Tag Archives: finance

Scholarships List aka Free Money

16 Jan

If you know me then you know that I am all about education and self improvement. Every year companies donate millions of dollars to scholarship funds for African American students and every year
millions of dollars are returned because of the lack of interest.

I am going to pass on information to you for your children, the
information I pass on will be the same information I am looking into
for my own daughter. Show some interest in your children future
because if you don’t then the streets and police will!

(If clicking on the link doesn’t work, copy and paste the URL in your
web browser.)

1) BELL LABS FELLOWSHIPS FOR UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITIES
http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html
2) Student Inventors Scholarships
http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
3) Student Video Scholarships
http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html
4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships
http://www.coca-colaschola/rs.org/programs.html
5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships
http://holocaust.hklaw.com/
6) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships
http://www.aynrand.org/contests/
7) Brand Essay Competition
http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.htm
8) Gates Millennium Scholarships (major)
http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12
9) Xerox Scholarships for Students
http://www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp
10) Sports Scholarships and Internships
http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html

#thriveorsurvive.

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.

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The Mayans Were Wrong But The Fiscal Cliff was only postponed

5 Jan

The Mayans Were Wrong But The Fiscal Cliff was only Postponed

We went over the cliff- technically. Accept it. Don’t buy the news channel shenanigans. Everyone breathed relief for about 5 minutes then went back to their favorite tv show. Not to malign the masses but if we don’t look out for our well being who will. I don’t care if you are a dem, rep, con, gop, etc, etc. You can never trust anyone to make your life better than you can.
In the gym I won’t ask for a spot from a weaker guy/gal. Also I won’t ask for a spot if I’m not reasonably sure I can lift the weight.
Lesson here: you don’t go heavy if you can’t go heavy. Its that simple. The treasury, The Fed, everyone wielding power has a vested interest in winning. Don’t you too?
We ALL do.
However most people are concerned with the Kardashians and or the sports page.

So back to the cliff. We have about 2 months. Roughly 60 days to get to a place where we all win. But that won’t happen.
Does anyone realize that our taxes have gone up from obamacare?
Everyone’s, in every brackets.
Then the social security went up. Its been down for a few years but this was bad. We got a few hundred bucks per person every check- but that money wasn’t meant for now. It was meant to hold social security up. Now some people will sell social security as an entitlement but if you look it up- you paid into it. It is your money.. I’m not anti government- by no means.
I love our country. I love the last three presidents. But we have to be personally responsible. We have to vote and invest from that mindset. I don’t plan to rely on social security- but I know millions do.
That being said many are about to get hit every check. I won’t blame Obama. But I will challenge you to do more. To be more.
Knowing your expenditures are going up no matter what you cut- do you have a plan?
You should.
I do. I’ve cut expenses and even moved in the last year in anticipation of being ready for all the tax raises I might face. I own my own business but still want to maximize my deductions while increasing my income.
Do you see how that can help?
Spending less while making more will lead to a future you can embrace if not beat.
Meet me at the top my friends- we are all we have.

#thriveorsurvive.

“A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life.” -Suze Orman

“Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.

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In the Red Corner – Gold Bullion vs. Certified Coins

1 Jan

In the Red Corner – Gold Bullion vs. Certified Coins.

BY Mike Getlin | September 29 2011 1:18 PM

We gold bulls have been licking our wounds over the last few weeks. This summer’s intense upward price movement set the stage for major volatility on the precious metals markets, and long term gold investors are stuck riding out the storm, at least for the moment. Yesterday however, something was brought to my attention by someone out on our trading floor. One of his clients who bought a diversified investment grade coin position early in the month was actually dead even on his overall position. While gold had tumbled by over $300 per ounce, his coins had stayed right where they were showing him no loss whatsoever. Needless to say, this needs a bit of explaining.

Let’s take a look at gold’s correction versus the price movement in a variety of $20 Liberty certified coins. Gold closed at $1895 on September 6th. Over the course of the next 20 calendar days, it shed $297 to close at $1598 on September 26th. That is an overall correction of 18.58% in 14 trading days. The certified $20 Liberty coins fared much better. See the chart below for the comparison.

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The major difference between raw gold bullion and certified coins is the premium (which is often significant) that the coins carry over the spot price of gold. For example, the $20 Liberty in Mint State 66 condition is a coin that sells for well above $15,000. Most investors look at that and wonder why in the world anyone would buy a one ounce coin for over 15 grand! Yet this month, the one who did would be laughing all the way to the bank while the rest of us dream longingly of weeks gone by and $1900 per ounce.

Now this is not to say we should all rush out and dump all our bullion in favor of certified coins. That said, there is clearly an advantage to be gained by owning some of these products that help insulate investors from these volatile markets. The real question is what causes certified coin premiums to change, and what place do these products have in a healthy and diversified gold portfolio.

The debate over whether to buy bullion or certified coins (also referred to as numismatics) has been raging for decades and will probably continue to produce spirited cocktail hour conversation for a long time to come. Some people swear by investment grade numismatics, while others think only a fool would buy anything other than bullion. So who’s right? Both of course. As with most arguments like this, there is a lot of truth to both sides, and each strategy has significant advantages and disadvantages.

On the bullion side, the main argument against certified coins is that they are too expensive. Why pay $3000 per ounce or more for a gold coin when you could buy a Gold Eagle or a bar for $1800? The premium, as well as the dealer’s bid/ask spread is much higher on certified coins as they are more difficult to source and procure. The other argument against them is they tend to move more slowly than bullion coins. For investors who need instant liquidity, or are trying to pop in and out of the markets with some frequency, certified coins present some major drawbacks.

In contrast, numismatists (people who study coins) never forget one simple fact: value comes from scarcity. If you purchase a gold bar this year and sell it in 2015, there will have been millions upon millions more produced and sold between now and then. If you purchase a certified $20 Liberty, you can sleep well at night knowing that never again will a single $20 Liberty coin be produced. It’s hardly even a question of supply and demand, because there really is no supply. Thus when you look at the $20 Liberty MS66 in the graph above, you see it actually increase in value during gold’s worst month in 20 + years. The premiums on certified coins can move quite independently from the gold market and often times increase when gold goes down. This provides strong buoyancy during gold market corrections; something a lot of gold buyers would have loved over the last few weeks.

All in all, there is no real “right” answer as to whether investors are better off with bullion or certified coins. As such, we’re strong believers in owning both. Ideally, a healthy gold portfolio would have both bullion and certified coins. The bullion will move more quickly, provide more gold per dollar invested, and can be bought and sold at lower margins. The certified coins may have higher long term profit potential, benefit from strong demand and scarcity, and can provide stability in a gold market that is likely to become increasingly volatile in the coming years. As with most arguments, the best answer probably borrows a bit from both sides. As with most investments, the best strategy is probably a diversified one.

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A Paycheck is Never Enough

30 Dec

A Paycheck is Never Enough

Money doesn’t fix your problems.
Money isn’t an answer, its merely a means to trading up toward your goals and dreams being realized. These seem like mixed concepts but bear with me.

A paycheck is not winning.
If you work for money you are losing. Hardcore. Unless you are in the top, let’s say 10% of the income bracket in our fine country you are precariously close to failure. If you are in the bottom 40% you may be already in what I call ‘failure to launch.’
It works like this: when you work for money you are losing. A large majority of folks on this continent are working for peanuts. I’m not here to argue for higher wages. What I am arguing for is that you expect more for your efforts. That doesn’t mean you storm corporate. It means you get to a higher plain. Demand more of yourself. I work hard at my day job. Real hard. And I play by the rules and do as I’m told. And in doing so I’ve earned trust and a little latitude. I’ve also been given more income. Great perk right lol. However I know this job can never be my everything. I want more. I need it. So I’ve had my own business in one shape or form since 2007. I’ve picked up new skills, joined mlm’s, worked with kids through NCLB, sold life insurance and become a licensed bouncer. All of these ventures except one made me money. Some still do actually. Also in doing my job I’ve learned great skills and been privy to great training that has made bouncing/security easier and made my resume for that line of work vastly grander.
Now all of that comes from the mindset that a paycheck is never enough.
We can’t simply work for money day in and day out and then die. Simple. Factual.
What’s your story?
What’s your motive?
Inspire people. Inspire yourself.
For you not to be more than a paycheck player is selfish. Expect more.
Live for more. Do more. Make the dollars you make work for you. Make your free time expansion time.
You need more than a paycheck.
You are more than a job.
Be everything you were made to be. Go beyond the money. Live the dream that is you-specific. Its that simple. Okay, you say Tony you jerk life isn’t that simple.
Fine you win. Enjoy that defeat.
Wow. Cuts deep right?
Its a mindset. Let yours be that there is a WAY- and You will Find it.
When you live and work for more than a paycheck you will be successful. You will be happy. Love your job? Already happy?
Fine. No problem.
One question- couldn’t you be more even in that thing you love?
I’ve found that the harder I work and apply myself at work and at my office- the greater success I’ve had. The more people I’ve helped. And the more abundance I’ve found. Aka my paycheck isn’t everything, and doesn’t have to be.

#thriveorsurvive.

“For every two minutes of glamour, there are eight hours of hard work.” -J. Savitch

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.

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We’re Going Over the Cliff, Ready?

28 Dec

We’re Going Over the Cliff, Ready?

So the Great Recession is on and by most accounts raging.
What’s next. Some say food shortages. I’m not sure but I know we all need a plan.
Are you ready?

Step 1: Take a fiscal inventory.
Everyone needs to know where they are at.
Get out a pen and a pad and write out all the debt you have and add it all up.
Next see what you make. Look at your last stub for the year and see what you made after taxes for that pay period and the year as a whole.
Your next step is to see what you spend on living expenses. Don’t include your discretionary spending. List that separately.
Once you have all these numbers worked out sit back and look at them. See if you are being foolish or fiscally fervent aka spending correctly. I’m not saying don’t have fun, just budget it in. Don’t be that guy we all know who spends all that’s left after paying his bills and saving that paltry 25 bucks a month. The odds are if you’re that guy you probably transfer that money back to your checking the day after the bank transfers it. Sounds slick to the spender, sounds like slavery to the fiscally efficient.

You have to make a choice. Decide where your values and dreams lie.
Money isn’t everything but poverty sucks. More to the point security is a better feeling and longer lasting. Anyone reading this blog on a smartphone has disposable income. The question I ask you is why dispose of it?

Step 2: Invest, save, or make more.
If you haven’t wandered away yet you probably have found at least a kernel of truth in my words. As someone who was quite the fiduciary fool in days not too far past I learned my lesson the hard way. If I could impart any wisdom it would simply be have a strategy. Let your money make money. And a favorite quote many haven’t heard: Pay you first.. Every dollar should be viewed as a soldier to get you ahead not a party animal to get you a good time with. You can easily invest in something. Not sure? Get an advisor- but do your homework. Many will have you invest in what pays them the greater commission. I personally use forms of life insurance and physical silver currently as my vehicles to grow my wealth. For me it works. For you it may not. But the silver I collect, especially the numsimatic coins, are pretty cool. These graded, sealed .999 silver coins look good and appreciate well. They are my favorite. Junk silver is pretty cool as well but we will get into that in a later article.
Next I say save a few bucks in saving. Start at 3% of every checks take home. It isn’t much but it will work. Look into what tax advantageous plans your job may offer or even your state.
When else else fails, and when it all works-
WORK MORE. there is no harm in earning extra cash. Blog for money, work security, anything. Heck see if you can work at The Gap. I worked there on and off for years and I not only got a good check and good hours I augmented my wardrobe and saved a lot on gifts for others.
Find the mode that fits you but be ready for the fiscal cliff. Even if I’m wrong deflation or inflation are on the horizons. And let’s say I’m wrong across the board- isn’t more money going to benefit you in the long run?
Heck it’ll benefit all of us today.

#thriveorsurvive.

“Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ~ Mark Twain

Life is like a photography, we develop from the negatives.

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.

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Is Silver your Financial Safe Haven?

26 Dec

Is Silver your Financial Safe Haven?

 

Dollar Decline Chart

 

At first look, most of us would say that the price of gold increased from $20 to $1600/ounce. However this is not accurate. Gold actually still buys the same amount of goods and services that it did in 1933. Gold has basically stayed constant. The dollar’s value fell by a factor of 50- so that it takes 50 times more paper dollars to buy the same amount of goods and services than it did in 1933 (See the price of gas since 2002 alone). Looking forward, we must consider whether the dollar will buy more or less in 10, 20, or even 30 years. The gold you have today will allow you to buy the same amount of goods and services that your money will buy today, 10, 20, or 30 years from now. Viewed from this angle, gold and silver are a way of preserving your wealth. They are a type of wealth insurance.

Many Europeans have long-held 10-20% of their net worth in precious metals for this very purpose. They have a history rich in tragedy: hyperinflation, government changes, borders that have moved and two world wars. Gold’s durability has served them quite well through all sorts of political unrest. In fact, it is perhaps the only constant in a world subject to change.

 

As gold and precious metals are priced and traded in US dollars, they surge in value when the US dollar declines. As the fed prints trillions in new money, the dollar and basically all other currencies will fall precipitously relative to gold. In an environment where the dollar is already weak and many currencies are weaker, investors that wish to keep and grow their wealth (duh, who doesn’t?) must understand the impact of declining currencies on their portfolios.

 

The US and Canadian dollars have lost approximately 84 percent of their purchasing power since 1970!  Most other currencies across the globe have fared no better. Not coincidentally, 1971 was the year the link to the gold standard was cut via President Nixon et al. Only gold, and its two precious metals brethren -silver and platinum- are able to hold their respective values in periods of severe inflation and deflation.

Both Gold and silver benefit from negative economic policies, political tensions, and monetary conditions contribute to a rise of their prices. For this reason gold has always been referred to as the “crisis commodity” and why investors are buying all the gold they can afford.  And the same may be said for silver.

The below trends weaken stocks and other paper investments and cause the price of gold and silver to rise:

War

Inflation

High Oil Prices

Weakness in the U.S. dollar

Budget Deficits

Stock & Bond Market Turmoil

Bank Failures

Loan Defaults

This being said is it any wonder people are buying gold as fast as they can?  Every time it drops a 100 dollars people buy asap.  Are you following that trend?  If so you are smart.

However the trend in silver is the same and gains can be realized faster.

For the sake of discussion lets assume gold is 1600 dollars an ounce and silver is 30 dollars an ounce.  Gold is seen as the big boy in the group but silver affords the real opportunity to max out your portfolio.  For every 1 ounce of gold you can  buy53+ ounces of silver.  Now you might say the dollar value is the same but silver is slept on my friends.  It is used in almost every electronic in your house.  Also in my opinion silver is the sleeper buy.  it will rise faster when the ‘isht’ really hits the fan.  But lets talk turkey- I can’t afford to buy gold at these prices, who can?  However we can all afford to buy silver.  it is even sold in half ounces and quarter ounces.with these small denominations possible for purchase I would argue that we all have a chance to build wealth and create our own hedges against inflation.  after all do you work 35-40 hours a week to just hand it all over to the government, the corner store, cable and the rest of the creature comfort providers?  I’d bet not  So lets work the legal methodologies provided us by the system.

#thriveorsurvive.

“Gold is the wealth of kings……
Silver is the wealth of gentlemen……
Barter is the wealth of peasants……
Debt is the wealth slaves!!!!!”

-Norm Franz.

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Who is subsidizing whom?

11 Dec

Who is subsidizing whom?.

Not to say I agree or disagree but lets look at someone else’s perception.

Can’t hurt right?

Who is subsidizing whom?

March 15, 2012 | Posted by Ken Cohen

In its lead editorial yesterday, The Wall Street Journal took a hard look into the Obama administration’s campaign to end so-called “subsidies for Big Oil.” The paper’s conclusion turns the administration’s claims on its head: “The truth is that this industry is subsidizing the government.”

This is the flip side of the coin that few realize – the oil and natural gas industry is an enormous source of revenue for the U.S. government. In fact, the industry pays the federal government approximately $86 million a day – or about $31 billion a year – in rents, royalties, bonuses and corporate taxes. That doesn’t even include the payments made at the local and state levels.

At times, the industry is actually sending more to local, state and federal governments in taxes and fees than what it earns in the United States. According to the Journal:

“Not paying their ‘fair share’? Here’s a staggering fact: The Tax Foundation estimates that, between 1981 and 2008, oil and gas companies sent more dollars to Washington and the state capitols than they earned in profits for shareholders.”

And, keep in mind, the taxes the oil and gas industry pays are only part of a much larger contribution to the U.S. economy. Our industry and the activities that support it accounted for more than $1 trillion of the U.S. economy in 2009, or about 7.7 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, according to a recent study. The industry contributes an estimated $470 billion a year in spending, wages and dividends alone.

So what about those “subsidies” that oil and gas companies supposedly get?

“These aren’t direct cash handouts like those that go to the green lobby,” the Journal says. “They’re deductions from taxes that cover the cost of doing business and earning income to tax in the first place. Most of them are available to other manufacturers.”

I’ve talked at length on this issue, but it bears repeating – attempts to misrepresent the industry’s tax contributions are nothing more than an attempt to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. The fact is that taxpayers would benefit far more from the revenues associated with increased access to U.S. energy supplies than they would from punitive tax measures aimed at oil companies. Policies that support greater energy development could generate $800 billion in government revenue by 2030 through lease sales, royalties, production fees and taxes, according to a recent study.

So when taxpayers see these claims about “subsidizing” oil companies, I think it’s valid to ask: “Who is subsidizing whom?”

 

#thriveorsurvive.

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.

 

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In Case You Missed Me in Moov magazine

11 Dec

Click Here

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HOW TO GET FREE SILVER

4 Dec

HOW-TO-GET-FREE-SILVER

Now this rocks!  A quick post with an included link to get free silver.

I personally invest in silver and always wanted tangible wealth.  As a kid I collected coins- nothing valuable just a notion.  When I moved out and got married I realized I wanted a safe haven for my income.  Robert Kiyosaki spoke on wealth and the lost value of a dollar and it resonated with me.

Since the 60’s folks the dollars’ purchasing power has been decimated.  I wont point fingers or place blame.  I just want to be wealthy and comfortable as I’m sure you my readers do too.   And while the dollar plummets silver is on the rise.

So how do you get your free silver?

Easy.You can enter here.

Name. Email. That’s it.  It has a spot for your phone number but it’s not mandatory.  The winner does get called though.

-Do you have to buy anything? NO.

-Any costs? – nope.
The most you may be asked is for a testimonial.

If you like the page and feel it is a high converter, and decide you want one- lets talk. Email me @ tony@changeinadvance.com

Where do you enter again?  You can enter here.

#thriveorsurvive

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HOW TO GET FREE SILVER

23 Nov

HOW-TO-GET-FREE-SILVER

Now this rocks!  A quick post with an included link to get free silver.

I personally invest in silver and always wanted tangible wealth.  As a kid I collected coins- nothing valuable just a notion.  When I moved out and got married I realized I wanted a safe haven for my income.  Robert Kiyosaki spoke on wealth and the lost value of a dollar and it resonated with me.

Since the 60’s folks the dollars’ purchasing power has been decimated.  I wont point fingers or place blame.  I just want to be wealthy and comfortable as I’m sure you my readers do too.   And while the dollar plummets silver is on the rise.

So how do you get your free silver?

Easy.You can enter here.

Name. Email. That’s it.  It has a spot for your phone number but it’s not mandatory.  The winner does get called though.

-Do you have to buy anything? NO.

-Any costs? – nope.
The most you may be asked is for a testimonial.

If you like the page and feel it is a high converter, and decide you want one- lets talk. Email me @ tony@changeinadvance.com

Where do you enter again?  You can enter here.

#thriveorsurvive

 

 

 

 

 

 

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