The Prosperity Blog

Is Supporting Your Adult Child Hurting Both of You?

by Kate4Kim | Sep 5, 2019 | 0 Comment

Kids are expensive—and worth it! In a recent survey, an overwhelming majority of parents (94 percent) say parenting is the most rewarding aspect of their lives. But if you think the expenses end when the child turns 18 or graduates from college—think again!

According to a recent study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave, 79% of parents in the U.S. provide financial support to their 18- to 34-year-old adult children. This amounts to $500 billion spent annually—twice what those same parents contribute to their retirement accounts ($250 billion).

Grit: How Passion & Perseverance Create Prosperity

by Kate4Kim | Aug 29, 2019 | 0 Comment

“Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
—Angela Duckworth, Grit

What determines success? Is it intelligence, talent, or something else?

Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, answers this question and explores the “something else” that is essential for success. Grit is the ability to sustain effort in order to reach long-term goals. Duckworth defines grit as part passion (something you know you want and/or love doing) and part perseverance (hard work and resilience).

Let’s dive into some of the highlights from this excellent book. As we do, we’ll look at how grit can be applied, specifically—to your finances!

10 Ways to Get Ready for the Next Recession

by Kate4Kim | Aug 23, 2019 | 0 Comment

The economic headlines present two divergent realities right now. One shows sunny skies, and the other, a fierce storm brewing. Today, we consider the signs and how to prepare for the next recession—one that seems inevitable.

On the one hand, unemployment remains at near 50-year lows. Consumer confidence is high. Wages are rising. And—if you don’t mind some unnerving bumps in the road—the stock market has continued it’s mostly upward trajectory to recent new highs. On the surface, things look pretty good.

The Great American Savings Crisis

by Kate4Kim | Aug 19, 2019 | 0 Comment

This article is adapted from Perpetual Wealth: How to Use “Family Financing” to Build Prosperity and Leave a Legacy for Generations. This new book from Kim D. H. Butler and Kate Phillips is available for a limited time as a download—on us! Scroll down to find out more and sign up for your copy… or download it right now!

Saving Saves Families

One of Kim’s sayings is, “Saving saves families.” Both saving (as a verb) and the resulting savings (noun) makes a world of difference.

With savings, people can handle emergencies and build up additional capital to invest with. With savings, people can get the education, training or mentorship they need to pursue a fulfilling career. They can purchase a home and not be at the mercy of a rental market. They can start a business and employ others. And they can afford the things that are important to them.

Without savings, people struggle and families are sometimes even torn apart. Financial stress and a lack of savings can threaten families and lasting wealth in multiple ways:

Dave Ramsey Review: The Pros and Cons of His Financial Advice

by Kate4Kim | Aug 9, 2019 | 10 Comments

“Ramsey is the pro bono financial adviser to millions of Americans who otherwise could never afford one.”
—Politico.com

There’s a gap in financial advice. Financial advisors, planners and money managers don’t typically do a good job of serving the working class. Many people are buried in consumer debt, living paycheck to paycheck. Many may never meet with a financial professional. After all—they lack funds to invest and it doesn’t make sense in their case to pay a fee for advice. These are people who have been largely neglected and forgotten by a financial industry that isn’t compensated to help them.

Enter Dave Ramsey. His Total Money Makeover is one of the best-selling personal books of all time. His radio program and podcast are heard by 14 million weekly. And over 5 million people have gone through his Financial Peace University program.

The Truth about Financial Stress (and How to Solve It)

by Partners 4 Prosperity | Aug 2, 2019 | 2 Comments

Today’s article is a guest post from Kate Phillips of Total Wealth. Kate is co-author with Kim Butler of Financial Planning Has Failed and Perpetual Wealth.

By any measure, financial stress is an enormous problem. About 7 out of 10 of all Americans say they are financially stressed, according to a recent Prudential American Workers survey and a John Hancock Financial stress survey.

The majority of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck, say multiple surveys. 40% of Americans can’t cover an unexpected $400 expense without using a credit card, according to a 2018 Federal Reserve Economic Well-Being Report. Money worries also typically top the list of reasons for marriage conflicts and divorce.

The Beneficiary Checklist: 7 Mistakes to Avoid!

by Kate4Kim | Jul 25, 2019 | 0 Comment

Do you intend to leave a legacy? Utilizing life insurance and selecting policy beneficiaries for your policies and/or other accounts makes leaving legacy gifts simple, keeping them out of probate or the state courts. That is… unless you make a critical mistake. We wrote this beneficiary checklist so you won’t!

You’ve put a legacy into place that assures loved ones and/or your favorite charities will receive monetary gifts according to your wishes. But there are a handful of mistakes we see people make when it comes to naming beneficiaries or keeping them up-to-date.