Personal Finance Guide

Archive for May, 2008

Personal Finance | Spending Plan 101 – Week One of Twelve

Step Two: Organize Your Finances

You’re a person with Financial Goals. Now determine where your finances stand. 

1. Write down your cash balance at the beginning of the year. 
2. Add your expected income for the year. Check your most recent income tax return so you are sure to include all sources of income.

Click here to go to step 3: 

Asset Allocation

Question: From Engineer to Financial Analyst?

I have six years of experience as an engineer. (BS in engineering)
As I wanted to change my career from engineer to financial guy, I obtained an MBA degree, finance as concentration.
My first job after MBA was not in the financial industry, but a little close. I have worked as an administrator at a research institution. My responsibilities include R&D budget planning, R&D accounting, profit estimation, project controller, R&D strategy establishing, process improvement (Six Sigma), Business plan development, project evaluation, etc.
Because of my personal reasons, I am going to move to the US from Japan and look for a job. I wonder what kind of job positions can be aligned with my background. Because I have experience in accounting, a MBA degree in finance, am quite good at numbers and excel spreadsheet, and have analytical skills, I am targeting the financial analyst position. Any advice?

Answer: from all of my experience (25+ years), i’ve always seen that your combination makes for an excellent manager. You probably shouldnt be in the financial industry — you should look to get into a company that makes things, that is the type of organization that would benefit the most from your experience.

How to Set a Budget : Personal Finance Tips