Michael Finley MY TOP 10 'SECRETS' TO CREATING WEALTH



10 "SECRETS" TO FINANCIAL LITERACY AND FINDING HAPPINESS

1. Believe in yourself, and never give yourself any excuse for not reaching your dreams. It does not matter who the president is, it does not matter who your parents are, it does not matter how pretty or skinny you are, it does not matter whether you are a democrat or a republican, Christian or Muslim, or black, white or brown. The only thing that really matters is YOU and your willingness to learn and make the sacrifices that are needed to achieve the life of your dreams! Maybe today is the day you look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I am the answer!"

2. Become your own financial expert. You don’t need a business degree, actually you only need to be able to read and then take action on what you have learned. Avoid learning from a financial advisor or a life insurance agent (the commissions you will pay on the investments they recommend identifies their conflict of interest). You must gain the knowledge yourself from independent sources that are not “selling”. Start reading, learning and doing and your life will change. Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson is a good place to start.

3. Pay yourself first! Save 20% of your gross income BEFORE you start having “fun”. If you have followed through on the first 2 points, this will not be that hard. You say you are mired in debt? Okay, take that 20% and pay off your debt until it is gone, then save 20% towards your emergency fund and retirement. This step will provide you with the freedom to live out your dreams.

4. Avoid doing dumb things. Do not play the lottery (it is a loser’s game). Do not use life insurance as an investment (commissions cost you dearly). Do not make minimum payments on your credit card (pay it off in full every month or cut it up). Avoid loans on depreciating items like a car (if you have one, pay it off and don’t replace it). Do not underestimate how that latte is making you poor (watch your pennies). Do not buy individual stocks because you got a "great tip" (don’t be a sucker). Finally, do not try to get rich fast (you only get poor fast).

5. Focus on your net worth, not on how much “stuff” you have. It isn't how much you make; it is how much you keep! Your net worth tracks your success towards creating wealth. Focus on assets that grow, and rid yourself of debt that leads you in the other direction. Don’t worry so much about looking successful. Focus on being successful! Do your net worth statement every year and review your results from the previous year.

6. Get organized. Organize your life, the people around you, and your personal finances. Put your investments on autopilot by having them taken out of your bank account every month. Pay off debt systematically and do not replace it. This requires great discipline and persistence. Both of these qualities can be obtained at no cost. Knowledge is great, but only ACTION will move you towards financial freedom!

7. DEBT IS SLAVERY! Avoid or eliminate debt in your life at all costs. This will mean that you must stop living paycheck to paycheck. This is a learned behavior (a choice) and not a good one! You must learn to live on less and save (emergency account) for today while investing (freedom) for your future. This will reduce the stress in your life (money is the #1 stressor in our society today). Life is hard enough; do not make it any harder. Read The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey to further your education on the evils of debt.

8. Materialism is not your friend! Buying the nicest outfit, the newest car, the biggest home and the most “bling” will not make you happy! Identifying who you are based on your possessions will provide you a one-way ticket to high levels of stress and hopelessness. Learn to understand advertising and reduce its insidious effects on how you live your life. Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez will show you the way.

9. Invest in no-load Index Mutual Funds! Do you know what these are? A financially wise person does and they also know that over long periods of time these No-Load (no commission) diversified investments beat the vast majority of smart money (men and women who spend their days trying to outsmart each other with very little success). Start investing today (dollar cost averaging) and watch that money grow, and grow, and grow.

10. Financial Literacy is not about buying happiness. Happiness cannot be bought. What money can do is provide you with the financial freedom to live the life of YOUR dreams and when you are living out YOUR dreams, happiness will soon follow! Financial literacy is a journey towards finding what YOUR life is meant to be. Start today and become the person YOU want to be!

Feel free to contact me with your questions or concerns. I am here to help you with your financial literacy journey at any stage in your development. I have no conflicts of interest (I am not selling anything which can alter the recommendations I make to you). I am solely here to help YOU with your financial literacy! Go to facebook and friend Michael Finley (The Crazy Man in the Pink Wig). You will see a financial question posted every day of the year. Follow along and stay informed. I am traveling down a journey of financial literacy. Come join me. YOUR financial free future is waiting for YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Contact Information

E-mail: MikeFinley@

Website: (under construction)

Phone: 580-483-5811

Books that can change the course of your life!

• Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson (all in one book for beginners)

• The Top 10 Distinctions between Millionaires and the Middle Class by Keith Smith (change)

• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey (debt is your enemy)

• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John Bogle (why indexing is the answer)

• Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J. Stanley (know thy enemy, it is YOU)

• Making the Most of Your Money by Jane Bryant Quinn (great reference on everything money)

• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez (why you do what you do)

• The Four Pillars of Investing by William Bernstein (expert analysis on investing)

• The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm (how a regular guy “fixed” his life)

• Debt is Slavery by Michael Mihalik (learn it now or pay for it later!)

• Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell (a wonderful story told in 63 pages)

• A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel (a classic that needs to be read by all)

• The One Minute Millionaire by Robert Allen (there is a path if your eyes are open)

• Financial Self-Defense by Charles Givens (playing defense will save you thousands)

• The Pursuit of Happiness by David Myers (how YOU can find true happiness)

Green deals with the way we think and behave with our money.

Red deals with personal finance in all shapes and sizes from debt, to insurance, to investing, etc.…

Blue deals with debt. How to eliminate it and how it affects you.

Purple deals with how to invest your money wisely and efficiently.

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