Nov
24
Filed Under Retirement | Comments Off
John Trauth asked:
What is so hard about retirement? Many people have asked themselves this question. Well, if it is so easy, then why are 41% of retirees five years out depressed and say retirement was the most difficult transition of their life? Now they are unhappy and tell us their life was better when they were working!
You can avoid this fate. To learn how, you need to understand the difficulties associated with this transition, beginning with why there are so many negative psychological associations with the whole concept of “retirement” which you may not consciously understand. You also need to understand the most common retirement myths which may be preventing you from understanding what retirement really is all about and preparing adequately for it.
The word “retirement” comes from the old French verb, “retyrer” which means “to go off into seclusion.” If you look up the word today in Webster’s dictionary, some of the synonyms you will find are: (1) withdrawal; (2) retreat; (3) seclusion; (4) departure; and (5) regression.
Who would want to do any of that? So it is not surprising that we all probably have many unconscious negative associations with retirement. We don’t want to feel old and irrelevant, and we don’t want to regress, but often our parents’retirement was followed shortly by demise and death. We certainly want to deny the inevitable, and denial can become very powerful because we don’t consciously realize we are doing it! And are we going to carefully plan for something we are carefully avoiding considering?
Denial of the importance of planning for retirement has led to five very common retirement myths.
Myth #1 is that retirement is not here now, so there is no reason to think seriously about it and plan for it. “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” We call this the “Scarlet O’Hara” myth. This myth can have devastating consequences including not saving enough money and developing serious conflicts with those closest to you who have different expectations about retirement.
Myth #2 is the belief that retirement is really simple. No big deal. I’ll just stop working and everything will be fine. What’s so hard about that? We call this the “Homer Simpson” myth. Sorry, Homer, but it doesn’t work that way. Oversimplifying retirement and not understanding the enormous personal changes involved can result in disappointment and eventually depression when things do not work out as envisioned.
Myth #3 holds that retirement will be great because it will be one, long, happy vacation. Remember those three weeks we spent in Florida or Hawaii? The rest of my life is going to be just like that. We call this the “Carnival Cruise” myth. But retirees find out very soon that leisure is only relaxing and rejuvenating when it is a counterbalance to some sort of routine, and not as a perpetual escape from reality.
Myth #4 is probably the most common myth, and it expresses the belief that your retirement will be wonderful if only you have enough money. We call this the “King Midas” myth. It is perpetuated by the advertisements of many financial services companies and by the fact that, in America, we are becoming increasingly responsible for our own financial independence after work. This is not to say that money is not important. It is. But only as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Many wealthy retirees are unhappy.
Myth #5 is the most interesting of all. This myth holds that I am just going to love spending tons and tons of time with my spouse or life partner. We have been waiting practically all our lives to have all this wonderful time together! Now finally we can do it! We call this last myth, the “King Henry the 8th myth.” Couples who have spent 20% or less of their time together pre-retirement will have difficulty adjusting to a much higher percentage. The divorce rate is now the highest for the 55+ demographic.
So now that you know what the five most common retirement myths are, what do you do with this informaiton? You need to establish a process for getting past denial and truly engage in creating a retirement that will complement your own personality and also mesh well with those who will be sharing your retirement life. It is a process which begins with understanding why retirement is such a difficult transition and then taking steps to avoid or minimize these difficulties through planning intelligently to create your ideal retirement life.
For example, the cost of denying that retirement will change your relationship with your spouse or life partner (myth #5) suggests that you need to prepare for changing the depth of your interpersonal transactions. Decisions will now go way beyond “What’s for dinner” and include where and even how to live, which can involve difficult discussions including prioritizing wishes, examining the details of your every day lives, and listening to and compromising with your partner. You can try to “wing it”, but are you prepared to be a statistic in the new divorce paradigm?
This is the intelligent way to prepare for what could either be (a) your most difficult life transition, with a significant chance of unhappiness, or (b) the very best years of your life. Which will it be for you?
DURAN
What is so hard about retirement? Many people have asked themselves this question. Well, if it is so easy, then why are 41% of retirees five years out depressed and say retirement was the most difficult transition of their life? Now they are unhappy and tell us their life was better when they were working!
You can avoid this fate. To learn how, you need to understand the difficulties associated with this transition, beginning with why there are so many negative psychological associations with the whole concept of “retirement” which you may not consciously understand. You also need to understand the most common retirement myths which may be preventing you from understanding what retirement really is all about and preparing adequately for it.
The word “retirement” comes from the old French verb, “retyrer” which means “to go off into seclusion.” If you look up the word today in Webster’s dictionary, some of the synonyms you will find are: (1) withdrawal; (2) retreat; (3) seclusion; (4) departure; and (5) regression.
Who would want to do any of that? So it is not surprising that we all probably have many unconscious negative associations with retirement. We don’t want to feel old and irrelevant, and we don’t want to regress, but often our parents’retirement was followed shortly by demise and death. We certainly want to deny the inevitable, and denial can become very powerful because we don’t consciously realize we are doing it! And are we going to carefully plan for something we are carefully avoiding considering?
Denial of the importance of planning for retirement has led to five very common retirement myths.
Myth #1 is that retirement is not here now, so there is no reason to think seriously about it and plan for it. “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” We call this the “Scarlet O’Hara” myth. This myth can have devastating consequences including not saving enough money and developing serious conflicts with those closest to you who have different expectations about retirement.
Myth #2 is the belief that retirement is really simple. No big deal. I’ll just stop working and everything will be fine. What’s so hard about that? We call this the “Homer Simpson” myth. Sorry, Homer, but it doesn’t work that way. Oversimplifying retirement and not understanding the enormous personal changes involved can result in disappointment and eventually depression when things do not work out as envisioned.
Myth #3 holds that retirement will be great because it will be one, long, happy vacation. Remember those three weeks we spent in Florida or Hawaii? The rest of my life is going to be just like that. We call this the “Carnival Cruise” myth. But retirees find out very soon that leisure is only relaxing and rejuvenating when it is a counterbalance to some sort of routine, and not as a perpetual escape from reality.
Myth #4 is probably the most common myth, and it expresses the belief that your retirement will be wonderful if only you have enough money. We call this the “King Midas” myth. It is perpetuated by the advertisements of many financial services companies and by the fact that, in America, we are becoming increasingly responsible for our own financial independence after work. This is not to say that money is not important. It is. But only as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Many wealthy retirees are unhappy.
Myth #5 is the most interesting of all. This myth holds that I am just going to love spending tons and tons of time with my spouse or life partner. We have been waiting practically all our lives to have all this wonderful time together! Now finally we can do it! We call this last myth, the “King Henry the 8th myth.” Couples who have spent 20% or less of their time together pre-retirement will have difficulty adjusting to a much higher percentage. The divorce rate is now the highest for the 55+ demographic.
So now that you know what the five most common retirement myths are, what do you do with this informaiton? You need to establish a process for getting past denial and truly engage in creating a retirement that will complement your own personality and also mesh well with those who will be sharing your retirement life. It is a process which begins with understanding why retirement is such a difficult transition and then taking steps to avoid or minimize these difficulties through planning intelligently to create your ideal retirement life.
For example, the cost of denying that retirement will change your relationship with your spouse or life partner (myth #5) suggests that you need to prepare for changing the depth of your interpersonal transactions. Decisions will now go way beyond “What’s for dinner” and include where and even how to live, which can involve difficult discussions including prioritizing wishes, examining the details of your every day lives, and listening to and compromising with your partner. You can try to “wing it”, but are you prepared to be a statistic in the new divorce paradigm?
This is the intelligent way to prepare for what could either be (a) your most difficult life transition, with a significant chance of unhappiness, or (b) the very best years of your life. Which will it be for you?
DURAN
Nov
20
Successful Home Equity Management
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
henrygjose asked:
WFE Equity Management Video … retirement equity real estate Missed Fortune retire money mortgage
BORDEN
Nov
12
How To Retire Online Using Turnkey Online Business System
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HomeBizReport asked:
www.123CallBrent.com A great review at Home Make Money Online Business get paid Make Money successful Online BusinessMake Money Online and Work at Home Internet based Business review fee Make Money no Online start Home based Business movie Make Money Online Business Work at Home easy ways to Make Money Online Free Tips legitimate Home Business Make Money now Online tutorial Business Make Money Online successful How can i Make Money Online with no investment fast Make Money Online quickly …
COREY
Nov
10
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
Paul Hata asked:
Learning to manage your money while you have more disposable income is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself when it comes to your retirement. One of the best things you can do in order to prepare yourself for living on a ‘fixed’ income that goes along with retirement is to establish a budget and spending limit each month and live within that budget.
In fact, you might wish to establish a smaller budget than you actually think you will need in order to maximize the effect and add a little padding to your savings account. Over time, the little savings can either provide a nice boost to your retirement fund or a great night on the town as an occasional treat.
Living on a budget is one of the most difficult things that many Americans will ever face. As a matter of fact we have the nasty tendency to live at the very edge of our abilities and over extend ourselves heartily.
A good method for learning to create and establish a budget is to make a list of all your monthly spending right down to your miscellaneous expenses and convenience store and break room snacks and stops. Then add up the totals and see where you believe you can cut costs. Of course it isn’t enough merely to say you want to cut costs in certain areas, you need to create a plan of action for doing so.
If you are creating greater costs by having an afternoon coffee or snack at work see if you can bring them from home in order cut costs. Cook one extra casserole per week and freeze it in order to eliminate those last minute fast food runs when you simply don’t feel like cooking.
Take baby steps when it comes to cutting costs and over time you will find that you have learned to live with even less than you thought possible. In fact you can make it fun by making it a challenge. See who can eliminate the most money from the budget each week and actually stick to it.
The thing you do not want to do is deprive yourself to the point that you will eventually go out and undo all the good by splurging. You need to reward yourself along the way for the small steps you have taken.
Set goals for saving as well as your budget and you will find that you are much better prepared to budget your money you are confined within that budget. While you were at it, you just might find that you’ve saved enough to increase your investments enough to bump your budget a good bit when the proper time comes.
You do not have to have an all or nothing approach when you begin learning to manage your money, especially if you are making the effort before you reach the point of retirement. Little things we do on a daily basis that help us make more responsible decisions about our money will become habits over time.
Those habits will serve you well throughout life and retirement. They will also help you prioritize your spending once you are living with limited means in order to decide what you can and cannot sacrifice in order to get the most out of life.
MATHEWS
Learning to manage your money while you have more disposable income is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself when it comes to your retirement. One of the best things you can do in order to prepare yourself for living on a ‘fixed’ income that goes along with retirement is to establish a budget and spending limit each month and live within that budget.
In fact, you might wish to establish a smaller budget than you actually think you will need in order to maximize the effect and add a little padding to your savings account. Over time, the little savings can either provide a nice boost to your retirement fund or a great night on the town as an occasional treat.
Living on a budget is one of the most difficult things that many Americans will ever face. As a matter of fact we have the nasty tendency to live at the very edge of our abilities and over extend ourselves heartily.
A good method for learning to create and establish a budget is to make a list of all your monthly spending right down to your miscellaneous expenses and convenience store and break room snacks and stops. Then add up the totals and see where you believe you can cut costs. Of course it isn’t enough merely to say you want to cut costs in certain areas, you need to create a plan of action for doing so.
If you are creating greater costs by having an afternoon coffee or snack at work see if you can bring them from home in order cut costs. Cook one extra casserole per week and freeze it in order to eliminate those last minute fast food runs when you simply don’t feel like cooking.
Take baby steps when it comes to cutting costs and over time you will find that you have learned to live with even less than you thought possible. In fact you can make it fun by making it a challenge. See who can eliminate the most money from the budget each week and actually stick to it.
The thing you do not want to do is deprive yourself to the point that you will eventually go out and undo all the good by splurging. You need to reward yourself along the way for the small steps you have taken.
Set goals for saving as well as your budget and you will find that you are much better prepared to budget your money you are confined within that budget. While you were at it, you just might find that you’ve saved enough to increase your investments enough to bump your budget a good bit when the proper time comes.
You do not have to have an all or nothing approach when you begin learning to manage your money, especially if you are making the effort before you reach the point of retirement. Little things we do on a daily basis that help us make more responsible decisions about our money will become habits over time.
Those habits will serve you well throughout life and retirement. They will also help you prioritize your spending once you are living with limited means in order to decide what you can and cannot sacrifice in order to get the most out of life.
MATHEWS
Nov
9
Planning for Retirement vs Planning for Old Age
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
rapidcity55 asked:
and manage their funds to make sure they will have enough resources to take care of themselves in their later years.Rick Kahler, CFP, resides in Rapid City, South Dakota and is a fee-only financial planner. He is the co-author of “The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge” and “Conscious Finance,” both available on Amazon.com. You can learn more about Rick at wwww.kahlerfinancial.com. … elderly old retirement financial independence wealthy freedom retire money finance planning rick kahler cfp …
DELAROSA
Nov
9
Cash Gifting Expert Rob Abrams Team Member Testimonial
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
talltreebc7 asked:
A Rob Abrams team member opening a $2000 gift. Rob Abrams is the $100000 a month cash gifting expert. Free Videos show how he does it. Check it out: www.yourfreedom365.tv talltreebc7 … talltreebc7 cash gifting home business mlm opportunity retire money freedom moms jobs family gift women love
HANNON
Nov
6
True Measure of Wealth and Myth of Retirement
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
Enoch Tan asked:
Your wealth is not a measure of how much you have, but how much you are capable of generating in every moment. If you had won a million dollars in the lottery but are capable of generating zero dollars, you wealth is virtually zero. Wealth is what you have left when all your money has been taken from you. That is why people who are truly wealthy never become poor even after they have lost all their money. They are able to create money on demand. The secret of wealth is creation and not possession.
A poor person who is incapable of generating income, but happens to win a million dollars, is still a poor person with a million dollars. A rich person who is capable of generating lots of money, but happens to lose all his money, is still a rich person with no money. Money does not make you rich. It is the power to obtain wealth that makes you rich. A million dollars in the hands of someone without power to create wealth, will soon become nothing. In the hands of someone with power, it never runs out.
Money is an illusion because it is not a thing in itself. Money is a representation of something else. It is an external symbol that manifest from the inner world of creativity and intention. The manifestation is complete with some form of action involved. It is only an illusion when there is a lot of money or there is no money. A person capable of generating zero dollars may possess the illusion of a million dollars, while a person capable of generating a million dollars may possess the illusion of money being run out.
When you are capable of creating money, the supply is inexhaustible. Whatever wealth that is manifested is temporary and will soon be used finish or shrink with inflation until it is next to nothing. It is only the act of recreation that sustains the presence of a particular thing in the visible world. Whatever you hold in your hand is subjected to death and decay. Old things become obsolete and it is only through constant renewal that enables anything to live on continually. Whatever stops creating, ceases to live.
It is a lunacy of people of the world to make lots of money to last them the rest of their lives, so that they can retire and never have to work to make any more money. Why retire when you should enjoy making money or enjoy doing fulfilling work that makes you money? Doing something in order to stop doing it implies that the very thing you are doing is not enjoyable. Isn’t it such a meaningless way to live life? The reason why this is so, is because many people do not even know how to live their lives correctly.
The idea of retirement is a joke. The moment you retire, you stop contributing and generating. It doesn’t matter how rich you seem to be by the amount of money you have. When you stop contributing and generating, you are virtually a bankrupt. You may have a lot of money in the bank to live on for the remainder of your probable lifespan, but if the money disappeared overnight, you are financially dead. If you somehow managed to get eternal life on earth, the very concept of retirement will disappear completely.
Life is always in motion and that which is flowing shall live. Money has to flow in and out of your life in order to sustain your life. You cannot live without spending and you cannot spend without earning. Cash flow is the core diagnosis of any financial system. Whenever your income exceeds your expenses, you are growing steadily richer every day. Whenever your expenses exceed your income, you are growing steadily poorer every day. Therefore the money wise will always keep the inflow going steady.
We either progress or regress, we never stand still. You are either growing or dying. The moment you retire, you are as good as dead. The purpose of life is to create. When a person retires, they stop creating and stop living. That is why people who retire tend to pass away in a very short span of time. They lose the purpose of remaining here on earth and therefore their subconscious mind soon brings their physical life to an end. It’s insanity that people work only to retire and then to die without having lived.
It is also an illusion that people have in mind about creating wealth to retire and have the freedom to do what they enjoy. The idea of retirement and freedom should start from day one. You should start doing something you would do if you were already retired. That is what life is for. If you do something that you truly enjoy and most desire to do, you will never work a single day of your life and you will never retire because you are already as good as retired. You are completely free when you realize this truth.
Since wealth is only a reflection of the value that you generate in this world, you never want to stop generating it. That is why there are very wealthy people who continue to do the work they do although they have more than enough money to retire and live on for many lifetimes over. They enjoy doing what they do because it is not work, but it is their life. They seek to generate value for the world for as long as they live. They are truly expressing their inner wealth as infinite and inexhaustible in their outer world.
Strive to be a man of value and generation rather than a man of riches and success. If you are generating more value in this world than you are consuming, you are already rich and a success. Every value that you consume should be for the purpose of further increasing the value you can generate. This is how you multiply the current value of the world instead of degenerating it. As long as you are alive, your purpose is to generate. That is how you make the most out of your life. You constantly generate wealth.
NETTLES
Your wealth is not a measure of how much you have, but how much you are capable of generating in every moment. If you had won a million dollars in the lottery but are capable of generating zero dollars, you wealth is virtually zero. Wealth is what you have left when all your money has been taken from you. That is why people who are truly wealthy never become poor even after they have lost all their money. They are able to create money on demand. The secret of wealth is creation and not possession.
A poor person who is incapable of generating income, but happens to win a million dollars, is still a poor person with a million dollars. A rich person who is capable of generating lots of money, but happens to lose all his money, is still a rich person with no money. Money does not make you rich. It is the power to obtain wealth that makes you rich. A million dollars in the hands of someone without power to create wealth, will soon become nothing. In the hands of someone with power, it never runs out.
Money is an illusion because it is not a thing in itself. Money is a representation of something else. It is an external symbol that manifest from the inner world of creativity and intention. The manifestation is complete with some form of action involved. It is only an illusion when there is a lot of money or there is no money. A person capable of generating zero dollars may possess the illusion of a million dollars, while a person capable of generating a million dollars may possess the illusion of money being run out.
When you are capable of creating money, the supply is inexhaustible. Whatever wealth that is manifested is temporary and will soon be used finish or shrink with inflation until it is next to nothing. It is only the act of recreation that sustains the presence of a particular thing in the visible world. Whatever you hold in your hand is subjected to death and decay. Old things become obsolete and it is only through constant renewal that enables anything to live on continually. Whatever stops creating, ceases to live.
It is a lunacy of people of the world to make lots of money to last them the rest of their lives, so that they can retire and never have to work to make any more money. Why retire when you should enjoy making money or enjoy doing fulfilling work that makes you money? Doing something in order to stop doing it implies that the very thing you are doing is not enjoyable. Isn’t it such a meaningless way to live life? The reason why this is so, is because many people do not even know how to live their lives correctly.
The idea of retirement is a joke. The moment you retire, you stop contributing and generating. It doesn’t matter how rich you seem to be by the amount of money you have. When you stop contributing and generating, you are virtually a bankrupt. You may have a lot of money in the bank to live on for the remainder of your probable lifespan, but if the money disappeared overnight, you are financially dead. If you somehow managed to get eternal life on earth, the very concept of retirement will disappear completely.
Life is always in motion and that which is flowing shall live. Money has to flow in and out of your life in order to sustain your life. You cannot live without spending and you cannot spend without earning. Cash flow is the core diagnosis of any financial system. Whenever your income exceeds your expenses, you are growing steadily richer every day. Whenever your expenses exceed your income, you are growing steadily poorer every day. Therefore the money wise will always keep the inflow going steady.
We either progress or regress, we never stand still. You are either growing or dying. The moment you retire, you are as good as dead. The purpose of life is to create. When a person retires, they stop creating and stop living. That is why people who retire tend to pass away in a very short span of time. They lose the purpose of remaining here on earth and therefore their subconscious mind soon brings their physical life to an end. It’s insanity that people work only to retire and then to die without having lived.
It is also an illusion that people have in mind about creating wealth to retire and have the freedom to do what they enjoy. The idea of retirement and freedom should start from day one. You should start doing something you would do if you were already retired. That is what life is for. If you do something that you truly enjoy and most desire to do, you will never work a single day of your life and you will never retire because you are already as good as retired. You are completely free when you realize this truth.
Since wealth is only a reflection of the value that you generate in this world, you never want to stop generating it. That is why there are very wealthy people who continue to do the work they do although they have more than enough money to retire and live on for many lifetimes over. They enjoy doing what they do because it is not work, but it is their life. They seek to generate value for the world for as long as they live. They are truly expressing their inner wealth as infinite and inexhaustible in their outer world.
Strive to be a man of value and generation rather than a man of riches and success. If you are generating more value in this world than you are consuming, you are already rich and a success. Every value that you consume should be for the purpose of further increasing the value you can generate. This is how you multiply the current value of the world instead of degenerating it. As long as you are alive, your purpose is to generate. That is how you make the most out of your life. You constantly generate wealth.
NETTLES
Nov
5
Simple Tips to an Early Military Retirement
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
Vince Shorb asked:
Many in the military are aware that they need to start saving for their future; however many people serving our Country have no idea where to start or how much they will need. With uncertain economic times it is now more important than ever you start investing young
Retirement is long way military personnel under the age of 30; however this is a important time to begin retirement planning. And the sooner young members in the military invest the easier it will be for them to retire young. The simple lessons below will have you on the road financial security and, equally important, will allow you to fully enjoy life now. You can become financially secure in the military while you’re young with some simple steps. Follow the simple suggestions below and be on your way to and early military retirement.
1) Invest – Get that military paycheck working for you immediately. The sooner you begin to invest the sooner you can plan to retire young. By investing young you are able to harness the power of compounding interest which is a great ally in achieving your objective of an early retirement.
‘Compounding interest’ is earning money from the profits of your investments. So you’re making money off money you did not have to work for. This offers young military members a tremendous advantage. In fact, investing as little as $100 per month starting at age 18 could make you a young millionaire well before you reach retirement age. Plus it will give you the ability to do the things you like to do while keeping on track to retire young.
2) Consistent investment plan – Investing on a consistent basis will allow you to generate long-term gains over time. For most in the military this consist investing over time may allow you to retire young. Start to follow a consistent investment plan now; then as your investment knowledge grows you can add other forms of high-return investments.
An ideal investment for young military personnel ready to retire young is low-cost broad market index investments. Warren Buffet states, “A very low-cost index is going to beat a majority of the amateur-managed money or professionally-managed money.” This is one of the easiest investments you can make. An added bonus is that it takes only minimal knowledge and about 60 minutes to start getting your money working for you.
3) Diversification – Diversification lowers risk. If you have all your money invested in the stock market, and the market crashes, you could potentially lose a lot of money. Now if you had a portion of your money invested in stocks, some in real estate, some in businesses and some in other alternative investments – if any one of the markets corrects itself, you wouldn’t get hit as hard since you’re diversified.
4) Tax benefit vehicles – By using investment vehicles that give you tax benefits you’ll be on the road to retire young. A Roth IRA or other form of retirement account can be a key investment vehicle that will allow you to reduce taxes. Many people don’t realize about 40% of your income goes to pay taxes. So by choosing an investment vehicle like an IRA may help to keep more money in your pocket.
To secure your early retirement, immediately begin a consistent investment strategy. Being diversified and using investment vehicles that provide tax benefits will help to supercharge your returns. Get started now because you’ll be able to afford the things you want now and in the future.
GOLDSMITH
Many in the military are aware that they need to start saving for their future; however many people serving our Country have no idea where to start or how much they will need. With uncertain economic times it is now more important than ever you start investing young
Retirement is long way military personnel under the age of 30; however this is a important time to begin retirement planning. And the sooner young members in the military invest the easier it will be for them to retire young. The simple lessons below will have you on the road financial security and, equally important, will allow you to fully enjoy life now. You can become financially secure in the military while you’re young with some simple steps. Follow the simple suggestions below and be on your way to and early military retirement.
1) Invest – Get that military paycheck working for you immediately. The sooner you begin to invest the sooner you can plan to retire young. By investing young you are able to harness the power of compounding interest which is a great ally in achieving your objective of an early retirement.
‘Compounding interest’ is earning money from the profits of your investments. So you’re making money off money you did not have to work for. This offers young military members a tremendous advantage. In fact, investing as little as $100 per month starting at age 18 could make you a young millionaire well before you reach retirement age. Plus it will give you the ability to do the things you like to do while keeping on track to retire young.
2) Consistent investment plan – Investing on a consistent basis will allow you to generate long-term gains over time. For most in the military this consist investing over time may allow you to retire young. Start to follow a consistent investment plan now; then as your investment knowledge grows you can add other forms of high-return investments.
An ideal investment for young military personnel ready to retire young is low-cost broad market index investments. Warren Buffet states, “A very low-cost index is going to beat a majority of the amateur-managed money or professionally-managed money.” This is one of the easiest investments you can make. An added bonus is that it takes only minimal knowledge and about 60 minutes to start getting your money working for you.
3) Diversification – Diversification lowers risk. If you have all your money invested in the stock market, and the market crashes, you could potentially lose a lot of money. Now if you had a portion of your money invested in stocks, some in real estate, some in businesses and some in other alternative investments – if any one of the markets corrects itself, you wouldn’t get hit as hard since you’re diversified.
4) Tax benefit vehicles – By using investment vehicles that give you tax benefits you’ll be on the road to retire young. A Roth IRA or other form of retirement account can be a key investment vehicle that will allow you to reduce taxes. Many people don’t realize about 40% of your income goes to pay taxes. So by choosing an investment vehicle like an IRA may help to keep more money in your pocket.
To secure your early retirement, immediately begin a consistent investment strategy. Being diversified and using investment vehicles that provide tax benefits will help to supercharge your returns. Get started now because you’ll be able to afford the things you want now and in the future.
GOLDSMITH
Nov
4
7 Ways to Use Money Saved Through Debt Settlement
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
Brian Williams asked:
Debt settlement is a good method to reduce that pesky credit card debt. Basically, debt settlement allows you to save money until you can pay a reduced amount on your debt. A debt settlement program works with your creditors on a lowered debt amount.
This form of debt relief is different from debt consolidation. Debt consolidation offers a lower interest rate on outstanding debts, but does not reduce that debt load, thus extending repayment several years. For example, $20,000 in credit card debt can be reduced by thousands of dollars through debt settlement after discussions between your debt settlement expert and your creditors.
You can use that savings in a variety of ways. Here are seven of them.
1. Retirement Money
It is never too early to start savings for retirement. Proper debt relief such as debt settlement can provide you money to put into a 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA).
2. Money To Return To School
Savings through debt settlement can go toward furthering your education. Perhaps you want to complete a college degree after you postponed studies. Or you want to take continuing education classes to upgrade skills that could lead to a better-paying job. The cost of higher education is rising so you should prepare as best you can.
3. College Money For Your Children
If you have children, it is wise to start a college savings plan to guard against rising college costs. College costs continue to outpace the inflation rate and show no signs of abating. For example, money from a 529 savings plan allows money to be socked away for college and the earnings are not taxed. Starting early on college preparation – at least the financial aspect of it – means your children will not have to take on student loan debt to go to college.
4. Buy A Home or Pay Off Your House
When debt settlement helps you pay your credit card debt, use the savings toward paying off the mortgage on your home. While credit card debt just disrupts your financial stability with high interest payments, a mortgage for a home is one of the best investments your can make.
People who do not own a home can get out of debt and start saving for a down payment on a house. The subprime mortgage crisis means people with bad credit are having a hard time getting home loans. It is even harder without a hefty down payment. Plus, your amount of debt affects your credit score, which is a main determining factor in obtaining a mortgage.
If you do not want to buy a house to live in, you can buy one as an investment. Many of today’s real estate investors buy homes, make improvements and sell the houses for higher prices. This process of flipping houses is popularized on television. Home prices are dropping due to a housing slump but the trend may not last for long.
5. Donate To Your Favorite Charity
Getting rid of those high monthly payments for credit cards mean you can become more philanthropic. Some charitable contributions are tax-deductible, so giving to your favorite cause adds an extra financial benefit.
6. Start Your Own Business
You can provide startup costs for your business without sweating at a loan application from a bank. You have the cash for an office, computer equipment, office supplies and other infrastructure as you begin your life as an entrepreneur. Plus, the good credit you gain from getting out of debt could help you attract investors.
7. Build Your Savings
Put your extra money in a savings account that earns interest. You can tap into the savings during emergencies. The account can provide an extra financial cushion against unexpected medical bills, a job loss or other surprise expenses.
Whatever route you choose to get out of debt, understand that there are plenty of better ways to spend your money than on monthly credit card payments.
PORTER
Debt settlement is a good method to reduce that pesky credit card debt. Basically, debt settlement allows you to save money until you can pay a reduced amount on your debt. A debt settlement program works with your creditors on a lowered debt amount.
This form of debt relief is different from debt consolidation. Debt consolidation offers a lower interest rate on outstanding debts, but does not reduce that debt load, thus extending repayment several years. For example, $20,000 in credit card debt can be reduced by thousands of dollars through debt settlement after discussions between your debt settlement expert and your creditors.
You can use that savings in a variety of ways. Here are seven of them.
1. Retirement Money
It is never too early to start savings for retirement. Proper debt relief such as debt settlement can provide you money to put into a 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA).
2. Money To Return To School
Savings through debt settlement can go toward furthering your education. Perhaps you want to complete a college degree after you postponed studies. Or you want to take continuing education classes to upgrade skills that could lead to a better-paying job. The cost of higher education is rising so you should prepare as best you can.
3. College Money For Your Children
If you have children, it is wise to start a college savings plan to guard against rising college costs. College costs continue to outpace the inflation rate and show no signs of abating. For example, money from a 529 savings plan allows money to be socked away for college and the earnings are not taxed. Starting early on college preparation – at least the financial aspect of it – means your children will not have to take on student loan debt to go to college.
4. Buy A Home or Pay Off Your House
When debt settlement helps you pay your credit card debt, use the savings toward paying off the mortgage on your home. While credit card debt just disrupts your financial stability with high interest payments, a mortgage for a home is one of the best investments your can make.
People who do not own a home can get out of debt and start saving for a down payment on a house. The subprime mortgage crisis means people with bad credit are having a hard time getting home loans. It is even harder without a hefty down payment. Plus, your amount of debt affects your credit score, which is a main determining factor in obtaining a mortgage.
If you do not want to buy a house to live in, you can buy one as an investment. Many of today’s real estate investors buy homes, make improvements and sell the houses for higher prices. This process of flipping houses is popularized on television. Home prices are dropping due to a housing slump but the trend may not last for long.
5. Donate To Your Favorite Charity
Getting rid of those high monthly payments for credit cards mean you can become more philanthropic. Some charitable contributions are tax-deductible, so giving to your favorite cause adds an extra financial benefit.
6. Start Your Own Business
You can provide startup costs for your business without sweating at a loan application from a bank. You have the cash for an office, computer equipment, office supplies and other infrastructure as you begin your life as an entrepreneur. Plus, the good credit you gain from getting out of debt could help you attract investors.
7. Build Your Savings
Put your extra money in a savings account that earns interest. You can tap into the savings during emergencies. The account can provide an extra financial cushion against unexpected medical bills, a job loss or other surprise expenses.
Whatever route you choose to get out of debt, understand that there are plenty of better ways to spend your money than on monthly credit card payments.
PORTER
Nov
3
Retirement Security Hearing: David John & Mark Iwry
Filed Under Retirement Money | Comments Off
EdLaborDemocrats asked:
David John & Mark Iwry testify at a US House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing concerning retirement security on November 8, 2007. … 401k retirement pension retire money stocks finances
CONROY