The Millionaire Next Door

If there was just one thing you’d like to accomplish in your life – what would it be?  Would it be to start your own business – and have it explode in revenue within 3 months?  Would you like to make so much money that you could give lavishly to your favorite charities?  To give locally to those in need?  To do God’s work all over the world?

Do you want to see yourself as being financially independent?  Remember: being “financially independent” is a lot different than having a lot of “stuff, but having no financial liquidity.  Financial Independence means that you have sufficient income to self-support you and your family.  It means not being so overly concerned with losing your job, because if you did, you’d be “two paychecks away from being on the street”.  It means that you can live a very comfortable life at or below your means.  It means that you don’t have to flaunt your wealth by getting into extreme debt to impress – or keep up with – the “Joneses’. 

I’m currently listening to a book on CD called, “The Millionaire Next Door”.  Written in 1996 by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, it is considered to be one of the most classic books on the reality of abundance and financial independence ever written.  What an “eye-opener” for me!  I’m learning so many truths about what it truly means to be a millionaire, and what doesn’t.  It explains that ways, methods, and mindset of true millionaires.  It explains that many of us – be cause we’ve been brought up in a consumer-oriented society – feel that you have to look “rich” with stuff to certainly be rich.  I encourage you to get this wonderful book (check your local library!), and realize your potential for becoming a true ‘millionaire next door’!

 

Joan Jackson, Principal

 JMJ Information Services

 Market Research and Information Products for Your Business

Author and Contributor of e-booklets:

 ~ 101 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Save Money!

 ~101 Online Financial Calculators Every Entrepreneur (and Everyone!) Needs 

 ~70 Tips – Thrive in Business in Any Economy: From a Collection of Experts

 

April is Financial Literacy Month

Here it is – Tax Day 2010!  I trust that everyone has their taxes done and in the mail (or at least by midnight tonight, your local time in the U.S.).

Ironically, April is also Financial Literacy Month.  I’m a strong advocate of financial literacy – not only for adults, but for our children!  At my library, I created and teach a March 30, 2010 class entitled, “Teaching Your Children About Money”.  There is also a great website devoted to financial literacy called, Money Management International.  It has loads of pertinent information for you and your family.

I encourage you this month – and in the future – to go to your local public library (a money-saver!), your local bookstore, or Amazon.com, and EDUCATE YOURSELF about personal  finance topics.  There’s always something new to learn!

 

Joan Jackson, Principal

JMJ Information Services 

Market Research and Information Products for Your Business

Author and Contributor of e-booklets:

~ 101 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Save Money!

~101 Online Financial Calculators Every Entrepreneur (and Everyone!) Needs

~70 Tips – Thrive in Business in Any Economy: From a Collection of Experts

 

Baby-Boomer-Resource-Center.com

It’s been awhile since my last post, but I’ve been diligently working on my new website, baby-boomer-resource-center.com.

We as Boomers are looking into our future with a need and a desire to live our lives to the fullest! And, we’re certainly not feeling like we have “one foot in the grave, and the other on a banana peel”!

I am a proud member of the Boomer Generation!

As a member of our illustrious generation, and a reference librarian/information specialist by trade, I have a PASSION for weeding through and finding QUALITY products and resources for people in general, and our generation in particular.In this site, you’ll discover and use information that will ultimately improve your quality of life, save you time in hunting resources, and cover targeted issues such as:

– Retirement
– Health and Wellness
– Personal Finance
– Housing Options
– Travel and Leisure
– Caregiving
– Lifelong Learning
-Lifestyle & Leisure
– Entrepreneurship
– Mental and Spiritual Health

…and many more!!
While this site has great resources, much, much more will be added on a continuous basis.

I urge you to bookmark my site, and learn to be a prosperous, knowledge-filled Boomer!

~Joan Jackson, Publisher, The Baby Boomer Resource Center.com

 

The Boomer’s Guide for Retirement Planning: A Selective List

With nearly two to three million baby boomers retiring every year now, there’s no wonder we have a steady influx of retirement planning books coming out! Subjects such as retirement plans, Medicare/Medicaid, reverse mortgages, relocation, planning for long-term-care, financial planning, and working after retirement are but a few subjects to consider. Your local public library and bookstore (not to mention the ease of shopping online at Amazon.com) offers educational resources that cover a wide range of quality information these subjects. The following is a selective list of titles that will start you on your way to an all-around healthier and happier retirement plan:

Cullinan, Jan and Cathy Fitzgerald. The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life. Revised and updated (2007).

When is the right time to retire? Should you relocate, and if so, where? How can you make sure your money will last as long as you do? What kind of lifestyle will best suit your retirement years? Two million Americans reach retirement age each year, and they urgently need reliable information and guidance as they plan for the second half of their lives. Drawing on the expertise of the authors-who conduct retirement seminars and have traveled extensively investigating places to retire and talking to prospective retirees and those who have taken the plunge-as well as the insights of contributing experts in various fields, this book is designed to be a comprehensive, all-inclusive resource. It provides detailed information about particular locales, financial planning and tax considerations, lifelong learning opportunities, leisure and volunteer activities, and working after retirement. It includes interactive surveys, questionnaires, and worksheets to involve readers in the rewarding process of planning their ideal retirement. It delves into the psychological issues surrounding retirement. Filled with practical information and advice, anecdotes, resources, and a healthy dose of humor, this revised and updated version is the one and only guide retirees will ever need.

Pond, Jonathan. You Can Do It! The Boomer’s Guide to a Great Retirement. (2007).

If you’ve ever listened to Mr. Pond’s special PBS programs on a PBS channel, then you know how thoroughly delightful and extremely informative he is on the subject of financiial planning in general, and retirement planning in paricular. He covers investing for retirement, “budgeting for people who hate budgets”, deciding when and where to retire, doubling your retirement income, and much, much more!

Weisman, Steve. Boomer or Bust: Your Financial Guide to Retirement, Health Care, Medicare, and Long-Term Care. (2007).

Journalist Weisman (from radio’s A Touch of Gray) takes on the challenge of explaining to boomers how things stand at present, starting with money. He describes retirement plans, investing, annuities, income taxes, reverse mortgages and the effects of age discrimination, then covers planning for long-term care, including home care, assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, and insurance.

Bolles, Richard Nelson. What Color is Your Parachute? For Retirement. (2007).

Steve Bolles has written the perennial favorite, What Color is Your Parachute?, for many years. It’s considered a standard for folks trying to discover their niche in the work environment. Bolles returns to readers with a slight twist on his theme – retirement planning from a “parachutist’s perspective”.

Rosenberg, Renee Lee. Achieving the Good Life After 50: Tools and Resources to Make It Happen. (2007).

Ms. Rosenberg provides a “life skills guide” for achieving a holistically better life after the beginning of mid-life. She provides good resources to educate her readers to seek that goal.

Ruffenach, Glenn The Wall Street Journal Complete Retirement Guidebook: How to Plan It, Live It and Enjoy It. (2007).

No other paper in the financial arena has a much prestige as the Wall Street Journal, and this handy guidebook for us laypeople lives up to our expectations! Mr. Ruffenach hits many of the subjects eluded to in the introduction to this selective list, and provides a wealth of information worthy of us boomers!

– These are just five titles of retirement resources for you. Many more await you online at Amazon.com, your local library, or bookstore. Explore many more treasures to enhance your retirement!

~Joan Jackson, Publisher, The Baby Boomer Resource Center.com