Self-Finance

"What is high finance? It's knowing the difference between one and ten, multiplying, subtracting and adding. You just add noughts. It's no more than that."

John Bentley

Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit.

It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events.

Components of personal finance might include checking and savings accounts, credit cards and consumer loans, investments in the stock market, retirement plans, social security benefits, and income tax management.

Questions in personal finance revolve around

* How much money will be needed by an individual (or by a family) at various points in the future?

* Where will this money come from (e.g. savings or borrowing)?

* How can people protect themselves against unforeseen events in their lives, and risk in financial markets?

* How can family assets be best transferred across generations (bequests and inheritance)?

* How do taxes (tax subsidies or penalties) affect personal financial decisions?

Personal financial decisions may involve paying for education, financing durable goods such as real estate and cars, buying insurance, e.g. health and property insurance, investing and saving for retirement.

A key component of personal finance is financial planning, a dynamic process that requires regular monitoring and reevaluation. In general, it has five steps:

1. Assessment: One's personal financial situation can be assessed by compiling simplified versions of financial balance sheets and income statements. A personal balance sheet lists the values of personal assets (e.g., car, house, clothes, stocks, bank account), along with personal liabilities (e.g., credit card debt, bank loan, mortgage). A personal cash flow statement lists personal income and expenses.

2. Setting goals: Setting financial goals helps direct financial planning. Examples of financial goals are: "To retire at age 50 with a personal net worth of £800,000", or "To buy a house in 3 years paying a monthly mortgage servicing cost that is no more than 25% of my gross income". It is not uncommon to have several goals, some short term, and some long term.

3. Creating a plan: The financial plan details how to accomplish your goals. It could include for example, reducing unnecessary expenses, increasing your employment income, or investing in the stock market.

4. Execution: Execution of one's personal financial plan often requires discipline and perseverance, and many people obtain assistance from professionals such as accountants, financial planners, investment advisors, and lawyers.

5. Monitoring and reassessment: As time passes, one's personal financial plan must be monitored for possible adjustments or reassessments.