Pamela Yellen’s untold story (part 2 – the ugly Halloween mask)

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life… And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” – Steve Jobs 

At the end of my circus adventure (if you missed the story about my riding an elephant in a skin-tight gold sequined leotard, you can read all about it here), I returned to Sarasota, Florida. And I have to confess, I was beginning to feel a little restless.

My dating life was non-existent and I couldn’t afford to keep buying men (it’s not what it seems!). I had been working as the sales manager for a specialty publication for three years. Work was fine, but not very exciting and not something that I was passionate about.

All in all, my life was okay. Just okay. Yawn!

[Read more…] “Pamela Yellen’s untold story (part 2 – the ugly Halloween mask)”

Pamela’s untold story (about the elephant and circus)

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T. S. Eliot

Some people have skeletons in their closet. Me? I’ve got a few friendly ghosts, memories of times when I’ve been a little wild and crazy. When I tell friends about these times, I usually get a stunned look and a “You did what!?!”

But each of my adventures, whether voluntary or involuntary, has taught me something.

Like the time that a skin-tight gold-sequined circus costume, a fundraiser for breast cancer research, and an elephant landed me on national television.

Maybe I should start from the beginning…

It starts out very “normally.” Back in 1987, I was thirty-something and single, living in Sarasota, Florida, the land of retirees and snowbirds. Now Sarasota is a lovely place, but unless you’re already collecting Social Security, it isn’t the best place to find eligible bachelors. So I did what any red-blooded American woman would do:

“I decided to buy a man”

[Read more…] “Pamela’s untold story (about the elephant and circus)”

How to become your own “banker”

Over the holidays, I received a number of emails with good wishes for the New Year from subscribers who use the Bank On Yourself method to grow their wealth safely. Many also told me how they’re using their plans.

Derek Logan with his newborn granddaughter
Derek Logan with his newborn granddaughter
Derek Logan with his newborn granddaughter
Derek Logan with his newborn granddaughter

One of those emails came from Derek Logan, a corporate accountant who is the textbook “poster boy” for someone who did all the right things we were taught to do financially, who decided to stop feeding the insatiable Wall Street Casino with his hard-earned dollars after seeing his retirement account value slashed in half several times.

Derek started his first Bank On Yourself plan about four years ago and wanted to update me on how he’s been able to actually use his plans to become his own “banker” during that time. Derek said he’d be happy to share his experience with subscribers to this newsletter, because…

It’s not about what I have done, but about what Banking On Yourself can do for anyone.”

This could be you… [Read more…] “How to become your own “banker””

Why half of households will STILL struggle in retirement

Even with the run-up in the stock market and housing prices, half of all American households are at significant risk of not being able to maintain their current standard of living after retirement.

That’s the conclusion of a surprising new study released last week by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

That’s only slightly better than the Center’s National Retirement Risk Index showed in 2010, in spite of a 45% inflation-adjusted increase in the stock market and a 6% increase in home prices since then.

In fact, the Center’s research shows the picture is even worse than in 2007, which is why the study concluded…
[Read more…] “Why half of households will STILL struggle in retirement”

How bloodthirsty bank vampires drained me of 1,693% interest

Yep – I got charged an annual interest rate of 1,693% on a card I don’t even run a balance on! This will spook the living daylights out of you, so keep reading and find out how to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!

The Bank On Yourself Method Lets You Bypass Banks Altogether

The Bank On Yourself method lets you have access to the money you need, when and for whatever you need it. There are no applications to fill out and no qualifying.

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Watch the video to the right to learn how it works.

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Watch the video to the right to learn how it works.

You can pay your loans back on your own terms and you don’t have to worry about late fees, collections calls if you’re late or you miss some payments.

Check out our helpful Consumers’ Guide to Policy Loans here.

Did you know the typical family can potentially increase their lifetime wealth by hundreds of thousands of dollars by financing their major purchases through a Bank On Yourself plan? Find out how much bigger your nest egg could grow (without the risk or volatility of traditional investments) when you add the Bank On Yourself method to your financial plan. Just request your free Analysis here now (if you haven’t already).

REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

Financing things through a Bank On Yourself plan even beats directly paying cash for things for several reasons.

You may not realize it, but you finance everything you buy, because you either pay interest when you finance or lease things… or you lose interest and investment income you could have had if you’d kept your money invested. Saving money in a Bank On Yourself policy first – and then using it to make major purchases – allows your money to continue growing as though you had never touched a dime of it.

growth of your money

I know of no other financial vehicle that gives you that same advantage, do you?

And not only do you get that advantage when you Bank On Yourself, it also lets you beat the banks at their own game, while providing you with a guaranteed, safe, predictable way to grow your nest egg.

Tale of a Savvy Consumer

Scissors cutting a credit cardFormer teacher Ed Ingle and his wife decided to take a policy loan to do some home improvements soon after starting a Bank On Yourself policy, “Just to see how this whole loan thing worked. It was so easy that now we laugh at the idea of trying to understand the process. There is no process. It’s our money!”

In the first two years, Ed and his wife put the policy to work in several ways. They are putting their son through a private college through the plan. “No money goes to the bank,” Ed notes.

He purchased a car using the policy… and “no money goes to the bank!”

He also financed his wife’s graduate school through the plan. (“And no money goes to the bank!”)

Ed says he no longer worries when the stock market rises and falls. He no longer worries about the interest rates banks are charging. He’s in charge of his own finances from here on out. (And no money goes to the bank!)

An Interest Rate of Almost 1,700% Per Year?

My husband Larry and I haven’t run a balance on a card in years. We have a handful of cards we use for convenience and to get points and airline miles. We get our statements emailed to us, then pay them off in full online each month.

vampire

Last month, Larry realized we didn’t get the statement for the card we use for personal expenses. When he checked the account, he realized it was one day past the due date, so he immediately paid it. We discovered there would be a late fee and some interest due. The balance was around $3,500, so we figured the interest would be maybe a few bucks, right? Wrong!

A week later we got an email that floored us. It notified us of a $15 late fee, PLUS a $162.30 interest charge for being one day late with our payment! That’s 4.64% interest per day – 1,693% interest per year! 

A whole page of fine print on the statement tried to explain all the “gotchas.” But it’s a fact that banks and finance companies are gonna get you one way or another. Why? Because they can. 

Isn’t it time we used banks for our convenience, and not for theirs?

Of course, we now have this credit card set up for automatic payment in full each month. And if you have cards you pay in full each month, I suggest you do the same (if you haven’t already), to make sure this never happens to you.

You can fire your banker when you join the Bank On Yourself Revolution

It’s fast and easy to get started. Just request a free Analysis here, if you haven’t already, and find out how much more lifetime wealth you could have when you tell banks to go take a hike and become your own source of financing. But please do it today while it’s fresh on your mind!
REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

Are you putting your retirement savings in prison?

Ted Benna, "Father of the 401(k)"

Ted Benna is known as the “Father of the 401(k).” In the late ‘70’s, he worked as a consultant to business owners whose main agenda was “How can I get the biggest tax break, and give the least to my employees, legally?”

Ted Benna, "Father of the 401(k)"

Tax nerd that he was, Benna discovered an obscure part of the tax code – section 401(k). Voila! By 2012, nearly 75% of all company pension plans had disappeared!

What does Mr. Benna say about his beautiful 401(k) baby today?

If I were starting over from scratch today with what we know, I’d blow up the existing structure and start over!”1

Uh oh.

Per the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: “After a lifetime of hard work, many seniors will find themselves forced to choose between putting food on the table and buying their medication.” The U.S. Census Bureau says the average value of 401(k) accounts of pre-retirees between 55 and 64 is only $170,645; the average value of their IRAs is only $147,345. And half of all those close to retirement age have less than $50,000 in these plans.

Something went horribly wrong. Actually, several things went horribly wrong, not only with 401(k)’s but also their kissing cousins: IRA’s, Roth Plans, 403(b)’s, SEP-IRA’s and so on.

And the problems with these government-controlled plans are in these five key areas:
[Read more…] “Are you putting your retirement savings in prison?”

Why do so many people prefer THEIR facts to THE facts?

As Mark Twain noted…

Most people’s egos prefer THEIR facts to THE facts.”

Facts

And I’ll bet you can think of several people who are guilty of that right off the top of your head, can’t you?

Facts

One of my mentors, Dan Kennedy, also noted, “People are quick to dispense advice on any subject, regardless of their qualifications. Most people don’t even distinguish between ‘opinion’ and ‘knowledge.’ That’s why you must.”

When it comes to Bank On Yourself, there’s a lot of opinion being dispensed as fact… and I thought I’d help you sift through three common misconceptions about Bank On Yourself in this blog post…

Myth #1: The commissions paid on Bank On Yourself plans are high

Often, this accusation is made by financial representatives who profit from investing your dollars on Wall Street. They even say agents only sell these policies because of the high commissions.

What they don’t realize is that Bank On Yourself Professionals receive 50-70% less commission than financial representatives who structure policies the traditional way.

And the shocking fact is that the financial representative who manages your money in the stock market is making at least ten times more than the Professional, if you contribute the same amount of money each year! [Read more…] “Why do so many people prefer THEIR facts to THE facts?”

Shouting about Bank On Yourself from the rooftops

Dan Proskauer recently sent me a chart showing how his family’s net worth has grown since he started his first Bank On Yourself plan 3 1/2 years ago, and how that compares to the previous 10 years.

When Dan saw this chart on his financial tracking software program, he said his jaw dropped so hard it left a dent on his keyboard and that “we should be shouting about this from the rooftops.”

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look for yourself and note how you’ll see a more detailed version of the chart when you place your mouse over it…

Bank On Yourself

Why would Dan be willing to reveal and discuss something as personal as his net worth for the whole world to see? Because, in Dan’s words…

[Read more…] “Shouting about Bank On Yourself from the rooftops”

Singer Karyn White Seizes the Day with Bank On Yourself

I just recorded an inspiring interview with Grammy-nominated contemporary/pop and rhythm and blues recording star – and Bank On Yourself client – Karyn White.

Grammy-Nominated Singer Karyn White Seizes the Day with Bank On Yourself
Grammy-Nominated Singer Karyn White Seizes the Day with Bank On Yourself

Karyn was in her early 20’s when she became the first female artist to have her first three solo releases hit #1 on the R&B charts.  She collaborated with industry legends including Babyface and L.A. Reid, before devoting herself full-time to raising a family.

After an 18-year hiatus, and a fan base that never forgot her, Karyn decided to record again.  Only this time she decided to produce her new CD album, Carpe Diem, herself – and pocket the profits the record companies used to make off of her.

In this interview, Karyn reveals:

Retired Navy Commander: Bank On Yourself Makes Financial Independence Easy

Retired Navy Commander, Robert Chambers shares how he achieved early retirement financial security with Bank On Yourself
Retired Navy Commander, Robert Chambers

Retired Navy Commander, Robert Chambers, first came to our attention when we invited Bank On Yourself policy owners to share their stories with us.

Retired Navy Commander, Robert Chambers shares how he achieved early retirement financial security with Bank On Yourself
Retired Navy Commander, Robert Chambers

Commander Bob wrote, “I can’t tell you enough how this has changed my life, but also the lives of every generation to follow.”  Bob, who fully retired before he turned 50, notes that…

Retirement isn’t only about money; it’s about gaining financial independence, living a comfortable lifestyle and leaving a legacy for future generations.”

Bob also sent me a 20-page booklet he wrote titled, “Financial Independence Made Easy,” which details his insights into why the conventional wisdom about saving and investing has failed so many, and what his research and study have revealed about the best ways to achieve financial independence. [Read more…] “Retired Navy Commander: Bank On Yourself Makes Financial Independence Easy”