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RETIREMENT PLANNING
RETIREMENT PLANNING
You're Never Too Old To Be A Little Younger ...Mae West
Karla Leonard: Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2017 5:00 PM
You're Never Too Old To Be A Little Younger ...Mae West
Karla Leonard: Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2017 5:00 PM
Thursday, April 20, 2017 5:00 PM
“Everyone”, I do not care how old or young you are, we all do the same thing every single day. Even a newborn baby to a senior way into his 90’s does this. What's so fascinating is most of the time we do not even realize this is happening.
Oh, I take that one back, ...Baby boomers are aware of this daily action. You want to know what it is? Give you ‘one guess’ ...EVERYONE IS AGING JUST A LITTLE BIT EVERY SINGLE DAY!
However there is one thing you do have control over to retain your ‘fountain of youth’, ...it’s having a youthful attitude! “Yes”, that’s the answer. Simple to say, but this can be a challenge for many. You see, LIFE happens too each of us every single day and with that brings struggle, pain, depression, conflicts, anger and fear. With all that baggage on your back, it can be pretty hard to see above the ‘pollution’ for the ‘clean air’.
Emily Dickinson had a very positive outlook when she said, “We turn not older with years, but newer every day.” I challenge all of you, no matter what age or ‘chapter in life’ you are in right now ..."Blow off that dark cloud of challenges" LIFE tosses us each day to slow us down, take our eye off our goals and ultimately AGE us before our years. Kick up your heals and grab that ‘childlike attitude’ of joy, happiness and enthusiasm in what each new day can bring. It’s all in ‘your’ control.
The baby boomer generation seems to 'get it'. They have adopted the concept of having a youthful attitude. That along with the technology in the healthcare industry has many in this unique generation living longer. It's marvelous, between healthcare and youthful attitude has birthed us with LONGEVITY. But, do you know what the real risk of 'longevity' is? Being financially prepared! Discounting longevity in your retirement planning could very well be the factor that may cause you "to outlive your money". - Take a look at THE REAL RISK OF LONGEVITY and how the fixed indexed annuity can play a significant role in reducing that risk. [Source: LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute a, The Retirement Income Reference Book 2015, page 89.]
"There's More Risks In Riskless Investments Than You May Think!"
Karla Leonard
"There's More Risks In Riskless Investments Than You May Think!"
Karla Leonard
May 13, 2016 6:26 PM
Thinking “Risk” Just Involves Losing Principle!
Here is a big mistake we deal with almost every day.
In fact, a client that’s going to be retiring said, “We don’t want to take any ‘risk’ with our retirement funds and stock! We want them to be totally safe and free of ‘risk’!”
There’s More Risk In “Riskless” Investments Than You May Think!
Let’s discuss what the definition of “risk” is, in the first place? If you look it up in the dictionary, you’ll see that it is defined as “A chance of encountering a loss of harm, a hazard or danger”.
Now, you’ll notice it doesn’t say, “loss of principle”. It just is defined as “loss”. This is a major distinction we need to make here. Most retirees think “risk” means that you put your investments somewhere, and the $100,000 you started with is now worth far less than $100,000.
And yes, this is one type of risk…and a real one at that!
But it is only one type of risk. There are others that are just as scary and that can hurt you just as badly as losing principle!
By the way, if I told you that you are actually losing real money in the bank, would you believe me? Would you think I was lying, because CD’s are insured by the FDIC? I guess this is the time to explain what I mean.
If you are making 4% interest on a CD, and you are in the 28% tax bracket, your net, after tax, yield is only 2.88%!
4.00% interest earned
X 28% tax = 1.12% lost to taxes
2.88% net after tax yield.
Now, that would be bad enough, but we cannot forget about our friend, inflation. Yes, they claim inflation has been licked. That was gone in 1992. Why? Because it was hovering around 3.5-4%. In 2008 inflation average was 3.85%. Since 2011 inflation has had a high of 3.19% to Nov. 2015 low of 0.50%.
But, did you know that in the early ‘70’s, when president Nixon instituted price controls, inflation was an incredibly high 4%.
Isn’t that interesting?
That in 1972, 4% inflation was considered so high, that the government tried putting price controls in place. In 1992, when inflation was at the same exact level, 20+ years later, it’s considered insignificant by our friend in the Capitol!
How can this be? Could it be that inflation has changed, or is it more likely that the government has changed the way they want us to view and perceive it?
Anyway, how does this supposed “not so bad” inflation affect our CD example? (For our example we will use the 3.5% inflation rate.)
Losing Money On So-Called “Riskless” Investments Is Very Real!
Well, remember in our example that we’re at 2.88% net, after tax yield. Now let’s subtract inflation from this yield, to arrive at your true change in value, adjusted for the loss of purchasing power:
2.88% net, after tax yield
less 3.50% inflation
(0.62%) True return
Those brackets, by the way, mean a negative real rate of return! Yes, that means that you have a loss of value, of $62 for each $10,000 you have invested in CD’s!
Now, if I asked you to put money in an investment that was guaranteed to lose $62 for each $10,000 you invested, you’d run away from me faster than a deer from a lion. Yet, if you have CD’s, then you are doing the exact same thing!
So, what does a retiree do to get a better return, and avoid the higher taxes on their Social Security and other income?
As I said a couple of minutes ago, the real secret is to know what items you can invest in, that are off of the “tax hit list”. Things like CD’s and bonds get special tax treatment. So special, that they cause the maximum taxes to be paid!
What you need to do is figure out how much monthly income you need, and then build a plan that uses the tax-favored items! This assures that you get the cash flow you need and avoid wasting money on paying the taxes you don’t need… with assets that have some chance to keep up with our inevitable inflation!
See, the risk we’re talking about here is the risk of losing purchasing power! This risk is so profound, yet almost totally ignored by most retirees, that is, until it’s too late!
Let me tell you a story about a woman, Grandma Liz.
Liz was a very frugal woman. When she retired at age 65, she had a Social Security income of $400 a month, plus a pension from her late husband, that paid her $205 a month. And, Liz had $12,000 in the bank.
Now, in 1956, this total of $605 a month income, plus $12,000 in savings was BIG MONEY!
Liz’s mortgage payment was $81 a month. And with her car payment of $45 a month, and her other necessities, Liz was living on EASY STREET!
Let’s move ahead to 1966. Now, Liz had sold her home, and pocketed $65,000 from the sale, which was all shielded from income tax because of the special once in a lifetime capital gains tax exclusion. (She sold the home because it was too much for her to keep up, at age 75.)
She had that money, plus most of the $12,000 she started retirement with. But her expenses had increased, especially her rent. She was now paying $150 a month in rent, and most of her other expenses had gone up as well due to inflation.
She Ended Up Having To Depend On Her Grandchildren To Take Care Of Her For The Rest Of Her Life.
Over the next several years, she went through a lot of her nest egg, by helping out her kids and grandkids, paying for down payments, college expenses, and so on.
Now, it’s 1982, and Liz is broke. Her rent is $657 a month. Her medical expenses that are not covered by Medicare and insurance are over $200 a month.
Her food, clothing, etc. is way up, and she has long since stopped helping the younger folks, because her savings are gone.
If she didn’t have so many grandchildren that she had helped, now pitching in to help her, she would have ended up on welfare.
Liz didn’t understand how powerful a risk the loss of purchasing power provides. Believe me, this kind of story can break your heart. The only way to assure you won’t run out of money is to have a plan that both meets your income needs, and provides the opportunity to keep up with inflation.
Now, no one is suggesting you not keep some money in CD’s or other guaranteed programs, because that would be foolish.
But, on the same token, having too much in these type of investments can assure that you have a high risk of running out of money! No one wants to outlive their money. Misunderstanding the risk of the loss of purchasing power is a mistake you do not want to make!
0 Comments to "There's More Risks In Riskless Investments Than You May Think!":
PENSIONS..."Secure or Not?"
Karla Leonard: Posted on Friday, December 09, 2016 6:22 PM
PENSIONS..."Secure or Not?"
Karla Leonard: Posted on Friday, December 09, 2016 6:22 PM
December 9, 2016
Claim your power...
Everyday life offers you different channels of power that YOU have over your life. This is a fast paced world and everything is constantly changing around us. Decision making isn’t ‘cut and dry’ anymore. It is a weighing in or factoring in ‘what the outcome’ is going to look like based on your decisions.
The advantages or ‘disadvantages’ of technology, however you choose to look at it, allows us ‘what once was rare’ and now is ‘the norm’ to always be a finger-search away from any query that we might have that can aide in making a sound decision. Life has become a whirlwind of changing circumstances in our daily lives, in personal and business relationships, socially and in the desire towards healthier lifestyles.
No matter which generation you are a member of...Sinatra, Baby Boomer, Millennial, Ex-Gen, all of us are being tested on the faith we have to be able to withstand life’s challenges to obtain that ultimate goal. We all have within us the faith, determination, and common sense, which, by the way, is always being tested by ‘life exercising it’s power” of circumstantial change.
Saving for retirement shifts
Take a closer look at how saving for retirement has shifted over the tides of life. The Sinatra generation had the security of Social Security and pensions for sustaining them through their retirement years. The Baby Boomers have a smorgasbord of Social Security, pensions and 401(k) plans, and non-qualified savings plans like annuities, indexed universal life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies, mutual funds, various investments and CDs to sustain them through their retirement years.
Can pensions, which played an enormous role in the Sinatra generation securing retirement lifetime income for our parents and grandparents, be relied upon as a ‘sure source retirement income’ for Baby Boomers?
There are two sources of ‘sure retirement income’… Social Security and pensions. We can count on either one or both, to be in our mailbox or EFT in our checking account every month until the day we take our last breath. Social Security is having serious issues. Pensions are slowly disappearing, some vanishing before our very eyes, thus causing Baby Boomers a true cause for concern. Many who counted on this ‘sure source’ of income for their retirement are seeing it slowly being dwindled and/or disappearing before their very eyes.
Serious concerns and real-life situations are documented of retirees having to return to the workforce, retirees losing their homes, retirees having to choose between paying mortgage/rent or their much- needed life sustaining medications. With age comes inherent health issues and increasing costs for healthcare, some seniors pay in excess of $2,000 per month for their medications not covered by Medicare!
“What has happened?” many are asking...
Unfortunately, the signs for the pension’s demise has been predicted for quite some time by key economist like Harry Dent [Renowned Economic Forecaster/ Investment Strategist/ HS Dent Research Publications/ HS Dent Investment Management, and author of best seller 'The Demographic Cliff', 'The Great Crash Ahead – Strategies for a World Turned Upside Down'] and James Rickards [The Financial Threat and Asymmetric Warfare Advisor for both the Pentagon and CIA].
Harry Dent makes it clear of the path forthcoming when he says”the baby boomers, the biggest generational tsunami in our history, descended on the workforce between 1968 and 1978.” Mr. Dent further explains, “the last of the big spenders are either retired or they’re saving for their retirement years. In short, the baby boomers have essentially stopped spending all together on the things that drive economic growth…housing, cars, furniture, and other ‘big ticket’ items ...and the economic impact it will have on the years ahead will not only be devastating…it’s known and predictable, an economic perfect storm!”
Pensions are becoming more and more a thing of the past with increasing State and City debt crisis. It’s reported that “CalPERS has about $100 billion dollars less than it needs to fund current and future obligations.” A few weeks ago USA Today featured an article "Dupont to end pension contributions to active employees”. Millennials and Ex-Gens will have an entirely different retirement portfolio than the Sinatra and Baby Boomer generations. The good news is they can create pension like incomes through life insurance products like annuities, indexed universal life and whole life insurance contracts.
When we see headlines over the past years like these:
After Detroit bankruptcy filing, city retirees on edge as they face pension cuts by Zachary A. Goldfarb July 21, 2013 The Washington Post
Struggling, San Jose Tests a Way to Cut Benefits by Rick Lynman and Mary Williams Walsh The New York Times
One of the nation’s largest pension funds could soon cut benefit for retirees by Jonnelle Marte April 20, 2016 The Washington Post
More ripples in the public pension crisis by Nilus Mattive October 18, 2016 Uncommon Wisdom Daily
Dupont to end pension contribution for active employees by Jeff Mordock November 16, 2016 USA Today
...they support why the biggest fear the baby boomer has, ‘outliving their money’ during their retirement years, their fear is a valid one. Many are already living this reality. Mr. Dent says, “the greatest credit in modern history will continue to deleverage…which means…deflation-not inflation is just ahead; with continued demographic decline, economic hardships, and their budget in crisis, State and Municipal governments will be forced into default, especially at the city and county level. Detroit is only the first.” This economic tidal wave has also hit cities such as Pittsburgh, PA, Stockton, CA, San Jose, CA and San Bernardino, CA. and these are not the only cities suffering this crisis.
Sure Retirement Income' Sources
There are only two sources of ‘sure retirement income’… Social Security and pensions. The Sinatra generation and the Baby Boomer generation (until recent years) have always been able to can count on either one or both, to be in their mailbox via check or EFT into their checking/saving account every month until the day they take their last breath. Social Security is having serious issues. Pensions are slowly disappearing, some vanishing before our very eyes, thus causing Baby Boomers a true cause for concern. Many who counted on this ‘sure source’ of income for their retirement are seeing it slowly being dwindled and/or disappearing before their very eyes.
Serious concerns and real-life situations are documented of retirees having to return to the workforce, retirees losing their homes, retirees having to choose between paying mortgage/rent or their much- needed life sustaining medications. With age comes inherent health issues and increasing costs for healthcare, some seniors pay in excess of $2,000 per month for their medications not covered by Medicare!
So, what’s the outcome? We adapt, make midcycle corrections, if need be and through these adaptations we become more insightful and mature. Many run from the power to make life’s decisions and take refuge while others take advantage of technological instruments to dive deeper to find just the right information that fuels their decision to move forward towards their retirement goal. It’s imperative, more than ever during this time, that Baby Boomers seek out new avenues for securing ‘sure source’ retirement income vehicles.
What is the best way to create your own ‘pension like sure source of income’?
Reports have shown that indexed annuities can increase retirement success to 97.5%. Eliminate the fear of running out of money during your retirement by combining a 'drawndown strategy' with a fixed indexed annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit. Sitting down with a trusted financial professional is highly recommended during these turbulent times to secure the retirement of your dreams by creating your own guaranteed income for life ‘pension’.
Claim your power to change and grow
The empowering factor to obtain this goal is ‘planning’. Planning is the one common ingredient in successful ventures. It would be difficult to find one thriving business that does as little planning as the average family! If you find one you are very lucky. Do you want to rely on luck for your future? If so, the lottery awaits you. If not financial planning awaits you!
Life does not stand still, now is the time to claim your power to change and grow. Set goals, and start executing a plan to reach your objectives for your retirement years. Monitor your progress, making any necessary adjustments on a timely basis. You’ll find through this will arise a new maturity and insight towards reaching your retirement goals and the ability to live the retirement of your dreams.
How to Avoid Financial Stress & Bankruptcy...A Special Report for the Professional Athlete
Karla Leonard: Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2016 2:21 PM
How to Avoid Financial Stress & Bankruptcy...A Special Report for the Professional Athlete
Karla Leonard: Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2016 2:21 PM
October 27, 2016 2:21 PM0, 2017
Click th"According to Sports Illustrated, 78% of NFL and an estimated 60% of NBA players go bankrupt or are under financial stress in just two years and five years, respectively, after their retirement."
[Grant Wasylik article "Financial Lessions Learned from Pro Athletes/Uncommon Wisdom Daily/June 8, 2016]
How important is it to you to NEVER run out of money? Why do so many professional athletes end up filing for bankruptcy in as little as five years after leaving the ‘game’?
There are various factors that contribute to this dismal outcome, however all these factors drizzle down to one key statement: “If you were properly educated (especially from the beginning of your career) on the importance of how to save and live within a lifestyle that would be affordable during and after your professional ‘game’ career, you would never find yourself hovering over the ‘bankruptcy’ toilet.”
Knowing how to build a 'solid financial foundation' is key. The fundamental first steps are critical:
Select a lifestyle that is within your income parameter.
Determine the total expenses that will be incurred to live your desired lifestyle.
Develop a plan that will create guaranteed income sources to support your living expenses, so that no matter what happens out there, your lifestyle will NEVER change.
It’s a two-way street of working with someone who places your financial goals as priority and ‘you’ listening and following the game plan both your advisor and you work out together. Educating clients on how to achieve their financial goals is ‘key’.
It’s ‘your’ financial portfolio and your decision and actions as well as working with the right professional advisor that makes the difference between watching your portfolio consistently grow or watching it being flushed down the toilet a few years after you are no longer in the ‘game’.
To learn more on the do's and don'ts on protecting your and your family's financial future and to be able to always maintain the lifestyle you worked so hard to acquire, "click" on the pic below to receive your FREE PDF booklet -How to Avoid Financial Stress and Bankruptcy...A Special Report for Professional Athlete.
PROCRASTINATION...A DEADLY LANDMINE!
Karla Leonard
PROCRASTINATION...A DEADLY LANDMINE!
Karla Leonard
Wednesday, January 06, 2016 4:17 PM
'Time' is one of the most fascinating and extraordinary elusive elements in our universe. It passes right in front of our eyes every second of each day, yet we fail to see it's tremendous value.
Most of us only recognize it when we look in the mirror or see our children are not children anymore but somewhere during the 'span' of time they grew into young adults. So, wouldn't you agree that time is worth a great deal on many levels.
One level it has a significant impact on, which we always procrastinate the most with, is in investment - saving for your retirement.
Many of us also fail to realize that great accomplishments do not necessarily require a huge initial investment. Just for simplicity, take out your building blocks. Now, do you realize if you just stacked 'one' block a day on your initial block foundation that by the time you retire say at age 65 you would have a tower of blocks in excess of 23,700?
Let's move a little further [following from Patrick Kelly TAX-FREE RETIREMENT ..Chap. 4 - 'Landmine #2 Procrastination']..."in 1626 the Native Americans sold what is now called Manhattan to white settlers for various trinkets worth $24. Manhattan's real estate appraisal's current value is $23.4 billion. However, do you realize if the Native Americans had sold the property for $24 cash back in 1626 and set the money into a 6% compound-interest account that the value of that account today would be $27,600,000,000!
Not only would the Native Americans be able to buy back Manhattan and pay cash, but would also realize a nice little reserve nest egg of over $4 billion.
The great news for all us here is that great accomplishments require only two principalities from you. The only thing you must do is be able to muster up a little bit and then maintain it with persistence. Let's face it, "time has a huge effect on investment."
Allow me to give you another example more 'close to home'. Let's take two individuals, one is 19 years old (Tina) and the other is 27 years old (Samuel). Both individuals realize the importance of 'paying yourself first' so that when they retire at age 65 their retirement accounts will have a nice accumulation.
Tina decided to pay herself first and starts saving $2,000 per year (about $166/month) into an account with a compound interest rate of 10%. She is persistent with her savings routine for eight years, then she stops.
Samuel realizes he needs to start saving also for retirement and at 27 (eight years after Jill started) puts the same amount of $2,000 into the same type of 10% compound interest rate account. However, Samuel is consistent with his contributions for the next 39 years.
Now Tina and Samuel are 65 years old and ready for retirement. Tina has contributed a total of $16,000 into her account, whereas Samuel has contributed a total of $78,000 into the like account. Whose account do you think has the greater accumulation value?
Guess what, Tina's has accumulated $1,035,160 in her account, while Samuel's accumulation value is worth $883,185!
Your head's spinning, are they? Guess you're thinking, "what the ...?" It's simple, you have just witnessed the amazing power of time in the compound-interest equation.
Now, I do not want anyone to get discouraged thinking it is too late for you to start saving. Look at it this way. Suppose you bought a house and wanted a nice cactus plant in the yard and you planted it the day you moved in. Ten years have now passed and your cactus has grown tremendously. However, if you didn't plant that cactus the day you moved in and you still wanted a cactus in your yard, when would be the best time to plant it? NOW!
As Patrick Kelly states in his book Tax-Free Retirement, "It's never too late to begin. If you take advantage of the principles of this book and put yourself in a position to harvest tax-free dollars in retirement, you can supercharge your retirement years by avoiding tens of thousands - if not hundreds of thousands - of dollars of tax that can now be assimilated into your budget instead of going to line the eternally voracious bureaucratic coffers."
I know, life is expensive with demands increasing a lot more than your income. Thus, 'saving' becomes a 'dream word' in most people's vocabulary. YOU have got to WAKE UP and bring the 'dream word' into your real world. The way you do this, is by 'paying yourself first'.
I will leave you with this one last thought from the "Procrastination" chapter of Mr. Patrick Kelly's book. There is a program that Mr. Kelly recommends that allows you to begin at any age. You need to step off the steppingstone of 'procrastination' and harness the strategy of time. You are going to realize that through this vehicle, unlike most, if not all, other tax-advantaged vehicles in the marketplace today, because "there is no age at which you must stop investing or start withdrawing."
[I remind you this is an overview of Chapter 4 - Landmine #2 - Procrastination from Patrick Kelly's book Tax-Free Retirement, a book I highly recommend reading. All quotes in this overview are from Patrick Kelly.
NOW is the time to plant your cactus!
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SAVING
SAVING
An ongoing series of informational entries
An ongoing series of informational entries
Going Green
Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 5:29 PM
Going Green
Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 5:29 PM
Tuesday, July 12, 2016 5:29 PM
Quote of the Month: “ Try to leave the earth a better place than when you arrived.” – Sidney Sheldon
Going green, or becoming more environmentally friendly, in your office doesn’t have to mean making extreme changes. Even small changes can have a great impact. Here are few ideas that can help your office go green and save you more money in the long run too.
One of the first steps you can take is to switch all of the office lights to LEDs. They may cost a little more up front, but they last forever and reduce your use of electricity. This means you’ll save money from not having to buy lights every year and your electricity bill will be reduced significantly as well.
Another small step, is keeping live plants in the office. It doesn’t have to be many, but a few plants can help offset VOCs and CO2 emissions. They can also help brighten up your office area and give it more of a homey feel. If your office has a kitchen, having a few herbs such as basil and rosemary can help to reduce any food odors, while also serving as a living spice rack for your lunch.
One way your office can also help the community to go green is to hold an electronics recycling day event. Invite people from your community to drop off their broken electronics and then have the county come and pick them up from your office. You many have to pay a small fee for this, but since you can also use this as a marketing and referral event, it’s worth it. You don’t have to limit this event to electronics, it could also be clothes or books.
Another way your office can be more environmentally friendly, is by asking your clients if you could send more correspondence via email. This could be newsletters, event information, changes in the market, etc. Most of your clients will say yes. Some clients are still “old fashion” and will request that they still receive paper versions of everything. The number of people who will still want paper will be few though. By taking this step you will reduce your office’s paper consumption a considerable amount.
Here is a sample of an email you can send to clients requesting that you would like to go more green:
Dear «firstname»,
We’re going GREEN!
Like many Americans, we’re concerned about conserving our natural resources and doing our part to lessen our “carbon footprint”. To that end, we’ve decided to “go green” in our offices and do what we can to reduce paperwork in favor of electronic communication.
Can you help us?
We’d like to send you statements, confirmations, reviews and more via email to reduce our paper usage. Not only is this good for the environment, it will allow us to communicate with you more quickly and (we hope) be more convenient for you.
If receiving these types of correspondence via the internet is okay with you, could you please share your email address(es) below, sign, and return back to us in the self-addressed stamped envelope we have included? As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to call me at «representativephone», or simply send an e-mail to «representativeemail».
Thank you, in advance!
Sincerely,
XXXX
YES! I’d like to help conserve our natural resources. Please send me future correspondence via the email address(es) below …
PRIMARY EMAIL EMAIL TO “CC”
Signed:
Date:
Please print your full name:
6 Comments to Going Green:
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Best of luck and i hope you will rock this world thanks for your announcement regarding green environment and if you need any help regarding marketing then do tell me we will help you thanks.
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Karla on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 1:08 PM
You are welcome and thanks for the offer of help regarding marketing, much appreciated.
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PAY YOURSELF FIRST!
Karla M. Leonard, CEO/Asset Manager
PAY YOURSELF FIRST!
Karla M. Leonard, CEO/Asset Manager
Friday August 21, 2015 7:05 PM
"The best money advice I ever got was from my father.
He said, "Don't spend anything unless you have to."
[Dinah Shore]
Wow, when I read this quote it certainly brought back some vivid memories for me. How about you?
If you're a Baby Boomer, then a lot of you probably had the same warm feeling when reading this quote...am I right?
I say this because the Baby Boomer generation's parents were from the generation that lived through life changing events like; World War I, World War II and the Great Depression. It was a generation that learned very quickly, especially during the war years and after the Great Depression, the true value of a dollar.
Those of you who are not Baby Boomers might recall your parents and also your grandparents instilling some sound financial wisdom upon you when you were growing up. "Make a budget, stick to it and no matter what, always 'pay yourself first' (10% of your earnings was usually the base). However, the most important habit to instill within oneself is to be consistent on whatever amount you decide to save and do it on a regular basis.
Isn't it intriguing how each generation's value of the dollar has vastly changed? "What happened over the decades since the early 20th Century that's caused this significant change?
The results are devastating...here is one!
With each generation the desires for acquiring these wonderful 'things' (clothes, cars, tech toys, shoes, etc.) exceeds their ability to pay for them.
The advancement in technology over the years - [Hi-Def TVs, computers, cell phones, IPads, Kindles] all offer easy access for anyone to acquire anything they desire.
Why aren't these same technological platforms shouting to us to... 'save...save...save' instead of 'buy...buy...buy'?
Plus to add fuel to the fire of the buying frenzy, these technological platforms also go the extra mile with offering easy opt into credit cards, easy access to loan companies where one can borrow from $100 to thousands of dollars. It seems almost impossible to stay financially afloat, especially when we throw into the mix, that today the cost of living for many exceeds what they are earning.
If the money isn't in your wallet, or bank account it can be easily acquired via the internet or by using your credit card.
Guess you're asking then, "How does one get back on track to the good 'ol fatherly advice of 'spend less than you earn and save or invest the rest'?"
"Pay Yourself First and Stop Spending!"
It is important to stress, no matter what your income bracket is...the first rule is to "ALWAYS pay yourself first and place the funds into an account that offers tax preferential growth options which will enhance and stimulate growth."
This is the first rule that you should discipline yourself to follow 'hands down'! It is a tremendous rule to teach your children when they are young and when you start giving them their first allowance.
Let me tell you something...this works!
Do you remember the first day your Dad gave you your allowance? Wow! I remember it like it was yesterday.
My sisters and I were so excited to have our very own money to spend.
"Hold it right there!" we heard our Dad say.
This is where my Dad stepped in and corrected our thinking right out of the gate.
I can still hear his words of advice, "From now on you each will receive an allowance each week for doing all your weekly chores. However, before I lay a dime into each of your hands, you each will be required to budget your allowance."
"Budget?", we all thought, looking at each other like he was speaking a foreign language, "what the heck is a budget?"
Dad said, "the first thing you must learn is to 'pay yourself first'.
"Hmm," we each thought, "but we did just get paid, what are you talking about?"
Our Dad was patient and understanding of the confused look on our little faces...he continued, "I am paying you, but now you must pay yourself through putting 10% of the money I give you into your piggy banks. You will see, even though it may be only five cents, if you do it every time your receive your allowance, that five cents at the end of the month will have accumulated to 20 cents. That 20 cents at the end of the year will be $2.40
I know, $2.40 isn't much, but my Dad knew the principal of instilling a habit to pay ourselves first by saving a portion of whatever we earned from doing our household chores. This was the major lesson.
Let's take a second and fast forward to today's earnings.
If you were making $10,000/month and saving 10%, you would be saving $1,000/month. Now, at year's end that would be an accumulation of $12,000!
Assume those funds were being placed into a tax-deferred account earning 7.00% taxable, the tax-deferred percentage would be 9.72%. Assuming you are in a 28% tax bracket your tax-deferred account earnings for the year would be $13,166.00! However, by age 70 the account accumulation value by that time would equal $490,470.00!
That 10% has a whole new meaning now...right?
Next, he showed us how to make a budget and the importance of always knowing exactly where your money goes. He said, "NEVER spend more than you can afford." Which meant, if you wanted a piece of candy or toy that was more than the funds you had after putting aside your 10%, then do not even think about buying it!
Lastly, the one area our Dad was relentless on, was that no allowance for the next week would be handed to us until we showed him the budget from the last week's allowance and a soft planned budget on the upcoming allowance.
We all thought it was brutal, but if we didn't do it, we would have no allowance for the upcoming week.
Now, as I sit here telling your about my first allowance experience, all I can think to say is, "Thank you Dad, for teaching us one of the most important financial lessons in life!"
This childhood lesson, actually is not 'childlike' at all. It's a principal everyone should adhere to.
If you are in a situation from overspending and your liabilities are more than your earnings, then you need to take a step back and take a good honest look at your weaknesses.
The bottom line is, "nobody is going to take care of you, but you."
Get disciplined 'NOW' to correct your situation. You may have to change a lot in your current lifestyle to achieve a positive financial outcome...and that's what you want, "isn't it?"
Start today by applying the simple financial wisdom my Dad passed on to me, Dinah Shores' father passed on to her and I'm sure many of your parents passed on to you to... "Pay yourself first, and don't spend any money unless you have to."
Don't be a fool by spending whatever you get.
Also, make sure to sit down with a professional financial advisor, whom you trust, so he/she can assist you in making sure your financial goals become a reality with those hard earned dollars you are saving.
If it worked for your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents then it certainly will work for you.
1 Comment to PAY YOURSELF FIRST!:
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NSE & BSE Market Tips on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 12:10 AM
The content article is superb the knowledge in this article is beneficial for all. i suggest all the readers to please read this blog.
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL SECURITY
An ongoing series of informational entries
An ongoing series of informational entries
The One 'Guaranteed Income' Almost Everyone Will Receive
Karla Leonard, CEO/ Asset Manager: Posted on Wednesday,
The One 'Guaranteed Income' Almost Everyone Will Receive
Karla Leonard, CEO/ Asset Manager: Posted on Wednesday,
September 16, 2015 4:49 PM
"...but not knowing all the facts means you could be missing out on thousands of dollars in guaranteed income during your retirement."
Due to variable economic conditions that has affected the lives of many people today, the road to retirement will be quite different for each individual.
How each person has acquired assets during the accumulation phase of their lives...[pensions, 401(K) plans, mutual funds, stocks, commodity, bonds, real estate, life insurance, annuities] ..determines the amount of guaranteed and supplemental income that can be expected throughout retirement.
These cumulative incomes go towards supporting various desired lifestyles during the Golden Years. Some will live very well and maintain their current lifestyle and others...not so lucky.
There is however, one guaranteed income almost all Americans will have forthcoming in their retirement years...SOCIAL SECURITY.
These coveted funds will act twofold: either it will be a supplement and enhance retirement income for some or it will be the sole source of retirement income for others.
Millions of baby boomers are already collecting Social Security benefits, however there are millions more on the road to collecting Social Security benefits.
My question is..."How much do YOU know about how and when to collect your Social Security benefit?" This is an incredibly important topic everyone needs to understand.
Heather Piskorz, RICP affiliated with Gameplan Financial Marketing, LLC says in her booklet Empowering Today's Woman: A Guide To Enhancing Social Security Benefits...
"The 21st century has brought significant and unique challenges to women. Longer anticipated life expectancies, decisions surrounding careers outside the home, or staying home to raise a family have all factored into the changing landscape of the American family and the roles of women within the family. For this reason, women should embrace the necessity to become more equipped to handle their own unique financial circumstances..."
She focuses on answering basic questions about Social Security many women have been seeking answers to...
- "Am I eligible and how much can I expect to receive?"
Many women are not aware they have benefit entitlements and are asking..
- "I am divorced. Am I entitled to any benefits from my former spouse?"
and
- "I am widowed. How much am I entitled to as a survivor and when can I claim my benefits?"
You will be astonished to learn the answers to these questions and the benefits you could possibly be missing out on.
Realize that women represent 56% of all Social Security beneficiaries age 62 or older and approximately 67% of all beneficiaries age 85 and older.
Social Security and knowing how and when to apply can affect the retirement stage of your life significantly. Would you like to know how to embrace all benefits you are entitled to?
Empowering Today's Woman: A Guide To Enhancing Social Security Benefits by Heather Piskorz, RICP A PUBICATION BY GAMEPLAN FINANCIAL MARKETING, LLC is loaded with a wealth of information about Social Security.
[NOTE: This Guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U,S, Government. This guide is provided by a financial professional for informational purposes only.]
4 Comments to The One 'Guaranteed Income' Almost Everyone Will Receive:
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Equity Stock Tips on Friday, January 22, 2016 5:43 AM
I liked the way you put together everything, there is certainly no need to go any further to look for any additional information. You mentioned each and everything that too with much of ease......
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written essay on Monday, November 21, 2016 9:33 PM
It is superb content I thought and even I was searching similar this subject articles for knowing about it. And I truly enjoyed to read plus collected a tremendous information about it.
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Karla Leonard on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 12:15 PM
It's also rewarding to be able to share rich information with others to increase their knowledge base on issues that our so critical in today's economy. Your comment is much appreciated and I am very happy you were able to receive the answers you were seeking on this extremely important topic.
n songs on Tuesday, January 03, 2017 8:35 AM
thank you i am really looking for information like this.
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