One of the most common reasons why wealth can make us miserable is that it distracts us from what is truly important for a happy and fulfilling life. We find ourselves focusing more and more on material objects and end up feeling disconnected from our inner selves.

If you are feeling unhappy in your life right now and you’re thinking that money will solve your problems, it's time for a reality check! I won’t deny that having material abundance can make our lives a little easier.

I’m sure you’ve heard stories about people who won a lottery or attained a large sum of money through an inheritance and other means. These very same people had financial struggles, and after attaining a large sum of money and used it as they please, end up flat broke again, realising that money didn't solve all of their problems, but rather, has only made their lives worse.

Living a life like this felt like living on the edge of a cliff where the ground is crumbling beneath my feet, making me think that life would be so much better and easier through having money. This is true, but why is it that this has also become the reason why other people have miserably, unhappy, empty lives?

It's important for us to be clear of how we can use the money we have attained in a manner that will make us feel even happier, rather than emptier. It is also very important for us to know that having a lot of money will not automatically make us feel happy, fulfilled, and content in life. Yes money can definitely help us enjoy a greater quality of life, but only if we have a healthy attitude towards money; otherwise it will just add heavier problems.

Intellectually, we may know that money can’t buy happiness, but some part of us still cling to the thought that we’d feel better if we were rich. Yet when we really look at wealthy people, we wonder if they are any happier than the average person. Hence, we dive deeper and come up with questions like:Do wealthy people laugh more, experience more joy, or have greater fulfillment in their lives? Perhaps some do – but how much of it is a direct result of their wealth?

You can probably enumerate a handful of wealthy people that appear to be completely miserable, and some of them feel emptier the wealthier they become! These are the very same people who are under the misconception that money is the solution to every life's problem.

Believe me, I know how it feels to struggle financially for I have witnessed my mom borrow money just so she can put food on our table. I know the feeling of going home from school then turning on the light's switch or the faucet, only to see them shut off, immediately realising that we were unable to pay for electric and water bills again, which then lead to my experience of having to study for my exams under the gleaming candlelight and then going to my aunt's house early in the morning the day after to take a bath before going to school.

"In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, warm words of encouragement and the tools to forge your way through with confidence. You'll never find a wiser advisor with a bigger heart." -- Malachi Rempen: Filmmaker, cartoonist, author and self-described ruffian This book grew out of a series of letters to my daughter concerning various things-mostly about money and investing-she was not yet quite ready to hear. Since money is the single most powerful tool we have for navigating this complex world we've created, understanding it is critical. "But Dad," she once said, "I know money is important. I just don't want to spend my life thinking about it." This was eye-opening. I love this stuff. But most people have better things to do with their precious time. Bridges to build, diseases to cure, treaties to negotiate, mountains to climb, technologies to create, children to teach, businesses to run. Unfortunately, benign neglect of things financial leaves you open to the charlatans of the financial world. The people who make investing endlessly complex, because if it can be made complex it becomes more profitable for them, more expensive for us, and we are forced into their waiting arms. Here's an important truth: Complex investments exist only to profit those who create and sell them. Not only are they more costly to the investor, they are less effective. The simple approach I created for her and present now to you, is not only easy to understand and implement, it is more powerful than any other. Together we'll explore: Debt: Why you must avoid it and what to do if you have it. The importance of having F-you Money. How to think about money, and the unique way understanding this is key to building your wealth. Where traditional investing advice goes wrong and what actually works. What the stock market really is and how it really works. Why the stock market always goes up and why most people still lose money investing in it. How to invest in a raging bull, or bear, market. Specific investments to implement these strategies. The Wealth Building and Wealth Preservation phases of your investing life and why they are not always tied to your age. How your asset allocation is tied to those phases and how to choose it. How to simplify the sometimes confusing world of 401(k), 403(b), TSP, IRA and Roth accounts. TRFs (Target Retirement Funds), HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions). What investment firm to use and why the one I recommend is so far superior to the competition. Why you should be very cautious when engaging an investment advisor and whether you need to at all. Why and how you can be conned, and how to avoid becoming prey. Why I don't recommend dollar cost averaging. What financial independence looks like and how to have your money support you. What the 4% rule is and how to use it to safely spend your wealth. The truth behind Social Security. A Case Study on how this all can be implemented in real life. Enjoy the read, and the journey!

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Personal Development

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

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Habits

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Books

"In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, warm words of encouragement and the tools to forge your way through with confidence. You'll never find a wiser advisor with a bigger heart." -- Malachi Rempen: Filmmaker, cartoonist, author and self-described ruffian This book grew out of a series of letters to my daughter concerning various things-mostly about money and investing-she was not yet quite ready to hear. Since money is the single most powerful tool we have for navigating this complex world we've created, understanding it is critical. "But Dad," she once said, "I know money is important. I just don't want to spend my life thinking about it." This was eye-opening. I love this stuff. But most people have better things to do with their precious time. Bridges to build, diseases to cure, treaties to negotiate, mountains to climb, technologies to create, children to teach, businesses to run. Unfortunately, benign neglect of things financial leaves you open to the charlatans of the financial world. The people who make investing endlessly complex, because if it can be made complex it becomes more profitable for them, more expensive for us, and we are forced into their waiting arms. Here's an important truth: Complex investments exist only to profit those who create and sell them. Not only are they more costly to the investor, they are less effective. The simple approach I created for her and present now to you, is not only easy to understand and implement, it is more powerful than any other. Together we'll explore: <ul><li>Debt: Why you must avoid it and what to do if you have it.</li><li>The importance of having F-you Money.</li><li>How to think about money, and the unique way understanding this is key to building your wealth.</li><li>Where traditional investing advice goes wrong and what actually works.</li><li>What the stock market really is and how it really works.</li><li>Why the stock market always goes up and why most people still lose money investing in it.</li><li>How to invest in a raging bull, or bear, market.</li><li>Specific investments to implement these strategies.</li><li>The Wealth Building and Wealth Preservation phases of your investing life and why they are not always tied to your age.</li><li>How your asset allocation is tied to those phases and how to choose it.</li><li>How to simplify the sometimes confusing world of 401(k), 403(b), TSP, IRA and Roth accounts.</li><li>TRFs (Target Retirement Funds), HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions).</li><li>What investment firm to use and why the one I recommend is so far superior to the competition.</li><li>Why you should be very cautious when engaging an investment advisor and whether you need to at all.</li><li>Why and how you can be conned, and how to avoid becoming prey.</li><li>Why I don't recommend dollar cost averaging.</li><li>What financial independence looks like and how to have your money support you.</li><li>What the 4% rule is and how to use it to safely spend your wealth.</li><li>The truth behind Social Security.</li><li>A Case Study on how this all can be implemented in real life.</li></ul> Enjoy the read, and the journey!

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