Invest for Retirement NOW

“Twenty-one percent of those surveyed who have not retired have saved nothing for retirement and 44 percent have saved less than 10 percent of their salary.”

This quote is from Financial Advisor Magazine talking about a survey done by TIAA-CREF. How do people think that they are going to live in retirement? Do they plan on retiring?

Regardless of how old you are, it’s better to have something rather than nothing. Take a look at how much the Social Security Administration will pay you in retirement and you tell me if you can afford NOT to invest an extra $50 per month in your 401k, 403b or IRA.

Let’s take a look at the numbers, shall we?

Start Investing  Per Month  % Return   Value at 67

18                      $50                      9%          $536,841.50

21                     $50                      9%         $408,642.74

30                     $50                      9%         $178,618.62

40                     $50                      9%         $68,888.51

50                      $50                       9%         $24,125.50

It’s pretty simple:

• If you have a 401k or 403b at your job you probably have a match. Investing a few dollars every pay period lowers your tax base (instead of paying Uncle Sam you invest in yourself) and your company will contribute a few coins to every dollar you invest. Start early. Invest often. Check and see how much contributing $50 or $100 each pay period will change your take home pay. There won’t be much change in how your check looks every two weeks, but it could change how your retirement looks.
• If you don’t have access to a 401k or 403b then open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) at a brokerage house that you trust. You have to fill out a two page application and send over a voided out check. You can open many accounts by promising to contribute at least $50 per month. That $600 per year could grow into 5 or 6 figures using compound interest. Start early. Invest often.

If you are thinking about investing and you’re not sure where to start:

• If you are a member of a credit union: contact Balance for FREE help.
• If you have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at your job: contact the EAP for FREE help.
• If you do not have access to these: find a fee-only financial advisor for help.

You can create the life you want.

You are powerful.

Go get it.

PEACE,

Shay

Order Money Matters on Amazon.com

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

3 Reasons to Buy Money Matters

Order Money Matters on Amazon.com

If you are looking to make some changes and get on track financially, Money Matters by Shay Olivarria is the book for you. There is a check-up for where you are with your financial goals. The book addresses savings; short term and long term. It tells you how to set up retirement accounts, investments, and how NOT to get into deep debt. This is great for those beginning their journey into the real world. Also, for those that have already messed up, Olivarria has steps on how to get back on track.

Olivarria creates a great guide for you to create your own individual plan to get out of debt and on the track to financial freedom. She states that you have to be patient and consistent. It is never too late to turn it around. I suggest you gift this book to college graduates. It is straight to the point and interactive.

This book was provided courtesy of the author for review.

DCSquared

 

#1 You want to know more about personal finance, but you’re not sure where or how to begin.

We all want to make better financial decisions. The challenge is that sometimes we’re not sure what to do or we have hard decisions to make where both options seem like bad ideas. We get so caught up in running from day to day that we forget that we can make changes if we take a moment to plan instead of react. Money Matters was written with that in mind. The very first worksheet is one page long and helps you see the bigger picture by asking a few simple questions.

#2 You are intimidated by personal finance jargon.

Have you ever tried to read a personal finance book or spoke with someone in the financial services industry and you didn’t understand what they were saying? Me too! Personal finance is not complicated, but it’s easy to make it seem complicated by using industry jargon. Money Matters is written clearly. I don’t try to confuse the reader by making things sound harder than they are. That’s why media outlets across the country have quoted me and asked me to write for them. I make money management simple.

#3 You want to know what you need to know to make things change.

Take a look at the Table of Contents from Money Matters in the image above. This book covers “just the facts ma’am”. There are tons of books that do into depth about any area of personal finance that you might be interested in. This is not that book. Money Matters is a bare-bones, simple read with worksheets to help you make good decisions about money. The book covers net worth, retirement planning, paying off debt, managing your credit score, payday loans, rapid tax refunds, and even saving money on your groceries.

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

Money Matters is a Best Seller on Kindle!

Whoo hoo!

Yea! The most dynamic financial education speaker’s first book has become an Amazon Best Seller on Kindle! It was in the #7 position before it settled into the #19 position. The workbook is available on Kindle for only $0.99! Hurry, download your copy now.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Books on Kindle

You’re wishes have been answered! Now, all three of Shay’s amazing personal finance books are available for Kindle.

All My Mistakes: Money lessons for emancipating youth on Kindle

All My Mistakes: Money lessons for emancipating youth in print

Click here to read about why Shay wrote this book.

In this autobiographical personal finance book for emancipating foster kids, the most dynamic financial education speaker working today, Shay Olivarria, shares money lessons that she learned during her life while experiencing the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse that led to her being placed in foster care.

Everything from finding an apartment and getting the utilities turned on to paying for college and saving for retirement are covered. Resources for emancipating youth shared from organizations across the country are also included.

This edition includes a bonus chapter on resumes, interviewing, and career advice.

10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money on Kindle

10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money in print

This simple book provides clarity in understanding the 10 things every college student needs to know about money, including money attitude, compound interest, credit unions, retirement accounts, credit, the CARD Act and net worth, with humor and brevity. A glossary of common personal finance terms is included.

Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook on Kindle

Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook in print

Finally, a workbook that makes money management simple! This easy-to-read workbook from personal financial literacy coach and professional speaker Shay Olivarria explains topics such as savings, goal setting, credit reports, credit scoring, net worth and retirement vehicles for the everyday person. As the old saying goes, “time is money” and with this workbook you can save quite a bit of both. The enclosed worksheets help you understand your financial situation and provide the necessary guidance to get your finances under control. In these tough times we must be proactive with our own futures and take control of our money; with Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook we can do just that.

Read a book review of Money Matters here.

Top 100 Books of 2010 List

I’m honored to have my first book, Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook, included in this year’s Top 100 Books of 2010 from Conversations.

Since 2008 Conversations’ “Top 100 Books” has been recognized for being the largest list each year that fairly gathers the best titles released by traditional publishing houses, small presses and even self-published authors worldwide of all genres and gives them the due they deserve. Cyrus Webb, the founder of the Conversations brand, has been an avid reader all of his life and has worked hard to make sure that there is something on the list for everyone.

Check out what other awesome books made the list

From a Writer’s Point of View

I’m so pleased that I was selected to be the featured upcoming author at From a Writer’s Point of View for May for my first book Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook!

I have a great article posted about my work on the site. Typically, folks want to know about personal finance or my background in foster care. I can honestly say, this is the first interview I’ve done of it’s kind. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out.

Here’s an excerpt:

There’s nothing like having your book printed up and you’re holding it in your hands when you realize that you have a “its” when you meant to have an “it’s” and you think about letting it go. Then you realize that for some people this book will be their first experience with you. They won’t know that you’re a genius that has traveled to 9 countries, went to grad school for business anthropology, and usually has impeccable grammar and syntax. They’ll read your book and think, “What kind of idiot can’t use the correct form for it is”?

Check out the interview and leave a comment. I’d love to hear what your thoughts are.

April is Financial Literacy Month – Psychology of Spending

Since April is Financial Literacy Month I’ve invited a few folks to share their blogs with my readers throughout the month.

The first blog is about the Psychology of Spending. I’m sure we all know that we shouldn’t spend more than we make and we shouldn’t purchase things based on emotion….. but sometimes that’s harder said than done. In that spirit here’s a great article with tips to help you use money wisely.

Don’t forget to purchase a copy of Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook at a 25% discount (use code XS8K4YGX). Spread the word that financial literacy is power! Buy a book for a friend and a relative.

Each one teach one.

Zahra’s Bookstore Meet & Greet

This Saturday, April 3rd I’ll be signing copies of Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook. Come by between 2pm – 4pm.

Bring your teens!

Youth development speaker and author Shay Olivarria will discuss the 5 things we should be doing now to master our money. Lecture will be followed by a Q & A session and book signing for Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook.

This free event should not be missed.

Zahra’s Books N Things in Inglewood from 2pm – 4pm.

Shay Olivarria has worked with Upward Bound, Orangewood Children’s Foundation, and several other youth organizations and universities. Her second book, “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money” will be out May 2010.

Books available online at: Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Powells.
Books available in store at:

Zahara’s Books
900 N. La Brea
Inglewood, CA

Smiley’s Books
22709 Avalon
Carson, CA

The Dock Bookshop
6637 Meadowbrook Dr
Fort Worth, TX 76112

Nubian Bookstore
2445 Southlake Mall
Morrow, GA

Malcolm’s Reading Room
404 17th St. North
Birmingham, AL

Your Credit Score Matters

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people tell me that monitoring their credit score isn’t important. I’ve heard everything from, “I don’t use credit anyway” to “mine is already bad, so whatever”. Folks don’t realize that though we usually think of credit cards when we think of credit, our credit scores are used to dictate many areas of our lives.

Utility deposits – many utility companies will want to run your credit score in order to turn your services on. You may be asked to provide a deposit if your credit score isn’t up to snuff. We all need electricity, water, gas, etc. Keeping your credit score up lowers your total moving costs by not requiring deposits.

Jobs – employers have been known to run your credit and conduct a background search. More and more often that stack of papers in your application packet will include a request you pull your credit scores. Employers think that if you have a low score you might be tempted to steal or might be distracted from working. Having education and experience is great, but in this day and age it might not be enough to land a great job.

Loans – the interest rate that you will be offered on car loans, home loans, credit cards, etc. is based, in part, on your credit score. The higher the score the lower the interest rate. The lower the interest rate, the more money you save.

It’s important to monitor your 3 credit reports. Make sure that your reports are error free and that you’re taking proactive steps to keep your scores as high as possible. Read more about how to maintain stellar credit scores in Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook.

PEACE