Seven Financial Realities and Opportunities – Excerpt from the reference guide “Wealth Building Values, Attitudes, and Habits”

Middle class security is gone.

For a generation, since the end of World War II, being middle class in the U.S. meant having access to affordable college education, which led to gainful employment, inexpensive health care, home ownership, savings for children’s college tuition, and social security upon retirement.

Today, none of these assumptions can safety be made for those in the middle income bracket. Being middle class is now inherently insecure. It means having to stretch limited resources to meet ever more expensive obligations, and making sacrifices to stay financially afloat.

At the same time, more individuals than ever in the U.S. are becoming independently wealthy. In 2009 alone, in the midst of a severe economic downturn, the number of millionaires in the country increased by over 16% . Many who started in the middle or even lower income brackets are prospering. What are their secrets? What can we learn from the behavior patterns of self-made millionaires? Below is an excerpt of my publication “Wealth Building Values, Attitudes, and Habits”, which points to some telling clues. (more…)

How’s Your Money Doing – The Lesson from Warren Buffet

“Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffet

If you’re in the stock market and are like most investors, you’ve taken hit over the past few months. But this is not the time to despair. Remember the old Chinese adage: In every crisis there’s an opportunity. (more…)