March 2007


money111.jpgYou can’t force anyone to love you or lend you money. – Jewish Proverb

My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income. – Errol Flynn

Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy. – Groucho Marx

Many speak the truth when they say that they despise riches, but they mean the riches possessed by other men. – Charles Caleb Colton

A man that hoards up riches and enjoys them not, is like an ass that carries gold and eats thistles. – Sir Richard Burton

I rob banks because that’s where the money is. -Willie Sutton.

They were a people so primitive they did not know how to get money, except by working for it. -Joseph Addison

I have never been in a situation where having money made it worse.-Clinton Jones

There are three ways of losing money: Racing is the quickest, women the most pleasant, and farming the most certain- Lord Emherst

The big difference between sex for money and sex for free is that sex for money costs less.”- Brendon Francis

I‘ve got all the money I’ll ever need if I die by four o’clock this afternoon.” -Henry Youngman

Money isn’t everything, but it’s a long way ahead of what comes next.”-Edmund Stockdale

more.gifLet’s face it: Most people spend way too much money on things they don’t really need. The more money we make, the more we tend to spend. This endless cycle of materialism has led many people to confuse the word “need” with the word “want.” As in, “we need a big-screen TV for our new home theatre.” Or, “I need a new pair of shoes to go with my new outfit.”

If you want to achieve your vocational passion, where every day you jump out of bed and can’t wait to go to work, then you need to re-order your priorities. Stay away from the purely material.

The pursuit of material success often is the root cause of burnout at midlife.
In fact, a recent study found that people primarily motivated by the love of their work grow dissatisfied as they begin to make more money.

The first step to breaking free from the materialism trap is to understand the difference between “need” and “want.”

We need food, clothing, shelter, reliable transportation, education, enrichment, and the technology necessary to do our work. Also, we need the occasional small indulgence to treat our children and ourselves.

We do not need 500 cable TV channels, brand new luxury cars, 5,000-square-foot homes in exclusive neighborhoods, lavish ski vacations, and smart phones that do everything but think for us.

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wallet_burning_money_hg_wht.gifI read with amazement a story by Gary Simpson this morning. It concerned a couple in their early 30’s from Western Australia who won AUD $793,151.87.

Their lotto dream was realized just two years ago. Lucky people huh?

OK. Nothing too amazing about that – so far. Reading on I was shocked to learn that this story is news now because, despite their massive windfall, this couple had never stopped claiming social security benefits. Greedy huh?

That welfare money is meant to be available to disadvantaged people who are in financial difficulty. Essentially it is “survival” money.

But the story gets worse, much worse…This couple spent ALL that money in just seven weeks! Gone. Vanished. Seven weeks! It hardly seems possible. So, what does that tell you?

The first thing that struck me was how utterly irresponsible this pair was. How do you spend $113,307.41 each week for seven weeks? I have great difficulty comprehending that.

What if this pair had spent just the $93,151.87 having “fun” and put the $700,000 into an interest bearing term deposit for three months at 6.00% interest while they got some decent financial advice? At the end of the three months they would have accumulated another $10,500 to play with (less tax, of course).

So many stories abound like this – people with no financial skills suddenly find themselves in possession of a large inheritance or a lottery win and zap! Just like these two, it is gone. How would you have handled it?

For anybody wanting to learn basic financial skills “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S Clason is a great start. Had these people bothered to read such a book then they would still have a significant chunk of that money left. Maybe they would have even more. As it is they have nothing to show for it and there is a strong possibility of either gaol or massive fines for defrauding the Government.

It pays to educate yourself.

realestatehnds.jpgReal Estate is one of the oldest forms of investing known to man.

Real Estate investing is easy and fortunes are made in a simple manner. For example, and investor decides that a desert area will eventually become an industrial development. He purchases a number of acres at a very low price. If his guess turns out to be correct, ten years later he sells the land hundred times more than what he paid for it. This can happen in any part of the country and is not an exceptional case.

As the population keeps growing, land prices continue to rise and it means that Real Estate will continue to offer one of the best investment opportunities. Compared to most forms of investment, Real Estate offers greater profit potential. Of course, not every piece of land will turn out to be a winner, and despite the great potential rewards in some cases risks are involved, so the necessity of careful study before invest.

One of the problems of Real Estate is lack of liquidity.

Liquid assists are those easily converted into cash like stocks or bonds. Most Real Estate investments take years before you can make some money, so it is not wise to tie up all your assets in this type of investment. Your financial situation will determine how much you can wisely invest in properties.

There is a difference between a land speculator and an investor.

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ks85113.jpgThere are many blogs and websites about “Financial Freedom”. I’ve come to notice that each site author has a slightly different definition of what Financial Freedom really is. So, my goal here is to just lay out in plain sight what my own idea for Financial Freedom is, so I might have a better chance of getting there myself.

My idea of Financial Freedom is the ability to choose to do what you wish with your life, without the need to think about if there is enough money to do what you want. In order to break down what this really means, you’ve got to really understand what money itself is.

Money is basically what makes the world go round.

If you had enough income piling into your bank account to meet your basic necessities, such as food, a place to live and clothes, how would life be different?

Now, you may be saying “but I do have enough money to provide for the necessities.” And you may be correct. But, the real question I want to ask is, “How do you get that money?” Is the income you earn each month Linear (i.e., from working in a job or a self-employed business type setting), or is it non-linear, leveraged, and passive?

My friend Jonathan from SmartWealthyRich recently wrote a post Gotta Get Goals which I really liked.

My entire goal is to create a lifestyle that does not require my presence.

How beautiful an idea is that?

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promo_cuathome.jpgHow do you stay safe Online? What are the dangers of Online Banking. Are you likely to have your cash stolen or even your identity? Find out how to stay safe when Internet Banking.

Internet banking has been around for a little over 10 years and in the last 3-5 years has become a common feature with every major bank in the world!

With Internet Banking you can access your bank account(s) using the internet from the comfort of your own home. Most banks offer almost all the features that are available when you visit the bank. You can transfer money between accounts, pay money in/out. Apply for a loan or overdraft/credit buffer, or order a cheque book or a new credit/debit card and these are just some of the features.

Many banks actually offer a much higher interest rate if you open an Internet Savings Account. This reduces their administration costs and in turn they can pass some of those savings to the customer.

But for most people, the real benefit of internet banking is that it eliminates the need to get in the car, drive to the bank, find somewhere to park, (and usually have to pay for that too) and queue for 30 minutes just to pay in a cheque or perform a simple transaction. Or, even worse have to book an appointment!

So, is Internet Banking a little too easy? Can others access your details?

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finance2.jpgWith interest rates still on the rise, now is the time to take a good look at your finances. You may find that there are some things that you need to change.

If you have debt that is affected by interest rate, you need to look at where it is going to take you. This is a good time to make an effort to start eliminating your debt.

Interest rates are raised to stimulate savings and slow down borrowing. That is exactly what you should be doing.

You may find that a substantial portion of your money is going towards credit card debt. With interest rates on the rise, you will be paying more to your credit cards.

Start with a little financial planning. Make a list of all of your credit cards and other unsecured debt. List each account including the payoff amount, monthly payment amount and interest rate charged.

There are two ways to start paying off your debt. If you need a boost to get you started, start paying off the smallest debts first. This gets you on a roll. It feels really great to mark off each account as it is paid off.

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Finance is :
A leader in providing credit.

Easy. 😀

The application of a set of techniques that individuals and organizations use.

Pleased to offer investments.

A frequently updated resource for auto financing.

Not a science.

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An entry into the popular personal finance management category of pocket pc and how it works.

Up at consumerism commentary.

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A palm os program, which will help you to track, report, analyze.

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Really just a baby step.

This web site.

A leader in providing credit services to retailers and consumers.

Very much necessary in todays world for you to live your life smoothly.

A rapidly expanding field.

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Up! all web sites are the same?

Not an issue you should be forced to face when in a crisis like so many people.

A consumer magazine written.

The study of the process of how individuals and companies raise money.

A leading provider, under the get money brand, of credit services to consumers, retailers and automotive dealers around the world.

investingk.jpgINVESTMENT is the placing of capital for the purpose of getting some income return and/or an increase in the invested principal. Return in the form of interest constitutes a rental for the use of the money and as such has been socially acceptable for thousands of years; indeed, tablets and inscriptions from ancient Egyptian and at a specified rate was a common business transaction even in those days. The modern world contains many investment media; among them are real estate, commodities, bonds, stocks, and savings accounts.

All forms of investment have in common the following characteristics:

1. The amount in-vested, called the principal.

2. The rate of re-turn, usually stated as an annual rate in per cent.

3. The degree of risk.

4. The liquidity, or how quickly the investment may be converted into cash.

5. The capital gain, or increase in the value of the principal, sometimes termed the grown factor.

Assuming a certain principal amount, the other four factors vary widely with the nature of the investment.

In order to achieve high safety and high liquidity, growth and rate of return must be sacrificed. On the other hand should high return or growth be desired, it is equally apparent that some degree of safety and liquidity must be sacrificed. No investment will combine high safety with a high rate of return; these are always in inverse relationship, and it must be borne in mind that this is a basic fact of both savings and investment in general.

Related posts:
Make a Fortune in the Stock Market
Investing for Beginners is a Tough Challenge
Bulls and Bears – Primary Market Trends

cvas_lg.gifAs important as your saving and spending habits are, being truly financially responsible involves much more. To this end, I’ve put together some ways to cover your ass (ets).

Wealth Creation to Wealth Protection Equals Financial Planning

… This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good starting point.

Do you have life and Disability Insurance Of course this really only applies if someone depends on you for support. I’m a big fan of life insurance. And don’t just rely on the insurance that you get through your employer… The base coverage may not be enough for your needs, and it’s also tied to your employment — lose your job and you’ll lose your insurance. Also, if you’re young and in good health, you can probably get a term policy for less money by shopping around instead of buying additional group through your employer.

“Life Insurance is like a parachute, if you don’t have it when you need it, its too late”.

For the average person the odds of suffering a debilitating injury are considerably higher than the odds of dying young. What if you couldn’t work? How would you get by? Long-term disability insurance covers your butt in the event of that you suffer, well, a long-term disability.

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