How’s life in the land of the free?
Are you one of millions of Americans who need credit just to make ends meet? Do you live live on the edge with more money going out each month than coming in?
You are not alone.
* In May 2007 CNN Money reported that American men in their 30’s are earning less than their father’s generation did. After adjusting for inflation, men in their 30’s in 2004 had a median income of about $35,000 per year, for a 12 percent drop compared with $40,000 per year for men in the same age group in 1974. (census bureau figures)
* The richest 1 percent of Americans got nearly 20% of the nation’s income in 2005 (more than double what they earned in 1960) while collectively, the poorest 20% got 3-4%.
* Latest 2007 government figures indicate that more than 90 million Americans - nearly 1/3 of the entire population - are struggling to make ends meet on incomes that are almost double the official poverty line ($19,971 annually for a family of four or 1 in 8 Americans)
* The number of poor people in America increased by 5 million between 2001 and 2007.
Though these types of statistics are widely available, they remain as the proverbial 800 pound gorilla in the living room.
Consistently overlooked is the fact we live in a vastly different economic climate than just 50 years ago. We have not been taught that the monetary system changes over the course of time: It is not static! What this means to you is that conventional wisdom about money; best ways to earn, spend, save and invest is now out-of-date and no longer capable of providing similar financial security as in times past.
To live life on YOUR terms today you need to know:
Due to the blueprint of the monetary (banking) system, money loses value over time and far beyond the official rate of inflation. Many experts say that a dollar has devalued to just 4 cents of purchasing power. By design, money continues to lose value which in turn, translates into a forever-skyrocketing cost of living.
Don’t ever forget: Money is the business of a corporate financial industry. Debt is their product and we as consumers are told only what will increase their bottom line!
The question becomes: Are your best interests considered by this mega-industry? My research says no they are not. Genuine, long-lasting solutions are to be found outside-the-corporate-financial toolbox. Answers are grassroots not corporate.
Common sense follows that financial well-being could be secured if we are willing to examine and update our belief system about wealth and money. How to best earn, spend, save and invest for today are based on the complete definition of wealth and the whole story about how money works.
The name of my company is Alternative Financial, LLC. Independent research has led me to understand why debt-leveraging strategies (which are the mainstay of traditional financial planning) are ultimately unsustainable for building wealth and financial security. I provide an alternative.
As a financial sustainability coach, I do not sell securities products. Instead I sell my book
Remember: If we don’t do something different - nothing will change! Or, as Albert Einstein once said: “We cannot solve problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann W. von Goethe
Susan Boskey is author of the book, The Quality Life Plan: 7 Steps to Uncommon Financial Security available at http://www.TheQualityLifePlan.com or http://www.AlternativeFinancialNow.com where you can also sign up for the free e-course to learn more. Her book presents a unique personal finance formula to help everyday people create and sustain a debt-free lifestyle.
Tags: credit cards, income decline, personal debt, purchasing power
Recent Comments