Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts

Friday, October 21, 2011

Snoring is the best way to create wealth

Did you know ‘Snoring’ is the best way to create wealth?
Master investor Warren Buffett told us that holding quality company stocks, NOT actively trading stocks, was the way he adds wealth for his company. Wall Street’s advice is the opposite: buy and sell continuously. Studies show broker recommendations fail. Buffett says: “Most investors, both institutional and individual, will find that the best way to own common stocks is through an index fund that charges minimal fees.... Paradoxically, when ‘dumb’ money acknowledges its limitations, it ceases to be dumb.”
http://www.amazon.com/Snoring-Best-Way-Create-Wealth/dp/1466408928/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318961268&sr=1-3


Auto rates vary a lot for the same driver. Shopping pays!
For instance, in New Jersey the same two-driver household was charged $3,600 by GE but only $1,400 by Amica, AIG, and USAA. The $2,200 annual difference is worth over $42,000 to you over 10 years when invested. Use our Insiders’ tricks of the trade to save: amazon.com/Insiders-Guides-Discount-Financial-Services/

Health insurance refund?!
Blue Shield of California will return approximately $295 million to its customers and the community by December 31, 2011. In fulfillment of its pledge to limit net income to 2 percent of revenue, Blue Shield's individual and fully insured group customers will each get a 54 percent credit against one month of premium.

Long Term Care insurance coverage uncertain for the future
The long-term care (LTC) insurance market continues to be plagued by adverse claims experience and poor overall results, which has led to rate instability, insurer solvency concerns, and market exits by several major insurers, according to Fitch Ratings in a new report. Members self-insure with their own Wealth Reserve: amazon.com/Your-Retirement-Spending-Plan-enough/


Time to move your untaxed money to Asia?
A Swiss parliamentary commission is edging toward accepting a government proposal that would allow the transfer of bank clients' data to the United States to settle a tax evasion dispute, Swiss news agency SDA reported. Another reason for the OWS protesters to be angry—the 1% don’t pay their fair share! They hide their money in Swiss and Caribbean banks and holding companies. http://www.offshorecompany.com/banking/how-to-start-a-bank

Are you part of the 99%?
To be among the top 1% of income earners, you need an adjusted gross income of $343,927 or more. The 1.4 million Americans with this elite status reported 16.9% of all the country’s taxable income. One percent of taxpayers reported almost 17% of all taxable income. But that same tiny group also kicked in 37% of all the taxes paid. How much do you need to make to be in the top 50% of earners? Just $32,396. Members use their tax-FREE Wealth Reserve to avoid income tax in retirement: amazon.com/Create-Your-Tax-FREE-Financial-System/
Insurers improve quality of plans under new Obama guidelines
Nine Medicare Advantage plans scored top marks on the five-star government rating system for 2012, up from only three plans this year. These plans may you’re you save: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/October/12/insurers-improve-quality-revenue.aspx Kiplinger helps you compare plans: http://kiplinger.com/columns/ask/archive/how-to-compare-medicare-advantage-plans.html


Only 3 in 10 Say They're Prepared for Retirement
A new study says that most families are not prepared for retirement. Most have committed to paying for other things like a child’s education. Most have not adjusted to the new American economy—workers have no guaranteed pension, medial or even 401k matching funds. Many say they will work part-time in retirement. But that assumes there will be jobs and the next generation will not work them. Members are changing their priorities with the New American Retirement System: amazon.com/New-American-Retirement-System-Tax-FREE


Los Angeles decides to stop doing business with 'bad' banks
LA Council members in the nation's second-largest city by population passed a resolution Oct. 12 in support of the demonstrations that started as Occupy Wall Street in New York. It will cost LA millions to switch banks from the ones that have pleaded guilty to fraud. “Many of the banks we're targeting have pleaded guilty to fraud,” Councilman Alarcon said. “There are an ample number of other institutions that acted legally who can do these transactions. The Occupy L.A. movement has put this issue front and center.” Los Angeles in 2008 sued more than 30 institutions it accused of engaging in abuse related to financial derivatives and bid-rigging, administrator Santana said. Council approved a list of banks for LA to do business with earlier.



SCAM
Generals in Afgan war say it will go on for years--$2 Billion and 5 American lives a week! “But what you're saying is that the United States isn't leaving Afghanistan in the foreseeable future?” cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/16/60minutes/main20120799.shtml
This war has cost $½ Trillion so far. We had a $1.3 trillion budget deficit this year.

GOP against tax hike on foreign insurers too
Two Dems have written legislation that would raise taxes on foreign-based insurance and reinsurance companies operating within the United States. GOP objects, of course.

GOP to cut IRS collections by $4 billion
if Congress follows through on a plan to cut about $500 million from the agency's budget for fiscal 2012, it estimates the revenue loss at $4 billion for this year. Corporate audits are more complicated and require more auditors not less.

Here we go again—using our money to speculate!
Bank of America, hit by a credit downgrade last month, has moved derivatives from its Merrill Lynch unit to the bank subsidiary flush with insured deposits, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. The Fed has signaled that it favors moving the derivatives to give relief to the bank holding company, while the FDIC, which would have to pay off depositors in the event of a bank failure, is objecting.
The Moody's downgrade spurred some of Merrill's bank partners to ask that contracts be moved to the retail unit, which has a higher credit rating. Transferring derivatives also can help the parent company minimize the collateral it must post on contracts and the potential costs to terminate trades after Moody's decision, said a person familiar with the matter. BOA held almost $75 trillion of derivatives at the end of June, according to data compiled by the OCC. Derivatives have been removed from the books. This allowed Merrill Lynch fee-based revenue to reach record highs this period.
Congress passed the Dodd-Frank to stop this kind of game but the Fed gave BOA an exemption in Sept 2010.


IAN
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Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/

Friday, June 12, 2009

There are two ways to buy financial services in the 21st century

One of my members bought life insurance from the large insurer (Mascot is a dog) before he asked me for help. Frank bought their insurance because the agent said the company is the best. She said, “It is large and will always be there to pay the benefit.” However, is it worth paying an extra $17,970 on your level term policy? There are customer-focused insurers, rated A+, the same as "It," charging $384 vs. "It’s" $983 for the same $300,000 30-year term policy. Frank was wasting $17,970 in total! After reading our Insider’s Guide to Life Insurance, Frank purchased the $384 policy. Investing his savings of $599 ($983-$384) in his Wealth Reserve for 30 years in a market index, Frank may have an extra $175,000 for HIS dreams not the insurers. http://www.theinsidersguides.com/lifins41.html
In the 21st century, there are two ways to buy financial services—the consumer way and the independent’s way. Financially independent people don’t let themselves be sold. They shop for value in everything. They never pay retail. They shop at Costco. They buy used luxury cars. They wait for sales on electronics. They use the Internet to research the price.
Buying vehicles is one of the largest expenses in most people’s lives. Over our lifetimes, we may spend over $250,000. Unfortunately, most people take the consumer way and spend 4 to 5 times what they need to for vehicles. One of our members, Denise, bought a car before I met her. Joy bought her car after she read The Insider’s Guide to Vehicle Purchase.
Consumers’ way. Denise took a loan for the full amount of the price. During the paperwork process with the F&I person (finance and insurance), she was persuaded that the gap insurance and window glass etching options were good buys. Instead of getting a lower price, Denise assumed that an extra $25 a month was no big deal. This was the deal she finally agreed to:
Total borrowing: $25,000 @ 16% for 72 months (her FICO score is 610)

Monthly payment: $542.30 Total payments: $39,045.60
Total interest: $14,045.31 Final residual value: $5,000

Denise spent almost $40,000 for an asset that has little value after 6 years. During those 6 years, she could have accumulated a Wealth Reserve of $57,352.04 on the $542.30 monthly payments. Thus, buying the vehicle on time actually cost her $40,000 plus $57,000 she could have had by investing the payments. The car cost almost $100,000.
The real cost of buying a new vehicle is FOUR times the price--Not a great deal.
Independents’ way. Joy had been buying “assets that grow by themselves” with $500 a month for some time. She had been growing her Wealth Reserve. She started her Wealth Reserve by using our FREE Guide at http://www.theinsidersguides.com/freeguide.html.
Independents use their Wealth Reserve balance for all their financial needs. Thus, their Wealth Reserve can earn 10% to 12% over time in stock and bond mutual funds. They can ‘borrow’ $25,000 from their own Reserve or ‘bank’ and pay themselves back by continuing to invest $500 for the 6 years. Joy pays monthly like Denise but to a different account. The $14,045 interest that Denise pays to another bank, Joy compounds in her own ‘bank.’ Joy accumulates about $53,000 during the six years—replacing the $25,000 she ‘borrowed’ to buy her vehicle. The vehicle is still worth only $5,000 but Joy has grown her Reserve by $28,000. Also, because Joy paid cash for a used luxury car, she probably got a lot more vehicle than Denise got for her borrowed $25,000.
As you guessed, the Independents’ way is how financially independent people stay wealthy. They paid their own “bank” and got the car and the extra $28,000 for the same $500 expense.
You can build your Wealth Reserve with savings from each Insider's Guides for: Vehicle Insurance . . save up to $6,000 over 10 years; Homeowner’s Insurance . . . $2,000 over 10 yearsLife Insurance . . . $20,000 over 20 years; Lawsuit Insurance . . . $3,000 over 10 years; Health Insurance . . . $5,000 over 10 years; Disability Insurance . . . $5,000 over 10 years; Long Term Care . . . $40,000 over 20 years; Education Funding . . . $20,000 over 18 years; Retirement Spending . . . $1,000s over 30 years; Banking . . . $3,000 each year; Annuities . . . $20,000 in 20 years; Mutual Funds/Securities . . . $3,000 each year; Spending Plan: Reach every goalSelf-Funded 'Bank' . . . $250,000 in 15 years; Vehicle Purchase . . . $10,000 per vehicle; Mortgage Purchase . . . $3,000 per contract; Wealth Reserve . . . $1,000,000 in 25 years; Wealth Transfer . . . $20,000 in 10 years; Living Insurance . . . $120,000 over 20 years; Self-insurance . . . $20,000 over 20 years; Avoid buying 101 products that waste your money
You can save $3,000 every year by buying the Independents’ way. Shop for financials just like you do groceries. Your agent, banker, broker, money manager and advisor do already. www.TheInsidersGuides.com

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Every $100 you invest becomes $10,000 to spend later

Yes, it's true.

Children need to know early that there are ways to grow savings to be able to afford what they want. If they knew $100 invested will grow to $10,000 later, they will see why it is worth investing. Right now, saving $100 in a bank account paying 1.2% does NOT offer much attraction.

Here is how $100 becomes $10,000. In year 1, your investment of $100 in a tax-FREE account like a stock mutual fund Roth IRA may not grow to $113. Don't sell the shares. They will go up. In the year 5—$182, year 10—$330, year 20—$1,089, year 30—$3,595, year 39—$10,529.

Children know someone owns their favorite store--ToysRUs, Sports Authority, or Walmart. Now they own part of the store. They make money when other people buy from their store. This is how they can understand how they earn money. At night, there are children all over the world buying at their store. It works during the day too. Every time someone buys, they earn a penny.

We continue to make more money when snoring than when active.”

Warren Buffett, one of the world’s best investors berkshirehathaway.com

The growth of the $100 to $10,000 over time by itself is a “miracle” that can inspire even adults. In fact, if we updated this phenomenon at every age, teens might want to calculate how fast they could save enough for a car or game console. Teens could figure out in math class with an Internet future value calculator that by investing $100 a month from their jobs, they could have $1,200 in 1 year or $4,000 in 3 years. As they start their first job, young adults could have $25,000 in 5 years to buy whatever they need and pay off their student loans. Most don’t.

Of course their parents have to cooperate by not short-circuiting this lesson by buying the items for the kids. Teens need to understand where parents got the money to buy things. We aren’t teaching them where the money comes from. We aren’t teaching them about investing since Many of Us don’t wait till we have the money to buy things. We just use the “magic” of borrowing. They never learn how to problem-solve with money and they've never learned how to defer what they want.

How did we get here? There is now $915 billion in U.S. credit card debt. It all started when Bank of America launched the nation's first general-purpose credit card in 1958. It simply dropped 60,000 of them in a mass mailing to residents in Fresno, California. The bank hoped to attract customers with a new type of "revolving" credit line, which could be used for purchases everywhere and paid off over time. Every vet wanted a house, car, and fridge immediately to make up for the lost time of WW2.

Revolving credit accounts allow us to buy without thinking. Now, we don’t even think about whether we really need the item. We don’t consider the total cost either. Credit finance charges can KILL you slowly--like smoking. We are giving away our futures when we use credit. It works just like the “miracle” of compounding—only in reverse. We pay off our credit cards over 30 or 40 years because we can’t stop using them. Some will pay 5 times the price of the item over time.

For example: You will have to pay $161 per month for 10+ years to pay off your debt of $10,050 at 15%. You will spend at least $19,360 to pay off that $10,050. (If your rate is 25%, you will pay $25,080 for $10,050.) You pay almost double for that $10,050!

That’s not all—THE REAL COST IS MORE!

Think of it. If you did not have to use that $161 each month to pay the $10,050 in debts, you would be able to use the $161 per month to make money. You could have made about $37,036 in the 10 years using a stock mutual fund. So the REAL cost of that $10,050 debt is actually $56,396!! The lender gets the $19,360 (to pay the debt over time) and you gave up earning $37,036 from the $161 payment per month for 10 years. That is enough for a down payment on a house!

Most people buy things they don’t need on credit and pay the minimum at rates that hit 29% for some. So we give up our future: house down payment, education funding, business start up, or retirement funding. Unfortunately, many people never pay off the whole debt. It is $915 billion—most on the shoulders of debt addicts.

Mississippi proposes to do something to break the cycle of debt. Following the success of Child Trust in England, MS will create a $500 investment account for all children born in the state. The initial endowment of $500 would be provided by the state to each newborn, and total additional state-tax-deductible contributions of up to $2,000 per year could be made by family members, friends, churches, charities, and others. Child account holders could use the accounts for any purpose at age 18 - including a college education, home ownership, or investing in a small business.

Our members do the same using existing accounts. See our FREE Guide: theinsidersguides.com/freeguide.html