Q. I’ve finally learned my lesson when it comes to credit cards. After charging up four credit card accounts and spending four years paying them off, I don’t ever want to see my name on another credit card again. In fact, I want to cut all of them up and close all my accounts. However, my friend says that I should keep the accounts open and keep one card just in case of emergencies. Which one of us is right? And won’t a debit card work just as well?

A. Congratulations on paying off your credit card debt and being so determined never to get in that kind of position again. We are glad that you have found strategies that work well for you to help you manage your money.

However, your friend does have a good point about your credit cards, for a number of reasons.

*Your credit score and credit to debt ratio.
You credit score is in part determined by how much credit you are permitted by financial institutions. If you close all your accounts, you could be lowering your credit score. Therefore, now that your cards are paid off, keep the accounts open, but put the cards in a safe place where you will not be tempted to use them, except in the most dire emergency.

Keep one available with a low interest rate and possibly cash back points and only use if for essentials and items you could not readily pay for in cash, such as online shopping. The key for using a credit card is never to charge more in a month than you can pay off at the end of the month.

*Rewards cards
Some rewards are worth having, such as free airline miles for purchases, but only if you are a great traveller. Otherwise, go for the cash back. Just be aware that studies have recently shown that people who use rewards based cards tend to spend 4% more each time they use it than cards that do not carry such perks. So make your shopping list and stick to it.

Continued in part 2

In any business organization, enterprise asset management is vital in achieving a greater return on assets. This primarily involves curbing operating costs, maximizing results on periodic asset maintenance, and effective management of capital. In any industry, the employees also need to recognize the importance of asset management, and have the knowledge on a variety of asset maximizing responsibilities.

Asset Management Elucidated

Essentially, asset management in any enterprise involves the effective administration of its physical assets, for the purpose of increasing profits and minimizing downtime expenses. The scope of this administrative function includes activities such as construction of facilities and fixtures, plant and office building design and engineering, production operations, and finally the maintenance of equipment and the replacement of the necessary parts.

As an example, physical assets would encompass machines like computers and printers as well as furniture like desks, chairs, and filing cabinets. Transport systems are also included, as well as cable and plant machineries, in the case of bigger industries. Of course fixed assets would differ depending on the type of industry the organization is engaged in, such as food production, textile, corporate services, or healthcare.

Thus, from the procurement of supplies and tools, operation of machines for production, to the maintenance of facilities, all these should be handled with asset value maximization in mind.

The modern approach to asset management by organizations and entrepreneurs has shifted from the traditional type, which had merely involved short term planning. Today, every organization is taking an active role in ensuring that its asset expenditures and utilities are geared towards achieving longer-term returns. Moreover, asset management is crucial for enterprises that maintain units across various locations or those that utilize fixed assets in different departments within one unit.

Why this type of management is essential

Effective asset management commands importance in the same manner that physical assets play very important roles in the day-to-day operations of any industry. The purchase and the ownership of fixed assets, while very important in any business, require excellent management and maintenance skills. Entrepreneurs for instance, should have a system wherein the cost of owning equipment or expensive machinery is minimized at all times. Poor performance, downtimes, and repairs all add up to the cost of these fixed assets over time.

Machine repairs and equipment maintenance are indeed important for any industry; however these should be effectively carried out so as to not hamper the daily operations of the industry, such as the production processes. Furthermore, whenever equipment or system downtimes happen, this subsequently affects the expenses of the company. Planning and management of assets, costs, and maintenance should all be done to increase the life cycle of the assets and for the business to perform more effectively even in the face of rigid competition.

The Essential Tools in Assets Management

These days, EAM tools are available for complex organizations and industries. These tools provide the best solutions in work and asset management and even asset information management. These are all geared towards helping businesses maintain their plants, maximize equipment value, effectively manage information for sales, and coordinate with production and maintenance personnel for improved quality and competence.

Successful enterprise asset management is certainly a requirement for any industry, especially in todayís rapidly globalizing and extremely competitive business settings. Through this, industry managers, business owners, and company top-level executives will be able to optimize and organize the daily operations of the business for effective performance and profitability.

What do asset management companies do? These companies take care of the investments of a client by investing in various schemes.

There are a number of asset management companies to choose from and they offer a wide range of services. Some examples of these include financial investments, production machines, technology and even office furniture and supplies.

When we talk of financial events, this includes the tracking, recording, properly accounting and investing of certain assets so the client will be able to make the most of what they currently have. This may, at times, be risky for the client but there are ways to avoid the risks. The schemes are: fixed income, equity, balanced, money market and commodities. Letís discuss these for a moment.

Fixed income investments are those that will generate a regular flow of income for the investor. This is the safest one around and are usually in the form of government bonds.

Equity has some risks involved because no one has control of the stock market. There are various factors that could make it go up or down such as the performance of the company and other world events. To prevent losses, experts have to study the market, assess the risks and volatility to pick which stock will get the best possible returns. Equity schemes can be done regardless of industry or country so donít feel bad if the US stock market is not doing too well.

Then there is also balanced where the mutual fund company will invest in several assets such as shares, bonds and stocks. The risks are higher here but it may pay off in time especially for those who can afford to wait it out for a few years.

The money market includes trading treasury bills, commercial paper and other liquid securities. You get a certain amount each month because of interest. Safer than equity or balanced but the rate of return is much lower.

There are also commodities. Examples of these include gold and other precious metals, coffee, currencies such as the Japanese Yen, as well as the most talked about issue right now, oil.

Before any decision is made, it is the job of the asset management company to do some research and then pass this on back to the client who will say yes or no.

If new equipment is needed, the asset management company will help the client look around for the best possible one around before buying it. This is very useful when the machines are either damaged or already outdated.

These services begin the moment they are hired by the client so they will be there from the planning stage all the way until the deal has been completed.

Asset management companies have been around for years and you just have to find one that will be able to deliver what you require of them. Before you select one, do some research on your own to see who are the clients and what have they done in the past because you surely donít want to entrust your assets just to anyone who gives you a call.

So what do asset management companies? They help you accumulate wealth by using their expertise. Do you need it? Yes because they are the only ones who can do the job.

Asset management seems like a fancy term for people who are not much into investing and into business but the truth is, it is something that all people need to survive the rising costs of living and inflation rates.

The concept is actually similar in a way to putting the money that you earn in banks but the difference is, asset management makes use of stocks, mutual funds, properties and bonds to further increase your wealth and assets. You see, putting your money in the bank is not enough. You can only do this for the money that you feel you will need during emergencies. You can put it there and let it earn a small interest, so that you can easily withdraw It when you need it.

For the extra money that you have that you donít really need, invest it. Mutual funds, bonds and stocks yield higher rewards than the measly interests that banksí provide. In just a few years, you can earn half of what you invested, something that you canít do with the bank.

But before you get into asset management and hire yourself a professional, read through the items below to help orient yourself to the field of investing.

1. There are a lot of scams and con artists in the world

Money can make people do things that they will not normally do. This is a fact of life that you need to know before you start hiring somebody to handle your assets and properties. That way, you will be more careful when looking for asset managers.

When hiring somebody, make sure that you have done some background checks on the person first. As far as possible, hire only those that you know personally. If you donít know anyone who can handle your finances, ask the people that you know to make recommendations. Start with your family and friends as they will give you a good recommendation.

But before you hire the guy, set up a meeting first. Even if he or she is recommended by your most trusted friend, you cannot be too sure.

And after you have hired him or her, still take an active part with the investing of your money. Make sure that you are informed about every investment made. Do not give full power to the asset manager to decide on investing issues. Your approval must always be asked before making an investment.

2. Diversify

This is the golden rule that asset managers go by. Diversification means that you need to put investments in more than one product and not in one investment product. The yield can be good but it isnít worth it to risk your entire savings in one go.

If your asset manager has not done this, think twice before continuing the service. The adage “Do not put all your eggs in one basket” holds true for this field. You see, investments can also be very risky. Even those that are considered a surefire success can suddenly fold, leaving you with big losses.

That is why you need to make sure that you have something to fall back on if one investment falls through. If you diversified your investments in asset management, you can still count on your other investments to prop you up on your feet again.

One drawback to certain types of diversification is that some markets are interlocked. For instance, the stock market and bond markets will generally go in opposite directions. So investing in both will pretty much guarantee that if you are gaining in one, you will be losing in the other and achieving zero growth at best. Stocks are generally more volatile than bonds. If stocks drop they will generally lose value much more rapidly than any gains in the bond market.

3. Greed versus Need

In any plan for investing, you should always set clear goals and guide your decisions on what you need rather than what you want. How much risk can you afford? The greater risks must be balanced by a realistic expectation of greater gains but you have to ask yourself if you can afford the great losses that might result.

One crucial aspect in any investment decision is an accurate risk assessment using the best information you can get. But research as you will, there will always be information that you can’t get or circumstances you can’t predict. So your assments will always be inaccurate, perhaps disastrously so.

Software asset management is one of the things you can do to ensure that you are on par with the influx of computers and technology in the corporate world. Few people are familiar with the concept of software management, but it is as important as other aspects of asset management in the organization or company.

Software is an Asset

One of the concepts that must be considered as a fact is that software is an asset. It is an asset in the sense that it can make a lot of favorable returns when you install it. At a fairly minimal cost, you will be able to get back what you invested in a particular software, especially if it is in a business setting. The thing about managing software assets is that you must first inherently believe that it is an asset to the company.

What are the software assets popular today?

Some of the more popular software assets today depend on the nature of your company operations. For example, if you are oriented on spatial data, you will find mapping software to be one of your greatest assets. Licenses for highly upgraded and updated software are quite expensive, so they need to be managed more carefully and in full detail. If you happen to be on a software business, the software inventory might be more than just a means of managing your software assets.

How do you manage your software asset?

Software assets may basically be managed by checking out license receipts and the like all over the company’s operations. This way, duplication of purchases are prevented and you will know which software needs more updating than the others. A good record of the software bought will also ensure that you are able to keep track of your expenses when you are purchasing software. You might also consider getting a software that will actually help you manage not just your software assets but all the other physical assets in your company.

Constantly upgrading your software

Aside from taking inventory, part of software asset management is scheduling your upgrades. You must do it quite regularly so that you can be ensured that you get the best of all your software. Periodically inspect if the upgrades are working properly, and replace them immediately if they malfunction in one way or another. These little things may seem insignificant, but nothing beats the frustration of having wasted time because of menial things such as not having the right software when you need it the most.

Software Asset Management in the Organization

In the organization, a unified software asset management strategy is needed to be able to efficiently function with all the right updates needed by the company. If one component is updated and the others are falling behind, this still doesn’t constitute effective software asset management. If you are really serious about getting it all right, all the other components within the organization must support your endeavors of making software asset management a habit.

Salient issues pertaining to Software asset management

Salient issues pertaining to software asset management involve miscommunication on the part of the software asset manager and the other end users of the software. Duplications due to loopholes in the updates of the software inventory may also cause a dent in the integrity of the software asset management system.

When you are trying to manage other people’s assets, there are things that you must and must not do. Asset management is a very tricky job, since it involves having to go through sometimes private details of the personís life.

Asset management research doesn’t have to be for other people. It is far easier to do asset management research for yourself. To begin with, you will have no qualms whatsoever in getting your own details together.

Asset Management Research Tip 1: Understand the Scope

The very first challenge for a researcher in asset management is to understand not just your goals for conducting research, but also the scope in which you are allowed to operate. Avoid taboos from the very beginning by inquiring the degree of penetration that you can have as far as the pertinent information is concerned. This is crucial because it will dictate the depth of your research. The purposes of the research must also be kept in mind: is it to confirm existing sets of research or to start entirely from scratch? These questions may seem minor but they are important to having a productive set of research.

Asset Management Research Tip 2: Make an objective inventory and update it

When you are trying to make an inventory, make sure that it is updated. The inventory will help you show whatís there to begin with. Having an inventory is a handy tool that will help you address the issues that might come up in an individualís asset management program. Remember that it is usually on a case to case basis, and what might work for one may not necessarily be as effective for another. The objectivity in inventory is also important for it will be a good basis of facts only if it is not selective in nature.

Asset Management Research Tip 3: Deal only with the recent sources

The recent sources will tell you the present state. This is the very first thing that you have to inspect and incorporate in your research. If you have to backtrack more for establishing credibility, read the next tip.

Asset Management Research Tip 4: Observe past circumstances as well for patterns

Patterns may only be found from past recurring experiences. Now, if you are after some intense research on asset management, trailing the past will also be as effective. Pair the findings of the past with the present situation and know its implications for your overall efficiency as a researcher.

Asset Management Research Tip 5: Have a working set of recommendations

The purpose of research is not just simply to report whatís out there. It will also be helpful if there are solutions offered in form of recommendations. Researching for asset management is not just about outlining a list of things that are present in oneís asset bin. It also involves giving the initial directions under which effective asset management may thrive.

Asset Management Research Tip 6: Be flexible for changes that may happen

Research will not tell everything, especially if it is just preliminary research. Changes may still be introduced. A new event may actually challenge your assessments. While there is a limit to editing research works, you may have to design your research in such a way that it will accommodate changes as they come along.

During the dark ages of computers and asset management, the 1970′s and early 1980′s, there was a company that operated large ocean going integrated tug/barge systems.

The tug engines were twin 5560 HP V-12 diesels.

There were 5 parts of these engines that were tracked. There was an index card for each item and notations were made whan any piece was changed.

The vessels had no computer systems but the First Assistant Engineer brought a personal IBM type computer aboard while the Captain had purchased a Commodore 64 and was writing programs for it in Basic.

Each engine had a counter attached that gave cumulative operating hours and each piece tracked had the engine hours at installation noted.

The pieces and guidelines for changeout were:

Heads 10,000 hours, later changed to 12,000 hours

Right hand intake valve 3,000 hours

Left hand intake valve 3,000 hours

Right hand exhaust valve 3,000 hours

Left hand exhaust valve 3,000 hours

The above items were for each cylinder for both engines, giving 120 items to be accounted for.

The First Assistant Engineer wanted to create a program to track the data and find out the status of each part. He bogged down on his program and mentioned the problem to the Captain.

The Captain wrote a fast and dirty basic program that compared the engine hours at installation to the present engine hours for each item and gave a printout of the status of each item.

It took about 2 days to enter the data and write the program which ran through it all in about 30 seconds.

Conditions were, “OK”, if under the replacement hours, “Will need replacement in XXX hours” or “Overdue for replacement by xxx hours”

The entire Port Engine was overdue by no less than 1000 hours and sometimes quite a bit more.

This sent a shockwave through all Engine related personnel.

Although information had been entered on the index cards, no one had ever made any practical use of it.

The economics:

These vessels cost about $2,000 per hour to operate.

The failure of an exhaust valve meant stopping the engine and changing it out and took about one hour.

(In a true disaster, the Engineers had bypassed the air/oil interlock that prevented the engine from starting when it had no oil pressure. The interlock had failed and there was no replacement immediately available. They shut down for a failed exhaust valve and when they restarted, no one turned the lube oil pump back on. The engine was destroyed and replacement cost $1 million.

In addition, about 1/4 of the revenue of the vessel for a whole year was lost while waiting for a replacement engine to be built and delivered.)

The failure of an intake valve would be another disaster. In general, the valve head would drop into the cylinder where it would get mashed into pieces about the size of a marble. In the process, it would destroy the other intake valve, the head, the piston and liner. This would generally cause an emergency port call and take a full day or two to repair.

In about 14 years of operation we never experienced a head failure.

So preventive maintenance was essential but before the advent of computers there was no good way to keep track of it.

The end of this story is that the Company went into high gear and replaced every part that was overdue. Right after they finished, the engines were started one morning and the lube oil pump failed to provied full pressure to the Port engine. It was severely damaged but not destroyed as was the Starboard one on the previous occasion. But the money was not there to repair it and the Company went bankrupt.

Physical asset management is the practice of effectively using the physical assets of the company. Many companies have an in house department taking care of that but in some cases, an outside party is called in to help them out.

For this to work, the team has to know first hand the assets of the company. To prevent duplication, it should point out the depreciation value and the utility in the process of production. This process is better known as cost analysis as this will increase economic life and reduce component failures such as the incidence of theft and mistakes in the procurement of supplies and equipment.

It can also assist management in tax planning and forecasting business solutions which could save the company millions of dollars.

For instance, production suffers if machines break down frequently. This is normal if the machine being used is already old. The company can try to repair it but if the cost is much higher than a brand new one, then perhaps they should try to sell this at a reasonable price then use the money to buy a new one.

The same goes if a company has hundreds of stores and only a few of them are making a profit. Since the unprofitable ones are not really bringing in revenue, perhaps it will be a good idea to close them. You must first identify which are constantly unprofitable and it might be a good idea to find out whya and if the situation can be corrected.

This is something that a lot of companies are doing now due to rising costs of fuel and the economic slowdown. Rather than filing for bankruptcy, they would rather slash a few thousand jobs and close down stores. Some companies that have done so include Starbucks, American Airlines, JP Morgan and a lot more. Remember here that workers are also consumers and when they lose their jobs, they tend to consume (buy) a lot less. Other members of society may decide to punish those who lay off workers by not buying their goods or services. The other option is for some companies to merge just to stay afloat.

The bottom line is that physical asset management gives the company an idea as to what they actually have. This will help prevent them from missing out on opportunities when they present themselves.

One way of keeping track of the companyís assets instead of doing it by hand is by investing in asset management software. This will allow those in management to gain access to it whenever it is needed via the companyís intranet.

This can be done by bar coding everything similar to what is done in the supermarket. This will enable the in house team to just scan the item which not only increases accuracy but helps to save time on repeated inventories.

There are four stages which make up the physical asset management cycle.

First is planning and procurement. Here the company sees what is available and then decides what more is needed. They will look at various suppliers and then buy the machine that is affordable and efficient.

In the second stage, those who use it have to use the equipment in order to maximize its productivity.

Third, is called financial management. Here, the company will see if it was worth getting the equipment. It also includes ensuring accurate tax, depreciation and other costs.

Fourth is disposal. If the machine is obsolete, it has to be replaced in compliance with environmental regulations.

Companies will be able to practice effective physical asset management by following the life cycle. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made in order for the company to survive.

There is no doubt that asset management software is needed in todayís environment. But what if you want to communicate with other offices? For that you will need to invest in an online asset management software system.

Online asset management software is connected to an enterprise-wide network or the Internet by embedding special equipment that will allow maintenance personnel to track the functioning of the equipment in real time. Thus, you are to perform preventive maintenance measures and quickly take action when there are breakdowns. This also enables the company to manage their inventory from any location by using the web browser.

To give you an idea, here are some examples where online asset management software can be used.

Since this can be accessed remotely, it can help information technology personnel monitor the hardware and software installed on the enterprise network. Advanced versions of these applications can also help managers control the hardware and software applications on the servers.

Even advertising and media agencies have joined the bandwagon. This is because it helps the people in these companies automate the process of maintaining, marketing, publishing and viewing their multimedia gallery or store.

As for software product development companies, they can use this electronically distribute or manage the digital products they have developed.

On the human resources level, the online asset management software will help the HR department to track employee performance, manage talent and even identify star performers. This can also be used when they go out and attend job fairs so resumes can be stored.

Finance companies also use this so their clients are able to track their own financial assets especially stocks and mutual fund investments in real time. All the customer has to do is log in and then get the latest status on their assets.

Once a company has fully integrated the online asset management software, it will be easy for the various departments to talk to each other. It can detect the installation of unlicensed or unauthorized software, enhance helpdesk security and generate reports so this can be viewed and printed.

Asset management software provides analysis of data, which helps company to make new strategy plans for cash flow, helps in the efficient utilization of resources, and in turn increases the productivity of the company.

You can find online asset management software online. Most sites will allow you to download their program for a 30 day trial and then you have to buy it to continue using it. When you are shopping for it, compare their features and the price. Donít forget to read product reviews and blogs because how well it has performed or not has already had been tested by various users.

When you have found the right online asset management software program, make sure that those in the company are trained how to use it. This will prevent problems later on when data is sent back and forth.

Asset management even if it is now available online is still the process of designing, implementing, planning and maintaining the companyís assets. These include everything from infrastructure, plant, property, and human resources. Being able to access this from a remote location is just another way of checking on things if you are out of the office, while you are out of town, or out of the country.

Asset management is replete with issues or problems that arise, regardless of the generation under which you are operating it. The good thing is that many people have already been open to sharing their experiences on asset management, which saves newbies to asset management time and energy from learning things the hard way. Here is a short list of the most common problems pertaining to asset management that every asset manager must know of.

Lack of updates in the evaluation

When there is a bigger team asked to deal with the asset management of the company, sometimes the updates are much more difficult to attribute to individuals. This is because, while there is rotation among the members, some parts may not be covered thoroughly. On the other hand, if too many people are assigning tasks to individuals without the updates specifically communicated among the different members, the updates will be much more difficult to establish.

Miscommunication among departments

This is the most common problem of asset management that involves human factors. The miscommunication can go from as short as missing one decimal place to having questionable discrepancies on file. The miscommunication is a great disadvantage because it involves lack of proper use for the different instruments made available for asset management.

Incompetence to Manage Assets

The technical competence to mange assets is also equally important. If one of the team members has not taken the time to train for the use of the equipment and the dynamics needed by the job of managing assets, the incompetence will result in disasters in the managing of assets. Inventory problems and management issues may arise, and in essence, it is still better to manage with a few high quality people than with many below average ones.

Lack of Technology Demanded by the Company

For example, you have all the competent people you need. But if you do not have the technology that matches their qualifications for doing to job, success will be much more difficult to achieve. You may get an above average performance from the people, but it will still be much much better if the technology matches the good skills of the asset management team.

Lack of support

When there is lack of support in any given endeavor, it is bound to fail. The same goes with asset management. The lack of support among departments may not be conducive for positive change and objective or honest inventory of assets. Where there are ulterior motives being satisfied among the ranks, the management of assets may not be as pure or clean as one would like. This lack of support may be remedied by strengthening the ties of the team members via enriching activities.

No balance in asset elements

The balance is the key to perfect asset management. A balance in the different categories and the figures that represent them in the charts are the core outputs of a good management of assets in an organization. A lack of balance means that there are some things that need to be modified, or that some people are out of shape for this activity.

Too little risks taken for growth

When one’s asset is much managed, there is also a tendency to eliminate all risks, even when in fact these risks are contributory to the company’s growth and yield good returns. Asset management must also involve taking calculated risks.