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The number one tip most investors give their clients is to diversify. It's a great strategy to use when building your financial assets. Even if your bank account doesn't exactly rival Donald Trump's, you can make great strides in your financial well being by concentrating on a few simple diversification tools and techniques. Saving money makes you a stronger candidate for a loan. It also conditions you for automatic payments and positive spending behavior. As a former mortgage broker, my best advice is to practice strategic saving and think about "banking a la carte" to position yourself for the maximum value on your savings and loans.

Make the most of your income. Max any 401K or other office related retirement contribution fund. The draw is going to be automatic and with a few minor adjustments in your lifestyle (if even necessary at all), you won't even miss the withdrawn money as it starts to work overtime for you.

Make a personal promise to yourself that you will save for a rainy day. That rainy day can mean anything you want: a new car, trip to Europe, books for next semester, engagement ring, etc. Do an automatic draw from your checking account into an interest accruing savings account. Raise the amount you are automatically withdrawing every year.

While these are both excellent ways to quickly build your financial assets, it also keeps your money in diversified holdings - it's not all at the same bank or under your mattress. Another top investment strategy is often real estate. Depending on your market area, it is currently an overall positive environment for buyers because of the high number of homes for sale and low interest rates. Shopping for a loan can certainly be intimidating. You are offering all of your personal financial information for other people to judge. Here are a couple of tips that can increase your chances for the best possible loan.

Know what the current par interest rate is at your bank and a rival bank. This is important to know so you have an average in mind. All banks compete with different rates and consider different factors when determining those rates for borrowers. Depending on your loan scenario, there are several opportunities for banks to offer "hits" where there is either an additional cost or added percentage to your rate because of various risk factors a borrower may possess. Keep in mind a close to par rate is for borrowers with excellent credit who present low risk to the lender. As your risk increases, so does your

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