Fragilista - Part 1

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbDYxlgTwvAiGjYpQbnH4mjq2ITL0w5qPX7CFqf37GN9NIWUfwsuJy1CeLcmyXlqQioTOue1F_909H7T-c-wKDzlDIzyTG13QCa78Cb2yhVVsziXREB9hfztL0E0kXCTk2Ji-8BJt-nTk/s1600/P1050243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbDYxlgTwvAiGjYpQbnH4mjq2ITL0w5qPX7CFqf37GN9NIWUfwsuJy1CeLcmyXlqQioTOue1F_909H7T-c-wKDzlDIzyTG13QCa78Cb2yhVVsziXREB9hfztL0E0kXCTk2Ji-8BJt-nTk/s320/P1050243.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very fragile sink - we are chucking everything at the <br /> kitchen sink of 2017 to make it as successful and <br /> anti-fragile as possible</td></tr> </tbody></table> <b>Welcome to a New Year of new opportunity ladders and slippery snakes. </b><br /> <br /> This year I am kicking off with the basics on how to achieve Financial Independence with a link to my <u><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/lifeplanltd/home/TimeLine_Financial.xls?attredirects=0&d=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b>updated Financial Independence Timeline planner</b></span></a> </u>that allows you to create a basic budget, track spending and create a financial independence plan.<br /> <br /> I will cover a bit of <u><b>media bias</b></u> (plenty here;) in the wold of fake news and risk planning especially <u><b>focus on becoming anti-fragile</b></u> (Courtesy of Nassim Taleb)<br /> <br /> In part 2, that will be released later, I will<br /> <b> </b>discuss our anti-fragiliska actions and what you can do<b><i>.</i></b><br /> <h2> Early Retirement does not have to be a dream - maths 101</h2> <div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> I have read a lot of articles from the FIRE community and mainstream media. Some are very good at highlighting how it is possible to save what can bee seen as a daunting wad of money. Some talk of extreme "sacrifices" made at a young age to do this. In reality it is sensible to choose somewhere in between. <br /> <br /> A happy financial independence is possible with a reasonable wad. It is possible to avoid extreme living arrangements to get there. We "retired" at age 37 and still managed to have a great time along the way. How?<br /> <br /> Simply - we worked (at education to get good jobs where we put in the required effort) and saved hard all our lives (50%+ of our after tax income) - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grit-Passion-Perseverance-Angela-Duckworth-x/dp/1785040189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484472770&sr=8-1&keywords=grit" target="_blank">See the book Grit</a>. Secondly live with a good standard of living but nothing extravagant which is the premise of the book "<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Millionaire-Next-Door-Surprising-Americas/dp/1589795474/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484472896&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Millionaire+Next+Door" target="_blank">The Millionaire Next Doo</a>r". <br /> <br /> A middle class lifestyle is a luxury and there really is no need to overstretch yourself with "luxury goods" trying to keep up with the "Joneses" or "Showing Off". A middle class lifestyle in this day and age means access to cheap world travel, indoor toilets and central heating. These are luxuries in their selves and were not available until recently. Obtaining financial independence just means understanding and applying the following maths:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>The MAGIC of COMPOUNDING and the RULE of 72</b>. Divide 72 by the rate of return you obtain and this gives the time for the initial amount to double. If you have 50,000 saved and get a 10% return in 7 years you will have 100,000, 14 years 200,000, 21 years 400,000 etc. This is with no additional capital added! Sprinkle some in and this process speeds up dramatically.  <br /> <br /> The secret is that at first you don't see the nest egg grow much - the power of 72 is hidden.  Add in a sprinkling of the ups and downs of the business cycle and it is easy to see this as a deterrent - it is not working....persistence is the key.</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Secondly how much do you need to live off in FIRE 15,000 per year? This requires an investment pot of around 214,000 returning 7% a year........(too aggressive for me - but it is quite startling)<br /> <br /> 15,000! This surprisingly goes a very long way when you house is paid for, you live in a country that has good health coverage (providing you pay your taxes) and you have low living costs by SMART living choices. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> BIG IDEA: Do not be part of the heard, save as much as is reasonable and make sure the money is put to WORK providing an INCOME (<u><b>not a speculation or gamble</b></u>).</blockquote> To help you visualise how this all works I have updated my financial independence time line planner with new budget and spending tracking sheets (excel spreadsheet).<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/lifeplanltd/home/TimeLine_Financial.xls?attredirects=0&d=1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="TimeLine_Financial.xls" border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBQKRWQKsRKNedGhHOJJVCFo3JLHg5MPBwzo4ov_OUHZ1ieUjW1sDEzq68J1F1XIIADEn94hctjbwFeQyg-IH757skuxLaO31qey9E3L8Ja94n-zOFnS_pQ28QWxpyJis-uYshHwpvp7_/s400/Timeline.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on picture to download expense tracking, review, budget and financial time line*</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h2> Can it really be so easy - if so why don't more people do it? </h2> First up were are told it is not possible - daily. Retirement has been dolled up over the years as golf, beach, cruises. All of this is a massive sales job. Before you now it <b>big bucks</b> are needed in your pension plan (a million dollars or more in today's money). Don't believe this PROPAGANDA.<br /> <br /> These numbers are a natural brake on people retiring early. You get your pension projection in the post giving a pension estimation at 65. Usually falls short of your expectations and encourages you to add more funds. <br /> <br /> <b>Message:</b> Just keep on contributing (and paying all of those lovey fees that drive the pension industry)! This leads to<br /> <br /> <b>Behavioural change:</b> This perception management encourages irresponsible spending. <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "I am paying into a pension so I will spend the rest - this is fragile thinking"</blockquote> Saving slowly and squandering the rest on a consumerist lifestyle, of junk whose value generally returns to its intrinsic worth of zero over time as it becomes broken, worn or obsolete, keeps you on the treadmill of salary, taxes and fees. Don't FALL for it!<br /> <br /> This vicious circle sets high spending expectations in retirement hence the need to save more. We live VERY comfortably on what is deemed a poor family income in France as we have NO DEBT, NO LIABILITIES and LOW FIXED COSTS.<br /> <br /> Whats even worse is there no real guarantee of a good pension payment at the end of your working life (think low returns, unfunded liabilities and inflation). I firmly believe this will leave a lot of people in a bad position in the years ahead as we are starting to see in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensions_crisis" target="_blank">US with state pension funds in crisis</a>.<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>BIG IDEA</b>: <u>Everybody needs to be an active manager in their own pensions. Have a plan and a set of pension goals and accept these change over time.</u> </blockquote> Unfortunately this skill set is not part of the education system which is a topic for another day. I will just question why were are pushed out of the education door, to get on with it, without some basic life skills such as budgeting and planning.<br /> <br /> The only way you get these skills are if you are lucky enough to have parents who have filled in the gaps (financial and emotional intelligence to name but two). You have a fascination with making it big or have a mentor of some sort. Knowing the GAME early makes ALL the difference to your future.<br /> <h2> Hyper-Normalisation - is there a retirement trap brewing?</h2> To compound the issue that returns are not knowable in advance.<br /> <br /> Things could dramatically advance just think of free renewable energy for all, new industries crop up overnight that revolutionise the world economy and we all get an iRobot each, eliminating the need for hard work and the ability to fund a living wage for all. <br /> <br /> On the flipside to utopia we need to consider a few stumbling blocks (until we get our robot;).<br /> <br /> One potential issue is that current asset prices and projections are based on<b> perpetual growth</b> calculations. We buy productive assets to pay for our pensions whose price is determined by predicted growth as measured in GDP and profits. These projections are based on historical "norms".<br /> <br /> As we all know from history classes and current problems in countries; Argentina, Greece and Venezuela - upheaval can occur in any country devastating the "normal growth mantra", currency value and pension pots very quickly.<br /> <br /> Secondly we have no real <b>leadership </b>in the world - challenging the status quo and changing our path to a brighter future.  Leader holy grail is to keep inflation (confiscation) around 2 percent and growth in GDP of 3 percent and debt growing into an even bigger Godzilla than it is now......?). Nothing really changes. <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Growth has been great but time is running out on this model - back to the rule of 70 (divide 70 by the percentage growth rate to give the doubling time) - at 3% growth the GDP would double in 23 years. <u>Twice as much of everything</u>...!!! yet we live on one planet and there are some serious restrictions to this thinking.</blockquote> <br /> Considering most pensions are based on tracker funds which "diversify" risk buy owning a bit of everything surely this is a problem when we can't have everything when <b>scarcity </b>kicks in. Will luxury goods companies be top of peoples shopping lists? Will people pay for stuff they don't really need in this circumstance? Will society change where conspicuous consumption and keeping up with the Joneses is no longer seen as socially responsible? What happens when cheap debt is no longer available?<br /> <br /> Another potential car crash for pension promises is that we are all living longer. <b>Demographics </b>are terrible in major economies (ageing society, less workers per retiree). Populations are highly unlikely to grow at 3% a year....<br /> <br /> People stop spending in later years. They sell investments and assets to pay for their living costs - no GDP growth here then either.<br /> <br /> But wait we can just print GDP right.....It's just logical - we currently have already bankrupt public finances and pension entitlements to pay just <b>QE it</b> (the law of supply and demand does not apply), <b>NIRP it</b> (negative interest rates what the!) it to make people spend and soon to be <b>helicopter it</b> (give people the money directly).<br /> <br /> There is no real growth here just accounting tricks and boon dongles to keep us hyper-normalised. Slowly boiling the frog. <br /> <br /> We are looking at a step change in humanities approach to retirement and entitlements. A new deal will eventually be forced upon us. <br /> <br /> Future retirees need to be smart and understand their investments instead of a docile awaiting a check at the age of 65+. Their wad has to be structured in such a way to ride out risks and change to real future conditions of an ageing society consuming one rapidly depleting planet. It need to generate surplus instead of being "drawn down" only then can you be confident to splash out.<br /> <b><br /></b> <b>This is even more important for people considering FIRE (or FISH :)). Empires rise and fall, companies collapse and new ones are borne. We need to be </b><b><b>informed, </b>nimble, reactive, critical and opportunistic to have so many years not reliant on our labour. </b><br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b><b>BIG IDEA: "<u>Hope for the best and plan for the worst</u>" </b></b>Financial Independence must have INCOME above OUTGOING with continued SAVING and INVESTING. <br /> <br /> Seeking Happiness means RESILIENCE building and RIGHT SIZING ones LIFESTYLE to a changing society to survive many years free from working for the man or looking. HAPPINESS is NOT looking over your shoulder each day.<b><b> </b></b></blockquote> </div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> I have a couple of people I want to mention who are doing great work in thearea of building resilience:<br /> <h2>  Fragile, Rhobust, Antifragile - Nicolas Taleb</h2> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31PyTZdiN-L._UX250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31PyTZdiN-L._UX250_.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Amazon</td></tr> </tbody></table> I have been a fan of Nicolas Nassim Taleb since reading his "Black Swan" book. He has followed this<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antifragile-Things-that-Gain-Disorder/dp/0141038225/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484474288&sr=1-1&keywords=antifragile" target="_blank"><i><b>anti-fragile</b></i></a>. As I have read it it implies being able to make good by embracing risk and making sure shocks don't really hurt you.<br /> up with a book on a form of robustness which he calls <br /> <br /> I have a few takeaways from his work<br /> <ol> <li><b>Specialism </b>can be very dangerous - what if your job becomes obsolete - can you do other things \ have other skills?</li> <li>Having all your <b>eggs in one basket</b> is just waiting for someone to knock it over - "safe index low cost funds", stocks, bonds etc.</li> <li>Being <b>part of the herd</b> will lead you over the cliff - leading a debt based consumerist lifestyle makes you fragile</li> <li>Taking <b>calculated risks</b> makes you stronger </li> </ol> <ol> </ol> <h2> Peak Prosperity - Chris Martinson</h2> <ol> </ol> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514%2Bkx0vKaL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514%2Bkx0vKaL.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Amazon</td></tr> </tbody></table> Secondly I have followed the work of Chris Martinson and his Crash Course which I highly recommend you watch on his website <a href="https://www.peakprosperity.com/" target="_blank">Peak Prosperity</a>. This shaped our thinking on early retirement, investing and the need for self sufficiency. After all stopping work at 37 and providing for our family until we pass can be a very long time and lots of "Black Swans" can be lurking in the shadows.<br /> <br /> Chris covers risks from the three E's. <b>Economy </b>(massive build up of debt). Reliance on depleting fossil <b>Energy </b>supplies (and resources in general) for day to day life. How we need to look after the <b>Environment </b>we live in which provides us with our nourishment (soil building, wildlife (bees) for pollination, water etc. His latest book <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prosper-Prepare-Future-Create-Inheriting/dp/1937832767/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484474351&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=prosper+chris+martinson" target="_blank">"Prosper"</a> is a great resource. <br /> <h2> More reasons to be ANTI FRAGILE in Retirement</h2> <b>External Surprises </b>- Life has a funny way of punching you in the face. All is fine then wham - the car is written off, you break an arm or lose big on your investments. There can be an external shock completely out of your control such as war, demographic crash, capital flight and times of deflation and inflation.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b>This is relying on MULTIPLE DIVERSE sources of income is a must.</b></div> <br /> <b>Challenge and happiness</b> - Taking FIRE to live in a modern villa with no way to be a bit self sufficient, the bills just covered and a rosy outlook for investment returns is anti fragile and can get you in deep trouble quickly. Sitting in the sun and going for your daily swim can become stale quickly, as humans we need to keep moving or wither.  <br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b>You make your own luck and happiness through hard work, continuous learning, making the hard choices. All of these must continue throughout life - its what life is about, makes you want to get up in the morning and puts a smile on your face. I did that!</b></div> <br /> <h2> Retirement - use it to build inter-generational Wealth</h2> Our aim is the continuous accumulation of wealth. We want to be able to pass on the knowledge we have to our children so they can do the same for their own. Why? Well the ability to control your freedom is in my opinion a major part of happiness - choosing what you want to do. Money and assets allow you to take risks, build a business out of a passion, make value for the people around you.<br /> <br /> Having a framework that makes sure you have real title to assets, legally avoid inheritance taxation (think farmland, 100+ year old antiques, passing assets on before they get taxed) is a real legacy for FI seekers. Building a business to hand over or sell in "retirement" provides a spark to your life, a reason to get out of bed, challenge yourself and keep your self healthy (heath is mental and physical and is WEALTH)<br /> <br /> Draw down of assets in retirement is what the state wants - not what you want! That way the next generation have to get to work for the man to pay their taxes.<br /> <br /> Why should we just accept this? This type of FIRE is not leaving a legacy behind. It is giving it to the state to squander on its latest pet project. By all means pay you fair taxes I have no problem with that but WILLINGLY give up your CAPITAL at the EXPENSE of your family is another issue all together. <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>BIG IDEA</b>: Financial independence is about leaving a legacy of inter-generational WEALTH and KNOWLEDGE.</blockquote> <br /> In <b>part 2</b> of this post I will go through the modest steps we are taking to be anti-fragile and build inter-generational wealth for our family. <br /> <br /> <ol> </ol> <ol> </ol> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/lifeplanltd/home/TimeLine_Financial.xls?attredirects=0&d=1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Finacial Time Line Planner" border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_UvAsfYu6nhtyt5mABN2Npg1FjvH88PiJ8ComrXLb1cG2MY_2x4Pw48UB7-d0r52ebSWoYMI3N2J1eno7QF4wgSfunnBecJPeV8LMRF84W3iuTxUFl2odOAG9h4QbAWb2GHhK_AiN39w/s400/Timeline.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Create a FI plan today*</td></tr> </tbody></table> Peace, prosperity and happiness<br /> <b>CoNTeNDeR</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <b>Welcome New Readers!</b> Please take a look around.<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">Click here</a><b> </b>to find out more about <b>THE.TriBe</b> and the blog is or perhaps browse the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank"><u>all posts list</u></a>, Please feel free to play with the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank">planning tools and checklists</a>. If you liked this post can you please spare a few seconds to share it?<br /> <br /> * Inevitable legal disclaimer. Everything on this site is intended for entertainment purposes only. I take no responsibility for its use.

Fragilista - Part 1

Contender 0 11:55

Our very fragile sink - we are chucking everything at the kitchen sink of 2017 to make it as successful and anti-fragile as possible Welcome to a New Year of new opportunity ladders and slippery snakes.  This year I am kicking off with the basics … Read more »

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Financial Independence through Dividend Value Stock Investing

<br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnY_L9XJqOYWvr_2yG6VBvMgo2BEmAhKIb2nM0iW5PKHViX2A-o4avtYnVnC7QxUYPEhbrBbDbyRZc9GA17Up6EI8sewVlSrsFXh4lC2IpG0K3M7cR1ZA67PEy2EKZx2VLcfvMvMGZL4R/s1600/InvestmentChoice.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnY_L9XJqOYWvr_2yG6VBvMgo2BEmAhKIb2nM0iW5PKHViX2A-o4avtYnVnC7QxUYPEhbrBbDbyRZc9GA17Up6EI8sewVlSrsFXh4lC2IpG0K3M7cR1ZA67PEy2EKZx2VLcfvMvMGZL4R/s1600/InvestmentChoice.png" width="320"></a></div> #FinancialIndependence requires setting up multiple income streams to replace your income from your labour.<br> <br> #Downshifting may mean that you still work but rely on a smaller income from some work and possibly some investments.<br> <br> <b>Today the focus is on <u>dividend value stock </u>investing to <u>provide a passive income</u>.</b><br> <br> Buying shares in a company has several advantages<br> <br> 1. You have access to many companies in many different businesses<br> 2. Companies can grow their earnings and dividends rapidly<br> 3. Companies can be out of favour and cheap to buy<br> 4. Companies are strictly regulated and lots of information is available about them<br> 5. Companies can have a competitive advantage \ high barriers to entry<br> <div style="text-align: center;"> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="font-size: small;">"One of the biggest mistakes investors make </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">is to focus on stock picking for capital gains. </span><br> <br> <span style="font-size: small;">The reality is that if you're not looking at </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">dividends when you buy a company... you're </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">likely not going to make much AT ALL. </span><br> <br> <span style="font-size: small;">Did you know that without dividends, stocks </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">have actually UNDERPERFORMED bonds </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">for the last 113 years? </span><br> <br> <span style="font-size: small;">This is not hype, a study by the London Business </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">School found that without dividends, stocks return </span><br> <span style="font-size: small;">a measly 1.9% per year... LESS than Treasuries!"</span> <b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br><br>Gains, </span>Pains and Capital</span></b></blockquote> </div> To help identify companies that are of interest to invest in  I have been spending some time <u>massively improving the stock screening tool</u>  to find some cheap #dividend stocks out there. Here is a look at the new screen (The UK all share list as of the 6th April is available towards the end of the post):<br> <br> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKG1J-p6L6SRJAhMxH3yBS6dQ3HQd0HFDsBsbGKKdlG11TbNHV0-NzXhOELzI9oWs4T2CX4jPGva84VYnLW65sjurZHqtF68rg-X5Ig_AUuVFilaJc00iwAerwZV9CrpnUfvC8cLgqnAN/s1600/10YrScreen.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKG1J-p6L6SRJAhMxH3yBS6dQ3HQd0HFDsBsbGKKdlG11TbNHV0-NzXhOELzI9oWs4T2CX4jPGva84VYnLW65sjurZHqtF68rg-X5Ig_AUuVFilaJc00iwAerwZV9CrpnUfvC8cLgqnAN/s1600/10YrScreen.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sample from a stock screener created with 10 years worth of data</b></td></tr> </tbody></table> It has been made very <u>visual</u> with its <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><u>colour coded</u></span> formatting. 10 years worth of financial data is used for graphs and calculations. More of the major indices have been added. <u>It has been made easier to use</u>. Easy to <u>personalise</u> with your own portfolio of stocks. Backed by a <u>large powerful data set and statistical data analysis</u>. <br> <ul> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX_XuYh9NK5qtOnhOJ7BocXylAjDT-zl3CYmSLkMtSSNH35I31GoG26urt84z1VI677QX1YiyWTDYFK3Nd3QAbpPUwSltlg-npDAfSsgLPQA947E04TNMw3vrP4PtneB0NKsQFcbPQrt4/s1600/PG.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX_XuYh9NK5qtOnhOJ7BocXylAjDT-zl3CYmSLkMtSSNH35I31GoG26urt84z1VI677QX1YiyWTDYFK3Nd3QAbpPUwSltlg-npDAfSsgLPQA947E04TNMw3vrP4PtneB0NKsQFcbPQrt4/s1600/PG.JPG" width="320"></a> <li>Contains major market data (US, UK, EU) </li> <li><u>Current data</u> can be evaluated on the fly for the <u>Value Screener</u> and <u>Dividend Value Screener</u> by clicking the <u>magic button</u></li> <li>Stocks can be interrogated individually with 10 years worth of data in the <u>graphical evaluation tool</u></li> <li>10 years of financial performance is used to create the <u>10yr Value Dividend Screener</u> to check the quality of the stock - has it made a regular growing profit and paid a regular increasing dividend?</li> <li>"My Portfolio" can be setup to show the screener results for your stocks <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIgQZ-EaJrZ7NJH1g0-aW4PDlIhsaiHrjFdZUnmXgD-CTQV0oWnDAVFvDoMqg7y-xDvuGxFB4GKB7SukMemE26DSlNCq0nYYwP0zvMbHeHO9PZu6FU_-O1vwDtpOX2AtvXQuNcZ4t0z6q/s1600/Portfolio.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIgQZ-EaJrZ7NJH1g0-aW4PDlIhsaiHrjFdZUnmXgD-CTQV0oWnDAVFvDoMqg7y-xDvuGxFB4GKB7SukMemE26DSlNCq0nYYwP0zvMbHeHO9PZu6FU_-O1vwDtpOX2AtvXQuNcZ4t0z6q/s1600/Portfolio.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr> </tbody></table> </li> </ul> <div style="text-align: center;"> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fe2TuX0Ec6bIb0Eytdx_T-yyKayX4tXgJq9x-XpES2vbkyBSiDs0zJMMrfqicwucnaN-JUD9bIGIkR5EaYaoqqa9j7DXyoEHtTozpMfC3rWVAu_AObPV2n7EN3gkzXl6vz1hUoC2LfIV/s1600/ValueStocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Markets no longer perform true market functions. In markets today, the dead hands of the academic and the rentier have replaced the invisible hand<br> of the merchant or the entrepreneur.<br><b> <br>James Rickards  </b></span></i></span></blockquote> </div> <span style="font-size: large;">Why Look at History</span><br> <br> The <b>Value Stock Screener </b>and <b>Dividend Value Stock Screener</b> allow the user to click a magic button to download the latest data from the web. The tool then allows individual stock evaluation. The screen looks for undervalued stocks based on the methodology of "The Little Book That Beats the Market".<br> <br> 1. Stocks with a very high Return on Capital - are they a well run business?<br> 2. Stocks with  high earnings yield (i.e low PE) are they currently cheap <br> <br> <span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>Why a spreadsheet - there are loads of options on the web? So why use this tool instead of one of the numerous screeners out there? Well in my opinion spreadsheets are more personal with the data, you can add your own comments and keep them for reference. Websites have flexibility in the type of graphs and how the data is shown on the screen.  </i></span><br> <br> This is great at looking at <span style="font-size: small;"><b>THE.PReSeNT</b></span> but this is not the full picture. The stock may be cheap for a very good reason and can get cheaper.<br> <br> In order to avoid this trap further research is required.<br> <br> One part of the research is looking at <b>THE.PaST</b> and secondly can we be confident about <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> performance? How good is the stock really? Is the company solid, has solid earnings growth and good dividend cover? This needed to be added.<br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;">Introducing 10 Year Dividend </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Value </span>Screening</span><br> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;">Dividend champion investing is not new and numerous lists of stocks that have consistent dividend growth can be found across the web. What is more difficult to attain is weather you <u>are paying too much for a champion share?</u> </span><br> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: small;">We need to gain in capital and dividends overtime. That way buying lowly valued stocks that become expensive can be sold and re-invested to gain MORE income. </span></i></div> <br> <span style="font-size: small;"><br></span> <span style="font-size: small;">The new screener has the ability to analyse 10 years worth of financial data for selected Markets </span>(NASDAQ, NYSE, DJIA FTSE 100, FTSE 250, DAX, EURSTOX50).<br> <br>  Its purpose is to ask the following questions:<br> <ol> <li>Is the current PE ratio expensive for the share in comparison to its historical PE10 (10 year average PE <br>     PE10 = 10 year average share price / 10 years average EPS </li> <li>Is the company growing its EPS (Earnings per share) consistently?<br>     What is the average EPS growth rate over 10 years?<br>     How many years has the company made a profit?</li> <li>Is the company growing its dividend?<br>    What is the average dividend growth rate over 10 years?<br>    How many years has a dividend been paid?</li> <li>How much debt does the company currently have?</li> <li>What overall score is the company on Quality, Income and Value? </li> </ol> All of this information is used to create a score and rank versus other companies. <br> <ol></ol> <span style="font-size: large;">10yr Data Screen Benefits</span><br> <br> The screen can be looked at stand alone via Google spreadsheets however the excel spreadsheet has some distinct advantages<br> <ol> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9YEXBHqCTE9KtBxO-njGNrubmKJMA3F27OeD2ZoCm3jwf1j93FMnKamE5DFmPzs-6bWwEfZ_8m52kBJNY3vJvGfldpheVj39_1a8uwvv52XGuC_UZdcWGiIAl8C-FosQM6ZKHhjt7WzG/s1600/PG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <li>Enter your portfolio and watch stocks to see what the screen results are. Here is a screen shot with some well known companies:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIgQZ-EaJrZ7NJH1g0-aW4PDlIhsaiHrjFdZUnmXgD-CTQV0oWnDAVFvDoMqg7y-xDvuGxFB4GKB7SukMemE26DSlNCq0nYYwP0zvMbHeHO9PZu6FU_-O1vwDtpOX2AtvXQuNcZ4t0z6q/s1600/Portfolio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIgQZ-EaJrZ7NJH1g0-aW4PDlIhsaiHrjFdZUnmXgD-CTQV0oWnDAVFvDoMqg7y-xDvuGxFB4GKB7SukMemE26DSlNCq0nYYwP0zvMbHeHO9PZu6FU_-O1vwDtpOX2AtvXQuNcZ4t0z6q/s1600/Portfolio.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A manually entered portfolio showing 10YR data quality results and current value result</b></td></tr> </tbody></table> </li> <li>Query the data by bringing up a graphical interface. Here is a screenshot of Proctor and Gamble:<br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9YEXBHqCTE9KtBxO-njGNrubmKJMA3F27OeD2ZoCm3jwf1j93FMnKamE5DFmPzs-6bWwEfZ_8m52kBJNY3vJvGfldpheVj39_1a8uwvv52XGuC_UZdcWGiIAl8C-FosQM6ZKHhjt7WzG/s1600/PG.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9YEXBHqCTE9KtBxO-njGNrubmKJMA3F27OeD2ZoCm3jwf1j93FMnKamE5DFmPzs-6bWwEfZ_8m52kBJNY3vJvGfldpheVj39_1a8uwvv52XGuC_UZdcWGiIAl8C-FosQM6ZKHhjt7WzG/s1600/PG.JPG" width="640"></a></li> <li>Record reasons for investing in the stock in the spreadsheet for future use <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lq_hdZnY86jba5V6cMynqSfgWClSeoxuHyKTYBCy9WsKevQjjIft9HBXp2Dkdd7GwuEvZ-jBFRfpv9iQYJeudR6wFuQWwbkJkWjy7DN5q_GO00zvyM4bdFKi1HgPaJDy9tXvrugXDb_7/s1600/Comment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lq_hdZnY86jba5V6cMynqSfgWClSeoxuHyKTYBCy9WsKevQjjIft9HBXp2Dkdd7GwuEvZ-jBFRfpv9iQYJeudR6wFuQWwbkJkWjy7DN5q_GO00zvyM4bdFKi1HgPaJDy9tXvrugXDb_7/s1600/Comment.JPG" width="640"></a></div> </li> </ol> <ul> </ul> <b>Please read on for the 10 Yr Data Screen for the United Kingdoms FTSE All Share index (Yahoo! ^FTAS):</b><br> <br>

Financial Independence through Dividend Value Stock Investing

Contender 4 07:35

#FinancialIndependence requires setting up multiple income streams to replace your income from your labour. #Downshifting may mean that you still work but rely on a smaller income from some work and possibly some investments. Today the focus is on d… Read more »

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The Ride of a Lifetime

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFA8PyDmpou-eLz7uXRny-Hts5fkz36_uwauIsleRrSNOCtQH7x4HbWbKFNmYlGoZv-TPXNfG7Cznows4dhMgLo1jiEYXsEoLbaM4y9ZsiOazizuvuBUDm228nYiXi5KrC82uryK0w_A4/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFA8PyDmpou-eLz7uXRny-Hts5fkz36_uwauIsleRrSNOCtQH7x4HbWbKFNmYlGoZv-TPXNfG7Cznows4dhMgLo1jiEYXsEoLbaM4y9ZsiOazizuvuBUDm228nYiXi5KrC82uryK0w_A4/s320/DSC_0022.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Fire - A warm fuzzy feeling what about 2013?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="color: red;"><b>*CHUMP - Fool, loser, muppet, victim of THE.FuTuRe, loner, weirdo, odd, strange, picked on.</b></span><br> <br> <span style="color: red;"><b>*WINNER - Happy, healthy and challenged.</b></span><br> <span style="color: red;"><b></b></span><br> <b>THE.FuTuRe</b>: <i>"Hey <b>CoNTeNDeR </b>you CHUMP, Did 2013 work out as you planned it? Of course it did not. Why did you even try? You know I have lots of unpredictable surprises for you so don't try to hide. Come out of the woodwork and GetInTheRingWithMe!"</i><br> <br> <b>CoNTeNDeR: </b><i>"You fight dirty! Sure I am up for it just like every year. Our <b>TRiBe </b>has a plan for you.... we know you will mess some of it up just look at some of last years silliness. Some people WON<b>"</b></i><br> <i><span style="color: red;"><b><br></b></span></i> Everyone has his/her own agenda. The rich want to stay rich, the poor want to get ahead, the politicians want to stay in power, the greens want to save the planet.... Every butterfly flap of a wing could cause a hurricane.<br> <br> There is no knowing what <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> holds, let alone the complexities of an individual in a specific place at a specific time - ain't it great!<br> <br> Rich and lose it all, poor and win the lottery, a survivalist without a match, a capitalist going long in a bear market, the gift of a new borne child.<br> <br> <b>Today a brief look at 2013 which will have a follow up post on what, if anything, THE.TRiBe has learnt from it.</b><br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;">Unique, unfathomable, awesome 2013</span><br> <br> Well, what a year 2013 was, just like <b>THE.PaST</b>. <u>Unpredictable</u>. Perhaps more unpredictable than ever.<br> <br> Great gains in US stocks with modest gains in the UK and Europe. Why amazing well company earnings are not exactly up 28% like the stock market. I wish I could have a business that gains 28% a year.<br> <br> Energy did ok - if you were invested in the US shale oil boom. As for how long the drilling of vast acres of the US will yield results is another question? Be pessimistic for 2020 or oil forever see <a href="http://srsroccoreport.com/" target="_blank">SRSrocco.com</a> for some analysis.<br> <br> Defensive stocks in the UK were on a blinder at the start of the year and lost out to risk on stocks later. Twitter, Facebook, Bitcoin get on the free money gravy train of the cyber economy. dot.com boom and prosperity is coming back.<br> <br> <span style="color: blue;">In the mean time we thought staying at home on the computer was a safe place to be. Yet this year we are told we are being watched and they have software to turn on your web camera to see what you are up to. Orwellian indeed.</span><br> <br>

The Ride of a Lifetime

Contender 0 18:10

Our Fire - A warm fuzzy feeling what about 2013? *CHUMP - Fool, loser, muppet, victim of THE.FuTuRe, loner, weirdo, odd, strange, picked on. *WINNER - Happy, healthy and challenged. THE.FuTuRe: "Hey CoNTeNDeR you CHUMP, Did 2013 work out as you plan… Read more »

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Maintaining Wealth II - We are all Investors Now

<br> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT2LXXCUY23luSE5CxLn1XbS9-pqgbFpdkGkAGC9f6iS6tV8ZfI1oRSjy5P8pziPUudmLQ4mba0y1X5t_Cu7Z8fCibTcuEB86odvzRID7Uge_aI4-iLlTjqEswajXX2b_pWMvk9CVdDl6/s1600/InvestmentChoice.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT2LXXCUY23luSE5CxLn1XbS9-pqgbFpdkGkAGC9f6iS6tV8ZfI1oRSjy5P8pziPUudmLQ4mba0y1X5t_Cu7Z8fCibTcuEB86odvzRID7Uge_aI4-iLlTjqEswajXX2b_pWMvk9CVdDl6/s320/InvestmentChoice.png" width="320"></a><br> <b>TiMe</b>: <i>"Dring, Dring, TiMe to wake up sheeple"</i><br> <br> <b>THE.FuTuRE</b>: <i>"Shussssh! They are sleep walking towards a cliff. We are providing wonderful <strike>distractions</strike> entertainment for them. Just look at all of their happy faces. Everything is great. There is no need to think just enjoy! Until I am ready to claim my pound of flesh MurrrGH HA HA HA"</i><br> <br> <b>CoNTeNDeR:</b> <i>"Oi you evil B****** we the <b>people </b>will not stand for your bull****. We are waking up in our droves, turning off the entertainment and thinking about what you are up to. Financial freedom from your tyranny.  We are  lemmings no more and are turning away from the cliff - watch out below <b>FuTuRE</b>"</i><br> <br> <b>In <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/2013/12/maintaining-wealth-i-bitcoins-and-real.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> of this post we had a look at Paper Money, E-currency, Commodities, Real Estate and bonds. Today we are looking at Stocks, Land and investing in oneself as additional wealth preservation options worth considering.</b><br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;">Stocks - Growing Profits?</span><br> <br> What value can you give to a company, let alone picking the winners in the stock market? This issue has flummoxed investors for years.<br> <br> Owning part of a company gives you an interest in that company's profits. Provided the profits keep rolling in due to a competitive advantage, the company should have some longevity.<br> <br> Perhaps looking for companies that have a distinct brand, product or advantage such as extremely difficult barrier to entry are the place to be. Those companies will grow in value along with their sales and / or return some of that profit back to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. <br> <br> Companies generate wealth - can you pick the right ones? <b>THE.ConTeNDeR</b> is trying see the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.fr/2013/11/screener-for-value-and-dividend-stocks.html">Screener for Value and Dividend Stocks Here</a><br> <br> For a seasoned professionals take on stocks for the long term, check out some articles by <a href="http://www.investmentu.com/2013/October/a-near-perfect-portfolio.html" target="_blank">Alex green from InvestmentU</a> and I am a fan of his book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470598204/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0470598204&linkCode=as2&tag=thecontfinain-21" id="static_txt_preview" target="_blank">The Secret of Shelter Island: Money and What Matters</a><br> Warren Buffet even has a <a href="http://www.ivillage.com/warren-buffett-teaches-money-lessons-kids-cartoon/6-a-533797" target="_blank">cartoon series for kids on investing</a>.<br> <br> <span style="color: #990000;">Tribe's opinion - Stocks allow the building of a diversified set of businesses. If stocks were not available it would probably be difficult to invest in diverse ideas such as graphene, new drugs and technology companies such as Google. Core holding. </span><br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;">Arable Land</span><br> <br> An interesting investment class in <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR's</b> opinion. Precious renewable resources can be harvested from arable land year after year making it a very profitable investment class.  <br> <br> Invest in woodland and you get free winter fuel and can sell the excess. Farmland can be planted for delicious fresh vegetables to be sold down the market.<br> <br> <b>THE.ConTeNDeR</b> likes the idea of some arable land next to his house. From a purely financial independence perspective 'free' heating, vegetables and eggs would reduce our living costs substantially.<br> <br> The <a href="http://www.transitionnetwork.org/" target="_blank">Transition network</a> are keen on this concept to help preserve the planet and combat resource depletion. They do a good bit on supporting communities as well. <br> <br> <span style="color: #990000;">Tribe's opinion - We really think owing a bit of land even if it is used by someone else is a good idea and something we are looking at for <b>THE.FuTuRe</b></span><br> <br>

Maintaining Wealth II - We are all Investors Now

Contender 0 16:03

TiMe: "Dring, Dring, TiMe to wake up sheeple" THE.FuTuRE: "Shussssh! They are sleep walking towards a cliff. We are providing wonderful distractions entertainment for them. Just look at all of their happy faces. Everything is great. There is no need… Read more »

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Maintaining Wealth I - Bitcoins and Real Estate

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT2LXXCUY23luSE5CxLn1XbS9-pqgbFpdkGkAGC9f6iS6tV8ZfI1oRSjy5P8pziPUudmLQ4mba0y1X5t_Cu7Z8fCibTcuEB86odvzRID7Uge_aI4-iLlTjqEswajXX2b_pWMvk9CVdDl6/s1600/InvestmentChoice.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT2LXXCUY23luSE5CxLn1XbS9-pqgbFpdkGkAGC9f6iS6tV8ZfI1oRSjy5P8pziPUudmLQ4mba0y1X5t_Cu7Z8fCibTcuEB86odvzRID7Uge_aI4-iLlTjqEswajXX2b_pWMvk9CVdDl6/s320/InvestmentChoice.png" width="320"></a></div> <b>THE.FuTuRE</b>: <i>"Contender you wuss, what is all this talk about income, growth and protection investments. I will take it all from you eventually. I have time on my side"</i><br> <br> <b>TiMe</b>: <i>"Tick Tock, Tick Tock"</i><br> <br> <b>CoNTeNDeR:</b> <i>"Precisely <b>FuTuRe</b> I have no idea what you are really up to. Heck I had a guess at the outlook for the year and how did that come out.....so I need a bit of diversification because of all of your conniving, plotting and outright corruption!"</i><br> <br> <b>We are living in very interesting times especially with regards building and maintaining wealth.</b><br> <br> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In this post we cover the TRiBe's options for investments in currency, commodities real estate and bonds with examples and opinions on some of the pro's and con's?</b></span><br> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> "You have much more opportunity to earn money than you do to 'not spend' money, and yet most people spend hours upon hours clipping coupons and perusing daily deal sites instead of brainstorming how </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">to earn more money and solve people's problems." - <b>Susan Fujii</b></span></span></blockquote> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In the second post we will be looking at other investment classes such as stocks and yourself followed by the TRiBe is current thinking.</b></span><br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;">Paper Money Supply - Blind Faith?</span><br> <br> Since 1970 when Nixon took the world off the gold standard there has been no anchor to excessive money / currency creation. Governments have control over the supply of their currencies and they can determine the ultimate value of the currency in circulation depending on the amount in circulation.<br> <br> Previously if people wanted to save their labour and future buying power through the means of a currency, they could chose a checking account. It earned interest that was enough to offset any excessive increase in the currency supply. This is certainly not the case at the moment, interest rates are artificially low and people are being 'guided' to <u>riskier</u> investments for a return. <br> <br> One may ask but why is the currency supply increasing above the increase in productive capacity of the economy. Unfortunately this is easy to attribute to governments' fiscal irresponsibility. Excessive overspending is used to buy votes from the electorate.<br> <br> Alternatively if a country has strong institutions, low spending and fiscal responsibility - holding that countries currency is less of a concern.<br> <br> <span style="color: blue;">Fiat Money is covered by <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005GSYZRA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B005GSYZRA&linkCode=as2&tag=thecontfinain-21" id="static_txt_preview" target="_blank">Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis</a> by James Rickards, and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0718192141/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0718192141&linkCode=as2&tag=thecontfinain-21" id="static_txt_preview" target="_blank">Paper Promises: Money, Debt and the New World Order</a> by Phillip Coggan. There is also a good video to watch by Warren Buffet highlights how <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DvuyvuHmJI" target="_blank">countries get into trouble in the first place</a>.</span><br> <span style="color: blue;"><br></span> <span style="color: blue;">See the video series <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyV0OfU3-FU" target="_blank">Hidden Secrets of Money</a> by Mike Maloney </span><br> <br> <span style="color: #990000;">Tribes opinion - it is so easy to transact in paper money and in the governments interest to keep them in place we will always keep some in our portfolio.</span><br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;">Electronic Currencies - How Many?</span><br> <br> We now have alternative currencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin hitting the news wires for their massive gain in relative value to reference currencies such as the US dollar.<br> <br> Firstly there are many people in favour to the inbuilt scarcity of the digital coins. Secondly they are not issued by any government and they are scattered globally that make them uniquely difficult to manipulate.<br> <br> One thing that is a red flag to <b>THE.ConTENdER</b> is what stops an unlimited amount of new versions of electronic currencies being created?<br> <br> Will the herd just jump from e-currency to e-currency chasing gains - see a list of them <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cryptocurrencies" target="_blank">here (10 listed)</a>? <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> thinks this is highly likely until the number of e-currency options goes to infinity or faith in them is destroyed. Their value will go the same way as fiat currencies trending towards their intrinsic production value of close to zero.<br> <br> What may save them is if the herd all commit to ONE e-currency.<br> <br> One thing preventing this e-currency utopia is ... human nature. We are opportunistic and after an easy meal / fast buck. Our prehistoric past moulded us that way. When we were being chased by sabre toothed tigers whilst eeking out an existence coming across a free lunch in the form of a dead Mammoth.<br> <br> Will everyone commit to one e-currency? I would like to think it could happen but who can tame  human nature. Will we have to live in a dystopian future where we all take the happy pill to keep us controlled?<br> <br> Zero hedge recently <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-27/presenting-bitkillers-these-are-richest-holders-bitcoin" target="_blank">reported that 100 people hold 20% </a>of the bitcoin currency - a new type of Ponzi scheme in the making? Create a new e-currency holding a large percentage of the issue then cash in and move on as the perceived value burns. Who is left holding the proverbial handbag - the new entrants - good luck or what a good SUCKER!- <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> would be impressed! <br> <br> See this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_hBhymFfm8" target="_blank">utube documentary on bitcoin</a><br> <br> <span style="color: #990000;">Tribes opinion - Speculative and almost impossible to value - <u>mine some coins by all means*</u> but only purchase if you have some spare gambling money :)</span><br> <br> <span style="color: #990000;">* THE.CoNTeNDeR has had a go at mining. The setup is a pain, it is geeky, based on lots of technical know how. To mine alot of coins and to really exceed requires specialise mining rigs - <b>a currency for the people - you must be joking!</b></span><br> <br> <span style="color: #990000;"><b><span style="color: black;">Next up commodities</span></b></span><br> <span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br>

Maintaining Wealth I - Bitcoins and Real Estate

Contender 2 20:18

THE.FuTuRE: "Contender you wuss, what is all this talk about income, growth and protection investments. I will take it all from you eventually. I have time on my side" TiMe: "Tick Tock, Tick Tock" CoNTeNDeR: "Precisely FuTuRe I have no idea what you… Read more »

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French Living – Quelle Difference?

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lu4ojOQxyT-tRpmwgZiglvtPRztcGpTpUrVaAy6Wdq4oSKEVDA7DAZq1nZ3SyU5YIh0g2uc5s_9YrB_capla1jjyGnyF3yncrsgv8S9Me6PD07ZnO108EQMMTLyFAfTlVY96Wik88fVV/s1600/ViewFromTheGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lu4ojOQxyT-tRpmwgZiglvtPRztcGpTpUrVaAy6Wdq4oSKEVDA7DAZq1nZ3SyU5YIh0g2uc5s_9YrB_capla1jjyGnyF3yncrsgv8S9Me6PD07ZnO108EQMMTLyFAfTlVY96Wik88fVV/s400/ViewFromTheGarden.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>View of the local Cathedral from our Garden</b></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;"> <b>Monsieur l'ail</b>: <i>"Bienvenue la France!"</i></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;"> <b>CoNTeNDeR</b>: <i>"ail ail ail what is this guy saying? Can I get some garlic, cheese, a baguette and </i><strike><i>beer</i></strike><i> une bouteille de vin please? </i> </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;"> <br /></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b>In this post we are going to have a look at the short term implications </b><b><b>our downshifting: </b></b></div> <ol> <li><b><b>Media Blackout - being offline for several weeks.</b></b></li> <li><b><b>Settling in our new house and surroundings</b></b></li> <li><b>Financial Independence Implications - French budget vs London Budget</b></li> <li><b>A look at the garden and some of the wildlife - saving money by growing some of our own food?</b></li> </ol> <span style="font-size: large;">Media Blackout</span><br /> <br /> Our little tribe is now settled in our rental property in France and have Internet access.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Having been offline for several weeks we have avoided all the mass media's doom, gloom, death, celebrity behaving badly and sport related distractions. This has been refreshing to really focus our minds on what is important and real in our lives. What is within our circle of influence - home, family, community and friends.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;">It may be nice to disconnect however this could be dangerous - being ignorant of the wider world around us. There are BIG world problems that can easily come knocking (for instance a US default on its debt and the European austerity drive causing large unemployment in its youth population) on our door that we need to pay attention to. </span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Now we are able to keep tags on the 'real' news from the blogs and websites we follow the 'blackout' we have had is a reminder that taking everything in moderation is important to us. Perhaps less time reading (read browsing not real reading of a novel for instance) and more time spent doing is the order of the day. </span><br /> <br /> <i>Why not trying to turn off the TV and internet for a whole week (we have now ditched our TV completely).</i> <i>What important information and from what source was really missed over this time? </i><br /> <br /> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Settling in</span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our rental property is much bigger than the terraced box we had in London. In addition it has a massive garden with lots and lots of fruit and nut trees, two rows of vines and a large vegetable patch.<br /> <br /> We have some very nice neighbours. All very polite, keen to make friends. All hard working Gascon families that have to survive the high taxation French system whilst enjoying the benefits of excellent facilities and health care. </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We have already participated in Rugby training. Our eldest daughter took a little while to get going but we could not hold back our just turned two year old. She was awesome. </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As ever in France the facilities are exceptional.</div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwQsHGSnOSRZJhiI-dSnwDtv35srXO8gIZcnJ7KON6o755u2RFbsBXpdwo3KAn3huF6wmcPwDi0xkMvXgUynmseqlHw7zF_Pg0CXo7tfrQEoYS5eE1-l8dZyNqPNLn0vdik_sL66mcL9i/s1600/RugbyTraining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwQsHGSnOSRZJhiI-dSnwDtv35srXO8gIZcnJ7KON6o755u2RFbsBXpdwo3KAn3huF6wmcPwDi0xkMvXgUynmseqlHw7zF_Pg0CXo7tfrQEoYS5eE1-l8dZyNqPNLn0vdik_sL66mcL9i/s400/RugbyTraining.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The French Countryside Budget vs The London Budget</span></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Over the past couple of weeks we have been updating our French budget based on real utility costs, food and fuel bills. Here a a few initial observations:</div> <ul> <li><div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The house only needs wood heating in the winter months as it has double glazing throughout.</div> </li> <li><div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It will have a utility bill that is comparable to London. We are hoping it will be less. The numbers below are an estimation based on previous tennants who apparently used alot of electricity (perhaps using the electric heating). We also have some 'free' wood from the garden and are cutting a deal with a local farmer for some more.</div> </li> <li>We can easily grow a lot of food to reduce our shopping bill further. French food is generally fresher as you get it from the local market instead of the food that is transported over vast distances to the supermarket</li> <li>The rent is half the price from what we paid in London </li> </ul> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5"> <colgroup width="120"></colgroup> <colgroup span="2" width="85"></colgroup> <colgroup width="95"></colgroup> <colgroup width="101"></colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="49"><br /></td> <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">UK</span></b></td> <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">France</span></b></td> <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Diff To UK</span></b></td> <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">% Diff to UK Total</span></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Electricity</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$48</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$79</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$31</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.91%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Gas / Wood</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$88</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$84</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$4</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.11%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Water</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$51</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$27</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$23</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.69%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Local Tax</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$181</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$136</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$45</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-1.32%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Rent</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$2,160</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$917</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$1,243</td> <td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#FFFF00" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-36.59%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Internet</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$40</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$37</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$3</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.10%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Education Fees</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$0</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$87</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$87</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2.56%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Car Insurance</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$53</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$54</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$1</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.03%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Fuel / Train</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$138</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$239</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$102</td> <td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#FFFF00" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2.99%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Food</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$592</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$544</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$48</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-1.41%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Miscellaneous</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$48</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$41</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$7</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.21%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Totals</b></td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$3,398</td> <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$2,245</td> <td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#FFFF00" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$1,153</td> <td align="LEFT"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <b>Note 1</b>: The difference in the cost of housing from the city to the countryside is astounding considering the country house is bigger and more comfortable. We will be spending more on transport and education.<br /> <br /> <b>Note 2</b>: This is a look at the spending side of living in France. What has not been looked at is the taxation side when we have had a chance to get our head around it. Social tax payable on income is 15.5%. Income tax is paid above certain thresholds. This will be looked at in more detail in a later post to consider the full picture of expenditure and taxation.<br /> <br /> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;">So far so good – any downsides?</span></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8MPE3-uop5PXKMY6BgYn8MUzxrfGxjRk3s2FYxnE710_CfMuFt5Pum8oBrz9e6KiyxlBUC-3h3U8iyOTmn5HmtOs12yorVPCQBbaYZmn0uS6W-rulDAS4zbo-PyjoDFpCMHOXok8QJlw/s1600/VegGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8MPE3-uop5PXKMY6BgYn8MUzxrfGxjRk3s2FYxnE710_CfMuFt5Pum8oBrz9e6KiyxlBUC-3h3U8iyOTmn5HmtOs12yorVPCQBbaYZmn0uS6W-rulDAS4zbo-PyjoDFpCMHOXok8QJlw/s400/VegGarden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <ul> <li>The significant cost of changing country has reduced our savings by $7,880. One off costs are: </li> <ul> <li>Removals </li> <li>New Washing Machine</li> <li>Garden Tools  </li> <li>New Utility Contracts</li> <li>New plugs, water filters etc</li> </ul> <li>We no longer have a salary to rely on - time will tell if this is freedom or a dumb idea :) </li> <li>More work to maintain the garden – fortunately for us we perceive this as a good thing as we will have work hard outdoors.</li> <li>Driving to the shops and the school. These used to be on foot and now we have a short car ride (3 km) to the supermarket and local town. </li> <li>Our outgoings are higher than our current income <u>due to the rent</u>! We are on the lookout for a property to buy in the next 6-12 months which will tilt the monthly budget in our favour. </li> </ul> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Renting the house </span></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We are still renting. This is still a significant cost compared to owning our own home outright. $916 per month is flowing out of our bank account. We don't like this but it is a necessary step.<br /> <br /> It is easy to gather from this blog that our little Tribe is not big fan of renting.<br /> <br /> We believe house prices have been manipulated higher than "normal" historical levels of affordability. We again believe this is an aberration of our times because of the monetarisation of the western economies. We used to make stuff and people were workers and producers now we rely on financial services AKA theft. This is truly for the benefit of the few real 'owners' of the financial system.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/median-house-price-median-income.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/median-house-price-median-income.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Financial Liberation? Source: <a href="http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com/">http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com</a></td></tr> </tbody></table> Would the average man want to be able to by the average house for two times his earnings to leave lots of disposable income or just hand it over to the banks? They are the entities that really gain from  from high house prices.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://monevator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/house-price-earnings-graph.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://monevator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/house-price-earnings-graph.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Source Nationwide - Note the long run average includes the bubbles!<br /> Taken From <a href="http://monevator.com/house-price-to-earnings-ratio-2012/" target="_blank">2012 Monevator Article</a> </td></tr> </tbody></table> Sure if you own your house it goes up in value. What about the next generation? Will our generation have to take out home equity loans to help them become mortgage slaves because house prices are kept artificially high? THE.CoNTeNDeR is not happy!<br /> <br /> He does not want his children to be come one of the millions of mortgage slaves paying for the excessive living costs of the 'owners'. </div> <br /> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Here are a couple of spreadsheets from this blog to look at the costs of buying a property and the effects it can have on Financial Independence goals:</div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/round-5-157s-mortgage-or-rent-and-save.html">Early Retirement with a Mortgage?</a> Analysis of buying versus renting - Free Tool!</div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/you-cant-take-it-with-you.html">You Can't Take It With You</a> - Free Tool! – Financial time line planner</span> </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> To whit we are still caught with the problem of "overpriced housing" or "renting". Although we are dealing with the pain of renting we are hoping it will give us more leverage for a better price when buying a property.</div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Working the garden</b></span></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Hornets and Wasps in the Fig Trees and two big nests to boot! Us poor city folk who do not have to contend with hornets. These flying battle ships are something to marvel at and definitely something we do not want to annoy.</div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj3FRlW_cx1a_9RrF-sMsT7eXoAIn_caAuioUmcbtaZ20f9aNOUWGPQmwKk_d6hcsB5R6CFiPaG2oRlZ8S91Bkg0imU3mZo-6lHyGEWDi4Y9kLlenoqhFYJNwhfhDOSMbPW5GivPxpX9d/s1600/WaspOnFig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj3FRlW_cx1a_9RrF-sMsT7eXoAIn_caAuioUmcbtaZ20f9aNOUWGPQmwKk_d6hcsB5R6CFiPaG2oRlZ8S91Bkg0imU3mZo-6lHyGEWDi4Y9kLlenoqhFYJNwhfhDOSMbPW5GivPxpX9d/s400/WaspOnFig.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The great thing about renting is that we are getting free guidance and demonstrations by the landlord on how to deal with these pests. Something new every day.</div> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pyX7_DfwrUZ7DaN9-8nQZ592IcMv05qkuUSx28g-DC6MT4mlEoLrB4OMyUEUbh_RD_RBU9TIfD5957Q8KUq4QesqocposDsTMs3U1U-3Pa8ckiMxKnaS6j1lOHPZwgsewFoEHbhN09Kg/s1600/WaspClearance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pyX7_DfwrUZ7DaN9-8nQZ592IcMv05qkuUSx28g-DC6MT4mlEoLrB4OMyUEUbh_RD_RBU9TIfD5957Q8KUq4QesqocposDsTMs3U1U-3Pa8ckiMxKnaS6j1lOHPZwgsewFoEHbhN09Kg/s400/WaspClearance.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing Those Pesky Wasps</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5zibwdDVUvX40HuVodm4GPartmBi66Q4B13OTud-5640CdQackOv7hwCFhP9KAV9EmUJaOk4BrexLYMIoLl3Imr0cq4ByuzbujWhuiKQFApvqEoACWMCB9IMTs9CsLNuEQ68KhttAQaZ/s1600/HappyCat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5zibwdDVUvX40HuVodm4GPartmBi66Q4B13OTud-5640CdQackOv7hwCFhP9KAV9EmUJaOk4BrexLYMIoLl3Imr0cq4ByuzbujWhuiKQFApvqEoACWMCB9IMTs9CsLNuEQ68KhttAQaZ/s400/HappyCat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our Happy Cat - Space!</b></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <span style="font-size: large;">Our Downshifting Challenge</span><br /> <br /> We did not need all the the consumer products to be happy. Sure we had fun down the years but the distractions were expensive. They were creating consumer habits and guiding us away from producer habits, locking us into an expensive way of life that kept us on the treadmill.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i>If we all downshift a little we would still be able to have fun and have more time to enjoy the fun. Work a little and live a lot. We are less rushed as we would have time to complete day to day activities.</i></div> <br /> We now use a manual lawnmower - harder work, slower but some exercise, time to reflect and not wasting the world precious energy resources and polluting the environment.<br /> <br /> We can enjoy more long sociable lunches instead of re-fuelling at the sandwich and coffee bar.<br /> <br /> Time and slowing down, simplifying our lives - will this make us happier? <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR </b>would like to think so ;)<br /> <br /> Peace, prosperity and happiness<br /> <br /> <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR </b><br /> <br /> <b>Welcome New CONTENDER Readers!</b> Please take a look around.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">Here you can find out about </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">THE.CONTENDER</a> and the purpose of the blog is or perhaps browse the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank"><u>all posts list</u></a>, have a <a href="http://pinterest.com/gitrwm/contender-vs-the-future/" target="_blank">look at the pictures on the notice board</a><u><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html#random" rel="13"></a></u>. Please feel free to play with the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank">planning tools and checklists</a>.<br /> <br /> <b>Keep in Touch:</b>  <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" target="_new">RSS Feed</a>, follow <b>THE.CONTENDER</b> on <a href="https://twitter.com/The__Contender" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or<b> </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Contender/368729006562792" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or subscribe to posts by email:<br /> <form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 3px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow"> <input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br /> <input name="uri" type="hidden" value="MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form> <br />

French Living – Quelle Difference?

Contender 0 13:22

View of the local Cathedral from our Garden Monsieur l'ail: "Bienvenue la France!" CoNTeNDeR: "ail ail ail what is this guy saying? Can I get some garlic, cheese, a baguette and beer une bouteille de vin please? In this post we are going to have a … Read more »

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Do the Right Thing

<br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg/220px-DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg/220px-DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg" width="214"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wikimedia.com</td></tr> </tbody></table> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Is the Pursuit of Financial Independence Doing the Right Thing?</span></b><br> <br> <b>THE PaST</b>: <i>"Go to school then study a degree that makes a difference to the world"</i><br> <br> <b>THE.PReSeNT</b>: <i>"Go to school and study a degree to make you rich, all that touchy feely stuff won't pay, get a corporate job, go work in finance"</i><br> <br> <b>THE.FUTURE</b>: <i>"sell your soul to me Muuugh Ha Ha Ha - OK a bit carried away just get into debt up to your eyeballs. I love a good debt slave, mine all mine."</i><br> <br> Has the world become more individualistic and materialistic? If you are not part of the system are you weird? Come on get with it, work hard, climb the ladder and load up on debt until you drop.<br> <br> Is this really the pursuit of happiness - stuff and job status or just a marketeers dream of control over the masses? <br> <br> <b>Is getting with the system the way to go? if so why the F**** does this blog "chase" financial freedom? </b><br> <br> <b>Why isn't THE.CoNtENDeR blogging about working, making a difference in BIG business? </b><br> <br> <b><u>Perhaps the CoNTEnDER has got it all wrong. Perhaps he needs a good look at himself and get (back) with the system? </u></b><br> <br> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Known, Know, NO's</b></span><br> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: blue;">Let's start off with a few challenges THE.CONtENDER believes exist in the world, have shaped some of the thinking in this blog and yet we do very little about:</span></div> <br> We know burning fossil fuels is not 100% good. Particulate pollution and rising gases in the atmosphere come with some known and unknown consequences. On the other hand we have realised  the BIGGEST improvement in living standards mankind has ever seen. Life expectancies have increased dramatically.<br> <br> <span style="color: blue;"><i>The group think it is now "normal" to burn fossil fuels, we are unsure of the consequences but are enjoying the ride while it lasts.</i></span><br> <br> We know that we live on a planet of finite resources but we still continue to consume them at increasingly faster rates. They will deplete - what do we do then?<br> <br> <span style="color: blue;"><i>Someone will have to go without in THE.FUTuRE - be rich and buy our way out of it!</i></span><br> <br> We know work is good for us but too much work can be bad. We know that some stress (eustress) helps us fulfil our potential. At the same time a <b><i>eustress </i></b>9-5 job is now becoming a <b><i>stressed </i></b>8-9 job.<br> <br> <span style="color: blue;"><i>Work adds meaning to life and stress is good for you as well as having money to exchange for some material comforts. You will have a career to look back on. You will have achieved something special in life - just make sure you are able to get the right job that pays well, letting you get ahead in life.</i></span><br> <br> We know that debt is bad so why do it? We know saving is good but the majority thinks saving 3-4% of their take home pay is very very good.  Invest it? Who are you kidding you cannot beat the professionals on Wall Street - pay them big fees to loose your money instead.<br> <span style="color: blue;"><br></span> <span style="color: blue;"><i>Why save when we have a state and work pension. Inflation will erode the value of any debt we take on and our house will go up in price. My pay goes up over time so I will be able to pay for inflating goods and housing. I am told I need lots of shiny gadgets and lots of designer clothes. I need to be on the work bandwagon to afford it all.</i></span><br> <br> We know money doesn't grow on trees - it is made from them! On top of that more recently it is actually typed into existence on a computer - not the one I am typing on I am sad to say. Can fiat money really be a store of wealth when it can be created out of fresh air so easily? Go figure.<br> <br> <span style="color: blue;"><i>The government is in control of inflation. Inflation = good and Deflation = bad because they say so. Just accept that it is good that your cash savings loose value each year and you have to pay more for goods and services. It is all OK as Inflation = good.</i></span><br> <br> The family structure is challenged by he reduced amount of time at home. On the flip side it has more money to spend than ever.<br> <span style="color: blue;"><br></span> <span style="color: blue;"><i>The government is providing lots of tax incentives to help pay for child care at a creche. I need to be in work to accrue the state pension entitlement. Instead of the parent staying at home messing up their career their child can be happy with lots of other kids.</i><b></b></span><br> <br>

Do the Right Thing

Contender 4 23:17

wikimedia.com Is the Pursuit of Financial Independence Doing the Right Thing? THE PaST: "Go to school then study a degree that makes a difference to the world" THE.PReSeNT: "Go to school and study a degree to make you rich, all that touchy feely stu… Read more »

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4 Protections for Financial Armageddon?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_tJJBfdEcjYj8hSe6G74uOkYPZdhtdvUjHlD66iDSU-DDkHu3ga_HfgHks_i1d_8T14tBYvTCra_s6KmbaqeiUZkh0TVDkWPeTO1BasqeCXSrNbM009OsiGvcohCmAN1cKCIvm1mpU_e/s1600/Muff+Tool+Kit+v6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qcVYy-6ketAHlRq0qJDF7htgTUDP1sKsN4byjWWY0ybNSexiD8cIcYnUoNyWQ7OWNTMyo6hPSQcniaX09bYksB5jsTnGRTmT62whd9MuvdNGEhwa10LSHWfPmeXHKpKWEpSd9GD7xs8h/s1600/armageddon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qcVYy-6ketAHlRq0qJDF7htgTUDP1sKsN4byjWWY0ybNSexiD8cIcYnUoNyWQ7OWNTMyo6hPSQcniaX09bYksB5jsTnGRTmT62whd9MuvdNGEhwa10LSHWfPmeXHKpKWEpSd9GD7xs8h/s400/armageddon.jpg" width="400"></a></div> <br> <b>Financial Armageddon</b> talk is all across the alternative media. Lax lending that caused the crisis for the banks in 2008 has now been transferred to governments worldwide. Unlimited money printing in the US by the Federal reserve will continue until the economy improves. Commodity prices spiked on this news and will most likely continue to increase in value due to monthly injections of freshly printed money. <b>Boy does it sound like we are screwed.</b><br> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b>THE.CONTENDER</b> is very concerned primarily about <b>inflation</b>. Central banks in Europe, US and Japan are printing money for fun while China is stimulating through a colossal infrastructure spend. Historical monetary events (of stealth default through money printing) does not fill </i><i><b>THE.CONTENDER</b> with confidence we are on the right path to. We do not seem to learn from past mistakes (a generation passes as does the wisdom) when it comes to excessive debt and sound money. <i>In this post </i></i><i><i><b>THE.CONTENDER</b> is going to try to summarise  <b>four key protection strategies</b> that could work out very well regardless of a <b>Financial Armageddon</b> or <b>severe inflation</b>.</i></i></div> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i>For more information see the following books <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Money-Dies-Nightmare-Hyper-Inflation/dp/1906964440/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339230790&sr=1-3" target="_blank">When Money Dies (2010)</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paper-Promises-Money-World-Order/dp/0718192141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347868634&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Paper Promises (2012)</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Financial-Armageddon-Protecting-Impending-Catastrophes/dp/141959608X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347869641&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Financial Armageddon(2007)</a> my previous posts cover how </i><i><b>THE.CONTENDER</b> is investing: <a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/round-5-156s-investment-challenges.html" target="_blank">Investment challenges</a> and <a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/risk-versus-reward-round-5-2m-59s.html" target="_blank">Risk Versus Reward</a>.</i></div> <br> In Europe under capitalised banks are basically lying about their assets value they are insolvent. Several PIIGS governments are being forced to pay ever increasing interest on their government bonds whilst bailing out the banks. The ECB is trying all options to <b>bail out countries</b> against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape.<br> <br> As the ECB cannot buy government bonds outright, get this, it is giving money to the banks, to buy the bonds, and then buying them back from the banks!!!! - complete fraud in my opinion. Supposedly this will be sterlised (printing no new money), who are they trying to fool - the debt is too large, the supposed assets over valued. The debt and interest cannot be fully paid back. The ECB will take significant paper losses equating to an increase in the money supply in the future. More money created dilutes existing money which is now worth considerably less. To whose benefit?<br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/British_Pound-fiat-currency.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="207" src="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/British_Pound-fiat-currency.jpg" title="Purchase Power of the Pound" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br></i></td></tr> </tbody></table> <i>Zero interest rates are screwing savers and retirees but fixed rate debt is paying off. I wonder who owns that.......</i><br> <br> Most "answers" so far have been to "<b>kick the can down the road</b>" - print money instead of dealing with the issue head on greed has created too much un-payable debt. Why does the west not copy Iceland - they defaulted on their debt, brought criminal charges against the people who abused the system and their countries goo will then started again from a new sustainable base. They are thriving again. The benefit of money printing is for debt holders (creditors). The young are enslaved with excess debt while struggling to find a decent job to pay off. The retired and savers are being stiffed by ultra low interest rates and <a href="http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/inflation-charts" target="_blank">high shadow inflation</a>. <br> <br> This does not bode well for the generations of the future who have to pay the bill. They also have the possibility of Financial Armageddon to deal with. By this <b>THE.CONTENDER</b> means hyperinflation leading to mass joblessness and massively reduced living standards.<br> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wall-Street-Collectors-Michael-Douglas/dp/B00347A32G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348083077&sr=8-1" target="_blank">"Greed is good" - Gordon Gecko, Wall Street </a></blockquote> <br> <br> Quantitative Easing (buying government debt using printed money) in the US, Europe, and Japan is all about currency debasement to reduce the value of the debt. They are paying the debt back with less valuable currency. The elite has done everything in its power to maintain this status quo. They ensure that they get their debt repayments instead loosing out as the debt is defaulted to allow society to starting on a new sure footing as in the case of Iceland.<br> <br> The elites are squeezing the productive middle class worker bee families with inflationary policies. The middle class is the productive class. A self perpetuating spiral of job losses due to destroyed demand and lower living standards. If the vampires that sucks the blood from the middle class victims continue who will be left to serve?  <br>     <br> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="2" frame="VOID" rules="NONE"> <colgroup><col width="296"><col width="223"></colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td align="LEFT" height="17" valign="TOP" width="296"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OTSQozWP-rM?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></td> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="223"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br></a> <br> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><br>

4 Protections for Financial Armageddon?

Contender 0 20:51

Financial Armageddon talk is all across the alternative media. Lax lending that caused the crisis for the banks in 2008 has now been transferred to governments worldwide. Unlimited money printing in the US by the Federal reserve will continue until … Read more »

Read more »