Ten Wallet Tips You Need to Know Before Leaving Home

Don’t Leave Home Without Following These Wallet/Purse Tips

First Published Date : December 8, 2011

“Why carry something if you don’t need it?” Twenty years ago, a senior taxi driver in New York City gave me that advice – the best wallet tip ever and I have been religiously following it ever since. Today, I will share some wallet or purse tips you should follow to make your life easier, simpler, and safer.

1. Go through your wallet and get rid of everything you will not use on a regular basis. There is no point carrying all the cards and receipts in your wallet. I keep only those what I use everyday. If I use a credit or debit card occasionally, I leave it home and only keep it with me when I will be using it.  

2. At any point, you should know exactly what items are in your wallet. This way, if you lose anything you will be able to detect it right away, reducing your chances for being a victim if someone else gets ahold of your cards.

3. Make a list of everything you carry in your wallet. Write down your credit card number, customer service phone number, and anything else you would require to block your credit or debit cards in case of theft or loss of your wallet. Better yet, you can scan the back and front of all your cards as well. Keep this list handy at home, in hotel safe, or online securely in such a way that you will have access to it when you need to call your financial institutions in case of emergency.

4. Do not carry wallet in your rear pocket. Thieves use very sharp tools to cut pockets and it’s a lot easier to cut when it’s in your back or rear pocket.

5. Be careful and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Thieves work together in crowded places and try to distract you by pushing you, causing artificial arguments among themselves, or anything else to cause distractions so they can use that split second to grab your wallet while you are distracted.

6. Keep some cash separated from your wallet in a different place on you. If you lose your wallet, this ensures that at least you will have some money to get home.

7. Do not keep your home or car keys in your wallet. If thieves get ahold of keys, they will be easily able to access your home or car because it’s not hard to find information (home address on driver’s license, vehicle information on insurance or registration card, etc.) leading thieves to further carry on their operations.

8. Do not write your PIN number on the back of your cards or carry it with you in your wallet. Also, do not use your date of birth, postal code, or your phone number as your PIN. If thieves have your wallet, they will have access to enough information to guess your PIN by going through your wallet.

9. Do not leave your wallet in a jacket, coat, or anywhere else if you’re checking out these items in a restaurant, movie theatre, or anywhere else.

10. If you are wondering what’s in my wallet, here are the items I always carry with me if I am in Toronto:

– One bank card (Interac card)
– One credit card
– Driver’s license
– Toronto Transit Commission Metropass

If I travel, I modify these items depending on where I am traveling to.

NB – You do not need to carry your rewards or points card anymore as smart phone apps have the capability to carry these cards digitally on your smart phone. 

Financial Website A Dawn Journal – Best of the Best Blogger Series Interview

Reputable Website Interviews Financial Author Ahmed Dawn

First Published Date: December 15, 2011 ADawnJournal.com

Canada’s Personal Finance Blog A Dawn Journal’s reputation and traffic is on the rise. And it’s no wonder that the well-written financial content and hard work will get noticed and will be recognized. Recently, a widely respected and admired financial website Credit Card Assist has respectfully invited financial author Ahmed Dawn (AKA A. Dawn) to sit down for an interview with a variety of questions. According to Credit Card Assist:

Ahmed is yet another example of an up-and-coming, new generation blogging entrepreneur that people should really be paying attention to. He has a no-nonsense, pragmatic approach to investing and uses ‘simple and understandable’ terminology to take the guess work out of the investment process for his readers.”

The interview can be accessed right here: A Dawn Journal – Best of the Best Blogger Series

This is an opportunity for my readers to know more about me. Wide ranging questions such as a little peak into my work life, what inspired me to write my book Invest Now, more on my blogging entrepreneurship – all can be found in this interview.

So it seems quite reasonable that with a no-nonsense, pragmatic approach to personal finance and its ability to break down complex subjects in simple terms, A Dawn Journal is becoming a regular read for an increasing number of readers in Canada and across the globe. And this trend will continue for years to come. I thank you all my readers and I appreciate your time spent on A Dawn Journal. Your support and courage are an inspiration to me all the time and that’s what made everything possible.

How to Take Charge of Your Debt

4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Manage Your Debt

First Published Date: December 22, 2011

If you have difficulty handling your debt, the very first thing you need do is to admit that you have a debt problem. It is our nature to not see the real picture and keep adding up debt – unrealistically thinking that our debt is still manageable. Today, let me describe these simple steps you can take right now to get rid of this vicious cycle of debt.

Admit and Stop – Admit that your debt situation is beyond control and you need to take steps right now to get rid of your debt. Stop charging more to your credit card or adding more debt into your existing balance. The most important thing you can do is to start your journey towards a debt-free world and you do it starting this moment.

Add Extra Money – Whether it is $10 per month or $50 per month, adding extra towards paying your debt can have a enormous effect on the life of your debt. By adding additional amounts, you are shaving off years from your debt-paying timeline and saving lots of money. So, if possible, pay extra money every month. For those months when you cant pay extra, stick to the minimum.

Stick To Reducing Your Debt – Yes, you can do it. You can have a debt-free life. Start visualizing how life will be and how much freedom you will have when you won’t have debt anymore. To make it happen, you need to stick to reducing your debt and continue paying off all your loans until they turn into zero.

Educate Yourself and Seek Professional Help – Learn about managing money to build your financial future. There are many independent personal finance websites, Canadian government websites, and U.S. government websites out there for free where you can learn about money and finances. Use these free resources to educate yourself. However, there will be times when these resources are not enough to handle your situation – in a situation like this, seek the help of financial professionals to walk you out of your debt situation.

China’s Economy and Global Economic Crisis Toll

China Economy and the World

First Published Date : December 29, 2011

The world’s number two economy is very important to the world. The global economic crisis is taking a toll on China’s economy and economic growth of China is likely to slow down according to various forecasts.

China’s economic growth has been fairly stable and good for quite a few years. However, it has slowed for the last three quarters and it is expected to dip below 9 percent in 2012, for the first time since 2001. According to IMF, if the global economic situation does not worsen, it is reasonable to expect that China’s growth will be at 9 percent. According to a study released by senior Chinese government researchers, economic growth should be 7 to 8 percent in 2012. Asia-based investment bank Nomura International predicts economic growth is likely to slip to 7.9 percent. The last time China’s economic growth dropped this low was in 1998 during the Asia-Pacific financial crisis.

Inflation, the housing bubble, export markets, and appreciating Yuan seems be the major factors behind the declining economic growth. China has seen its inflation falling from 6.5 percent in July to 4.2 percent in November. A lower demand on the housing market will impact other related industries as well. The export sector seems to be the one with the biggest decline and the greatest risk. China’s 20 percent exports go to the European Union and if the economic and debt crisis continue to persist, the impact will be enormous on China. Also, an appreciating Yuan will make export markets more likely to perform at their best.

Although the Chinese government has pledged growth in 2012, its economy is shifting from double-digit, high-speed growth to single-digit growth. It is widely expected that China’s central bank will loosen its monetary policy to support the banking industry, boost domestic demand, and increase economic growth.

The biggest challenge the Chinese regime will face in light of the economic slowdown is how the general Chinese population will react. Will there be any strikes, protests, or uprisings or will everything be calm, quiet, and manageable for the regime as it has been for a while?

6 Things You Can Do Right Now to Manage Your Credit Card Debt

How to Take Charge of Your Credit Card Debt

First Published Date: January 5, 2012 ADawnJournal.com

Credit cards are a modern-day necessity, and it’s unrealistic trying to survive without them. However, if you are unable to manage them, credit cards can take over your life. Let’s look at 6 simple things you can do right now to take charge of your credit card debt.

Stop Charging – If you have credit card debt that you can’t pay in full every month, do not charge anything on the credit card unless you have the money to pay it. This is your first step towards managing your credit card debt.

Avoid Making Late Payments – Always pay on time and never make a late payment. Late payments can affect your credit score. Pay at least the minimum if you are unable to pay the full for any given month. I have seen people not paying a 70-cents bill thinking it would not make sense to pay this small amount. They ended up paying a penalty for late payment and affecting their credit score. A small amount can drag you down a lot if it’s not taken care of in a timely manner.

Call and Ask – Call and ask your credit card companies for a lower interest rate and waive any penalty fees you may have occurred. Optimizebalance transfer offers to lower your interest on credit card.

Pay Extra Amount – Pay whatever extra amount, whether it’s a small or a big amount, you can possibly arrange to pay towards your credit card balances every month. If you look at paying addition amounts in terms of longer time frame, it will accelerate your debt-free endeavour a lot faster.

Be Aware of Credit Repair – The Consumer Reporting Act has rules regarding how long accurate information can appear in a report and no credit/fix companies have the authority to remove, erase, or change this in a consumers’ file. Beware of these companies claiming to fix your file.

Take Charge of Your Finances – Learn about managing money, investing, and building wealth for your financial future. There are many independent personal finance websites like A Dawn Journal, Canadian government websites, and U . S. government websites to help you build your financial roadmap.