Good News or Bad?

We’re living longer. In fact, compared to just 100 years ago, the numbers are pretty astounding!

According to the Division of Vital Statistics, out of every 100,000 Americans surviving birth 100 years ago, 31 people made it to age 100. Guess what that number is today?

Do you think its doubled to 62?

How about a ten fold increase to 310?

Not even close!

Today, it is expected that 2,095 people will make it to 100! We’ve gone from just 31 to 2,095 centenarians.

And out of every 100,000 people surviving birth 100 years ago, 13,529 made it to age 80.

Want to guess what that number is now?

Try 52,178!

Over half of all Americans are now living into their 80’s! If you’re a white female, it’s over 60%!

(For all the details see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_06.pdf and go to page 25).

The trend will continue to move in this direction as lifestyle, medicine and technology extend our lives.

In fact, over the next 20 years, it’s predicted that the largest segment of growth will be those who live into their 90’s and into their 100’s. On top of that, these will be active seniors.

You’d think that this would be great news. I know for me it is.

What could possibly be the downside to news like this?

Well….think about this.

It used to be that someone retired at age 65, lived for another 10 years or so, and then passed away. Between their savings, their pension plan, and social security, most people managed to finance their 10 years of retirement.

Now we are faced with the prospects of living an additional 20 to 30 years or more after retirement.

BUT, for the average American today who reaches age 65, they’ll have approximately $60,000 in lifetime savings, little or no pension plan income to count on, and a social security system that will become insolvent in our lifetime.

Somehow, we will have to finance 20 to 30 years of retirement life on these meager assets.

Adding to our problem is the fact that Medicare is expected to become insolvent before the end of the next decade. Even today, many seniors cannot afford their medication, and have to limit their intake or go without.

Health care costs are skyrocketing. As we grow older, we have a greater need for health care. Unfortunately, for many, they just can’t afford it.

It’s estimated that approximately 50% of all people age 50 or older will need some level of assisted living in their lifetime. How are we going to pay for it?

Now let’s throw in the cost of inflation. Over the next 20 to 30 years, prices will probably double. But for the average retired individual, their income will not. For the vast majority of Americans, their income will drop dramatically once they retire.

OK, so we know all of this. It’s common knowledge. What are we doing to prepare ourselves for it?

Sadly, very little.

Things are going from bad to worse.

We have a negative savings rate in this country. Not only are Americans failing to save for their retirement, they are actually going FURTHER INTO DEBT every month!

Many expect the government will bail them out. Others will turn to family members. The rest will struggle against a tide of expenses that will eventually overtake them.

This isn’t fiction. This is FACT!

The chances are that you and virtually everyone you know aren’t prepared for a retirement of enjoyment and pleasure, but by default, a retirement of struggle and pain. And even if you do put money into your 401K or IRA, will it be enough to afford you the lifestyle you want when you retire? Will you have enough money to last you for the rest of your life or will you run out of money before you run out of life?

It isn’t up to the government to provide for your retirement. It isn’t up to your employer either. Guess who it’s up to?

You got it! The only one who is responsible for your retirement is YOU. And if you haven’t already recognized this fact, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Far too many of us have buried our heads in the sand. We live in a world of denial. Or we believe that somehow, miraculously, the money will appear out of thin air. We’ll win the lottery, or some lost relative will leave us a large inheritance. Or, someday, we’ll get around to saving for our retirement years and in just a few short years, we’ll be ready for the retirement we want. Don’t bet your future on it!

The good news is, it’s not too late to get started.

In fact, the earlier you begin to plan for your financial future, the better off you’ll be.

I have spent the last 25 years creating financial freedom for Sue and myself. I’ve studied many options on the best path to take.

It was only in the last year that I discovered the absolute best method I’ve ever seen to help create financial freedom with out having to change your life at all. I only wish I had learned about it many years ago.

It’s called Bank on Yourself.

Once I became aware of it, and began to study it in depth, I knew I had to do it. What hit me like a ton of bricks was when I realized that EVERYONE could benefit from this program. As a result, I chose to become certified as a Bank on Yourself consultant, and help anyone who is sincere about creating financial freedom and a retirement plan that will last a lifetime.

If you have ever wondered if there’s a better way to reach your financial goals, but don’t know what to do, is it worth 15 minutes of your time to look at an option that can change your life forever?

In my coaching practice, I remind my clients that successful people are open-minded. They are always open to new ideas that can make a positive difference in their lives. And when they discover a great, new idea, they gather the information they need and then TAKE ACTION. It’s true for the top 5%, those who are living the life of their dreams and reaching their full potential.

If you haven’t yet downloaded the free report on Bank on Yourself, make sure you go to http://www.findoutmorenow.com/ and enter the pass code JF55. But only if you are serious about your financial success and joining the top 5%! (At this time I am only licensed to serve clients in Arizona and California. If you’re from another state, drop me a note and I’ll help you get hooked up to a consultant in your area).Namaste.Jeff

Why an Entrepreneur?

Do you want to be financially free?

Do you want to control your own destiny?

Chances are, you answered yes to both of those questions.

In fact, if you didn’t, I’m surprised you’re here at my blog!

I hope you want to join the elite top 5% who are living life to the fullest. Not just in the financial arena, but in every important area of your life.

Let me share a critical secret with you. Your discovery of it, and more important, your application of it in your life can have a HUGE impact on you.

Choose your friends and associates very carefully!

Surround yourself with people who are positive, supportive, and successful. You simply can’t have enough of those people in your life.

At the same time, avoid negative, unsupportive, going nowhere people like the plague! You simply can’t afford to have ANY of these people in your life.

While I was running Peak Potentials Training, I had the opportunity to meet thousands of people at our programs. I also got to know many of our guest trainers. And as a result I made a number of friendships along the way.

I’d like to tell you about one in particular.

His name is Andy Fuehl.

I met Andy at one of Peaks programs, and since he was from Phoenix as am I, we had that one thing in common. Andy gave me his business card and suggested any time I was back in Phoenix to give him a call.

At the time, I was spending 23-24 days every month up in Vancouver, Canada, where Peak Potential’s headquarters are located. And during the week that I was back home I was so busy catching up with personal stuff and still running Peaks that I just never had a chance to give Andy a call.

Last summer, after I was back in Phoenix for good, I contacted Andy. And I am so grateful that I did.

Andy is someone who made the transition from being a corporate manager to a very successful entrepreneur. He has partnered with giants like Dolf de Roos of real estate investment fame. He’s written outstanding books like “Wealth Without a Job”, which I highly encourage you to read. He conducts seminars on becoming a successful entrepreneur. He’s working on a new book deal. He’s created audio programs around sales and self-confidence. And most important to me, he and his wife Tamar are incredibly nice people. I am proud to call them my friends.

In the time I’ve known Andy, he is always learning and growing. Often, he’ll tell me about his next program that he’s going to in Las Vegas, or in L.A. or wherever. He’ll be going back to Chicago in the next week or two to record a program with the top company in the world in the field of business and personal growth and development. Then he’ll head over to the west coast for another seminar, before returning to Phoenix to conduct his own seminar in May.

Andy and I are on the same wavelength. We’re both passionate about our own growth, and helping others reach their full potential as well.

If you’ve read my recent posts, you know that one of my cornerstones to becoming financially free is to be an entrepreneur. It’s also one of Harv Eker’s, one of my mentors and good friend who is the president of Peak Potentials Training.

Why is becoming an entrepreneur held in such high regard?

Almost all of us have been trained since we were young, that to be successful, you had to go to school, get a good education, and then get a job.

Ever heard that one before?

But, honestly, what’s the truth? Is grabbing that “secure” job the best path to financial success? For the rare few, maybe. But for the majority, NO, NO, NO.

If you’re into security, which is a dirty word in my vocabulary, then there’s a very good chance you chose to go the job route.

Think about it.

When you were growing up, you went to school, right? Were your teacher’s employees or entrepreneurs? They were employees, and so that’s the mindset that they taught you from.

Eventually, you might have gone on to college. Were your professor’s employees or entrepreneurs? They were employees, and so that’s the mindset that they taught you from.

During your entire formal schooling years, you were being taught by employees.

Were you ever taught by entrepreneurs? Probably not!

Also, when you were younger, and you wanted money, and you went to your parents, what did they tell you? Go get a job. Right?

As a society, we’ve all been taught to go get a job. And for almost all of us, that’s what we’ve done.

How many people do you know who are employees AND are financially free? Probably none! In fact, in this day and age, how many people do you know who have been forced to retire, laid off, or fear being laid off by their company? Probably most everybody!

So much for security! We should really refer to it as job insecurity.

If you earn a salary, it will take you a lifetime to become financially free, and that’s if you’re lucky!

There has to be a better way! And there is!

You must remove the ceiling on your income. You have to put yourself into a position where there are no limits on your earning potential.

And becoming an entrepreneur is the best way in this day and age to make that happen.

Unfortunately, for most of us, we just don’t know what to do or how to do it. Because of that, we shy away from trying something as dramatic as starting our own business.

Also, do you think the tax laws in this country benefit the employee or the business owner? You will find numerous opportunities to reduce your taxable income once you are in a business of your own.

Promise yourself right now that you’re going to visit Andy’s site at http://wealthwithoutajob.com/ and begin to move in that direction.

As I’ve said before, I believe completely that there are 4 crown jewels to becoming financially free.

Passive income.

Money Management.

The Bank on Yourself program.

Becoming an Entrepreneur.

I am totally focused on helping you in the first 3 areas. I know that Andy can prepare you in the area of becoming an entrepreneur.

Join the elite top 5%! Take control of your life and your income! Don’t settle for anything less than massive success.

And keep coming back here for ideas to move you in the right direction.

If you haven’t yet downloaded the free report on Bank on Yourself, make sure you go to http://www.findoutmorenow.com/ and enter the pass code JF55. But only if you are serious about your financial success and joining the top 5%! (At this time I am only licensed to serve clients in Arizona and California. If you’re from another state, drop me a note and I’ll help you get hooked up to a consultant in your area).

Namaste.

Jeff

Too Good To Be True???

Have you ever heard about something where your first thought was…..”no way, it’s too good to be true?” Usually, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

I remember watching a program where a man was offering $5 bills to anyone who wanted one. He was simply standing on a street corner, and as people would walk by he’d ask if they wanted $5.

A few people would say “sure”, and he’d hand it to them. Others would ask “what’s the catch?”, and a lot of people just walked passed him, ignoring him completely.

In today’s world, where there are so many scams out there, it pays to be cautious. It’s easy to become very cynical and untrusting.

Why do you think that is?

Read the following closely, because you will learn something of incredible value that can change your life forever.

Your conditioned mind is like your sentry. It’s like the lookout on a ship. It’s like the worried mother. The most important responsibility of your conditioned mind is SURVIVAL, and therefore it’s primary function is PROTECTION.

“Look out for this!” “Watch out for that!” “What if this happens??” Your conditioned mind wants to protect you from harm. As a result, it worries about every conceivable “what if” scenario that it can dream up. And it’s a pro at it.

Your conditioned mind wants to keep things exactly the same. It wants to maintain the status quo. It wants as little uncertainty in your life as possible. Anything NEW brings uncertainty. Anything UNKNOWN brings uncertainty. That’s why MAKING A CHANGE is always so difficult for almost everyone.

We are all the most at ease when we are in our “comfort zone”. And our conditioned mind wants us to always stay in our comfort zone.

Unfortunately, we can only grow when we stretch ourselves, when we go BEYOND our comfort zone.

So, what holds us back from growing? What stops us from achieving more? Why aren’t we living the life of our dreams?

I hope you realize, it’s your conditioned mind. It will talk you out of doing things that can help you grow, help you prosper, help you succeed, help you get rich!

For the most part, your conditioned mind is not your ally. It’s your ENEMY! It means well, like the overbearing mother, but it holds you back from reaching your peak potential.

It took me a long time to realize that the “little voice” inside my head wasn’t interested in my success, just my survival. But once I understood it’s job, it made it much easier for me to say “thank you for sharing”, and then proceed to go ahead with the confidence that I was doing the right thing.

If you want to achieve true happiness and success in your life, you must understand how your mind works, and learn to control it rather than have it control you. Otherwise, you will never stretch yourself beyond your current comfort zone, and until you do, your life is stuck exactly where you’re at.

Those who rise to the top 5% understand this. They realize that if you’re not growing, if you’re not stretching yourself beyond your current comfort zone, your dying.

It’s a law of nature. You’re either growing, or your dying. If you doubt that, look at a plant. Either it’s growing or it’s what? You are a part of nature.

You might find an opportunity that can open up tremendous doors for you. The question is, do you have the courage to go through it, or will you be overtaken by the doubts of your conditioned mind and stop?

Those in the top 5% aren’t afraid to explore new opportunities. They’re not afraid to take action. They have the confidence that if they need to adjust to the situation they can. They’re constantly moving forward.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how courageous are you? Are you willing to act in spite of the fear that your conditioned mind throws at you all day long?

Know your enemy! It's your conditioned mind! Learn how to master it and control it, and you'll win the game!

Namaste.

Jeff

The Crown Jewels to Your Financial Success

There are 4 crown jewels you must discover and truly understand if you are to reach your full financial potential. Most people don’t know them, and even if they do, they don’t utilize them in a way that will take them to the “Promised Land” of financial freedom.

These 4 critical concepts include…..

1. Passive Income, which is the creation of a stream or streams of income that you receive each and every month without having to work for it.

2. Money Management, which is the way you allocate your income and is absolutely essential if you ever want to become financially free.

3. The Bank on Yourself Program, which is the most brilliant vehicle I have ever seen to pull this all together.

4. Becoming an Entrepreneur, which is the fastest way to move yourself from having a ceiling on your income to having no limits to your income.

You’ve read about passive income and money management many times here.

In this post, I want to let you in on a little known but proven financial strategy that has actually been around for at least a hundred years. But most financial advisors, CPA’s and the media have never heard of it. In fact, I only became aware of it recently, and I’m a CPA who constantly searches for everything related to personal finances.

If you are serious about reaching your full financial potential and achieving the retirement of your dreams, you have got to examine the Bank on Yourself concept.

Do you realize that the average American family spends 37 ½% of every dollar on interest? Between mortgage interest, credit card interest, auto lease/loan interest and consumer debt interest, on average we all spend an amazing amount of money just to cover interest payments.

Many businesses are even worse off, especially when vehicle and equipment lease payments are included in the debt service figures.

Now, imagine if you could “recapture” all of the finance and lease charges that you’re now paying out to banks and other financial institutions and turn it into your own personal wealth and a tax-free passive income for life! This is exactly what Bank on Yourself is intended to do for you and/or your business.

That’s just for starters! The story gets even better. Under current tax laws, this “recaptured interest” grows and compounds income tax-free over your lifetime, amassing a substantial fortune for you. Of course this only holds true if your system is designed and built properly and the rules are carefully followed.

And there’s more. Your Bank on Yourself Program can be a powerful addition to your retirement plan as well as your estate plan. Structured properly, your “Bank” can be placed outside of your personal estate thus avoiding estate taxes. And your “Bank” will be fully “asset-protected” for current and future generations from lawsuits, judgments, and the claims of creditors.

I am very excited to announce that I have completed the specialized training and am now a Certified Bank on Yourself advisor. I’m excited because I believe that this is the greatest system created to allow anyone to dramatically improve their personal financial situation without having to sacrifice anything! It assures you that you’ll always have access to immediate liquid funds whenever you need them, regardless of the purpose, and, when you’re ready to retire, you’ll be able to enjoy the lifestyle you want for yourself and your spouse.

Take this quick quiz to find out what kind of retirement you're on track for...

1. Is more money coming IN to your home as growth on your
savings and investments than is LEAVING your home each year in
interest and financing costs?
____ Yes ____ No

2. Are your savings and investments guaranteed to grow
tax-free each and EVERY year, no matter what happens in the
stock or real estate markets?
____ Yes ____ No

3. Do you have a savings strategy that enables you to recapture
the ENTIRE purchase price of your cars and other big-ticket items?
____ Yes ____ No

4. Do your savings plans or other investments allow you to borrow
your money and invest it in something else, while your money
keeps growing as though you had never borrowed a dime of it?
____ Yes ____ No

5. Does your savings or retirement plan give you access to your
money with NO government penalties or restrictions on when you
can take it or how much you can take each year?
____ Yes ____ No

6. Are you 100% confident your financial strategy will get you
where you want to be?
____ Yes ____ No


I invite you to receive an incredible 55-page Special Report titled, Bank On Yourself™--How to Pocket the Interest You Now Pay to Banks, Credit Card and Finance Companies... and Turn it into Personal Wealth and a Tax-Free Income for Life.

In this report you will discover…

How to finance your next car, house, credit card debt or a college education – yourself

How to recapture the entire purchase price of your cars and other big-ticket items, over a reasonably short period of time!

How to create a tax-free passive stream of income for life

How to eliminate banks and finance companies from your life and gain control over your money!

How to increase your monthly cash flow by an average of 20-30%, simply by changing the way you purchase things (this does not require you to “give up” things)

The devastatingly simple secret to ensuring that you wake up at the beginning of each and every year with more wealth than you had the year before, regardless of what happens in the stock market! (NOTE: this is NOT about CD’s, annuities, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, risky investment vehicles or real estate)

How to benefit from this strategy even if you typically pay cash for major purchases

How to make your money LITERALLY work twice as hard for you

How to turn a little-known, special type of life insurance policy into your most profitable asset…while you’re ALIVE

How to gain control over your finances and win the money game

You can also listen to a lively and informative Seminar on this powerful, proven Strategy on your computer, 24 hours a day.

During this 75-minute Seminar, you'll hear from a number of folks around the country who are Banking On Themselves™. As you'll hear, every single one of them agrees that their only regret is that they didn't discover this sooner.

The author of this ground-breaking message, Pamela Yellen, has charged as much as $295 for it, and many people have said they would happily have paid ten times as much.

However, for a limited-time only, Pamela has agreed to make this Report and Seminar Broadcast available online for FREE. But this free offer won't be around for long... so please take advantage of it today.

To get this valuable information immediately, visit the site below and enter JF55 when asked for your passcode:

www.FindOutMoreNow.com

(If the link doesn't work, you can cut and paste it into your browser)

IMPORTANT: When you’re asked for your special 4-digit passcode, enter: JF55

Then, please find a quiet corner and review this powerful information today. If you're like most people who discover this, your only regret will be that no one told you about it sooner.

Namaste.

Jeff

The Money Management System That Beats Them All (Part 6)

Have you been reading the news lately?

The real estate boom is over, at least for now. In fact, many experts predict that we’ll see a drop in home prices in the next while as all those who bought with little or nothing down and financed it with adjustable interest rate mortgages see their payments become unaffordable.

The stock market continues to be a roller coaster ride. It’s taken over 5 years for the Dow to get back close to it’s levels of 2000, and the NASDAQ isn’t even close to returning to those values.

Social Security and Medicare are expected to become insolvent in our lifetime. Depending on either for your future needs is a sure way to find yourself in financial jeopardy.

We have a negative savings rate in this country. What that means is on average, we spend more than we make, and we go further and further into debt every month.

More and more jobs are now being exported to other countries. Call AOL for help, and you’ll be talking to someone in India! Outsourcing has become a huge industry, and I’m talking about jobs leaving the country.

There has never been a greater need in this country for individuals to learn how to become excellent money managers and take control of their financial lives.

The money management system you’re learning here can be a lifesaver for you. Here is the last piece of the puzzle.

The final account in this system is the GIVE account. From this day on, you will put 5% of all of your earnings into this account.

If you’ve been raised to give 10%, or if you prefer to give 10%, you most certainly can. In that case you will reduce your necessities account from 55% to 50% of your earnings.

So, for every $100 you earn, either $5 or $10 will go into your GIVE account.

You give to your church or temple or favorite charity. You can give to someone in need. And if you can’t afford to give money, give your time. But this is an absolute necessity.

The more generous you are at giving, the more you will end up receiving. That’s just how it goes. Helping your fellow man, and the organizations that are important to you is critical to your financial success.

That’s the system. It’s been proven to work by thousands of people who are successfully using it to create financial freedom for themselves and their families.

To recap, you will begin immediately to allocate your funds into 6 or 7 accounts every time you receive any money. If you are paid “gross”, and haven’t had taxes taken out, your 7th account is your “Tax” account. You will want to put at least 20% of your gross income into this account as soon as you receive your money. That way, when it’s time to pay taxes, you’ve got an account specifically set aside for taking care of it.

Once you’ve got your taxes taken care of, you will automatically allocate your money into each account immediately.

10% goes into your FFA account. This is your Financial Freedom Account, and it is designed to create your “Golden Goose”. Over time, with the proper planning, your FFA account will provide you with PASSIVE INCOME, and you will become financially free. You will never spend this money, ever. You will live off of the income it provides.

10% goes into your LTSS account. This is your Long Term Savings for Spending Account. You will use this account to save for your larger planned purchases. Remember when you were younger and were told that if you wanted something you needed to save for it. Somehow as we became adults, we kind of forgot that. Well, this is a reminder, that that way is the way. You can have multiple LTSS accounts. One may be a “contingency” fund, so that in the event of an unexpected need for money, it’ll be there for you. Another may be to pay off your debts. You’ll have LTSS accounts for vacations, or appliances, or to save up for a down payment for a house. You get the picture.

10% goes into your Education account. It is critical that you begin now to invest in yourself. This money is earmarked for books, audio programs, seminars, coaching. It guarantees that you are constantly adding to your skill sets and providing more value to those you serve, therefore increasing your earning power.

50% or 55% will go into your Necessities account (depending on how much you intend to put into your Give account). This account takes care of all of your regular monthly expenses, including your rent or mortgage payment, utilities, food, gas, insurance, clothes, etc. What if you can’t live on 55%? SIMPLIFY! Simplify your life and get down to this level. If you don’t, it is 100% guaranteed that you will lose the money game. Make sure you play to win!

10% goes into your PLAY account. Just as you have 10% in your FFA for the long term, and is the responsible thing to do, you need to have 10% reserved to enjoy the now, and experience the finer things in life today, not in 20 years from now. This account allows you to be extravagant, get a taste of the good life, and makes certain that you take the time now to enjoy yourself and have fun. You must spend this money on something special, something that you would normally never consider treating yourself to. Preferably, you will spend this money every month, but if you want, you can save up to 3 months for something extraordinary. But within 3 months, everything in this account has got to go.

Finally, 5% or 10% will go into your GIVE account. This is an essential part of creating your financial success. While it may not make sense to you now how giving money will make you financially successful, trust that it is the truth. You can give your money, you can give your time, or you can give both. And be sure that when you give, you give with a generous heart. Be glad to be in a position to give, and do it with joy.

Remember, the one thing in common that all financially free people have, is that they are all excellent money managers. They have a system. Without having to think, they automatically do the right things with their money.

Today, there’s a best selling book called the “Automatic Millionaire”. It’s called that because becoming financially free can be automatic if you develop the right habits and do them over and over again. You don’t think, you simply do.

When it comes to your personal financial health, nothing you will ever learn will be more powerful or have a greater impact on your financial life than this money management system. Learn all you want about business, real estate, stocks, bonds, marketing, negotiations, etc. None of them will have any effect on you until you change your financial blueprint.

This money management system will change your financial blueprint for life. If you truly want to become financially free, study this system. Go back to the previous posts and make certain that you understand each account and why you need to use them. Adopt this system. Practice it. Most important….DO IT!

Namaste.

Jeff