How to Build an Investment Portfolio

How to Create an Investment Portfolio

What Is An Investment Portfolio?

An investment portfolio is nothing but your collection of investments. You can hold a wide range of investments such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and so on in your portfolio. The objective of building a portfolio is to minimize risks and maximize return by diversify it among variety of investments. Diversification can be made within same asset class or across different asset classes. Research has shown that a diversified portfolio spreading across different classes always is the key to build a successful portfolio.

What I Need To Consider Before Building A Portfolio?

There are various factors you should consider before start building a portfolio. These factors are:

- Your time horizon
- Your risk Tolerance
- Your investment objects etc
I discussed about these in another article. Please follow this link to read it – What Is Asset Allocation?

Are There Any General Rules of Thumb Building An Investment Portfolio?

There are too many, actually. I would have to say, the most common rule is the 100 – age rule. This is simply getting the percentage of stocks and bonds you should hold by subtracting your age from 100. For example, if you are 30, you should hold (100 – 30) 70 per cent stocks and 30 per cent bonds. As you grow older, you should be reducing your stock portion according to this rule. When you are 60, you should be holding 40 per cent stocks and 60 per cent bonds.

Another simple portfolio building approach is the Neutral Allocation – which is holding 60 per cent stocks and 40 per cent bonds. Two other portfolios worth mentioning are Lazy man or couch potato portfolios by Scott Burns and The Permanent Portfolio by Harry Browne.

To find many other portfolio ideas, do a search by entering these keyword phrases: “investment portfolio mix,” “portfolio asset allocations tools,” “model investment portfolio,”etc.

Do You Have Your Own Investment Model Portfolio?

Yes, to make investing simple and worry-free, I have been invented a model portfolio called “A Dawn Portfolio” or simply ADP. You can read more about ADP here – (I am still working on this project and will add a link once done)

To find many other online asset allocation calculators, do a search by entering these keyword phrases: “asset allocation calculators,” “portfolio asset allocations tools,” etc

Last Word

Of course, you need to decide if the recommended allocations match with your personal risk tolerance and market views. Investments must be considered in context

If you are at all interested in asset allocation strategies, I strongly recommend that you read about the science. Don’t just follow conventional thinking and rules of thumb.

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How To Get The Best Mortgage Deals

Killer Mortgage Deals and How to Get Them

The best mortgage deals available on the market are often ones that go unnoticed by a majority of potential customers. With a mortgage market as wide as it is – even in the financial difficulties that have become a global issue at this point – there is not only an increased level of competition for the few customers who feel brave enough to go out and borrow to buy a house, but also a real sense of being spoiled for choice. Invariably, even those potential borrowers who see fit to shop around for the best deal will find themselves getting a kind of “variety fatigue” which leaves them wondering whether they shouldn’t just take the best of the several potential deals they have already seen – even if it means missing out on an unseen gem.

Reaching for the best available deal on the market means really looking for one that satisfies all your needs, one for which you will not find it problematic to meet payments on a monthly basis, and ideally one that moves to take account of changing realities so that you do not become tied to a deal which looked good three or four weeks ago, but will leave you out of pocket in three of four years. There are various ways of going about this. Some people would say that you shouldn’t spend too long looking – just find a deal that you are happy with, which looks strong today and will maintain that strength, and not worry too much about whether you’ve missed a better deal. Others disagree.

The message from the latter group is that you owe it to yourself to get the best deal possible. Sure, a good mortgage deal will be beneficial for you, but a great one will continue to benefit you, will benefit your family and will continue to serve you well for the life of the account. You may well find at the end of it that you are able to pay it off in full earlier than you had expected. How do you find such a deal, though, if you do not know what it is or where to find it? How do you look for something which you don’t even know exists?

The first port of call is to check mortgage calculators and comparison sites. The Internet has seen a rapid rise in both of these over the course of recent years. The Internet is truly a consumer paradise in many ways because of the vast range that it covers. If you look closely enough in enough places, there is virtually no financial deal that is not covered on the World Wide Web. Trawling a number of comparison sites – ideally two or three, or even more – will give you an appreciation of what kind of deals are being offered. If all of the deals you see are from banks you are fully aware of, however, it may also be worth hitting the streets to see what is on offer from the smaller, more independent banks. With greater freedom to set their own rates, they may just throw up the great deal you were looking for.

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A Brief History of India

India: A Brief History

One of the oldest civilizations in the world is the civilization of India. Like China, it is one of the founding civilizations in human history, and it has had a profound impact on our lives for thousands of years. While it is not easy to sum up the history of a country going back thousands of years, this article will go through a brief history of this amazing land.

Pre-History of India

The first settlements in India began to appear about 9,000 years ago, and throughout the early part of the history of the country, it has been a mysterious land, but also a very spiritual one. Throughout pre-history, the country has been a strong civilization as well, even being the only civilization to beat back both the Mongols and Alexander the Great during its history.

It was during the third century BC that the country united under Asoka the Great, during a time that was called India’s Golden Age. It was during this time that India made great advances in mathematics, art, language, astronomy and religion. In fact, both Hinduism and Buddhism came from India around this time.

Europe Arrives

The country was able to keep itself an independent nation for a long period of time, but by the 16^th century, the countries of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Portugal began to establish themselves around India, greatly disrupting the country. By 1856, the entire country became part of the British East India Company, essentially making it part of the British Empire. From this point on, for almost 100 years, the country would be under the direct rule of the British Empire. The country tried to fight against Britain in India’s First War of Independence, but they were not successful.

Independence

The citizens of India would continually try and push Britain out of their land for the first part of the 20^th century. However, it was not until the legendary figure of Mahatma Gandhi came along and led millions of India towards independence through non-violent civil disobedience. Through this action, India gained its independence on August 15, 1947, along with the region of Pakistan. In 1950, the country became a republic and created its own constitution.

The Growing Giant

While India gained its independence, it still had problems with its neighbours. It got into a dispute with China in 1962 that resulted in the Sino-India War, and the country has gone to war with Pakistan in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999. However, the country is also a member of the United Nations and it is also one of the few nuclear nations in the world. In addition, the country has transformed itself through economic reforms and is now becoming a superpower along with China. Currently, the country has one of the fastest growing economies on Earth and it is expected that India will be one of the major countries of the 21^st century, along the lines of how Russia and the United States dominated the 20^th century.

One thing is clear, this country, which has been around in one form or another for thousands of years, shows no signs of slowing down, or going away.

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Globe Investor’s New Terrible Site Redesign and Why Is It Time to Switch to Google Finance Canada

Globe Investor’s Recent Terrible Revamped Website

I know what you will say once see the title of this article: Globe Investor comes nowhere near comparing with Google Finance Canada and they are meant to be used for different purposes. And up to now, I have totally agreed with you. However, I have changed my mind once I actually experienced their new redesigned site last week.

It is hilarious to see these mega sites trying to put on a huge show through online advertisements and campaigns to announce their new revamped site design – and then come up with a site that is much worse and more user unfriendly than previous versions.

What don’t I like about the new Globe Investor? Basically everything. They tried to make it look like a high-tech website by putting too many nice pictures and big stock market chart; however, they forgot one main element – simplicity.

When you open globeinvestor.com, the first thing that you notice is that almost all of your screen is covered with a gigantic market summary chart and a couple of pictures. And then, if you keep scrolling down, you will be bombarded with about 15-20 sections/columns with big pictures representing each one of them. Let’s say, if you want to find your favourite sections, or any specific columns, there is no way you can find it in a snap. The front page takes about 5-6 page down to see the whole thing.

A simple test you can do right now to see how inefficient and cluttered Globe Investor is. How much time you would need to browse all sections and important highlights on mega sites like Google.ca/finance, Economist.com or IHT.com? I can do in about 20-30 seconds. How long it would take to do the same birds-eye-view scan of heavily cluttered Globe Investor home page? Give yourself an A+ if you can do it in 1 minute.

On a regular weekday, I usually browse Globe Investor 10-12 times and Google.ca/finance 2-3 times. However, starting now, I will flip it to Globe Investor 2-3 times and Google.ca/finance 10-12 times. Finding time is complicated enough and there is no point making it more complicated with the new revamped Globe Investor. Google Finance is may be miles away from Globe Investor in terms of offering features and customizations, but I know it won’t take long for Google Finance Canada to catch up. After all, Google always seems to redesign and add features keeping simplicity and what readers want in mind – not the other way around.

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What Is Inflation?

Inflation: Definition and Causes

When there is economic trouble, you often hear about inflation. Inflation is something that many people know about, but few people actually understand. Yet, inflation plays a very important part in our lives. If not for inflation, everything would still cost a few cents, but because of inflation the price of a can of Coca-Cola has gone from five cents to over a dollar.

Essentially, inflation is the rise in the price of goods and services over a period of time. Some define inflation as the loss of purchasing power because when a price level rises, the unit of currency (the dollar for example) buys few goods and services. While in the past one dollar could buy a lot of things, these days it buys barely a can of Pepsi.

Governments around the world, as a result, pay a great amount of attention to the inflation rate, which is the percentage change in the price index over time.

Inflation is not all bad of course. There are both good and bad effects of inflation that should be understood. The good things about inflation include the fact that it prevents recessions and provides debt relief by lowering the real level of the debt. In addition, it helps to eliminate expensive debt since the value of the dollar changes over time. However, there are some bad points and they include lowering the economic productivity rate, cause shortages of goods and services and reduce the investment in capital that helps keep an economy going.

Canada has gone though many different levels of inflation during good and bad times. For example, between 1966 and 2004, the country reached an extreme low of level of inflation in 1994, when it was near zero, while in 1974 the inflation rate went past 14 percent. This just shows how much the inflation rate can shift for a country during good and bad times.

High inflation is caused by huge growth in the supply of money, while low inflation is caused by small fluctuations in the demand for goods and services. The growth of inflation at a steady rate over time is usually attributed to the growth of an economy. For example, the United States had its economy grow slowly between 1900 and 1950, and inflation moved slowly. However, the economy grew greatly from 1950 to 2000, which accounted for the huge increase in the price of items.

Most western countries, including most of Europe, Canada and the United States, have very low levels of inflation. This shows that these economies are relatively healthy and less volatile. The inflation rate of Canada and the United States is usually about 1.5 percent per year.  Many developing countries have a very high rate of inflation, including Afghanistan and Mongolia, which both have inflation rates in excess of 25 percent. This shows that these countries lack stability and have a very volatile economic situation. As well, the worse the inflation, the less likely investors will invest in a currency of a country.

As for what causes inflation, this is much harder to determine. When economies are in trouble, inflation rates can increase, but they also increase when economies are doing well. Most economists have a general idea of how inflation works, but more or less it is seen as a by-product of our modern capitalistic world and something that is not completely understood, least of all by regular people

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Canada 2010 Federal Budget Highlights

Canada 2009 Budget

Canadian Finance Minister James M. Flaherty released the 2010 Federal Budget today. The Canadian government plans to cut its record deficit ($54-billion) in half in two years and hopes to return to surplus in 2015.

19-billion dollar, The second half of the original $47-billion stimulus package that was outlined in 2009, will be injected into the economy in 2010.

Canadian economy grew at 5% in 2009 final quarter and expected to grow 2.6% in 2010, 3.2% in 2011, and 3% in 2012.

Now, let’s look at some important highlights that will affect you directly:

• No tax increases or tax relief.
• The basic personal amount (this is the amount you can earn without paying taxes) will increase to $10,382 in 2010.
• The government is maintaining its freeze on EI premium rate at $1.73 per $100 of insurable earnings until the end of 2010. In 2011, the allowable increase will be y a maximum of 15 cents per $100. 
• A deceased individual’s RRSP or RRIF can be transferred tax-free to a registered disability savings plan of a financially dependent disabled child.
• Single parents with one child under the age of six will be able to save $168 a year, as the the Universal Child Care Benefit will be taxed in the hands of an Eligible Dependent for single parents. 
• Families of children with disabilities will be able to carry forward the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) unused grants and bonds for 10 years.
• Financial institutions will be required to disclose sufficient information about the terms and conditions regarding their products and services for greater transparency. Mortgage calculations and pre-payment penalties will have to follow the same suit.
• Changes will be made to the Income Tax Act. Canadians will be able to receive notices of assessment electronically.
• Some cosmetic procedures which are not considered medically necessary, such as hair transplants, Botox injections, liposuction, and teeth whitening will no longer be used for medical expense tax credit.

These are just some highlights I have picked. For more information about this budget, visit Canada Budget 2009.

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What Is Asset Allocation?

Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Your Portfolio

Asset allocation is an investment strategy which simply entails allocating your assets (your investment portfolio) among different categories of investments, such as stocks, bonds, money market funds, cash etc. Asset allocation helps to minimize risks and maximize gains because it diversifies your portfolio among various types of investment or investment products instead of keeping them in one place.

What Types of Asset Allocation Will Work Best For Me?

Although there are many rules of thumb regarding asset allocation, no one can tell you exactly which one is right or which one is wrong for you – as this is a very personal matter which largely depends on various factors as described below:

• Time Horizon: Time horizon is how much time you have ahead of you to invest in reaching your financial goals. An investor with a longer time horizon has time on his side and will be able to choose volatile or riskier products for maximum returns – because if markets go down, this investor can wait to ride out the volatility. On the other hand, an investor with shorter time horizon will not be able to afford risky product, as he will not have the luxury to wait for the market to go up if he falls into financial meltdown.
• Risk Tolerance: Risk tolerance is your ability to take risks for better returns. In the investment world, risk and reward are inextricably entwined. If you are young (like in your 20s or 30s), you may not care that much about losing 35% of your value, as you know you have a long way to go. But when you are in your 40s or 50s, with kids’ education and retirement in mind, a 20% drop in your portfolio may be enough to lose sleep at night.
• Investing Is An Ongoing Learning Process: In my book Invest Now, I have mentioned that investment is nothing but a discipline, and it has to be orchestrated with great passion and care. Investment is not like going to the shopping mall and buying a few things impulsively – it is a lifelong learning process. Asset allocation or any other investment ideas are not set in stone and these will change as time changes. Always upgrade yourself with financial changes in the broad global perspective and you will have to change your investment strategies to bridge the gap between the present and the future.
• Individuality Counts: Although you will find there are many rules of thumbs or pre-made portfolios when it comes to asset allocation, there is no single allocation or portfolio available that will be right for everyone. Everyone is different and so should be their asset allocation. The onus is on you to find out the best asset allocation that suits your needs.

What Are Some Major Asset Categories?

These days, a wide array of investment products exists to give you a wide range of asset allocation with a broad diversification. However, there are only three major asset categories I will mention here:

• Equities or Stocks: The word “stock” is interchangeable with “share,” “equity,” “security” and so on. Stocks represent ownership in a company and historically offer the greatest risk and highest returns among other asset groups mentioned here. Stocks should not be used as a short term investment as it can be very volatile to hold for a short period of time.
• Fixed Income Investments or Bonds: Some other fixed income investment products are government savings bonds, bond mutual funds, etc. These types of products are less volatile than equities and offer modest returns as well. Fixed income products can offer steady flow of income – depending on its objective.
• Cash Equivalents or Cash: This can be plain cash or products like savings accounts, money market funds, treasury bills, etc. These are considered the safest investments with minimal returns with almost no risks.

Why Asset Allocation Works?

Due to economic and market conditions, no one can predict the best performing assets and it varies year to year. Time has proved that during bad and good economic times, all asset classes do not move in the same direction. By diversifying your assets among various categories, you are minimizing your risks. If one asset class goes down, the other asset class is there to protect you by averaging out. Also, to reach your financial goals, you need to balance your portfolio by keeping both high-return and low-return investment products. If you keep only one type of product in your portfolio, you may never be able to reach your investment objectives – as it will be either too risky or too safe. Asset allocation helps you to diversify and balance your portfolio.

What Are Some Common Asset Allocation Rules of Thumb?

There are so many rules of thumbs on this topic that it can be overwhelming. Many consider a neutral asset allocation should be 60% stocks and 40% bonds. Another rule of thumb goes like: subtract your age from 100 and you will get the percentage to hold in stocks. For example, if you are 40, 100-40 = 60% of your portfolio should be in stocks and 40% should be in bonds.

Is Diversification Same As Asset Allocation?

The old saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” was good advice 100 years ago, and it will be good advice forever. Whether you are a first-time or a veteran investor, you always need to spread out your investments to minimize your risks. Diversification refers to the process of spreading investments among various equities. Asset allocation refers to the process of spreading investments beyond multiple equities and over several asset classes such equities, bonds, cash, etc.

Asset Allocation is a diversification strategy that helps you to offset decline in any particular asset classes by gains in other asset classes – thus reducing the fluctuations of performance of a portfolio. It is unlikely that all asset classes will go downhill at the same time.

Do You Have Your Own Asset Allocation Model Portfolio?

Yes, to make investing simple and worry-free, I have invented a model portfolio called “A Dawn Timeless Portfolio” or simply ADTP. You can read more about ADTP here – (I am still working on this project and will add a link once done)

To find many other online asset allocation calculators, do a search by entering these keyword phrases: “asset allocation calculators,” “portfolio asset allocations tools,” etc.

Last Word

Model portfolios and asset allocation tools are to help you understand asset allocation. Do not blindly follow any model portfolios or tools just because it looks cool. You are different than anyone else – make an educated decision based on your time horizon, risk tolerance, financial goals, and your overall financial situation.

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Mortgage Insurance-Always Read The Small Print

Mortgage Insurance Terms and Conditions

Borrowing to pay for a house is something that can raise the hairs on the back of anyone’s neck. With a likely 25+ years’ term on the loan, there is plenty of scope for anything to go wrong and for the mortgage to end up posing you some real problems. Yet people keep doing it because, short of having substantial savings or a large windfall, there is no other way for most of us to own our own home – even if it belongs at least partly to the bank for the first quarter of a century. At the point where the mortgage is paid off in full, that house is 100% yours – something which a lot of people consider one of their proudest moments.

The twenty five years (or more) between taking out the loan and paying it off, though, is undoubtedly a long time. In that time any number of things can happen, which is why most mortgages come with an insurance package on top of the other options. Insurance works the same on a mortgage as it does with most other personal insurance packages. If death, illness or unemployment leave you struggling to pay off the mortgage, the insurance is there for the purposes of paying off the loan (or meeting monthly payments for a period) and freeing you from the financial burden on top of an already undesirable situation. Depending on the nature of the insurance and the contents of the terms and conditions, you could find that the mortgage is a god-send. The key matter as far as this goes is liability.

There are probably no insurance packages available in the world today that do not come with a list of terms and conditions that apply caveats to the insurance you are offered. If you claim on the insurance, it will pay out on the condition that none of the “small print” terms and conditions are violated. Your insurance package is likely to pay out if you can prove that you could not reasonably have foreseen the set of circumstances that necessitate the claim, and that it wasn’t your fault. In case of death, the insurance company may well ask for a medical report. Cases of suicide, or death from a long standing condition that the mortgage holder kept to themselves, can invalidate the insurance.

If health problems make it difficult or impossible for you to bring in enough money to meet the mortgage payments, it is possible that the insurance will come to your aid. Again, though, it is essential that you read the small print because if you suffered from this condition before you took out the insurance, the policy will not pay out in most cases.

Unemployment is another common reason for claiming on mortgage insurance, but this is perhaps the most laden with stipulations. Did you resign from your job? Insurance won’t cover you. Did you get fired for performance reasons? No cover there either. Were you sacked as a result of participation in industrial action? You’re not covered. The list of reasons for unemployment which actually do qualify is shorter than those which do not. If the insurance company judges you to be liable for the situation that has left you in this mess, they will not pay.

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A Brief History of An Emerging Giant: China

China: An Emerging Giant

Many people call China an emerging country that is becoming one of the most powerful on Earth, but it is very important to remember that China is not new, nor newly powerful. In fact, China is one of the oldest civilizations on Earth. For the past 6,000 years, China has been a constant power, and the only country to last this long. For more than 4,000 years, the country used a political system that was based on hereditary monarchies, but that changed in 1911 when the Republic of China was founded. This caused a great deal of problems and the country erupted into civil war. By the 1940s, the country was in shambles and taken over by the Japanese. However, in 1949 the country staged its “Glorious Revolution” and the Republic of China was pushed out of the country so that the communist party could take power. The country is now called The People’s Republic of China.

What is amazing about the country is that while it is communist, in 1978 it introduced a market-based economy and that allowed the country to become the fifth fastest growing economy on Earth and the fastest growing of the top 20 economies in the world. In addition, China exports more goods than any other country and it imports the third most goods.

For most of the 20^th century, China was thought of as a place for the poor, with many poor conditions, but the country has worked very hard to reduce its poverty. While the country had a poverty rate of 53 percent in 1981, the industrialization of the country helped to build a large middle class, and the poverty level is now down to eight percent. That is a drop of over 40 percent in only 29 years.

China has also shown itself to be forward thinking in many ways. The country, widely known for its environmental problems, is now becoming a world leader in renewable energy. The country also implemented a one-child policy to stop a rapidly increasing birth rate, well before high populations around the world were even though of as a problem. While the country still has problems with freedom of the press and human rights, it is rapidly changing. It is currently the third largest economy on Earth and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The country is also a member of the G-20, the World Trade Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and one of the few countries that have nuclear weapons. While China does have the largest standing army on Earth and the second-largest defence budget after the United States, it has not shown itself as one looking for war.

Many have said that the 21^st century is the century for China and they may be right. The 20^th century was the American century, the 19^th century was the British century, it is time for a new giant and that giant is most likely going to be the country that has existed for 6,000 years and may exist for many more to come.

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How to Teach Kids About Money

Teaching Children About Personal Finances

When it comes to teaching children about money and personal finances, we all seem to tumble and often it seems like a taboo. Here are some ideas that will help you teach your kids how to become financially responsible and successful in their adult lives.

You should start teaching your children the value of money at a young age. Explain to them the difference between needs and wants and tell them that money does not grow on trees. Money comes from hard work and each of us has responsibilities to our family, community, and the world.

Do not pay kids a straight allowance without guiding them towards what to do with it properly. When you give them an allowance, break it down into categories such as 10% or 15% should go to their savings account, and what other percentages that should be spent to pay for their books, activities, lunch, and so on.

Do not pay kids to do regular household chores that they would normally do. Explain to them what regular chores they are required to do and what chores can be considered special projects they can get paid for – if they are able to complete it successfully. These chores are outside regular ones and you would hire someone else to do it normally. Examples are: mowing the lawn, cleaning the backyard, and so on.

Once kids have a fair idea of what money is, start teaching them how a bank works, what a credit card is and why it charges interest, what a budget is and why it is important. The age range to discuss this would be 7 – 10.

Once kids start earning money, ask them to save 15 – 20 %. Explain to them that it is very important to spend less than what they earn and to save 15 – 20% continuously as they continue working into their adulthood. If they can follow this simple rule, they will be very rich one day.

It’s a very good idea to encourage kids to pursue entrepreneurial and marketable skills. Discuss with your kids what it means to be an entrepreneur and encourage them to use their creativity to find money making ideas or to open a business kids can operate in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Also, explain to them how some skills can pay off for their lifetime and it is worth learning these skills at an early age. Examples are: writing stories, setting up online blog and make money from it, learning graphics designing, learning how to repair a bike, learning how to paint, how to fix a computer, and so on. Don’t pressure kids to learn what you think will be in demand; rather, let them find the stuff they are interested in and wanting to learn.

Explain to your kids that education is very important. Even if they start making tons of money with their business or entrepreneurial skills, it is important to have a 4-year degree. Encourage them to pay their tuition with their own money – as much as possible. This will make them understand the value of each dollar and will teach them to appreciate what they have.

Giving is very important. Teach kids the joy of giving. Explain to them that we live on a small planet called “Earth” and not everyone is as fortunate as we are. We all can help those who need it most by donating, participating in voluntary works, helping charity organizations, and opening ourselves to build a better world.

Teaching kids about money is one of the best things you can ever give to your kids. It will build a solid financial roadmap for them to follow and will help them to secure a better financial future for their lifetime.

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