Ellie Answers Your Questions About Job Scams & Homebased Businesses!

This week I was on ABC NEWS "Good Money" show, answering your questions! Be sure to email us for a FREE "Homebased Business File" and mention you heard me on "Good Money!"

Q. We are interested in starting our own home business and want to know what first steps we should take in deciding what kind of business to operate from home.
Julie and Vick from Rancho Cucomonga, CA via facebook


ELLIE: There are basically three kinds of businesses: sales, service and manufacturing. Sales can take many forms such as retail or wholesale, mail order or direct sales. They tend to offer more flexible hours but require more paperwork. Service businesses are the easiest to set up and can require the smallest initial investment. If you do something well, like painting or decorating, fixing things, cleaning houses repairing computers, etc, you can start your own service business. Finally, there is manufacturing—everything from crafts to jewelry, furniture and more. Once you decide on the kind of business, do your research online or with the help of a research librarian, subscribe to industry magazines and talk to those in that kind of business.

Q. Are there any online resources available for us to find someone who will give us free advice on our small graphics and design business.
Mike and Victoria from Syracuse, NY via online contact form

ELLIE: Yes! You can go to SCORE.org, which is non-profit organization designed to help small business owners with over 12,000 volunteer counselors across the country. They can hook you up with a mentor to answer your questions online or in one of their offices. Their volunteers are made of experts in 600 fields who have been successful in their own businesses and include former CEOs! If you are interested in funding your startup business you can go to Kickstarter.com or since you’re an artist you may want to find funding for your project by going to IndieGoGo.com

Q: I’ve worked for the same construction company for 20 years and just got laid off. I have a dream to start my own carpentry business, but I’m not sure that I have what it takes to do it. How do I know if I can hack it or not?
Mark submitted via Online Contact Form

ELLIE: That’s a great question, Mark, and since the SBA says that 1 in 2 small businesses will fail within a year, you have every right to question your ability to succeed. I think the key lies in planning and doing your preparation work. It’s important and assess your personality and skills. You can take the Personality ID test offered at your SBA center, college, library or community center. It will help you look at yourself from a fresh perspective and asses whether your personality is best served as an owner or an employee. I also think it’s important to pursue your passion. Do you really love carpentry or has it just been a job to you? When you pursue your passion, not only does it get you up in the morning but it makes more likely to succeed!

Q. My mom sells Premier Jewelry and my best friend sells Mary Kay. Both of them are pressuring me to sign up under them in order to build their business. How do I make the decision about which homebased business to start.
Jenny Monroe from Oklahoma City, OK

ELLIE: Jenny, there’s a phrase you need to learn right away: It’s nothing personal, just business! You need to make your decision based on what is right for YOU, not based on who you love more: your mom or your friend! I’ll send you the Homebased Business file for free if you go to elliekay.com and in that file you’ll see 25 questions you need to ask each woman about their business including: What are the start up costs? What is the hostess plan? Does the company pay sales tax or do I have to do that myself? How many downline generations are paid? How much inventory is needed? It’s important to have all the facts available and then make your decision based on business and not on anything personal!

Q. I’ve dabbled in writing here and there but I want to try and go into it on a more full time basis, should I try to freelance various writing projects or should I offer my writing services as a subcontractor to an existing company that need writers?
Ted from Chicago, VA via Ellie Kay’s blog

ELLIE: The answer is “yes.” It’s easier to launch a service based industry, such as what you’re essentially talking about by subcontracting work to an existing firm. Outsourcing is becoming more and more prominent as jobs are streamlined and companies downsize. It’s cheaper to hire a contractor than paying benefits to a full time employee. So hook up with your local Chamber of Commerce and plug into businesses in your community. At the same time, get The Writers Guide online or from your local library and begin to pitch articles to various periodicals by writing a good query letter and tailoring each article toward the specific needs of the publication. Ted, with how work and bit of luck you’ll find yourself doing what you love and having your dream business at the same time!

Ellie Kay
America's Family Financial Expert (R)
www.elliekay.com

College Debt - Ellie Answers Your Questions!

One of Yahoo's most popular videos was yours truly on ABC NEWS NOW earlier this month answering your questions about college grads as well as debt!

Here's the scoop:

Q. Our daughter just graduated from UCLA and we’re very proud of her. But even though she has a prestigious degree, she still hasn’t been able to locate work. Should we allow her to move in with us until she finds employment?

Bill and Carol from Quartz Hills, CA via facebook

Ellie: This is a tough one! As a mom of kids in this age group, I know it’s a fine line between enabling and empowering and it’s definitely one of those individual decisions. What may be right for a particular child may not be right for another one. I think you ought to support her emotionally and psychologically, letting her know you believe in her. You can also offer to help with resumes or job research. But I would make the offer to have her move in with you as a last resort only. Furthermore, if she does move in with you, it’s important to sit down ahead of time, come up with a responsibility/income agreement and have both parties subscribe to the guidelines.

Q. My husband and I have a son who graduated last year and could not find work, so he moved in with us until he could find employment. He found a modest job, and is not making very much money. He decided that continuing to live with us would be a better financial option than paying rent on a limited income. I love my son, and he’s only 23 right now, but I’m afraid of a “Failure to Launch” syndrome and I need to know what you would advise me to do.

Allana from Lancaster, PA via online contact form

ELLIE: OK, the Failure to Launch syndrome, it’s every parent’s nightmare. We finally have an empty nest, then boomerang children come back to inhabit a place where they no longer naturally fit. I think, Allana, that it is imperative that you and your husband develop an comprehensive exit strategy for junior. Make sure this plan requires that he pays room and board with you, that he develop a clear budget and make himself accountable to you (while he’s living at home) and then be clear about D-day. The day he will depart. Be loving but firm. Remember that the decisions you are implementing with him today will be the precedence you set for tomorrow. You and you alone, enable the boomerang effect, yet you also have the power to put a stop to that boomerang before it’s ever launched. Then you won’t have a “Failure to Launch.”

Q: I am a 26 year old single girl with a bachelor's degree but not yet a Master's. I am working with children in a library setting currently and am considering various Master's programs. (Library Science included). I would have to take out loans for the program though, and I am not sure that taking on that debt would be a wise thing, even though it would lead to a professional job. What is your advice for women around my age who eventually want to marry and have a family and do not want the burden of school debt? I have read some of your books and very much appreciate your insights and time.

Jen Crouse submitted via Online Contact Form

Ellie: It's admirable that you desire to go back to college for a master's while you are still in your twenties and your work with children sounds very gratifying. Ellie usually recommends no more than 10K in student loan debt for any program (bachelors or masters). Instead, you could look into some of the following:

Step 1
Apply for a scholarship. There are merit based graduate school scholarships out there so go to www.salliemae.com which lists almost 2 million scholarships. Talk to the admissions office at the college or university at which you'd like to apply. They can give you advice on applying for their own scholarships (if they have them) or point you to the appropriate federal and/or state scholarship programs.

Step 2
Look into a fellowship or assistantship. Many colleges and universities offer programs that enable you to get a master's degree while doing research or assisting professors in the department in which you wish to study. This is a viable option that also enhances your hands-on experience in your chosen field.

Step 3
Talk to your employer. Many employers are willing to foot the bill for a master's degree, especially an MBA (Master of Business Administration). Talk to someone in your company's Human Resources department to get more information. Or another option is to talk to a military recruiter to join the guard or reserves. The Army, Air Force and Navy will pay up to $65,000 in student loan debts if you qualify for the program.


Q. My husband and I want to help with our son’s college expenses (he graduates in two years) and we don’t want him to be straddled with huge student loans. Several of our friends and other family members have said, “Just take out a second mortgage or use the equity in your home to pay for college.” What do you think about that?

McKenzie Thomas from Stanford, CA

Ellie: I believe that you should never borrow on your own future to pay for your child’s future. In any discussion of college costs, it’s important to keep priorities straight. Your kid’s education shouldn’t cost you your retirement. This means it’s not a wise idea to take out a home equity loan, an equity line of credit or refinance your mortgage in order to pay for school. This would reduce the amount of equity in your home, increase the risk of possible foreclosure and incur costs in interest charges that may cost more if the term on the new mortgage is greater than the remaining term on the existing mortgage.

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Q. My son-in-law just graduated with his Masters Degree in Education. They have had a hard time while he’s been in school and don’t have the best credit scores. They’ve asked us to co-sign on a new automobile loan and we are reluctant. What do you think about co-signing for loans?

Amanda from Wichita, KS via Ellie Kay’s blog

Ellie: Since you son-in-law needs a co-signer, it means their credit is so risky that no lender will give him money on his own credit history. The question is: why should you? Even though it may come across as “helping a family member out” it’s still a business transaction and when you set the precedence of co-signing on a loan—be prepared to do it again and again. If not for the same person, then for another friend who may say, “well, you did it for Daniel, why not me?” You have to assume you will be the one repaying the loan & you won’t have the associated asset, so it can’t possibly be a good business move.

Ellie Kay

America's Family Financial Expert (R)

www.elliekay.com

ABC NEWS - I'm Answering YOUR Questions

Here are some of your questions that I answered recently on ABC NEWS "Good Money" regarding the blog I wrote called "The Road to Financial Heckie Fire."


Q. I’m in my mid thirties and I haven’t had the problem of friends and family asking me to co-sign on a loan before. But in the last year, I’ve had three requests for this. What’s your advice on co-signing a loan?
Jill, from Bradenton, FL via facebook

Ellie: If you have a friend or relative who needs a co-signer, then that means their credit is so risky that no lender will give him money on his own credit history. The question is: why should you? The answer is that you should not! Even though it may come across as “helping a family member out” it’s still a business transaction and when you set the precedence of co-signing on a loan—be prepared to do it again and again. If not for the same person, then for another friend who may say, “well, you did it for Jennifer, why not me?” You have to assume you will be the one repaying the loan & you won’t have the associated asset, so it can’t possibly be a good business move.

Q. We are boomers in our early sixties and we were thinking of getting a reverse mortgage. Is this a good move for people our age?
Allison from Granbury, TX via online contact form

Ellie: Recently, you’ll see older actors on commercials offering these kinds of mortgages to seniors who are house rich and cash poor. They are portrayed as a viable means of getting a steady stream of income that is easy to obtain. But the fees and other costs associated with reverse mortgages can sometimes be considerably higher than on other loans. This is a bad money move unless you have no other income than social security and because of the high cost fees, it should be a last resort not a first resort. The better option would be a home equity loan. You could sell your home and move into a smaller, less expensive house. Or, you could sell the home to your kids and have a multigenerational family under one roof—this is a recent trend I’ve seen emerging. Your kids can use the inheritance to pay down the mortgage.


Q. I have $10,000 in Stafford Student Loans, an $8800 car loan at 9.99% and two consumer loans at $3500 and $3700, both at 12%. All my loans are current and I have $1000 to put toward one of these loans—which one should I choose?
Viviene via Ellie Kay’s blog

Ellie: It’s great that you are current with your payments and even better that you have an extra $1000 to put toward your debts. I recommend that you put the $1000 toward the $3700 loan at 12% in order to retire the loan. Then once you’ve paid off that debt, double up the payments on the $3500 loan. You will feel motivated by the fact that you’re paying off debts and you will also experience the “snowball effect” where you gain momentum in paying these debts and as you pay off one bill, you can put those monies toward the next bill. Before you know it, you’ll have all your debt retired!

Q. Last year, my teenage daughter couldn’t find a summer job and ended up kind of wasting those months. She tried hard, but there just isn’t much work where we live. Do you have some ideas that maybe we haven’t thought of in terms of summers for this age group?
Stephanie Corlew from Branson, Missouri

Ellie: Summer camps are a great place for kids like your daughter to plug into a summer job. My daughter, Bethany, found a job through the American Camping Association by going to www.acacamps.org/jobs (or just google “American Camping Association” and “jobs.”) She’s making enough for her college spending money and gaining the opportunity to impact the lives of young campers as well.
Another way to broaden a resume for this age group is to go to the local, state or federal political representative from your district and offer to intern in the office. My son, Jonathan, did this last summer as a high school sophomore and this summer as a junior as well. He only volunteered a few hours a week at Congressman Buck McKeon’s office (California) and it made such an impression on his resume that it helped him get into an exclusive summer leadership seminar at USAFA (United States Air Force Academy). His summer internship contributed to the community and it also has contributed to his future as he applies for college scholarships.

Q. My grandchildren are teenagers and are coming to live with me for the summer. I wanted to know if you know of some jobs they can do where they could make some extra money, but still have time for fun, too.
Connie Green from Tehachapi, CA

Ellie: Connie, if you email assistant@elliekay.com, we can send you a file that includes 30 different jobs your grandchildren can do locally and make good money as well. Just ask for the “Kids Jobs” file. There’s also a list of safety items you should check out before they work for someone they do not know. For example, there’s job’s like Rent-A-Kid where there may be people in your church or neighborhood who need odd jobs done. There are also jobs like window washing, Garage Cleaning Service, Babysitting Services for summer groups that meet, Mail Checkers (for those who travel out of town), and even Pet Minders.

Q. Ever since I was a teenager, it’s been a dream of mine to go visit Israel
Is going on a tour with a large group the least expensive way to go to big tourist destinations? How can I save money on this trip?
Pamela from Acton, CA


Ellie: Tour groups with your church or community may not be the cheapest route to go since someone usually gets a free trip or two by booking a large group. In some cases, you actually pay more money to go to Israel with a reknown author or professor than you would if you go on your own. To help save money, go to the website GoIsrael.com and do as much planning as possible. Stay in a hostel, guest house, or a kibbutz, which comes with a free breakfast. Buy a pass for all national parks in order to save as much as 35% on the most popular attractions.

Q: Our company downsized and I laid off work. I’m thinking of launching my own homebased business, but there’s so much out there, I’m not sure what I should do. How do you know it’s a good business to get into and what should I keep in mind as I make my decision?
Nicole, Albany, NY

Ellie: One area of our economy that is thriving is direct sales companies (DSC) as people explore new ways to make money. As you are searching for the best fit for you in your homebased business start with following your passion. Do you love to cook? Then Pampered Chef may be a good option. Do you enjoy wearing the latest styles in jewelry, then try Premier Designs. If you follow your passion you are far more likely to succeed. But all DSCs are not created equal. Before you decide, find out what kind of inventory you have to stock. I know far too many people who went into debt to buy their inventory and then quit the business within a year—but kept the debt! Also find out the percentage you make on sales as well as the hostess plan that the company offers. Does the company take care of filing sales tax for you or do you have that job, too? For more information, email assistant@elliekay.com and ask for the “Homemade Business” file. Have fun pursuing your passion!

Please ask me YOUR questions!

Ellie Kay

America's Family Financial Expert (R)

http://www.elliekay.com/

ABC News Now - When Two Incomes Becomes One

I just love my bloggers, FB friends & eblast recipients! Once again, you guys helped make the latest segments on ABC NEWS NOW really great!

You can view the first segment and then be sure to view the questions and answers, where YOU had your questions answered on the air and WON a copy of Little Book of Big Savings!

Here's part of the transcript
1) ELLIE, 9.7 PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT IS HUGE-- WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS ARE YOU SEEING AS A RESULT OF THESE NUMBERS?
ELLIE: I think these numbers only indicate part of the problem. For every person we have who is unemployed we have others who have taken pay cuts to keep their jobs or they've had to accept a position significantly below what they had before. Even when the recession ends and we are in recovery, I think we're going to see the contagion effect of unemployment and underemployment.

2) MOST PEOPLE PANIC WHEN THEY ARE NOTIFIED THAT THEY WILL BE LAID OFF. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING A COUPLE SHOULD DO IF ONE OF THEM BECOMES SUDDENLY UNEMPLOYED?
ELLIE: Step one is to "Review and Re-evaluate your Financial Goals." When you go from two paychecks to one, all of the sudden money for your four year old's college fund and/or funding retirement isn't as important as making the house payment. It's time to radically re-evaluate what needs to get paid to survive. Essentially, you will work backwards. Determine what you need for the end of each month to cover the basics (house, car, insurance, credit card bills, food, etc) and then work backward toward that financial goal.


3) ONCE YOU'VE WORKED THAT OUT, WHAT IS THE SECOND THING COUPLES SHOULD DO?
ELLIE: Establish a "One Income Budget." This will, hopefully, be temporary, but you will need to readjust how money is spent until your spouse is employed again. This will include cutting back on expenses where you can. But don't panic. Before you cut the cable or disconnect the internet, look at ways to cut back that are less painful and more productive.

4) YOU HAVE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO DO THAT..LET'S START WITH HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE:
ELLIE: Call the company and let them know you think you are paying too much & that you can get coverage cheaper elsewhere. It's amazing how motivated they'll be to help you reduce costs. You can raise deductibles to cover the big things and then lower those again when your spouse is employed. My literary agent took this tip to heart and discovered he had an old policy that had been grandfathered in, when they updated it, he saved $475!

4B) HOW CAN CONSUMERS CUT BACK ON AUTO INSURANCE NOW THAT THEY AREN'T DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK?
ELLIE: It costs less to insure a car that is no longer driven to and from work. Go to http://www.progressive.com/ to get comparison quotes on your auto insurance, then call your provider and ask for all the discounts that are available to you. Most clients I've worked with save an average of $350.

4C) THIS NEXT TIP CAN SAVE YOU AS MUCH AS FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR... CLIPPING COUPONS?
ELLIE: Whether you live on one income or two, you still have to buy food. By taking ten minutes to go to http://www.couponmom.com/ before you shop, you can save as much as $4,000 per year. The site does most of the work for you as it tells you what is on sale, what manufacturer's coupons are available, what other store coupons are offered and the final price of what you'll pay. There are dozens of items each week that cost only pennies or are free.

5) IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FAMILIES THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED SHOULD DO DURING THOSE ONE INCOME SEASONS?
ELLIE: Proactively Plan for Your Financial Future. Just because you're unemployed does not mean you should enter the panic mode-this can lead to poor financial decisions. Go get help at the National Consumer Credit Counseling service (nfcc.org) which is a non-profit that won't make you accrue more debt as the "for profit" counseling services will do. Oftentimes the nfcc knows the programs that you may qualify for in order to keep your house, renegotiate with lenders and help you proactively plan for your financial future.

Congratulations to Kristen Whirrett of Fort Wayne, IN; Ruth Schmidt of Willard, MO; Stephanie Woods of Sheperdsville, KY; Karen Power of Keller, TX; Rachel Morales of Victorville, CA and Kathy Hansen of San Diego! You guys had the questions selected by the producers of ABC NEWS NOW - GOOD MONEY show!

Ellie Kay
Americas Family Financial Expert (R)
http://www.elliekay.com/

Ellie on Neil Cavuto -- Financially Pinched Companies Pinch Employees

Goodyear Tire announced that they were reinstating their 401(k) program after cancelling it in 2003. But it's not the "good news" it appears to be because at the same time they froze more traditional pensions, thereby saving hundreds of millions of dollars at employee's expense! So what do YOU do when your company cuts benefits--do you have a recourse?

Basically, you take charge. You don't rely on your company to be your uncle sugar, you realize that you have to rely on other resources that are available to you. Today, I shared this on Neil Cavuto

1) TAKE ADVANTAGE WHILE YOU CAN: Invest in your 401(k) if/when it comes back into play. Companies are reinstating formerly suspended 401(k) plans. These may come back for six months, a year or longer. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MATCHING PORTION up to the the % the company allows (usually 4% or 5%). Even if they are only matching 25%, that's a much better percentage than what you can make on your money in today's market.

2) TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS: One of the things that companies are doing is kind of a bait and switch tactic. For example, they may be reinstating 401(k)s but they are coming in the back door and cutting pension programs that are far more costly. It used to be that you could cound on social security and your pension to retire, but that is no longer true during a recession. Therefore, you need to fund your own retirement through Roth or Regular IRAs or even a SEP IRA (Simplified Employee Pension) if you or your spouse own a small homebased business. Max out the amount you contribute to your IRA based on your age (up to $5,000 for a traditional IRA or $6,000 if you are over 50) and don't trust your company to fund your retirement.

3) TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN HEALTHCARE: Just about the time we find out that healthcare costs are rising 7% to 8%, we also find out that more and more companies are cutting healthcare benefits. Yesterday was the time to check into a high deductible individual or family plan with an HSA (Health Savings Account). For example, if you're an individual and have a $2900 deductible on your health insurance, you can tuck up to $2900 into a tax favored HSA account. If you're a family you can contribute up to $5800 per year. These tax favored funds are not the old fashioned "use it or lose it" rather they are your funds that will be rolled over from year to year and can eventually be used at retirement. Premiums for this high deductible plans are about half what a costly group plan can cost you and your family, so now is the time to have that safety net of covering the big medical expenses while not trusting your employer to be there for you when it comes to healthcare.

4) TAKE IT TO THE TOP & BE THE TOP: Employers still want to attract and keep the best talent. Show them you are not the weak link and make yourself indispensable. Go the extra mile, do quality work, bring in business, get along with your peers, support your boss and make sure that YOU are the talent they want to keep.

5) TAKE THE HIGH ROAD: If you are in the position of having to accept a severance package realize that you can still negotiate it. You can often test the wiggle room to get a higher amount and you can determine whether you take a lump sum or a longer payout. You also need to be sure to negotiate for longer lasting health and life insurance benefits. Don't sign any papers the day you are let go and don't make any rash or emotional decisions. Take a breath, take your time and realize that you still have options.

Ellie Kay

America's Family Financial Expert (R)

http://www.elliekay.com/