RETIREMENT road map

I sure hope that every person reading this post today on #FundMeFriday paid themselves first today before going out tonight to party with friends or before hitting the malls to find something new to add to your closet.

Lately, in today’s economic environment, the most commonly asked question is something along the lines of this: I don’t have a 401k or a pension plan nor do I have an annuity and I always find a reason why I need to use the money in my account so how do I save for retirement? This question is actually a couple of questions that I am always asked that I have lumped together in order to answer a larger group of people all at once. The following is a simple plan that I put together which has helped so many people.

First, you need to go to a bank that is different from the bank you currently use. A bank that is not convenient to get to. I want you to open a savings account with then, not a checking account and make sure you DO NOT request a debit card for the account. Make sure this account is not linked to any accounts that you have. Plus, make sure that the account has internet banking available. In the end of this setup you will have a savings account that is not linked to anything, has no debit card and has internet access. Now you have an account that will be very hard to get money out of unless you go out of your way to pilfer it but, you can make deposits through the internet app reducing your likelihood of having to go to the bank and possibly withdraw money but more importantly you will have the ability to make deposits at your leisure.

The second thing I want you to do is set a reminder in your phone to ping at you every payday whether you get paid once a week, once every two weeks or even once per month. I want this to become a constant in your life. A constant like brushing your teeth. I want the reminder to become second nature to you.

Third, I want you to write yourself a check every single payday for 10% of whatever the net paycheck is that you received. For instance, if you received a paycheck for $435.76 then write yourself a check in the amount of $44. Always round up.

Finally, using your mobile app for your new bank account, deposit the check into this account that you will not touch. This savings account is now your retirement savings account that will build momentum and steadily increase in value provided you stay diligent with your deposits and you don’t make excuses for using any of the funds.

That’s it. That’s how simple it is to set yourself up for retirement. But wait. Another level that I have my clients take which helps to ensure they don’t touch the money in their savings account as well as growing their money even faster is to find out from this bank what their minimum deposit is for purchasing a CD (certificate of deposit). The average amount to buy a CD is $500 therefore, once your savings account hits the $500 mark, go into the banks nearest branch and purchase a CD. This strategy has been working wonders for my clients who do not have any other form of retirement accounts because it allows all people to travel a map toward retirement.

Here is a quick bit of information. Is $1,000,000.00 dollars better for retirement or is $200,000.00. Well, if your lifestyle is spending $200,000.00 per year than the million dollars will only last you 5 years. If on the other hand you have $200,000.00 going into retirement and you only need $10,000.00 per year because you have that savings account plus your social security than the $200,000.00 can last you 20 years. Do you see how shifting your savings can change the outcome of your future? These numbers can obviously be manipulated in any direction so this information is just intended to show you the possibilities that are literally available to you.

i have one additional piece of money making information for you. Did you know that by taking your social security at age 70 rather than at age 66, you can raise your social security benefit by 32%. That is a huge amount of extra money so keep that information at the forefront of your mind.

I really hope that you are implementing some of my #FundMeFriday ideas because it’s never too late to start saving money.

I have a great book for you to read. It’s called Your Money or Your Life. If your library doesn’t have it then here is a link to get it from Amazon>> https://amzn.to/2P1zPu6

#FundMeFriday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

#YourMoneyorYourLife

#VickiRobin

#JoeDominguez

3 Changes That Need Tossing

Welcome to another #TrashItThursday. Throwing out stuff to cleanse your work space and your life doesn’t always mean materialistic garbage. Often, people need to throw out ideals, bad habits and even practices they have learned in life that are embedded in their minds. So on this new posting of #TrashItThursday I am going to discuss three things I want you to trash which I feel will enable your business to thrive.

First of all, I want you to toss out the lack of communication with your employees. If your employees do not know what your vision is than how can you expect them to help you grow your business? The best ways to be inclusive when speaking with your employees would first and foremost be to use the word we rather than I. This simple gesture helps people feel like they are a part of a team. Then, always speak your ideas clearly. Don’t leave your employees playing a guessing game. Tell them what you want done and how you want it done so there is little room for miscommunication. Finally, lead all conversions with a question rather than a solution this way you can gauge whether or not your employees are really understanding you. When an answer is given to you, you will inevitably know if you were understood.

Secondly, toss out the notion that all employees should be self motivated. You are the one who has to lead by example so you must be the main cheerleader of your team. This is after all your business and you want to make sure your employees see you excited as that will cause a ripple effect and therefore begin a chain effect of motivated people. One great way to motivate employees is to have a positive work environment. Make sure it’s a happy and comfortable work place. Also, you can acknowledge them when they do something really well or complete a task. Another great motivator is a reward. Maybe at the end of the week when your project is done or at least if you’ve made progress then maybe you can treat your employees to an office pizza party or something like that. Any form of appreciation is a usually motivator.

Third, toss out the obstacles. There is nothing more counter productive than employees who have to jump through hoops in order to reach their boss or even to get final approvals from more than one person. People are more hung up on appearing important than on being successful. Stop wanting your employees to run a labyrinth in order to communicate with you and become more approachable. After all these are the people helping to grow your business so rather than to sit in your nice office with secretary’s dodging your calls and visitors for you, get involved. Stop acting as if you are better than the people you employee and remember it is these people who are helping to grow and nurture your dream.

So on this #TrashItThursday, please remember that there are non tangible things that we need to rid from our lives in order for our businesses to thrive. Try and always stay conscientious of this and you will forge ahead successfully.

I think a great read would be a book called Being The Boss. If your library does not have it, Amazon has it at this link>>

https://amzn.to/2oEeeNz

#TrashItThursday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

#BeingTheBoss

#LindaAHill

#KentLineback

Actions speak louder than words

On this #WisdomWednesday I’m going to talk about your actions. It takes lots of wisdom to know and to understand how your actions create and carve you out as a human being.

Just so you can understand how deep this statement is, I want you to read the next sentence as many times as it takes for it to sink into your head. Here is the sentence, YOUR actions are screaming so loudly that most people cannot hear the words that you speak. I’m not kidding, read that last sentence again and again if necessary because it is the causation of what will make or break you in life.

You can have the gift of gab and be able to talk the talk but what most people fail to realize is that it is what you do that actually and only counts. It’s that very old adage that says practice what you preach. If you watch a person and study their actions, they will inevitably show you exactly who they are. It isn’t a difficult concept or something that requires studying and learning, it is plain and simple, very simple facts. A persons actions will show you who they are, a persons actions will teach you how to treat them and a persons actions will show you whether or not you can trust that person.

This is where your integrity comes into play. Do you have the integrity and the wisdom to be true to yourself? If you can’t be true to yourself then how will you ever succeed in life never mind be successful in business? People are not that difficult to understand, all you have to do is watch them. The confusion is that most people allow their “feelings” to drive them and therefore, you ignore all warning signs. Have the integrity to be exactly what you show the world and the world will be yours for the taking.

Do you want to learn how to improve yourself and improve on your persona? There is a book called Leading with GRIT that can help you to get started. If you do not know anyone who can lend you a copy, here is a link to get a copy at Amazon>> https://amzn.to/2MSXp9M

#WisdomWednesday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

#LaurieSudbrink

#LeadingWithGRIT

Social learning

How on earth do you stay connected and engaged in the age of technology and keyboard piracy where you just hijack social media conversations without having any real personal connection? On this #TalkingTuesday I’m going to tell you how to become more successful just by being you in social learning situations.

What the heck is social learning? Well, social learning is something that has been around since the dawn of time. It is gathering around other people and watching how they interact and thereby causing you to interact and so on. How stupid does this sound? Yet, everyone has forgotten how to socially interact and therefore they have no idea how to collect more contacts thus fail to increase their business and or relations. So how do you implement this? Here is the easiest and most simplest example. You are walking through the mall. You run into an old school mate or a friend you haven’t seen in some time. Here’s the hard part, you start talking to one another and exchange pleasantries. You then wrap it up and go about your life. What did you learn here? You either learned something that you can use to grow your business or you learned what not to do in your business or, you learned to carry a quick conversation thus practicing speaking skills. Every situation that you take advantage of just by talking to people will always teach you something that you can use in life.

It is estimated that nowadays 50% of companies are now opting to have their employees socially engage rather than to engage remotely or via text messages and or emails. This dynamic of social learning and engagement is a kin to success. Imagine if you never exercised. What would your body look like? Imagine if you never learned to read? How difficult would life be having to always depend on someone to tell you what was happening? Imagine if you never went to school. How ignorant would you be trying to navigate life? Social learning is just as crucial as any other aspect of your life. If you do not interact, you cannot grow mentally or emotionally and while trying to be an entrepreneur, you cannot grow financially or successfully. If you are uncomfortable with social interactions, use this one day per week, #TalkingTuesday, to get out there and interact with people. It could be as little as a three minute conversation. Just be there and learn from social cues that can carry you through your life’s progression.

If you need a little help or a bit of a boost go check out the book , How To Talk To Anyone. You’ll get some great ideas. Keep in mind you only need one idea that fits into your personality in order to start on this journey and this book has 92 Tips and Tricks. If your library does not have it, here is a link to get it from Amazon>> https://amzn.to/2Ml0Fvv

#TalkingTuesday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

#McGraw-HillEducation

What is your why?

On this #MammothMonday, you need to ask yourself a huge question. Most people are just going with the flow of life but never really stop and ask themselves the “Why” question. Why do I want to be an entrepreneur? Being an entrepreneur is not about making some extra pocket money. It’s also not about doing extra side work to occupy your free time. Entrepreneurship is about taking control of your life. It is about wanting financial freedom and living a life of freedom while having total control over your life and doing what you love to do rather than doing what you have to do. Entrepreneurship is not about having a side hustle, it is about having that main hustle. It’s about taking control of your life, picking what makes you happy then creating a life around it. That is what today is about, #MammothMonday, going huge. Ask yourself the “Why” question and confirm your reason for wanting to be an entrepreneur.

Once you are sure about your “Why”, it’s time to ask yourself a few questions. Think of it like building a house. The “Why” is your foundation and these next questions are the building material to build that house. Get a pad and pen then answer these questions honestly. The first question being, what skills do you have? Can you do this work that you love or do you have to delegate it in order to get it done? That’s an important question because it’s going to steer you in the proper financial situation. That being said, the second question is, how much money do you have available to use toward this dream? How long can you actually afford to carry it before it starts making money? The third question to ask yourself is, what lifestyle are you trying to achieve? This is an important question because it determines the level of work that will be involved. For instance if you are looking for a six figure lifestyle you won’t be subjected to as much work as someone looking to live a seven figure lifestyle. Please do not confuse the word work with the word commitment because we will all have different levels of work but we will all have to put 100% of commitment into this entrepreneurial lifestyle.

So on this Mammoth Monday, you can’t go any bigger than looking yourself in the mirror and being brutally honest with yourself by asking these very eye opening questions. Don’t forget to be brutally honest with yourself because the only person you will be fooling is the person who stares back at you in the mirror.

It is my opinion that you should read a fantastic book called Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk. It is a great read by an absolutely amazing, straight forward and tell it like it is guy. Go get it from your local library. Borrow it from a friend. Or, get it from Amazon. Here is a link to it >> https://amzn.to/2OHJCFg

#MammothMonday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

#garyvaynerchuk

Ibotta and you

This is a fun #FundMeFriday because I’m going to introduce you to a fun and amazing app that pays you just to use it. I’m going to show you how you can make some extra pocket money just by doing what you normally do, shop.

So I tried this app out a few months ago and by only doing one thing in the app, I have made over $100. This is how simple it is to start, first, download the Ibotta app and enroll. It’s free. Then, for instance, do your weekly food shopping. When you get home or later that night when you’re watching television or have nothing to do, take your receipt and go into the app and check off things you may have purchased from the particular store you were in that are listed on the app (keep in mind, the items change just about weekly). Then click a picture of your receipt and Ibotta gives you money for each item. If you haven’t purchased anything listed in the app that week, Ibotta gives you money just for taking a picture of the receipt. That’s it. Watch your money grow just by taking pictures of your receipts.

Now that’s only one way. Ibotta gives you many different ways to earn money by snapping pictures of your receipts. You just have to play with the app and before you know it, you’ll have a little savings account accumulated, all with free money. It really is that simple.

Another quick way to earn quick cash through Ibotta is by referring friends and family so if you don’t know anybody who has a code for you, I would appreciate it if you used my referral link which is >> https://ibotta.com/r/xqtlxjp

#FundMeFriday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

When to Trash, sell or donate

Today is going to be a fun, money making and conscience clearing #TrashItThursday. All my Entrepreneur pals out there are inundating their homes with way too much stuff. Sometimes it’s hard to think or be productive with so much stuff around so I have three ideas to help you declutter your environment.

First of all, when do you throw something away? People buy new products and tend to save the boxes. Or they buy magazines weekly and pile them around the house. People have even saved years of birthday and holiday cards. Throw all these things out. There is no need to keep this stuff. It’s garbage and you don’t need it. Walk around your house and open junk drawers, open the bins in the attic then open the door and throw out that “stuff”. Throw away all the junk you’ve accumulated and feel the weight lift from your shoulders. Release yourself.

So when do you sell something rather than trash it? The list can be endless. Do you have collectibles you haven’t looked at in years or comic books you’ve saved since you were a kid or maybe you have clothing that is in perfect condition but you just don’t like them anymore? This is when you sell. Open free accounts with eBay, Poshmark, Mercari and Letgo. There are many more sites but these are the popular ones. All you do is snap a few pictures of the item, describe it and add a price to it and that’s basically it. You’re done. You can make some great money selling items you no longer want or need. I happen to know many people who have even funded there IRA’s (Individual Retirement Account) selling unwanted stuff. It literally takes minutes so take the first step and list one item, just one item to try and watch how exciting it is when the money rolls in.

The third idea is donation. Do you have old dishes or pots or utensils or even older clothing or household goods that you no longer want? The Salvation Army and The Purple Heart are among two of many charities that will actually come to your house and pick up your items for free then issue you a charitable receipt to claim as a deduction on your tax return. You can even drive to your nearby Goodwill and they too will be glad to take your donated items and give you a tax receipt. The point is if you don’t want it and it’s in pretty good shape, donate it so some other person can enjoy it.

Therefore, your takeaway for today is to spend some time around your house making three piles, one for the trash, one for selling and one for donating. Clearing your space can bring mental clarity, release burdens and it can be very cathartic.

Do you need a quick start? There’s a great book called Clutter Free that Amazon sells and if you’re interested in this quick start, here is the link>> https://amzn.to/2Ov5949

#ThrashItThursday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals

3 Brilliant pieces of business wisdom

Hello and a happy #WisdomWednesday to all of you. I’ve chosen three pieces of wisdom/advise that I want to share today. These pieces of wisdom are geared around knowing something and not necessarily learning something.

The first piece of wisdom is that you only get one shot at a first impression. You’ve probably heard this your entire life and you probably have the concept of what it is but, do you really understand what it means? In life, you are the presentation of your entire life. If you are building the life you want and deserve, then be that person. Every single person you meet in life for the first time is a potential business contact, client, customer or even mentor. I’m not telling you to put on a daily facade, I am telling you to be authentic to yourself and be who you are without fake bells and whistles. For example, if you are someone who wants to run daycare centers, don’t joke with strangers about disliking children. If you want to run a business geared around health, don’t hang out in a smoking corner laughing with strangers about how annoyed you are when people are in your personal business concerning smoking. You never know who is in your presence so be authentic to who you are regardless of what that authentic person is and you will find like minded people and therefore succeed in life without wasting precious time backtracking through life trying to change people’s thoughts and perceptions of you. Be you from beginning to end.

My next piece of wisdom is to trust everyone then begin cutting the cord. Being untrusting and cynical can be exhausting and can waste so much of your valuable time. Once you go into a situation in a trusting manner, your instincts will kick in and that is when you start weeding that garden. On the flip side if you start off a situation untrusting then it is hard to focus and accomplish your agenda. You will be wasting precious time trying to analyze why you don’t trust a person and you will never accomplish anything so, go in trusting and cut them off if necessary after you’ve gotten to know them.

Finally, my last piece of wisdom is that nice guys don’t always finish last. That’s right, they don’t so don’t get stuck here. Although it is known saying that the nicer you are, the more likely you are to be taken advantage of, this is just plain ridiculous. The point is that there is no reason to be vicious or to take advantage of people just to get what you want. If you engage in this practice then you’re probably not being authentic to yourself and you’re putting on a facade and therefore you are not gaining contacts, clients, customers or business relationships that you want or need. More people will want to work and associate with you if you are approachable and authentic. Continue to be nice and don’t pay attention to where you finish as long as you finish a winner.

I hope you enjoy these three wisdom insights and make sure to always stay true to yourself.

I have chosen a book which I feel will make great reading material for you. It’s called The Four Agreements and it’s a great read. If you can’t rent it from your library, Amazon has it at the following link>> https://amzn.to/2VqDUsX

#WisdomWednesday

#LorisLoop

#TheMainHustle

#Entrepreneur

#Goals