Wealth Accumulation
Is America Still The Land Of Opportunity?
A
recent Survey of Consumer Finances conducted by the Federal
Reserve Board revealed these statistics about the state of
Americas finances.
Do
any of these facts hit home with you?
- The typical American
family earns about $45,000 per year. From 2001 to 2004,
family debt increased 33% (adjusted for inflation). Surprisingly
little of this debt stems from unnecessary spending. Instead,
credit is being used to pay for necessities like housing,
household expenses and health care, particularly in low-
and middle-income families.
- Average net worth,
which grew rapidly during the boom of the 1990s, rose
only 1.5% between 2001 and 2004 for the average American
family. In other words, for most of us, the worth of our
investments is not keeping up with the inflation rate.
- The middle class
is being squeezed more tightly than ever. Among the wealthiest
10% of Americans, net worth rose to $831,600, or a
6.5% increase from 2001. Meanwhile, the net worth of
those in the bottom 25% fell 1.5% to $13,300.
- More than a third
-- 36% -- of those who owe more than $10,000 on their
cards have household incomes under $50,000. 13% who owe
that much have household incomes under $30,000. The percentage
of disposable income used to pay debts is near record
highs.
The report
doesnt point out these more unsettling statistics:
- In February,
2007, the US Commerce Department reported that the personal
savings rate for 2006 was a negative 1%. The rate for
2004 was a negative .4%. For comparison, in the midst
of the Depression in 1933, the PSR was -1.5%. If 2007
figures show a decrease similar to those of 2006, well
have a worse record than during the Depression. (Source:
Associated Press)
- The US
is becoming less of a meritocracy, where skill and intelligence
determine success, and becoming more of a class-bound
society, where economic background, including the better
education money can provide, matters more. There are still
many rags-to-riches stories. But there's stagnation in
the underclass. (Source: Christian Science Monitor)
- According to
a new Federal Reserve data-based economic analysis commissioned
by the Consumer Federation of America, ...more than
half of American households (56 percent) are behind where
they should be in saving for a comfortable retirement.
A related CFA public opinion survey found that 59% of
Americans do not expect to maintain their current standard
of living in retirement.
Does
this sound like a nation of people who believe in and are
profiting from the American Dreamor simply a nation
of people who want to live the Dream lifestyle without really
being able to find a way to finance it? In fact, we have to
ask...
Is the American Dream still alive
and achievable?
Defining
the Dream
The immensely
popular 19th-century author Horatio Alger is largely credited
with defining the American Dream as well as the means to achieve
it. His books told the rags-to-riches stories of people who
succeeded because of the opportunities they had in the Greatest
Nation on earth. It didnt matter who they were. No matter
how hopeless their situations seemed, his characters found
wealth and success through determination and hard workand
of course, because they believed in the American Dream.
The
Dream Today
We believe
the American Dream is alive and well. The 21st century continues
to offer incredible opportunities. Escalating wealth is mostly
a matter of finding the right opportunities and having the
determination and guts to follow them through.
The materials and methods for accumulation of wealth have
changed, but the opportunities are greater today than at any
other time. One simply needs to learn about the new materials
and methods!
So
Many Things Have Changed:
Dealing With Fear and Uncertainty
The
events of September 11, 2001, permanently changed our country
and its citizens. Our assumptions that we are safe in our
own land faded to fear and uneasiness. Maybe you used to enjoy
travel, but now airports make you nervous. Perhaps you dwell
on the possibilities of another terrorist attack. Were
all dogged by an unstable job market where mass layoffs and
outsourcing threaten our livelihoods. The future is fraught
with uncertainty about whether were making wise investments,
whether the CEO will abscond with the pension funds, and whether
Social Security will be there for us.
Even weather patterns are unstable, taking lives with devastating
hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, heat waves, and blizzards.
Fear can make you want to simply maintain the status quo and
not take any chancesyet that is exactly what you must
do to avoid becoming a victim of fear, because fear is the
only thing that can prevent you from taking advantage of all
the possibilities that are open to you. FDRs famous
statement still applies: The only thing we have to fear
is fear itself.
But think about this: All kinds of fears have always held
people back from trying to improve their lives. Weve
used fear as a convenient excuse not to get on with the lives
wed like to live. Its so much easier to stay where
we are, complaining that well never get ahead.
The opportunity is there for the taking, but you must be prepared
to leave your comfort zone, summon up your strength and determination,
and set a course towards wealth accumulation. While money
isnt everything, it can certainly do a lot to alleviate
uncertainty and to enrich your life and the lives of those
you care most about.
Worrying about the future doesnt change it. No one has
ever been able to predict what will happen, or when, or why.
You only have today and the lessons you have learned from
your past. You can take charge of todays reality and
make it sing with tomorrows dreams.
Accumulating
Wealth:
The Opportunity Has Never Been Better
Horatio
Alger may have been right in the 1800s when he claimed that
anyone willing to work hard could succeed. Today, the picture
is different. It is painfully possible to work very, very
hard and not get ahead. If you live from paycheck
to paycheck and worry constantly about how you will meet your
financial obligations, youre living in a world of stress.
You dont even have the luxury of worrying about the
stock market, because youve got nothing to invest.
Yet more people are amassing wealth today than at any other
time.
True,
the financial picture for many of us doesnt measure
up to the rosy pictures we hear of a growing economy. We worry
about the war on terror, how well afford gas to get
to work, and whether our jobs will still be there for us tomorrow.
Yet you can begin your journey to financial success
today.
Instead
of the dubious prospect of accumulating wealth working for
someone else, you can take control of your finances by owning
your own business. It is much, much easier than you can imagine
because you can do it with your own home-based business.
Did you know that two thirds of all American millionaires
are self-employed?
Think about it. Who makes the most money? The restaurant manager
or the restaurant owner? The car salesman or the dealership
owner? Owners are self-employed, and they are much more likely
to be wealthy than the people who work for them.
Were not suggesting that you buy a restaurant or an
automobile dealership. It isnt necessary to take that
kind of risk or put in that kind of work. You own home-based
business can be every bit as lucrative and much less stressful
than a bricks-and-mortar business.
You probably already have the only equipment youll needa
computer and a telephone. Thats all! Now all you
need is the information that has transformed so many peoples
lives.
Take
Control
Don't
let someone else decide your future for you. Take the first
step today toward assuring a secure financial future for you
and your family. And dont wait until its too late.
Today is the time to get started in an extraordinary
business that has already changed the lives of so many,
freeing them of fear and worry and showing them that
they can live lifestyles they thought were meant only for
others.
When you accumulate wealth, you generate a steady residual
income that pays you every day. Are you ready to discover
how you can begin to build that kind of income-producing resource?
Then youve come to the right place.
Simply fill out the form below, and I will get back to you
with additional information.
Sincerely,
Walter
Hamilton
walter@pencilthemin.com
||||||
Overcome Debt
Your Own Business
|||||
|||||Owning
a Franchise|||| |
The Secret
is Out!
|