Here we go again; another new year. Another new year to reflect on the previous twelve months and seemingly resolute commitments to make the next twelve months better than the last.
When you review 2009 will you do what you did last January? Reflect on and review the repetitive resolutions you once again promised yourself you would adhere to yet failed to deliver?
Yep, me too:
• I’m still practicing ill-advised vises.
• I still haven’t committed to a regular exercise routine.
• My handicap didn’t reach single digits
• I didn’t find or make the time to volunteer my time and effort to those who needed it.
• I didn’t attend church on a regular basis.
• Etc, etc, etc.
I am sure most of you can relate to this annual event and you’re probably taking inventory of 2009’s accomplishments and failures. I have just listed a few of my many failures of 2009. Was 2009 a failed year because I didn’t follow management’s directive to make improvements in certain areas of my life? On the contrary; 2009 was one of the best years of my life and results of this assessment have nothing to do with my balance sheet or material possessions.
Why was 2009 so great? I finally absorbed to my core one of the greatest quotes by Albert Einstein:
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
“Living for others” sounds pretty vague and a little over the top doesn’t it? Living for others doesn’t mean abandoning your priorities or responsibilities or giving it all up and becoming a missionary, though I have great respect for those who do answer that calling. Living for others simply means to use your god given talents and abilities to improve the lives of others. Don’t forget, some of the most important God-given-gifts you have to offer include love, compassion, common courtesy, honor, loyalty and respect. Whether you are compensated for it or not does not matter, your reward is witnessing how others lives are better off for a moment or a lifetime just because of the relationship they experienced with you. Try it. Step out of the framework of your own existence and see how positive interactions with your fellow man improve both of your lives when you give of yourself first without expectation of equal or greater return. The natural laws of attraction will reward you beyond your wildest dreams; professionally, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Try it, I promise 2010 will be one for the books.
Need a little help in knowing how to implement the “living for others” mentality? Try this: Pick three people from three different aspects of your life; family, friends or coworkers, and write down the eulogy you would hope they could deliver at your funeral. What would you hope these people would say about you? Were you honest, loyal, giving, had unequaled work ethic, did you take on challenges with determination and guts, etc. The list could be endless based on who you want to be. This can be a tough exercise. If you are being honest with yourself you will have written down a few personality or character defects that you would just as soon ignore and avoid. This is the beauty of the exercise. Expose yourself and identify those areas that really need or want to be improved. Once you have completed each eulogy, all you have to do is live up to it. “Living up to it” won’t be easy depending on what you have written. But if you want a road map to follow to be the best you can be, to live for others, this is the best I’ve ever run across. By living up to what you have written means you are giving to others the best you have to offer and in the end they will have no other choice but to deliver a eulogy of a great human being.
(If only our government would take the time to complete this exercise and live by it when making decisions for our country.)
Happy New Year 2010!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
4th and 10, No timeouts, 30 seconds remaining
Every pundit and every expert on investments and personal finance continually focus on finances and return on investment from the middle of the field. It's like we are all starting from the 50 yard line, focused on reaching the end zone. Why is it that the majority fails to reach the end zone, some only reach the 20 and most can't gain a yard; why is that? What is holding them back? Is it how much they make or how much they spend? To a certain degree yes, but the #1 factor in keeping us from reaching the promised land is DEBT. It's not about how much or too much debt, its HOW DEBT IS STRUCTURED. How can anyone invest in their own future when they spend 30 years of their life paying into someone else’s investment portfolio?
What am I talking about? Conventional mortgages. The conventional amortization formula is an annuity formula. Millions of homeowners are supporting a bank/lenders annuity for 30 years. How can we get stronger if we continue to support someone else's retirement plan?
The second most destructive financial instrument continually used by the American public? Checking/Savings accounts. The only difference between the two is check writing capabilities. They are virtually the same thing; a holding pen for our money. The public believes they actually get something in return, but all we are doing is handing our hard earned income over to someone else to invest and keep all the profits. Where did we decide this was prudent use of our money? The only thing we get in return is online banking and a toaster? I know the argument, I've heard it a thousand times; "But that’s how the banks earn a profit and maintain their operations." I don't care. If they want to lend money and earn a profit, then go borrow it from someone else and quit stealing mine and try to convince me that the cotton candy they just pulled from their backside is my reward. My deposits are listed as a liability on the books as a loan from me. WHERE IS MY RETURN? Do you follow where I am going? Are you following the incredible flaw in the logic of conventional banking and borrowing?
Banks only get stronger by weakening the very source of their strength; the American consumer.
If they can't borrow at a decent rate and earn a legitimate profit, then they should fail within the free market system. Don't steal and misuse my money and then come back to me for more (ie current stimulus package) Regardless of the government, the Federal Reserve, inflation, deflation, stocks, bonds, gold, commodities, an up, down, sideways market; if we don't educate ourselves and look for alternatives to how we bank and borrow WE WILL PERISH, GUARANTEED. I've got the answer and a solution. How do I know I have the answer? I know hundreds of homeowners who are flourishing by employing an alternative. Their debts are lower, their investments have increased and they now have control, freedom and authority over their finances. Taking matters into our own hands is what it will take to bring this country back to what it should be.
The Truth is in the Proof!
What am I talking about? Conventional mortgages. The conventional amortization formula is an annuity formula. Millions of homeowners are supporting a bank/lenders annuity for 30 years. How can we get stronger if we continue to support someone else's retirement plan?
The second most destructive financial instrument continually used by the American public? Checking/Savings accounts. The only difference between the two is check writing capabilities. They are virtually the same thing; a holding pen for our money. The public believes they actually get something in return, but all we are doing is handing our hard earned income over to someone else to invest and keep all the profits. Where did we decide this was prudent use of our money? The only thing we get in return is online banking and a toaster? I know the argument, I've heard it a thousand times; "But that’s how the banks earn a profit and maintain their operations." I don't care. If they want to lend money and earn a profit, then go borrow it from someone else and quit stealing mine and try to convince me that the cotton candy they just pulled from their backside is my reward. My deposits are listed as a liability on the books as a loan from me. WHERE IS MY RETURN? Do you follow where I am going? Are you following the incredible flaw in the logic of conventional banking and borrowing?
Banks only get stronger by weakening the very source of their strength; the American consumer.
If they can't borrow at a decent rate and earn a legitimate profit, then they should fail within the free market system. Don't steal and misuse my money and then come back to me for more (ie current stimulus package) Regardless of the government, the Federal Reserve, inflation, deflation, stocks, bonds, gold, commodities, an up, down, sideways market; if we don't educate ourselves and look for alternatives to how we bank and borrow WE WILL PERISH, GUARANTEED. I've got the answer and a solution. How do I know I have the answer? I know hundreds of homeowners who are flourishing by employing an alternative. Their debts are lower, their investments have increased and they now have control, freedom and authority over their finances. Taking matters into our own hands is what it will take to bring this country back to what it should be.
The Truth is in the Proof!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Where to begin?
I have realized that blogging has legitimized itself as a critical component of this high tech age of socializing. So here I am, reaching out, blogging, to TruthInEquity.com practitioners and visitors.
(FYI: in the future I will refer to TruthInEquity.com as TIE).
For those of you who don't know me; My name is Bill Westrom and I am the co-founder and CEO of IFS Development Group, LLC and Truth In Equity.com, LLC. My partner, David Welles and I joined forces in 2006 to conduct a little experiment. After collectively spending over twenty years in banking, lending and technology, David and I wanted to test the validity and viability of a unique form of mortgage financing that is popular in Australia and Europe. More importantly, we needed to test public demand. We needed to see if this foreign form of financing would be accepted or refused by American home owners.
At first we approached the banking industry to see what their take might be on this new fangled financing idea. We felt banking institutions possessed the necessary components to test our theories. As you could imagine, we did not receive a warm welcome. I guess after teaching the same old thing for 100 years, get as much out of the customer and give very little back, they just couldn't see the benefits. Test results: Negative.
Since the banking idea was a bust the next logical move was to approach the public. In 2007 we launched a unique PR campaign with Jordan Goodman. As you are probably aware, Jordan agreed to promote TIE on national radio and television. Since the first radio mention in June of 2007 TIE has seen thousands of visitors to the website.
Test results: Positive. Conclussion: scrap banks, go to the public.
From those thousands of visitors we have hundreds of test cases now practicing this "too good to be true" method of banking. How have these hudnreds of customers been performing? The results are in; overwhelming success! The concept works; cash flowing thru a line of credit will undeniably accelerate the reduction of debt and provide wealth enhancement capabilities above and beyond anything offered from conventional thought or practice.
Test results: Positive
Customer retention: 100%
Current balances: within 2% of projections.
Balance reduction: 3-6 times faster than conventional amortized balance.
Cash flow improvment: Avgerage 25%-70% (Takes 25%-70% fewer dollars to service the same debt.)
Conclusion: Scrap conventional banking and borrowing practices. Implement something smarter.
So, there have been hundred of homeowners who have done all the testing for you. They played guinea pig, they implemented this method of personal finance and removed all of the mystery. What's been revealed is a proven, viable method of managing debt in such a fashion that you maintain a greater degree of control over how your debt is repaid.
The Truth is in the Proof.
(FYI: in the future I will refer to TruthInEquity.com as TIE).
For those of you who don't know me; My name is Bill Westrom and I am the co-founder and CEO of IFS Development Group, LLC and Truth In Equity.com, LLC. My partner, David Welles and I joined forces in 2006 to conduct a little experiment. After collectively spending over twenty years in banking, lending and technology, David and I wanted to test the validity and viability of a unique form of mortgage financing that is popular in Australia and Europe. More importantly, we needed to test public demand. We needed to see if this foreign form of financing would be accepted or refused by American home owners.
At first we approached the banking industry to see what their take might be on this new fangled financing idea. We felt banking institutions possessed the necessary components to test our theories. As you could imagine, we did not receive a warm welcome. I guess after teaching the same old thing for 100 years, get as much out of the customer and give very little back, they just couldn't see the benefits. Test results: Negative.
Since the banking idea was a bust the next logical move was to approach the public. In 2007 we launched a unique PR campaign with Jordan Goodman. As you are probably aware, Jordan agreed to promote TIE on national radio and television. Since the first radio mention in June of 2007 TIE has seen thousands of visitors to the website.
Test results: Positive. Conclussion: scrap banks, go to the public.
From those thousands of visitors we have hundreds of test cases now practicing this "too good to be true" method of banking. How have these hudnreds of customers been performing? The results are in; overwhelming success! The concept works; cash flowing thru a line of credit will undeniably accelerate the reduction of debt and provide wealth enhancement capabilities above and beyond anything offered from conventional thought or practice.
Test results: Positive
Customer retention: 100%
Current balances: within 2% of projections.
Balance reduction: 3-6 times faster than conventional amortized balance.
Cash flow improvment: Avgerage 25%-70% (Takes 25%-70% fewer dollars to service the same debt.)
Conclusion: Scrap conventional banking and borrowing practices. Implement something smarter.
So, there have been hundred of homeowners who have done all the testing for you. They played guinea pig, they implemented this method of personal finance and removed all of the mystery. What's been revealed is a proven, viable method of managing debt in such a fashion that you maintain a greater degree of control over how your debt is repaid.
The Truth is in the Proof.
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