CREATE A BRIGHTER FINANCIAL FUTURE FOR YEARS AND DECADES TO COME

Even though this is a bit of a lengthy post, please set aside some time to read through it in detail at your earliest convenience. It’s a worthwhile read because it can make a huge difference in how your financial future plays out – both for you, and others, in your life. And some of you might want to participate in this challenge or offer a similar kind of challenge for people in your life or use aspects of this to help yourself (or others).

As many of you already know, anytime something great happens for me – financially speaking (or otherwise) – I’m a big believer in using at least part of the proceeds to offer unique opportunities to others. I create a “Beneficiaries Reserve Fund” for this purpose which I add to over time.

Essentially, the way my Beneficiaries Reserve Fund works is this: I have a financial target to meet and if I exceed the target, then half of the excess amount goes to me for personal use and the other half goes to the Beneficiaries Reserve Fund. It’s just a promise I’ve made to myself and kept over my years of investing since I started back in 1994.

Due to experiencing my record year in the stock market this year, I’ve accumulated quite a sum in my Beneficiaries Reserve Fund. Back in March, I used my previous balance to get a friend of mine, who has struggled with debt for most of his life, completely out of debt. And to date he has kept his credit rating high and kept his promise and stayed away from using his credit cards. So, this appears to have been a worthwhile investment.

I’ve decided I want to contribute this time by addressing the wealth inequality gap by incentivizing and challenging people to invest in creating a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones. One of my favorite kinds of contributions to make in life is giving people gifts of opportunity. So, I think this will be a good way to do this. Here’s the process I’m using:

1) I am providing a small amount of seed money (enough to buy a share or two of certain stocks) to select individuals – particularly younger people who might serve to benefit most – and am making myself available to offer guidance of what stocks to consider buying (or investigate stocks they might have interest in) to motivate their interest in investing. Initiating this challenge by giving a few dollars to allow people to “play” in the stock market without actually losing their own money is my Christmas gift to everyone on my Christmas list this year. I came up with this idea after reading an article that talked about people not learning how to truly invest unless actual money is involved – they had to have actual stakes. Paper trading apparently doesn’t work well. Because people don’t trade or invest the way they would or pay as close attention unless actual money is involved. I am encouraging a Roth IRA be primarily used so that all gains over the years will be tax free (for those who think they can avoid withdrawing money before age 59.5). However, a standard investing/trading account can also be used to augment the Roth IRA even though taxes will have to be paid on all gains. Also, a 529 plan might be of interest if you want to save for your children’s education. It works like a Roth IRA but you can withdraw at any time to support various educational expenses (k-12, college, etc.). There are a lot of sources about this. Here’s one: https://www.savingforcollege.com/…/name-the-top-7…

2) I am challenging these individuals to get in the practice of automatically saving 20%+ of all future earnings (income, bonuses, tips, cash gifts, etc.) and am making myself available to offer guidance on how they might achieve that. It needs to be at least 20% (or perhaps even more due to the fact that employee pensions no longer exist much and Social Security might not be around at some point in the future – I actually saved 40% for many of my working years). And this savings can never be touched until they achieve their financial goals. Because ideally they’ll want to take advantage of compound interest in growing their financial investments to a critical mass over the years so that it can then be invested in such a way as to provide a lifetime of income (this source explains compound interest and the value of starting early: https://www.moneyunder30.com/power-of-compound-interest). Incidentally, the compound interest issue is why debt is so problematic. It does the opposite in that people instead end up creating the critical mass in financial assets for lenders while depleting their own. So, people must get in the practice of saving 20%+ of everything they earn – even if they don’t know what their financial goals are or what they might use the money for. Because doing this gives people options in life. And having options is much better than the alternative. Now, before doing anything, everyone needs to check with their employers to see if they offer matches on any contributions for retirement accounts (some employers will match 5% or more). If they do, then max this out first. Because it’s free money.

3) In 5 years (starting Jan 2026), I will follow-up with each of those I provide the seed money to and see if they’ve successfully executed this challenge. If they have then I will add a sizable lump sum to their investment account and will probably repeat this process every 5 years until my Beneficiaries Reserve Fund is fully depleted.

In the first few years of investing, the amount saved matters much more than the actual gains or losses experienced in the stock market. People can even just save and wait for a stock market drop to invest if they want and will probably do pretty well. Once savings have been accumulated for a few years or so then the gains and losses matter increasingly more over time.

For those who don’t have one already, please go ahead and open an investment account at an online broker. I presently use fidelity.com but have also used Ally and Robinhood in the past. All of these have $0 fees for trading/investing but Fidelity has, in addition, more options for fixed income – something some people might have interest in later in life once they’ve accumulated a considerable sum. It’s helpful having just one online broker for all of your accounts so that you don’t have to go back and forth across brokers and keep track of multiple statements and tax documents. So, take some time and choose wisely. Two types of investment accounts need to be opened:

1) Roth IRA Investment Account: Max out what is put into this account every year because all gains earned are tax free. The downside is that funds cannot be withdrawn until age 59.5 without a huge penalty. So, this account needs to be used solely for the long term future. Here’s one source outlining the Roth IRA rules:https://www.investopedia.com/…/basics-roth-ira…. The max contribution and income limits tend to adjust upwards every year so check every year to see what they are before making annual contributions. Also, a 529 plan might be of interest if you want to save for your children’s education. It works like a Roth IRA but you can withdraw at any time to support various educational expenses (k-12, college, etc.). There are a lot of sources about this. Here’s one: https://www.savingforcollege.com/…/name-the-top-7…. Fidelity has this option available. Probably some of the other online brokers have this available also.

2) Standard Trading/Investment Account: Any additional funds can be placed into a standard trading/investing account. These funds can be withdrawn at any time – even though it serves people best to leave it there until they reach their financial goals – but taxes have to be paid on all gains earned (a 15% tax for gains on everything held longer than a year – or a tax based on income tax bracket for gains on everything held less than a year before selling: https://www.nerdwallet.com/…/taxes/capital-gains-tax-rates).

I recommend maxing out the Roth IRA every year first and then placing any excess funds available in the standard account.

I believe the above challenge might help address the wealth inequality gap for those who save and invest in their future. It would really mean a lot to me if I could make a difference and have a positive influence towards creating a brighter future for everyone who participates in this challenge.

Consider also, at some point, offering a similar kind of challenge to others in your life who might benefit. As a minimum, young people would especially benefit from the practice of automatically saving 20%+ of everything they earn because this financial discipline would be deeply ingrained from an early age – resulting in accumulating financial wealth and achieving financial freedom at a much younger age than most people do. And this would serve to not only benefit them, but you as well since you won’t have to worry so much about their finances and they won’t have to rely on you as much in the years and decades to come. So, living with a sense of financial discipline is key to living a happy, stress-free life – both for you and for others in your life. Also, a lot of people who become highly disciplined in one area of their life tend to become highly disciplined in other areas of their life as well including work, health and fitness, education, and goals. So, a whole host of future benefits can be realized just from starting the practice of financial discipline. All of which will benefit not only themselves but also everyone who surrounds them – including you! So, get started today!

Those who complete this challenge will be amazed at how wonderful and confident they’ll feel about their finances in 5 years. And if they keep this going beyond that point they’ll see huge increases at the 10-year, 15-year, and 20-year marks because that’s the power of compound interest.

I came up with this idea because I came to the realization that simply giving people money doesn’t really help much (aside from recovering from immediate emergencies) or offer permanent solutions. But if you help them strengthen financial discipline first, then giving people money does help. So, this is why I’m waiting 5 years to do the lump sum payouts.

Also, those that develop this financial discipline will not only greatly improve their own lives but of those who surround them. I mean, imagine a child who grows up with the mentality that “20% of everything I earn automatically goes to savings (or perhaps even more), stay clear of debt (aside from a mortgage or car payment), and never touch savings until financial goals are reached.” What a wonderful life full of opportunities will that create for that child!

Lastly, in case it might be helpful, you can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing and gain key investing insights and skills (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/).

I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow! Have a wonderful holiday season!

#finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #success

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT QUESTIONS THAT WHEN LEFT UNANSWERED ARE GUARANTEED TO LEAD TO FAILURE

What are the two most important investment questions everyone must answer regardless of age or where they are in terms of progressing towards their financial goal(s) (in order of importance)?

1. What is my financial goal(s) [e.g. Jan 2026: $50,000 Down Payment for a Home]? This must be clearly defined and periodically revisited to ensure the goal(s) remains sufficient for meeting your future needs in the year you will start needing it (so escalation is important based on inflation and potential cost changes)? For example, if you are saving for a down payment for a home and you decide you later would prefer a larger house in a nicer and more expensive area and house prices increase substantially, then you’ll need to account for all of this in your financial goal for the year you plan to achieve it. Otherwise, you may fall short and have to extend this goal for several more years than originally planned. So, always keep this in mind when periodically revisiting and reviewing your financial goals.

2. What is the MINIMUM risk I can take, based on progress to date, and still meet my financial goal(s) identified above? This will drive your investment decisions and strategies.

Most investors fail to achieve their financial goals because they do not maintain awareness or dynamically make adjustments to item 1 and don’t dynamically adjust their investment strategies to account for item 2 based on progress to date. Don’t do that to yourself. Because these must be not only defined and factored in when first establishing your financial goals but also periodically revisited and re-assessed in a dynamic fashion. So, this is not a static process.

A whole lot can go into the above two questions and the investment strategies you employ. And you can learn all about these as well as all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing. So, use this period of social distancing to your advantage by gaining this knowledge and learning these skills and techniques (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/).

#finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #success

HAPPINESS TIP: FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU DON’T

Here’s a Happiness Tip which might be helpful for some of you out there: Get in the practice of focusing on what you want, or would like to happen, instead of what you don’t.

The primary reason so many people feel so negative for so much of the time is that they fill their minds with thoughts of what they do not want.

Thoughts of one thing we do not want, often spawns other thoughts of things we do not want, which spawns still other thoughts of things we do not want, and so on. And this process can continue until our thoughts pull us in multiple, conflicting, negative directions and we become overwhelmed, drained of energy, and even paralyzed by our fears and negativities.

A good way to moderate and overcome negative thinking cycles such as this is to mindfully practice turning attention away from negative thoughts and towards more positive ones. For example, if you find yourself playing the what if game, you might substitute positive what ifs in place of the negative what ifs. That is, you would choose happier thoughts. In this manner you would be able to transform your thoughts from fear, anxiety, and negativity to something more positive.

For example, instead of telling yourself, “What if everything goes wrong?” you might tell yourself, “What if everything goes right?” Or, instead of telling yourself “I can’t,” you might tell yourself, “I can and I will.” Or, instead of telling yourself, “I will never get through this,” you might tell yourself, “I will get through this because I’m much stronger and more resilient than I’m giving myself credit for.” Or, instead of telling yourself “I’m going to look stupid in front of everyone, because I am such a lousy presenter,” you might tell yourself, “this will be a new and interesting experience for me. I am going to get up there and do a wonderful job. People might even applaud and want to talk to me after my presentation.” And so on.

The point is to figure out what you do want, instead of what you do not want, and to focus your attention on that. Whenever we visualize positivity and success by focusing our attention on what we want, instead of that which we do not want, it will energize us, drive us to perform exceptionally well, and create a more positive outcome (of which no small part can come from the power and help we might receive in response from the universe and spiritual world). And that can really help us get through the more difficult challenges we experience in life.

Several years ago, in Orlando, Florida, I once saw a billboard outside of an organic and environmentally safe products store which I just loved. It read, “If anything can go well, it will.” What a wonderful way to look at life. Just saying these words to ourselves can make us feel happy, peaceful, and optimistic. Believing these words in our daily approach to living can make us feel wonderful and help us to moderate and overcome our stresses, fears, and negativities. What do you really want right now in your life? Focus on that and live freely knowing that if anything can go well it will.

This and other happiness tips and topics are provided throughout my self-help, happiness, and investment oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/

#joy #love #gratitude #appreciation #selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #peace #mindfulness

HAPPINESS/SUCCESS TIP: GET IN THE PRACTICE OF ENGAGING IN PRODUCTIVE INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS INSTEAD OF NONPRODUCTIVE ONES

Here’s a Happiness/Success Tip which can be helpful not only in your work, but also in your life outside of work: Get in the practice of engaging in productive interactions with others instead of nonproductive ones. This involves not only verbal discussions but also communications via social media and other forms of communication.

A good first step in doing this involves evaluating the interactional/conversational environment before engaging to ensure the setting is constructive and that it’s a convenient time for everyone involved. The only productive interactions/conversations to have with people are those which are done in good faith in which each of the parties are feeling positive and are interested, curious, open, truly want to listen, and desire to explore, investigate, gather information, learn something new, improve relationships, or gain a different perspective or a new understanding.

Engaging in interactions/conversations with argumentative people or those who are emotionally charged, not feeling their best, or enjoy provoking emotional responses are usually not very productive. So, in those situations, it is probably better to wait until the circumstances are such that they can be productive. Otherwise, they can just create a lot of negative energy without accomplishing much.

Always take a soft approach, be respectful, and ask permission of those you wish to interact or converse with. So, instead of saying something like: “We need to talk now!” and cornering or invading a person’s space and using the time as an emotional dumping ground, ask something like:”Can we talk about ‘X’,” or “Is now a good time to talk?” If the interaction/conversation involves sharing worries or fears, do so without blaming those you are having the discussion with.

The above are some of the reasons that self-care is so very important so that you always show up presenting your “best self.” And here’s a post I wrote about this: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-defeat…/

The above ideas were formulated from an inspirational podcast I listened to today on the Good Life Project which featured Alex Jamieson and Bob Grower as guests: https://www.goodlifeproject.com/…/alex-jamieson-bob…/

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #relationships

HAPPINESS/SUCCESS TIP: INSTEAD OF FINDING WAYS TO LIVE WITH STRESS AND NEGATIVITY, CHANGE THE THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS WHICH LEAD TO IT

Here’s a happiness/success tip which can make you feel much better about yourself and your life for months, years, and decades to come. Instead of looking for ways to live with stress, anxiety, and other forms of negativity, ask yourself what thoughts and behaviors you engage in which lead to these kinds of negative experiences and make adjustments accordingly.

Most people seek help for living the way they currently do instead of seeking ideas, assistance, and support for how they might stop living in this fashion. And that is key. So, always seek healthy ways to change the thinking, behaviors, or emotions which create the negativities you experience in life instead of trying to manage or numb them.

As a life coach, I frequently tell people that anytime we experience negativity in life, we are the creator. But that is good news because if we are the creator, then we can always do something about it to make things better. So, it’s a good practice, anytime you experience stress and negativity in life, to ask yourself: “How am I creating this stress and negativity?” And then take steps to make things better.

In some cases, you might falsely conclude that someone else is creating your negativity. For example, there might be someone who doesn’t treat you very well, who only seems to come around when he or she wants something, who always takes but never gives, who never respects or appreciates you, or who talks down to you. And, even though it might seem justified and appropriate to associate your experience of negativity to this other person, a more empowering way to look at it is this: The true reason you are experiencing this negativity is because you are creating it.

“How could I possibly be creating this negativity?” you might ask. Well, in situations such as the above, you might be creating this negativity because you thought the person was different (or better) than he or she truly is, ignored the warning signs, and/or invested time, energy, and resources due to your false impressions. And when this happens, it can be natural to feel angry, disappointed, hurt, and sad. However, the true reason you are feeling this way is not because of the other person. It is because you expected this other person to be different from who he or she truly is. And it hurts when we come to the realization that we have been wrong about someone. Especially, someone we might have greatly loved, respected, and trusted.

However, once you gain the understanding that you are the one who is creating this negativity, you can move towards making things better. Because, armed with your new awareness, you can now create distance from the associated person, learn from the experience so that you become a better judge of character and become more selective of who you associate with in the future, and/or get into the practice of making only small investments in time, energy, and/or resources until you are able to better confirm whether there truly is mutual love, respect, trust, and appreciation before being willing to give more.

So, anytime you experience stress and negativity in life, get into the practice of asking yourself: “How am I creating this stress and negativity?” And then take steps to make things better.

Some of the ways to make healthier changes in life include actively engaging in self-care, making yourself a priority, setting and enforcing boundaries, and living in accordance with your values. And here’s one post I wrote for doing that: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/happiness-tip-make-yourself-a-priority-by-giving-everything-the-attention-it-deserves-and-nothing-more/

And here’s a another post I wrote about the many ways to actively employ self-care: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-defeat-any-distress-without-dope-drinks-drugs-debt-or-doctors/

And lastly, here’s a post I wrote about taking action: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/happiness-tip-live-with-a-sense-of-hope-but-dont-rely-on-it/

This and other happiness tips and topics are provided throughout my self-help, happiness, and investment oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #success #inspiration #happiness #peace #mindfulness

HAPPINESS TIP: LIVE WITH A SENSE OF JOY, WONDER, AND GRATITUDE

You are special. And you matter. So, always live with a sense of joy, wonder, and gratitude. To be born at all is a miracle… because everything had to align and happen perfectly from the beginning of time up until the day you came into existence for you to even be here today.

So, live, and love, and marvel, and dance, and rejoice, and contribute each and every day. And think about this and fill yourself with loving warmth, joy, and appreciation.

You are here right now. And you are special. And you matter. And nothing else is more important today.

This and other happiness tips and topics are provided throughout my self-help, happiness, and investment oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/

#joy #love #gratitude #appreciation #selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #peace #mindfulness

HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS TIP: EMPLOY CRITICAL THINKING BEFORE REACTING AND COMMUNICATING


Let’s talk about a key element missing in today’s social media based communications: Critical Thinking. I think it’s a foregone conclusion that the news media is biased and shapes stories based on selective information and indicators which offer the most compelling presentations possible. Because that’s what captures audience attention and is the primary metric of success for the news media. So, it’s always a worthwhile exercise to ponder what information is being conveniently left out and what information might cause you to draw the opposite conclusion or no conclusion at all. And performing an objective analysis and evaluation of issues in order to form judgments BEFORE COMMUNICATING is the actual definition of critical thinking.

So, it boggles my mind when I see people getting excited about and having heated emotional discourses on information (or misinformation for that matter) based on news media sources or even worse – based on frivolous non-sources like social media posts and such. It’s such a waste of time and energy for everyone involved.

So, do everyone a favor (including yourself) by being open to ideas and employing the basic concepts of critical thinking BEFORE REACTING OR COMMUNICATING and supporting your ideas with good sources and your credentials where appropriate. If you do, your communications will offer something of value and you will be valued as a source instead of as a crazed hysteric throwing random hissy fits (even though the latter might be a bit more entertaining). So, please keep this in mind.

And, lastly, always remember: just because you believe something doesn’t make it true.

This and other happiness tips and topics are provided throughout my self-help, happiness, and investment oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/


#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #peace #mindfulness

THE ANSWER TO THE MOST COMMON INVESTING QUESTION IS ALWAYS THE SAME

The most common investing question is: “which way will the stock market go from here?” And, the answer to that question is always the same: “Who knows?” Let’s consider potential answers to this question over the coming weeks.

If investors ignore stock market fundamentals associated with poor earnings reports and economic data over the next several weeks, and instead focus on Covid-19 progress and the eventual economic recovery which is being facilitated by fiscal and monetary stimuli, then the stock market will go up.

If investors do the opposite and focus on the length and shallowness of the potential economic recovery and how expensive the overall stock market is in consideration of these factors, then the stock market will go down.

You can rest assured that no one truly knows what will happen. But, either way things go, I have a plan. Because there is opportunity no matter what happens. And a flexibility of approach can lead to steady and consistent gains over time. Simply have a plan no matter which way things might go and react to whatever happens however it happens. If you do this, you will earn steady and consistent gains over time.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-a…/).

Make it your goal to learn these investment techniques so that you can progress towards achieving the financial freedom and independence you’ve always dreamed of.

#stocks #investing #stockmarket #success

POSITION YOURSELF FOR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN BUT BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR PLANS

The word “know” in its various forms is perhaps one of the most misused words in the English dictionary. A lot of people, when looking back in hindsight, will claim something like: “I knew this (or that) would happen.” Well, no. You didn’t. If you did, you would have positioned yourself to benefit immensely from what happened instead of just saying, now, that you knew it would happen. A more accurate claim would be something like: “I was thinking this might happen.”

If you make these kinds of distinctions now, it can benefit you in the future because you will position yourself based on what might happen, without being overconfident in your abilities to predict, understanding there’s a possibility you might be wrong and that you might need to change your position.

For example, in the stock market, I position myself based on what I think might happen, but am flexible enough to react to what actually does. Because, there is opportunity no matter which way things go – up or down. And those who are quick to capitalize, without the rigidity of being “married” to an original theory, will benefit more than those who do not. So, always keep this in mind.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/).

Make it your goal to learn these investment techniques so that you can progress towards achieving the financial freedom and independence you’ve always dreamed of.

#stocks #investing #stockmarket #success

A WINNING STRATEGY FOR DIVIDEND STOCKS

Lately, I have focused on buying stocks that pay good, sustainable dividends. Some of you might be wondering what indicator I might use to determine when to potentially sell some of my shares. Well, one thing I like to do is look at the projected annual dividend and multiply that by 5 years. So, if the price average (i.e. the cost basis) of a stock is $20 a share and pays a projected annual dividend of $1.00 per share, then once the stock price hits $25 per share [$20 + ($1.00 x 5)], I will look more closely at it to see whether significant further price appreciation is anticipated or not. If so, I’ll continue holding it for a little while. If not I’ll go ahead and start selling.

I base the above hold/sell determination not only on the individual stocks themselves but also on the overall stock market since most individual stocks move with the major stock market indices. So, if significant price appreciation is anticipated for the major stock market indices, I’ll be inclined to hold. Otherwise, I’ll be inclined to sell.

So, if the example scenario above happens quickly, then I would have a 25% gain to cash out on which I could apply to new opportunities. If the targeted price appreciation doesn’t happen until the end of the 5 year period then I could cash at that time with a 50% gain (the 25% in price appreciation + the 25% collected in dividends over that 5 year time frame). So, this might be a good approach to consider using for your investments as well.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/).

Make it your goal to learn these investment techniques so that you can progress towards achieving the financial freedom and independence you’ve always dreamed of.

#stocks #investing #stockmarket #success