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The basics of financial planning are pretty simple. Spend less than you make, save for the future, and make smart investment choices. Still, once our wallet gets to a certain level of fatness (or deteriorates into shambles) we often feel the need to turn to an expert for advice.

Unfortunately, a good financial advisor can be hard to come by. Most of the time they aren’t trying to waste their precious billable hours on folks making less than six figures. Plus, it can feel hypocritical to fork over thousands of dollars for advice that you could be using to improve your financial standing.

Cue the internet to the rescue! Just like the travel industry and tax preparation services before it, financial advice is being streamlined by technology. Instead of a human advisor charging up to $150 an hour to ask you hundreds of questions about your financial standing, monetary goals, and openness to risk in order to develop a unique plan, a computer program does the job for a flat rate.

Web alternatives can be easier to use than going to a person. Many allow you to electronically pull information from your financial institutions, saving you the chore of compiling the information manually. An action plan is then generated specifically for you, based on the principles financial advisors follow. Some services, like NestWise, will follow up via e-mail or video chat with a human being for an additional fee.

For some people, visiting a firm may still be ideal. In his defense of financial advisors for Forbes, Mike Alfred refers to top advisors as “a quarterback in their client’s financial life [to] help coordinate estate planning, tax planning, insurance coverage, as well as providing a comprehensive process to help the client understand their funding needs and life goals.”

But, that logic is based on the theory that everyone’s financial situation is unique, and requires a plan specific to her financial position. The truth is, most of us are in the same boat. We eat out too much. We need to pay off debt. We’re saving for retirement or a big purchase.

If your finances have quirks that the average person doesn’t deal with, by all means turn to a professional for their opinion. But, if you’re an Average Jill looking to manage her money better, the web may be an effective, cost-friendly alternative. Here are a few options to consider, depending on the level of guidance you need to whip your wallet into shape:

Basic

Basic budgeting sites are perfect if you need help managing your money day-to-day. These free sites give you tools to track what you’re spending, what you’re saving, and how your investments are doing. Most will automatically pull your financial information from all your accounts into one place.

• Mint.com
• Yodlee.com
• Buxfer.com

Advanced

If you want the full financial advisor experience, without that pesky human being charging you by the hour, there are a few options available to you. These services are not free, but they are substantially lower compared to traditional planners’ prices. For an additional fee, you can speak with a person via chat or e-mail to talk through your financial plan.

• NestWise.com
• LearnVest.com
• PersonalCapital.com
• FutureAdvisor.com

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter (@CleveInTheCity) and Facebook (/MyReadIsRed).

If you are like 300 million other people, you use Google daily. So you have probably by now noticed the search engine’s new design.

The tweaking done by Google might hurt your business, reports Inc. Many businesses count on search engines to help drive traffic to the websites. But with the new design, the search toolbar is now at the top of the screen. It used to be on the left side.

“With the new design, there’s a bit more breathing room, and more focus on the answers you’re looking for, whether from web results or from a feature like the Knowledge Graph, “ according to Google. Though the Knowledge Graph element was launched in May, it now has more visibility.  “Search for a movie star, for instance, and you’ll see an info box on the right with the actor’s birth date, picture, relationships, biographical information, filmography and related people,” explains Time magazine.  Google’s iPhone app allows you to ask a question by voice, and a computerized voice reads back information from Knowledge Graph.

With  the new layout, paid search ads are also more prominent. “Those ads now appear more prominently and closer to the left side of the page where the average user tends to look first,” reports Inc., with more attention drawn to the paid ads. Larry Kim, founder and CTO of WordStream, a PPC technology and search engine marketing software company, tells Inc. there is a reason why Google made the changes now. “I believe the decision to make Product Listing Ads even more prominent right before the holiday shopping season is no coincidence,” he says, “particularly after a disappointing Q3 2012 earnings report.”

Google says the new design is more adaptable for other digital devices  such as smartphones, tablets and desktop web browsers.

Google has been making many changes lately and not all of them well received. A new privacy policy, came under heat. Google answered the concerns by “saying users can still prevent the company from linking all the data it collects about them by turning off their search history, by skipping some of Google’s offerings or by using different Google accounts at different times.”

Had you noticed the new Google layout? Does it bother you?

Image via iStockphoto

“A Dollar and A Dream” spotlights low- and no-cost ways to build a better business. The economy may be lagging, but new resources are empowering small business owners like never before. Follow the series to learn how to take your dreams to the next level without breaking the bank.

Your success in business is directly linked to how you produce your product. Maximizing productivity can be difficult for small businesses where manpower is in short supply. Luckily, improving productivity isn’t always about working harder; you may just need to work smarter.

New apps are hitting the marketplace everyday, designed to streamline business systems and help owners and employees get the most out of their time and efforts. The tools below allow for greater efficiency in managing billing, information, tasks and time. This selection only scratches the surface of what is available. Check out “Go Digital: Web Tools for Every Business” for even more recommendations.

When searching for a reliable app, first take a look at how you do business. What tasks or areas are you slowing down? Once you pinpoint the areas where you need to save time and money, the answer is just an Internet search away. It’s hard for a good app to stay a secret for long. Reviews from users and business publications will give you a good idea if a tool has the right features for you.

Here are a few common issues apps solve:

“I’m always late.”

Solution: OnTime

Platform: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

Price: $1.99

Benefit: Analyzes your schedule to provide timely reminders to keep you on schedule.

How It Works: OnTime syncs with your existing calendar and takes into account your current location, the location of your next appointment, and traffic patterns to provide accurate alerts to keep you on time. It will even alert your next appointment if you are running late. Perfect for busy individuals who complain about time getting away from them.

“My team works remotely and has trouble staying on the same page.”

Solution: Flow

Platform: Web, Desktop (Mac), and iPhone

Price: Free app ($9 monthly service fee / $99 yearly)

Benefit: A central location to create and delegate project tasks and keep project updates from being overlooked in e-mail.

How It Works: Flow is an online collaboration platform. Invite contacts to join a task or project list whether they have an account or not and you can tackle projects as a team regardless of location. The app allows you to delegate tasks, keep track of each team members’ progress, as well as discuss and collaborate issues in real-time. Payment options are available on a yearly basis or month-to-month for special projects.

“My team wastes time tracking me or a client down to sign off on documents.”

Solution: DocuSign Ink

Platform: Android, iPhone, iPad

Price: Free (paid version $14.99 and up)

Benefit: Send, sign and save documents anywhere, on any device.

How It Works: DocuSign is the most widely used eSignature software and provides extra document encryption, authentication of signers’ identities, and tracking of who signed, when, and where. The paid version offers additional features including sending documents to multiple parties and creating reminders.

“We have so much paperwork to keep track of, our filing system takes up too much time.”

Solution: TurboScan

Platform: iPhone

Price: $1.99

Benefit: Turns your iPhone into a multipage scanner.

How It Works: Don’t waste time looking for paperwork. Take a picture of documents, receipts, notes, whiteboards, or other text and TurboScan will generate a high quality PDF or JPEG file that be stored and shared easily. All processing happens on your iPhone, so there’s no need to worry about your confidentiality being compromised.

“I have too many small tasks to keep track of; I feel like I’m always forgetting something.”

Solution: Wunderlist

Platform: Web, Desktop (Windows and Mac), Android, iPhone, and iPad

Price: Free

Benefit: The classic to-do list, updated with the functionality and portability of modern technology.

How It Works: Wunderlist manages whatever needs to be done, from shopping list, to projects, to to-dos. Unlike a conventional to-do list, you don’t have to keep track of a piece of paper. Wunderlist syncs your lists across platforms, allows you to set reminders or notifications, and lets you share your list via email, Facebook, or Twitter. It’s one of the more elegantly designed to-do list apps on the market.

“I haven’t perfected setting hourly rates for my clients; I think I’m under-billing.”

Solution: MyPrice

Platform: iPhone

Price: Free

Benefit: Especially helpful for new freelancers and contractors who aren’t sure where to begin when setting prices.

How It Works: The app helps you calculate rates for a project based on the tools, help, and supplies you will need. Just plug in what you’ll need to get the job done. The app will calculate how much you should charge to turn a profit. MyPrice is also beneficial in helping business owners think critically about the resources and expenses at their disposal for a given project.

Do you have any apps that your business swears by? Help out your fellow entrepreneurs and share them in the comment section.

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

Image: Press Association via AP Images

Did you know your every “like,” comment, friend request is being tracked by the folks over at Facebook? And it’s not only what you do on Facebook that is monitored, but all of your Internet activity.

Through special plug-ins such as Facebook Connect, Facebook sets up a cookie on any page that has a “like” or “share” option, says Business Insider. This allows Facebook to collect personal data, including your browsing history. But there are ways to stop Facebook from spying on you, reports the magazine. Companies such as Abine and Ghostery have created tools that allow users to block Facebook social plug-ins, cookies and other trackers.

Business Insider lists tools to use to stop the tracking:

•    Do Not Track Plus (DNT+) — A browser add-on that will identify and block trackers.  Abine’s DNT+ tool is a free add-on that monitors, tracks, and allows users to block any trackers and requests that may be following their Internet activity.

•    Ghostery — Similar to DNT+ but this add-on is also available for Opera.  Evidon’s Ghostery is a browser add-on  that protects consumer online privacy. It lets them to block all or specific trackers as well as third parties. Ghostery is free to download.

•    Disconnect and Collusion for Chrome — Only available for Chrome. It stops third parties and search engines from tracking your web activity.

•    Collusion for Chrome– A site that allows users to see which third parties are tracking them.

Even without these tools, you can take better control on your online privacy by adjusting your browser settings. Here’s how, according to Business Insider.

•    Firefox:  Go to  Tools, then Options and next Privacy. Click the box that says, “Tell websites I do not want to be tracked.” Then set it to “Never save your history” and remove cookies frequently.

•    Chrome: Select  Preferences, then Settings,  Advanced Settings,  Privacy, and finally Content Settings.  Click “Block Third Party Cookies and Site Data.”

•    Safari:  Go to Preferences, then Security, Accept Cookies and select “Never.”

•    Internet Explorer 10: Default to a “Do Not Track” position.

By Alexis Garrett Stodghill

Are you looking for an all-access pass to every aspect of Kanye West’s existence?  More importantly, are you willing to pay $4.99 a month for it? Multicultural ad agency GlobalHue is hoping that you and millions of others are. The famously egocentric star has a new web channel launching on the Voyr platform, a fresh idea from the agency’s incubator GVH. GlobalHue hopes to add a roster of stars to Voyr that will offer positive, intimate content to fans on a for-fee basis. While names like Oprah and Elton John have been floated as other possible participants, West is the first super-celebrity to sign on to overshare the minutiae of his life on the site.

Voyr is set to launch on September 15, to piggy back on a 35-city tour West is planning to embark on with Jay-Z to support their coming album, “Watch the Throne.” This will make great fodder for West’s Voyr channel, which promises to project the details of his performing romp across the country from behind the scenes. Advertising Age reports:

Stuff that will be available on his channel: his exercise routine; what he eats on tour and instructional videos about how to prepare those items by his personal chef; a “720-degree” concert experience; rehearsals for the show; a documentary about Kanye called — appropriately — “Me”; and his animated series called “Runaway.”

Possibly more interesting are ideas for the platform GlobalHue presented to Mr. West that the notoriously fussy artist struck down. These include allowing fans to vote on set designs or allowing marketers to sponsor specific episodes. Mr. Lewis said Mr. West, ever the auteur, slammed those ideas, saying he doesn’t need the popular vote to make decisions and the idea of, say, a McDonald’s powering that sort of voting power with the push of an “I’m loving it” button was a “piece of a crap.”

Kanye might be playing the diva, but in this particular situation he is not in total control. In fact he has no monetary stake in the project. Voyr is wholly owned by GlobalHue subsidiary GVH. West’s compensation in this deal was not disclosed.

Major barriers to entry for Voyr include the free content available on sites like YouTube, and of course competition from stars’ own web venues. Kanye in particular is famous for using the web well, so it will be interesting to see what he chooses to feature on Voyr as opposed to his own site, and whether fans will be willing to pay for the deeper peek into his life. Another question is how Voyr will build a massive audience and compete with sites like Vevo when most of its content is behind a pay wall.

History has shown that making Internet users pay for content rarely works. The only success story is that of The Wall Street Journal, which famously prevents its current edition from being read online by anyone but paying subscribers. While its pay wall went into effects years ago and generates income for its already successful business, The New York Times tried the same thing recently and saw it’s online circulation drop by up to 30%. And this is for an already successful, long-standing brand. It would be history-making for Voyr to beat these odds as an anonymous new brand.

But if they can get people to pay for anything, it might be close web contact with luminaries. That is what GlobalHue is banking on. GlobalHue is hoping that stars will attract viewers by offering complementary information about their lives that cannot be found on salacious entertainment sites. The company is also considering a variety of pricing models that will appeal to both the die-hard star lover, and the more casual consumer who would only be willing to pay on a one-off basis.

The launch party held earlier this week for their collaboration with West featured huge stars like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and West himself of course. Who knows? Maybe stalking a beloved star into every corner of his or her life is worth a few extra dollars a month. Perhaps through Voyr the famous can change TMI into massive coin.

(WSJ) — Omar Wasow knew that the transition from Internet executive to graduate student at the age of 35 would be a dramatic one, and so in a symbolic break from his old life, he lopped off the two feet of dreadlocks he had been growing since he was a teenager.

That was 2005, when Mr. Wasow was the executive director of BlackPlanet.com, a social networking site that he founded seven years earlier and turned into the most popular African-American Web site at the time. Previously, he had developed Web sites for the New Yorker and Consumer Reports magazines.

Read More…

(WSJ) — Omar Wasow knew that the transition from Internet executive to graduate student at the age of 35 would be a dramatic one, and so in a symbolic break from his old life, he lopped off the two feet of dreadlocks he had been growing since he was a teenager.

That was 2005, when Mr. Wasow was the executive director of BlackPlanet.com, a social networking site that he founded seven years earlier and turned into the most popular African-American Web site at the time. Previously, he had developed Web sites for the New Yorker and Consumer Reports magazines.

Read More…

by Rahwa Asmerom

In the landscape of new media and web 2.0 news, there is one site that stands out when it comes to highlighting African-American media players and companies: Black Web 2.0. The young site, only launched about two and a half years ago, has become the go-to resource for reading up on news relating to everything from the online brand relaunch of Vibe magazine to the behind-the-scenes decision makers at BET.com. Content is king and founder Angela Benton has carved out her niche by addressing the dearth of information about African-American media.

“I saw there was a need for that kind of information out there, ” said Benton, CEO of Black Web Media. “I was interviewing for a job and I was really interested in another IAC [Interactive Corporation] company specifically in the African-American market so I started researching and going through the typical tech blogs to see what was going on in the African-American space and to my surprise, nobody had anything about it at all.”

Although her media news mainstays of TechCrunch, paidContent and ReadWriteWeb certainly covered the intricacies of major media conglomerates and Silicon Valley startups, they didn’t have the lens to hone in on the movers, shakers, and trends stirring in the African-American web community.

“Even when you search those sites for large media companies, you’re not finding a lot of information – not even on an entrepreneurial level,” she said. “When you seach BET, which is owned by Viacom, [you can see that] nobody is talking about what they’re doing on the web.”

After having worked with companies like UPS, Lendingtree.com and while working at Rushmore Drive, the now-defunct search engine geared towards African-Americans, Benton started the Black Web 2.0 blog as a creative outlet for her to discuss web design and review the online approach of black media companies.  One of her initial posts in October 2007 focused on the Ebonyjet.com design. “I must say I love EbonyJet.com,” she wrote. “The design is so clean and the approach to publish the publications content in a blog format versus the typical online magazine format is refreshing.” Her natural love for design and her professional media background are key to fueling Benton’s project.

“I really love typography, she said. “And I’m always drawn to sites that have really nice imagery but also display information really well. There is so much information out there and I like to see how information is displayed and organized.”

The North Carolina resident honed her design chops at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she received her MFA. It was in an art theory class in which Benton really came to uncover her specific passion for the pivotal relationship between design and information.  She recalls receiving a C on an assignment, which called for her to analyze commercial art and for which she thought she would have gotten an A. Instead of dissecting the technical execution of the advertisements, her teacher told her, she went off path and analyzed the overall advertising scheme instead. The grade may have been dissappointing but the revelation that came from it was not. “That was an eye opener because i was really passionate about [my paper] and the words and ideas just came to me naturally.”

Benton certainly brings her nuanced perspective and appreciation for presentation to her reviews on all things happening with new web design, gadgets and evolving industry trends. The demand for this supply of information was made evident immediately after her blog launch. “I started getting positive feedback immediately,” she said. “People started emailing me saying oh my gosh, I can’t believe you started this site, this is so needed. The site immediately started to develop it’s own kind of community and from there, it continued to grow and expand as we expanded in content.”

With twelve freelancers and staffers supporting the 2.0 blog and the parent company’s stream of web consulting gigs, Black Web Media is preparing to extend its reach in the media space “We’re looking to build partnerships with different firm brands and work on announcing some acquisitions in the future ,” she said. “I feel that we’re in a really good place right now in terms of the type of content we’re providing so we’re going to keep moving full steam ahead.”