Last night I was watching the Super Bowl and all the commercials.
To be very honest the only one that touched me was the Jeep Commercial. When I heard Oprah's voice and the message about our troops, it was very emotional.
And I stopped to think that we, as a nation, do so much for other countries. Because we believe in freedom. We believe in democracy and freedom.
Freedom.
But are we really free?
Still many Americans have to fight day by day, everyday, to...maybe...get a job? Pay their bills? Have a house? So it would not be lost in foreclosure?
How can they sleep? They have families.
And they are not alone.
There are many Americans fighting to survive in this financial war zone. Where the gas prices are going up. Food prices going up. And wages going down. And the worse...no jobs?
I was thinking....maybe they were not educated enough...maybe they did not have enough knowledge to make the right decisions?
Maybe it is time for us as Americans to go back to the basics.
To learn how to plan and to take control of our finances. To learn how to spend our money, how to savet it, how to invest it, how to prepare for the worse...
Knowledge is powerful.
Getting Americans educated about their finances is essential for a stronger country.
Freedom. There are many kinds of freedom. And Financial freedom is one of them.
Think about it, Oprah! And spread the knowledge to all Americans.
God Bless America.
Here it is the Jeep Commercial Super Bowl 2013:
And here it is the first baby steps for your financial freedom:
Michael Minter is an independent financial advisor and has been serving the country with his expertise and simple way to talk to people about finances. The way you can understand!
The message is simple and you can do it! Start now in baby steps and you will get there: to your financial freedom!
Pippa Middleton and Michael G.Minter may have something in common...
Pippa Middleton' book: Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends, according to Amazon delivers a fun-filled, colorful book of festivities for family and friends. The author shares her secrets on how to be a graceful host that aims to please! Middleton describes not only how to entertain for social gatherings, but also offers tips and detailed instructions to make it successful and memorable.
But is it a fun book to read? Maybe if you are more interested to find out about Kate Middleton, she drew some inspiration from the childhood traditions she shared with her sister. Pippa offers a tiny glimpse of life inside the Middleton home and hints at a few spooky memories from their youth.
On the other hand, Michael G. Minter's book I-Plan is about financial planning.(Sorry, it is not party planning...)
I-PLAN is a unique book where you will find a fun way to learn how to plan your "financial life". It is a book for all ages. Give it to your mom, father, neighbor, grandchildren. They will be thankful to learn how to be prepared for all the financial phases of their lives and will be assured that one green nugget will help them save hundreds and if not already applied thousands in their quest to financial freedom.
"The rule of thumb when writing a book is to focus on reaching the masses. However, when I decided to write the I-Plan, my intention was not only to reach millions of people, but to impact them in a way that would make a collective difference in America", says the author - Michael G.Minter.
Pippa Middleton and Michael G.Minter are about planning. Different ones, but still planning.
The difference is with I-PLAN you will learn how to do your “Napkin on the Fridge” as your guide and financial education as your top priority so you can build a strong foundation of financial education and a better future for yourself...and then you can plan your parties!
Annuities, which are insurance contracts, come in many shapes and sizes. They include fixed-rate, in which the principal compounds at a pre-set rate; variable, in which the principal appreciates based on the performance of an underlying mix of stocks and bonds; deferred, which require an upfront investment with payouts down the road, and immediate, which turn a lump sum, upon purchase, into guaranteed monthly payments for life.
One attractive feature of annuities is that, as with most individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, balances grow tax-deferred until withdrawals begin. Even more important these days, annuities help remove investors' worst fears: losing principal and running out of money in retirement.
Variable annuities also resemble an IRA because withdrawals can begin after you turn 59½. But there the similarity ends. Given a dizzying number of features and restrictions, contracts for some annuities -- variable and otherwise -- can run 300 pages or more. And because each comes with its own small twists, these products can be very difficult to compare.
People who buy annuities are those who want to save money for the future, or those who are currently making large salaries, but aren't sure how consistent the salaries will come in. For example, professional football players may make $1 million a year, but only be able to play professionally for five to 10 years. A lot of professional athletes invest in annuities to ensure that they get monthly payments back over their lifetime, so they don't spend all their money at once and have a monthly stream of income during retirement.
