Spring Cleaning: Four tips to organize your finances

When it comes to financial management, some people may feel intimidated by the sophisticated financial problems and the variety of possibilities. For those who may be so, I suggest you quote from Leonardo da Vinci "is a simplification of the ultimate sophistication." When warm weather arrives and households again tackle spring cleaning, this is the perfect time to bring a simplified approach to your finances and "clean" approach. Bring your finances back to the basics can be an act of sophistication, will help you get a financial plan that can help you position yourself to be ready for retirement, create.

Here are some thoughts on how to "spring clean" your finances:

Tip # 1: Consider the statements is true of your most recent annual accounts, including bank accounts, investments, credit cards and pension and insurance, such as life and disability .. This process can help to give a complete picture of your finances. If you are not using online tools for financial planning, it may be time to start using. Your employer or financial advisor can help you in a position to find one. Or is there also a complete set of free tools available online.

Understand your overall financial situation is worth it. In fact, a study of the financial Voya found that 90 percent of retirees who have benefited from the global financial planning advice has proved to be useful. This process enables you whether you are on the right path to long-term financial goals such as retirement. It can also check a good reminder, push posts in the preparation of the plan or to help ensure that your life insurance coverage is enough to protect your family.

Tip # 2: file organization. Once you have collected your latest financial statements, a system of organized file. If you receive, organize, and store these items on your computer or in the cloud electronic declarations. For paper returns, remove the last three or four countries (or scan and archive electronically to reduce clutter). Tax returns must for four years at the IRS knocks are held.

. Tip # 3: Consolidate accounts in recent years, you may have accumulated multiple accounts - 401 (k) s from previous employers, IRA, bank accounts, credit cards. All financial mess can be overwhelming. Consider consolidation of financial accounts and pension plans and reduce the number of credit cards, ideally located just two credit cards to better manage spending and debt.

With many credit cards can actually hurt your credit score, so resist to get a discount on the purchase by the opening of accounts in the stores. Hold the cards that you have had for a long time, like most of the credit history associated with them. Also for cards, loyalty programs or offer occasionally. Another consideration: Accounts can have the annual maintenance fees, and other accounts that you have, the harder it is to control costs and expenses and overhead.

Tip 4: Get your arms around monthly cash flow. Take a deeper dive into the credit card spending, you can see where you spend money and how to make some adjustments. Think about what the cost of the "needs" and "wants" to see where you can pay for "bells and whistles" when only basic services and track spend the last three months, to see where he can make you money out the window throw.

Spring clean your finances may be their willingness to retire a liberating experience that he bring on the strongest financial way and improve. A penny saved is a penny earned, but a retirement, a penny saved is a penny earned actually a lot more investment with potential for many years to grow.

Voya coach Jacob financial retirement financial Voya gold is a financial advisor of the third generation with financial partners Voya, Broker. He is a published author of "Financial Intelligence Back to basics after an economic crisis," which was published in August 2009 Gold ™ is a certified financial planner and registered practitioners Series 7, 24 and 66 securities. .

Securities and investment advisory services through Voya Financial Partners, Member SIPC offered.

• Sprinkle your investments "Put put all your eggs in one basket is not" can be applied to investments. Expand your money in order to minimize the risk if a company is not as expected. They are also exposed to various assets and more income for your future. Look.

• Making small changes to big results see One of the biggest obstacles of money, is to get control of your money. Instead of drastic changes - and fall off the wagon - Track your expenses and to integrate little by little, new habits. Go to the cinema once a week? Try to go every two weeks. Grab a coffee at Starbucks every morning? Prepare twice a week alone. Small savings add up. Mira.

• Knowledge, how much and how to save, invest, if you are willing to get your feet wet in the stock market begin slowly and build. Do you want to put in a position to spend your money on an account and not to remove it. Forget the lowest savings account for all of their money rates - 20 percent in a savings account and the other 80 percent in the stock market. As you approach retirement age - and less willing to take risks with your retirement money - his percentages 50/50. Mira.

• Enjoy the compound interest too often, women overlook the power of compound interest. The sooner you start saving, the less you have to keep in their 40s and 50s for retirement. This is not magic, just math. Mira.

• Negotiations for a higher salary is important to negotiate your salary - that no one else will do it for you. Find out what people are in similar industries and job roles, and present it to your supervisor. If your company make more money available, you can always bargain: it can give you more vacation days or you can work from home once a week? These additional benefits could lower wages compensated. Mira.

• Rounding Forget Your 401k If you think that the money sitting in your 401k as an emergency fund or savings account, think again. Withdraw money early will result in the payment of taxes, just like you would your normal salary. You will also find a fine of both the federal tax of 10 percent and a tax bill to pay. Mira.

• Save money on your brand online shopping save money when shopping online a breeze with the preferred application Bodge, invisible hands. This practice aims to control prices for you and alerting you when a better price elsewhere - or know that you're getting the best deal. Mira.

• Avoid decide where to invest your money if it sounds too good to be true financial frauds, it probably is. Remember, though, that you invest and save in the long term, not get rich overnight. Mira.

• Decide whether you rent or buy want to buy a house, is not only an investment, but a permanent link to a website. More importantly, it can limit the employment opportunities by location depends on you. If you are unsure whether you are in the same city in 5-8 years, it is better to rent. Mira.

• Cut down on what you want, not what you see, what you need against what you want is an easy way to save costs. You need food - but the order instead of eating leftovers in the fridge is a foul. Honest with yourself about what you really need to spend money you can start saving. Mira.

• Do not pay debt with even more debt if you are trying to reduce debt, which to avoid more debt - remember to take a loan or a new credit card to pay another stop. Instead, continue to pay the debts of its priority, and with every paycheck, add a few more dollars for their payments. There are no shortcuts, but to make timely payments over the minimum will help you pay off your balance as soon as possible. Mira.

• Save at the grocery store when you are in the store to look at the price, not only the price per piece. Although this cereal box could cheaper than the other brands, which may also contain less. Use this strategy for boxed products, meat and cheese - to save something else to look for differences in the size or shape. Mira.

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