Social Development And Financial Planning – The Importance
Financial planning is a vital part of social development. Underdeveloped countries are generally weak in financial planning capacity. The ability to control finances and to model future outcomes demands a high level of skill that is often in short supply. A lack of financial planning inevitably produces waste and poor outcomes. It leaves budgets open to deliberate siphoning of funds as well as loss through incompetent management.
Every government in a developed country has large numbers of officials whose sole task is financial planning. In every department from health to education, from agriculture and fisheries, to transport and industry there are financial planners at work.
Poor countries simply do not have the number of skilled people to fulfill all these tasks. Even if the education system of a poor country can produce enough graduates they may be tempted abroad by higher salaries and better prospects. It is extremely difficult for an underdeveloped country to create this human infrastructure of skilled financial administrators.
International bodies such as the UN and its many agencies, the IMF and the World Bank can help. They can provide trained personnel or they can pay the salaries of local administrators. Non Government Organizations often provide skilled people to work as volunteers training locals in the techniques of financial planning.
Developing countries may even lack the technical means to carry out financial planning. There may be too few computers available. Economic and social figures are frequently out of date. Up to date figures are essential to plot trends and plan ahead.
We hear more about medical and educational experts volunteering to help underdeveloped countries but people skilled in financial planning can be just as useful. Where long term development projects are concerned financial planning expertise can be even more important. They ensure that services can be delivered in the long term and not just as on an emergency basis. To achieve real, sustainable development financial planning must be established in underdeveloped countries.
There are important democratic issues involved. Emergency aid is essential in a drought, a famine or a war, but it is seldom controlled by local people. Once local people have the necesssary skills to undertake financial planning they are able to take decisions about where money should be spent.
Financial planning also makes transparency possible. If the finances of a government or agency are chaotic it is impossible to tell if its resources are being used well or honestly. Clear planning means that decisions can be reviewed. A program can be assessed for its effectiveness. Wastage can be eliminated.
If all the money is accounted for there is no danger of money being used as bribes or disappearing into the offshore bank accounts of powerful individuals. Vast amounts of the money intended as aid to developing countries has been lost in this way. There is not enough public scrutiny of funds to prevent it. Good financial planning can empower the society to control the government and enhance the democratic process.
Watch the video related to financial plan
Regulator from the S&L Crisis opposes Geithner’s plan. Author of “THE BEST WAY TO ROB A BANK IS TO OWN ONE.” Watch the whole interview at: www.theyoungturks.com Watch more at www.theyoungturks.com.
Help answer the question about financial plan
Why did many southerners oppose hamiltons financial plan?A. They were against all federal taxes.
B. They Believed banks were unnecessary.
C. Their states had paid off their war debts already.
D. They wanted Thomas Jefferson to be president.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I set up his budget form (modified to our specific bills) on Excel. Now that was about 4 years ago.
Now he has software (about $25) available on his website or subscribe to My Total MOney Makeover section of his website and you can do the budget there (link below). Or Crown Financial (originally started by the late Larry Burkett who Dave gives a lot of credit to) has budgeting forms and online software. (Link below) Crown also has software (last link)
Both would be the best way to stay completely in line with Dave's principles. Both of the on-line subscriptions have free trial periods.
August 15th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
So many things to do, hard to boil it down without more info but…
1. Determine your goal. Can't plan to get there if you don't know where you are going.
2. See where you are so you know what you are dealing with. Look at your bills, spending patterns, debts, assets, etc.
3. Work on your high interest debt. Get rid of credit card bills or any other debt with high interest. If it is going to take some time, try to negotiate lower rates or consolidate into a lower rate.
4. Set up a regular savings plan so you have some emergency funds.
5. Once your credit card / high interest debt is out of the way work on 'bigger debt' like student loans, car loans, etc. If renting do the math and see if an affordable house can save you some money. Make sure to keep up your regular savings plan until you have a few months backup
6. Work on getting house, car, big loans paid off and keep that savings plan going
Also want to make sure to: Check out life insurance for dependents, check out / make a retirement plan, make sure I'm making good daily decisions on my spending.
Just my 2 cents worth.
August 15th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Your personal financial plan must be based on your personal financial goals. First, determine what goals you want, then write a plan. You could visit your local bank and ask the financial planner at your branch to help you set a financial plan.
August 16th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Hamilton's idea was for rich people to loan the government money through bonds. In order for those bonds to retain any value (and the people holding them to be able to cash them in later), the government would have to survive. Therefore, those rich people would use their influence to make sure the government succeeded. Common people living hand-to-mouth didn't have extra money to loan out, or influence that would affect the fate of the new government, so they were pretty much left out of this process.
August 16th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
On Medicare you can expect to pay $95 a month for part B, and if you want an insurance supplement expect between $100 and $150 a month with no deductibles or co pays. If HMO around $78 a month with co-pays and deductibles. If you are not 65 plan on about $500 a month for private coverage until you are 65.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Most people need a goal to work toward in order to succeed. Even though it may vary significantly, it gives you a figure to strive for, and hopefully exceed. Then when you do exceed it, it's a great feeling that you wouldn't have if you hadn't set the original goal.
August 17th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Blue chip stocks
August 18th, 2009 at 1:54 am
BusinessPlans.org contains a large library of business plans
http://www.businessplans.org/index.asp
August 18th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
There are 2 ways that CFPs might be compensated. On a fee basis, or on a commission basis. If the CFP is not trying to sell you specific investments, $3,500 to $4,500 is probably very reasonable for a fee-only comprehensive plan (Goals, investments, insurance, retirement, and estate planning).
If however you are going to be encouraged to buy particular mutual funds or insurance products, then the planner is probably being compensated by commission. In that case, charging $3,500+ is probably double dipping. The complexity of your financial situation factors into whether the fee on the whole is reasonable. Think in terms of the CFP having professional fees equivalent to those of a CPA or attorney. If professional fees in your part of the country average $200 hourly and the bill ultimately is $4,000, then that translates to about 20 hours of professional services work on the part of the planner.