Understanding the Basics of Personal Financial Planning

Written by:  • Edited by: Laurie Patsalides
Updated Apr 11, 2011
• Related Guides: Microsoft | Financial Planning

The basics of personal financial planning is all encompassing & could get you confused. This article is about the fundamentals of financial planning: its meaning, its benefits, the financial planning process, the use of software & the best practices for optimizing one's personal finances.

The Definition of Personal Financial Planning

The first step to learning the basics of personal financial planning is to comprehend its definition. It is defined as the process that an individual undertakes to meet personal goals in life by properly managing one's finances. The reference to life goals include, but are not limited to,

  • Buying one's own home;
  • Setting aside fund for a child’s higher education;
  • Setting up a retirement fund, and at the least,
  • Meeting one's emergency situations with less stress and apprehensions.

The Benefits Gained from Financial Planning

In financial planning, you will be provided with alternatives and options on how to handle a monetary undertaking in order to make better economic decisions.

Through the process of mapping out your financial resources and cash utilizations, you can establish the amount of your excess funds. After which, you will evaluate the most suitable and viable investment product or portfolio that could bring you yields or gains at the most opportune time with the most profitable results.

Instead of continuously exhausting your present savings and other deposit accounts, there will be extra funds available to pay off your existing obligations, i.e. mortgage loans, as they fall due or at the soonest time possible. That way, your life savings remain intact and available for future use.

You will benefit from financial planning by being able to rid yourself of debt early, without depleting or even decreasing your current cash position. Investing your money in a viable retirement plan like the Roth IRA plan for example, affords you the benefit of investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and even real estate, absolutely tax free. Although there is a required period for its distribution or appropriation, its viability makes it possible for you to pursue a retirement fund plan at twice the rate you intended.

However, these are only some examples of financial planning. There is also the matter of considering short and long term effects that will impact your life’s goals. Your current decisions should be made while considering your present and future financial needs in relation to your well-being; hence, the term planning.

Decisions should be made by taking into account the changes or adjustments you may have to make if influenced by external or unforeseen events. In making your monetary decisions, the objective of financial planning is always aimed at providing you with financial security which allows only minimal risks to affect your resources.

Use of Personal Financial Planning Software

The use of personal financial planning software requires a careful selection based on your level of knowledge. Start with the most basic like budget preparations, balancing of checkbook and keeping track of expenses. Take time to read reviews from reputable computing magazines to determine which software fits you and your need.

Popular examples of personal financial planning software include Quicken, Microsoft Money, Mvelopes Personal Budgeting System or Mint.com online tools. These are computing tools that can help you create a budget, manage cash flow, keep tabs on expenses and monitor your investments. Some software also provides the user with research tools for making investment decisions.

On the side, strive to enhance your knowledge by reading online tutorials. Develop a mastery of your financial planning skills by practicing with the accounting and home office free templates available online.

Basics of Financial Planning Based on CFB- Board of Standards

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The basics of financial planning are based on information provided by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFB Board) as the standard guides to learning about financial planning. The College for Financial Planning (College) and the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP) granted the International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, Inc, (IBCFP) a certification in 1985, to act as a professional regulatory organization that will promote professional standards in personal financial planning. IBCFP changed its name to CFB Board in 1994.

This is the basic information that an individual should know about personal financial planning; its relevance and importance is related to one's decision for hiring a financial planner, which is the first of the six steps for personal financial planning.

Kindly proceed to the next page where the six steps for personal financial planning are enumerated and explained.

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