Are we living in the United States of Amnesia?

It was announced that more than $1 trillion has been added to the value of American equities since the stock market hit a two-month low on August 7th. Americans’ wealth has reached a record high, thanks to a surge in the value of stocks and homes.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but here’s a news flash: You haven’t made a penny in the stock OR real estate market!

tornpaper2

We’ve been here before…

Just like those glowing reports about how much Americans’ wealth had ballooned prior to the last financial crash, the new reports are pure fiction. Until you sell your assets and lock in your (hopefully) gains, you have nothing more than a bunch of eye-popping numbers on paper. Those numbers repeatedly sucker many of us into believing we have real wealth and financial security when we do not. [Read more…] “Are we living in the United States of Amnesia?”

Two New 401k Revelations

If you’ve been a subscriber for a while or you’ve read my new best-selling book, The Bank On Yourself Revolution, it’s no secret that at the end of the day, I’m not a big fan of the 401(k).

Or the IRA, 403(b), or any other government “blessed” and controlled retirement account. There are many reasons for that. This recent blog post I wrote reveals one big problem – mutual fund fees, which are likely devouring far more of your savings than you realize.

Broken 401k nest egg

But in the last couple of weeks, there have been new studies revealing just how devastating to your financial health a 401(k) can be:

Broken 401k nest egg

Recent 401(k) Wealth-Killing Revelation #1:

A new academic study by two Yale and University of Virginia professors argues that millions of workers have been ripped off by excessive fees charged by plan sponsors and financial representatives to these plans.

The study concluded that…

[Read more…] “Two New 401k Revelations”

How bloodthirsty bank vampires drained me of 1,693% interest

Yep – I got charged an annual interest rate of 1,693% on a card I don’t even run a balance on! This will spook the living daylights out of you, so keep reading and find out how to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!

The Bank On Yourself Method Lets You Bypass Banks Altogether

The Bank On Yourself method lets you have access to the money you need, when and for whatever you need it. There are no applications to fill out and no qualifying.

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Watch the video to the right to learn how it works.

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Watch the video to the right to learn how it works.

You can pay your loans back on your own terms and you don’t have to worry about late fees, collections calls if you’re late or you miss some payments.

Check out our helpful Consumers’ Guide to Policy Loans here.

Did you know the typical family can potentially increase their lifetime wealth by hundreds of thousands of dollars by financing their major purchases through a Bank On Yourself plan? Find out how much bigger your nest egg could grow (without the risk or volatility of traditional investments) when you add the Bank On Yourself method to your financial plan. Just request your free Analysis here now (if you haven’t already).

REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

Financing things through a Bank On Yourself plan even beats directly paying cash for things for several reasons.

You may not realize it, but you finance everything you buy, because you either pay interest when you finance or lease things… or you lose interest and investment income you could have had if you’d kept your money invested. Saving money in a Bank On Yourself policy first – and then using it to make major purchases – allows your money to continue growing as though you had never touched a dime of it.

growth of your money

I know of no other financial vehicle that gives you that same advantage, do you?

And not only do you get that advantage when you Bank On Yourself, it also lets you beat the banks at their own game, while providing you with a guaranteed, safe, predictable way to grow your nest egg.

Tale of a Savvy Consumer

Scissors cutting a credit cardFormer teacher Ed Ingle and his wife decided to take a policy loan to do some home improvements soon after starting a Bank On Yourself policy, “Just to see how this whole loan thing worked. It was so easy that now we laugh at the idea of trying to understand the process. There is no process. It’s our money!”

In the first two years, Ed and his wife put the policy to work in several ways. They are putting their son through a private college through the plan. “No money goes to the bank,” Ed notes.

He purchased a car using the policy… and “no money goes to the bank!”

He also financed his wife’s graduate school through the plan. (“And no money goes to the bank!”)

Ed says he no longer worries when the stock market rises and falls. He no longer worries about the interest rates banks are charging. He’s in charge of his own finances from here on out. (And no money goes to the bank!)

An Interest Rate of Almost 1,700% Per Year?

My husband Larry and I haven’t run a balance on a card in years. We have a handful of cards we use for convenience and to get points and airline miles. We get our statements emailed to us, then pay them off in full online each month.

vampire

Last month, Larry realized we didn’t get the statement for the card we use for personal expenses. When he checked the account, he realized it was one day past the due date, so he immediately paid it. We discovered there would be a late fee and some interest due. The balance was around $3,500, so we figured the interest would be maybe a few bucks, right? Wrong!

A week later we got an email that floored us. It notified us of a $15 late fee, PLUS a $162.30 interest charge for being one day late with our payment! That’s 4.64% interest per day – 1,693% interest per year! 

A whole page of fine print on the statement tried to explain all the “gotchas.” But it’s a fact that banks and finance companies are gonna get you one way or another. Why? Because they can. 

Isn’t it time we used banks for our convenience, and not for theirs?

Of course, we now have this credit card set up for automatic payment in full each month. And if you have cards you pay in full each month, I suggest you do the same (if you haven’t already), to make sure this never happens to you.

You can fire your banker when you join the Bank On Yourself Revolution

It’s fast and easy to get started. Just request a free Analysis here, if you haven’t already, and find out how much more lifetime wealth you could have when you tell banks to go take a hike and become your own source of financing. But please do it today while it’s fresh on your mind!
REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

Retirement confidence hits record low

Here’s what to do…

Americans’confidence in being able to retire comfortably is at a record low, despite the economy showing signs of improvement and the stock market hitting record highs.

Senior Worker - Coffee Server
To compensate for their lack of retirement funds, more people are planning to postpone retirement.

That’s according to the just-released annual study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

The statistics are bleak:

  • 57% of those surveyed report having less than $25,000 in total household savings and investments. Only 24% reported savings of $100,000 or more
  • Only 24% are very confident they’ll be able to live comfortably in retirement
  • Only half said they could definitely come up with $2,000 to cover unexpected expenses within the next month

How long do you think $25,000… or even $100,000 in savings will last a person in retirement? On average, a man turning 65 this year will live another 20 years, and a woman that age will live another 23 years.

To compensate for their lack of retirement funds, more people are planning to postpone retirement. That strategy may not work very well, since more than 47% of current retirees were forced into retirement sooner than planned.
[Read more…] “Retirement confidence hits record low”

Singer Karyn White Seizes the Day with Bank On Yourself

I just recorded an inspiring interview with Grammy-nominated contemporary/pop and rhythm and blues recording star – and Bank On Yourself client – Karyn White.

Grammy-Nominated Singer Karyn White Seizes the Day with Bank On Yourself
Grammy-Nominated Singer Karyn White Seizes the Day with Bank On Yourself

Karyn was in her early 20’s when she became the first female artist to have her first three solo releases hit #1 on the R&B charts.  She collaborated with industry legends including Babyface and L.A. Reid, before devoting herself full-time to raising a family.

After an 18-year hiatus, and a fan base that never forgot her, Karyn decided to record again.  Only this time she decided to produce her new CD album, Carpe Diem, herself – and pocket the profits the record companies used to make off of her.

In this interview, Karyn reveals:

Best retirement plan alternative?

I can’t afford to be a risk taker any more”

Worried Senior

…says 75-year-old Margie Alford of Austin, Texas.  Yet, Margie’s financial planner is moving her CD money into stocks instead, after fruitlessly waiting for three years for interest rates to rise.

Worried Senior

Low interest rates of the past several years have taken a toll on U.S. savers.  “The Fed has removed the last shred of possibility that interest rates will revert to normal in the near future,” according to Christopher Carroll, profession at Johns Hopkins University.1

As a result, retirees are taking on more risk… at a time they can least afford to.

With interest rates on CD’s, saving and money market accounts not even keeping up with inflation, what other options do you have?

The Bank On Yourself solution…

[Read more…] “Best retirement plan alternative?”

Why conventional financial planning doesn’t work… and what you can do about it

This short video reveals the problems with the conventional wisdom about financial and retirement planning, and explains why the average family with a head of household age 60-70 has been able to save only 25% of what it will need for retirement.

Many readers of this blog have asked to see more specific examples showing how much guaranteed and predictable income you could have in retirement, using the Bank On Yourself method. So I’ve included a fascinating example on this video.

If you have the feeling your financial plan has been treading water (or going backwards) for far too long, you’ll want to be sure to watch this video now. It’s got some pretty cool animation in it, too!

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TIRED OF WATCHING YOUR FINANCIAL PLAN GO NOWHERE?

Find out how the Bank On Yourself method can give you the financial security and predictability you want and deserve. It’s NEVER had a losing year in 160 years! Take the first step right now by requesting a FREE Bank On Yourself Analysis.

Wondering where you’ll find the funds to start a plan? Don’t worry! You’ll receive a referral to one of only 200 financial representatives in the country who have met the rigorous requirements to be a Bank On Yourself Professional and can show you eight ways to find money to fund a plan that can help you reach as many of your goals as possible, in the shortest time possible.

Test Your Money and Investing IQ

You can win one of six valuable prizes by participating in our “Test Your Money and Investing IQ” blog contest – just enter your answer in the comments box below by midnight Monday, November 14.

 Bank on Yourself financial questions to answer

At a dinner party recently, I sat next to a retired business owner and we got into a conversation about money and finances.

 Bank on Yourself financial questions to answer

In response to one of his questions, I mentioned an important principle of finance, at which point he turned to me and said, “I’m a CPA and an MBA and I’ve never heard of that!”

Actually, it’s fairly common that I meet highly educated people who are unaware of some of the really critical basics of how money and finances work.

Funny thing is that I think many of our subscribers know these principles, even if they don’t have alphabet soup after their names.

Applying a little logic and common sense (which is admittedly in short supply in our society today) is usually all that’s needed.

And to prove my point, I’m holding a contest to see how many of our subscribers can answer the questions below correctly.

If you answer even one of these questions correctly and/or insightfully, you can win a prize.

I know that people deepen their understanding more when they participate and articulate their thoughts, so I decided to “ethically bribe” you to take a shot at it by holding a contest.

Here’s all you have to do to enter the contest…

Bank on Yourself Test Your Money and Investment IQ contest winners and their prizes

Just type in your answer to any one or more of the five questions below, no later than Monday, November 14, at midnight.  If you want, you can comment on someone else’s answer to qualify to win.

Bank on Yourself Test Your Money and Investment IQ contest winners and their prizes

After the contest ends, our team will pick the best entry (best because it’s correct, insightful, entertaining or a combination of those).  That person will win a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate.  And two runners-up will be chosen to receive their choice of a $25 Dining Gift Certificate, or a personally autographed copy of my best-selling book.

Three more winners will be chosen at random – all entries containing at least one correct answer will be entered into a random drawing for another $100 Amazon Gift Certificate and two prizes of your choice of a $25 Dining Gift Certificate or autographed book.  (Sorry – U.S. residents only.)

Although there are five questions, you don’t have to answer all of them to qualify.

So test your money IQ now by answering as many of these five questions as you want:

number1If you finance a $30,000 car through a finance company, your actual cost for the car is the money you spend on it, plus the interest you pay, less the value of your trade-in at the end of your loan repayment period.

Question:  If you pay cash for a car, what’s your actual cost for the car?

If you have a $20 stock and it goes up by 40%, how much money did you make on that stock?  (Hint:  This is about a key financial principle, not a math question.)

number3 According to Morningstar, Inc., the top-performing mutual fund for the last decade (ending December 31, 2009) enjoyed an 18% annual return.

However, the typical investor in that fund wasn’t so fortunate.

Question:  What was the annual return of the typical investor in that top-performing fund?  And why was their return so different from the return reported by the fund?

TIRED OF WATCHING YOUR FINANCIAL PLAN GO NOWHERE?

Find out how the Bank On Yourself method can give you the financial security and predictability you want and deserve.  It’s NEVER had a losing year in 160 years!  Take the first step right now by requesting a FREE Bank On Yourself Analysis.

Wondering where you’ll find the funds to start a plan?  Don’t worry!  You’ll receive a referral to one of only 200 financial representatives in the country who have met the rigorous requirements to be a Bank On Yourself Professional and can show you where to find money you didn’t know you had to fund your plan.

number4 What percentage of mutual funds, financial representatives and investment advisory services underperform the overall market?  And why?

number5 You could have $10,000 in a mutual fund that reports an average annual return of 25% for four years… and at the end of the fourth year end up with only the $10,000 you started with.

How is that possible?

So there you have it – just answer one or more of these questions, or comment on someone else’s answer, no later than midnight, Monday, November 14, to get in the running to win one of the six prizes!

Comments

We’ll announce all the winners in a blog post later this month.

So scroll down to the comments box below and start typing!  (Note – all comments are moderated, so there will be some delay before your comment appears.)

Compare your Fear Factors choices to the rest of America

Financial Pumpkin With more than 500 responses in so far to The Bank On Yourself Fear Factors Challenge, you may be interested in knowing how your choices compare to the rest of America.

Here is how the responses to each of our 10 survey questions have broken down.  The percentages reveal which option our survey-takers find more scary!

You’ll see that snakes, blood, public nudity, eating fire-hot peppers, and even close proximity to a psychotic killer caused far fewer trembles than did the terrifying prospect of winding up in a serious financial jam.

Here’s what Americans find most scary…

1. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 22.2% – Death
  • 78% – Outliving Your Money

Question 1

2. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 28.6% – Having all of your investment decisions — good and bad — published in your local newspaper
  • 71.4% – Walking naked down a fashion runway while being photographed

Question 2

3. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 17.5% – Having to remain awake for 48 uninterrupted hours
  • 82.5% – Having to memorize all the fine print on your 401(k) plan in no more than 48 hours

Question 3

4. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 64.3% – Watching your stock portfolio lose 40% of its value in only a few weeks
  • 36.4% – Ingesting 40 habanero peppers within 24 hours

Question 4

The ultimate financial security blanket

Did you know that the Bank On Yourself wealth-building method has NEVER had a losing year? Used by Walt Disney and J.C. Penney, it has stood the test of time for more than 160 years.

To find out how you can grow your nest-egg safely and predictably, even when stocks real estate and other investments tumble… and how much money you could have – GUARANTEED – on the day you plan to retire, request your FREE no-obligation Analysis and Recommendations now.

5. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 58.8% – Sitting for 30 minutes in a tub of live snakes
  • 41.7% – Explaining to your family or other loved ones that you’ve lost your home to foreclosure

Question 5

6. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 49.2% – Having to pick the one mutual fund (among hundreds) that will outperform all others during the year
  • 52.1% – Bobbing for a 10 oz gold bar in a vat containing 50 gallons of cow’s blood

Question 6

7. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 9.4% – Going on twelve once-a-month blind dates with a randomly selected bachelor or bachelorette
  • 91% – Entrusting your retirement portfolio to an anonymous fund administrator, who may or may not have any special education or training

Question 7

Editors Note: Although 9 out of 10 Americans fear entrusting their retirement to an incompetent administrator, millions of Americans may unknowingly be doing exactly that right now! Read our shocking exposé and learn the facts!

8. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 64% – Having my personal tax returns audited by the IRS
  • 37.3% -Walking around for a week wearing pants with pockets overflowing with live worms

Question 8

9. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 31.7% – Be strapped atop a vintage stunt plane while it performs a typical aerobatics routine
  • 70.% – Be tied to the Social Security program as your sole source of retirement income

Question 9

10. Which of the following is more frightful to you?

  • 66.1% – Losing my job and having to live only off of my current savings for a year
  • 34.6% -Renting an extended-stay room in the Bates Motel and sharing a shower with Anthony Perkins

Question 10

Were you surprised by any of your responses?

These results are a sad commentary on the financial condition and current state of mind of so many of our family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

The definition of insanity is doing the same things in the same way and hoping for different results.  So, if you’re ready to find a better way to save and invest for your financial future that gives you peace of mind and lifetime financial security, check out the Bank On Yourself method.
REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

To find out how much brighter your financial picture could be if you added Bank On Yourself to your financial plan, request your free, no-obligation Analysis now, while it’s fresh on your mind!

Bank On Yourself Money Alert!

Teleconference replay reveals the steps you must take immediately to protect yourself from Wall Street’s bloodbath

I just held an urgent Teleconference on what you should do right now to protect your family’s financial security.

A number of people told us they weren’t able to attend and asked if it was recorded so they – and the people they care about – could still listen to it.

You can listen to a replay of it below, or you can download the recording as an MP3 and listen to it on your own player or iPod now at:



I urge you to shut the door and put out a “do not disturb” sign while you listen to this critically important information which includes answers to timely questions such as:

  • Should you stay in the market despite the turbulence and wait for the market to rebound?
  • Is now the time to shift into gold?
  • Where else can you find shelter from the storm?
  • What can we do to encourage Washington to get its act together?

Find out what you need to do right now to protect your hard-earned savings and take back control of your financial future here:


Are you ready to do something different?

And if you’re ready to find out how the Bank On Yourself method can give you the financial security and predictability you want and deserve, take the first step right now by requesting a free Bank On Yourself Analysis.
REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

You’ll also get a referral to one of only 200 financial representatives in the country who have met the rigorous requirements to be a Bank On Yourself Professional, who can answer your questions and show you how much your financial picture could improve when you add Bank On Yourself to your financial plan.

Nobody is going to twist your arm, and you won’t even be asked to buy anything at your first meeting with your Bank On Yourself Professional.

But at least you’ll know whether Bank On Yourself makes sense for you and your family.  So please request your free Analysis today.