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 for additional information.