Keeping Wal-Mart an Option

In America, statistics show that for every 100 people who reach retirement age, only one (1%) will be wealthy. Another four (4%) will be financially independent - they don't have to depend on somebody else. Fifteen (15%) will actually have some savings and the remaining 80% will be dependent on the government or someone else to take care of them.

Or, they're broke and are compelled to work part-time into their 70's and 80's to supplement their Social Security just to survive. There's nothing wrong with an old guy working at Wal-Mart as a greeter - but if you have to do it because you're broke and you need lunch money - that's to be avoided.

If you just like to meet people, that's great. Just want to have some extra seed to sow, that's awesome. Don't want to sit around all day and play golf - no problem. Play golf and then work at Wal-Mart in the afternoon.

What I'm saying is - start planning now to be one of the top 5% or at least the next 15%. Then you will be able to choose how to spend your time when retirement shows up. Doing nothing now ensures that you will be part of the 80% who awaken to find themselves unable to make their own choices in their retirement years.

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Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Investmenting & Insurance.

When Should You Retire?

Retirement was forced on Americans during the Depression to make the older people get off the job so the younger people with families could get on the job. Retirement was not an option. Retirement was not a blessing. Retirement was not a reward. Retirement was "Move on - because by this time in your life you should be financially secure". That's what Retirement was in America.

Now think about this. In all the annals of human history - 60 years ago, the idea of retirement was introduced in America. Now, because we all grew up with it, we think that's the way it's been forever. It's not. Retirement was a Socialist idea.

But, the reason people now retire poor is that they never decided to invest or put some money away. They never decided to live within their means. They procrastinated until it was too late. They put things off. They thought Social Security would be enough.

I see this because one of the things I am doing now is financial planning, retirement planning, investments, insurance, wealth protection, tax protection - all of those kind of things for people. And most people just won't think about retirement.

They're in their 50's and 60's and they're just starting to think about it - and its almost too late. They're trying to catch up - and Time is what you need on your side for retirement.

That's why you have to start saving something out of every paycheck now. While you can. When you get a raise - start saving it. Put it away so you can have that financial independence. It has to be disciplined. It has to be continuous - it can't be something you do a few times now and then. It must become your habit.

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Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Investmenting & Insurance.

Avoiding Slavery

Going into debt to own an asset (which will hopefully appreciate) is investing. Going into debt just to have more stuff is self-imposed slavery.

When you save or invest money, you're pushing time into your future. You are giving yourself more time in the future. That's why people want to be wealthy. Most people today haven't even started working and they're already planning their retirement.

They want to retire by 40. They want to retire by 50. Why? So they can have all that time to do nothing - so they don't have to work. In order to do that you have to have all the money you'll need there by that time - which means you've pushed your life into your future.

But, when you go into debt, you've basically spent tomorrow's earning power. You've already spent next year's wages. You've already spent your life. You've spent your next 10 years. Gone! You're working for what you already have - not for what you're going to get.

That's where people get discouraged. When they look around and say, "This is what I have. And I have to keep workin' just to pay for this? Not as nice as it was when I bought it."

When you save rather than spend, you're guaranteeing your security - you're opening up new possibilities - you're building a better life for yourself and your family to live in when the future arrives.

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Money is Time

The prosperity and stability of societies, families and individuals can be predicted by the degree of their savings rate because it indicates their willingness to push their time into the future.

Money is nothing but time rolled up into pieces of paper in your pocket. You gave up your time to get it into your hand. Whatever you do for a living - it took time. You took your time and somebody gave you their money. Then what?

You take your money, which is your time rolled up in your pocket, and give it someone else for their time. Maybe they cooked you a meal. Maybe they made clothes for you. You could have worked all year long and still wouldn't know how to make a suit. Somebody else knew how to do it though.

So with their time they made that suit - you took your money (you traded some of your life for that money) now you're trading some of that money for a piece of their life - and you wear your new suit home.

So money is time. It's a piece of your life concentrated and rolled up. When you give your money or your time, you are actually giving a piece of your yourself.

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Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Investmenting & Insurance.

Murder your Television

As I said earlier, the first step towards financial independence is to start saving 10 percent of your earnings. Set up an account somewhere where you don't touch it and never plan on touching it. The second thing is to become a student of money.

Now, being a student of money would begin with being a student of how to make money in your own business - whatever that business is. Even if you work for somebody else, there are ways to succeed, there is knowledge to be gained which will bring you future economic benefits - whether its promotions, bonuses, more sales, whatever.

At a recent seminar, the speaker said that the first step toward financial success was to "murder your television" - and he made that same point several times. How much TV are you watching every day? The national household average in America is 8 hours!

Start by keeping detailed TV viewing log for a few weeks and once you know how many hours you yourself are averaging daily, resolve to spend half of that time becoming a student of money, instead.

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Your Insurance Premiums ARE too high. Let's change that.
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Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Investmenting & Insurance.

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God -- to obey His will -- to be grateful for His benefits -- and humbly to implore His protection and favour;

And whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) George Washington

As published in The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

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Saving For Your Future and Theirs

Here is a principal I learned early on - and one book I would recommend (it’s a real small book) "The Richest Man In Babylon".

Financial freedom comes to people who save some of their money. My recommendation would be to save at least 10 percent of what you make. One of the smallest things you can ever do for yourself is put some of your money away for your future.

Since they were little, I gave my kids allowances – not because they needed money, but because I wanted them to know what to do with the money. One of the things they had to do was tithe and give. And then they also had savings. And when did I tell them they could spend their savings? Never.

Why would you save money and never spend it? This is money you’re putting away for your future. When you get to your future you can evaluate it, but ultimately you would hope to never spend it. You want to pass it along to the next generations.

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Your Insurance Premiums ARE too high. Let's change that.
Visit Douglas Boettcher at www.CutYourPremium.com today.
Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Investmenting & Insurance.