The Self-Reliant Retirement Plan

Why is my retirement going away? My philosophy has always been to work as hard as I could, work as much as I could and as often as I could and put money into retirement. I was raised by a hard working man who loved and took good care of my mother until the day he died. He taught me to respect my wife, always be thankful for everything she does for me, work hard to support her and build up a secure future so she does not have to struggle to make ends meet when I pass away.

It started back in 2004 and 2005 when there was a trend in the liberal government types about forcing banks to give mortgages to almost anybody needing a home. That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. How can the government force a bank to give a loan that they feel is too much of a risk? It is not their money! Well, that is what happened and the pressure was increased to approve loans to anybody who wants a home, even if they do not have a job!

Why do people believe everybody deserves a home? What about a lazy, no good wife beater who refuses to keep a job? Does he deserve to have a home, if he refuses to work and pay for it? My philosophy if everybody is free to work and earn enough money to buy any home they can afford. That is freedom.

I am watching my retirement I have been building all my life get smaller and smaller. I know the money went in and if it does not come back to me, where did it go? Somebody got all my money and your money! I had put money into my 401k just like everybody else had done, just like a good little sheep, but no more!

I say the hell with the system! I am tired of being just another sheep in the herd, being lead to the slaughter house. It is time for this sheep to take the momma sheep and our baby sheep and leave the herd. It is scary when you lose everything because of a few stupid shepherds with an agenda that makes them rich, by slaughter the sheep. Maybe all the sheep should leave the herd.

Here is my new retirement strategy I call it the “Self-Reliant Retirement Plan.” And, the key is Self-Reliance. Do anything and everything to free yourself from being forced to put your money at risk. Provide for your family as much as possible.

If I had taken this approach a long time ago when I first entered the work force I would already be self-reliant. If I had put the money into being free all these years, instead of into mutual funds that can be taken away, my family would be much better off.

My Self-Reliant Retirement Plan: a) Make my home use as little electricity as possible and then produce my own electricity via solar and or wind. b) Develop a side income where I can generate income from my home and it has to be something my wife can help with and continue when I pass on. c) Reduce as much as possible or eliminate the use of gasoline. d) Plant fruit trees that produce fruit in my climate. e) Plant a large efficient vegetable garden. f) Raise chickens for eggs and meat. g) Put up our own preserves (Veggies, fruit etc.) to last through the winter. h) Get used to watching broadcast television and save the money wasted on satellite or cable. i) Brew my own beer and make my own wine, because 200 gallon a year per household is more than enough.

I do not want to pull out of society and I don’t want some bank to ruin the future my family and I. I want to be able to take care of my family, just like my father taught me to.

About the Author:

Johnny Max hosts the Brewcast BrewCrAzY, The Podcast for those of us Who Brew Our Own Damn BEER!

Holiday Home Insurance: How to choose the best cover

Many people buying a holiday home or second home in the UK or in Europe are offered holiday home insurance cover by an insurer, broker, their foreign agent or notary. Of course it is too easy not to say “No”, but the cover offered may not be suitable due to the special insurance requirements needed for a holiday home or second home.

With the risks of owning a second home abroad or in the UK being that much greater than your main home or residence, there is a real call for a second home insurance policy that is written in easy to understand English, that pays specific attention to the particular requirements for holiday homes, and that also has wide coverage.

Not every property has a swimming pool. Certain features are considered to be of vital importance, and therefore overseas home insurance cover for loss of use, legal liability for domestic staff, public liability and accidental damage to domestic supplies should be included as standard. Your holiday property insurance should also ensure that all local taxes on overseas properties are included within the premium. Buildings and Contents cover should be flexible so that owners do not end up paying for cover that they do not need.

The true value of any insurance is however only fully appreciated when a claim is made. Holiday home owners who own a property overseas and have overseas holiday home insurance should be spared the difficulties of discussing their claim with a foreign agent via a continental telephone call, and should be able to speak directly to experienced English staff that will provide assistance and be fully responsible for liaising with the overseas loss adjusters.

You might think that the best thing to go for is cheap holiday home insurance, but you really need to ask yourself whether you are really that well covered with the cheapest policy? Although low premium rates are often of importance, the overseas house insurance cover should be simple to understand, offer a high level of security and in the event of a claim a satisfactory result.

Using an insurance agent who does not specialize in, or fully understand the requirements of your holiday home or let property, you may find that you do not have adequate cover to fully protect your holiday home. It is essential that you get the correct property insurance to suit the specialized requirements needed for your holiday home. You must get specialist overseas holiday property insurance. And you must get insurance for buildings and contents designed exclusively for properties used as holiday homes or let for holiday use.

Do you have cover for legal liability for domestic employees? What restrictions are in place when letting and un-occupancy etc? And most important of all what do you do in the event of a claim? As an owner of a holiday home abroad, it is vital that you fully understand the extent and limitations of your insurance policy.

If your holiday home insurance policy has been placed through an insurance agent in the following countries: UK, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus Greece, Ireland, Malta, Monaco or Andorra , it is more likely that they have not informed you and that you simply do not know.

About the Author:

David Ball has many years experience advising people on comprehensive holiday home insurance and second home insurance.

Essential Debt Management Tips For You

There are people who do not really care about their personal financial status. However, the fact is that you should try to manage your money. You may wonder what you need to do if you are in debt. In fact, you should also learn to manage your debt and start your plan to build your wealth.

Creating your own personal budget is something extremely essential. You will not be able to manage your debt and at the same time build you wealth if you do not attempt to create a personal budget. You will not be able to have financial independence if you do not start creating your budget.

You may think that it is not quite possible for you to attain the status of financial independence because you are in debt. However, the fact is that you can do it step by step and there is still a chance for you to do so.

The first thing you need to learn in terms of debt management is to repay punctually. You should try your best to pay before the due day. You will be able to save a lot of interest or financial charges if you can do so.

You should also plan ahead so that you can have an idea on how you can repay all your debts. Of course this will not happen in one day. However, you should still learn to do it.

The credit card debt is probably one of the debts which gives you a lot of trouble. This is mainly because the interest associated with it is often very high. Besides, there is nearly no way for you to settle it if you only settle the minimum amount each month. You will try to pay more than the minimum amount. This is the only way for you to totally settle them.

It is also important for you to set your personal budget. You will be analyzing your daily expenses and your monthly income so that you can set a reasonable budget. Remember, you will need to put repaying debts as an important item in your monthly expenses.

You should also try to start building your wealth at the same time. Remember, you are trying to repay the debt as soon as possible because you would like to eventually attain the status of financial independence. As a result, you should start building your wealth before it is too late.

About the Author:

Jane Lee is an author. She has interest in Personal Finance. You may also want to check Student Loans.