Balanced Living System Blog

Are You Listening?

Are you listening?

Our sense of hearing is a remarkable system. There is so much noise going on around each of us that it is impossible to listen to everything. We hear it all, but listening is different.

Listening means you are present for that moment in time. Energy in the form of thinking exists which is an activity practiced less and less. Thinking is a requisite to problem solving.

What is Your Accent

What is your Accent?

Have you ever been to England? It’s a pleasure listening to a British or an Aussie accent. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to spend in week in the British Isles. It was interesting to notice who spoke with an accent.

What is your accent? Is there somebody at your work or in your circle of influence that is always the center of bad news? Do you hesitate ever asking them how they’re doing for fear they will tell you. They are always suffering from some …itis and the law of attraction consolidates an aura of negativity upon their space.

Honey, How Do I Look?

Honey, How Do I Look?

It’s Saturday evening and I’ve got a date with my wife. It’s time to get ready and what happens next remains a mystery to most men. The artful expression of a female brush painting her face is only exceeded by the millions of color and stylish variations she orchestrates with her clothing.

Not to belittle the importance of accessorizing, but when she completes the process of adorning her mortal temple, the inevitable and greatly feared question flows from her lips like silk from a spindle: “How do I look?”

20/20 Vision

20/20 Vision

Fixed Indexed Annuity

What does it mean to index?

• When your money is indexed in an annuity with a life insurance company, the insurance company guarantees your balance will never go down.
• It means your money is not in the stock market so if you get a return on your money it’s because an index like the S&P moved upwards.
• Both the upward and downward movement is capped. On the down side the lowest it can go is zero and on the upside each contract is different, but caps typically range in high single digits.

Invest Less, Make More

Invest Less, Make More

There are only three things you can do with money

1. Spend it (a cash flow system)
2. Save it (protected money)
3. Invest it (potential money)

The majority of effort in our society is placed on investing.  But is this the best strategy? Let’s look at how the financial planning industry represents their returns.

The common mantra is to put your money into the stock market and leave it there. Why? Because it always comes back and the average for one hundred years is over seven percent, or so the saying goes.

Financial Coaching vs. Financial Planning

Financial Coaching vs. Financial Planning

What is Family and Financial Coaching? Here is a short list of what we do in contrast to a Financial Planner:

Financial Coach

Teach you how money works

Teach you how to master savings

Teach you how to master spending

Teach you how to effectively communicate about finances

Financial Planner/Advisor

Tell you where to invest your money

Not interested in your savings

Not interested in your spending

Not interested in discussing how you communicate

The financial planning community has one focus and that is to invest your money.

3 Things You can do with Money

There are only three things you can do with money.

1. Spend it
2. Save it
3. Invest it

The media overflows with investment advice and commentary. TV pundits, talk radio, and news specialist discuss almost exclusively the stock market, mutual funds, bonds, real estate, and to some extent hedge funds and other esoteric opportunities.

Our world of communication is filled to the brim with investment advice. So how is the primary focus on investing working? Are you feeling better about your finances today than you did 2 years ago? How about 10 years ago?

One job = $604,615

Have you ever been having a serious discussion and heard one of the following phrases:

• To be honest with you
• I was skeptical at first but
• You can trust me

Perhaps I’m somewhat cynical, but here is what goes through my mind when I hear:

• To be honest with you                so why the tactical change?
• I was skeptical at first, but          I need your money.
• You can trust me                        sure sign that I shouldn’t

It’s all about timing, or is it?

It’s all about timing, or is it?

The longer the recession grinds on, the more people realize the marvel of indexed annuities. Imagine all of your money intact today, never losing sleep over it, and having complete control over the entire amount.

Is there a bad time to purchase a Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA)?

[A] On August 21, 1987 the S&P hit an all time high of 355. By December 4^th [D] it had fallen 37 percent to 224. Traders were jumping out of windows on Wall Street. (Not really, at least I didn’t see any. This is a metaphor indicating they were having a bad day.)

Gold and precious metals

I’ve had some questions regarding precious metals lately and here are my thoughts.

The argument for or against gold is neutral from my point of view. The most important element of my opinion is a function of sequencing.

Gold is an investment and it appears to be a good investment, but then so did many things 2 years ago. Real Estate seemed like a great investment for decades. The important aspect isn’t whether its good or not, but whether its a risk you can afford.