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7 Millionaires Who Lost It All, but Came Back

2013-04-23T16:58:00.001-07:00

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21 Ways Rich People Think Differently

2012-09-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ref: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-rich-people-think-differently-from-the-poor-2012-8?op=1

Mandi Woodruff | Aug. 31, 2012, 1:22 PM | 508,188 | 75

World's richest woman Gina Rinehart is enduring a media firestorm over an article in which she takes the "jealous" middle class to task for "drinking, or smoking and socializing" rather than working to earn their own fortune.
What if she has a point?
Steve Siebold, author of "How Rich People Think," spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else.
It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality.
"[The middle class] tells people to be happy with what they have," he said. "And on the whole, most people are steeped in fear when it comes to money."

Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.

"The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest," Siebold writes.
That's why there's a certain shame that comes along with "getting rich" in lower-income communities.
"The world class knows that while having money doesn't guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable."

Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.

"The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don't try to pretend to save the world," Siebold told Business Insider.
The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative––and it's keeping them poor, he writes.
"If you're not taking care of you, you're not in a position to help anyone else. You can't give what you don't have."

Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.

"While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems," Siebold writes.
"The hero [middle class people] are waiting for may be God, government, their boss or their spouse. It's the average person's level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away."

Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

"Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge," he writes.
"Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master's degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness...The wealthy aren't interested in the means, only the end."

Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.

"Self-made millionaires get rich because they're willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future," Siebold writes.
"People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression."

Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

"An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably," he writes.
"The world class sees money for what it is and what it's not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities."

Average people earn money doing things they don't love. Rich people follow their passion.

"To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time," Siebold says. "But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it."
On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don't enjoy "because they need the money and they've been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort."

Average people set low expectations so they're never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.

"Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed," Siebold writes.
"No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations."

Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.

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"That's why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever," he writes.
"While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it's a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results."

Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people's money.

Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren't afraid to fund their future from other people's pockets.
"Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, 'Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?'" he writes.

Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they're driven by emotion and greed.

Investing successfully in the stock market isn't just about a fancy math formula.
"The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe," Siebold writes.
"This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage."

Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

"Here's how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to," he writes.
"The rich live below their means, not because they're so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king's ransom socked away for the future."

Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.

Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of "haves" and "have-nots," Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he's supporting the idea of elitism.
He disagrees.
"[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they're poor. This isn't true," he writes. "What they're teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality––the way society really is."
If children understand wealth early on, they'll be more likely to strive for it later in life.

Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they're not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says.
"[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind."

Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.

While the rich don't put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says.
"Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they've used to educate themselves on how to become more successful," he writes.
"The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines."

Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says.
"[Rich people] can't afford the messages of doom and gloom," he writes. "This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery.
Labeling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better bout themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity."

Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.

Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they'll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have.
"The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities," he writes.
"Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money."

Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

"Leverage is the watchword of the rich," Siebold writes.
"Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will aways be able to earn more."

Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.

For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire––a challenge most middle class thinkers aren't comfortable living with.
"Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mindset," Siebold writes.
World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn't easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of ongoing uncertainty."

Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obamacare and their company's health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite "boutique medical care" association, Siebold says.
"They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members," he writes.
"Some wealthy neighborhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighborhood."

Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.

The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a "cop-out", Siebold says.
"The masses have been brainwashed to believe it's an either/or equation," he writes. "The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance."

Not everyone believes in the power of wealth....

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This man gave up everything ten years ago to live money-free in Utah's wilderness >

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Mandi Woodruff

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

2012-07-17T11:57:00.003-07:00

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7 Tips To Help You Become A Millionaire

2012-04-29T04:16:00.000-07:00

Income Report: I’m A Million Dollar Blogger
By Yaro Starak August 27, 2010

Back during the early days of this blog I used to write income reports on a semi-regular basis. John Chow made the idea of reporting your blogging income popular, and before him guys like Darren Rowse and Shoemoney would show pictures of checks they had received from advertising programs like Google AdSense or affiliate programs. Today guys like Pat from Smart Passive Income keep the trend going, though most of the other guys have stopped reporting now.

There’s no doubt people are inspired by seeing how much money others make (I certainly was before I started earning much online), and for the person sharing their details, it’s great for the ego to talk about how well you are doing. It’s also beneficial as a practice to report income to monitor your trend growth rates and also see if you can sustain a level of income significant enough to live off long term.

I’ve often had people, especially those who work “normal” jobs, question the practice of revealing your income online. How much money you earn is considered one of the most private things you don’t tell even your friends or family, let alone the entire planet through the Internet. I personally don’t think income levels should be hidden, it could be a force for better wages if the knowledge was public, so I’ve never had a problem talking about how much money I generate. Plus it’s fun to report back your successes when you have them, even if it does seem a lot like bragging, which I think it is, but it’s great for social proof too.

How I Made A Million Dollars

It’s amazing for me to write this, but during the last two years I’ve generated over a million dollars in revenue online. What’s even more amazing is I did this without any full time staff and only one regular contractor.

In Australia the tax year runs from July to June, and in the 2008-2009 tax year I made over half a million dollars in revenue doing what I do online. I was expecting the next year to be less because I wasn’t launching as many new things, but it turned out that I actually surpassed the previous year (just), though the profit was less (I bought a new BMW – that tends to hurt your profit a bit!).

Obviously profit is different from revenue, so I didn’t keep the million dollars I made over the last two years. For my business, tax compliance (the cost of setting up a new tax structure), outsourcing to contractors and affiliate commissions are the largest “expenses” I incur. In general I make about 70% profit (and tax comes out of that), which is incredibly high compared to most offline businesses. That’s what is so good about online business – the low cost structure.

Before the last two half-million dollar years I was making a solid six figures a year, so I actually surpassed a million dollars earlier. I feel comfortable saying now that I’ve made more than a million in sales and kept more than a million in profit in the last five years running my current online business.

How You Can Make A Million Dollars

Obviously it’s nice for me to be in this situation and I’m incredibly grateful I can live the life I do, working on a few hours a day, make what I make and do it by helping others through sharing words, but I know what you really care about is how can you replicate my result.

There’s no simple answer to that question, however I’ve met enough millionaires to notice what they do differently, not to mention had my own experience becoming a seven figure blogger.
Here’s some key points as I see it to help you reach your own million dollar result –

7 Tips To Help You Make A Million Dollars
1. Although I don’t have staff, I couldn’t get this result without some kind of leverage generated by other people. The best two examples I can give you from my experience is my partnership with Gideon Shalwick, who co-created the Become A Blogger program with me, which is responsible for a fairly hefty junk of my income in the last two years, and my affiliates, who have helped me reach a much larger audience than I could alone.

2. Repetition of what works. Although I’ve done many different things over the last ten years, when I found something that worked and I enjoyed doing it, I stuck to it long enough to get a result much higher than the average.

3. Choose a business model that has the potential to make you rich. This might seem obvious, but many entrepreneurs are smart enough to know that working a job won’t make them rich, but then make the mistake of choosing a business model that won’t do it either. If you can’t see how your business could make you a million dollars, then you might want to think about changing your model.

4. Isolate your core strengths and then build on them. I mentioned it’s important to find something you enjoy, and what you enjoy is always a strength, so if you can find a business that allows you to express your strength, develop it through repetition and reap financial rewards from it, you’ve hit the holy grail.

5. Tap significant sources of traffic/audience/customers. Most people I meet who are millionaires have access to large amounts of people. Yes you can make a million dollars without needing distribution (like through property or shares), but for those who do it with a business, they generally have a means to access lots of people. It might be having lots of physical stores in retail, or a large email list or popular website online, or affiliates/joint venture partners, or money to spend on advertising, or some kind of media like a television or radio show, or magazine or newspaper. Whatever the case, you need thousands of customers to make millions of dollars, unless you operate in a high profit-margin market (see below).

6. Pick an industry with significant profit margins and high demand. Profit is a function of how many sales you make and the money you keep from each sale after the cost of providing the goods or service. Obviously the greater your margin, the fewer sales you require to make a million. While you might have trouble starting a business where selling just one or two items can make you millions (for example, selling jumbo jets), it is possible to be calculating when you choose what you are going to sell, so your path to millions is quicker and more likely.

7. When something is not working or won’t take you where you want to go, quit. This is probably the biggest reason most people will never make a million dollars – they are too afraid to change. If today as you read this you have no potential to make a million doing what you do – and you want to make a million – then start making changes so you can.
You don’t necessarily have to quit your job or close your business, but you will need to tap on some kind of potential million dollar system to what you are doing. For example, investing in property with your business profits, or starting a business on the side if you’re still working a job, or finding someone to partner with to start a business so it doesn’t require all your time. If you can’t see how it will happen then how on earth will it ever happen?

And one last tip –

Bonus Tip: Many millionaires are created when one significant event occurs - you sell your business.
You might spend the entire life of your business making a low and steady income, but if you can turn your business into a machine that keeps that income coming without much input from the owner, then you’ve got a sellable asset.

Create a business that makes a few hundred thousand a year using a smart, hands-off business model, and you’ve got yourself a million dollar asset. If that’s daunting, consider starting by creating a five figure business and then selling it for six figures. Do that a few times over a few years and you’ve made your million.

Yaro Starak
Million Dollar Blogger

Source: http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/3106/how-to-make-a-million-dollars/

Seven Secrets of Self-Made Multimillionaires

2012-02-09T04:34:00.000-08:00

By Grant Cardone | Entrepreneur – Thu, Feb 2, 2012 10:00 PM SGT

First, understand that you no longer want to be just a millionaire. You want to become a multimillionaire.

While you may think a million dollars will give you financial security, it will not. Given the volatility in economies, governments and financial markets around the world, it's no longer safe to assume a million dollars will provide you and your family with true security. In fact, a Fidelity Investments' study of millionaires last year found that 42 percent of them don't feel wealthy and they would need $7.5 million of investable assets to start feeling rich.
This isn't a how-to on the accumulation of wealth from a lifetime of saving and pinching pennies. This is about generating multimillion-dollar wealth and enjoying it during the creation process. To get started, consider these seven secrets of multimillionaires.

No. 1: Decide to Be a Multimillionaire -- You first have to decide you want to be a self-made millionaire. I went from nothing—no money, just ideas and a lot of hard work—to create a net worth that probably cannot be destroyed in my lifetime. The first step was making a decision and setting a target. Every day for years, I wrote down this statement: "I am worth over $100,000,000!"

No. 2: Get Rid of Poverty Thinking - There's no shortage of money on planet Earth, only a shortage of people who think correctly about it. To become a millionaire from scratch, you must end the poverty thinking. I know because I had to. I was raised by a single mother who did everything possible to put three boys through school and make ends meets. Many of the lessons she taught me encouraged a sense of scarcity and fear: "Eat all your food; there are people starving," "Don't waste anything," "Money doesn't grow on trees." Real wealth and abundance aren't created from such thinking.

No. 3: Treat it Like a Duty - Self-made multimillionaires are motivated not just by money, but by a need for the marketplace to validate their contributions. While I have always wanted wealth, I was driven more by my need to contribute consistent with my potential. Multimillionaires don't lower their targets when things get tough. Rather, they raise expectations for themselves because they see the difference they can make with their families, company, community and charities.

No. 4: Surround Yourself with Multimillionaires - I have been studying wealthy people since I was 10 years old. I read their stories and see what they went through. These are my mentors and teachers who inspire me. You can't learn how to make money from someone who doesn't have much. Who says, "Money won't make you happy"? People without money. Who says, "All rich people are greedy"? People who aren't rich. Wealthy people don't talk like that. You need to know what people are doing to create wealth and follow their example: What do they read? How do they invest? What drives them? How do they stay motivated and excited?

No. 5: Work Like a Millionaire - Rich people treat time differently. They buy it, while poor people sell it. The wealthy know time is more valuable than money itself, so they hire people for things they're not good at or aren't a productive use of their time, such as household chores. But don't kid yourself that those who hit it big don't work hard. Financially successful people are consumed by their hunt for success and work to the point that they feel they are winning and not just working.

No. 6: Shift Focus from Spending to Investing - The rich don't spend money; they invest. They know the U.S. tax laws favor investing over spending. You buy a house and can't write it off. The rich, in contrast, buy an apartment building that produces cash flow, appreciates and offers write-offs year after year. You buy cars for comfort and style. The rich buy cars for their company that are deductible because they are used to produce revenue.

No. 7: Create Multiple Flows of Income - The really rich never depend on one flow of income but instead create a number of revenue streams. My first business had been generating a seven-figure income for years when I started investing cash in multifamily real estate. Once my real estate and my consulting business were churning, I went into a third business developing software to help retailers improve the customer experience.

Lastly, you may be surprised to learn that wealthy people wish you were wealthy, too. It's a mystery to them why others don't get rich. They know they aren't special and that wealth is available to anyone who wants to focus and persist. Rich people want others to be rich for two reasons: first, so you can buy their products and services, and second, because they want to hang out with other rich people. Get rich -- it's American.
Related: Inside the Mind of Your Buyers

This article originally posted on Entrepreneur.com

---------
Another article I really love! ~ Martin Sim ;D

You should read this too!
http://martin-sim.blogspot.com/2012/01/secrets-to-millionaires-success.html

The secrets to a millionaire's success

2012-01-31T04:24:00.000-08:00

If you want to be a millionaire you have to think differently.

By Stephen D Simpson | Investopedia.com – Sat, Jan 28, 2012 12:23 AM SGT

There's no real practical reason to ask "who wants to be a millionaire?" because the only people who won't put their hand up are religious types who've taken vows of poverty and those who are already multi-millionaires. Unfortunately, there's a big gulf between those who want it and those who do the things to make it happen.

Based on recent statistics on UK household income, millionaire-dom is not something that's going to happen for most people, even with the dubious benefits of inflation. An adult earning the median level of income (£26,200 a year in 2011) and saving an impressive 20% of that would need almost 200 years to save £1 million (excluding taxes and investment gains). It's pretty clear, then, that a would-be millionaire has to think outside the boundaries of "median" experience.

Start a business
There are certainly people who can become millionaires by working for other people, but this is not an especially good route to choose. The trouble with trying to become a millionaire by working for other people is that there are always other people siphoning off the value of whatever you produce. Say you're a hotshot salesman – although you're going to get your cut, a lot of the value you create is going to get split among a broader pool of workers, managers and the owner(s) of the business.

Start your own business, though, and you get to decide how to divide that pie. Better still, your ownership stake can become more and more valuable over time as that business becomes larger and larger. While a good employee may get raises and promotions as his or her employer grows, they'll never see the same benefits (including the appreciation in the value of the ownership interest) as the owners.

Use other people's money
One of the remarkably consistent features of stories about people who go from relatively no wealth to major wealth is the role of other people's money in making it happen. Sometimes it's start-up capital from a generous relative, or maybe it's a small business loan or venture capital.

Borrowed money can be a major force multiplier. Behind virtually every property empire is borrowed money and the use of leverage in investing (whether through buying stocks on margin, buying options or buying futures) can rapidly magnify a skilful investor's success. Of course, this cuts both ways – just as borrowed money can create a large business (or portfolio) quickly, just one mistake in an over-leveraged enterprise can bring the whole thing crashing down.

It comes down, then, to risk tolerance. Those who really want to build large wealth (and do so quickly) through business or investment will have to do so in part with other people's money.

Cultivate a valued skill
Wages respond to supply and demand just like everything else, so it is very important to cultivate a skill that is not only in demand, but scarce enough to be valuable. Architecture and law, for instance, are both specialised skills, but not necessarily rare enough to make their practitioners wealthy unless they are at the high end of their profession.

Sports is an obvious example, but most people know in their teens whether they have the rare physical gifts (and perhaps the even rarer mental discipline and dedication) to open the doors to a professional sports career, and it's not really a door that can be opened in college or later. Medicine and engineering, though, are both open to college-aged people who have the requisite abilities and the willingness to put in the effort. The services of these professionals are not only almost always in demand, but the supply is small enough that professionals here can fairly expect to become millionaires on the basis of their labours.

This is also true for unconventional skills as well. Pursuing a career as a writer, actor or professional gambler is a virtual guarantee of poverty for most people. For those who actually have the skills necessary to succeed, though, it can be their best chance of building real wealth.

Out-think or out-hustle
Lazy and self-made millionaire just don't go together. Going back to that supply-demand equation, anything that's relatively easy, convenient and accessible is going to have ample supply and relatively low payouts. Since most people don't actually want to work that hard, though, there are real wealth-creation opportunities out there for those willing to think and/or work just a little harder than average.

One option for building exceptional wealth is to out-think the majority of people out there. While pursuits like writing, investing and inventing all involve a tremendous amount of effort and dedication, there is at least some aspect of out-thinking to them all. Steve Jobs of Apple, Richard Branson of Virgin and Lord Alan Sugar all clearly worked hard to achieve success, but a lot of that success was predicated on seeing things that others didn't see and figuring out how to do them even better.

Out-hustling is an undervalued aspect of wealth creation. Success in business is often about the hustle – the willingness to make one more call or work an extra hour later. The field of "hustle" is wide, rich and fertile. You can make good money visiting auctions and reselling undervalued items, just as you can make good money from a variety of multi-level marketing programs. The question is whether you want to spend the hours it takes to drive the process forward.

Rental property is a good example. It is actually not all that difficult to find rental properties, buy them and rent them out. Do this well and it's fairly easy to earn an annual return of 8-15%. The problem is that there are a myriad of small annoyances that go with it – hassles in haggling over the purchase price, hassles in getting mortgages, hassles in getting tenants, hassles in dealing with tenants and so on. Some people just don't want to be bothered with this, but those who don't mind the annoyances can reap the rewards.

The bottom line
Having £1 million or more in net worth is still uncommon enough to be special and significant, and it doesn't often come as a by-product of luck or chance. Hard work is a virtual requisite, but so too is a willingness to take on some risk (such as starting a business or using leverage) or cultivate a rare gift (like writing or inventing). Although simple living and sound investing will help anyone build more wealth, a special level of success requires a special person who is willing to do more and risk more than most people.

Love this article! ~ Martin Sim

[Update 7] Financial Education & Money Management (Part 1)

2011-07-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

Part 1: Job 1O1 | Know Thyself
To kick off this topic, let's talk about the way we naturally behave and approach matters, even before we dive deeper. I will separate this topic into two posts. I might tend to go a little off-topic at some points, so try to see the whole picture and you will see where I am coming from.

To understand this, we first need to understand our thought process. See,
Our brain's instinctive function is to protect us from danger. Hence, when it comes to money, the path most well-travelled by the many is to get education then get a ______. Seek safety and security yes?
As, with a job you put in $0 and yield returns. You sell Time to gain Money, risk free!

Unlike other people, I will tell you that in many ways, a job really is the best Returns On Investments. You gain money but risk $0. You can take my word personally on this, having been on all quadrants of the ESBI. This btw, is the technical definition of 'Infinite Returns'. It's a bit of a joke, I know. Anything multiplied by 0 = Infinite. By this definition, finding 10cents on the floor is also making Infinite Returns. With all the hype built up, I almost wanted to punch the person who told me this in the nose when I heard the answer.

Fun facts aside, as an investor, what you are really trying to do is similar to when your brain naturally knows; lower your risk and maximize your returns. Lowering risk can come in several forms:
1. Monetary/ Financial/ Cost
2. Project soundness/ Viability/ Implementations/ Exits
3. Management/ Macro-factors

Financially, what can be lower than not putting a single cent in? Seeking employment as a way to gain money over other ways (ie. Trading, Business, Investments etc) is therefore the safest way to yield returns.

I don't care what other people tell you about starting a business and make it sound so simple. It really isn't as simple as ABC. Anyone who tells you otherwise is telling you half-truths. You need A WHOLE LOT of special SOMETHING to be a business person. (Note: I did not even mention the word Success yet.) Don't get me wrong. Anyone can make it, IF (And only IF) they set their minds to it. But for most people who have trouble even balancing personal life with employment, Business requires A LOT from you. If you cannot give that, be happy with a 'normal' life, Business might not be your cup of tea.

So you should be very happy being employed...Are you?
As an employee, (And mind you, I did really went all out being an employee too. But..) I always had this sinking and helpless feeling of unfulfillment as whatever I was doing ultimately doesn't belong to me. However much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Same for you? However much you give at your job, an employee will never understand nor commit the kind of devotion, like that of your own convictions.

Here's what most people would do; Get a job >>> Climb the ladder >>> TRY their very best to maximize as much gains from a single income stream (Employment) as possible or Job hop to higher income/ better prospects/ greener pastures etc. Then one day, some years down the road, with the family, the kid/s, the house, the car, keeping up with the Chans, the lifestyle they have gotten so accustomed to...They find themselves without the option to slow down.
a) For some they might hit this situation during bad times, becoming too expensive for the company employing them and face job insecurities and hungrier young people who can work twice as hard and get half the pay. Familiar story? And you can be certain that in the world we live in today, boom/bust cycle is inevitable.
b) For some others, with the $2500 paying job, they are spending $4000. And as they go along, their expenditure snowballs.

Both cases, they end up working harder, longer, look for better pay, still finding themselves playing catch up with their expenses. And they do this year after year after year, next thing you know, 40s-50s are here, stuck in the middle of neither here nor there, very afraid someone comes along and take away their job because they still have housing loans, kids' loans, bills (or worse DEBTS) to pay....
The problem with a JOB is...there is only 1 of you and for that matter, you have only 1 income stream.

So what should you really be doing?

Most people get Technical and Professional Education, for them to get a job and earn loads of money. BUT those that don't know how to manage money and tend to squander it all away or even worse, rake up huge amounts of debts.

And there is the other group, with the lack of Financial Education (like me once), they don't know any better so they

spend less and save,
want to invest but scared,
want to buy but don't know any better to decide,
want to move right or left, they are also unsure.
want to spend the time to learn about all these seems like a whole lot of effort for something so non-core income function,
seek safety but want high returns, often committing to the wrong investment,
get stuck in employment and forever are neither here nor there, have a sit-on-the-fence approach in their lives, only to look back and every turn and exclaim to the likes of "If only I did that...."
behave like babies and complain about the government as they view everything as the government's fault.

Money really shouldn't be a sensitive topic, it should be a transparent topic. Money shouldn't be something you shun or be ignorant about and hope for the better; Just like your health, it should be something you constantly maintain and take care of. Understanding Financial Education comes in 5 parts
1. Income - Expenses = Positive/ Negative
2. No excess vs Additional income
3. What you want to achieve and Putting your money to work.
4. Passive income and being a Money manager

5. Understanding about the world around you and how marco-events affects your pockets

I will talk about Learning about Financial Education and Mastering Money management in my next post.

Until next time.

Your Fellow Investor,
Martin Sim

Previous Updates
6 Evaluating Risk
5 Why is ‘Playing Safe’ the riskiest thing you can do with your money?
4 Inflation hits highest level since 2008
3 Why you MUST Invest!
2 Are you your parents' financial photocopy?
1 Taking retirement into your own hands

[Update 6] Evaluating Risk

2011-04-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is possibly why majority of people 'invest' in the wrong stuff and lose money. They didn't evaluate the risk before jumping in, worse off, they don't know what to do. So what should you be looking out for?

1stly, Ask yourself the question: "Do I want to invest?" Because I meet many people who have not even figured this part out yet. So they spend their time being half-hearted, go around listening to bits and pieces of information here and there, procrastinating and looking in envy when they see other people make money.
More often than not, they end up committing to investments based on emotions and the strong salesmanship of the sales personnel.
So if and when you have decided that you want to invest, just like riding a bic or driving a car, LEARN.

2. Understand that in investments, it is not about what you want to do in the market, it is about what the market gives you. And when market gives, you gotta learn how and when to take. Unless you are big enough to manipulate markets, this applies to YOU. Every novice investors comes to the game with big dreams of what they want to earn in the market. "I want 10% returns, I want 20% returns....etc" Some have their journey cut short even before they begin, others go down a path of winning little and losing big...Very bitter experience. Talk to seasoned investors, what they are most bothered about is their downside. They are thinking "I want to do everything possible to ensure that I do not lose money."

3. Take care of the downside, let the upside take care of itself. Why restrict your earnings to 10-20% returns? The sky is the limit! Have a plan in place to protect yourself when things go south.

4. Take a step back and look at investments in smaller numbers. Investments usually involve quite a sum of money, as such it can get quite personal and people tend to get emotional. This is after all your hard-earned money. DON'T. By being emotional, you are doing yourself the biggest disadvantage in investments. Leave the heart for relationship matters. But huge sums of money, many zeros, can drive people CRAAZZY! So either look at it on the merits of the investments alone and block out the amount portion or to look at it in terms of small insignificant money. It will help you clear your mind.

5. Understanding Risk/Reward ratio.
a. Give an example: (Notice I always like to talk in very small numbers) 1sqft of Property A cost $1 and 1sqft of Property B cost $10. By looking at cost alone, everyone would prefer Property A.
But what if I were to tell you that the value of Property A decays at the rate of 10% per year every year and Property B appreciates at 10% per year every year, which would you then prefer?
So to understand investments, don't look at cost price alone. Look at the entire picture of the investment

b. Another example: Investment A offers 50% returns, Investment B offers 10%, again if by looking at returns alone, everyone would opt for Investment A.
But what is the time line? Investment A offers 50% (Capital gains) returns but with an indefinite timeline, Investment B offers 10% (Yield) pa. Now which one is the better investment?

6. As an investor, what you are really trying to do is lower your risk and maximize your returns. That's why for many people when they graduate, they look for a ...??
a. Investment
b. Job

Your intrinsic thought process (Your brain's protective function) already told you, risk none of your own money, derive as much as possible from that source. But, what the problem with JOB? (Next post.)

7. Get Financially Educated and learn proper Money Management. A lot of people get Technical and Professional Education, for them to get a job and earn loads of money. BUT they don't know how to manage money and squander it all away or even worse, rake up huge amounts of Credit card debts, leading to financial problems. I will talk about Financial Education and Money management in my next post.

8. Investment is about opportunity, rather than timing. It is actually a pretty boring thing to do. Put the money issues aside or look at it in insignificant amounts, get Financially Educated, LEARN, apply a fixed set of rules over and over again... & When you see Opportunity....Take It! Take Action...If you procrastinate, opportunity may fleet by you, when lost, it may never return. But don't worry or be envious, there will be other opportunities. Be concerned that you continue to sit on the fence and expect 'magic' to happen, only to find one day years have passed, opportunities have passed then it's really too late..

Until next time.

Your Fellow Investor,
Martin Sim

Previous Updates
5 Why is ‘Playing Safe’ the riskiest thing you can do with your money?
4 Inflation hits highest level since 2008
3 Why you MUST Invest!
2 Are you your parents' financial photocopy?
1 Taking retirement into your own hands

More technical reading you might like

http://www.physiciansnews.com/finance/1107.html

http://www.axa-equitable.com/investments/evaluating-investment-risk.html
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/stocks/08/country-risk-for-international-investing.asp
http://www.taipanpublishinggroup.com/tpg/smart-investing-daily/smart-investing-091010.html
http://fc.standardandpoors.com/sites/client/tda/tdap/article.vm?siteContent=5189&topic=5034

[Update 5] Why is ‘Playing Safe’ the riskiest thing you can do with your money?

2011-03-02T02:04:00.000-08:00

Here's what most people are like:
1. Risk adverse. Or
2. They want to achieve something in investing...BUT it takes too much time and effort to learn, and with the job, life, family etc, they procrastinate to get financially educated.

I understand perfectly! Heck, I wanted to outsource my investments once too.

So they go for - Guaranteed Returns. I am sure you know the problem with organisations that offer that. The more guaranteed the returns are, usually means the lower the yield will be, yes?
(Anyone who disagrees with me, pls drop me an email. I am ALWAYS looking out for high-yielding, safe, guaranteed returns! ;D )

First let's understand what 'Guaranteed Returns' really means.
The bank/ insurance agency/ fund management firm/ company etc. that you have deposited your money with, effectively are 'borrowing' the money from you at the small returns they promised you, to put it to more speculative structures. Meaning: They are using your money to make HUGE gains and paying you a paltry sum. You are effectively taking the biggest risk (just that you are 'blind' to that) and getting the smallest returns. Does that sound fair to you?

Worse so are the principle guaranteed products. Principle guaranteed products means (to me. personal experience) the company can use that money and make all sorts of gains, at the end of the agreed time period, are bound to return you your principle sum. And usually they do so, with at most a very very very pathetic payout or just pay you back your principle. What's the point??

And in today's environment, where money can be printed faster than you can count them (devaluation of money ie. banana notes) and what this doesn't already rob away, inflation strips off. Guaranteed Returns products previously cannot cover inflation, currently geez...don't even talk about it!

By 'playing safe' and going for Guaranteed Returns plainly is the riskiest thing you can do with your money. In fact, let me put it this way, if your investments are not minimally returning you 8% nett pa, your money is still losing value.

So to protect and grow your money, in today's environment, you inevitably have to get financially educated (There are of course some shortcuts.) to 'open your eyes' to see what is truly worth investing in. You do so by evaluating risk, I will talk about this next time I post.

Meanwhile, OPEN YOUR EYES and SEE what we have posted so far at
Property Investors Club &
Equities Investors Network

It is quite ridiculous to live an entire life being stuck under the thumb of money. Take care everyone!

Until next time.

Your Fellow Investor,
Martin Sim

Previous Updates

4 Inflation hits highest level since 2008

3 Why you MUST Invest!

2 Are you your parents' financial photocopy?

1 Taking retirement into your own hands

[Update 4] Inflation hits highest level since 2008

2011-01-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

Way back in May 2010, I posted regarding demand/supply and inflation issues (this was when there wasn't any inflation issues and market was still bothered about recovery) in Are you your parents' financial photocopy? Lo and behold this is the article on The Straits Times Tuesday January 25th 2011 Page A6 "Inflation hits highest level since 2008". Anyone with two-bit knowledge on economy will conclude the same back then.

The key thing now is: Inflation is creeping up, which side of the coin are you on? I saw people complaining of cost and reports about helping the lower/middle class....

And its gonna get worse, oil hasn't even reach and broke the previous highs yet. (I am eagerly watching.) Just a simple understanding of financial education you are able to protect yourself and your wealth from all these macro-economic factors. See inflation can soar through the roof or drop to the ground or not move at all (in your dreams), I still would be happy because in every way I know how to make money off it.

Which is why, just like my previous post on Why you must invest! I keep repeating YOU MUST INVEST! YOU MUST! YOU MUST PUT YOUR MONEY TO WORK BECAUSE YOUR MONEY HAS QUIETLY HALF-VALUED. And as mentioned, property is a safe and lucrative way to hedge this erosion of monetary value, as with property you get both yields and capital gains. And given what we can see from our economies today, Asia and Singapore is poised for several more buoyant years at least. Key issue here is buying the right one.

If your response is "Oh but you know something, I don't." Sir/Mdm I wasn't born this way, 6yrs ago I knew absolute NOTHING! 100% Financial idiot, all I know was to work as hard and much as possible, spent as little as possible and scrape every penny and save, save, save...coming from Singapore, this is what the system 'programmed' us to do. Duracell bunnies the whole lot of us.
In fact back then, for the amount of time and effort required to learn and understand, I initially wanted to outsource investing my small capital as this was a bit of a 'non-core business function'. How dangerous that would have been eh? Constantly, I bugged a buddy to approach his sister who was some hotshot in the bank to help me. Until today, I still thank him very much whenever I see him for brushing me off back then. If not, I wouldn't have bothered to learn myself and I won't know what I know today. Now I don't claim to be some 'Guru' or 'Expert', my point simply is: YOU lose out being oblivious.

Now I can hear many people lamenting, "No time.." and I totally know where you are coming from with work and life. I am not gonna lied to you and tell you after some 3-day program you will be an expert. The amount of true time and effort it takes to learn, trial and error is A LOT. And not necessarily prefect-able as market is live and ever-changing. Like driving, practical differs from theory. You want to be successful at investing FAST, here's my shortcut, wanna know? Scroll down.

Just making sure you are awake ;D

Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel/ or muck around trying to get the act right/ or hunting high and low and getting nowhere/ or taking huge risk on your own....(And I did all the above)
spend some time and effort to learn about the product you are investing in, function as a TEAM, iron out all the trust issues via contract/s and let people who have better knowledge in their fields than yourself lead the way in that area. Simple right? Trust is never a simple thing. But if you don't work that out, you are not going to move forward much. (Even John Rambo grows old.)

Recently, we met a lot of people due to the expansion of Property Investors Club. With meeting all of you and with Property Investors Club getting up and running on its own, (People said with a wordpress website and a yahoo email it is not possible. Incidentally, these people also did not register to learn more. We believe that our passion, our dedication and sincerity has helped us shine through and our message speaks clearer and louder with each passing day. Thank you All for giving us your attention!)
I want to focus my personal site towards the Mindset and Psychology of an Investor as I come to realize most people unfortunately respond best to sales talks (That's why TOP units are selling like hotcakes, and developers and property agents are making merry, patting each other's backs, laughing all the way to the bank.), evoking their emotions and (hate to say it) greed...This is a very dangerous way to make decisions! Especially one as big as property investing. My inputs are both from my mentors and myself from facing investments daily for the last 6years of my life. Nothing fancy, just some factual accounting of events.

I will be posting more on this in my next post. Meanwhile, think about what I have said and read the report below. Inflation is gonna get even worse, it is inevitable. What are you doing to protect yourself and your wealth?

Thank you All for your time and for supporting Property Investors Club! Welcome On-board! We look forward to many successes in investing.
Until next time.

Your Fellow Investor,

Martin Sim

Previous Updates

3 Why you MUST Invest!

2 Are you your parents' financial photocopy?

1 Taking retirement into your own hands

[Update 3] Why you MUST Invest!

2010-12-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

I like this report. It is a clear assessment of why you MUST invest. And if you think this doesn't affect you....wake up this affects everyone regardless of where you are from.

As dollar forms the base of all trades and is pegged to virtually every currency, this translates to what affects your purchasing power.

A simplified example

in 2007 - Gold cost roughly US$650 while dollar/sing was roughly S$1.60 so it costs S$1040 to buy gold

fast forward to 2010 - Gold cost US$1400, dollar/sing S$1.30, cost of gold S$1820

Although Sing has strengthened against Dollar, after stimulus packages and quantitative easing (Basically central banks are just printing more money. So it isn't really the case of Sing appreciating against Dollar more so Dollar eroding in value.), it actually cost S$780 more to buy the same quantity of gold. Same goes for other materials. If you think that's bad, just imagine how much worse it is for another from a country who's currency value is depreciating or in tandem with Dollar value.

And if you are apathetic politically or financially "Oh I don't care, know, bother./ It's someone else's problem./ It's too confusing./ The government will take care of things." (As many people from where I am from are), thinking that it's a problem for someone else to solve....simply to put it, if your company (US) halved your pay (purchasing power) while gives you back 10% and gradually increase your wages by 4-7% annually, which inflation strips by 4-7% annually, and your supervisor (Your country) can do nothing about it, would you be very happy?

Yet this is exactly what is happening currently, right under your nose, with stimulus packages and quantitative easing, your money value is being robbed blind, even worse than what inflation strips off and what are you currently doing about that?

By the way, that WAS/IS the solution. Yes someone else solved the problem, which end of the stick are YOU at? Is being apathetic to your advantage or disadvantage? So while you haggle about the small prices you can see, and be ignorant about the BIG prices you can't see, are you being proverbially Penny wise and Pound foolish?

Previously in May'10 I posted that we are going to see serious demand/supply issues and great inflation problems, I am sorry to say, this is only the beginning, things are only going to get more expensive. God bless our next generations.

This is one of the reasons why property value will go up and why I advocate investing in property. (The right ones ;D)

Enjoy the report!

Until next time.

Your Fellow Investor,

Martin Sim

Previous Updates

2 Are you your parents' financial photocopy?

1 Taking retirement into your own hands

It’s a lot of bull!!! by Ann Sieg

How To Buy $56,000-An-Ounce
Gold For $1,400 Prices.

$1,414.50.

That’s what the spot price of gold closed at yesterday.

A historic all time high after news hit the stands that the Chinese government imported nearly 210 metric tons of the precious metal this year in response to the Federal Reserve’s latest rounds of quantitative easing (up 500% from what they imported in 2009).

Yet at $1,400 an ounce, it’s still an unbelievable steal in many people’s opinion.

The subject line for this email has two meanings.

1) The fact that many people believe we’re about to witness the greatest bull (up) market in the history of the world when it comes to certain investments, followed inevitably by what will be the greatest bear (down) market. But more importantly, that it’s possible to make money during both.

2) The idea that making as much money as Mike Dillard is talking about in our presentation in such a short period of time is a lot of bull! ;-)

Now, I will agree with you, the thought of $56,000/oz gold does sound just plain stupid.

However, once you do the homework and understand all the economic principles and factors at work, you come to the startling realization that it’s not only possible...

But historically, extremely realistic.

You See, Despite What You Might Think,
This Is Not About Hording Shekels
Of Gold And Silver...

What it’s really about is understanding how markets work and taking an entrepreneurial (visionary) approach to everything you do in life.

It’s about understanding that nature (your business, Google, Facebook, your cost per lead, your traffic sources, governments, society, history, civilization, the seasons, our bodies, etc) all operate in cycles.

Nothing goes up forever and nothing goes down forever.

That’s not natural.

This particular economic cycle we’re in just so happens to be the biggest cycle the world has seen in 6,000 years.

And my goal is for you to be profitable and in good shape 10 years from now, not just today or this year.

This idea of cycles affects EVERYTHING you do – from your business plan to your investments – and once you understand the economic laws behind them, it becomes
very clear and easy to see how it’s possible for an “asset class” (could be gold, could be anything) to go up 10, 20, 30 even 40 times in value in a very short period of time.

How The Story Of A Little-Known Ship
Called The “Flying Cloud” Could Save Your
Business And Your Retirement

Some would say that things like quantitative easing, inflation, deflation and economic cycles cannot be explained without a lot of calculus.

I think it can be done a lot easier than that using history.

A story can be worth a thousand words (or charts).

This story takes a few minutes to tell but once told it will be cemented in your mind and much easier to use than hundreds of pages of diagrams and formulas...

It begins on June 2, 1851, when the sailing ship Flying Cloud left New York bound for San Francisco.

Making the maximum possible speed for three solid months, the ship’s journey was one of the most exciting and dangerous in history. It was a full speed dash around Cape Horn in the middle of the Antarctic winter.

Thanks in no small part to the skills of the ship’s navigator (who was the Captain’s wife) the Flying Cloud reached San Francisco in 89 days.

A record that would not be broken until 138 years later.

Why was the crew of the Flying Cloud in such a rush to reach San Francisco?

The answer is one of the most important lessons you may ever learn. It will help you achieve success and prosperity every day for the rest of your life.

It Starts With The Fact That In Bad
Times As Well As Good, Someone Is
Always Earning Lots Of Money

More Fortune 500 companies were started during recessions than at any other time and more people got rich during the great depression than at any other period in history.

How?

It begins with the construction of the Flying Cloud.

The Flying Cloud belonged to a special class of vessels called “clipper ships.”

Clippers were long, slender transport ships with a sharp, long prow. They were copied from the design of French warships and were built for one thing: Speed.

They had three masts slanting slightly backwards and rigged with every inch of sail the designers could cram into them.

For a cargo ship, clippers didn’t hold much. And being made of oak and other hardwoods, they were expensive to build.

In spite of this, clippers were one of the most profitable types of ships in operation and were constructed in large numbers. From 1848 to 1852, 160 were built in the United States alone.

Why?

What would cause ship owners and builders to go on a crash program to make ships that had such a high construction cost and yet limited cargo capacity?

Furthermore, why would they do so during the 1840s when the country was in a depression?

The answer is that...

Prices And Profits Were High On The
West Coast And Low On The East Coast

Money could be earned by quickly transporting cargo from east to west. Ask any of the ship owners and builders if they understood all the economics behind this and they probably didn’t have a clue. But they didn’t need to.

All they needed was to see the difference in prices and respond to this difference. They were following the signals of the market.

For us, this story does become extremely useful if we look into the economics behind the clipper ship industry, which starts with the California gold rush.

In 1848 gold was discovered in California and tens of thousands of people migrated west (kind of like former employees migrating online).

When They Arrived In The Goldfields They
Found Plenty Of Gold, But Little Else. There
Was An Extreme Shortage Of Almost Every Necessity Known To Man

In other words, in California huge amounts of money were chasing small amounts of goods. At the going rate of $16 an ounce for gold, a pair of boots cost $30 – almost two ounces of gold. In today’s terms this was more than $700.

An onion cost a dollar, which is equal to about $22 today. A pound of potatoes cost $1.50 or $33 today.

A month’s rent for a small hotel room was equal to the price of a new house on the east coast.

In a restaurant in the gold rush town of Mokelumne Hill, a single slice of bread with butter cost two dollars, or $44 today.

Yes, you read that right.

In fact, most goods were so scarce and difficult to haul into the goldfields that the nature of the goods themselves had almost nothing to do with the price.

In Sonora, everything sold at a uniform $3 per pound, regardless of what it was.

Of course, tools were in enormous demand.

Shovels and picks arriving in San Francisco were marked up 1,500%.

(Figure it out. Using today’s dollars, if a shovel cost $12.00 on the “deflated” east coast, and you bought a thousand of them, shipped them to the “inflated” west coast and sold them to people who were willing to pay 1,500% more for them than the east coast price, what would your profit be? I’ll give you the answer at the end of this newsletter)

And the miners had the money to pay these prices. It was common in some areas for a miner to dig out six ounces of gold a day.

That would be an income of more than $8,400 a day using current spot prices.

In other words, California was a huge pile of money in need of goods to buy, at a time when the east coast was a huge manufacturing center going through a depression, in need of buyers.

The two coasts of the United States were somewhat like two sealed tanks, one of them
highly pressurized and the other one a vacuum.

Shipping Crews Realized That If The Two
Could Be Linked, The Flow Of Money
Through The Pipeline Would Be Enormous

Some also realized that the difference in pressure between the two “tanks” would not last forever. Once the connection was made, they would begin to equalize. Whatever was done to tap into the flow of money needed to be done quickly.

So the race was on to build the fastest ships possible. No one paid much attention to cargo capacity since the mark-up in California was so great only a small amount of cargo was needed to reap huge profits.

The most important thing was speed. A merchant had to get his goods into the goldfields before the gold was depleted.

The first real clipper ship was built in 1833. The discovery of gold in California put so much attention on speed that ship builders came out with the so-called “extreme clipper.” They were the fastest wind-driven cargo ship ever built.

And the Flying Cloud was the most extreme of them all. Which is why it was able to make the trip from New York to San Francisco in a record 89 days.

It’s hard to believe, but true, that clipper ships did not reduce speed at night or in bad weather. For them, a storm was good news because the winds made them even faster.

Many times these ships would come into port with their sails and rigging in tatters from the pounding they took going full speed through high seas.

An Important Point In All Of This Is That
The Clippers Only Ran Their Mad Races To
The West Coast And Back For Three Years

By 1851 the easily accessible gold was gone and the “pressure” between the two tanks had begun to equalize.

It looked the era of the clipper ship was about to end, but here is where we come to the most instructive part of the story.

A California gold miner by the name of E. Hargraves had decided to go in search of a new gold field. He went to Australia and in February 1851, discovered gold.

The Australian gold rush was on and the clippers diverted from their San Francisco runs to the new gold mines in the Southern Hemisphere.

The story of the clippers dramatically illustrates the principles of business and investing success in their most simple form:

1. Find out where there is a pile of money.
2. Tap into that pile.
3. Don’t expect the pile to last forever.
4. Always be searching for new piles.

Today, these piles of money can be found in lots of places, but the biggest ones are the artificial piles of paper money created by governments and central banks.

In the example of the clipper ships, it’s very easy to see how there can be such enormous differences in price ranges (and therefore profits) when you’re dealing with
such extremes in supply and demand and you’re using a visual, geographical example like the east coast and the west coast.

These same imbalances, or “pressurized tanks” can be found all over today as well, where some “asset classes” are massively overvalued and others are massively
undervalued.

The key point is that nature (the free markets) always equals out these imbalances and whoever can form a link between the two can tap into immense sources of
profits.

Here’s the catch with the economy today.

Many people are afraid to get into business or investing because of the risk involved.

However, participation in this wealth cycle is not optional.

Everyone’s chips are on the table whether they realize it or not.

Most people don’t look at cash or currency as an investment vehicle the same way they do other assets.

When in fact...

Currencies Are Historically The
Riskiest Form Of Investment There Is!

If the Federal Reserve can print and print and print without sending the US dollar into hyperinflation they’ll have done what no government or bank has been able to do since the invention of currency. While they have become exceptionally skilled at manipulating the economy, they can’t beat gravity forever.

If you go back to the email I sent last week (you can find it posted on my facebook profile) comparing the prices of things from 1913 to today, you’ll see that a dollar today is worth about what $.04 was 95 years ago.

That’s a pretty poor ROI by anyone’s standards.

It’s very easy to see how one can actually go broke simply by doing nothing and keeping all your money in a savings account!

If you look at major corporations and wealthy individuals or families, they never hold the majority of their wealth in cash.

Of course, you need a reserve, an operating cashflow.

But they always dump as much as they can as fast as they can into assets that have REAL intrinsic value (not paper money that’s only worth what a bank says it’s worth).

In our current global economy, where the most common unit of exchange used to purchase things (the US dollar) is so massively overvalued, inflated and unstable, this creates wild fluctuations and imbalances in the prices of everything.

This is why the value of houses can now fluctuate like stocks.

We’re in a unique situation because this particular asset class (the dollar) sad to say, really forms the basis of society.

These imbalances, or pressurized tanks, will equal themselves out. But the longer governments and central banks try to patch over these imbalances and prevent
the free markets from correcting themselves (like repeated surgeries) the worse it gets and the more imbalanced it becomes.

Which means more profits for savvy investors and business owners in the know.

Remember the question I asked you earlier about the profits on a shipment of picks and shovels to the west coast during the gold rush?

If you did the math, a $12 shovel marked up 1,500% brings the price to $192. The profit was $180.

For A Thousand Shovels At A Cost Of
$12,000, The Gross Profit Was $180,000!

Now you can see why $56,000 an ounce gold is not only possible, but in some people’s opinion, conservative.

Again, it sounds absurd.

But it’s not when you realize that this exact pattern has repeated itself hundreds of times without exception all throughout history.

One of the best examples being the 1970s where you could have invested $20,633 into silver in 1971 and just 9 years later it would have been worth $770,796 (a 3,735% ROI).

And the only thing going on then to cause this was inflation – extremely MILD inflation at that compared to today.

Add on to that the other factors in the economy that Mike talks about in our “Great Wealth Transfer” presentation and you can get a pretty good picture of what’s going on (with more information coming soon).

It may sound hard to believe for someone coming across this information for the first time, but...

Right Now The US Dollar Is One Of The Most
OVERVALUED Assets In The World And Precious
Metals Are One Of The Most UNDERVALUED

Much like the two pressurized tanks of the east coast and west coast during the gold rush.

It’s not a question of IF they will equal out, it’s just a question of WHEN.

This is why I personally have been investing every spare dollar of mine and 80/20’s into precious metals for years.

This is serious stuff and I wouldn’t be telling you this if I didn’t strongly believe in it and practice it myself.

Sincerely,

Undervalued Asset

2010-10-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

Exceeding $$ 50%+++ GAINS ON PURCHASE

Hi All,

This is Martin Sim here. Just a quick update from my last mass email.

Again, I am only emailing when I note something worthy, like the Private Banker giving tips and secrets to banking loopholes. Anyone looking to buy a good investment, we came across an excellent one. This is not some internet marketing "story". The last round we doubled our monies!

Kindly understand, I am working with mostly high net-worth individuals and asset managers for this project but want to give the floor to retail investors as well. So if you are looking to diversify your monies or know of anyone who is interested to do so, this is seriously a good opportunity to make some money here. (Investors/ Buyers, Agents or Referrals, all will make money from this project)

Contact me for more info ASAP. First-come-first-serve. This is like an early Christmas bonus for selected individuals. (Oh yes, you are invited to apply, not everyone will qualify. Only selected participants will be notified. Any inconvenience caused is regretted.)

Contact me for more details.

Your Fellow Investor,
Martin Sim

Join to gain more Insights from real investors
Property Investors Club

Equities Investors Network

Who am I? & What are you doing?

2010-08-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

In a personal message

Wong Wee Fah 黄伟華 “Martin 你在新加坡是做房地产的吗？”

Martin Sim “Hi Wee Fah,
Firstly nice to speak with you. my apologies as my computer does not have chinese input.
I am an investor who is actively looking for like minded people to pool money with us for and/or source and recommend bigger and better investment opportunities that really is worth the investment. Property is just another stream to create residual income. Hence, we are opportunity driven less so by sector or country.
Cheers,
Martin”

THANK YOU for the question Wee Fah. Helps me clarify my position somewhat.
Furthermore, to anyone reading in. The knowledge is free (for now), while others are charging. Again, anyone ANYONE can make money from this, rich, poor, young, old, employed, unemployed, man, woman.…anyone.
I urge all to register by sending us through PM or email your name, contact and email.

And for those who did google me, (people did! small YA ^^)
I...
dont built custom guitars,
dont do personal coaching in UK,
dont stream free MP3 on the web,
dont know nuts about chinchillas and hamsters, or how they procreate,
do not stay in Philippines,
aint the bloke who is reportedly grumpy and and unsexy,
nor the 2SG relating on one of his "defining moments"
(unfortunately) am not the Martin Sim kissing his blushing bride
and lastly, wasnt the Ang Mo Kio resident who complain about unsightly rental ads at bus stops.

Try Martin Sim Investor, you will see me.....

I am having a Great Morning! Hellos to ALL!

What Spielberg And Buffett Have In Common

2010-06-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

by Mike Litman

Derek Jeter is the famous shortstop on the New York Yankees. Imagine if tomorrow they told him he had to become a pitcher, he most likely would be average or worse, right?

Stephen Spielberg is one of the world's greatest film directors. Imagine if tomorrow they told him he had to make his living as a chef, most likely he'd be average or worse, right?

Warren Buffett is the world's greatest investor. Imagine if tomorrow they told him he'd have to make his living as a golfer, most likely he'd be average or worse, right?

Remember this:

We were all born for a certain ASSIGNMENT.

A 'position' in life that our unique talents and skills can serve the greatest amount of people and reap us incredible prosperity.

The closer we are to this POSITION, the place where success is practically guaranteed, the greater our likelihood of massive success.

But, no, no, no.... I say, 'Hold on Mike.' Why do most people never aim to locate their ASSIGNMENT, the PLACE that their success can come naturally and in great abundance?

Here's my answer. INVESTMENT.

'Mike, what do you mean?' Let me explain.

Most people don't INVEST the time necessary to locate their position they were born for.

Most people don't INVEST enough in themselves to cultivate their natural strengths.

Most people don't INVEST enough in discovering how to create a cash windfall in turning what they enjoy doing into a business.

Imagine a snowstorm in Chicago in the middle of winter. You can have that same avalanche of 'cash flakes' flying into your bank account EVERY day, interested?

Or. Imagine this.

You're 91 years old. You're sitting on the front porch of your home. You start thinking about so many of the great things in your life, but then a regret finds its way into your mind. You get sad because you never turned something you enjoyed into an empire of profits. You rock back on your chair and you sigh. A tear could form, if you let it. You never jumped on the bus called the 'Financial Freedom Express'.

You were born with a gift, wrapped and all. A unique gift. Now it's your job to find it, build it, share it, or you can enjoy the regrets on your front porch.

Will you sit on the bench or step up to the plate and hit one out of the park? That decision is yours, not mine.

[Update 2] Are you your parents' financial photocopy?

2010-05-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

My folks, I think, did Ok for themselves. Not the best financial planners but boy did they have the lifestyle. I would attribute property investing as half the income that supported their lifestyle. So it has always been in my mind, investing is a MUST!

Over the course of the last 6years (that I seriously explore and use financial tools), I realized some differences that financially educated (For convenience, "FE") and uneducated ("FU" no pun intended) parents pass on to their kids. I'll bet that's where many of us got our first financial guidance from. If one's parents was financially educated, they would pass on sound knowledge. Vice versa. So, how financially smart are your parents? Should you be unlearning some of the wrong stuff and open to new ones?

Some real-life examples I came across:

FU teaches: "Don't trust other people with your money. Or trust only yourself with your money."
This is a half-truth statement and many people follow! May I ask, How great a progress are you going to make alone? Heard of the phrase No man is an island?
FE: Dare to trust. Be sharp about the company you keep and always use a contract to protect your interest.

FU teaches: "Want to be successful in life, learn how to depend on yourself."
It is great to instill independence and doing your best from a young age. But being strong alone is insufficient; against the weight of the world no one man has enough strength. Again, No man is an island.

FE: So yes, be independent and excel, and align with other successful people, who compliment and strengthens you, to function as a team. Leverage on/ and off each other to make greater progress.

FU teaches: "Don't let others steal your ideas. Keep it to yourself. Don't share freely."
What good is an idea not materialized? There are many brilliant people out there keeping their brilliance to themselves. How does keeping your idea to yourself make you rich?
FE: Share your ideas, only then can you progress and improve. Get the right people on-board to help you materialize your ideas.

FU teaches: "Work hard, spend less and save your money."
Seriously doesn't that sound like something people who are tight for money would tell you?
FE: Work smart, plan on what you can afford to spend and how you can spend more. Learn how to be creative and invest your money.

FU teaches: "Save your money for retirement. Enjoy life when retired."
Isn't that pretty sad? To enjoy life only nearing one's end?
The truth is most people succumb to temptation and enjoy as soon as possible anyway. Rake huge bills from their lifestyle expenses, which leads to them being caught in a vicious cycle. Yes?
FE: While working, start investing. No capital, be creative & learn how to leverage. Attain financial freedom as young/soon as possible. Then enjoy life.

FU teaches: "Investing is risky. Best to leave your money alone."
Investments does carry risk. But given what is happening in the world today, down the road we are going to see serious demand/supply issues and great inflation problems. Dual middle income households alone might no longer be enough onwards. With the free and easy stimulus and inability to rein in stimulus, Currency itself is at risk. Not investing is a bad idea.
FE: Investing carries risk but is necessary. Currency is overly diluted.

Lastly,
FU (And many financial institutions, FI aka Financial idiots) teaches: "High returns = High risks"
This is as far from the truth as it gets. Put an untrained driver at the wheel of a car, the vehicle is a danger to all. Change the driver to a skilled professional, he can drive on two wheels and still make you feel at ease.
FE: Being financial uneducated = High risk

Added on 14 Jun 2010 (& I am shocked to have to add this!),
FU teaches: "Savings."
Until today, as in RIGHT NOW, people are STILL talking about how much they have saved. OMG! http://forums.salary.sg/investments-net-worth/817-whats-your-net-worth.html You work really hard, make your life all stressful and tiring, scrimp and save for your money to sit in your savings account (or under the pillow) to do... what??
FE: Investments - Capital gains and Cashflow

Until next time.

Your Fellow Investor,

Martin Sim

Previous Updates

1 Taking retirement into your own hands

Article "How should trusts be managed?" The Straits Times Monday, May 17 2010 Page B22 Money section

2010-05-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

De-constructing Finance

2010-05-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies & Gents,

Recently, listened to a Private Banker talk about de-constructing financial/ banking products like structured deposits, dual-currencies investments, capital guaranteed funds, CDOs, Unit-trust, Forex tools, Equities, Options, Loans, Insurance, proper money management and much more... He covers every financial product out there and breaks them down along the way for your understanding. The good, the bad and the dirty secrets your banker and insurance guys don't tell you.

For more than 10yrs, this chap was managing a fund size of S$168mil for the uber-rich. Claims to have an epiphany after seeing all the old people pouring out their woes at the speaker's corner after losing their pants. Maybe he really has a heart?

Anyway, from my interaction with him, needless to say, he knows his products really well. It's not everyday you get to tap on the knowledge of a private banker.

And at just S$688 for 3 full days?!

Finalized dates are on 19, 20 & 27 June 9-5pm

Go flip the newspapers, normally a 2.5day course the 'Gurus' are charging anywhere from S$3000+ to 5000. Some of which you should stay away from! At S$688 this chap is really trying to do charity. Rental alone would be a bomb. & Staffing? Think he earned too much from the people who are financially uneducated that got slaughtered, trying to give back to society now.

My opinion; really sound knowledge and before he comes out of his Jerry Maguire moment, sign on and make friends to continuously tap on his brains!

I wished he set this up 4years ago, save me many literal headaches & heartaches. Those interested email back. I don't earn a penny from typing all these. Do take the opportunity to get some financial education as this affects your lives! You don't have to speculate or invest afterwards. Just open your eyes to what's going on in the world today.

Your Fellow Investor,

Martin Sim

PS: Here's one tip I was stunned to learn:

Did you know if you rollover amount on your credit card your bank is charging you 24% on the full amount on the bill for that month and not on the outstanding that you have rollover?

Free plucking of my interests. Sharing knowledge from investors.

Property Investors Club

Equities Investors Network

[Update 1] Taking retirement into your own hands

2010-04-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Martin Sim here. Firstly, I am an active investor who strongly advocates that everyone must acquire the right financial education (from the right people) to manage their own finances. I spent the past 6 years avidly studying various investment instruments. Today, I have crafted my own strategies that allows me to derive residual income. However, things did not always sound so peachy, having gone through bad investments and inherent tough financial times. I notice a whole lot of 'Investors' posting are not really Investors but Businessmen. Hence, these are my inputs as an Investor.

For many years, like most, I adhered to the mindset of work hard, save and spend less. Though from observing my mentors, I knew the importance of investing. "I knew that there are other means of deriving money than solely from an income-based model. Bit by bit, I switched out of my old mindset. I knew to proceed to the next level I must invest and I wanted to pursue investing professionally."

Trust me when I say that my life has been affected in an extremely profound way. Which is the greatest motivation for me to do this, regardless of profit or money.

My primary objective is to draw as many people’s attention towards their financial well-being.
My macro-goal is to create as many profitable and sustainable models as possible, supporting venture philanthropy and worthy causes such as Advocacy against Gambling Addiction and Combat Poverty etc.

“The Human race can live in over-abundance and our Planet’s resources can still thrive.

It is possible and it is our job as Human Beings to reach that level.”

For Greater Good,
Martin Sim

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday Times Singapore, 25 Apr, 2010, Sunday Pg 39 by Harsha Jethnani
Experts reinforce need to start planning early and not to rely on just CPF savings for income
By Harsha Jethnani

We often hear of the need for retirement planning, yet many Singaporeans may not be getting the full picture. Only half of the people polled in a Nielsen survey last week had actually started making concrete retirement plans.

Even more alarming, the survey found that the average age at which Singaporeans tend to embark on retirement planning is 59.

And only 20 per cent have worked or plan to work with a professional financial adviser.

The survey, commissioned by Russell Investments, polled more than 500 employed Singaporeans aged 35 to 55.

By 2030, one in five Singaporeans will be 65 and older – up from one in 12 today. Life expectancy is increasing, prompting the Government to raise the official retirement age from 62 today to 65 by 2012.

The risk is that most Singaporeans expect to be strapped for money in their golden years, according to the survey, and are preparing for a decline in their quality of life – with more money to go on essentials and less on leisure.
Singaporeans are fortunate to have one definite source of income – CPF savings – but that might not be enough, given that we are living longer and likely to spend more as the cost of living goes up. Aside from your personal savings and investment returns, it is worth considering how to supplement your retirement income through regular payout schemes like CPF Life and private annuities.

CPF savings at retirement
Over the years, the CPF scheme has been extended to cater to our housing, education and health-care needs, says Mr Peter Siong, vice- president of field distribution at NTUC Income. ‘With so many priorities competing for the same CPF dollar, our CPF savings might not be sufficient to provide for our retirement needs,’ he adds. Many will end up asset rich but cash poor, says Ms Viviena Chin, chief executive of Eternal Financial Advisory.

It is partly because of this concern that initiatives like the Minimum Sum Scheme and CPF Life were introduced to reinforce the original intent of the CPF scheme, Mr Siong adds. For higher-income earners, CPF becomes less important as contributions hit an upper ceiling, with the current monthly income cap at $4,500, says Mr Shrikant Bhat, head of wealth management at Citibank Singapore. And for self-employed individuals, CPF is especially limited, he says.

CPF Life
Launched in September last year, the CPF Life scheme gives members regular payouts for life instead of the 20 years under the Minimum Sum Scheme. Monthly payouts are distributed with the amount dependent on your retirement account savings. Higher savings imply higher payouts and vice-versa. The highest payout is about $1,040 a month. The scheme pools the money and invests in long-term special Government bonds to ensure stable returns. By 2013, the scheme will automatically apply to people who turn 55 and have at least $40,000 in their CPF savings. CPF members with $60,000 in their retirement accounts at 65 will also automatically be included.

The scheme is open to those between 55 and 80 and offers four plans which ‘differ in the level of monthly payout and the refund amount that may be left for their beneficiaries’, says Ms Chin. The ideal plan will depend on the particular circumstances at the point of a person’s retirement phase and lifestyle, she adds. Mr Tan Kin Lian, president of the Financial Services Consumer Association, advises retirees not to worry about leaving money for their children and to choose a plan that offers adequate monthly payouts. ‘Most retirees are likely to leave behind a home to the children. This is already the most valuable asset they can leave behind,’ he says.

Private insurers’ payout plans
The CPF Life scheme is favourable for its low expenses and non-profit nature, Mr Tan says. But with a highest payout of a little over $1,000 a month, alternative sources of income are needed to supplement the payouts.

Mr Tan points out that personal savings cannot be invested in the scheme, so it is necessary to have private annuity products if a person wants a regular payout product. ‘Most retirees are more comfortable with periodic payouts, as it offers a regular stream of income, not unlike pre-retirement days,’ Mr Siong says. Late starters tend to choose immediate instead of deferred annuities, says Mr Bhat. Ms Chin says that Singapore insurers generally have less competitive annuity type schemes available. It is essential to understand the difference between various types of life annuities, compare the same type of plan across various insurance providers and ensure that the plan can offer a good return on top of the purchase sum, Mr Tan says.

Endowment plans for retirement
Endowment plans are another option to boost retirement income. Some can provide regular income payouts after the premium payment ends, Ms Chin says. There are also plans that give out annual coupons or regular coupons but these usually result in lower yields, says Mr Raymond Ng, president of the Association of Financial Advisers in Singapore. He says a more suitable option for retirement is a single-premium endowment plan.

This accepts a single lump sum to be invested for a period as short as four years to as long as 20 years. The guaranteed maturity value is usually equal or slightly higher than the principal, with better returns than bank deposits. A five-year plan, for example, can bring a return of 2.95 per cent a year. The lump-sum payouts can then be used to buy other life annuities or saved for retirement, Mr Tan says. The danger here, Mr Bhat says, is that people can start spending beyond their control, thus reducing their lump-sum payouts faster than intended. He adds that it is ideal for a retiree to look at a balanced portfolio of retirement funds involving regular and lump-sum payouts. Mr Tan highlights that it is crucial to ensure that charges on the policy do not erode too large a share of the accumulated premiums.

On a 25-year policy, for example, charges should amount to less than 20 per cent of accumulated premiums. It is also important to check whether you will get a lower guaranteed cash value but with highest non-guaranteed cash value, or vice-versa, says Mr Ng. ‘I would usually favour one plan that is in between the two extremes,’ he adds.

The bigger picture
Ensuring a steady stream of income is not limited to annuity or regular payout type of products. Rental income, stock dividends and bond coupons are other alternatives that provide payouts for a limited term, at least, Mr Bhat says. Starting to save early and assessing your risk capacity are both vital. Mr Siong says: ‘The key to retirement planning is to start early – even from the first pay cheque – to leverage on the power of compounding.’ After all, you don’t want your retirement years to involve struggling. It should be the time to finally enjoy the fruit of your lifelong hard work. harshamj@sph.com.sg

..the deepest end

7 Millionaires Who Lost It All, but Came Back

21 Ways Rich People Think Differently

Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.

Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.

Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.

Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.

Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

Average people earn money doing things they don't love. Rich people follow their passion.

Average people set low expectations so they're never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.

Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.

Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people's money.

Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they're driven by emotion and greed.

Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.

Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.

Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.

Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.

Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.

Not everyone believes in the power of wealth....

This man gave up everything ten years ago to live money-free in Utah's wilderness >

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

7 Tips To Help You Become A Millionaire

Income Report: I’m A Million Dollar BloggerBy Yaro Starak August 27, 2010

How I Made A Million Dollars

How You Can Make A Million Dollars

Seven Secrets of Self-Made Multimillionaires

The secrets to a millionaire's success

If you want to be a millionaire you have to think differently.

[Update 7] Financial Education & Money Management (Part 1)

[Update 6] Evaluating Risk

[Update 5] Why is ‘Playing Safe’ the riskiest thing you can do with your money?

[Update 4] Inflation hits highest level since 2008

[Update 3] Why you MUST Invest!

Undervalued Asset

Who am I? & What are you doing?

What Spielberg And Buffett Have In Common

[Update 2] Are you your parents' financial photocopy?

Article "How should trusts be managed?" The Straits Times Monday, May 17 2010 Page B22 Money section

De-constructing Finance

[Update 1] Taking retirement into your own hands

Income Report: I’m A Million Dollar Blogger
By Yaro Starak August 27, 2010