Have to post this

F I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say “I love you,”
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I’m sure you’ll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there’s always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say “I love you,”
And certainly there’s another chance
to say our “Anything I can do?”

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll surely regret the day,

That you didn’t take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you’ll always hold them dear

Take time to say “I’m sorry,”
“Please forgive me,” “Thank you,” or “It’s okay.”
And if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll have no regrets about today.

I Was Bearish before Bearish was Cool

Yep, it’s true. I called this bear really before Roubini, before Meredith, and I have proof. I will put a testimonial from a client, (a distinguished professor for Seton Hall NJ), that will evidence this fact.

So what does this mean to you? Why should you listen to me now? Why? Because I save my clients Millions in market losses, thats why. Whats your broker done for you? By choosing a portfolio of products that provide market return while still protecting principle I have crafted the perfect combination one-two punch and K-O ed the Recession before it even left it’s corner. But alas there is sill much to do.

See the worst is not yet behind us fully. My best estimate  on the conservative side were about 33% through the birthing pains of this new paradigm. At BEST 3/5ths. Heres the skinny. We have to see the effects of this massive round of layoffs. We have to wait and see how many more loose their homes. And we have to wait and see if the world economy continues to falter.

Bottom line Prognostication: Poke around for good deals on Single Family homes to buy and hold at these price levels. Stay away from the stock market till we see clear indicators that buyers have returned. Buy American when possible.

Buy gold on the dips(under 900), and pay off all debt. Get lean and mean and ready for the next economic up tick in 2011. Save Save Save, you will be prepared for opportunity’s untold.

HERE IS THE TRUTH

With the market’s up and downs the past few years, I was really concerned about how to perserve the value of the money that I had invested in my IRA.  I had already converted my IRA from a traditional account to a Roth to reduced the taxes that I would have to pay on my retirement money.  Then I started to see my mutual fund values going down to the point where I was going into a negative growth on my investment – I was losing my money that I had put into the fund and all of the growth I had earned over these past 15 – 20 years.  I was not happy at all.  I ask Tom what I could do to perserve my investment in my IRA while continue to grow the fund riding the benefits of the market.  He suggested that I invest my money in an annuity.  Initially I was reluctant.  All of the big guys in financial advisement were saying that annuities were not an option for a smart person’s portfolio.  So I waited and saw my fund go back up a bit and then start going down again.  Enough was enough.  Tom told me that I could have the benifits of the funds without the pain of the market fluxuations by using an annuity.  And since I was not going to touch the money for the next twenty years the requirement to hold the money in the annuity for at least ten years was not an issue for me.  So I invested $40,000 in the annuity about two years ago.  I am so glad I did.  Just this past couple months I have seen an account that was valued at $19,000 drop down to $15,000.  I have also seen that I have over $40,000 still in my annuity which I would have lost money if it was in the mutual fund.  Thank you Tom for your good advise.  I still have some of my Roth IRA in a few different mutual funds while having the annuity Roth IRa sitting there making money.  In the long run, I will be in good shape at retirement.  Thank you again Tom for making sure that my future is secure. (Seton Hall professor, PhD,ABD

A Financial Planning Primer just 4 you

Given the recent economic downturn and the corresponding effect that is having on consumer spending on cars, houses, consumer goods and on services, are we at a point in our lives where the fundamental ways people look at things may be undergoing a rapid and lasting change?

Is it possible that a way of life for the last 60 to 70 years may be drawing to a close? Are our best years behind us or in front? As these questions slowly make their way to the surface and each of us grapple with the individual and unintended consequences this seemingly new reality and the corresponding challenges it offers comes more clearly into view, one thing grows increasingly true. What happens tomorrow and the days to follow will surely be much different than the past.

It is with this in mind that reality calls to us to embrace this change. Oh the times they Are a-changing as Bob Dylan penned many days ago, and they keep on changing weather we seemingly like it or not. It has become more important than ever before to develop a well crafted and doable personal financial plan. There is no substitution for planning and having a crystal clear vision for the times ahead. Getting clear on you lifes goals and having a plan to get out and stay out of debt, (or never get there in the first place) coupled with a path to wealth and financial security is paramount in todays economy.

It is always best to begin with the end in mind. Determining what things are most important and developing ideas and well crafted strategies can provide you with the resources and tools necessary to bring this vision to life. Choosing a competent planner to assist you can be a significant part of the overall process. Someone with practical real world experience would be most equipped to handle the complexities of todays market. 5 years or more of practice in full and comprehensive financial planning experience should be satisfactory. Conversely if time permits you could go it alone utilizing one of the many books and softwear programs to base your planning approach upon.

One thing is for sure, to provide for a great life ahead one MUST begin today. The more quickly we choose to accept and adapt to the changes ahead the easier and faster we can allow for the provision of our needs. With a carefully crafted plan it is still very possible all your dreams will come true.

MY WORLD AFFIRMATION

I herby state my intention and support of conscious co-creative evolution on Planet Earth (Gaia). I believe in Peace, Harmony and Sustainability on this planet and I oppose all wars, aggression, and strife and seek and end to poverty and suffering for all times

 

How can you loose money in a U.S. Treasury and other mundane facts

Bonds are bought and sold like anything else and the price on Treasuries are set by auction(new issues), and a bid/ask in the open market. If there are more buyers than sellers the price goes up relative to the coupon rate (the stated rate of interest). As the bonds price rises the return goes down. And yes it can even fall into negative territory.  Quite an interesting way to loose money guaranteed.

Currently people are looking to safe investments, Treasuries, CD’s and Annuities. The demand is pushing returns down on all but annuities. The insurance companies mitigate that risk through extensive and diverse portfolio allocation. For more info on Annuities go to www.newellfinancial.net

Do you want answers to your questions?

Hi there,

Yep your Prosperity Guru here with some great news. I am having such a great time with social media these days I feel Im getting pulled in to this cyberspace thing.

And to move things along I’m goin to host a teleseminar series starting this Monday night @ 8:00 EST.

Full of positive affirmations and coupled with sound Financial Planning ideas this show may be just what the doctor ordered. So bring me all your toughest questions about, money, cash flow, taxes, retirement, entrepreneurship etc. and I will try to answer.

Call in # is  218-339-4300

pin number is    774110#

Join in the fun and lets get things back on track

Markets, Myths, and make believe

What if I told you that the recent stock market meltdown AND the sudden run up in oil was engineered SOLELY to produce MASSIVE WEALTH for a privileged few. Yep, you would want to take me out back and flog me senseless right? I know that no one wants to hear that. We are far better of if we are told to believe in “supply side economics”, scarcity, the weather, (hurricanes bearing peoples names, and the like. However when one examines 3 groups of interrelated people it is easier to get a sense of how this might all be a bit more than the so called “natural order” of things.

Lets take oil for example. Did we suddenly one day wake up and realize we are using more of this stuff each and every year? Not hardly. By contolling 10x the actual amount of crude oil prices were driven through the roof bringing massive and record revenues to 1) the oil companies, and 2) the oil producing countries. How convient the “church lady” might say.

And stocks ah yes the efficient and rational stock market. Where a through application of fundamental analysis a-la Graham and Dodd coupled with the chartists pursuit of technical trends turn crystal balling into a sophisticated game of predictable profiteering, (if you believe the Mutual Fund industries propaganda that is). However the results tell a different story. Massive wealth in equities has not been a product of buy and hold, dollar cost averaging. It has been wrought on the backs of millions upon millions of hard working folks who slaved and struggled to make their 401k contributions year after year only to see their dreams go up in smoke. While the real money is being gleaned from a MASSIVE process of shorting the market (selling what you don’t have with a future promise to deliver) and buying it later at lower prices, coupled with the greed vultures who sitting upon their hoards of “dry powder” cash wait patiently for the carnage to end and buy up those assets for pennies on the dollar from those so inclined to take what they can get and give up on a dream of financial security as they approach old age.

And the Who sang “and we don’t get fooled again”, well my friends we just did.

The Greatest Gift of This Election

Yes folks there is an amazing gift in this election no matter who takes the big prize. And the most positive, uplifting, encouraging, and far reaching effect has absolutely nothing to do with the 2 gentlemen running for the most prestigious role of our civilized world.

Yes the prize my friends is Democracy itself. Our most gifted offering of this fair land the culmination of 220 years of refinement having embraced hundreds of years of theory and philosophical development is that fairest of systems designed to include people of all walks, races, creeds, and colors, yes the belief itself of one man one vote, that every individual can make a difference.

Tomorrow the world  will be watching while we conduct yet another experiment in this fair and honorable process, exercising ones right to vote. The world is watching folks, Lets get it right.

Bonds & Bond Funds Fools Paradise or Salvation

With the recent declines in the Stock Market closing in on 40%  losses, millions of investors are flocking in record numbers to Bonds and Bond Funds, but is this such a wise idea? A quick look at the performance charts tell a different story. Most Bond Funds have been loosing ground as well as the underlying value of the Bonds themselves go through a period of devaluation (revaluation may be a better word).

There are 2 flaws to the strategy of reallocation to Bond based instruments;

1) Intrest rates are nearing a bottom. The Fed has cut the discount rate about as far as they can. This means nothing but trouble for the Bond Funds when interest rates turn around at the beginning of the next economic cycle, and all of the gains wrought from the interest (cupon in the old days), evaporates due to capital losses.

2) Being on the sidelines keeps you out of the Stock market completely. So as the market takes some pretty wild swings over longer periods of time you will be unable to capture gains from these moves as you sit on your poorly performing, capital gains eroding Bond Funds.

So if neither Stocks nor Bonds are suitable for a “growth” investor why is my broker recomending them?

That one is simple. If you go to a certain clothing store and they only “sell” shirts and pants what do you do if you need a tie? You go to a tie store. Thats your broker in a nut shell. They only sell shirts and pants NOT ties.

In this example the tie is a product called an indexed annuity.This concept offered by insurance companies who guarantee the principle, pays a Bond based interest return while participating in the Stock Market rallys when they appear. This is called a Fixed Annuity NOT a Variable Annuity. Avoid the Variable, it’s just another fancy Stock Bond Mutual Fund play, except they changed the name to “seperate accounts”, (funds).

For more information on Indexed Annuities go to www.newellfinancial.net for our F.REE Report

Getting others to find you business effortlesly

IS IT THE MESSAGE OR THE MESSENGER? 

Much hype is being spun these days about Networking, Netweaving, Paying Forward, Paying Back, and on and on, but I have discovered a more simpler stripped down, cut through the clutter method that works wonders for me.

It’s really just a fresh approach to the idea of the personal referral, (which much of the time is not so personal). The main difference is in how you go about obtaining the referral and the way in which you help the referrer set the level of expectations that enhance your ability to guarantee a fruitful meeting for all concerned.

Most referrals are given with a lukewarm level of communication and lack several key ingredients namely Enthusiasm and Edification. These so called introductions lack a real verve in their implementation and I believe is a result of insufficient transparency and surface level communications strategies. See if I don’t know you well and we have done business together you might succeed at getting some names from me via reciprocity, but any endorsement will be half-hearted at best. Why? Because we really didn’t take the time to get to know each other. So the risk of reprisal from the person I am referring you too is a greater threat than you pose. Any one selling high ticket items can not afford to make this rookie mistake.

The better option would be to provide the value you promoted to your client and while they are basking in the full effects of your new influence in their lives pop the question. That is the magic moment. This is the perfect time to get the testimonial, the video and yes the enthusiastic referral. Right then, Right there.

A new potential business associate sat down with me recently. She took the time to find out all about me. One week later Im getting hooked up with someone she knows, she cant stop telling people about me. This new person and I spent 2 and a half hours together in the deep rapport “cone of silence”. See if it wasn’t for her saying “you gotta meet this Tom Newell fella”, it would have been time spent posturing. But this way we could get right down to business and work from a place of mutual trust.

Long story short, he’s taking me to a client to do one deal worth 40k in revenue. On a 50/50 split I would say that’s a pretty darn good day.

Now granted if you product or programs sell for less the numbers will be in respect to that. Edify each other, we will do more business and make the world a better place to live.

Tom Newell © 2008