A Book You Really Need to Read
OK, I want to be clear on this one, I mean you really need to read this book whether you are a salesman or not. I just finished reviewing it and I think it can help anyone that wants more out of life in the way of wealth and simply in the way of happiness. This book was authored by award winning salesmen and entrepreneurs Neil Franklin and Jack Spirko.
They call the book, the definitive book on how to sell and I think they are spot on. It is just that they don’t just teach you how to sell in regard to product as a professional sales person, they also teach you the philosopy of effectively selling yourselves in all walks of life. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book,
“Deep inside you exists another person. That person has the knowledge, expertise, experience, and wisdom to guide you throughout your life. It’s the real you. We use the term real because most of us live our lives as actors, fulfilling various life roles as we have been conditioned to do so since leaving the innocence of childhood“
This book is indeed deep and even a tiny bit spiritual but it is actually very easy to read and understand. I am going to read it again because like most books that are really deep you get more each time you read through it. Here is another quote that might make that a bit more clear,
“As the child matures, the programming by parents and society continues. Now this young adult has to get admitted into a competitive university, get his first job, or possibly ask for a raise if underpaid. The sad part is that at age five, he would have known exactly what to do and would have asked fearlessly.”
Again I highly recommend you have a look at picking up a copy of this book, it is one I can honestly say is worth far more then the cost. Spend just a bit of time learning to adapt some of these principals to your life and indeed the return of investment will be huge. You can even preview and read the first 12 pages of the book at this link.
~ Cost Cutter
Filed under Business & Marketing | Comments (3)Cover your ass——ets
I talk a lot on this blog about things like saving, investing and making money. I encourage people of every walk of life to spurn consumer debt and build wealth so they can live good even when times are bad. I want to shift gears a bit today though and talk a bit about how to protect your hard earned wealth.
I just got done reading a new book called Asset Protection 101 from Donald Trump’s Trump university and I have to say I learned a lot of new ways to protect the wealth I and my family have worked so hard for. In fact basically I just learned how to be a millionaire in reality and at the same time appear penniless on paper.
Of course I got wealthy in the first place by being a bit of a tight wad and knowing how to spot a good deal. So check out this deal from Trump University, buy a copy of Asset Protection 101 today and you also will get the following bonuses
- 3 J.J. Childers E-Books-valued at $19.95 each, these 3 e-books provide you with even more information about protecting your wealth, saving on taxes, and enjoying a stress-free retirement.
- 5 Special Reports-over 100 pages of extra material to help you build your wealth structure (worth $150!).
- The Top 50 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions-this gift alone could save you thousands of dollars when April comes around again!
- J.J.’s Asset Protection Worksheet-the master’s tool to show you where you may be vulnerable to lawsuits and how you can minimize your tax burden.
- Asset Video - addressing specific asset protection issues, which you can view on your computer
- 20% off the registration fee for Trump University’s Wealth Preservation: Asset Protection Retreat featuring instructor J.J. Childers.
There is also an awesome 1 hour free teleseminar. Now for a 20 dollar book those are some great bonuses. I don’t normally tell my readers to go spend money but in this case it will be a Andrew Jackson that is well used. For more information visit the Trump University Site for the special offer on Asset Protection 101.
Filed under Wealth & Investing | Comment (0)A college education does not have to equal a lifetime of debt
Item number one of the philosophy that drives everything we do on this site is “Debt sucks! Stay out of it as much as you can” and I most certainly do include “student loans” in that viewpoint. Now I realize that for some students taking some student loans will be the only way to pay for 4 years of college I just believe you should borrow the absolute minimum amount you can. Student loans are not for supporting a lifestyle they should be used to fund tuition, books and direct educational expenses.
My biggest issue is that many young people are lured into massive student loan debt while billions of dollars in college grants and scholarships go unclaimed every single year. Let me repeat that fact billions of dollars in educational grants and scholarships that never have to be paid back go unclaimed every single year while students go into deep debt to fund their educations.
That is why I am a big fan of websites like Scholarships.com that help put students in touch with those funds. So if you or someone you care about is getting ready to go off to college or is even currently in college please make sure to take advantage of every way to fund that education that is possible. Even just a few partial scholarships and grants can have a massive effect on long term debt.
I have talked to new grads that come out of school over 75,000 dollars in debt. In many places that will buy a person a starter home! Debt is cancer always remember that it must be used as a tool and only as it is needed. Right now this very second there is more then 19 Billion dollars waiting at Scholarships.com to help fund educational needs so please make sure to check out their website, set up a free account and find ways other then more debt to fund educational expenses.
For helping young people reduce debt and achieve educational goals Scholarships.com certainly makes my list of recommended sites.
Filed under Business & Marketing | Comment (0)Establish your expertise by self publishing
If you are in business today, especially if you are in the online information business, doing public presentations or perhaps consulting then being seen as an expert can really increase your chances of success. One thing that can really help you be seen as an expert in your industry is to be an author of a book. Now I mean a real honest book that you can touch and feel not an eBook. eBooks are great for selling information but they certainly don’t carry the clout you get from publishing a hard copy book.
The problem in the past is to self publish was expensive and quite risky. Often you had to order 1000 copies or more and this led many early self publishers to end up with a closet full of books that never sold. All that has changed today with something called “print on demand” technology. Just as it sounds basically every time an book is order it is individually printed and shipped. This makes publishing low cost, low risk and open to anyone that want to take the time and effort to write a book.
One of the best Book Publishers for the would be self publishing author is called Author House. They offer a exceptional array of services to help new authors get started and with just a bit of effort anyone can become a published author today. It definitely takes some effort to write a book but the reward is usually well worth it. Thanks to new services like Author House it is an option for more people today then ever. For move information visit their website for more information at www.authorhouse.com
Filed under Business & Marketing | Comment (1)Teaching kids to invest and think smart about money
I know a lot of adults that are doing what they can to teach kids about investing and saving money. The most common way is the good old fashioned piggy bank. There is something to be said especially with younger children to putting some change in a piggy bank. It is a good start but it is also quite limited. With the good old pig you always can open him up and raid the savings and the savings lack any type of leverage. You earn no interest and little Johnny’s or little Dorothy’s pennies end up worth less ever day, unless they are solid copper that is.
My view is it is important to have kids open their first bank account as soon as they are old enough to grasp the concept. A Roth IRA with some monthly contributions should be set up by age 12 and money should be discussed from a positive outlook. Don’t teach your children things like, “money is the root of all evil” as that is not the proverb anyway.
People that do well with money come from homes that discuss and value money. Now of course you must teach ethics, family values and over all life lessons as well. Your kids shouldn’t worry about money or believe it is the end all be all. Yet they should understand it and its power, both good and bad and you should teach them the Building Wealth Philosophy as early as possible.
One of my favorite books for parents helping kids learn to invest is Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens The Secrets About Money–That You Don’t Learn in School! To me this book is an absolute must read.
One way or another make sure you are making things like money, avoiding toxic debt, savings and investing positive topics of discussion with your kids. I am not saying your kiddos first words should be leverage and interest over mamma and dada but you get the point.
Filed under Personal & Home | Comment (0)Building Wealth the Trump Way
As you know I am big on three big things; cutting costs, reducing debt and building wealth. The reality is you could simply call that entire formula building wealth as no wealth building formula excludes debt reduction or cutting expenditures. As a long time fan of Donald Trump I was therefore really excited when Donald Trump came out with a new book called, Wealth Building 101
Rather then a book by Trump this is a book by some of his personal advisers and a team of hand selected experts. The book was then edited by Trump to gain his final approval. What I really liked is that Wealth Building 101
What I Blow Money On
Part of the benefit of having extra money is the ability to spend some of it. I believe in cutting costs, investing wisely and building wealth and security. Yet I also believe in enjoying life along the way, if not then what is the point? Any of us could die tomorrow so the key is to balance living for today with planning for tomorrow. So what are some of the things I spend more money on then I should or some of the stuff I just buy when I am bored? Here are a few,
- Starbucks Coffee - I will admit it, I am a caffeine fiend. When I made a lot less money Starbucks was a luxuary that I enjoyed once in a while, now I don’t go a day without a Vente Cappuccino or two. This is extravagance, a waste, a senseless spending that I end up with nothing to show for. Still it makes me happy and I have no real debt to worry about any more, I don’t stop investing to fund it and I only pay in cash so I have the money in my pocket each week to cover the expense.
- My Animals - I have dogs, cats and a lot of reptiles. As a child I wanted to be a herpetologist (a biologist who studies reptiles) but the lure of business was too powerful and I never went to college to pursue the biology degree. When I didn’t have much money and was in debt heavily I kept no pets, today I have an abundance of animals around me. I do breed the reptiles and one day they may pay for themselves but for now all the animals are an expense that never returns any money. Yet the dogs and cats bring joy to me and the family and the reptiles allow me to fufil my childhood dream of being a researcher working with snakes.
- Gadgets - I have all kinds of electronic do dads and I buy something new at least every month. Cameras, software, media players, etc. I just love technology, I like seeing what you can do with it, what you can create and what the latest craze is before it hits. Some of the stuff like my Blackberry has a real purpose for work and organization but most is just for fun. I didn’t need a Sony Alpha DSLR but I bought one because I wanted it. I always pay cash for these gadgets but I must admit I blow money on them. Most are never used to turn a profit I just enjoy having them.
Now let’s say I am bored and just want to go out bumping around with my wife to shops and what not. Doing so will almost always result in spending money! We are all human though and just sitting at home counting money can get old and you don’t always want to really plan an activity so “shopping” (our parents window shopped but we seem to have failed to inherit that ability) has become an American past time. Here are some things I have done to allow me the activity with out totally blowing it.
- Silver Coins - I am a huge fan of American Eagle Coins and often during a jaunt out I stop by one of several local coin shops and buy one or three of them. I keep them in plastic tubes and have been doing this past time for about 10 years now. I occasionally buy more numismaticly valuable coins, mostly older silver dollar and silver half dollar coins. The Eagles have a fixed value against the silver market price (at least newer ones do) so they are decent investments. The other coins have a bit of “subjective value” based on both the silver and collector markets combined. Still even they have a basis based on the price of silver. I will never make a mint on this but there is a value to these coins that will grow. So I get to browse, spend money and not just throw it away.
- Houses - I shop for houses all the time and the beauty of this is multiple. There are always countless new model homes to take a look at, walk around in etc. You never impulse buy a home so that is nice, I shop a lot and buy very seldom. The biggest value is I know my real estate market cold, I know exactly what different types of homes in different areas sell for. So I do know a deal when it pops up. This is the best rule I can give you if you want to invest in real estate some day, window shop houses for a year or so first. Record how long those “great deals” take to sell and keep your whits about you. In time you find gems and when you do you will know it.
- Books - I love knowledge and I love to shop for books, both audio and print. To help with my addiction I shop mostly at Half Price Books so I pay less per book then buying new. A used book is no big handicap to reading it so I just can’t see paying full price unless I want a new book. Then here is the best part, some of these go into my home library but others I read, am done with and sell them back to half price books. They generally pay about 20% or what I bought them for.
So there you go some ways I admit to just blowing money and other ways I stave off boredom with shopping that doesn’t just reduce my net worth dollar per dollar.
Filed under Personal & Home | Comment (1)Your job is not secure
Let me be clear I don’t think you have a safe, secure job today if you work even say for the Post Office or even a State Government agency. I believe firmly with the toxicity of debt in both the consumer credit card market and the sub prime lending market a major recession is coming. We won’t die off, no one will jump from tall buildings on Wall Street and the dust bowel is not comming back but there also may no longer be “two chickens in ever pot”. Todays “chickens” are Plasma TVs and other do dads.
Right now there is over 1 Tillion Dollars in toxic debt in the consumer credit market, that is money that will NEVER get paid back. The American tax payer has had enough, we won’t bleed money any more. Social Security is getting to where you as a working member of society have you “own old person” to provide for, it will change and that will be good but short term it will hurt.
The dollar weakens almost daily now! Canada now has a stronger dollar then the US that has never happened. The weak dollar is supposed to help fix the multi trillion dollar trade deficit we have with the world, it does nothing of the sort. The biggest potential export markets for us are China and Japan and both artificially tie their currency to the dollar. When the dollar drops so does the Yen by an equal amount. All a weak dollar does is make your money worth less and less in the global market.
My point is this can’t all just stand as the house of cards it is today and there will come a time soon when some of the bills will have to be paid. When that happens there will not be enough money to pay it. At that point employers are going to feel it hard and tough decisions will have to be made. Your boss might love you but if it comes down to the company surviving and your employment he will have that hard talk with you about some measly severance package. Odds are in many instances he will then get to have the same talk with his boss and so on.
How bad will it be? I do not pretend to know but it will be worse then it is today, that I am sure of. My real point though is it doesn’t really matter does it how many people loose jobs? All that matters to you is if and when you loose yours! It can happen to the best of us, it happened to me and because I live by the things I teach and write about it just wasn’t that big of an issue.
My point is you need to live as though you are currently in the hight of summer. You must buget and make spending choices with the view that you are right now at the peak of your earnings, you must plan for a big decline that can come at any time. This does not mean that you live in fear only that you live free from illusions.
If right now this second you or your spouse lost a job and were unable to replace it quickly how long would your last before you started to go negative on paying your bills. How long till you lost your house or got evicted from your apartment? The average American could scarcely make it 30-60 days! Many are but one or two paychecks from bankruptcy!
How do people get in this position? The belief that a paycheck is an entitlement that’s how. It amazes me how entitled employees tend to be in relation to their employers. Just look at the auto and airline unions, they keep getting more and more from their employers but the problem is the airlines and the car makers no longer can pay the bills. They are putting their very security in jeopardy by always wanting more, more, more.
So what is the solution? - Here are ten things you should be doing starting yesterday.
First - Never see yourself as secure in your job, have a plan B. Always know which competitor or similar company would be best for you to go work for. Cultivate relationships within said company, don’t act like you are ready to switch if you are not but be on the radar.
Second - Build a big network of contacts in your line of work, I don’t care if it is packing boxes or running companies as a CEO. Build network of people around you that can help you if you ever need a new job.
Third - Live below your means! Nothing is more important, make sure you buy less house then you can afford. Buy a cheaper to own and maintain and fuel car that you really have to settle for. In short never buy what you can afford today, buy what you should still be able to afford with far less then you have.
Fourth - If you deep in debt get out now! If have home equity and large credit card debt refinance your house and pay off the cards, then cut them to pieces.
Five - Buy and own a home! Renting has a place but as soon as you can afford to own a home the right way do it. Buy smart, pay less then the house is worth, find a deal, there are always deals. Know this variable rate mortgages are the devil, if you can’t afford the home with a fixed loan, you can’t afford the home!
Six - Build a second income, in other words own your own small business. You know how to do, make or advise on something better then most people. Find a way, anyway to make money with it. Do private consulting, build online income (this is what I do) hell just by blogging you can make 500-1000 dollars a month, (I will show you how in the future). Someway, somehow develop a second and even a third stream of income.
Seven - Save money outside of just your 401K, IRA, etc. The golden rule is get to where you save 10% of your income in an IRA or other tax deffered acocunt. That money is locked away until you retire though. I am all for 10% going to retirement as long as you can save say 15%. If today all you can afford to save is 10% put 5 into a long term locked away account and 5% where you can get to it with out penalty if you need it. Build an emergency fund of at least 90 days of your current income before you lower your savings contributions to liquid accounts.
Eight - Plan on being fired, your company being bought, your job being downsized, etc. It may never happen but plan on it. The very act of viewing such things as a possibility will make you smarter in your decisions every day. It will also make you more level headed and able to stand the hardship if it comes. Again do not live in fear, just follow the boy scout wisdom of “be prepared”.
Nine - Educate yourself in and outside of your current employment niche. When I lost a job about 8 years ago it became an opportunity! I went from Sales Management into online marketing and became very successful. The reason was simple in my sales career I educated myself on how to sell all the time. At the same time I taught myself how to market on and off line. I took my sales knowledge and put it to use online with my new skills. This was my “secondary income” a tiny small business that was making me about 500 dollars a month. I turned it into a new career because I had become a learning sponge. Today I own companies because of this education I gave myself. Be it online, via books, classes, seminars, I don’t care what invest both time and money in educating yourself.
Ten - Be the supreme commander of your own life and destiny. Every day think about how you can do better for yourself, your family and your employer. Your job IS NOT a right, you salary IS NOT an entitlement. Get that into your head right now this second. Would you take a raise if it was enough to damage your companies future? If you can answer that with a yes you should be fired! See yourself as an independent contractor, self employed no matter what your job is about. You should get paid as much as you can with in reason, many are underpaid but many people are also over paid. Work hard enough to be able to demand and expect more.
The key here all goes back to one thing though, no job is secure today. That false belief has put many people into massive debt and financial ruin along with a retirement in poverty. Sure this post was an ass kicking but most of America needs one from time to time.
Filed under Personal & Home | Comment (0)