Most of us have some sort of financial goal. Here are some simple examples I have heard people say:
 
 “I want to be rich.”
 “I just want to be comfortable and enjoy life.”
 “I want to double my investment every month.”
 “I want to win the lottery.”

 
Some goals are more likely to become reality than others. The more realistic the goal the more likely you will achieve it. 
 
Whatever your goal, it is important to have one. We all need something to aim at. And a goal allows you to measure your progress as you go along. But I encourage you to define your financial goals in terms of what they can do for you and not just in terms of money. Three out of the four goals stated above are defined in money. 
 
Let’s say you achieve your financial goal to be rich. Now what? Now that you are rich, what do you do now? Does being rich change you?
 
My goal when I started my career was to be rich. And after 20 years or so, I was. I gave up a lot to do it. I kept the old jalopy for one more year… I waited to go on that perfect vacation. I worked hard and saved a lot. 
 
And when I had achieved my goal, I looked around and saw what an empty place I had chosen to be. I kept asking myself, “Now what?” And after awhile I realized I did not really care about being rich, just to be rich. 
 
I have owned 7 Series BMWs and old Chevrolet pickups. I really don’t see much difference, and most times, I prefer the pickup. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with a BMW. It is a magnificent car. 
 
The point is I bought the BMWs because I could afford the best. It really was not what I wanted. To me, going from here to there easily, safely and comfortably is as well accomplished in a BMW as a Chevrolet pickup. 
 
I have owned more than one home. I found this to be nothing short of a nightmare. It is not only expensive but it added very little to the quality of my life. 
 
I like to putter around the house doing projects that improve my home. And I have an excellent collection of tools, but I could never remember which house the tool I needed was in. I would spend hours looking for a tool that was not there. It is such a relief to have just one home again. I can find my tools now. 
 
Investing your capital is all about increasing your wealth. The purpose of increasing your wealth is not to be wealthy, but to give you choices. Wealth gives me the ability to choose what my perfect day will be today…and every day. 
 
Each of us has our own set of choices we want the power to make, and each of us has our own perfect day. Mine is to get up early, exercise, and then search all day, every work day, for investments that grow. Occasionally, I pretend to play golf, but not very often.
 
I think it is important to define our financial goals in terms of the choices we wish to make. 
 
What choices do you want?
 
 -Do you want to live near your children?
 -Do you want to play golf every day?
 -Do you and your spouse want to travel the world?
 -Do you want to volunteer your time?
 -Do you want to start a new business? 
 
And when do you want to enjoy these choices?
 
Once you have outlined the choices, you can very easily tailor a portfolio that will help you meet them. 
 
To me, there is no destination in investments, or in life. It is the journey and not the destination that matters. 
 
I hope you enjoy yours a much as I have enjoyed mine.

Live long and prosper,
 
Mike Williams, CFA

Mike Williams is a professional money manager and Chief Investment Officer for Panhandle Portfolios, Inc. He has a BBA from the University of Massachusetts, an MBA from Southern Illinois University, and has held the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification since 1990, Certificate #13376.

He has been a credit analyst, a foreign exchange exposure analyst, an international pension expert, an international equity portfolio manager, a Japanese stock analyst, and the founder and chief executive officer of several companies engaged in a variety of business ranging from commercial real estate in New England to recycling electronics in China.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wealth-building-articles/there-is-no-destination-in-investments-1599654.html

Financial freedom is a state where money is no longer an issue in your life. You never need to worry about not having enough money. You never need to think about having to make money. And your choices are not determined solely by the cost. Financial freedom allows individuals to live life fully, however each individual chooses. Everyone has the right and the potential to be financially free, but not everyone uses them. In fact, only about 1 in 5 individuals ever become truly free with regards to money. But what else could we expect? I do not remembered ever being taught about how to achieve success with money in school or at home, and I know that many other individuals never learned the fundamentals either. Understanding what successful people do and doing the same things is an essential aspect of success.

There are 5 key success factors for achieve financial freedom. All self made millionaires portray these qualities to some degree, which is why many people refer to them as traits of the “millionaire mindset.” Regardless of what you call them, they are essential aspects of high achievement, whether it be in business, with your money, or with any other goals that you may have. Applying the following success factors will put you on the path that can take you toward all of your dreams and aspirations, so take note and make sure that you exhibit these things.

Knowing Where Your Going
There is one common denominator amongst self made millionaire, they have goals and aspirations. People do not do what it takes to become rich unless they had a lot of motivation, and motivation only becomes present when you know what you want to achieve and why you want it. How much money do you want to earn? How much passive income do you need to retire? Why do you want more money and more free time? Clear goals are powerful tools for transformation.

Planning Your Success
Once you have a clearly established goal you will be ahead of the majority of people. Most people do not even know where it is that they want to do in life. Once you do know, it is time to plan out how you will turn your goal into a reality. You will need to call upon your experience, the experience of others, as well as other sources of information to give you the tools and strategies that you need to create your own million dollar income. How have others achieved what you want to do? Who better to learn from?

Learning and Growing
Are you the person you need to be to achieve be rich and financially free? The answer is probably no. How do I know? Well, if you were the person you need to be rich, most likely you would be. If you are not where you want to be financially, you need to start working on yourself, learning and growing your knowledge of business, financial, and personal success.

Action and Application
All the goal setting, planning, and learning will not do you any good whatsoever unless you apply it and take appropriate action. Action is the bridge between your goals and your goals coming true. You must prepare yourself, and then you must take action. If you have followed the steps above you will know what to do when you need to do it, and as long as you do you can earn millions.

Persistent and Motivated
How long will it take for you to get rich, to become a millionaire, to become financially free, or to accomplish anything else? Nobody really knows how long it will take to achieve their goals, which is why persistence is a key trait of all high achievers. The more motivation you can muster, the more persistent you will be.

Ben is a young entrepreneur who has several successful businesses under his belt, and enjoys sharing information on a wide range of business, financial, and entrepreneurial topics. Visit Free Millionaire Mind Resources and the Home Business Success Blog

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wealth-building-articles/the-millionaire-mindset-5-key-success-factors-for-achieving-financial-freedom-1594673.html


Chicago, IL (PRWEB) March 28, 2012

Select Italy is proud to introduce ?Divino Tuscany,? a four-day vacation package to celebrate the art of Tuscan wine-making. The event will take place from May 17th to 20th in Florence and will offer an exclusive experience in a breathtaking environment with an impressive roster of hosts. Guests will taste wine, attend seminars, enjoy lavish dinners and watch live musical performances.

“This is an exclusive, V.I.P event, one that offers the best of the Tuscan wine and hospitality industries.? says Andrea Sertoli, President of Select Italy ?In addition, the Tuscan noble families and V.I.P. attendance makes it a red carpet event that wine lovers and appreciators wouldn’t want to miss.”

Created with the highest level of excellence in mind, ‘Divino Tuscany’ sets a new standard in event design. The signature event will be hosted by James Suckling, former Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief of ‘Wine Spectator’ and one of the world’s most noted and influential wine critics, and IMG Artists, the global leader in arts management and a leading producer of cultural and lifestyle festivals. The founding vintners from the Antinori, Frescobaldi, Mazzei, Ricasoli, Il Borro, Petrolo and Castello Banfi estates are also slated for participation.

The celebration of wine permeates every aspect of the four day event. Tuscan wineries, castles and palazzos belonging to noble families will open just for attendees. Exquisite food will be served by restaurateurs of the highest caliber, such as Giorgio Pinchiorri of the renowned Enoteca Pinchiorri, against the hilly backdrop of Tuscany.

Other program highlights include an inaugural concert by world-famous Cuban jazz trio featuring Ernan Lopez Nussa and a showing of ?The Heart and Soul of Cuba,? a documentary that explores the Cuban cigar industry. Afterwards guests will enjoy a grappa tasting and fine Cuban cigars at the Grand Hotel Villa Cora.

The Closing ceremony of the exclusive four-day Luxury & Wine Event will be hosted by Sting and Trudie Styler in their Villa Il Palagio with a traditional Tuscan pig roast.

For pricing, booking and full details of how to be a part of this exclusive experience visit Selectitaly.com or call +1-312-664-4200.

About Select Italy

Select Italy is the ultimate source for travel to Italy and offers a wide array of superior Italian products and services, including customized itineraries, state-of-the-art tours and packages, wedding/honeymoon trips, unique culinary classes, a complete pre-departure ticketing service for museums and musical events, private guided services, yacht charters, transportation, hotel reservations, villa bookings and more. In 2010, Select Italy opened a full-service branch in Shanghai, China. For more information call (800) 877-1755 or visit Selectitaly.com.





Are you tired of never getting ahead financially? Are you sick and tired of living check to check? Then obviously it is time to do something different. Did you know that over on third of the self made millionaires in this country are entrepreneurs who make money in their own businesses? It is no surprise, as business owners get paid based on their results, not their time. That means they do not have the limits that others do when it comes to making money, and therefore they get rich easier.  But being in business alone will not make you rich, but it is a good start toward a million dollar income. If you are going to building wealth with your business, you need to know the strategies of millionaire entrepreneurs.

Ready to make more money than ever before? Ready to multiple income streams that work on autopilot? Lets look at some wealth building strategies that can be used for making millions of dollars in your own business, or starting one from scratch. They are simple and can be mastered by anyone with a little practice and patience, and they have proven over the years to develop large incomes for anyone who masters and uses them. Building a million dollar business is within your reach, and here is how to start.

Host a Website and Market It
A website can be a terrific way to generate daily leads for any business. A website never rests and can therefore earn you can advertise, build your business, and earn passive income 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every week of the year. All you need is a simple website of blog to start. Your website is a great tool for attracting new clients, offering more products and services, automating your promotion campaigns, creating mailing lists, and diversifying your income. The time has come where all business owners need their own website, so do not get left behind.

Use Leverage at Every Opportunity
People who make money from their own efforts alone do not usually accomplish a whole lot. Making millions in business will require you to use leverage. You can leverage your ideas by using ideas of others. You ca leverage your experience by learning from more experienced people. You can leverage your time by getting free or affordable help. You can leverage your money by borrowing from reputable lenders. No matter what, the more you are able to leverage your own efforts, the more you will be able to achieve.

Create Long Term Customers
Businesses that are in it for the long haul are more conscious of retaining and maintaining long term clients. Businesses that only focus on making money from each client one time greatly limit their long term earning potential. The most common and effective way to build long term relationships with your clients is to cultivate your own email lists. A contact list can be used to keep in touch with your past clients.  There are a few other ways of keeping in touch with clients so they remember you for the long term including hosting a blog, Twitter, and social networking websites.

Develop a Customer Mailing List
The money is in the list, a mailing list anyway. A mailing list is a marketers greatest asset, and a single list can be used to generate huge amounts of income over and over again. Building a list is easy when you have a website. Simply offer something free in exchange for your visitors email addresses. You can then promote things to your list and make sales over and over again. You can use your list to promote affiliate products, drive traffic to new websites, build your network marketing businesses, and you can even sell off ad space in your newsletter. Cultivate a list of targeted names and emails, it will allow you to earn money over and over again with the click of a mouse. These are know as back end sales, and they are the backbone of a million dollar income.

Ben is a young entrepreneur who has several successful businesses under his belt, and enjoys sharing information on a wide range of business, financial, and entrepreneurial topics. Visit Creating Wealth and Prosperity and the Internet Wealth Blog

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wealth-building-articles/wealth-building-strategies-how-to-earn-massive-amounts-of-money-in-business-1594686.html

It is very natural and almost always true in most cases that people tend to think of insurance as an expense. Even while buying insurance, the first thing anybody would like to know is ways to cut back to minimize their costs. It is a widely prevalent belief and true in some cases that term insurance is a total money-saver. However, like anything else in the world what works for someone else might not actually be the best thing for you. And experts argue that if you invest your money wisely and pick up the right plan, whole life insurance can be the best thing that happened to you since sliced bread.

The thing with term insurance is that you need to judge the cost of premiums and more importantly the tax consequences on your other investments and savings, to actually judge whether term insurance is the right way to go, for you.

The typical mindset is that one does not require life insurance after retirement, when kids are out of college and the mortgage is paid, but you might change your mind about that once you understand the living benefits that come with life insurance.

If you have investments in real estate, you should be looking at insurance that covers your federal and estate tax. And even if you do not have any estate tax, whole life could be a great investment vehicle offering the kind of returns on your money that you are unlikely to see anywhere else. Other than the decent rate of return, coverage for entire life is huge value. And even the returns is completely independent of the stock market and your returns are not dependent on the turbulent financial ups and downs.

If you pick out the right policy, then you can ensure that all your death benefits are passed on to your beneficiaries with the additional weight of income or estate tax on them.

If you are saving money month and the rate of return is less than 8-9%, then you should be thinking permanent policy and in turn, a whole life insurance policy. Speak to the right people and get a policy that works for you and your financial situation. The kind of returns and benefits you get really make it worth it.

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Whole life Quote | Universal life insurance : BeamaLife.com

Have you ever observed the Stock dealer’s screen having market operators glued to it with anxious, anticipating glances? The screen shows rows of figures in a dynamic state, changing instantaneously. Now, to analyze these figures closely, let’s go back to the definition of “market”. A market is a place where the sellers of a product (or service) and its buyers converge. The market forces of demand and supply determine the price at which the trades are affected i.e. the price at which the sellers are willing to sell the product and the buyers are willing to buy the product.

Similarly, the Stock Market is the place where the sellers and buyers of shares of companies trade and the same forces of demand and supply determine the price of trade. The share market provides an electronic platform, unlike the normal markets where the buyers and sellers are known.

The orders are placed and executed electronically through a stock exchange which gives its dealers electronic platforms to place bids to buy and sell. The stock exchange server maintains an order book for all the orders that its members place (whether buy or sell). The software determines the price of a stock based upon the demand and supply. Here is a simplistic example of how this is achieved. The stock of Company A is currently trading at .7800.

Buy orders Sell Orders

Shares Price Shares Price

600 30.800 800 30.7800

400 30.775 700 30.775

It can be seen above that the buy orders at this price (demand) is 600 shares while sell order (supply) is 800 shares. As supply is more than demand, therefore the price of the stock would fall. In this case, the next lower order is at 30.775.So the next instant price would be 30.775. It must be noted that the order book is in a dynamic state and contains all the orders of the members. This is the microscopic view of changing demand and supply and corresponding prices of the stock. This is a very fast process almost taking fraction of seconds. In the real life, it is hard to make out such interaction and supply and the “stock quote” at any instant gives the price of any stock at any given time.

The price, volume and other details comprise the Stock quotes at that instant if the market is open or closing price if the market is closed. The other accompanied details apart from price are

Volume – The total number of shares traded
Closing price – The Previous Closing price.

There are other details as well. Let’s see a typical example of stock quote of Microsoft Corporation as on 19/06/2009

Last Trade – 24.07
Trade time – 4.00pm
Close – up 0.57 (up2.43 percent)
Previous close – 23.50
Day’s Range – 23.75-24.34
52wk Range – 14.87-28.92
Volume – 115,458,922

There are many websites that also give other parameters like EPS (earning per share) P/E price earning ratios etc. These data help to make competitive analysis of stock with respect to its past performance, stock of companies engaged in similar business and with respect to the main indices of the market.

SogoTrade stock broker: Internet stock trading
Stock investment education at SogoTrade: Online stock market investment

Cigars are a special reward at the end of a long day, in much the same way as a fine wine. Tobacco is influenced by weather, climate and soil, and the best cigars are hand-made, adding that variable to the whole mix. These inevitable variables make consistency more difficult to achieve. The best brands of cigars will owe some of their success to the process of maintaining a consistent level of flavor and quality. This is one of the reasons why you should select a well-made brand, so that your first experiences are positive ones.

The body of a Cigar refers to the actual taste, and the strength of that taste. A cigar that is light in body will be lesser in strength than one that is medium in body. In keeping with that comparison, a cigar that is referred to as full-bodied will be stronger than either of the other two. Many cigar smokers recommend that you start out with a cigar of light body, to become accustomed to the taste.

If you’re looking at the better made cigars, make sure that their construction is good. Keep in mind, that if a cigar is hand-made, it will not be as uniform as cigars that are not hand-made, and this is to be expected. When you select a cigar, hold it lightly in your hand and squeeze various areas so that you can be assured that there aren’t any softer spots. Soft areas mean non-uniform burning.

Try a few good brands of cigars if you are looking for the best smoke. If you’re not sure of a brand, buy individual cigars and not full boxes, in case the taste is not to your liking. Find a brand that you have enjoyed a few times before, and keep in mind that sometimes your taste may change a bit. You may have more than one favorite cigar, as you try more brands out. You can read about other people’s favorites at CigarBlogs.com

The cap of a cigar is a smaller tobacco piece that acts to close off one of the cigar ends. It makes each cigar look better, and it keeps the paper wound properly. This is the part that you will usually clip off before you begin smoking your cigar. It should be thought of as being a little like opening the cigar to smoke, rather than as cutting the end off. In fact, you shouldn’t clip off the whole cap, or the paper will begin to unravel. Just open up a small air hole.

To get the best flavor and burn, toast the foot of cigars by holding a flame far away so it doesn’t touch the foot. Swirl the flame by rotating the cigar, giving glowing embers to the foot. Once you have the embers glowing and smoke coming off, remove the flame source from the cigar, and blow out gently through your cigar. Puff a bit and reapply the flame so that the cigar can finish being lit. Then you are ready to enjoy the smooth and rich taste of your cigar.

To get the best flavor and burn, toast the foot of cigars by holding a flame far away so it doesn’t touch the foot. Swirl the flame by rotating the Cigar, giving glowing embers to the foot. Once you have the embers glowing and smoke coming off, remove the flame source from the cigar, and blow out gently through your cigar. Puff a bit and reapply the flame so that the cigar can finish being lit. Then you are ready to enjoy the smooth and rich taste of your

Great wise quotes are a beautiful source of insight and inspiration for life. Such quotes present perspective on how the quotation’s author strove to live their life, how each accomplished what they did, or how the author perceived their existence and world. Memorizing a wise quote is a great means of offering advice or just assessing one of life’s challenge. Below, find a great collection of wise quotes about life.

While I breath, I hope. -Latin Proverb

The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend. -Aristotle

My friends are my estate. – Emily Dickinson

As you do to another, expect another to do to you. -Latin Proverb

Without sweat and toil no work is made perfect. -Latin Saying

Be the change you want to see in the world. -Mahatma Gandhi

Sadness flies away on the wings of time. -Jean de La Fontaine

Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change. -Wise Quotes

The best things in life are not things. -Wise Quotes

A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether. –Roy H. Williams

Today is the last day of some of your life. -Anonymous

He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise.

A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times. -Baltasar Gracian

Be wiser than other people if you can, but do not tell them so.

The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart. -Benjamin Franklin

A friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. -Aristotle

You don’t love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her.
- anynomous

All winning teams are goal-oriented. Teams like these win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims.

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. Albert Einstein

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all. – William Somerset Maugham

Quotes About Beauty remind me its what’s on the inside that counts too.

Are you looking for best Mortgage Quote? This has been the cry of many people to continue with their mortgages. To shop for a mortgage quote is not an easy job, you need time and it is sometime very tedious. This piece of word is going to give you some steps to consider if you want to get a good mortgage quote. Put in your mind that no matter how tedious the work is but it is good to have the best mortgage quote. When you are giving out money, you may not realize it until it has given you thousands of dollars. To get the best mortgage quote for yourself is to get a lender who will provide it for you. Lenders give you the detail information on the mortgage and they also do the work of deciding your credit risk. For many borrowers getting the best quote would mean the lowest rate.
Before you demand for a mortgage there are several factors that you have to take into consideration before comparing mortgage quotes. You must be aware of the factors that lenders think as important, when they prepare a mortgage quote for you.
The type of mortgage you demand influences the rate and quotes for a mortgage. This is because for example when market rates go down, Adjustable rate Mortgages also goes down while interest rates on the fixed mortgages remain constant.
The Loan term also influences your mortgage quotes. If you choose a loan term for 15 years or 30 years, will determine the mortgage quotes you get. Shorter mortgage loan term entails the borrower to pay larger monthly payments while longer loan term of say 30 years will mean smaller monthly payments.
Down payment is a very influential part in determining a mortgage quote. This factor will lower the interest on your loan. The greater the equity on your home, the lesser the chance of your defaulting on the loan. If you make an interesting first time down payment it makes the lender to trust you.
You credit score is also an important factor that is used to determine a mortgage quote. When applying for mortgage quotes, you must take care that you have a qualifying credit score.
The type of property you are buying also determines the quotations on the Loan. Whether it is a single family residence or multi family residence, a mobile home or a condominium.

You must be honest with your loan application because the information you will hand over to them will be verified later, so why not humbly yourself and give them the right information they need? When you are not honest, the people in charge will send you incomplete or bad information concerning the mortgage quote and the amount may be reduced. Through this, it can affect your sales contracts you have planned for. Present the credit you have to your lender dont tell lies because you want to get more. If your are presently with a mortgage quote that does not give you the best, make sure you change it immediately and go for the best one.
You may seek online mortgage quotes or simply go visit companies in person and seek quotes. The place you are buying the property in, the city or the state you live in, the neighborhood, all of these factors will also be considered while determining your mortgage rates. If you have a good credit score and make a fair amount as down payment, you may be fortunate to get lower quotes compared to others.

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