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Stock Market
ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH? OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
It was all my fault, and I take full responsibility. I was tired. I was lazy. I was driving by a pharmacy and remembered I had just run out of my vitamins. So I impulsively stopped to grab them. The cashier rang them up and told me the total: $12.99. I thought it seemed like more than I had been paying, but I was tired and I needed them. All the way home, my tired brain kept saying, that seems really expensive for those vitamins. As soon as I got home, I looked up the prices. WHOA, it was $4 more than where I usually buy them. Well, I need the vitamins, but 50% more just seemed more than I could bear. I tried to rationalize the purchase. I can afford it. I was tired. It is OK. But that means if I keep spending an extra $4 for vitamins over the course of a year, I would spend an extra $48 on vitamins when I really could’ve gotten them cheaper. That’s what a dinner out might cost. What if I spent an extra $4 on ten other products? $48 x 10 = $480. Now, that could be a plane ticket or two. I’d rather have a trip to Maui than paying a convenience fee of $4. Back to the store I went to return the high priced vitamins. Then I went where I regularly buy them for a much lower price. It certainly cost more to right this wrong but the moral of the story is: I have my $4 back, my dinner out, my plane tickets to Maui, and I learned my lesson (maybe you did too)!
Tax Refund? What are you going to do with it?
We have some suggestions if you want to create a feeling of financial freedom.
(1) Pay debts – Use the refund to pay debts that are from consumption or non-appreciating assets like credit card debt, student loans, car loans, medical debts, etc.
(2) Fund expected and unexpected expense saving accounts – Creating these reserves to draw from when necessary can avoid you from creating debt when life events occur.
(3) Invest it – There are so many opportunities to grow your money. We generally suggest the stock market, real estate, or businesses.
(4) Create a fun fund – If you have all your debts paid off, fully funded expected and unexpected saving accounts, and you are investing consistently a percentage of your income regularly, it is time to have some fun! You can save it up for something big or use it for some special occasions.
If your refund is large, you may want to look at adjusting your withholding or your estimated tax payments.
Above all else, always consider using your refund to improve your financial situation.
Bearish Butterfly Rapid Options Learning
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself at sherri@lockeinyoursuccess.com or Dave at dave@lockeinyoursuccess.com and we will be happy to answer all your questions.
We will be taking a break from our monthly webinars but will still continue to post content to our blog, Facebook, and YouTube channel! When we return we will discuss many different aspects of financial freedom, which will mostly fall into the five categories of business development, real estate, career development, stock trading, and money management.
Put your money to work
The fifth and last phase in our financial freedom plan is to “Put your money to work”. Here is where the fun begins. Now you can build up piles of cash for investments. To build those accounts use the money you were putting towards your debts and emergency fund in phases three and four.
The following must be maintained to stay on the road to financial freedom:
1. Stay debt-free.
2. Accelerate paying off your mortgage to at least 15 years or less.
3. Maintain at least 15% of household income towards retirement, a fully funded emergency fund, and adequate term life insurance, if needed.
4. Pay cash for everything (except possibly real estate, an appreciating asset).
5. Diversify your investments.
Always keep in mind that you MUST fully understand the investment BEFORE you invest in it. Relying on someone else to “manage” your investments can lead to disappointment and frustration. So be sure that you have a complete understanding of all the risks before investing. Always remember no risk, no reward.
Please list some investment options in the comments that should be investigated.
Establish goals then lean in
Are you meeting your trading goals? Do you have trading goals? Everyone should have goals, it is a way to measure your progress. If you don’t know what you are reaching for will you ever get it? Probably not. How can you reach a target you don’t have?
Begin with the end in mind. For instance, how much will you need for that dream vacation? If we planned a dream vacation for next year with a budget of $12,000, would we be able to go? It depends. If you carefully plan and track your progress, it is certainly more likely.
For example if the balance in your trading account is currently $50,000 you would need to earn 12% on those funds over the next twelve months to book the trip. Should you just check back on your account in a year to see if you reached it? Of course not, break it down further. If you earn 1% each month on your account less fees, that will be 12% over the course of a year. This goal should be checked on at least monthly to ensure it is on track. You certainly wouldn’t want to start planning a dream vacation you cannot afford to take!
We have established just such a goal for our students under Locke In Your Success, LLC called Locke Up Hawaii 2016! We congratulate all the participants as it is a big step to publicly state a goal for all to see. It creates a greater sense of commitment and community around the goal. Consider publicly stating your goals and find supportive peers to provide accountability and encouragement for you to meet them.
Please click like if you have publicly stated your goals and comment about your results.
Learn to trade simply from an innovator!
Why has the Super Simple Spreads course been a best selling program? Join us this Thursday, June 4th at 7:30pm to find out! John Locke will be discussing his course that any one with basic options experience can follow because it is simple!Here is what some of his students are saying about the program:
John is an innovator who has helped my trading immensely. I have found his methods and philosophies about trading to be life-changing.
Since working with him, for the first time in my life, after years of trying, I have become a profitable trader. -Troy
Since working with him, for the first time in my life, after years of trying, I have become a profitable trader. -Troy
His strategies work because he has such a good innate feel for the multi-dimensional interplay of price, volatility, and the Greeks. John has the ability to take something very complex and make it accessible to the less experienced trader. John also works extensively with the all-important “soft factors” of psychology, emotions, and discipline. -Phil
Mark your calendar to get this important information which can help lead you to financial freedom!
Click like if you will be joining us for the FREE webinar.
Growth does not happen overnight
Many clients ask, “When should I start investing?” The answer is “Immediately”! Investing in the stock market is a marathon not a sprint. The earlier you invest the more you will have when you need it.
It is difficult for teens to consider investing in the stock market but investing early can produce HUGE dividends. If an 18 year old were to invest $5,000 in a mutual fund that earns an average of 8% annually and invests $100 monthly they will accumulate $1,255,081 on their 70th birthday. Pretty great birthday present, wouldn’t you say?
If you decide to take your birthday present just 10 years earlier, you will be giving up a lot! If you stop investing when you are 60 years old and you end up with a mere $557,146. So when should you start investing?
Grab an investment calculator and run the numbers. We challenge you to speak with your children about investing and how they can incorporate it into their life. Please comment below about your experience.
Three tips to finding the right broker
Finding the right broker is very important to successful stock market investing. We have come up with three tips to consider when you are looking to open a new brokerage account.
1. Mobile access – Nobody wants to be glued to a computer screen all day. Find an account that can be managed via smart phone so you can take your trading with you to execute trades on the road.
2. Trade execution – When you need to make a trade or adjustment, you need it done right away. Delay in execution will cost you money. Find a broker that has a lightening fast speed for filling orders.
3. Low commission rates – This is a big deal. Shop for low commission rates. The amount you pay per trade can make the difference between making hundreds, thousands, or even millions!
It comes down to weighing what is most important to you as an individual trader. Do market research on the different brokers and then narrow it down to three potential brokers. It would be wise to ask successful investors what broker they would recommend and why to help you make a decision. Either way, find a broker, open an account and start investing!
Please share what broker you use for your trading account.