Published March 31st, 2008
in Financial Freedom and Time & Money News.
The farther the calendar moves away from 3/31/2006, the day I walked away from a 20 year career in Sales, Marketing and Engineering, the less I have to explain why I said good-bye to a 6-figure job to trade full-time on my own account. That’s good, because it was pretty hard to explain anyway. The job was rewarding. I worked with great people. So, what was the problem?
I was never cut out to work a job. I am an entrepreneur by nature. I love trying to make something happen. Risk and uncertainty are not scary to me. Now every day that I wake up - I am faced with these challenges.
Interestingly, when you migrate towards your true passion - the money follows. My lifestyle hasn’t changed one bit since I quit the 9 to 5. I haven’t missed a meal. We still have our house in the suburbs and drive nice cars. Our vacations have actually upgraded a little.
Interestingly there are now some people who have only known me as a financial guy. Most think that I am some kind of financial advisor. I still haven’t come up with a good quick way to explain what I do. A stock trading financial freedom advocate will have to do for now.
Published June 9th, 2007
in Financial Freedom.
Passports are taking up to 12 weeks to be renewed. Don’t stress out too much it looks like the rules are being relaxed for travel to the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada.
Speaking of the Caribbean, back in the good old days I used to call my stock portfolio the Caribbean Fund. The plan was to eventually spend much more time in the Caribbean than the U.S. In March of 2000, I changed its name to the Newark fund. No offense to anyone from Newark 
That is when I really learned the importance of capital preservation. Trading without stops is hazardous to your Financial Freedom.
Source: Boston Globe
Facing a backlog of millions of passport applications, the US government yesterday agreed to ease partially — until Sept. 30 — strict new requirements for citizens flying back into the country from Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean nations from which travel hasn’t normally required a passport.
Between now and Sept. 30, US citizens flying back into the country from those nations will need a government-issued identification card, like a driver’s license, and proof in the form of a State Department-issued receipt that they have applied for a passport. But until Sept. 30, they won’t need to have the actual passport in hand.
Here are some questions and answers about the issue:
Boston Globe
Published May 17th, 2007
in Financial Freedom.
The word “Financial Freedom” is misused more than any term that I can think of. It is often associated with a get rich schemes. In this case, financial freedom provides a college student freedom to rent an apartment. Woo Hoo…..
Credit cards being accessible on college campuses has now become expected; high school seniors are prepared for the applications and no longer enter the doors of a financial institution to gain the plastic card which gives them shopping freedom. Attaining a credit card is now simpler than ever.
Having a high credit score enables many adults the financial freedom and ability to receive loans to purchase a car and eventually a house. Having a low credit score hinders this freedom, causing a co-signer to be called upon for considerably trivial things, such as acquiring an apartment lease.
I thought that a person practiced baseball or football. In this day and age, apparently people practice with finances.
Having a credit card at a young age is a good way to practice with finances. It gives everyone the ability to establish credit, as well as fix any mistakes that are made earlier in life. Credit cards are the least daunting method of establishing credit. Credit card accounts should be opened early, and college is the prime location for doing so.
Advertising such as this should be a criminal offense.
Source: Daily Sundial
I like my usage much better.
Financial Freedom is freedom to focus on what is truly important to you and your family without having to trade time for a wage. It is enabled by a portfolio of income producing assets, managed by you, which generates sufficient income to cover your yearly expenses on an ongoing basis. It provides both time and money.
One of my least favorite subjects in the financial freedom arena is debt reduction. People use all kinds of reasons to justify their debt and it becomes a very emotional struggle to eliminate it. I am pleased that I have adopted the “Not So Easy” approach to financial freedom. That way I don’t have to come up with any psychological approaches to achieving financial independence. Why pretend that something is easy - when it’s not….
Continue reading ‘Debt and Financial Freedom Don’t Mix’
I discovered Adam Hamilton in late 2002 and since have read his weekly essays without fail every week. I have incorporated his theory on market cycles into my trading strategy. His research has shown that throughout history markets tend to move in great cycles, long bulls followed by long bears. These cycles are around 34 years long - resulting in a 17 year up cycle followed by a 17 year down cycle. Obviously no market goes straight up or down, so within those major cycles are minor counter-cycles to keep everyone on their toes. Our last major up cycle ran from 1982 to 2000. So, we are now 7 years into the down cycle. If you entered the market in 2003 - it doesn’t feel like a down cycle. However, if you bought tech stocks in 2000 you are still down 50%.
Why am I mentioned this? Continue reading ‘Maximizing Your Trading Years’
Published March 21st, 2007
in Financial Freedom.
It has taken me nearly 20 years to attain financial independence. I am not going to sugar coat it, because it hasn’t been easy. If anyone tells you it is - put your hand on your wallet and run. Now it shouldn’t have taken me 20 years, but I made MANY mistakes. On these pages, I attempt to share some of the wisdom gained from those painful lessons. The hope is that this will significantly speed up your time to achievement. Depending on your current financial state and openness to change, my best guess, is that it will take somewhere between 1 to 10 years to achieve financial freedom.
If you are on my mailing list - you have seen my “5 Not So Easy Steps to Financial Freedom.” In this document, I attempt to organize much of the content on this website into the 5 steps. My goal is to formalize that in the future. Send me some feedback and let me know what you think.
For those who haven’t seen the steps here they are. Join the list to receive the entire document. Continue reading ‘5 Not So Easy Steps to Financial Freedom’
Published February 26th, 2007
in Financial Freedom and Absolute Must Reads.
We all know many people who “talk the talk” and a few that “walk the walk,” but what is it that the separates these two groups of people. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. When I left my job almost a year ago to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur, trader, financial freedom seeker many of my friends simply didn’t get it. The ones that had a good idea how much money I was walking away from were the most shocked.
What would possess someone to walk away from a high paying job? What about the status? What about the security? What about? What about? What about? How do the “walkers” suppress the “what abouts” and pursue the trail of “what ifs?” What if I land this deal? What if this trade takes off?
Continue reading ‘Forest Whitaker Reminded Me of a Key to Success: A Burning Desire’
Published February 11th, 2007
in Financial Freedom and Absolute Must Reads.
Many have heard the saying knowledge is power. If you are an academic it’s your nirvana, but if are trying to achieve your dreams it is only the beginning. I like the way an author of an article I was just reading puts it “knowledge always precedes the money.” In other words, knowledge is simply the first step.
The article I am referring to is called “If Real Estate Investment Is So Great, Why Doesn’t Everyone Do It?” The author’s premise is that fear of taking action is one of most people’s greatest inhibitors. He calls it “It is easier not to.” This applies not only to Real Estate investing, but the other paths to financial freedom as well. To alleviate this fear the author suggests a one word answer KNOWLEDGE. Properly armed with knowledge most can overcome their fears to the point of taking action.
Continue reading ‘Tony Robbins, Some Other Guy and Me: Knowledge Always Precedes the Money’
Published January 19th, 2007
in Financial Freedom.
It appears that the theme of the day is “take action.” Here is Tony Robbins, famed motivational speaker, spin on taking action.
Without goals, without committed action, without mistakes, you will never make a change in your life. You will continue down the same path of mediocrity that you always have. And, while you might find security on that path, you will never achieve a life of fulfillment, believes Robbins.
In the end, it isn’t the number of goals that you set for yourself that will determine your success; it is only your actions that will decide your destiny. “A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided,” says Robbins. “You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.”
Published January 19th, 2007
in Real Estate and Financial Freedom.
I was just reading an article and the author stated that his motto was “knowledge always precedes the money.” I really like that. We often hear people say, incorrectly I might add, that “knowledge is power.” I prefer ”acting on knowledge is power.” However, knowledge always precedes the money has a nice ring to it. I may adopt it as the theme for the site.
The title of the article is “If Real Estate Investment Is So Great, Why Doesn’t Everyone Do It?” The author’s premise is that fear of taking action is one of most people’s greatest inhibitors. He calls it “It is easier not to …” This applies not only to Real Estate investing, but the other paths to financial freedom as well.
To alleviate this fear he suggests a one word answer KNOWLEDGE. Properly armed with knowledge most can overcome their fears to the point of taking action.
This helps to affirm what I am trying to do here. I will continue sharing with you knowledge that I have acquired on the different paths to financial freedom and hopefully it will lead a few to act.
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