Aug 10
4
Are You a Wage Slave?
A Wage Slave?
Daniel was a wage slave—chained to his desk fourteen hours a day. But even working those grueling hours, Daniel knew he needed to bring in more income. His family was nearly starving, and not just for food. His wife and kids needed him to be more engaged in their lives. Daniel said:
“I knew I needed a change; otherwise, my family was going to give up on me.”
So he came up with an idea. Why work for someone else when he had enough contacts to start a business on his own? Daniel began with the vision of changing his life. He found his purpose, which was to better support and be available to his family; he found his passion, which was creating websites to help ministries expand globally; and ultimately he was able to launch a web design business. Because he executed each step with precision, he is now making more money, working less hours, and loving the new life he created.
What about you: are you a wage slave?
Too many people put too much in their own company‘s stock or take too much advice from co-workers. When it comes to investing, many turn to the well known well established companies. After all they can‘t fail? Wait, Enron, WorldCom, Lehman Brothers, and Ginnie Mae to name a few, were giants who became extinct just like enormous dinosaurs. Bigger is not always better! In fact, much of the growth for many companies takes place within the first few years of operation.
Bloomberg provided further proof that the largest companies aren’t always the best. Their publications (as of December 31, 2008) show that 49% of the companies in the S&P 500 (largest, most widely known companies) had lower prices in 2008 than in 2000. In fact Merrill Lynch lost 78% in 2008, AIG lost 97%, Fannie Mae lost 98% Freddie Mac lost 98%, while Wachovia lost 85%. Still not convinced?
From 2000 to 2002 GE lost 53%, from 1999 to 2005 Coca-Cola lost 40% within seven years, from 2000 to 2002 McDonald‘s lost 60% in three years, even trusty old Wal-Mart lost 37% from 2000 to 2007 (a 8 year span). These are some of the largest companies in the entire world. If they can lose almost half or more of their value within a relatively short period of time, biggest isn’t always best!
Considering an annuity?
Read BEFORE you sign…
Variable annuities are complex investment products, often described as mutual funds wrapped in an insurance policy. Under a variable annuity contract, an insurance company agrees to make periodic payments to you, beginning either immediately or at some future date. You purchase a variable annuity contract by making either a single purchase payment or a series of purchase payments. Variable annuities are a favorite product of advisors seeking to maximize their incomes as they often pay commission of 3, 4, 5, or even 10 percent! That‘s right, for every $100,000 you invest, your broker may make $3,000 to $10,000… all for filling out a few forms!
Jul 10
17
5 Ways to Build Wealth
Five choices to store and grow wealth
When you look at investing, there are really only five choices. Here’s a look at the classes of assets you’ll generally be considering when you invest:
1. Start or Operate a Company: Selling a product or service that meets the needs of the marketplace can be the fastest path to financial freedom. However, this can also be the riskiest and least likely to succeed when you evaluate your choices.
2. Stocks: Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, stocks have historically provided a higher average annual rate of return than other investments, including bonds and cash equivalents. However, stocks are generally more volatile than bonds or cash equivalents. Investing in stocks may be appropriate if your investment goals are long-term.
Jul 10
15
Does God care where you invest?
How should we invest?
If God is the owner of everything then don’t we need to ask what He would like us to do with His money? If we truly want to Serve God by where we invest, should we care about what He cares about? 1 Peter 4:10 says “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” So this leads 
to a big question: “how can we serve others through our investments?”
According to Peter, we are expected to use all of our gifts. Now if we are fortunate to have a surplus, shouldn’t we consider it a gift and not just invest solely for ourselves but also for the benefit of others? When we follow God’s principles we can funnel God’s love and grace and participate in the blessing of others! How amazing is that?
Jul 10
13
Somebody Call the Passion Police!
Passion Problems!
Why do so many people have trouble finding their passion? Often it is so far beneath the surface that it is out of sight and out of mind. If you have a relationship with Jesus, are you passionate about Him? Money tends to be the primary motivating factor for many as they choose a profession, but most would not identify money as their true passion.
In his book Marketplace Christianity, Robert E. Frasier says:
―For people who are passionate for Jesus, there are dozens of well-trod paths into ministry but few into the marketplace. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m so passionate for Jesus, I just have to go into business”? Why don’t we hear that? Because, without ever saying so, most Christians believe that a marketplace vocation and passion for Jesus are mutually exclusive. This is one of the great tragedies of modern Christianity, and it has robbed millions of people of their passion and purpose, and robbed the Son of God of His inheritance in us.”
Jul 10
12
Build Wisely
Warren Buffet said it best:
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
I read this story recently and it reminded me of how important integrity and reputation truly are:
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
Jul 10
6
What’s on Your Bucket List?
What would you like to do before you die?
Have you seen the movie The Bucket List with Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The main plot follows two terminally ill men (Nicholson and Freeman) on their road trip with a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket.” What is on your to do list before you die? Start working on that list today!
Jul 10
3
Are You Lost or Found?
Do you wake up each day with excitement, enthusiasm, and long for a good day’s work?
Or do you wake up exhausted, frustrated, and wishing you had more leisure and relaxation?
Make no mistake about it: we live in a rest-oriented society. We want more free time, additional holidays, extra vacation days, and longer weekends…
Jul 10
2
Why Wait Until Retirement?
I asked myself, “why wait until retirement?” That became my life story in 2009. I had enough of New England. Though it was the only home I ever knew. It was the place where most of my friends and family lived. It was home of my Patriots and Red Sox! Yet, it was also the place with long dreadful winters, liberal politics, huge church-less populations, and enough traffic to drive anyone mad!
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