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How to Use the Kaizen Business Principles for Continuous Personal and Financial Improvement
Kaizen is the Japanese word for “good change” (Kai = change, Zen = good). Typically used in Business philosophy, it describes the continuous improvement of all functions, at all levels of the hierarchy. As such, Kaizen is both a powerful and competitive strategy. Using it, you will find that each aspect of your life can work seamlessly together. From your relationships with others to your finances, the goal is to shift your lifestyle toward success. At its core, Kaizen means that you can always take meaningful actions. As the main character in your story, you are empowered to create, build, and improve. To do better than the last time and to…
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The Power of Perspective and its Impact on your Wealth
Let’s talk about learning and understanding perspective. Every time I’m interviewed about how my wife and I became first-generation millionaires, I’m at a loss for words and why. We aren’t super talented, or “exceptionally smart.” Neither of us has a unique skill set, if you don’t count my wife’s streak of hyper-competitiveness with games. Though we lack, what we do have is Perspective, in abundance. Britannica defines “Perspective” as a way of thinking about and understanding. It could be a particular issue, but for me, it’s more about the angle at which you see life. You can take identical twins, place them in a room filled with 10 people, and…
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How Carrying High Debt Costs You $500,000 for a Lifetime
American households are robbing their future by carrying high debt. How much consumer debt are we talking about? As of May 2024, the average household debt rose to $104,215. This includes mortgage balances, auto loans, student loans, personal loans, credit card debt, etc. According to Experian, the US average total debt balance in 2023 was $103,358. This amount is up over 3 percent from 2022. Younger Americans carry nearly $7,500 of revolving credit card debt month-to-month at more than 27.99 percent APY. At this rate, it should be criminal. Making minimum payments would take more than 311 months ( nearly 26 years) and $12,580 in interest to repay. That’s a…
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The ‘Millennial Dream’ of a Condo, EV, Farmer’s Market, and Travel Now Costs $6.8 Million
From EVs, expensive homes, farmers' markets, and travel; our 'Millennial Dream' is expensive. We will need nearly $7 million.
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Using Whole Life Insurance for Retirement? Read the Fine Print
By now you likely heard of whole life insurance. If not, you are in luck. This is where you really have to read the fine print. If you ever run into an insurance advisor, producer, agent, or associate, just know that they are insurance sellers. They make a commission on the sale. That should be warning enough. Worst yet, they really don’t make that much annually (ref. ). This makes them very desperate which forces them to stretch the truth on the benefits of their services or products. Specifically, if you want to protect your hard-earned dollars, pay attention to the sleight of hand. Keep an eye out for the…
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How to Create a Modern Savings Plan That Scales
65% of Americans will be impacted by a financial emergency. Only 27% have an emergency plan in place. Here’s How to Create Your Own Acid Plan
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2024 Economic State of Black Struggle and its Long-Term Effects on Black Wealth
Are Blacks in America doing better; guess we have to look at the Black statistics to see the results. Over the last 50 years, Black Americans have had substantial social and economic growth. The last four years (post-pandemic) showcased an increase in asset attainment through investing with a general concern its the long-term viable impacts on Black households. While gaining political rights has long been the predominant goal, Black Millennials and Gen-Zers are redefining these long-held beliefs and values. From the pulpit to the global media representation, Blacks in America are entering professions from which they had been blocked. And yet, income lags and net wealth remains low. The Post-Black…
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The Main Reasons You Will End Up Broke in Retirement
Having a lot of money in retirement savings is no guarantee it will last the rest of your life. One of the worst things about my job is watching retirees make mistakes in their retirement plans. We recently met with a family that came to us after managing their finances during their lives like most families. They brought this retirement plan to us, and it showed that they had roughly $1.3M at the time of creation. Fortunately, they weren’t doing poorly by any means. They were puzzled because they were great budgeters, so the common culprit—overspending—was not the issue this time. What created such a change in their trajectory? In this article,…
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The Ten Most Powerful Money Habits of Millennial Millionaires
Time to understand the Millennial Millionaire Habits. According to a 2019 report from Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and WealthEngine, there are approximately 618,000 millennial millionaires in the United States. This number makes up approximately 2 percent of the total US millionaire population and 0.2 percent of the general US population. The typical millennial millionaire has a net worth ranging from $1 million to $2.49 million. Real Estate (RE) makes up a healthy position in their portfolio. As such, wealth millennials view RE as a key way to build cash flow, leverage debt, and build wealth. While the average millennial millionaire owns three properties, they generally live near the coast in dense metropolitan hubs. These…
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If You Think It Costs A lot Today, Check Out These 2030 Estimates
Nothing erodes Wealth faster than Inflation. If the cost is $73k in 2020, it will balloon to $95k by 2030. Are you making the adjustments?
