People are inspired to save money for different reasons. Share what inspires or motivates you to save in the comment box below and you could win one of six prizes we’ll be awarding, including five prizes of your choice of a $25 dining gift certificate or a personally autographed copy of my best-selling book, Bank On Yourself, for you or to give as a gift to someone you care about.
Five members of the Bank On Yourself team will each pick their favorite entry for the dining certificate/autographed book prizes. And together we’ll pick the most inspiring entry and award that person a $100 American Express Gift Certificate. (Sorry – U.S. residents only.)
Just post your entry in the comment box below by Monday, March 28. The prize winners will be notified by email on Friday, April 1, and the winning entries will be featured in that day’s blog post.
Save for something that excites you!
Research shows that people are more likely to save if they are saving for something that excites them, rather than because they “should” save.
For example, my husband Larry and I have two grandchildren living a couple states away. We call or Skype them (almost like being there!) every Sunday. Last Sunday, Halle, who’s in second grade, told us her favorite subjects now are science and math. She’s learning the multiplication tables, and we spent nearly an hour quizzing her – she would happily have kept doing it for another hour, but our brains were fried!
Halle’s brother Jake loves playing basketball. He’s a head taller than his classmates, so who knows where that will lead…
Anyway, a few years ago, we started savings plans for Halle and Jake’s college educations.
Doing that just feels so motivating. And because we’re saving the money in a Bank On Yourself policy, rather than an investment account or a 529 Savings Plan, we know the money will be there when needed. And if they decide to become entrepreneurs instead of going to college, the funds can be accessed without the restrictions or penalties common to 529 and other plans.
(Compare saving for college in a Bank On Yourself policy versus a 529 Plan)
So what inspires or motivates you to save?
Just post your entry in the comment box below by Monday, March 28, and you could win one of the six prizes described above!
What inspires me to save is that I have a passion for travel and for educating
myself through taking classes in alternative types of healing and spirituality.
Last year I was able to go to Scotland,do a retreat on the sacred island of
Iona there, on the way back go to Canada and do a class in using the techniques of angel therapy to help others and myself. Later in the year I attended training classes in a type of healing work called Integrated Energy Therapy in Sedona, AZ and in Boulder, Co. Saving also gives me peace of mind about my future. It’s worth it.
Three years ago my wife and her mother joined a church trip to Israel and Jordan. Ever since then she has wanted to go back and take me along to share the experience with her. A couple of months ago we learned the church was planning a new trip. With several years of paying in to our Bank on Yourself plan behind us, we had the flexibility we needed to realize her dream of a return trip together.
I save for three reasons: 1) To build financial resources to make myself and my family to be independent with respect to future life choices, 2) To empower myself and my family members to work for the “joy of working”, not just to pay bills, and 3) To created resources for charitable activities which would be equal to my charitable impulses.
Thank you for asking.
Sidney Bostian
“What Inspire’s Me to save”
I started my policy last year to protect my family in the future from any financial blip’s that might occur. I read the bank on yourself book 6 times and doing daily research on the “idea” around it. I realized that I could not prove it wrong and that adding a bank on yourself policy to my arsenal of investments I am protecting no only the family income but also my wealth since insurance policy does not get taxed as income.
Knowing that every year my policy is going up allows me to focus on what is important most…Enjoying time with the family and not worrying about the future. If I need the money it’s nice to know that it will always be there. I have converted a policy loan last year for christmas. It was nice knowing I am no longer going into debt for holiday’s
I am motivated to save to develop my career as an artist, and also to help my friends and love ones. Through the vehicle of my career, I plan to help the planet, and all the people and life upon it. This financial tool seems like a perfect thing to use in the process of doing that. I am very excited about this. I am so glad I found my CD/DVD set! Krita
My father worked for General Electric for over 50 years. All he ever used to tell me was save, save, save…He has been gone since 2005 but his savings has kept my mother in a solid financial situation since his death. I have worked for the same company 22 years now and I save through the company 401K. My husband has been trying to get his landscaping business to take off for a few years now. Due to him being self employed, I am pretty much the sole saver in our family. I want my kids, 13 and 11, to be able to go to college if that is their desire. I also wish to retire someday and what I put away plus the retirement fund through my company is all my husband and I will have. I am motivated to save as it kind of keeps my fathers spirit alive in me that I am saving to take care of my family as he did to take care of his.
My reason for saving with a BOY plan is to provide for my son’s college education. The BOY plan allows me to spend it as I wish and not according to some standards set by the government. If my son decides that he wants to really make money for himself and become a plumber or electrician, then I am not limited to spending the saved money on education expenses. My wife and I could use it as we wish.
I’m saving because I’m 55 yrs old and need to be able to leave my wife and 2 children, ages 4 and 8 yrs old, a chance at life with security.
I really enjoy helping people save through Equity Indexed Universal life policies. Most people have been told that permanent or whole life insurance is not a good place to save money. But those who have done it correctly are happy of the results. As an insurance professional teaching people alternative ways to save, outside the mainstream is very motivating.
My daughter and her husband needed to relocate their business which involved significant expenses for new equipment, tenant finish, etc. Since I am over 65 years of age, I got a reverse mortgage on my house which has been free and clear for many years. I took the lump sum amount from my reverse mortgage and invested that total amount in “My Bank.” The advantages of doing this are:
1. I could then borrow the amount needed for their business.
2. I have a large death benefit.
3. I can repay the loan to “My Bank” as the profits from their business increase.
4. I can remain in my home for the rest of my life or until I sell it.
The BOY is a win-win for everyone!!
I worked with a (Healthcare Co.) for over (nine -yrs). In – 2009 I had over ($20k) in my – 401k plan. (Lots of sacrifice and, saving) The corrupt! (Economic Crisis) occurred during this period. I lost (75%) of my hard earned savings. Now, I am seriously angry and, have a lot of anxiety about my (Financial!) Future. I am 56-yrs old. The mere thought of having to start all over again is disgusting to say the least. If you’re considering this program (Bank on Yourself) in my opinion your on the right track in restoring your financial health. I’m not a member of this program yet but I like what I’ve read so far. If you’ve lost the majority of your wealth like me. Please, remember you have to change you mindset as far as the lies you have been told in the past about financial security…
Pamela,
I watched my parents retirement savings get washed away in the bear market of “01 and ’02. Thanks to some bad investment advice they were forced to sell into the bear market to cover taxes due on previous capital gains, and the final nail in the coffin was the wipeout in 2008. They now have two or maybe three years of reduced monthly income before their savings is gone. They should have had sufficient savings to take them comfortably into the great beyond.
Based on my knowledge of BOY and my WL policy I am very sure that my parents would have been protected from bear markets and tax issues and would still have a steady income stream today instead of being on the edge of a financial cliff. This is why I started funding my BOY policy. It’s savings made simple, no guess work, no “timing the market”, and a death benefit for my family if something should happen to me.
For all the skeptics out there, please make an honest appraisal of your own returns. I mean a really honest, after taxes, after investment fees and charges, review of your investment returns. Unless you are an investing genius or just really lucky then your returns are much lower than you think and Wall Street and the IRS will be taking full advantage of you until you are on the financial cliff too.
Thanks,
Ethan
Savings? I was a single mother and Minority Women Owned General Contractor for 25 years and Real Estate agent for 10 years until the construction market began to dive in 2007. That same year my mother became ill with terminal lung cancer and passed in early 2008. I closed my company and focused on nursing my mother. I always thought I had time to save. I had some equity in my home, shop, office and property but it was not liquid. How was I going to pay off the ending bills I had for my company and keep myself going while my mother was ill? I knew that I would have to sell all or a portion of my property to take care of debt. Then the real estate market tanked also. After 2 years I was fortunate enough that my daughter and her husband were able to purchase a portion of the property. I had already ruined my credit waiting for the cash to pay my debts. I have paid off my company debt and paid down on my mortgage and put a small amount into savings. While my mother was ill she showed me their IRA and investments in contracts. The income from the contracts rolled into the IRA account. They had fortunately obtained long term care insurance for both of my parents but no life insurance on my mother and several policies on my dad. Then the income began to dry up that was going into their IRA as Contractor after Contractor declared bankruptcy in 2009 & 2010. I’m in a near panic mode as my brothers and I can see that my father is going to outlive the money in his IRA account. Then my youngest brother mentioned hearing about BOY. I had never heard of it and began to investigate last week. I have my advising appointment later this week. I am hopeful that there may be light at the end of the tunnel! While investigating I realized I also wanted to set up savings for my 2 grandchildren as well. Thank you BOY for showing me another way to save and probably saving my life as well!!
We are saving across 5 BOY policies. We started slowly when my son was born 7 years ago. Once we saw how it played out in reality, we put it in overdrive. Back then, there was not widely published common sense information on the concept, like . We are saving for everything! We are trying to run as many things through our policies as possible. Everything from home improvement projects, vacations, car loans. My goal is to never do business with a bank on a consumer loan ever again! I am now starting to fund real estate investments with my policies! Then there is retirement. We have our policies set up to support a tax free stream of income until we die! Then, when we die, we will still be able to leave our kids with a nice chunk as well!
My parents escaped a communist country to come to America to have a better life. They started cleaning floors in a hospital and saved consistently to make a comfortable life for themselves and me. They are both very successful now and I have grown up learning how important it is to work hard and to pay yourself first. I have seen first hand how important saving is for security and for your quality of life.
My husband and I are on a fixed income as he is retired, and I am currently unemployed. Thus, saving money for possible future medical expenses that might be incurred is a necessity and not an option; especially for myself as I have hospital only insurance that I pay for out-of-pocket as I’m not yet of the required age to be eligible for Medicare.
We are blessed with two teenage grandsons, and we would like to be able to help them attend college.
As for ourselves, we want, of course, to have fun and be able to continue to travel to visit our daughters, who live in different states, and my husband’s family who resides in South America.
About six or seven years ago, I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee. The week off work, and having to stay off my feet, gave me time to read “The Richest Man on Earth”, or something like that. It took place in ancient Mesopotamia. What I remember most from the book was, basically, save 10% of your income. The next week, I started a saving account depositing $107.82, twice a month, with ING.direct, who offered very nice interest. Since I was laid off in May 2009, I am certainly glad that I started that savings program.
I am motivated to save for lifes little emergencies such as car repairs
Why do I save via a BOY policy? Short answer – the Good Lord above and because of my BOY advisor. Long answer — I am a career Army officer and have been “thrifty” most of my life. I fell into the “buy and hold” stock market concept early on when First Command came knocking at my door. Over time, I grew tired of being blown and tossed about by market swings. About two years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to the “Infinite Banking Concept” (IBC). I was interested, but, boy, was I ever so skeptical. Savings through life insurance? Eghaad! I ended up placing the idea of investing in the IBC on the shelf. About 6 months ago, I started receiving email updates from the BOY crew. Although I was interested, my skepticism again reigned supreme. However, out of the blue, I just decided to contact the BOY representative in NC to give it a shot. After many hours of preparation, including reading the BOY book, I came at him from every angle. In short, I was blown away by his professionalism, attention to detail in his responses, and genuine concern for my success in investing. I am pretty hard to please, but he is, hands down, the best financial advisor I have met — and believe me, I have had many encounters with financial advisors. SOLD!
Take care,
Eric
We are only sorry we did not know about Bank on Yourself sooner. We are now involved in the program and also are getting our grandchildren involved.We are giving them a tax-free gift to start them in this program. This will be a lifetime gift to all of them.
The most painful part of borrowing money is filling out the applications, having them run a credit check, and then waiting anxiously for a response that you’ve been approved or rejected. If you are approved, you get the distinct displeasure of paying the money back with interest on their schedule, no exceptions.
Saving your own money in your own Bank On Yourself plan allows you to “borrow” your own money whenever you feel like it to use however you like. You can pay it back on your own schedule and the money you borrow continues to earn interest as though you never took it at all!
In emergencies, you can take a loan from your BOY plan with no restrictions, no exceptions and no penalties – unlike most government-regulated plans. It’s your money after all, NOT the government’s. Hands off!
What inspires me to save is personal FREEDOM. To have or do what I want, when I want, with whom I want.
My only regret is that this book was not written earlier. Even though I have been involved in the financial services industry for two decades I did not know about the BOY plan! I would be so much better off today if only I knew of BOY back then! I am motivated to save for myself and my family. Everything else comes second to them.
The reason i save is to have enough for the future and to have more than enough to help family and others that are in need. I believe that there is no complete happiness in life without sharing what you have. This a true saying “you brought nothing into this world and it is certain that you will carry nothing out”. So lets live to give.
I have been inspired to open a BOY policy by the possibility of actually being able to pay for my wife and Ito retire in a few years. I am a retired US Coast Guard Petty Officer and my wife is a Registered Nurse at our local hospital. My wife sacrificed a great deal during my 20 year career raising two boys and working full time, while I was deployed a good bit and on call the rest of the time. Now with the boys grown an each of us nearing retirement age I find that our hopes and dreams of travel and possible mission work are far from reach. With the BOY plan I am now able to again dream of the possibility of seeing a way to be able to make her dreams come true. I believe that with do diligence and maybe a little belt tightening we may be able to have our cake and eat it too.
Ever since I was a little boy, my grandpa – who was product of the Great Depression – told me that I should give. “Ryan”, he would tell me, “to be successful you need to give 10% to the Lord and 10% to yourself. If you do that all your life you will be safe and successful in all that you do.” I have thought a lot about his advice, especially as I have grown older. It made sense to be ready for “rainy days” – and even in my limited experience, those I have weathered in comfortable form, largely because of my “banks”. It makes sense to be charitable, and it also makes sense to save for myself – but it wasn’t until I worked a door to door sales job up in the Portland, Oregon area that I realized one of the greatest reasons why I should save.
While knocking doors one day, I met a single gal at the other end of life’s experience from me and my then 22 year old self. She told me I was wise for working hard and to get myself established while I was young. She also shared with me a story that ever echoes in my ears, because it “dangles” one of those proverbial “carrots” as to why I set my dollar’s dime aside. She told me how one day when she was young, like me, a salesman had come knocking door to door – much like I had that day. Unlike me, he was selling stock ownership in a local company and wanted to know if she wanted to participate by giving him $5,000. Well in the 30’s & 40’s, that was a considerable amount of money – and something she did not have available to tender, so she had to pass on the opportunity. I told her she didn’t seem too upset about not buying what he had to offer, and that is when she interjected, “That company was Portland Gas and Electric”… “And had I given him the $5,000 I would never have wanted for money again.” But, she hadn’t saved the $5,000, so it wasn’t even an option to begin with.
Savings aren’t just for tight times like grandpa passed through in the depression – they aren’t just for some obscured future retirement plan. They are also for opportunities and possibilities – but those possibilities are only available if there are savings to tender when opportunities “knock”. Come rain or shine, I am not sure what is on the horizon, but I know that one or the other (or both) will meet me at the front door each day, and I am ready to take advantage of whatever the situation because I give that 10% (and oft times more) to myself that grandpa taught me I ought to, so that I might be safe and successful.
My wife and I have watched our dream home sold in a short sale due to the economy. We have had to let 2homes go in this way. Now we are very wary of buying another until we learn how to save and pay for a home in less than 10 years. Security of finances is the best reason for saving.
I am motivated to save because of my children and grandchildren. We love to camp and travel. I am looking forward to retiring and having enough money to continue the same travels and fun that we now experience. I also would like to have a nice vehicle to travel in.
I started to save my spend money at age 11 selling newspapers because I relished the new 1953 Corvette. Got to work at my Dad’s service station at age 16 to save more. I got more inspired over sports car’s, got a second job and at age 21 purchased a new 1964 Corvette. My folks matched my savings and after that I realized I could save myself making more money to buy large puchases every 10 years or so.
I’m noticing now at age 68 the people I’ve met thrue the years have done simular. I now realize the most important thing is you teach the young one’s the value of perfecting a budget at an early age by starting small savings and a goal which accomplishes everything.
What inspires me to save is the inevitable upcoming financial disaster. The same exact trends are in play as before the Great Depression.
I save just to live. Live as I feel & believe. I believe in America and Americas Constitution. I save also as an example to my family, peers and friends to realize they are able to do the same. Thanks to BOY, I come to live and believe more and more everyday! Thank you folks for all you do to help educate us!
I have been taught by the best, my family, to save for the rainy day (whatever day that I happen to call a rainy day…children in school…those unscheduled repairs (house, car, health, etc.), the fun times, and more. The only person that is responsible for me…is well…me. Therefore I save so that I “have” for the opportunities that life has and if nothing else, because I can and should to be responsible to my family.
What inspires me to save is the funds I will need during my long retirement period so I can be free from planning to eliminate activities that I can not afford.
I am motivated to save by nothing more nor less than self-preservation. I lost my husband a year ago and now feel the need to make whatever funds available to me to last as long as I do. I do not want to be a burden upon my children. Whatever money left after I die will be divided among them, but for the time being I need to watch what I spend so that my future will be paid for. It is most difficult……….
I am inspired to save because I want to be able to live my life without financial worries! I’ve done the debt thing, and there’s not one positive thing about it! I am working hard to make money so that one day my money will start to work for me! I want freedom to take a vacation with my family when we want to, and going into debt for it isn’t an option. As Dave Ramsey says, “I want to change my family tree”.
My parents managed to pay for my college without loans by being extremely thrifty, and our goal is to get each child through their undergraduate program. But we don’t want to borrow or drastically restrict ourselves to do so.
We have two more children to get through college, I am working on several tranlator certificates, we want to retire in Alaska, and we love to travel. My husband is a consultant who travels worldwide for business and he likes to have me accompany him when I can.
Saving through this method gives us the peace of mind to be able to pay for the necessities and reach our goals without relying on others or building up a big debt that our children and grandchildren will be saddled with.
I’m a young senior retired but always looking for ways to generate additional income as long as it is genuine and does not cost a fortune to become a member. Although my children are grown, but I have grands and would like to help out when necessary. I am definitely interested in finding out more Bank On Yourself. It sounds good, but I know more when I talk with the advisor in the near future.
I save so that my wife and I can have a comfortable retirement and to help our children and family members if we can.
I am very concerned about the future of our country and the world economy.
Proverbs 13:22 says,
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
It has always been my hope to leave an inheritance for my children in both wisdom and money. Times are hard for everyone, nowdays and it’s tough to find ways to become debt free. I save because it’s the prudent thing to do!
When I was a kid I never thought much on saving money. A few years passed and new technology was starting to come out and I REALLY wanted it so I started saving. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I survived years without a job because of how much I saved since I was a kid. I started looking at this site when my money started running low. I recently started getting interested in stocks and bonds as a source of income since I’m still unemployed. As more “toys” come out the more interested I am in making money. If I could get this book, then maybe I could double my earnings and start on some inventions I’ve been creating in my spare time.
Saving is a responsibility and a privilege. A responsibility because we owe it to ourselves and to our children to live below our means and build up wealth to serve us in the future. A privilege because we live in a society where so many have more than they need.
While saving is a responsibility and a privilege, saving responsibly is an honor. For too many years I saved dishonorably. I saved following a path of greed and unrealistic expectations. While I thought I was “doing the right thing” I was actually falling victim to the fallacy of Wall Street and government. In the end my savings enriched others and I was the victim. Bank on Yourself allowed me to channel my responsible savings in an honorable direction where I have guaranteed return, minimal risk of loss and ready access to the bulk of my money should I need it or find a way for it to work even harder for me.
Finding out about Bank on Yourself seems like an answer to prayer. Recently, my father died and I became responsible for my elderly mother’s finances. I have been researching different investments to safely transfer her money from a money-market account that is earning barely any interest. If my father had known about Bank on Yourself many years ago, he might have died a multi-millionaire! Instead, what they had has steadily been losing value with the declining value of the dollar.
Someday, after my mother goes on to heaven, the remaining estate will be divided among the remaining family members. I feel the responsibilty to keep this money safe, yet invest it to grow as much as possible. Every other investment that I researched would put the principal at risk, or not give any growth at all.
My husband and I were overseas missionaries, so we used up all our savings. We
then came to the USA because I became very ill, and my husband worked as a
handyman to support our family. We never had too much leftover to save, but we
believed in storing up our riches in heaven.
Now as we approach our own retirement years, we had no hope of ever stopping
with work. What savings we had, were eaten up since 2008 with the crash in the real estate market. I see the BOY plan as a possibility to make our money work
hard for us and our family, to give us some hope for a financial future. Otherwise,
we will only be able to hope in the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even before I read Bank On Yourself, I had searched for a way to save for my first grandson’s college education. Dominick was three months old when my life insurance agent and I set up an insurance policy similiar to what the BOY policies are. One month after I put the down payment on the policy, sweet little Dominick passed away from SIDS sitting on the couch at daycare at 2:00 in the afternoon. Because I used the life insurance as the basis of my savings vehicle, my daughter and son-in-law learned in their grief that they would be receiving the death benefit. The policy didn’t turn out the way I dreamed of, but it helped make a very difficult time easier to deal with. Now I have a BOY plan for my granddaughter, Faith and one for myself. I am working with my daughter to encourage her to start their own. It’s a great savings vehicle with a built in safety feature of providing a safety net in the event of a disaster. No 529 plan could have done that for us.
I save, so I can reach my goal of becoming financially independent. Both of my parents were home when I came home from school as child, due to owning their own business. This played a huge role in my upbringing, and made me who I am today. I now save with a BOY policy, because it allows my money to do double duty, and have the peace of mind that if I die my family will have the death benefit to fall back on. God bless the day I wandered into Barnes and Noble!!!!!
My wife and I are retired living off the interest of our investments, which have turned out to be doing quite well. My problem is the coming collapse of the nations economic system, and fearing the loss of our money in the bank. From what I have learned about the “Bank on yourself” program, this may be the solution to my worries. I need to explore more, before I commit any money to it. Some questions I would like answered are; When the dollar is worthless what good will it be for us to be building up a large cash value life insurance policy that will essentialy be worthless? Will we, the nation, go to a completely new money? What about gold and silver, will any investments there now be advisable?
We are looking forward to answers to put our mind at ease.
I am saving to show my children that being debt free, and using the financial concepts of BOY and how paying yourself, instead of the bank is the ONLY sound financial principle. I will be able to give my wife the new car she dreamed about, as well as provide world class trips for my family. And provide financial stability for my children as they become adults. Saving, while spending through the BOY plan is the only way to wealth.
I save for two reasons. I want me and my family to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle free from life’s curveballs. I want to always have extra cash on hand to handle life’s emergencies. I also save to have the ability to help others in need. Nothing is worse than hearing of a person or family that needs some support and not being in a position to help. These are the driving forces for me.
What inspired me to save is my love and concern for my family and my love for the world wide human family. Simply meaning, My mother always taught me that ” I should daily be about applying the Golden Rule [Doing Unto Others, What I Want Others To Do Unto Me], First and Far-most, via all of my thoughts and activity daily “. Because, If I failed to live a life with-out such thought and activity. Than, I would never have a meaningful reason to complain about, what’s happening in the world. And, the most effective way to help would be via having money, to share with others as I shared my love for others. Therefore, I had to be all about Caring – Sharing and Saving from about 4 years old to my now being 66 years old.
I save in preparation for the coming economic tsunami. The consequences of the federal government’s relentless devaluation of our currency and reckless deficit spending will some day knock at our collective financial door steps and I’m not planning on beig surprised when that day of reckoning arrives. So I save, not paper money, but hard currency. The day of fiat money will end with a crash and real money will again reign supreme.
I am saving so I can continue to keep my wife, who is a quadriplegic, at home. Although I have saved all my life, my retirement plans were altered when my wife had an accident 11 years go that left her paralyized. To quote Christopher Reeve, “her life totally changed within a fraction of a second”, as did mine.
Up to this time I had invested in equities and debt obligations, aminly municipal bonds. The fragile condition of both markets have changed my investing tolerance from agressive to extremely conservative. Coupled with the rising costs of medical expenses, and strugling with home care costs, I need a reliable and safe investment to secure our future.
I save because you and my dad are right. One of my father’s favorite sayings was: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” I think your program is the best advice I’ve ever seen about how to save defensively, and I thank you for sharing your knowledge. Here’s to you and Dad!
Pamela,
I had been “looking for a vehicle” to start saving in…you know a safer more effective way to save.
I really don’t know how I recieved the e-mail for this but what a blessing it has been.
Now I KNOW that I can retire with MORE than just a state subsidized (lol) retirement so we can travel to see family at a whim, be debt free, and just really do what we want to. I am really looking foward to another policy to fund….I think we will call it hmmmmmm…..the Dave and Kathy fund.
Happy savings to all,
God Bless,
David
Over the course of the last few years, I have reprogrammed my financial mind. The old programming told me to work hard, fund my traditional investments (401k, stocks, mutual funds) and buy some term insurance. If I could stomach the ups and downs of the market, I would one day be set and have financial security in my retirement years.
This approach was in deed building wealth in a fantastic way!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t building wealth for my family, but for the stock brokers, mutual fund managers and the tax man. Sadly, they didn’t even send
me a birthday card on my birthday.
I realized after seeing failure after failure with this approach, there must be a better way. I started researching, digging, talking to various people to find this better way. A few years ago, I came across the BOY approach and found it to be the most compelling way to achieve what I was after. During all of this research, the reprogramming was well underway.
As part of the reprogramming of my financial mind, I started to separate the concepts of savings and investment. It seems to me, most people are turned up side down with investing before saving. If you don’t have savings, I don’t believe
you should be investing. Savings first, then investing is my approach. It is critical that my savings remain predictable and safe. The investments on the other hand are more risky and if it is lost my plan still works in the end. Savings are the
foundation of my financial health and if my investments do well, then its icing on the top.
Savings to me is the concept of building capital that I can use to fund college, generate a passive income, borrow for major purchases, and then easily pass on wealth to my family. I not only wish to pass on money to my family but true
wealth consisting of the peace and security that comes with savings in a BOY policy.
I’ve played the Cashflow game (Robert Kiyosaki – author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad) with my children. The way to win the game is to have a passive income that exceeds your liabilities. Although this is just a game, I am playing it in real life and BOY is a huge part of how I will win. By funding my 2 BOY policies, I’m building capital. That capital will one day generate a passive income for me to use when I determine the time is right. Along the way, I can use that capital to fund the major purchases of life. As I’m using the capital, it keeps working in my account unlike taking it out of a traditional bank account or mutual fund.
My new financial mind is programmed to work hard to generate an income, save, share and then invest.
My husband was at a networking function and came home with a copy of Bank On Yourself. Needing a new book to read, I picked it up and started reading it. It wasn’t at all what I thought it would be. I was only a few chapters into the book when I realized this is going to change my life for the better in a profound way.
You see, I understand the fraud that is the Federal Reserve. I know how “the bankstas” have stolen and continue to steal TRILLIONS (we may actually be in QUADRILLIONS by now) from Americans since the establishment of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. Furthermore, I understand how these bankstas rig the stock market, create booms and busts, and inflate the money supply by creating money out of thin air so we have rampant inflation.
When I quickly realized what BOY was all about, I realized this is a HUGE step towards financial sovereignty. Over the last few year I started making small steps towards self sufficiency (starting a vegetable garden, cutting back on excess overhead, storing food). Looking at the state of our country and the financial mess that both parties have gotten us into, it became clear that I would have to take matters into my own hands. I figured out about 15 years ago that I’m not going to be able to count on social security. So I learned about mutual funds and investing in the stock market. About 3 years ago I realized the Market is a rigged casino and the bankstas always win and our government is their willing accomplice. (By definition, this is fascism, folks.)
BOY is an amazing financing and saving tool that allows you and I to take control of our money, leverage it in ways previously unimaginable and bring us one step closer to individual freedom. And THAT is what inspires me to save.
I took a trip in 2008 to South America– I pulled out of my driveway in North Carolina on a KTM 950 Adventure motorcycle and kept riding for 4 months until I arrived in Peru. When I left, it was the “trip of a lifetime.”
To see some of the photos, visit http://www.ShannonNicholson.net
But somewhere out on the road, and crossing through 15 different countries by motorcycle, I changed… and that philosophy of “trip of a lifetime” was no longer true. The trip had now become the “FIRST trip of a lifetime” and I was inspired to plan for many more.
Now, my wife and I save for adventure– now and in the future. We’re paying close attention to our investments, we’re starting a Bank On Yourself plan, and we’re figuring out ways to work away from our home and office so we can enjoy month-long adventures every year.
I have 2 grand children; everything I save is for them. Their Mom and Dad have decent jobs, nothing that will allow them to let the kids get additional education, college or technical training. So from the day they were born I would put away $15-$20 per week for each and hopefully when they reach that decision time it will be a help.
I just got engaged a week ago, I know that when my fiance graduates from school she’ll have $20,000 in student loans. I’ve been saving for the past year and a half to pay of my loans. Now I’m saving for the next year to pay off hers as soon as she graduates 🙂 She has no idea, and the timing will work out just perfect for our wedding one year from now.
– David
What motivates me to save? At first it was purely motivated for self gain. When I took a look at that goal, it was premature. I am not married or have kids, but I knew if that were to come into the picture, then that motivation to save would change from personal to family.
Then upon looking at that, most would look to bigger things after family, like community or some other charitable cause, and that’s where my motivation now lies.
Ask yourself a question: What do these words have in common? Flood, income, underwater, drowning, currency, flow, Bank,Floating, Deposits, Pumping, Frozen, Liquid, Slush “fund”, circulation…etc.
I think you get the idea, Money behaves like water, so we describe it as such.
That view has totally changed my philosophy of how I now treat money and use it around myself. I now am motivated to use money to invest in my local surroundings and improve my area the best I can.
While this may sound altruistic, it is still very much capitalistic, what better way to re-circulate the money in a local economy, that can bear more positive action via the velocity of money, than just being locked away in sum “fund” for a rainy day.
By doing this, no amount of inflation or currency collapse or banking restrictions on lending can stop a local economy that produces its own items for trade, with REAL capital (read as tools) to produce and employ people in meaningful work.
PS. Here is one example of the power of recirculation of currency within a community, building business, employing people, with very little lending to them during those times and still creating wealth! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nssa5B79784
Now imagine what a BOY policy in the right people’s hands can do!
Source:
http://blog.creativethink.com/2007/01/the_water_model.html
peace of mind!
I save when I see financial uncertainty in my country…like the last two and a half years! I am a capitalist and during that time the U S government has gone way beyond its purpose. I need to supoort my family first.
So, I will be savings as much as possible from now on.
My main reason to save is to take care of my children, extended family, and other charitable giving. I see the BOY plan as a wonderful way to make better use of our
money than ever before. It offers a vehicle to make the money grow, keep it safe, and to actually grow wealth to pass on as an inheritance to the next generation.
In the times in which we live, with the devaluation of the dollar, the bankruptcy of the social security system, the collapse of government and union pension systems, the volatility of the stockmarket, and the other financial stresses of
our world, the BOY system shines like a beacon of hope on the road to financial
security and prosperity. Even if the dollar collapses, hopefully the money will be
safer in a BOY policy than in other financial vehicles.
When I listen to the news about the unrest over pensions, and the bankruptcy
of the US government, I think that BOY policies could be an answer to help
people to become financially independent and to get free from what the US government has to offer in the form of bankrupt social security and pensions.
I have dhildren…2 girls and 2 boys…They are my life…my inspiration! I also have a deep desire to help dhildren whether they be sick or homeless or in unhealthy and unloving families and I have a strong desire to help parents that have been effected by the economy that has caused them to be unable to care for their loved ones. Its a tall order and there are many of those tht I speak of in this situation so I pray that the lord blesses me with the ability to help these people…not just my own but All of Gods children young and old. Finding a way to grow assets to the extent that I could help as many as possible would make me feel that I have fulfilled God’s purpose for me in this life.
Raised by my Grandparents I learned though example to smell the roses, enjoy the beauty of the world and save for a rainny day. Bank on Yourself helps with all of that.
I want to earn more than the low interest CD’s are paying an be able to leave my childreen something and fund my own long term care if needed . I was in a mutual fund in the 90″s and luckily lost only my accumulated interest . I got out of that fund and invested in CD’s instead. They were paying good interest up until lately and now i’m waiting to hear they will be charging me to keep my money in their institutions . (A little financial humor .) At my age I’m afraid the insurance premium will be cost prohibitive . I just need to schedule an appointment and find out for sure I guss .
I am inspired to save because I know if I do not save than I am never going to be any better than my ability to earn an income (meaning I will never be able to retire.) To be able to save and allocate money in the most efficient places today, in pre-retirement, will allow me to be able to maximize my retirement income and also allow for legacy maximization if I choose.
Saving to me is just hanging on to what I’ve earned and I mean hanging on. It is not greed that motivates me to save but fear. Like everyone else who responds, I worked hard for what I have and have had (past tense, see 1999-201 and 2008). If I do not take steps to save and maybe earn some interest no one is going to do it for me. I only wish that I had found BOY earlier!
My motivation is tired of being broke. My savings and most of my retirement accounts were depleted due to being unemployed for 6 1/2 months back in 2006. Besides working full-time, I was running my business part-time and was in the middle of a renovation (a contract I fulfilled until someone else was able to take over). 5 years later, I’m starting to breath. I put away $50/month to rebuild my emergency fund (which I never had). Relied too much on my lines of credit as my safety net. Once those became frozen, everything spiraled down very quickly. Slowly all creditors are getting paid back.
Freedom from Uncertainty
I believe strongly in paying yourself first and saving for raining days,because you have something to fall backm on.
My parents were poor.They struggled to put me to college in the Philippines.There was no such thing as loan for education in my country. My dad worked 3 jobs, saved money,paid my tuition,borrowed money from the bank, worked, save and so on, cycling like this for seven years until I graduated from medical school.
I trained in the US and became a Fellow and Diplomate in Pedaitrics.
Early on, I realized the value of my parents sacrifice, and the value of puting aside any amount to save.
I petitioned for them,. They have lived with me for years. My dad is now deceased for 25 years. My mom is 951/2 years old now.and is living with me.I got married when I was 34 years old, got unmarried at 48 years old.
I am 71 years old,now, still full time practicing Pediatrics.I have 2 boys 34 and 32 years old.I have to continue to save to help my 32 year old to finish medical school.
, also to share it with my other love ones when the need arises, and also to share it with religious and charitable organizations that are in need,
Inflation, government waste, trickery, higher taxes, outrageous medical costs, and
smiling politicians all motivate me to save.
I save for the security it gives me. I am a special education and author. My wife is a former teacher and now stay-at-home mom to our two young daughters. I am the sole bread winner in my family and, thus, am responsible for feeding all us, paying our mortgage and keeping the heat/ac turned on. I do not buy expensive things at this point in my life because I know that something could break or I could lose my job any given day. I do not anticipate this happening but that is why I have an emergency fund – these things are emergencies. I sleep soundly every night knowing that, because I save, I can will still be able to provide for my family if something unexpected happens.
It would be nice to see if by starting, Banking on Myself, in the, Bank on Yourself plan, would reap financial security for my wife and I. If time and staying with the plan proves to us how to pay ourselves back if we do go on a dream vacation trip or pay for those yearly family vacations that our children can not contribute at this time, what a legacy we would leave to them. We could show our family how it was done through Bank on Yourself and hopefully show the way it was done.
Everyone has a different motivation to “keep” more of their hard earned money. If you are like myself, then we don’t have all the advantages of the wealthy and politically connected.
“Bank on Yourself” levels the playing field and allows us to CONTROL our assets thus giving us a modicum of protection from the entitlement ” you don’t need that money” mentality of the government.
It all comes down to peace of mind and the FREEDOM to spend what we make on what we want!
I am determined to provided a solid financial future for my wife and kids. Currently my wife is a stay at home mom and I need to make sure that we show a positive example to other young families. Our family motto is “we shall be lenders and not borrowers” and the bank on yourself lends it self directly to this motto.
I am motivated to save because the end result is always positive if it is specifically designed to achieve well defined objectives.For example, recently I saved up over a period of 18 months to buy a car. On time and to specification, I achieved my goal. To me that is success.And success brings happiness. And happiness makes me enjoy and live fully and contented. Also, each time I saved to make a down payment to purchase real estate. I am always excited when I met my goal. And anytime I am successful it is a milestone in my life. Saving for my dreams change my life for good. It is the same reason that I want to get involved in B.O.Y. programs because I am assured from what I have read so far, that I can use the equity in the savings plan to pay cash for major purchases and still pay my plan back with all the interest generated. This is exciting. On top of this, my plan and the dividends are still intact. This makes me happy.