“Screw You!” Money Is Your Key to Freedom
No, I’m not being crass. This is serious stuff. If you want to experience true financial freedom, you need to make enough money to essentially say, “Screw you!”
Protect Yourself from Financial Fast-Talkers
After I graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1996, I went to work on a ship just west of Seattle in Port Angeles, Washington.
Jackpot
One person just won the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot. And 44 people learned they hold a winning Powerball ticket. Every one of them is walking away with at least $1 million.
These people are about to learn that the more money you have, the more decisions you have to make about it.
Both games reset to $20 million. Anyone can buy the next winning ticket.
What if it's you?
You might buy a home or car with your winnings. You will also want to fund your brokerage and retirement accounts.
What you won't do is lie awake and think about paying your bills anymore. But now you'll have a whole new set of concerns like paying more taxes, buying more life insurance, and donating more to charity. You’ll also want to keep your fortune intact.
Whether you come into your wealth suddenly or build it over time, the same principles apply…
Develop a Millionaire Mindset
The more you spend, invest, and give away, the more responsible you want to be about it. Just like you'd want organizations to be responsible with the money you trust them with.
When people are not equal to their money in terms of character, they lose it. You see this with lottery winners all the time. They win $300 million and go broke five years later.
It takes character to make and hold on to money. If you're not equal to your wealth, you'll blow it on stupid stuff and bleed it all over the place.
You've heard about celebrities like Johnny Depp who blew their fortunes on dumb stuff. Depp tried to blame his financial advisers. But they aren't the ones who blew hundreds of millions of dollars on houses and an island chain in the Bahamas.
What You Should Do with a Windfall
I tell people they can spend 10% of any windfall they get.
But what about the other 90%?
If you come into a big chunk of cash, the first thing you should do is look up JPMorgan (JPM), Morgan Stanley (MS), or another big reputable firm that offers private client services. They have teams of people who are equipped to help people with huge amounts of money.
They can set you up with accounts that give you an income of several million a year without ever having to touch the principal. If you want to give some of your money away, they can help you do that in a smart fashion, too.
And if you want to get an idea of how much to invest and what to invest in, start here.
Jared Dillian
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Ho-Ho-Ho Overspending
With cyber week deals overpowering your inbox, it's a good time to remember that the best gift you can give is financial independence.
How People End Up Broke & Divorced… or Worse
If someone else is handling your money, you have rendered yourself totally helpless. So keep your money separate, even after marriage—separate checking accounts, separate mutual funds, separate credit cards, separate everything.‹ First < 9 10 11 12 13 > Last ›