Saving for the Future While Paying Off Debt

Check out this short video on how you can save for your future and repay your debts!

Alternative Ways To Invest In Stocks (That Don’t Require You To Be A Stock Market Expert)

There are lots of alternative ways to invest in the stock market. Some are certainly more complex than others and may require a financial degree to get your head around, however others are relatively simple. Not only that – you don’t need much money to try out these investments. Here are just a few unique ways to make money out of stocks.

Use a robo-advisor

Many people hire a stockbroker to identify the best places to invest, however stockbrokers won’t always guarantee you the best deal – many will choose stock based on the commission that they get from the exchange. Fortunately, there are now robo-advisors that can offer unbiased advice on investing based on hard facts and figures. These are essentially pieces of software that monitor all the stock prices out there to find you the best deal for your needs. It takes all the confusion out of shopping for stocks whilst not having to rely on a commission-hungry broker. That said, most of these programmes aren’t free and charge a small fee for using them. Others are free, but require a minimum account balance. Comparison guides can help you to find the best robo-advisor for you.

Try micro-investing apps

Micro-investing apps are great for anyone regardless of your budget. They save up your spare change in a savings account and then use this to make small investments in available stocks. These apps recommend the best places to invest and you get to choose whether or not to invest in them. They’re essentially robo-advisors on your phone that also encourage you to save up money to invest with.

Try spread betting

Spread betting isn’t so much a form of investment but rather a form of gambling based on how much you predict a stock will rise or fall. Spread betting in the UK is becoming more popular and there are software programmes out there that can help you get into the swing of it. Such programmes can weigh up the risk of whether a stock is likely to rise or fall. You can do spread betting with commodities like gold and oil and foreign currencies.

Join an investment club

Investment clubs allow you to put money in each week into a pot. This money is invested with and the profits are then shared out amongst everyone. By teaming together, investment clubs are able to take advantage of stocks with high minimum investments that might otherwise be too expensive to invest in alone. This is only one form of crowdfunding and there are all kinds of other groups such as mutual funds groups and real estate investment clubs for investing in property. Some investment clubs may be aimed primarily at the rich and may require high weekly contributions, however others may only require a small contribution each week.

Collaborative Post

Source: https://blog.themoneyshed.co.uk/alternative-ways-to-invest-in-stocks-that-dont-require-you-to-be-a-stock-market-expert/

HOW TO CUT YOUR MORTGAGE IN HALF

ONE SIMPLE STRATEGY THAT WILL SAVE YOU HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

Posted by: Team Tony

Although there is still some debate about whether or not you should pay off your mortgage early, the truth is that the math is almost always in your favor. By paying off your mortgage early you will end up paying as little as half your mortgage payments, which is far less than any tax write-off you would otherwise receive.Legal Disclosure: Tony Robbins is a board member and Chief of Investor Psychology at Creative Planning, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with wealth managers serving all 50 states. Mr. Robbins receives compensation for serving in this capacity and based on increased business derived by Creative Planning from his services.

“It’s a pity,” mortgage expert Marc Eisenson, author of The Banker’s Secret, told The New York Times. “There are millions of people out there who faithfully make their regular mortgage payments because they don’t understand […] the benefits of pocket-change prepayments.”

WHAT ARE POCKET-CHANGE PREPAYMENTS?

When you sign on the dotted line and take on that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6%, as much as 80% of your mortgage payments will go toward interest. Ouch. In fact, your interest payments will tack on an additional 100% or more to your loan value. To find out how much you’ll pay in interest on your own home, use this calculator.

In order to maximize your payments and end up paying less interest, you simply need to start making payments against your principal along with your normal monthly payment. So the next time you write your monthly mortgage check, write a second check for the “principal only” portion of next month’s payment.

Image © Yulia Grigoryeva/shutterstock

THE NOT-SO-MAGIC MATH, IN ACTION

For example, the average American home is $270,000. (This strategy, however, works whatever the cost of your home). A 30-year loan at 6% requires an initial monthly payment of $1,618.

With this technique you would make your usual monthly payment, and then you would also write a second check for an extra $270, which will cover next month’s principal balance. If the whole $270 – or whatever your number is – seems out of reach right now, pay whatever you can. It will still add up. If you continue to do this every month, you will never have to pay interest on the principal that is pre-paid.

To be clear, you are not paying extra money; you are simply paying a little bit sooner, and saving yourself potentially hundreds of thousands in the process. Imagine being free from mortgage payments in just 15 years instead of 30. Would that make those small sacrifices now worth it?

If you aspire to home ownership – or if where you live, owning a home makes more financial sense than renting – taking this one simple step can eliminate one of the single largest expenses of your life.

Team Tony

Team Tony cultivates, curates and shares Tony Robbins’ stories and core principles, to help others achieve an extraordinary life.

Source: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/wealth-lifestyle/how-to-cut-your-mortgage-in-half/

When’s the Last Time You Calculated Your Wealth Number?

Written by Kim Kiyosaki | Thursday, December 14, 2017

Read time: 4 min

Surprisingly, it’s time (not money) that will gauge how much you need to be financially free

Brace yourselves. I’m starting off with a question that could very well make your palms sweat and pulse race: If you (or you and your partner/spouse) stopped working today, how long could you survive financially?

If your answer is less than a month, sadly you’re not alone. According to a 2017 GOBankingRates survey, more than half of Americans (57 percent) have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts. And even worse, 39 percent have no savings at all. Now that’s a number that makes my palms sweat.

I’m sure you can see why I asked this critical question—it’s one that most people will never stop to calculate. Perhaps that’s because they feel invincible. Or maybe because it’s just too darn scary.

This is why, when the unexpected happens—like a job layoff, an illness, an accident or a divorce—so many people are not financially prepared. Unfortunately, it’s precisely at the time of the unexpected event that most people, for the first time, experience the reality of where they are and how long they can survive financially. And that’s the exact moment where you will be faced with the cold hard truth of your situation.

What Do Need to Live On, Anyways?

For most people, calculating what they want and need means thinking in terms of money. For instance, “I need $1 million to live on for the rest of my life.” And even when you talk with financial planners, they will mention your nest egg, and discuss how much money you should set aside for retirement.

However, there is a far better way to answer the question. Instead of measuring your wealth in terms of money, it makes more sense to measure your wealth in terms of time. And that, ladies, is what I call the Wealth Number.

When it comes to discovering your Wealth Number, there are two important parts to the question: “If you (or you and your partner/spouse) stopped working today, how long could you survive financially?” Let’s break them down:

1. If you stopped working today…
   That means there are no more paychecks coming your way. Something has happened and you can no longer work for a business or job. Therefore no income is coming in from those sources.
2. How long could you survive financially?
   We’re talking about survival at your current standard of living—not if you downsized your house, sold your car and rode the bus, stopped eating out, and gave up your manicures. With your current level of expenses in mind, how long would your money last?

Defining Terms

Let’s get clear on some basic definitions to make sure we’re on the same page. When it comes to calculating your Wealth Number, your money consists of your savings, CDs, retirement accounts, liquid stocks (stocks you could sell today), physical gold and silver you have in your possession—basically anything that can be converted into cash today. It does not include selling your jewelry, your furniture, or your second car, for example, because that would lower your current standard of living. It does include cash flow from dividends, rental real estate, and other investments that produce income without your effort.

Perhaps you’ve done this calculation for yourself before. Well, I encourage you to do it again now. Why? Your finances are dynamic; they are constantly changing. You may come up with a similar answer as the last time you completed this exercise, or you may be surprised by your new outcome.

Do the Math

It’s all too easy to lie to yourself (or incorrectly guestimate) about how much you actually spend on monthly expenses. So be sure to include all your expenses because you want to expand your financial means to meet the lifestyle to which you aspire, not live below your means.

Use this equation:

Your wealth number = Your available money / Your monthly expenses

Once you put these numbers into a spreadsheet and divide how much money you have available by your monthly expenses, you end up with your wealth number. What does that mean?

Your wealth number is measured in time—in this case, in months. So if your wealth number is 24, that equates to 24 months. If your number is 6, that equates to 6 months. And what does that mean? Your wealth number is the number of months you could survive if you (or both you and your partner) stopped working today.

So, what’s your number? Less than you thought? Hint: It’s rarely more than people think.

Welcome to Reality

For most, the outcome of this calculation is sobering. It brings you and your money face to face, which can be uncomfortable. But it is the most realistic and telling demonstration of exactly where you stand today financially.

For many people, their number is 3 or less. That means they could only survive without paychecks for three months or less. That means they are pretty much living paycheck to paycheck. And in some cases, people actually have a negative number, which means they are spending more every month than they are bringing in.

It really doesn’t matter what your number is. Your number is simply your number. You don’t need to make it right or wrong or continually stress over it. It is what it is. Period. Now you know something that most people will never take the time to figure out. And most importantly, now that you know, you can take action and change it if you choose.

So take a look at your finances. If you are unhappy, or even upset and sad, about that number in front of you—good. That just means it’s time to take some action. Consider enrolling in a free education workshop to learn how to build streams of long-term cash flow, or explore some free tools to help increase your financial intelligence. It’s never too late to start making some changes that will enhance your future.

Source: http://www.richdad.com/Resources/Rich-Dad-Financial-Education-Blog/December-2017/When%E2%80%99s-the-Last-Time-You-Calculated-Your-Wealth-Nu.aspx

The Women of Cryptocurrency

Written by Kim Kiyosaki | Thursday, January 4, 2018

Read time: 2 min

Bitcoin and other virtual currencies exhibit similar gender inequality issues as Silicon Valley, but women are slowly making an impact in this industry

If you’ve been paying any attention to the news lately, then you’ve heard the recent raucous surrounding the rollercoaster that is cryptocurrencies. Are you confused by what you’re reading and hearing? Don’t worry, so are most people—even the ones who are investing in this digital currency. There’s so much buzz floating around about this phenomenon, it’s no wonder everyone is in a tizzy over its rising and falling prices.

Warren Buffett famously advised never to invest in anything you don’t understand—yet Bitcoin investors don’t really seem to be heeding that advice. Some people have hailed this virtual currency as the money of the future, while others have dubbed it the next Ponzi scheme. Only time will tell.

Of course, Bitcoin isn’t the only game in town. There are countless substitutes to Bitcoin, which are grouped as “altcoins,” or alternative cryptocurrencies that were launched after Bitcoin. And where there are options, there are opportunities.

Women Have Entered the Sandbox

A recent study in the Harvard Business Review revealed that only 9 percent of entrepreneurs in VC-financed tech startups are women. So it’s no surprise that the roughly $460 billion digital currency market is dominated by men. Sounds like Silicon Valley all over again. But I’m happy to report that women are now getting in on the action.

In fact, four out of 30 of the largest initial coin offerings this year (through October) had female co-founders, and two of their ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) were among the largest so far.

It’s a safe bet that women didn’t have a seat at the table when our current financial system was conceived hundreds of years ago, and now we have an opportunity to change the future with what could be a whole new system—one that rests on a decentralized model that offers added transactional privacy. While the longevity of digital currencies remains unknown and I don’t have a crystal ball to predict what might happen next, one thing is for certain: It’s a hot industry with room for a woman to rise to the top.

Let’s look at a few female trailblazers:

• Maxine Ryan: This 25-year-old dropped out of college to launch Bitspark in Hong Kong. Its ICO, in November, raised $1.4 million.
• Rhian Lewis: This organizer of a London-based Women in Bitcoin group provides a welcoming, friendly environment for nearly 400 women who want to learn more about Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
• Tavonia Evans: This technology veteran launched the very first ICO for $Guap, a coin aimed at recycling wealth within the Black community. She has almost 20 years of technology experience and believes that cryptocurrency could be the game changer for Black economics.

Plenty of Room to Grow

Since only 5-7 percent of cryptocurrency users are women, we still have a long way to go in this industry, ladies.

CoinDesk, an influential cryptocurrency media company, recently compiled a list for a vote on the most influential people in blockchain, which includes outsiders who’ve made an impact—such as socialite Paris Hilton and JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon. If you’re looking for women’s names on this list, you’ll need to look hard. Only a fifth of the 153 identifiable candidates were women.

If you’re seeking new and exciting opportunities to achieve your financial dreams, then the world of cryptocurrencies might be a great platform for you to explore. Just know that the future of this marketplace is entirely unpredictable, prices are fluctuating daily and it’s a total gamble at this point. Some advisers are telling clients to stay awayunless they can afford to lose 100 percent of what they put into a cryptocurrency investment.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” As with any investment, do your research and make sure you’re educated before you plunk down your hard-earned money.

Source: http://www.richdad.com/Resources/Rich-Dad-Financial-Education-Blog/January-2018/The-Women-of-Cryptocurrency.aspx

The Richest Man in Babylon Full Audiobook

Did you like the sound of the Richest Man in Babylon after the short summary we shared yesterday? Well, you're in luck - we found the whole audio book on-line for free!

Check it out!

Financial Skills - How to Budget & Balance Accounts

I was surprised when I asked parents to tell me the life skills they wish their kids knew, and there was a resounding request for a few topics:

• How to open a bank account
• How to budget & balance accounts
• How to write checks and pay bills
• And how to start saving for retirement

It seems some of the things we take for granted are, as a result, missing from what we teach kids.

In the last article, we focused on opening a bank account. This article is the second article in the four-part series and will look at how to teach kids to budget and balance their accounts.

Budgeting

It's not shock that budgeting can be boring and tedious. I've personally never been excited to sit down and create my budgets, but it's something that creates wealth and pays off down the road.

So how do you get kids excited about it? How can you add a little glamour to something so dull and boring? Easy - make it a game with payoffs.

Firstly, it's important to know how to create a budget, then to adhere to the budget.

Creating a Budget

You may have your own way to create a budget, and that's fine. In my experience, the easiest way to make a budget is as follows:

On a piece of paper, draw a line down the middle:

Spending BudgetCalculate your average monthly gross income and put that at the top of the page, then multiply it by.80 (for example, if you earned $1,000, you would end up with $800)

Fixed ExpensesWrite down all of your FIXED expense categories (i.e. phone bill, insurance, mortgage etc... ) and put them in one column on the left side of the page

Variable ExpensesNext write in the variable expense categories (i.e. food, gas, leisure, etc... ) and put them in another column on the right side of the page

Fill in all of your expenses

Net Budget after Fixed Expenses - Subtract fixed expenses from your spending budget If it's a positive number, you don't need to change anything If it's zero or a negative number, you should look for expenses that you can cut or lower

Budget variable expenses - Using your Net Budget after fixed expenses, determine what you can spend on variable expenses without overspending each month

Set a budget for each variable expense so you know what you can spend on each category in a given month

Making it Fun

OK, now that you have a budget outline, it's time to get the kids excited.

I know what you're thinking: "My kids will never be excited for this."

They will if you give them some prizes or payoffs. Here's how:

First, tell them what a budget is and show them the paper. Next, tell them that you're going to do a contest (if you have more than one kid, this works even better).

Contest 1: Anticipating Spending

The first contest is to see how close they can budget their money to reach a break-even or $0 over the course of a month. In other words, the goal is to predict your spending as close to the penny as possible.

If you have more than one kid person that gets the closest to break-even without going negative wins a prize. With just one kid, tell them that they get $5 or $10 if they reach break-even, and every penny they are off, you deduct 10ȼ

Contest 2 - Saving After Spending

The second contest is to see how well they can budget their money over the next 30 days. If they can save money, tell them you will give them whatever they save. That means if they save $5, you'll give them another $5 (just like companies matching a person's 401K contribution).

If you have more than one kid, tell them whoever is able to save the most will win and get a special prize. You will obviously choose the prize since you know your kids best.

Coming Soon

In the next article, we'll discuss how to write checks and pay bills. You will also learn how to combine check-writing with these contests to simulate the real world of budgeting for your kids.

You can find the previous article here.

Arm your kids with financial skills and hacks...

Check out this free lesson and video tutorial to start saving and getting financial aid at PrepareMyKid...

Getting Financial Aid for College

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stu_Schaefer/2447706

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The Richest Man in Babylon - Best Ideas Summary

Have you read the book 'The Richest Man In Babylon'? 

If not, you're missing out! 

Luckily for you, this video disseminates the top lessons from the book in just over 5 minutes - get this quick fix before you buy the book!

If you're dying to read the book after watching this, you can get it now HERE!

Why the Rich are Getting Richer | Robert Kiyosaki | TEDxUCSD

Robert Kiyosaki is an entrepreneur and the author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, the #1 bestselling personal finance book of all time.  In his talk, he discusses the power of financial education and how it relates to income inequality.

Best known as the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki has challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people around the world think about money. He is an entrepreneur, educator, and investor who believes the world needs more entrepreneurs.With perspectives on money and investing that often contradict conventional wisdom, Robert has earned an international reputation for straight talk, irreverence, and courage and has become a passionate and outspoken advocate for financial education.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

7 Wealth Secrets

Money is power; it can be a vital source of happiness and a paramount entity for some people. The gurus can give you hundreds of secrets to becoming wealthy. But, the catch to the "get rich soon" equation is simply a law of attraction. On the contrary, some people ruin their lives by becoming hungry for money that results in destroying and harming themselves and others.

Although, a healthy monetary asset is essential to survive in the world, which also demands a comprehensive understanding of how the money game operates. We leave you with 7 wealth secrets that will enhance your income:

Acceptance:

Firstly, to understand the game, it is vital that you acknowledge the universal truth, which is to acquire heaps of money. Once the mindset changes, you can strive to make your first million. Setting smaller and achievable goals can help you get focused.

Don't be Negative about it:

Secondly, try not to utter phrases like "I am poor". Picturing yourself to be rich can attract a lot of resources. It is vital to have an empowering mindset, which says; through my mental capacity and hard work I can achieve any task. The first person to convince in this situation would be you.

Taking your own wealth as a responsibility:

For instance, by creating wealth and jobs for others, you would create some for yourself. Not only that, you are also responsible for your family, stakeholders, and employers. A positive contribution to the society is only possible when you simultaneously have more than one income stream.

Find a mentor:

Stick to like-minded friends and family members who are equally passionate about wealth. Searching for an industry mentor is probably the best thing you could do. By far some of the best teachers of life lessons are these mentors. Making excellent friends allows you to create an aura of success around you.

Make an outstanding use of all the resources that you have:

Time is a virtually the best resource, it is an incalculable asset. Time is everywhere, you have a lot of it, but how do you spend it?

Financial resources are secondary when we talk about time, therefore we must not waste it. You can make principles for smart time management. If you work well in the morning, then allocate it to time-consuming tasks.

Make a habit of saving:

Rest assured, the money that you earn will not last, so it is better to start investing in stocks, property, and gold. Hiring a team of financial advisors can be an option later on.

Make money flow through various sources:

Further, having more than one source of income would be a preeminent task. Once you have started to pay you bills and taxes, then you can focus on reinvesting the money into investment schemes. Opportunities would start to flow in your direction, with plenty of options as a back up.

By applying the rules mentioned above, you can achieve a sound financial independence. The law of attraction only works if you do. It clearly states that you can bring positivity in your life by focusing on positive thoughts. Likewise, remember, "What you seek is seeking you".

E-Content: http://www.geniuses.online/wp/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rameez_Qaiser/2413008

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Keep Track of Your Total Net Worth

Business and professional practice owners know they cannot effectively run their company without understanding its financial position. In the same way, when it comes to making a comprehensive wealth plan, they also need a framework to assess their overall financial status.

A "Life Balance Sheet"[1] provides a complete view of the owner's assets, liabilities and net-worth. Though similar to the more traditional balance sheet used to monitor their company, the Life Balance Sheet includes both real and implied assets and liabilities.

The left side of the sheet lists the owner's assets and includes the traditional financial assets (cash, stocks, bonds, alternative assets, etc.) and other tangible assets (real estate, precious metals, art collections, etc.). It also includes implied but expected assets.

Implied assets are non-liquid assets that are often non-tradable yet have value. In a previous article, this was referred to as, "Human Capital." Though often overlooked, Human Capital represents the present value of the owner's expected earnings.

Liabilities, on the right side of the sheet, should be viewed in the same manner. Mortgages, business loans and other debt secured by property are explicit liabilities. Additionally, business and practice owners should include their succession goals as an implied liability and career professionals and non-business owners will include the estimated costs of their retirement.

For example, if you want to maintain a certain standard of living after leaving your business or retiring from your career you are creating an implied liability that must be funded by the assets on the left side of the Life Balance Sheet. Aspirations to purchase a vacation home, start another business or fulfill a charitable commitment represent implied liabilities as well.

Think about a Balance Sheet with Assets Listed on the left side and Liabilities on the right. The combined assets include a house, retirement plans, and the family business. Taken together, these are worth $2,000,000. To this we are going to add $800,000, the amount of money the owner expects to earn as income from the business. This increases the value of the Total Assets to $2,800.000/

Under Liabilities we will list three common assets including a mortgage, college expenses and estimated retirement costs. These total $1,800,000. This leaves $1,000,000 as Discretioinary Wealth; an amount the person can use as he/she desires, but that will make a signiticant impact on their net worth, their retirement, even their legacy.

Using the Life Balance Sheet helps owners, professionals and others place a value (present value) on their implied assets (their projected earnings) as well as their implied liabilities (retirement and other costs). This information should cause owners to review all their tangible and real assets - including the value of their business - to make certain they are on track to meet their long-term goals.

[1] Wilcox, Jarrod, Jeffrey E. Horvitz and Dan diBartolomeo, 2006. Investment Management for Taxable Private Investors, Charlottsville, VA: Research Foundation of CFA Institute.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Paul_Brown/2461119

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Let Your Money Grow

There is one simple thing that separates the rich from the poor – this one principal is the reason the rich build more and more wealth, and the poor get even poorer, and traditional streams of education fail to teach our youngsters meaning most are faced with having to figure it out for themselves… and most never do.

But first, let’s look at defining the problem in simple terms so we’re all on the same page – what’s needed is some basic definitions of common terms that are often misunderstood.

One of those big problems we face as a society in this modern age is debt. More specifically – bad debt.

There are two types of debt you can have – good debt and bad debt. The difference? Well, the simple defining difference is that bad debt is credit you obtain and then use to purchase liabilities – or several liabilities. This could be taking out a loan for a new car, or purchasing this years holiday on your credit card. Good debt is credit that you leverage in order to purchase assets – this could be taking out a mortgage to purchase a rental property that’s going to return you a second, almost passive income.

The first thing we should probably clear up is the definition of an asset and a liability – they are not what most people think they are! For example, the house that you own and live in – is it a liability or an asset? Let’s make the assumption that you’ve been lucky to pay off your mortgage and you own it outright – how would you answer that question bearing that in mind?

Most people believe their home is an asset – especially if they have no mortgage on it. How can it be a liability when I haven’t got any credit to support it’s ownership and I have a store of value in the property’s equity? Well, according to Rich Dad Poor Dad, the simple definition of a liability is something that costs you money to own, and an asset is something that you own that provides an income over and above the expenses incurred to own it.

So, in the case of your house, unless you’re renting it out and making a profit, it’s a liability – it costs you money to own it and live there! You pay water and electricity bills to keep it operational, you pay council tax for the pleasure of it existing within a certain jurisdiction, and you probably pay insurance to protect the potential downside. If you’re not charging rent to someone to live there over and above YOUR costs then it’s costing you to own it. It’s worth mentioning also that if you rent it out but don’t make enough from the rent you’re charging to cover the expenses then it’s still a liability – the defining difference is whether it achieves positive cashflow or not.

Hold on, I hear you cry, but I don’t have a mortgage and I can sell my property for hundreds of thousands of pounds if I wanted to so it’s an asset because when I sell it I’ll make lots of money! Erm, not quite. You see, you only realise the paper value stored in a property like that once you sell it… and you can only sell it for what someone is prepared to pay. For example, you might have been unfortunate in a relationship and going through divorce where you need to sell quickly – you’re a highly motivated seller, and there are no buyers in the market for your type of property who are prepared to pay what you want to sell it for. All of a sudden, the value in your assets diminishes considerably simple because of someone else’s perception of value.. which could be drastically different to yours! You only realise the value in an asset like that at the point of sale, and there’s no guarantee you’ll find any buyers at the time you’re looking to sell, and there’s no guarantee that if you find a willing buyer that they’ll want to pay what you think it’s worth. This doesn’t sound like a very reliable asset to me – especially given the potential return can so easily change based on multiple variables that are completely out of your control. Yes – you might sell and make a profit, but you might equally have to sell at a loss, and you won’t know which it’s going to be until the point of sale.

Now that we’ve clearly defined good and bad credit, and the definition of an asset and a liability, let’s have a look at the key problem most people face when it comes to finances – financial education.

The one key difference between the rich and the poor is this; the rich know how to master their money and create assets that provide multiple streams of income – more simply, they understand the art and the science of putting their money to work in a way that means their money makes them more money without the controlling person having to exchange time for more money.

But this is exactly the opposite of what we’re taught in school, where the focus is on finding a skill, becoming qualified, and then finding a position where you can exchange your time for money for the rest of your life.

Okay, but what’s wrong with that?

Well, nothing if that approach aligns with your values and allows you to achieve your goals in life. However, the key limitation with this approach is this – you only have 24 hours in a day like everyone else, so what happens when you reach a point where you’re exchanging all those hours for an hourly wage? Well, when there’s no more hours in the day to exchange, you’re not only burnt out and unfulfilled because you have no time to direct towards the things you love in life (let’s face it, most people are far from doing a job they love), but you have now hit your earnings ceiling. How do you earn more when there’s no more time to exchange? This is the key limiting problem with this approach.

Yes, most of us will have to start with this inefficient exchange in order to generate our first income, but it’s what we do with the fruits of our labour that really defines where we’re going to mature into wealthy people or poor people. For those of us who have been lucky enough to have some financial education, we start to do things with our money that let it grow all on it’s own. For those who don’t, they spend all their spare money on holidays, new gadgets, and toys – aka liabilities!

This behaviour sends us into a downwards spiral that can be extremely difficult to get out of. You earn money, and use that money to buy liabilities. Those liabilities increase your monthly outgoings, meaning you have to exchange more time for money to increase your income so you can continue to service the new liabilities you have purchased. You increase your income further so you again have some surplus (but you’re now working 12 hours days and barely seeing your family), and then you use that surplus to purchase more liabilities… and so the vicious cycle continues. Can you see now why this behaviour is so destructive to people’s finances? Can you see why we have such a problem with bad debt these days? All because financial education is considered unimportant by our educational institutions. This needs to change, and this change starts with you educating yourself, so you can go on to educate others and set the next generation up for greater levels of financial success.

So, how do the wealthy grow their money?

There are multiple strategies people use, but they can all be classed as one form of investment or another. You could invest in stocks and shares that not only appreciate in value but that pay you a dividend throughout the year whilst you own them. You could invest in the wild west market of crypto-currencies and benefit for the massive bullish gains we’ve seen in those markets in recent years (I was trading Bitcoin at $900 at the start of 2017, and it’s now broken right through $10,000 – all in under 12 months). You could put your money into cash-flowing investment properties, or you could either start your own business or invest in one.

There are so many strategies you can employ to make your money work for you, rather than you working for money. All it takes is the commitment to educate yourself in whatever vehicle you choose and get started.

I’ve written several blogs on trading and investing that you can find by searching those tags so please feel free to check those out to get some more information on these strategies – there’s also loads of great resources on-line, but there’s also a lot of shit. Be careful and do thorough research from reputable sources.

by Little Grey JK

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