Ask you’re five-year old where money comes from, and the answer you'll probably get is "From a machine!" Even though children don't always understand where money really comes from, they realize at a young age that they can use it to buy the things they want. So as soon as your child becomes interested in money, start teaching him or her how to handle it wisely. The simple lessons you teach today will give your child a solid foundation for making a lifetime of financial decisions Abney Associates Team A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc..

LESSON 1: LEARNING TO HANDLE AN ALLOWANCE

An allowance is often a child's first brush with financial independence. With allowance money in hand, your child can begin saving and budgeting for the things he or she wants.

It's up to you to decide how much to give your child based on your values and family budget, but a rule of thumb used by many parents is to give a child 50 cents or 1 dollar for every year of age. To come up with the right amount, you might also want to consider what your child will need to pay for out of his or her allowance, and how much of it will go into savings.

Whether you’re saving for retirement, college for your kids or other needs, you may be unsure about what to do next or whether you can do anything at all. That's where we can help. We'll take the time to listen to you and understand your goals and dreams. We'll help you build a plan to get back on track toward reaching them. Working together, Ameriprise Financial Abney Associates Team will work to find investing opportunities in today’s uncertain market that are aligned with your financial goals. Together, we can bring your dreams more within reach.

Some parents ask their child to earn an allowance by doing chores around the house, while others give their child an allowance with no strings attached. If you're not sure which approach is better, you might want to compromise. Pay your child a small allowance, and then give him or her chance to earn extra money by doing chores that fall outside of his or her normal household responsibilities.

If you decide to give your child an allowance, here are some things to keep in mind:

-  Set some parameters. Sit down and talk to your child about the types of purchases you expect him or her to make, and how much of the allowance should go towards savings.

-  Stick to a regular schedule. Give your child the same amount of money on the same day each week.

-  Consider giving an allowance "raise" to reward your child for handling his or her allowance well.

LESSON 2: OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT

Taking your child to the bank to open an account is a simple way to introduce the concept of saving money. Your child will learn how savings accounts work, and will enjoy trips to the bank to make deposits.

Many banks have programs that provide activities and incentives designed to help children learn financial basics. Here are some other ways you can help your child develop good savings habits:

-  Help your child understand how interest compounds by showing him or her how much "free money" has been earned on deposits.

-  Offer to match whatever your child saves towards a long-term goal.

-  Let your child take a few dollars out of the account occasionally. Young children who see money going into the account but never coming out may quickly lose interest in saving.

LESSON 3: SETTING AND SAVING FOR FINANCIAL GOALS

When your children get money from relatives, you want them to save it for college, but they'd rather spend it now. Let's face it: children don't always see the value of putting money away for the future. So how can you get your child excited about setting and saving for financial goals? Here are a few ideas:

-  Let your child set his or her own goals (within reason). This will give your child some incentive to save.

-  Encourage your child to divide his or her money up. For instance, your child might want to save some of it towards a long-term goal, share some of it with a charity, and spend some of it right away.

-  Write down each goal, and the amount that must be saved each day, week, or month to reach it. This will help your child learn the difference between short-term and long-term goals.

-  Tape a picture of an item your child wants to a goal chart, bank, or jar. This helps a young child make the connection between setting a goal and saving for it.

Finally, don't expect a young child to set long-term goals. Young children may lose interest in goals that take longer than a week or two to reach. And if your child fails to reach a goal, chalk it up to experience. Over time, your child will learn to become a more disciplined saver.

LESSON 4: BECOMING A SMART CONSUMER

Commercials. Peer pressure. The mall. Children are constantly tempted to spend money but aren't born with the ability to spend it wisely. Your child needs guidance from you to make good buying decisions. Here are a few things you can do to help your child become a smart consumer:

-  Set aside one day a month to take your child shopping. This will encourage your child to save up for something he or she really wants rather than buying something on impulse.

-  Just say no. You can teach your child to think carefully about purchases by explaining that you will not buy him or her something every time you go shopping. Instead, suggest that your child try items out in the store, then put them on a birthday or holiday wish list.

-  Show your child how to compare items based on price and quality. For instance, when you go grocery shopping, teach him or her to find the prices on the items or on the shelves, and explain why you're choosing to buy one brand rather than another.

-  Let your child make mistakes. If the toy your child insists on buying breaks, or turns out to be less fun than it looked on the commercials, eventually your child will learn to make good choices even when you're not there to give advice.

TABLE-Japanese insurers' investment plans in 2014/15

(Reuters) - Japanese life insurers, which have combined assets of more than 180 trillion yen ($1.84 trillion) under management, are planning to shift some of their funds from domestic bonds to foreign bonds, as the Bank of Japan's massive easing has suppressed domestic bond yields.

Below is a summary of the investment plans of Japan's biggest life insurance companies for financial year to March 2015, as obtained by Reuters in interviews and at news conferences this month.

FOREIGN BONDS

 Nippon Life to keep hedged bonds steady or trim them, to buy unhedged bonds if yen rises Dai-ichi to allocate more funds than past, both those with and without FX hedging Meiji Yasuda to increase holdings Sumitomo to increase holdings by less than Y500 bln, reduce hedging Mitsui plans to increase holdings by Y50 bln, including FX-hedged/unhedged bonds Taiyo to maintain current holdings, might reduce hedge ratio Daido to increase holdings after buying Y100 billion last FY Fukoku to increase Y30 bln after having bought Y20 bln more than planned Asahi to increase holdings, may reduce hedging on dollar bonds slightly.

JAPAN BONDS

Nippon Life to increase holdings but closely eyeing yield levels Dai-ichi will not buy at current yield levels, may reduce holdings Meiji Yasuda to increase holdings but be prepared for potential yield spike Sumitomo to increase holding, but reduce buying in super-long JGBs Mitsui to increase holdings by around Y100 billion Taiyo to maintain holdings after selling Y80 billion last FY Daido to maintain holdings after selling Y110 billion last FY Fukoku to mildly increase to Y10 bln Asahi to maintain holdings flat after increasing Y90 bln last .

FY JAPAN STOCKS

Nippon Life to keep holdings steady Dai-ichi to look for chances to buy on dips Meiji Yasuda to cut holdings Sumitomo to keep holdings steady Mitsui has almost finished long-term objective of reducing Japanese stocks Taiyo no plans to increase after selling Y10 billion last FY Daido to maintain holdings after buying Y5 billion last FY Fukoku increase Y10 bln, increase is 1st time in 6 years Asahi to maintain holdings steady.

FOREIGN SHARES

 Nippon Life to keep foreing share holdings steady, see opportunity in loans Dai-ichi to increase holdings in foreign shares, invest in growth areas Meiji Yasuda to increase investment in shares, keep alternatives steady Sumitomo to invest up to around Y50 bln in growth areas in infrastructure, Asia Mitsui n/a Taiyo n/a Daido to maintain holdings Fukoku n/a Asahi to slightly increase alternative investments.

EXPECTED MARKET RANGES

Dollar/yen Euro/yen NIKKEI JGB 10-yr US 10-yr Nippon Life Y105 - 115 Y133 - 147 15,500 - 19,000 0.6 - 1.2% n/a Dai-ichi Y98 - 113 Y130 - 155 13,500 - 18,500 0.55- 1.20% 2.5 - 3.75% Meiji Yasuda Y98 - 110 Y130 - 150 13,000 - 18,500 0.5 - 1.1% 2.4 - 3.4% Sumitomo Y95 - 120 Y130 - 150 13,300 - 18,600 0.4 - 1.0% 2.4 - 3.7% Mitsui Y102 - 112 Y141 - 153 15,500 - 18,500 0.4 - 1.0% 2.5 - 3.9% Taiyo Y95 - 110 Y130 - 150 13,000 - 17,000 0.5 - 1.2% 2.5 - 3.5% Daido Y95 - 120 Y125 - 160 13,000 - 18,000 0.5 - 1.0% 2.3 - 3.8% Fukoku Y95 - 110 Y135 - 155 13,000 - 17,500 0.55 - 1.0% 2.3 - 3.5% Asahi Y97 - 115 Y132 - 154 12,500 - 17,500 0.5 - 0.9% 2.4 - 3.7% (Reporting by Tokyo Markets Team; Editing by Anand Basu).

HVILKE UTFORDRINGER VIL DU MØTE?

• Foreldrene dine møter noen av de samme utfordringene som du kan stå overfor nå: justere til et nytt liv som tom emballasje hekket og få reacquainted med hverandre som et par. Men har livet vokst enda mer komplisert de siste årene. Her er noe av det du kan forvente å møte som medlem av den sandwich generation i dag:

• Dine foreldre kan trenger hjelp som de blir eldre. Høyere levestandard mener en økt levetid, og du må hjelpe foreldrene dine Forbered tilstrekkelig for fremtiden.

• Hvis familien er små og vidt spredt, kan du ende opp som den primære omsorgspersonen for foreldrene dine.

• Hvis du har forsinket å ha barna slik at du kan fokusere på karriere først, kan barna begynner college samtidig som foreldrene dine bli avhengig opp på du for støtte.

• Du kan stå overfor utfordringer “boomerang barn” som har kommet hjem etter en skilsmisse eller jobb tap.

• Som mange enkeltpersoner, kan du pådra seg gjeld i en enestående hastighet, overfor pension mangler og lurer på om fremtiden for trygd.

HVA KAN DU GJØRE FOR Å FORBEREDE FOR FREMTIDEN?

• Holde nede en jobb og oppdra en familie i dagens verden er hardt nok uten å bekymre deg for å holde de tre-ledet monster av college, pensjon, og bekymringer om eldre foreldre i sjakk. Men hvis du tar noen tid nå å finne dine mål og arbeide med en fleksibel plan, vil du spare mye stress – og regning – i årene som kommer. Planlegging fremover gir deg sjansen til å ta hensyn til ønskene til hele familien og redusere fremtidige uenigheter med dine søsken over omsorg av foreldrene dine.

• Her er noen måter du kan forberede nå for problemer du kan møte i fremtiden:

• Begynne å spare for de stigende kostnadene ved høgskolen så snart som mulig.

• Jobber hardt for å kontrollere din gjeld. Avdrag gjeld (bil betalinger, kredittkort, personlige lån, college lån, etc.) skulle utgjøre mer enn 20 prosent av take – home betaling.

• Se gjennom dine finansielle mål regelmessig, og endre din finansielle plan som er nødvendig for å imøtekomme en uforutsett hendelse, som en karriere endre eller sykdom forelder.

• Invest i din egen framtid ved å sette så mye som mulig til en avgang plan, der innsparinger (som kan samsvare av din arbeidsgiver) vokse skatt utsatt før du pensjonere.

• Oppmuntre realistiske forventninger blant barna; deres ønske om å delta på en dyr college legger til stress hvis du ikke har råd til det.

• Snakke med foreldrene dine om bestemmelsene de har gjort for fremtiden. Har de langsiktig omsorg forsikring? Tilstrekkelig pensjon inntekt? Lær hvor alle dokumentene og få en liste over fagfolk og venner de avhengige for råd og støtte.

OMSORG FOR DIN FORELDRE

Mye avhenger av om en forelder lever med deg eller ut av byen. Hvis dine foreldre bor et stykke unna, har du ansvaret for å overvåke sin velferd langveis fra. Daglig telefonsamtaler kan være tidkrevende, og måtte stole på dine foreldres støttenettverk kan være frustrerende. Reise til dine foreldres hjem kan være dyrt, og du kan bekymre deg å være borte fra familien. For å redusere stress, kan du prøve å involvere søsken (Hvis du har) i jakt etter mor eller far, også. Hvis foreldrene dine behov er stor nok, bør du også vurdere å ansette en profesjonell geriatrisk omsorg manager som kan hjelpe overvåke dine foreldres omsorg og henvise deg til samfunnet ressursene dine foreldre trenger.

Etter hvert skjønt, kan du bestemme at dine foreldre trenger å flytte sammen med deg. Hvis dette skjer, bør du huske på følgende punkter:

• Dele dine forventninger på forhånd; en forelder vil i din husholdning og kan være glad for å ta på seg noe ansvar.

• Huske på at dine foreldre trenger et eget rom og telefon for plass og privatliv.

• Kontakt lokale, sivile og religiøse organisasjoner å finne ut om programmer som vil innebære din overordnede i samfunnet.

• Prøv å arbeide med andre familiemedlemmer og få dem til å hjelpe ut, kanskje ved å tilby midlertidig omsorg for foreldrene dine hvis du må ta en sårt tiltrengt pause.

• Støttende av barna – de prøver å justere, også være sympatisk. Fortelle ærlig om fordeler og ulemper med å ha en besteforelder i huset. Be dem om å ta ansvar for bestemte oppgaver, men ikke krever dem til å være omsorgspersoner.

Sectie 529 plannen krachtige college besparingen instrumenten kunnen zijn, maar je moet begrijpen hoe uw plan werkt voordat u van het profiteren kunt. Dit betekent onder andere dingen, zich vertrouwd te maken met de finesses van bijdragen en uitbetalingen. Een beetje kennis kan u geld besparen en uw kansen op het bereiken van de educatieve doelen die u hebt ingesteld voor uw kinderen te maximaliseren. Maar houd in gedachten dat alle investeren risico's houdt, met inbegrip van het mogelijke verlies van hoofdsom, en kan er geen garantie dat elke investeringsstrategie succesvol zal zijn.

HOEVEEL KUNT U BIJDRAGEN?

Om te kwalificeren als een 529 plan onder federale regels, moet een programma staat bijdragen boven de verwachte kosten van een begunstigde gekwalificeerde onderwijs kosten niet accepteren. In één keer, betekende dit vijf jaar van collegegeld, vergoedingen en kamer en karton aan het duurste college onder het plan, uit hoofde van de federale overheid "safe harbor" richtsnoer. Nu, echter, Staten interpreteren deze richtlijn meer in het algemeen, herziening van hun grenzen om weer te geven van de kosten van het bijwonen van de duurste scholen in het land en met inbegrip van de kosten van de graduate school. Dientengevolge, de meeste staten hebben bijdrage grenzen van 300.000 dollar en up (en de meeste staten zal verhogen hun grenzen elk jaar te houden met stijgende studiekosten).

Een staat limiet geldt voor beide soorten 529 plan: prepaid collegegeld plan of college spaarplan. Voor een prepaid collegegeld plan is de Braziliaanse limiet een beperking van de totale bijdragen. Bijvoorbeeld, als de Braziliaanse grens $300.000 is, kan niet u bijdragen meer dan 300.000 dollar. Aan de andere kant, beperkt een spaarplan college de waarde van de account voor een begunstigde. Wanneer de waarde van de account (met inbegrip van bijdragen en beleggingsopbrengsten) van de staat limiet bereikt, kunnen geen meer bijdragen geaccepteerd worden. Bijvoorbeeld, veronderstel dat de Braziliaanse grens is $300.000. Als u een bijdrage 250.000 dollar leveren en de account $50.000 van inkomsten is, u zal niet zitten kundig bijdragen meer--de totale waarde van de account de 300.000 dollar limiet heeft bereikt.

Deze grenzen zijn per begunstigde, dus als u en uw moeder elk een account voor uw kind in het hetzelfde plan instellen, uw gecombineerde bijdragen de limiet van plan kunnen niet overschrijden. Als u accounts in meer dan één staat hebt, vraagt elk plan beheerder als bijdragen aan andere plannen tegen de staat maximaal tellen. Sommige plannen wellicht ook een bijdrage te beperken, zowel in eerste instantie en elk jaar.

Opmerking: In het algemeen, bijdrage grenzen niet staat lijnen oversteken. Bijdragen aan een lidstaat 529 plan niet tellen mee voor de levensduur bijdrage limiet in een andere staat. Maar check de regels van uw wettelijke pensioenregeling om erachter te komen als dat plan bijdragen van andere lidstaten plannen in aanmerking neemt bij het vaststellen van als de levenslange bijdrage limiet heeft bereikt.

HOE WEINIG KUNT U BEGINNEN MET?

Sommige plannen hebben minimumbijdrage eisen. Dit zou kunnen betekenen een of meer van de volgende handelingen uit: (1) u moet maken een minimum storting openen wanneer u uw account opent, (2) elk van uw bijdragen moet ten minste een bepaald bedrag, of (3) u moet ten minste een bepaalde bedrag jaarlijks bij te dragen. Maar sommige plannen kunnen afzien of lager hun minima (bijvoorbeeld de opening borg) als u uw account voor automatische loonlijst aftrek of bankrekening afschrijvingen ingesteld. Sommige zal ook afzien van vergoedingen als u een dergelijke regeling ingesteld. (Een groeiend aantal bedrijven laten hun werknemers bijdragen aan college spaarplannen via loonlijst aftrek.) Net als bijdrage grenzen, minima variëren van plan, dus zorg ervoor dat de beheerder van uw plan vragen.

KEN UW ANDERE BIJDRAGE REGELS

Hier zijn een paar andere fundamentele regels die voor de meeste 529 plannen gelden:

• Alleen contante bijdragen worden geaccepteerd (bijvoorbeeld, cheques, postwissels, credit card betalingen). U kunt geen bijdragen aandelen, obligaties, beleggingsfondsen, en dergelijke. Als u geld vastgebonden in dergelijke activa hebt en wil dat geld te investeren in een 529 plan, moet u eerst de activa liquideren.

• Bijdragen kunnen worden gedaan door vrijwel iedereen (bijvoorbeeld uw ouders, broers en zussen, vrienden). Gewoon omdat je de accounteigenaar betekent niet dat je de enige persoon die heeft toegestaan om bij te dragen aan de account.

• Bijdragen mag in het algemeen niet worden gericht op bepaalde beleggingen van uw keuze. Echter, de meeste college spaarplannen bieden verscheidene verschillende beleggingsportefeuilles, en veel laten u kiezen een of meer portefeuilles te investeren uw bijdragen. U maken deze keuze op het moment dat u uw bijdrage leveren. Sommige Staten hebben ook

• twee kansen om te veranderen van uw investeringen keuze toegevoegd. Spaarplannen in deze landen kunnen u uw investeringen keuze wijzigen wanneer u de begunstigde van de account wijzigen. Deze plannen kunnen u wijzigen in de beleggingsportefeuille eenmaal per kalenderjaar, als goed.