, and you’re good to go! Inexpensive and relaxing.
  4. Apple orchard – Go apple picking! Gives you a great excuse to go outside, walk, and hand-pick some healthy food for yourself. A typical orchard operation will charge you $1.25-$2.00 per pound.
  5. Local festivals – Most of these are free or cheap to attend, with most of the cost coming from the games and events you participate.
  6. Maze – Many of the fall festivals will have a maze. These are typically made from hay bales. Additionally, farms that have pumpkins to be picked sometimes have a corn maze and/or hayrides. I have one of those near me and it was a ton of fun, and cheap too.
  7. Football games – Local high school games are really exciting to watch. They’re inexpensive to go to, they usually have good food, and you get to show off some hometown pride. Added bonus, you could have a promising player on your team or one on a visiting team to watch. I don’t know about you, but watching a special talent is…well..special!
  8. Haunted house – I’m partial to the scary stuff because I’m into things that frighten me, but haunted houses are awesome. Yes, some are quite lame, but when they’re done right, it’s exhilarating!
  9. Sit around the campfire – This is an incredibly relaxing activity. Sitting around a fire with your family and/or friends, roasting marshmallows, and making smores – can’t get much better. Costs nothing more than marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate!
  10. Scenic drive – For me, there aren’t many things that can beat a scenic car ride (the previous item does). Especially in the fall. Trees change colors, there’s a slight nip in the air, and it just smells like autumn.
  11. Scary movie marathon – I understand that scary movies aren’t for everyone, but if you have a few and invite people over that bring additional movies, you can make a long and scary evening out of it. If you don’t have scary movies, go to your local library and check some out. It’s free!
  12. Make collages with leaves – This could be a nice, little craft you can do as a family. Especially if you have young kids. They love getting messy and creating with their hands. They can also have a ton of fun jumping in leaf piles before you pick the leaves out for your collage.
  13. Ghost hunting – Seriously. In doing research for this post, this actually came up, and it surprisingly checks out. There are a number of apps available. 

All-in-all, autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the weather, the leaves changing, and all of the fun things you can do. I recommend doing at least one of these activities in the next few months!

How Can College Students Spend Their Money Responsibly

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Money management is tough no matter how old you are. However, it’s particularly challenging when you are in college. This is because you either have no income at all, or you make a small amount of money with a part-time job. However, the expenses are many- lodging, tuition fees, textbooks, transportation, etc. This is why it’s important that college students learn how to spend their money responsibly, especially in light of the many reasons why you should save money.

The following are some of the points that you can keep in mind to save money as a college student:

  1. Set a Budget

Spending money without a budget is like driving a car without the headlights on- you don’t know where you are going. You may think that you only need to record the “big” transactions like the tuition fees, dorm rent, etc. but the truth is that every small expense including the can of coke that you consume more than a few times every other day can add up and affect your finances.

Maintaining a budget isn’t that hard. All you have to do is create three records- earnings (allowance from parents, income from a part-time job or freelance gigs, etc.), fixed expenses (college fees, Internet service, etc), and flexible expenses (food, transportation, etc) and then figure out how much you are saving every month. You can also use any of the popular mobile apps for budgeting viz. Mint, PocketGuard, Mvelopes, etc.

  1. Don’t Skimp on Insurance

College students usually have so many expenses already that insurance may seem like a luxury that they can easily avoid. However, nothing could be further from the truth. This is because the students need insurance just as much as salaried professionals and business owners. For instance, you can benefit from an affordable health insurance plan as it’s cheaper at a young age. In the same way, you can get renters insurance if you are living somewhere as a tenant for protection against thefts, floods, earthquakes, etc. Just make sure that you know what does renters insurance cover before you sign on the dotted line.

  1. Pay Credit Card Bills on Time

Credit cards can be extremely useful to college students. However, they can also lead to a massive debt if used carelessly. For instance, if you have become fond of making “minimum payments”, then you will be surprised to know that these can increase your debt too. This is because these payments only prevent fines and penalties for not clearing your balance but the remaining amount (balance-minimum payment) is carried over to the next month still. This amount collects interest i.e. debt.

If you don’t want to waste money, then it’s better to control your spending habits and reduce debt. If you already have debt, then you can learn how to overcome credit card debt online or by approaching a credit expert.

  1. Save on Books

College textbooks can be rather expensive. Thus, it’s better to buy used books that can be easily obtained at up to 50% or lower prices of the new ones. Besides, there are various platforms where you can buy and sell used books including the following:

  • BetterWorldBooks
  • PaperbackSwap
  • Thriftbooks
  • Abe Books
  1. Shop Online

Shopping online is convenient and easy. However, it can also help you save a lot of money. For starters, you get to compare the prices of the same product under several brands and pick the one that gives you a bang for your buck. You can also take advantage of promotional offers, discounts, cashback, etc. to save additional money on top of the existing discounted prices. There are even dedicated platforms like coupons.com where you can find coupons for various ecommerce stores and service providers.

Student life doesn’t have to be stressful. You may often find yourself short on cash, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t get on top of your finances. Just apply the information above and you are sure to notice a spositive impact on your personal finance.

How to Retire at 50: 5 Steps for Success

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Retirement can seem like a long way away.

So far away, in fact, that it’s easy to ignore altogether.

This might explain why the average American has a paltry $96,000 saved for retirement.

That, of course, isn’t going to go far. Unfortunately, at the current rate, the possibility of ever retiring seems unrealistic! It’s a shocking realization. After all, nobody wants to work longer and harder than they have to.

Of course, it’s in everyone’s interest to retire as early as possible. Nicely, it’s absolutely possible.

It just takes the right know-how. With a few lifestyle changes and sensible decision-making, you can bring your retirement date forward by decades. Sound good? Want to learn how to do it?

Keep reading to discover exactly how to retire at 50!

1. Save More Earlier

Nobody retires at 50 by living paycheque to paycheque.

If you’re forever spending everything you earn, then you can never expect to retire at a reasonable time. The only way to do it is by being rigorous and regular with your saving.

The trick? Start as early as possible and invest what you save.

You have to make your money work for you. Sticking it straight into a typical saving account is good for nobody. Having cash is okay, but interest rates are at an all-time low at the moment.

Combine that with rising inflation and your money can end up depreciating in value over time.

Saving larger amounts earlier, and investing it all, helps you leverage the power of compounding. This is when money grows exponentially over time via interest. The earlier you start investing, the better. It gives you more time for compounding to take effect.

2. Live With Frugality

The more you save, the better.

Even relatively minor additions to monthly savings can make a dramatic difference in the long run.

For example, imagine investing an initial $1,000 and adding $100 per month for 30 years. An annual return of 8% interest will provide over $146,000 by the end. You’ve contributed $37,000 in total, but almost quadrupled your money thanks to compounding.

Amazing, right?

However, imagine the same setup, but this time you invested $200 every month. Now, you’d come away with almost $282,000. That’s an enormous jump for an extra hundred bucks a month.

As you can see, it’s in your interest to put more aside every month.

That takes sacrifice. Get into the habit of cutting back elsewhere so you can reach your monthly savings goals. For an extra hundred bucks, that might just mean cutting out your morning Starbucks coffee!

Oh, and want to know how much you’d get for saving $200 every month for 50 years (with an initial $1,000 investment)? A whopping $1.42 million. It’s a clear example of how starting earlier is in your interest.

3. Invest Aggressively, Earlier

The key to attaining these numbers is in investing.

We mentioned that earlier too. However, it’s worth digging into deeper. After all, investing is a total mystery to almost everyone out there. That’s one reason why not many people do it! Investing feels risky; in tricky times, it’s understandable to want to stockpile money instead.

However, investing should be for everyone. There are different ways to do it. Some are riskier than others. The trick is finding your risk tolerance and investing accordingly.

In truth, though, younger people can afford to invest more aggressively. What does that mean? It means investing larger sums in riskier assets (in other words, it means investing in stocks over bonds).

Market fluctuations are normal. They’re going to rise and fall. Over time, any falls will correct themselves and, like a pendulum, swing back into the positive. At a younger age, you’ve got more time to weather market downturns.

Want to retire by 50? Invest in riskier assets when you’re young. Then, as you get older, begin to reallocate your investments into ‘safer’ asset classes, such as bonds.

4. Reduce Your Taxes

Taxes are anathema to early retirement plans.

Of course, they serve a vital societal function. However, there’s no point paying more than is necessary. Many people do this unknowingly. All the while, their retirement date gets pushed ever further backward.

Imagine meeting your savings goals. Years go by and you start feeling great about your retirement account. You congratulate yourself on your achievement. You go to withdraw your money, only to be landed with an unexpected tax bill that slashes the total by 30%.

It’s more than possible; it’s in your absolute interest to take sensible tax-reducing savings decisions.

Two accounts of particular note are your 401(k) and a Roth IRA. Both accounts provide means of sheltering your finances from undue tax obligations. The tax-savings can extend to thousands of dollars.

Be sure to look into them in more detail and leverage them in your bid to retire at 50.

5. Plan Ahead

Is everything about financial planning a mystery to you?

We don’t blame you! Investments, savings, and budgeting can get confusing.

Speaking with a retirement planning advisor may be a good idea. Sure, you’ll pay for the service; it’s always worth having a clear understanding of how much they charge.

That said, finding a reputable and ethical, financial advisor to help you plan for retirement can make a big difference. They can support you in setting goals and reaching them. How? By making solid recommendations based on expertise and knowledge, suggesting sensible investment allocations, and preparing you for market downturns.

For total newbies fixed on retiring at 50, this can be a sensible approach.

Final Thoughts on How to Retire at 50

There you have it: 5 essential steps that help explain how to retire at 50 years old!

People are struggling to save for retirement. As it stands, the majority of Americans will struggle to retire at all! They won’t have enough saved up to cover themselves and provide any quality of life. However, that doesn’t have to be the case.

In reality, anyone can retire on time. Even better, taking early retirement is possible too! It just takes the right approach and know-how.

Hopefully, this post has highlighted the key steps in making it happen.

Want more articles like this one? Head to the Getting Finances Done section of our blog now!

Different Ways To Think About Money

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Your money philosophy and how you think about your finances make a big difference in the decisions you make.

Whether you’re just starting your financial journey or you’re well into it, it’s a good idea to take a step back and define that philosophy.

Money is a tool

Sure, there are monetary goals you would like to achieve. For example, $1 million nest egg has long been touted as the number you need to hit for a comfortable retirement, but hitting, somewhat, arbitrary numbers aren’t everything.

Money is a tool. If used properly, you really can achieve financial success. Taking the money you’ve saved and putting it to work for you is a very simple, yet effective way to use it.

Another monetary tool is a credit card. Credit cards offer a variety of reward programs, like travel miles, cashback, among others. Additionally, it enables you to build and strengthen your credit report.

It is important, however, that if you are using a credit card, you must do so responsibly. Accumulating credit card debt can really set you back, financially.

Related reading: A Deep Dive Into Credit Cards

Focus on the solution, not the problem

Often times, we focus too much on the issues with our finances. I have too much debt, I have too little saved for retirement, or my expenses are killing my ability to save.

Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on what can be done to fix it.

If you have too much debt, develop a plan to pay it down. If your retirement savings are low, figure out how you can increase your savings rate. Expenses hurting your ability to save, cut your expenses.

“Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.” Tina Fey

Related reading: How To Cut Spending

Money using emotional bandwidth

It is true that money is relatively important. I say relatively to try and redirect to my first point when I mentioned that money is to be used as a tool.

It affords you food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to live, among other things. If your basic needs are met and future goals are being worked towards, you have to try and stop worrying that you don’t have enough.

This is extremely challenging to do because we, as a society, are so fixated on money and material items that money can buy. It also doesn’t help that comparing ourselves to others is essentially baked into our DNA.

Believe me, I know that learning to stop worrying is incredibly difficult, but retraining your brain to view your finances differently can be extremely liberating.

Related reading: The Psychology Of Money

Think long-term

To be a successful investor or to be able to financially plan effectively, you have to think long term.

The market is going to have its ups and downs. As an investor, it’s important to ride out those down periods and continue to invest. If you have 15+ years until you need that money, you should be able to recoup your losses.

With regard to saving, I typically take the “bucket” approach. I have three buckets, short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Be advised: the following is how I define these time horizons.

  • The short-term bucket is for items under 5 years away. For example, when I want certain debts paid off or a down payment for a house.
  • Medium-term is anything 5-15 years away. The main one in this category is my son’s college savings.
  • Long-term is retirement savings, exclusively.

Related reading: How To Make Long-Term Investing Decisions

Buying experiences versus buying stuff

Money to a certain extent can buy happiness. As long as it’s being spent on experiences rather than stuff.

Memories with family and friends, visiting different destinations and attractions are the things we’ll cherish most.

Stuff breaks and toys are outgrown. What people won’t forget, however, is the time you spent with them.

Make that a priority. I know, as a fairly new parent (my son is almost 2), that I am constantly aware of how finite time is and that I need to make the most of those moments I spend with him.

The way you think about money pulls weight in how you use it. When creating a financial plan, I would prioritize figuring that out. How you think can lead to how you act.

The Questions You Need To Ask Yourself

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Questions are a fantastic way to understand things better. They are vitally important in our everyday lives.

One area where I think they are underutilized is personal finance.

You NEED to ask yourself questions on the regular so you can discern if you are doing the right things and taking the correct steps for YOU.

In the following article, we’re going to explore the various questions you need to ask yourself in order to be financially effective.

What is my goal with money?

This is a fairly general question, so we’ll break it down into three buckets: short term, medium-term, and long term.

  • Short-term (Under 2 years) – If you are saving for a short-term goal, what is it? A vacation? Down payment on a house? No matter the goal, that money will be used soon so the best place for it is in a savings account.
  • Medium-term (2-10 years) – This could be anything from a down payment for a house to saving for your kids’ college education. What you do in the interim depends on when you’ll need it and the goal you are saving for. If it’s less than 5 years, I’d still recommend a savings account or short-term bonds. Something that can earn you a little interest, but is still relatively safe. That 5-10 year period depends on the goal. If there’s a particular dollar amount you need to it (down payment, for instance) I’d go no more than moderately aggressive. You want to earn a little, but you don’t want that saved amount to go under what you need.
  • Long-term (10+ years) – Most often, a goal that’s over 10 years away can be invested in the stock market, though the percentage of your assets that’s actually in the market depends on the risks you are willing to take and when you need to access those funds.

Related reading: Financial planning for all ages

How much am I willing to lose before I sell?

I almost always propose this question to new clients because it gives me a good understanding of their risk tolerance.

If they are only comfortable with losing 10 percent of their portfolio, they’ll be invested pretty conservatively.

On the other hand, if they can tolerate a 50 percent drawdown and not bat an eye, then we can “put the pedal to the floor”, excuse the expression.

Determine how much of a loss you can stomach and that will give you a good idea of how to allocate your assets.

Related reading: Are you taking on too much investment risk?

How long will it take to adjust my allocations?

Questions regarding asset allocation, typically, pertain to risk and time horizon. For example, if you start saving for retirement when you’re 25, the majority of your portfolio will be in equities (stocks).

This allocation, generally speaking, is suitable for you for a couple of decades. At which point, you’ll probably (again, speaking generally) want to shift a little more of your portfolio to bonds.

Your allocation will, and should, shift over time, and once you get within a few years of your goal, the primary objective of your portfolio becomes capital preservation.

Related reading: Why asset allocation matters

Are my actions suitable for my current financial situation?

Financial situation takes everything into consideration (income, debt, spending, savings, etc.) Actions can be anything related to those items.

Specifically what I’m talking about is how much you are saving, how much you are spending, and how much $ you’ve dedicated to paying down debt.

If you have a sizeable amount of debt and not a whole lot of savings, it’s time to cut your spending. Conversely, if you’ve paid down your debt and are ahead of the game with your savings, it would be alright if you loosened up a little and enjoy yourself.

Like everything in life, your personal finances are a delicate balancing act, and when you ask questions, you can figure out how to shift your priorities.

How is my money being spent?

Kind of related to the last point. Tracking your spending to find out exactly where all of your dollars are going is an important step.

Another recommendation I usually make is to create a financial playbook. Here’s a brief outline of how I create a financial playbook:

  1. Big picture – List all assets and liabilities. How much you have saved and how much debt you have.
  2. List your necessary expenses – These are things that you have to pay (rent, utilities, transportation, food, minimum debt payments, etc.)
  3. List your monthly income
  4. Total up your monthly necessary expenses and your monthly income and see how much you have leftover. What’s leftover will help you discern what to do with it.
  5. I would list another line item for “fun,” though I would keep it to a minimum.
  6. What’s left after fun should be saved and used on debt.

Related reading: How to cut your spending

Conclusion

As I said in the beginning, questions help us understand the world, and ourselves, better.

Having a better grasp on why and when we make certain changes or do certain things is a must if we are to be more effective in managing our finances.