Because you are reading the WEALTH Magazine website, we assume you’re already taking steps to build and manage your wealth. You care about your finances, and you are intentional about investing, tracking and spending your money.
But today we’re asking you to take a step back. Obviously building wealth is important to you. But what else is important to you?
Take a moment and rate the importance of the following broad areas: (more…)
When I ask people how they are, one of the most frequent responses I hear is “busy.” And that’s probably because our culture places a high value on productivity. “I’m busy” is code for “My life matters.”
But what is the cost of “busy”? Sometimes people get so caught up in preparing for tomorrow’s success that they forget to invest in what makes life meaningful right now.
For instance, when did you last experience wonder? (more…)
With you and your spouse balancing careers, investment objectives and other daily stress factors, how do you handle the demands of raising children—doing your best for the little ones while keeping the household running smoothly?
There’s certainly no shortage of advice out there. Writer/blogger Alan Paul has weighed in on the Tiger Mom controversy with a different perspective—that of the dad. Six years ago Paul, his wife and their three small children moved from suburban New Jersey to Beijing where they spent three and a half years watching Chinese, Western and other cultures live side by side. (more…)
Franny Brennan of Asheville, N.C., is a New Pioneer.
Brennan, 37, belongs to a new breed of people that emerged a few years ago as the Great Recession sunk in across the nation. They dwell in small towns as well as large cities.
These pioneers were born out of need.
Until about two years ago, the college-educated Brennan worked as the publicist for a nonprofit organization. “It was my favorite job ever, bar none,” she said.
But she lost her job when the charity had to shutter its doors due to the poor economy.
For a while Brennan collected unemployment checks and searched for similar work in North Carolina. When that proved futile, she expanded her job hunting first across the Southeast and then nationwide.
After months of not getting even a nibble on a job, and with her unemployment bankroll evaporating, she knew she had to embrace alternative solutions. (more…)
Conan O’Brien was sent packing from his Tonight show gig on NBC with an impressive $45 million severance package.
Few others have been so fortunate. As many people are in their second year or more of joblessness, and with many areas still combating double-digit unemployment, meaningful work for the recently terminated has not been all that easy to come by.
A growing segment of the population, however, is choosing to get back on its feet with some entrepreneurial ingenuity—people turning the things they love into business opportunities. (more…)
Everywhere you look today, you find the promises: If you just had that car, that house—or even that spouse—you would be happier.
It’s the premise of almost all advertising.
Intellectually, we know it’s not true. Think about it. How will adding a leather interior to the options list on that new car substantially improve your happiness?
It won’t. But despite that realization, we fall for such promises every day. We allow ourselves to believe, if only for an instant, that purchasing a new sofa or watch or flat-screen television will add to our happiness quotient. (more…)
Greetings from the Oregon coast where I’m living my dream.
I’m living well. The great thing is, “living well” by my definition doesn’t cost much money at all. That’s because my definition of living well isn’t about, well, “stuff.” Let me explain:
Yesterday, I windsurfed perfect head-high waves alongside 2004 World Champion Scott McKercher. The day before, I went surfing with champion paddle surfer Ekolu Kalama and his wife. No crowd, just us. For comparison, if you’re a golfer, it’s like hanging out with Tiger Woods for the day, just the two of you.
I feel fortunate to be here with these guys… and it reminds me of what’s important in life: (more…)
To live the rich life expresses a goal for most of us, but unfortunately it has become an elusive dream for many modern-day retirees.
Today’s retirement living involves more than just leaving a job; it’s the beginning of a new chapter of life. Many baby boomers have hit their retirement target age and are eager to say goodbye to the employment ball and chain and hello to leisurely pursuits of travel and recreation. Others have been forced into early retirement by business restructuring and budget cuts but are none too optimistic about reemployment prospects. (more…)
In Part One of WEALTH magazine’s spotlight on best-selling author Timothy Ferriss, we’ll look at how Ferriss entered his 15 minutes of fame and came up with what he calls his “lifestyle redesign.” In Part Two, we’ll take a look at Ferriss’ recommendations for creating your own lifestyle redesign.
Is it possible to have fun in life without waiting for retirement and still generate the wealth you need to live comfortably? (more…)