Wealth in Words

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree  was 30 years ago. The next best time , is right now. With all the questions you may have around saving and investing  it can make it hard to actually get started. But the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is just begin! Start learning, begin acting on the information you find, assessing the outcomes, and implementing changes to best suit your needs. Heading into 2016 I knew that I needed to start boosting my savings account  substantially as it was slipping below the minimum threshold that serves as a psychological comfort zone. The previous year, I had to purchase a new vehicle which depleted a significant portion of my savings. Compound that with irresponsibly managing my monthly cash flows  two years before and I was approaching a slippery slope. With only 3 months of savings in my emergency account I decided to make some immediate changes for the year ahead. Below are some of the methods that I use

If you want to succeed in business, you should study this man’s work. It was no accident that he amassed a personal fortune  of $100 billion dollars. Walmart has become a worldwide business thanks to his drive and entrepreneurial tactics  employed during his tenure. Sam Walton is considered the greatest entrepreneur  of the 20 th century. In his autobiography, “Made in America,” he shares insight and experiences that allowed for him to build his iconic brand . Learn to Value a Dollar Walton learned how to organize Walton Enterprises into a partnership from his wife Helen’s family farm business. Each of the family members had a partnership status with regular payouts and voting rights as well as a vested interest in the family business. Over the years the Waltons accumulated wealth through this partnership by starting humbly with anything they could save to where they eventually compounded a fortune  in Walmart stock in the partnership. Mr. Sam, as his associates affec

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have referred to this individual as the smartest man they know. He may be best known for his book of witty remarks and sage advice called “Poor Charlie’s Almanac.” Of course, I am alluding to Charlie Munger. Munger is the long-time business partner of Warren Buffett . Together, this team has grown their conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, into one of the world’s most respected businesses. Below are some observations from “Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor” that should help you in your own financial , professional  and entrepreneurial journey . Solve Hard Problems by Using a Checklist Munger is a proponent for using checklists  to get your most important tasks done. He states that “I’m a great believer in solving hard problems by using a checklist. You need to get all the likely and unlikely answers before you; otherwise it’s easy to miss something important.” Similarly, Buffett has said that “if you haven’t written it down, you haven’t t

Knowing whether or not you are saving enough is a constant concern. The uncertainties of life consisting of its twists and turns can create even more room for question. Financially speaking, the best way to protect yourself from these unforeseen events and to minimize your worry is to have adequate savings. However, before answering how much you should save, we need to look at how much you can possibly save. In other words, you need to begin documenting your monthly income and expenses. Start by using a simple budgeting worksheet . Fill in your income and subtract expenses to get a quick estimate on whether or not you have any money left over each month based on your current spending habits. If there is no money left, you need to find ways to immediately cut extra expenses, find discounts, and minimize costs  to create money that can be used for savings. Once you do have some positive net income there are several options. First, a portion of it should be put into cash

There are certain activities that all successful entrepreneurs do very well. While writing The Creator’s Code , Susan Wilkinson uncovered six commonalities shared by founders of some of the most recognizable brands. Though interesting in this context, these traits are not limited to building a profitable business. Parallels can be drawn into your personal finances as well. Find the Gap – See opportunities that others don’t see. Finding the best investment opportunities often requires doing things a little bit differently. For example, Warren Buffett has advised that we “be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy.” Markets move in cycles . Learn the basics for why prices go up and down. Then you will be able to find investment opportunities that others are missing .  Drive for Daylight – Top-level entrepreneurs focus on the future. Wilkinson notes that “researchers at the University of Chicago found that people who are pu

Each of us has a unique drive to create something of our own. This craving is so deeply innate to our human existence we cannot ignore it. For many this desire is satisfied through entrepreneurship. In The Creator’s Code, Susan Wilkinson shares her experiences with some of the most notable entrepreneurs in modern history. Having interviewed the likes of Elon Musk, Chipotle founder Steve Ells, Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, Reid Hoffman of Paypal, and countless other high-performing entrepreneurs she created three categories that can be used to broadly classify the entrepreneurial-type. Wilkinson refers to the first type of entrepreneur a “Sunbird.” She says that they “transport solutions that work in one area and apply them to another, often with a twist.” In other words Sunbirds use an existing product to create something new, usually in an unrelated field. For example, Howard Schultz of Starbucks took the idea of expresso bars from Italy and started building coffee

Every day we face a barrage of stimuli from the world around us. If we are not careful, these distractions can keep us from reaching our goals. When you focus equally on essential as well as non-essential tasks, nothing gets done. Think of it like a race car team preparing a car before an important race. There are countless tasks that could be done in the limited hours beforehand but ultimately the o nly thing that matters is doing the tasks necessary to get the car across the finish line. When it comes to steering your money and finances in the right direction, make time to decide which vital functions you must address right now to make improvements this year.  These vital factors are your most obvious or urgent needs. For example, paying down credit card debt, student loans, car loan, creating a budget , building a savings account , or starting investing  could be one of your top three financial priorities. Begin to focus all your effort on improving these three area

Sticking to a spending plan can be tough. One of the keys to successful budgeting  and staying with your financial plan is to regularly check in with where your money is going. Any simple tool like a pen and paper, smart phone, or Microsoft Excel is effective for tracking finances. Instead of putting off planning, the basic monthly cash flow budgeting plan below can be quickly customized with your income and spending habits within a few minutes. The minimal work required for you to input and maintain your numbers periodically will pay dividends, literally, as you get a better grasp for where your money is going and how to create more of it .   After making it a priority to track your finances, regularly schedule time each week to assess how your current spending compares to your initial budget. You may realize you need to rein in spending or, better yet, but less-likely, you are under-spending. The important thing is to regularly schedule a “date” with your money to

In light of Mother’s Day I thought it would be helpful to reflect and impart some of the financial wisdom my mother shared with me. These quick, simple nuggets of advice continue to prove useful as I navigate adulthood. 1. Create a budget Soon after graduating college I was able to secure an investment job in the region I wanted. However, this required that I move out of home and begin living on my own. Facing this new chapter in my life, my mother took time to write out a budget  with me detailing my cash inflows versus outflows and determined how much I could expect to have left over. She emphasized that the key was to have something left over each month to  save   or invest   while still living comfortably. Overall, I learned that a budget is nothing more than a road map that helps you maintain control of your finances. 2. Maintain a healthy savings reserve Growing up I did various jobs during my summer breaks from school. During this time my mother instilled in me