Retirement Plan's Basic Rules Still Work: Cut Expenses and Save

Retirement Plan's Basic Rules Still Work: 

Cut Expenses and Save

By John Waggoner, USA TODAY

Updated 3/29/2012 4:05 PM

One morning you'll discover, to your horror, that the grizzled pre-retiree in the mirror is you. And, upon reflection, you might also realize that the old fella's retirement plan isn't exactly on track.

You could be behind in your retirement savings for any number of reasons. A layoff in the family. Two massive bear markets in 10 years. College. A sick relative. Or — and let's be honest — you just haven't thought about it.  Now it's time to get back on track. Is it easy? Nope. But it is possible.

Reduce expenses

First things first: Estimate how much money you'll need in retirement. A general rule is that you'll need about 80% of your current income in retirement. After all, you won't be commuting to work — or saving for retirement, for that matter.

But many retirees find that they spend about the same amount in retirement as they did when they were working. They travel more, for example, and eat out with friends more often. As people get older, however, expenses decline, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

One of your best moves may be to see how much of those expenses you can reduce or eliminate. "If you can enter retirement without debt, you have so much more flexibility," says Eleanor Blayney, consumer advocate for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

You could refinance your mortgage to a term that matches your retirement date, assuming you can afford the payments. People over 50 spend 40% to 45% of their income on home and home-related items, EBRI says. Eliminating your mortgage would slash your expenses.

But a better way would be to pay extra on your mortgage. You can skip the extra payment if times get tough. "If you have a month where all hell breaks loose, you can relax a bit," Blayney says.  If you have any consumer debt, such as credit cards, do your best to pay them off. Paying off a debt that charges 20% interest is the rough equivalent of earning 20% on your money. You're not going to find that anywhere else.

Boosting income

For many people, the easiest way to boost income in retirement is to delay retiring. Pushing back retirement even a few years will give your savings time to grow, and reduce the amount of time you'll need to make your retirement last. And that's important: A 65-year-old man can expect to live to 83, and a 65-year-old woman will live, on average, to 85. One out of 10 65-year-olds will live to be 95.

The other advantage: You'll collect more from Social Security. While you can collect a minimum benefit at 62, you can increase it considerably if you wait until 70. For example, if you were born in 1943 or later, your Social Security benefit will increase by 8% for each year between full retirement age and age 70.

In some cases, it may be worth living off your savings until you reach age 70 to get the largest Social Security payout, Blayney says. An inflation-adjusted lifetime payout is extremely valuable. How valuable?

You can buy an inflation-adjusted annuity through Vanguard, the mutual fund company. A $400,000 deposit will get a 65-year-old man a monthly initial payment of $1,552 to $1,677, depending on the insurer. The payment would be adjusted for inflation each year, payments would stop at death, and the insurance company keeps any balance.

Saving more

The simplest solution to getting back on track: Save more. People often think that their investment returns are what decides how much they'll have in retirement. In reality, the amount you save is the single biggest determinant of how much you'll have.

You can put a maximum $17,000 into a 401(k) savings plan this year. If you're 50 or older, you can stash away another $5,500.

Tax savings ease the bite from your salary. For example, if you earn $100,000 a year and contribute $17,000 to a 401(k), you'd be socking away $327 a week. Because your contribution reduces your taxable income — and hence your taxes — your salary would fall by $214 a week.

Always contribute at least as much as the company match, if any. Free money for retirement is too good to pass up.  Even though you want to catch up, don't sink all your money into a red-hot fund in the hopes of making money quickly. Red-hot funds soon grow cold, and if you're nearing retirement, you won't have time to make up for big losses. Consider a target-date fund, which gears its investment mix to your estimated retirement date. If you want, divide your money between one aimed at your retirement date and one aimed 10 years later. You'll need money then, too.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/perfi/basics/story/2012-03-18/advice-on-boosting-retirement-savings/53615148/1

Ten things happy people have in common

BY NAOMI SIMSON

Happiness makes sense at every level – on a personal, community, social, organisational, national and global level.

Yet happiness is often overlooked as a critical component in our lives. A new human resources manager joining a business that I know of questioned one of its values, 'fun', saying it didn't make business sense.

We spend so much time at work – surely it is important to have fun, be ourselves and, as a result, benefit the organisation and society.

And it is not hard to share happiness, by showing a little kindness and saying an authentic Thank You.

Here are 10 traits happy people tend to share:

1. Feel great
   Happiness is fun and it feels good. Waking up each morning feeling excited to discover what the day holds; going to bed satisfied that it was a great day; feeling gratitude for whatever the day presented; having truly been aware of those around you.
2. Live longer
   "We reviewed eight different types of studies," said University of Illinois professor emeritus of psychology Ed Diener, in a study that followed nearly 5,000 university students for more than 40 years.
   The study found that, for example, those who were most pessimistic as students tended to die younger than their peers. "And the general conclusion from each type of study is that your subjective well-being – that is, feeling positive about your life, not stressed out, not depressed – contributes to both longevity and better health among healthy populations."
3. Are healthier
   Is it that happy people are healthier or healthy people are happier? "Everything else being equal, if you are happy and satisfied with your life now, you are more likely to be healthy in the future. Importantly, our results are independent of several factors that impact on health, such as smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and age," said the lead author of a study on health and happiness, Mohammad Siahpush, Ph.D, University of Nebraska Medical Centre in Omaha.
   The researchers looked at data from two waves of an Australian survey conducted in 2001 and 2004. Nearly 10,000 adults responded to items about health indicators including the presence of long-term, limiting health conditions and physical health. To assess happiness, they asked: "During the past four weeks, have you been a happy person?" They determined life satisfaction by asking: "All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life?" "We found strong evidence that both happiness and life satisfaction have an effect on our indicators of health," Siahpush said.
   Professor Fiona Wood, head of Royal Perth Hospital's Burns Unit and director of the Western Australia Burns Service, said that those with a predisposition to positivity are far more likely to heal well than those who are negative.
4. Keep going
   Happiness and positivity work together. Positive people see that the 'glass is half full.' Their positive view that good things will happen helps them see and act on options and opportunities faster.
   Many studies have shown that people who are positive or happy solve problems better and faster. Their solutions are more inventive and they concentrate better. Happiness also improves people's ability to learn and remember things. Better problem solving is another reason why happiness is important.
   "You get what you look for." – Unknown
5. Are in relationships 
   Many studies show that if you are happy you are more likely to be married, romantically involved and have multiple close friendships. Which came first though? Are you happy because you are in a relationship or are you more attractive because you are happy?
   Both could be true. Happier people are more attractive and being happier makes you more likely to be attracted to someone else.
6. Have deeper conversations
   Findings from a University of Arizona study showed deep conversations contributed to happiness.
   "Those who reported higher levels of well-being spent less time alone and more time talking with others. The happiest also had about one-third as much small talk and twice as many substantive conversations than those who were unhappiest. Men engaged in slightly more meaningful conversations than women, contrary to the belief that women are more likely to discuss their deeper feelings."
   Commenting on the research, Sonja Lyubormirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California says: "There's lots of research showing that happiness is linked with greater social support. Happier people spend more time with others. Substantive conversations would be a marker that they are talking to closer friends."
7. Look for good
   Negative or pessimistic emotions spur us to 'fight' or argue by generating chemicals in our bodies.
   We experience a completely different outlook when we are positive. Happiness spurs us to discover, learn, develop and grow the same way. In short, positive emotions create a completely different way of thinking in our bodies.
   Happy people look for the good in things – and tend to find it. Happy people want to 'make love not war'. The physiological state caused by happiness helps happy people see good and be drawn to avoid conflict.
8. It spreads
   Putting it simply, happy people spread their happiness.
   The old saying 'one good turn deserves another' is true when it comes to kindness and happiness.
   There is a strong link between feeling good and doing things to assist other people. So when happy people 'do good', they feel good in doing this as well as making another person feel good. It multiplies – and is not linear. Happy people are more willing to share their good fortune, to help others, than unhappy people. Happy people are innately generous and, as a result, the world becomes a better place.
9. Are productive
   Happy people = happy profits. Thomas Wright, professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Nevada, states, "employee happiness accounts for as much as 10% to 15% of the variance in performance between different workers".
   In a 40-hour week, that could mean up to 45 minutes of lost productivity per day. Managers who don't attend to the happiness of their staff are unlikely to be getting the best out of them. Gallup tells us that disengaged workers cost billions in lost productivity. Yet those organisations with a happy workforce also have 20% higher profits.
10. Are lucky
    Happy people are luckier. There seem to be several factors that contribute to this. First, happy people are optimistic. Then tend to see opportunity more frequently and they are more likely to make lemonade when life gives them lemons.
    
    
    http://www.womensagenda.com.au/guilt-free-zone/health/ten-things-happy-people-have-in-common/20120826457

This is one of my favorite articles I've read this week. - Darren Olayan

30 Traits Happy People Have in Common

30 Traits Happy People Have in Common

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC CHERNOFF

Books on happiness are a dime a dozen.  I’m a bit of a self-improvement junkie, so I can assure that they are – I’ve read well over a hundred of them.  And no, it’s doesn’t mean that reading these books is a waste of time.  I have discovered some amazing nuggets of wisdom in the books I’ve read that have helped me better myself in many ways.  Three of my favorite books on happiness include:

• The Happiness Project
• Stumbling on Happiness
• The How of Happiness

But one thing is certain, like all channels of self-improvement advice, books on happiness echo pretty much the same exact advice over and over again in a thousand different ways.  So today I figured I’d eliminate the fluff and give you a list of the 30 traits most happy people have in common, according to every book I’ve ever read on happiness.

1. They are ‘glass half full’ people – while still being practical and down-to-earth.  They have an ability to find the good in any situation.
2. They understand that happiness is a choice, and consciously and methodically create their own happiness, while others hope happiness will find them.
3. They are ambitious.  They don’t believe in, or wait for fate, destiny, chance or luck to determine or shape their future.  They take control and choose to live their best life rather than spending it on auto-pilot.
4. They have clarity and certainty about what they want and don’t want for their life.  They visualize and plan their best reality while others are merely spectators of life.  They have identified their core values – what is important to them – and they do their best to live a life which is reflective of these values.
5. They ask the right questions – the ones which put them in a happy, creative, positive mindset and emotional state.
6. They rarely complain because they know it’s a waste of energy.  All complaining does is put the complainer in a negative state of mind.
7. They don’t procrastinate and they don’t spend their life waiting for the ‘right time’.  They are busy, productive and proactive with their goals.  While most are laying on the couch, over-planning, over-thinking, sitting on their hands and generally going around in circles, they are out there taking steps in the right direction.
8. They are fearful like everyone else, but they are not controlled or limited by their fears – they face them and grow beyond them over time.
9. They don’t blame others.  They take complete responsibility for their actions and outcomes, or their lack thereof.
10. While they are not necessarily more talented than the majority, they always find ways to maximize their potential.  They get more out of themselves by exercising their talents and their passions.  In other words, they use what they have more effectively, which leads to long-term personal achievement and happiness.
11. They avoid toxic people, and spend time with positive, like-minded people. They understand the importance of being part of a team, and part of healthy relationships.
12. They take calculated risks that help them expand their horizons and grow – financially, emotionally, professionally, etc.
13. They deal with problems and challenges quickly and effectively, they don’t put their head in the sand.  They face their challenges and use them as vehicles for personal growth.
14. They are solution focused.  They learn a lesson and move on to bigger and better things while others are still stuck on the problem.
15. While many people are reactive, they are proactive.  They take action in pursuit of their goals and the things that make them happy.
16. They are life-long learners.  They constantly work at educating themselves, either formally (academically), informally (watching, listening, asking, reading) or experientially (doing, trying).  And their education helps them discover new vehicles to happiness and success.
17. They are humble and they are happy to admit mistakes and to apologize when they should.  They are confident in their ability, but not arrogant.  They keep an open mind, and are happy to learn from others.
18. They are more effective than most at managing their emotions.  They feel like we all do but they are not slaves to their emotions.
19. While many people are pleasure junkies that avoid pain and discomfort at all costs, truly happy people understand the value and benefits of working through the tough situations that others typically avoid.
20. They sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term happiness.  They are more interested in something being effective than they are in something being easy.  While everyone else is looking for the quickest shortcut, they look for the course of action which will produce the best results over the long term.
21. They are multi-dimensional, and create balance in their lives by properly managing the time they devote to family, friends, work, hobbies, etc.  Because they realize that too much, or not enough, of one of these things creates stress and unhappiness.  They realize that not only are they physical and psychological beings, but emotional and spiritual creatures as well.  They consciously work at being healthy and happy on all levels.
22. They are adaptable and embrace change.  While the majority are creatures of comfort and habit, they are comfortable with, and embrace, the new and the unfamiliar.  They are strong, and they are happy to take the road less traveled.
23. They aren’t as concerned with what others want for them as they are with what they know is right for themselves.  They are happy to swim against the tide, to do what most won’t.  They are not people pleasers and they don’t need constant approval.
24. They are secure.  They do not derive their sense of self-worth from what they own, who they know, where they live or what they look like.  Their self-worth is a reflection of who they are and how they choose to live.
25. They are generous and kind, and take pleasure in helping others achieve happiness too.  They are happy to make others look good rather than seek their own personal glory – they share the goodness every chance they get.
26. They keep themselves in shape physically, not to impress others, but because they understand the importance of being physically well as it relates to their happiness and longevity.  Their body is not who they are, it’s where they live.
27. They don’t invest time or emotional energy into things which they have no control over.  They concentrate solely on the things they can control.
28. Their career is not their identity, it’s their job.  It’s not who they are, it’s what they do.  And over time, they gradually align their career with their values – changing positions, employers, and careers as necessary.
29. They have an off switch.  They know how to relax, let loose and enjoy what they have in their life right now.
30. They practice what they preach.  They don’t talk about the theory, they live the reality.  They do what they need to do, for themselves and their loved ones – for the sake of long-term happiness and success.

Bottom line:  You can be happy – you can choose happiness.  And you don’t even need to develop all 30 of these traits to get there.  Start with one of them that you know you struggle with.  Work on just that one point until you have it mastered, and then move on to another one.  Gradually, you’ll discover yourself becoming a better version of YOU – and that by itself is something worth smiling about.

Darren Olayan

http://www.marcandangel.com/2012/07/02/30-traits-happy-people-have-in-common/

Choosing Success - Let's Make the CHOICE and DO IT NOW

Have you ever thought about why those successful people are always successful?  Have you ever thought why those happy smiling people always seem to be happy?  Have you always wondered why those “lucky” people always seem to be lucky? Or on the other side why some people can never have anything go their way or they always seem to be in trouble.

My entire life I have always been teased or talked about as always being able to get a killer deal, have a great connection or just always scoring.  Even though I too have had some great ups, I’ve also had some smashing downs.  However, I’ve always been pretty good about being in the right place at the right time and getting “lucky” or having success.

Today during Mike Ray’s training on MLM Time Management my mind was flooded with a whole bunch of thoughts and I just wanted to take a second to write them down.  How is it that successful people always seem to be successful and the ones that aren’t successful never seem to successful?

I have a few answers and they all begin with mindset.  Herman Cain said, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” I have always believed this and live it.  I LOVE WHAT I DO! 

People love to be around happy people.  No one likes to hang out with someone negative, someone that sucks the life out of them or just drags them down.  People like to feel good and enjoy being around others that feel the same. 

Jim Rohn said “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become.” This may be a difficult concept for people to understand but one that can only be proven by doing.  I have seen this over and over in my life for good and bad.  I’ve had some things take place in my life that have dragged me down to the pits of depression where you feel like there is absolutely no hope and only complete palpable darkness.  However you choose to rise up, if you do, it once again begins with mindset and the choice to be happy.  It begins with you deciding that you want to make it happen, that you refuse to live another day with the misery, or whatever it is you are trying to change.  The point is that it begins with YOU and YOU MUST CHANGE.  Whatever you dream to have, be or do, it begins with you making the decision to do it, to be it or to have it.  You must decide in your mind that it is something you are going to do.  You can vision board it.  You can pray about it.  You can meditate about it.  Your process is your process but it begins with your mindset and making the choice to DO IT!  Success is attracted by who you choose to be!

A simple rule of thumb that can help you on your way is what Jim Rohn said “Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.” If you have read “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, you will know that life is a journey and the treasure at the end of the journey isn’t actually the treasure.  It is the journey through life that is actually the treasure.  My point is this.  BE HAPPY NOW and don’t fear.

Many times we let fear get in our way.  Bill Cosby said, “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” What in the heck does that mean?  Thomas Watson was asked about his secret to success, he said the following.  “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it.  So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.” I’m an absolute fan and believer in the book “Go for No!” written by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz.  You need to read it.

Let me get brutally honest with you and I hope you are not offended.  I went through a divorce and totally screwed up.  I’m not sure if any of you have ever been depressed.  My entire life, I’ve never understood depression because I have always chosen to be happy despite life’s challenges.  However, during a few periods in my life over the last few years I’ve made some super stupid decisions.  One of the worst that I made was trusting certain people and believing that custody terms were as we verbally agreed and stated accordingly in the paperwork.  To get to the point, I had the old bait and switch happen to me regarding custody of my children.  I was hit in the most sensitive soft and protected part of my heart and I was nearly destroyed because the most loved and adored thing in my life was taken from me.  You want to talk about depression and pain?  I get it now.  I also get that it still was a choice.  You have a choice.  I have a choice.  We have the ability to CHOOSE.

I choose to be happy.  I choose to be successful.  There is ONE SOLID PROVEN METHOD WAY TO SUCCEED and that is to NEVER GIVE UP!  Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”  Success is a journey that begins with your choice to be and do.  The doing is the most important part.  I spoke with friend the other day that is suddenly having tremendous success in her business and I asked her, “Do you know why you are having success?” Her response was, “It’s because I saw this other guy having success and I realized that I can do the same thing too!”  It is mindset.  It is choice.  Once you choose, then DO IT!  As Spencer W. Kimball used to say, “DO IT NOW”

As Coach Carberry taught me, “It is your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude.”  This literally changed my life and has opened so many doors that I often look back on my life and am shocked at how good life has been to me.  “Men are born to succeed, not fail,” Henry Thoreau said.  Let’s not let life or the world get us down.  Let’s refuse to fail. Let’s choose success. Overnight successes, don’t happen overnight.  Robert Collier said, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” Theodore Roosevelt said “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” and I agree.

To wrap up my thoughts you, me, we need to choose what we want to be.  We then need to get off our okole and just do it and do it now.  I love this statement by Thomas Edison, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”  

So let’s choose SUCCESS and DO IT NOW!  I’m awake, are you?  WakeUpNow! Stay thirsty my friends.

Darren Olayan

Pay with an EBT card for a WakeUpNow Membership

Pay with an EBT card for a WakeUpNow Membership

By David Liciaga

I was reading a post by Lindan Intanet-Money Grier about someone wanting to pay with an EBT card, and then saw some of the comments. I began writing a response, but decided that this deserved its own post.

Guys.....come on. While I respect that this isn't your position in life at the moment, understand that for some it is. And quite honestly, she could've been part of the 90% of people that say NO to the opportunity, but instead she was interested and had a legitimate question about the method of payment.

It doesn't mean that he/she is ghetto, it just might mean that they don't know no better. And the fact that she asked about EBT means she was ready to make the move. She just needed to be taught.

While I understand that this business isn't for everyone, don't disqualify people who want it that badly just because you can't see past their situation. And I say this from experience....because if you would've told me that I would be where I am today in 2005 (when I went food shopping for me and my wife with $12 in my pocket), I would've never believed you......and some of your attitudes would've prevented you from having a monster like me on your team.

That being said, if you don't want the people who have questions about EBT, send them here. They need what we are providing, they need the break-through, and need our support...and based off of some of your responses, some of you are too dumb to see it.

Success is a process that starts with motivation. I'd rather take 1 person with motivation and no means than 99 people with means and no motivation.

I'm done.

Give me Someone Hungry ANYDAY!!!

Thoughts by Darren Olayan

Wow!!! I can’t even begin to tell you how broke as a joke I was growing up.  I would like to commend David for his comments on this post because believe it or not, I was one of those Broke @$$ kids growing up that worked for every single thing I ever received.  Guys, I remember that as a boy scout I had to go buy Hershey Bars for S’mores for a campout that I was going on and the only thing my Mom had was a few food stamps for me to buy it with.  I was so embarrassed that I wouldn’t use the food stamps and decided to not eat any S’mores because I couldn’t contribute.  Let me tell you what I think.  If someone has the burning desire to rise up, hustle it and make this happen, by all means let’s help them.  If they are here for a free ride and a free $600 a month, then move on to a different company.  Every situation is different so all I can say is this.  Give me someone that is hungry and wants it bad any day over someone that has never been hungry before.

Direct Selling Association Announces U.S. Sales and Salesforce Figures

http://www.dsa.org/press/press_releases/?fa=view&docID=5007

WFDSA/USDSA Announce 2011 Global and U.S. Direct Selling Statistics fromAmy Robinson on Vimeo.

• Direct sales increased 4.6 percent to $29.87 billion
• Salesforce sized at 15.6 million sellers in the US
• Direct selling market outpaces growth in gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.7 percent

Washington, DC - The Direct Selling Association (DSA) today released the results of its Annual Growth & Outlook Survey, which shows U.S. direct sales totaled $29.87 billion in 2011, a 4.6 percent year-over-year increase from $28.56 billion in 2010.

“There is good news coming from the direct selling segment,” said DSA president Joseph Mariano. “Despite the economic climate, direct selling continues to be a source of income and support for independent consultants across the U.S.”

The U.S. direct selling market grew faster than the overall U.S. economy, which grew 3.9 percent as measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

Nearly half of U.S. direct selling companies experienced sales growth and another 14 percent remained flat.

Smaller direct selling companies (those with annual retail sales under $3 million) fared best with 66.7 percent showing growth, and an average retail sales increase of about 30 percent.

“Growing a small business when the economy is struggling is a tall order,” said Mariano. “As an industry that celebrates entrepreneurship, the achievements made in 2011, particularly by by small direct selling companies, is remarkable.”

DSA released the findings of its 2011 Growth & Outlook Survey during a joint announcement with the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations at theDSA Annual Meeting in Grapevine, Texas.

The U.S. was ranked as the top direct selling market in the world with 20 percent of worldwide sales in 2011. Japan came in second with $23.9 billion (16 percent) followed by China with $16.3 billion (11 percent), South Korea at $12.8 billion (eight percent) and Brazil at $12 billion (eight percent).

“Around the world, the stories of the incredible journeys many people have taken to success through direct selling tell a poignant tale of individual achievement,” said Alessandro Carlucci, CEO of Brazilian direct selling company Natura Cosméticos and WFDSA chairman. “It is through our global statistics that we can begin to paint a picture that conveys the economic and social benefits direct selling provides.”

Global direct sales increased 10 percent from $139.7 billion in 2010 to $153.7 billion in 2011, according to Carlucci.

Additional findings from the DSA 2011 Growth & Outlook survey are available atwww.dsa.org/statistics/. View the fact sheet.

###

About the Growth & Outlook Survey

The Growth & Outlook Survey captures the annual size and scope of the direct selling industry in the US. It also provides direct selling companies important operating benchmarks to help them measure their effectiveness in the marketplace. DSA conducts the study from March through May each year.

About the Direct Selling Association

DSA is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to customers. Among its more than 240 active and pending members are companies selling both via a party-plan method and in the traditional person-to-person style. In 2011, U.S. direct sales were more than $29.87 billion with nearly 16 million direct sellers nationwide. The vast majority are independent business people – micro-entrepreneurs – whose purpose is to sell the product/service of the company they voluntarily choose to represent. Approximately 90 percent of direct sellers operate their business part-time. For more information, visit www.dsa.org.

2011 US Direct Sales Facts

http://www.dsa.org/research/industry-statistics/11gofactsheet.pdf

Gold Rush Thoughts - Can we provide the tools & the gold?

Gold Rush Thoughts - Can we provide the tools & the gold?

Good morning everyone. I was reading about the gold rush yesterday and this morning and reflecting on a number of different lessons to be learned from it.  The gold rush was such a massively hyped event that it is a major part of our history.  I was reflecting on who really made the money and I’m sure you already knew this but it was the merchants that provided the tools.  It was the businesses that sold the picks, shovels, pans, tents, gear, food, clothing and etc.  They were the real winners in that deal and many of them did VERY WELL!  Sam Brennan made a killing by selling tools.  Levi Strauss created the canvas pants.  Phillip Armour created a meat-packing company.  John Studebaker created wagons and eventually automobiles.  Henry Wells and William Fargo created Wells Fargo and of course, Samuel Clemens became the famous author Mark Twain that told us all the stories about it. 

So the miners came with gold on their mind.  That’s all they could think about is digging for gold and living their dreams by finding that gold vein or panning for nuggets.  The dream consumed them.  We have to give them credit for working hard and going for their dreams because that was no easy task.  Walking across the prairies or arriving by ship from far off lands, then working hard labor day in and day out was no easy task.  These miners were dream chasers but very few actually found their fortune.

What if we could be the merchants that sold the necessities to the miners? How would we do? Would we make money?  Of course the answer is yes but let’s take it a step further.  What if we could not only provide the tools but also point them right to the gold?  What if we knew where the gold veins were?  What if we knew for sure exactly where to pan for gold?  And then…. We told them????  How incredible would that be?  That would be a slam-dunk, home-run, touch-down, game over winner!!!!

Well now you understand WakeUpNow.  We have the tools and we point you to the gold.  We know where the gold is because we are digging right along with you!  We have the tools to help you mine it.  We have the tools to help you pan it.  We have the gear, the food and the knowledge.  We even have the maps and the direction to exactly where it is because we are digging right along your side.  You see, we are thousands and the secret is getting out.  People are mining gold with our tools, knowledge and help.  This is the latest gold rush and its' barely getting started.  It’s called WakeUpNow. 

If you want the tools, knowledge and team to dig along-side with you during this gold rush, you need to contact the person that sent you to this page!  I'm awake!  Are you?

Comparing MLM success rates with no-product pyramid schemes and gambling

I was reading this the other day and was floored at how crazy the industry is.  Check this out.

Comparing MLM success rates with no-product pyramid schemes and gambling

IMPORTANT: The estimates in Table 1 below are based on our careful analysis of reports published by the MLM companies themselves. These extraordinary loss rates were derived by removing typical deceptions from the reporting of these recruitment-driven MLMs¹. Before forming your own conclusions, you are urged to perform your own research and calculations based on actual company data, which all MLM companies should provide for prospects.

The odds of profiting by investing in a clearly illegal no-product pyramid scheme² (with all winners re-investing) is approximately –

• 667 times as great as the odds of profiting after enrolling as an Amway/Quixtar “distributor”
• 111 times as great as the odds of profiting after enrolling as a Nu Skin “distributor”
• 69 times as great as the odds of profiting after enrolling as a Melaleuca “distributor”

 The odds of winning from a single spin of the wheel in a game of roulette in Las Vegas*** is approximately – 

• 286 times as great as the odds of profiting after enrolling as an Amway/Quixtar “distributor”
• 48 times as great as the odds of profiting after enrolling as a Nu Skin “distributor”
• 22 times as great as the odds of profiting after enrolling as a Melaleuca “distributor”

Similarly, the odds of winning with a single bet on snake eyes in a game of craps in Las Vegas are far greater than the odds of profiting from any of these MLM programs. In fact, the odds of earning a significant profit from virtually any MLM is no greater than the odds of throwing three sets of dice and getting snake eyas all three times! 

 


CONCLUSIONS:

Contrary to popular belief, the worst pyramid schemes are product-based – or recruiting MLMs*, such as the ones listed above. One can do far better gambling in Las Vegas. We're not promoting gambling - just fair trade practices, as manifested in legitimate business opportunities (as opposed to phony MLM chain selling schemes, or product-based pyramid schemes).

Table 1

MLM COMPANY3	Approximate percentage ofMLM participants who LOSE MONEY4 (spend more than they receive)	Approx. percentage who realize a profit4 after all expenses
AMWAY/QUIXTAR	99.99%	0.01%
RENAISSANCE (RTTP) - defunct	99.98%	0.02%
NIKKEN	99.98%	0.02%
SYMMETRY	99.96%	0.04%
CYBERWIZE	99.94%	0.06%
NUSKIN/ PHARMANEX/ BIG PLANET/ ETC.	99.94%	0.06%
TELCOM CO. - defunct	99.92%	0.08%
ARBONNE	99.92%	0.08%
RELIV	99.90%	0.10%
MELALEUCA	99.87%	0.13%
FREE LIFE	99.69%	0.31%
HERBALIFE	99.42%	0.58%

¹ A “recruitment-driven MLM” is a multi-level marketing (MLM) program that uses a compensation plan that allocates the majority of its payout to participants to those who recruit a large downline of participants, rather than to front-line sales persons for sales to persons not participating in the scheme. I have analyzed the compensation plans of over 400 MLM’s, all of which were found to be recruiting MLM’s, in which participants must aggressively recruit a large downline to profit significantly. Based on more recent data from the companies themselves, the loss rate for recruiting MLM’s is approximately 99.6%; i.e., 99.6% of ALL participants lose money after subtracting all expenses, including purchases from the company. Read about the “5 Red Flags” in the compensation plan that signal it is a recruitment-driven MLM – as are virtually all MLMs.

² The odds of profiting from a classic 1-2-4-8 no-product pyramid scheme increases from 6.7% to 12.5% for those who drop out after completion of a pyramid cycle; i.e., without reinvesting in a new pyramid. For references and public records used as bases for these calculations, see the author’s research reports posted on this web site. 3 Gambling statistics were obtained from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

³ Last updated in approximately 2006, although the statistics tend to remain fairly constant over time becasue the compensation systems that produce these results rarely change.

⁴ The estimates are based on our careful analysis of reports published by the MLM companies themselves. These extraordinary loss rates were derived by removing three sources of deception from the reporting of these MLM’s:
(1) the practice of not counting ALL who signed on as distributors (agents, consultants, etc.) in the population of recruits who attempted to make the program work for them, but instead counting only those still “active;” i.e., deleting all dropouts in the calculation,
(2) not subtracting expenses, especially products and services purchased from the company to qualify for commissions, plus minimal operating expenses, and
(3) assuming legitimate sales of products (to customers not in the network) that did not occur.You may also want to read how Jon Taylor discovered the abysmal loss rate of MLM in chapter 1 of his new e-book titled The Case (for and) against Multi-level Marketing.