The Wealth Code: How the Rich Stay Rich in Good Times and Bad. Review

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(More customer reviews)Having been in this business too many years to admit to, I can tell you I've read book after book from the Wall Street talking heads. What you usually get is blah, blah, blah about the same old thing...asset allocation, make sure you own stocks and bonds to be "diversified," Nobel-Prize winning Modern Portfolio Theory, don't pay fees, blah, blah, blah. In this easy-to-read guide book, Vanclef comes out with a refreshing look at how wealth is built - and how to keep it in good and bad times. His multi-legged table metaphor really resonates as he explains how to keep different streams of income coming from different investments - and none, by the way, tied to the ups and downs of the stock market.
My favorite part was in Chapter 4 - a part called Brokerisms. What a laugh! And how true. For anyone who is fed up with what Wall Street know-it-alls spit out in the Journal, on Bloomberg or on CNBC, pick up this book and get the real deal - BRAVO to this author for having the guts to tell the truth!

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We entrusted the experts with our financial security and now we're reeling from the economic crisis. How do we get back on our feet'and invest wisely? In The Wealth Code: How the Rich Stay Rich in Good Times and Bad, financial planner and investment strategist Jason Vanclef delivers straight answers'and solutions. According to Vanclef, True Asset Class Diversification is the best way to build that solid financial base for your secure future. From an analysis of the downside of conventional thinking to the secrets of the Fortune 400, from diversification tactics to estate planning and improving returns on investments, Vanclef delivers a straightforward, hands-on plan not to cut your losses, but to maximize your investments. Do you truly have a handle on the bond market, stocks and mutual funds? How much of your assets belong in real estate, oil/gas, gold or other tangible investments? Insurance pitfalls not discussed? For the answers'and a sardonic poke at Wall Street'this is the book.

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The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth & Purpose Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm pretty shocked at the generally high reviews of this book. While I found there to be some vaguely useful tips, in general it's pretty long winded and short on usable info. In particular the folksy story that started each chapter were useless. The frequent references to church and the bible are fairly annoying and borderline preachy. How is it that he manages to incorporate faith in almost every chapter of a book on how to maximize your time??
In short I would say that if it hasn't occurred to you that watching less television would be a good way to increase productivity in the other 8 hours of your day, then you could probably benefit from reading this book. If you're already somewhat analytical about how you're spending your time, then this book might be a waste of your time.
I'm giving it a star for some useful websites that could be helpful in starting a business, but even then his treatment of how business are started isn't particularly thorough. He frequently mentions angel investors vs. VC investors without describing the important differences between the two. Is the author assuming his audience who doesn't know video games are a time suck already aware of the differences in these two important funding sources for getting their business off the ground?? Throughout the book the author recommends putting together an e-book to test the waters for your business idea, and in the end this book reads like a bunch of 20 page e-books compiled in to a collection of tips, not a comprehensive study on time management.
DO NOT PAY FOR THIS BOOK. Get it from your local library. The small amount of useful information is not worth the space it will occupy on your bookshelf.

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Opportunism: How to Change the World--One Idea at a Time Review

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(More customer reviews)I have always wondered what the next economic system will be. People living in the Stone Age could not have imagined the feudal system; those living in the feudal system could not have imagined industrialization or capitalism. What will be the next evolution of economic relationships? Shraga Biran I think begins to get at this but in the end falls short.
He envisions a world were ideas can be claimed as property in their incipient state, that is, before they are transformed into a tangible product or service. This, he argues, will rightly provide the economic benefit to those who came up with the idea, rather than to those who have the deep pockets to fund them. There is something very noble and right about this - why should only those who have money or access to it be the ones to profit from a new idea? On the other hand, how would this be carried out in any pragmatic fashion?
For example, many people come up with the same idea. I have witnessed this with a suggestion box program that I recently administered. Of the 15 people who suggested the same idea, which one should get the rights to it? Also, sometimes ideas are not identical but similar. Which one of these is the one that should "count"? Finally, as when the internet became popular, and there were major land grabs for URL's, why wouldn't one person or company simply generate ideas so that they can be registered and claimed, then let the deep pockets come to them to purchase them? Again, the notion is noble, but unworkable.
I did appreciate, however, the author's exposition of how the distribution of wealth continues to get more skewed, and how this continued disparity needs to be addressed in some way. I was also impressed by his point that there are opportunities to be lost or gained in privatizing assets owned by the state, something that was done with some success in Russia, but only with result that favored those who already had assets in the US, in the selling of the cellular air waves, for example. And finally, his point about asset poverty versus income poverty is also important, the former being more important in lifting future generations from the low economic rungs.


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How to Prosper in Hard Times Review

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(More customer reviews)How To Prosper In Hard Times is filled with time-tested wealth and prosperity building principles from some of the greatest motivational writers of all times. Authors include Napoleon Hill, George S. Clason, James Allen and others who have given us classic books on the subject of wealth building.
The subtitle says it all, Blueprints for Abundance by the Greatest Motivational Teachers of All Time. There couldn't be a better time in our recent economic history to release a more powerful compilation of wisdom on the subject of wealth building.
There is an underlying theme from all eight featured authors - thought and belief can either create your wealth or destroy your life. We have choices and it is the quality of the choices that creates our destiny. All the authors believe that affirming and visualizing abundance and prosperity were vital to achieving true wealth. Our greatest wealth-building tools reside deep within us - within our mind, heart and spirit of belief in a higher power.
I do have to tell you that these early writers mention The Devine, God and Higher Purpose in their writings. Some even quote the Bible. If this language or belief system offends you, then this book may not be for you. The language can be archaic at times and very gender specific. Read past that and gather the pearls of wisdom from each author - there is a powerful reason their writings have endured for all these decades.
Here is one of my favorites:
Joseph Murphy - Best known for his book, The Power of the Subconscious Mind writing about How To Attract Money
"Take this little phrase; repeat it slowly four or five minutes three or four times a day quietly to yourself; Money is forever circulating freely in my life, and there is always a Devine surplus."
Here is a book from authors whose works are as powerful today as when they were first written. How To Prosper In Hard Times is reading for financial mind and soul. There is true abundance and wealth wisdom between these 255 pages.


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Lower Your Taxes - Big Time : Wealth-Building, Tax Reduction Secrets from an IRS Insider Review

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(More customer reviews)I would have given it 4 and 1/2 stars but that wasn't an option. The only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars was that the book deals with small and home bases business issues and for real estate owners and investors. I am retired and thus, could only benefit from the real estate discussion.However, I did have a business before retirement.
I got this book after reading a great review in the Orlando Sentinal.This book would have saved me a bundle had I known about this information many years ago. It is cleverly written and has a lot of good information that I myself never heard from my accountant. I especially liked all the examples and tips that I found really useful in understanding the tax planning sections I also liked the elaborations, which provided some nice insights into why Congress passed various laws or on what to do about certain laws,with a great deal of clarity and specificity.
One very unsual feature that I found in this book that I never read in any other book was all the information that was provided on how to "audit proof" each and every tax planning strategy. I have used the J.K. Lasser guide in preparing my taxes, and I have never seen as much specific information on how to IRS bullet proof each deduction as Mr. Botkin provides.
Many financial books I read are rather shallow and lack a lot of the details necessary to implement what they are suggesting. Also, there seems to be a trend in financial and real estate books to serve as a giant advertisement for consulting services or for other books. This was NOT the problem in this book,which was frankly very refreshing.
Even as a retired person, I did, however, find the real estate section to be very useful. It will save me a bundle on some real estate mistakes that I didn't know about all these years.
Some reviewer noted that this book doesn't show you how to plan for the various tax laws. He must not have read the same book that I read because this book has a lot of specificity on what to do with each applicable law.
In short: I have given a copy of this book to my son and daughter. That should tell you what I think of the book.

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Strategies from an IRS insider for slashing taxes, maximizing legal deductions, avoiding audits, and more

Completely updated for all of the new 2005 and 2006 Tax Laws!

Through his years as an IRS tax attorney, Sandy Botkin discovered that most Americans could legally­­ and dramatically­­ cut their tax bills by establishing themselves as independent contractors or businesspersons. In Lower Your Taxes--­­Big Time!, fully updated for 2005 and 2006, Botkin explains how, outlining a straightforward program for writing off everything from family vacations to movies and plays, and receiving a subsidy of $5,000 or more from the IRS each and every year.

From tips for launching a business to strategies for audit-proofing a return, Lower Your Taxes­­--Big Time! is a gold mine of information for every frustrated taxpayer. Tax-cutting strategies include:

How, why, and when to incorporate
Fail-safe methods for deducting a home office and family car
Simple but essential record-keeping tips
Tax advantages of being a consultant,independent contractor, or independent businessperson

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