A CNNMoney poll of 5,000 respondents were asked what do they hope to accomplish financially in 2008. 33% of those polled stated they intend to pay down debt, 23% want to save for retirement, and 11% want to buy real estate! Another 11% want to build an emergency fund. With spring just around the corner, if you are trying to sell, you may consider making a few small changes and putting that investment property back on the market. After all, what do you have to lose?

How do we overcome the obstacles in our daily living to achieve the lifestyle of our dreams?

1. Get back to the basics. What are you working toward? What brings you passion?

2. Good planning and balance will go a long way to solving problems and realizing your potential. Do you have your plans and affairs in order?

3. Realize (and this is a hard one to do) that no matter how successful or talented a person is, we cannot do everything ourselves. There are not enough hours in the day! This is the time to be selfish, to delegate a little bit.

4. Don’t beat yourself up over the “would of, should of, could of” of your past. Whatever happened happened. It’s time to move on.

5. Spend some quality time with your family every day. If you lose the ones you love, you lose everything. A quick phone call if your grown children are out of town or special family time on the weekends will go a long way to helping you stay the course.

These 5 strategies may seem basic, yet how many of us really do these things? Keep a journal of your activities and how you spend time for one week. Then try incorporating these 5 strategies and see if you don’t notice a positive change in your energy.

With the uncertainty of the economy and the nation in this election year, many savvy consumers are shopping for new professionals who share their same value system. How do you build a culture of trust in your business so prospects will believe in you from the start?

1. Get published in newsletters and media that your audience reads.

2. If you have employees, instill mutual trust within your organization. Your employees can be your best cheerleaders or your worst nightmare!

3. Ask a lot of questions and really listen for the answers.

4. Build an alliance with other like minded professionals and refer them to clients who are seeking other professional services.

5. Do some pro bono work!

Try these 5 tips. Not only will you succeed in building your practice, you will have happy employees and be happier, too!

If you have an adjustable rate mortgage that’s due to reset this year, consider refinancing into a fixed rate NOW to avoid future payment shocks. Similarly, if you have borrowed heavily against the equity of your home, refinance your home-equity and mortgage into one fixed-rate loan. Remember, make sure your total debts don’t exceed 36% of your income or you will have a difficult time getting refinanced. Do whatever it takes to get below this total!

According to the Labor Department, the U.S. economy had 1.8 million more workers in 2006, and 43% of them were over the age of 55 with more than 50% of them women! This is due to the rising costs of medical expenses, and little or no retirement savings. We make enough money to pay our day-to-day expenses but never plan enough to cover those emergencies or our future. We cannot control the rising costs of medical care, but if we start saving today, we can grow our savings to assist us in paying the higher costs of medical care and enhance our financial future. An HSA (health savings account) could also help us offset expenses and thanks to the tax deferral of this account, we can grow our net worth through an HSA.

For more information on how health savings accounts work, or if you qualify for a health savings account, log onto www.theentrustgroup.com.

What is your biggest bang for your home improvement buck this time of the year? Central Air conditioning! That’s right, in the dead of winter install that central air conditioning system and save up to 20% on the installation! Once spring time comes, those prices will go up!

Did you know that investors age 70 ½ or older can donate up to $100,000 of IRA money to charity during their lifetime without incurring tax liabilities as long as the funds go directly from the IRA custodian to the charity? If this is something of interest to you, make sure your custodian does not write the check to the investor (you) who then writes the check to the charity, otherwise you will pay tax on the distribution. You could also make charitable bequests from your IRA (in other words, allocate money in your IRA to a charity upon your death). What a great way to leave money to your favorite charity! This way, the full value of the gift is transferred tax-free upon death and your estate receives a charitable deduction! For more information on this and other IRA rules, log onto www.theentrustgroup.com to find a representative near you!

If you are trying to figure out how to take your family on a vacation this summer and want to save money along the way, here are a few suggestions:

1. Stick close to home. Consider staying in the U.S. this summer. The fall of the dollar makes going to Europe much more expensive, and if you were counting on London, expect the prices to double!

2. Guarantee yourself the lowest fare. After buying your ticket, enter your flight information into yapta.com. If prices fall and you’re eligible for a refund, you will be notified.

3. Consider waiting until the last minute to book your trip. Many last minute web sites offer deals on cruises, air and hotels. They are willing to sell at a steep discount just to fill the space.

For Real Estate Investors who want to work with banks to pick up investment property through their REO (Real Estate Owned) departments, here is a list of the top banks with web sites that provide lists of foreclosed properties for sale.

Bank of America
Searchable by state, city, price and features: provides address and contact information.

Chase
Searchable by city: provides address and contact information.

Countrywide
Searchable by state, price; provides address, price and contact information.

Downey Savings
Provides a list of properties with address, price, map link and contact information.

HSBC
Searchable by state, provides address, price, map link and link to the listing agent.

Indymac Bank
Searchable by location, home type, features price, address and contact information.

Ocwen Financial
Searchable by state; provides zip code, features, prices, photos map link and contact information as well as instructions on making an offer.

Wells Fargo
Click on property search. Searchable by state, city, provides photos, price and contact information.

Happy Hunting!

Today is the day to start planning for your retirement. No matter how old you are, taking control of your financial future must be important to you. Here are just a few of the many reasons why I continually encourage ALL women to start planning today for tomorrow. Among the reasons:

1. None of us know if social security will be around to help us when we need it.

2. Company pensions? Just look at the airline and auto industries. There are no guarantees.

3. Not becoming a burden on your children to take care of you.

If you are in your 20s or 30s, you should have started an emergency fund, joined your company’s 401(k) (if this is an option), and have opened an IRA.

If you are in your 40s or 50s, the clock is ticking. You should have increased your retirement savings to keep pace with your current income, maximized all contributions to your IRA or 401(k), and if you are over 50, take advantage of catch-up contributions to your IRA. Also, review your financial, estate plan, insurance needs, etc. on a yearly basis.

If you are over age 60, hopefully you have made good choices and have the cash and income to lead a comfortable retirement when you are ready, not when your money is!

You can never get too much information or guidance on your retirement strategy. However, as I have said in the past, if you are someone who does not allow others to manage your money for you, then a self-directed retirement account is for you. To learn more about self-direction and your IRA visit www.theentrustgroup.com to locate an office near you!