Stock Forex

Markets rise and fall on a perception of what will happen in the future. I have two problems with this.

1.    No one knows what will happen. Too many other things change. What seems logical turns illogical.

2.    We still must take into account our biases—how we as individuals and groups view such things. Life is too fluid to predict.

Most of the future’s news is discounted long before it happens. Look at the last example! We want to discern things, to have peace of mind, to have things fit—to make sense. What twisted logical path did the market (the invisible “they”) walk down to come to a conclusion that a stock’s price will fall in nine to eighteen months, and then have the price fall now? With this type of logic at work and the crazy reaction to it, what are we to do? More importantly, what plays can we make to build up our income?

I’ll give specifics in a few moments, but first, my list of important observations:

A.  Individual Investors

1.    There is in each of us (even at the corporate level) a desire to grow, to build, to achieve.

2.    We all, even companies, have a desperate need to not only survive, but to thrive.

B.   Market Movement

1.    The market has a mind of its own and will usually do that which it must do to make fools out of a majority of investors.

2.    The market is not right. It just isn’t. It’s fluid, it moves unexpectedly.

3.    There are short term plays and long term plays—you decide the length of time.

4.    There are opportunities everywhere.

5.    Investors’ actions shape future events, not predict them. They cause change, not re­flect it.

6.    Investor bias rationalizes (and hence changes) the facts.

7.    You can profit going both ways—up prices, down prices.

8.    The “herd” mentality takes over and when it’s played out (the boom), then prices start down as they bottom out (the bust), then the cycle starts over.

9.   It is at this precise moment when you capital­ize on profits.

That took a lot to get to these points, so let’s keep rolling. Let’s use a stock moving up for whatever reason as our example. We own a stock or have an option on it. The stock moves with a mind of its own. It’s reflective of news—good earnings, higher dividend paid out, prospects for the next few years. Everyone wants in. The price goes up and up. However, it will turn around to some degree. The sentiment will change.

The time comes when the momentum will turn. Perhaps the turn will come when an analyst at a major firm, a person who has loved this stock (to death!), now thinks it shouldn’t be an “aggressive buy,” but a “buy,” or a “hold.” A small downgrade. If you are into buying puts or going short on the stock, wouldn’t it be great to sell at the peak, or buy the puts just as it’s about to fall?

This is it. Playing this high point and the corresponding reverse (bottom) is point for action. And, it’s just not that tough to make money this way. We’ll call this point a “crossover,” or a conver­gence. Crossovers occur at both peaks and valleys.

We’ll explore this premise after we look at a scenario. This scenario conforms to this strategy. Not all scenarios do, but the ones which do, allow us to get in, then get out with a lot of cash. This scenario plays out frequently, I’m not investing in “the market” but in certain stocks and options within the general market. And if you think the market has a mind of its own, go with the trend. Don’t try to “catch a falling piano.” But only go so far.

 

Five Sections (Stages) Of A Crossover (The Boom/Bust Scenario)

First: the price movement is unnoticeable. The trend starts, the price rises or falls inordinately quickly, compared to its historical moves. Volume increases as stock momentum builds. Look at the following:

 

Speedway Motorsports (TRK)

December 1995, stock had been trading between $25 and $30 for the last four months with no big trend. Volume (interest)

in TRK increased in December of 1995 and January of 1996 and the stock started to climb. The stock split in mid March and has been trading be­tween $25 and $30 for the last six months.

 

K-Mart(KM)

K - M a r t showed a build­ing trend in Sep­tember and Oc-

tober of 1995, with a big trend up in early 1996. K-Mart then showed trend reversal from December of 1995 to February of 1996. As the stock was falling, so was the volume. The stock changed trend in March, volume increased and so did the stock price.

Second: activity reinforces more activity. Recommenda­tions (from the professionals) fly. Everyone wants in. Major purchases oc­cur.

Third:   the strength (or weakness) is tested. Doubts occur in the wis­dom of the rec­ommendation.

New recommendations appear, after all the facts are used, distorted and abused to prove points.

Fourth: the main point, or question, is simple—is the price sustainable?

1.    Where is the market headed?

2.    Check other news.

3.    How was the news received?

4.    How much buying has been going on?

5.    How many institutions jumped in?

6.    When the high and low was tested, did the price return to the previous support level or did it break support?

Fifth: divergence. If there is no compelling reason for it to stay high, it will decline. BUT IF

THERE IS NO COMPELLING REASON FOR A FALL, it may fluctuate, but the stock might establish a new range. The price will be tested repeatedly. The opposite is true for a falling stock, once it hits bottom. The bottom support level will be tested repeatedly.

 

A Perspective

Go with the “herd” until the time is right. Buck the trend at that time. I have seen very rapid movements up and down. I hope after this next sentence or two, my strategy will make sense. So much doesn’t make sense, but this does. The stock price will change.

If I own a stock at $80 and it gets trendy—caught in an updraft, I’d rather sell at $110—even if it goes to $120, because in two hours it could fall to $90, or a $50 stock could fall to $35 (IOM). A good time to get out would be when you wouldn’t get in.

If you like mutual funds, or if you are happy with 6 to 10% annual returns, or if you are happy with the boring invest­ments your stockbroker recommends, you probably should not read on. If you want some excitement, then join me as we turn the stock market into a business. I’ll take a problem/ solution approach:

 

Problem #1: Getting Started

Most small businesses require substantial up-front costs, to get up and going, and then to keep going until the business makes a profit. Usually the owner is the last to see the profit lining his pockets. Many times the owner goes into substan­tial debt just trying to get his or her business going.

 

Solution #1:

The Wade Cook method of investing in covered calls, rolling stock, stock options, dividends, spreads, buy-writes, rolling options, et cetera requires as little as $500 to get going. These methods generate a quick profit—again, actual cash, which can be pulled out and used or be left alone to com­pound.

Most new businesses require a profound dedication and true commitment, and almost all businesses require extensive knowledge or experience. This brings me to problem number two.

 

Problem #2: Time/Financial Commitment

Businesses are like babies—especially at first. They demand attention. You have to be there. Even when and IF it grows, it requires more time to train and trust managers. It is hard to take vacations. It is difficult, but not impossible, to have a family life and/or a church life.

 

Solution #2:

The stock market, again the Wade Cook way, allows you to be as involved as you want. Most investors definitely “work” part-time. You control your time.

When I am teaching at one of my seminars, I start with this question: “How many of you want to make over $100,000 per year?” Hands shoot up all over the classroom. Then I ask, “If you want to make over $100,000 per year, why are you talking to anyone about making money who is making less than that?” And then I continue, “To whom are you listen­ing? Where are you getting your advice?”

You can probably relate to this question. You have probably kicked yourself for following the financial advice of people who “ain’t makin’ no money.” Ironically, when you finish reading my chapters, you will probably ask some stockbroker (maybe even a well-known broker) whether you should buy my books and attend a Wall Street Workshop. He or she will probably give you unintelligent advice. Just let him or her read the guarantee that I provide on the back of every one of my brochures, and be assured that because of my guarantee, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Please note, many of my students are stockbrokers who sit dazed and amazed at their former naivete.

These students may have known bits and pieces before attend­ing one of my Wall Street Workshops, but no one, and I mean NO ONE, has ever shown them how to systematically use a formula to generate perpetual income.

Your participation in your stock market business is only a few minutes at a time. You can read and study in your spare time, (on airplanes, at lunch, in the bathroom, et cetera). A minimal amount of knowledge can be leveraged repetitiously to generate outstanding income. And you do not need a host of employees or managers to help you.

 

Problem #3: Overhead

With a traditional business you have rent, insurance, equipment, employees, taxes (FICA, employee withholding), phones, computers, even pencils and every other imaginable and unimaginable expense. The relentlessness of these ex­penses make it difficult to make a profit on a continued basis. And it seems the amount of money needed to cover expenses rises to use up any available cash you have.

 

Solution #3;

This is where your business is very different. Simply put, you have none of these. Once you learn the Wade Cook formulas, you only buy stock or options and then sell them to generate a profit. If you currently have a brokerage account, it is easy to start investing, and there are many ways to make a profit (selling Covered Calls, Selling Puts, Rolling Options, et cetera) without having any overhead. When you make a profit, you keep it all. There aren’t a dozen strainers or filters for your profits to go through, each one decreasing its size along the way, and all this before you get paid.

After two or three months of implementing these easy-to-use, but profound methods, most business entrepreneurs will be ecstatic. I know you will love the simplicity of it all.

 

Problem #4; Capitalizing Your Business

Most businesses require a lot of start up money for buildings (rent, lease, purchase) product development, equipment, oper­ating expenses, et cetera. They also require a large investment of time and energy, and most have a revenue curve which can take six months to two years to show any profit.

 

Solution #4A:

You can start in the stock market with almost nothing. Granted, if you start with less than a thousand dollars, it is more difficult because the commissions eat up a large part of your smaller profits. But you surely don’t need the amount of capital required to start up a traditional business.

 

Solution#4B:

Line of credit. I realize this part will not solve all your starting needs but “Margin Investing” is fun and it is definitely available. When you put $5,000 into your brokerage firm, your broker will let you borrow an additional $5,000 to buy stocks.

 

 

This is a loan and the broker gets to choose the collateral (stocks they take). They will also charge interest on the outstanding balance (this is peanuts compared to the profits which can be generated).

You should be careful and pick stocks on dips, or stocks which will improve (use this amount for writing covered calls). If you make 22 to 38% per month, 7 to 9% interest a year is a small price to pay. See margin variations and concerns in the Wall Street Money Machine.

The solution to the second point listed above provides an interesting twist. Not only can you start your stock market cash flow business part time (even minutes a day), you can do this even when your existing business demands a lot of you. I use my car phone a lot. It allows me to be effective on the road and even when I travel.

Other interesting points:

1. Most people go into business for many reasons besides making money. They want to expand and grow, they want to develop and produce an idea, a product, or a service, and they want to not only control their destiny long term, but their time on a daily basis. Once in business they realize their time is controlled by other people and other things. They realize too late that most of their efforts are directed in ways which produce very little of their actual profits.

They are quite delighted when they experience the simplicity of the methods of interfacing with the stock market (usually a phone call to their broker), the quick profits, and the end of the things that slow down the movement of income to the bottom line.

2.    Investors can read and do research in the oddest places; driving around, in airplanes, while wait­ing, et cetera.

3.    Investors can easily turn a getaway into a working vacation. Yes, you may need time away from your main business or job, but a few minutes here and there can really build up your stock market cash flow. 15 minutes a day could pay for your whole vacation and then some.

 

Problem #5: Specialized Knowledge

While it’s true in your own business that you need a product or service and a certain degree of expertise in them, it’s not exactly true in running your brokerage account.

 

Solution #5:

1.    Once you understand the Wade Cook system, learning and using specific formulas for cash flow generation, then you don’t have to know everything about computer chips to invest in high tech stocks, or in temporary help companies to invest in them, et cetera. You learn the simple formulas and repetitions, and find companies which fit. Your expertise is in the methods— working the formula.

2.    As you start to invest for holding purposes— building your retirement portfolio, you can then get to be an expert in finding companies which are experts (specialists) in their own fields. You’ll learn a lot about yields, what drives a stock, book value, earnings ratios, et cetera, as you move to this point.

Note: I realize that someone hearing this for the first time may not understand this, so a very brief explanation is in order. I, Wade Cook, believe that at first an investor should employ a very aggressive approach to income generation. Proxy (options) investing allows an investor, by starting with a few thousand dollars, to build up to several hundred thousand in a year or two. I have too many students to count who have done this. It’s exciting. Later you can take some profits, continue to do aggressive plays, but buy stocks which you like for the long haul. You can also take some profits and move them away from the market to buy real estate, second mortgages, CD’s, annuities, et cetera. These have their own risk factors, but you are diversified.

3. If you have your own business, you probably know what it takes to be profitable, to expand and grow. This same knowledge can help you find in other companies the characteristics for success. For ex­ample: If you’re a start up, you should know what it takes: look for Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). If you’ve run your own business this will make sense. Use it to your best advantage.

Before I move off this topic, let me share a few more ideas.

Most businesses fail. Something like 80% of all new start­ups fail their first year. Of the 20% that make it, 80% of those fail the second year. That’s a net of four or five businesses which make it. However, in franchising, 85% of franchisees make it their first year. Why? They have a track to run on, service and support, experience of the franchisor, combining the synergistic expertise of other franchisees, manuals, et cetera. The franchise fee and on-going fees are small prices to pay for good backup and support.

Wade Cook Seminars, Inc. has training, backup support, a clearinghouse of ideas, et cetera to help small investors, real estate investors, and small business people make a dramatic impact on their bottom line. If you don’t use our training, please get it somewhere. Your first and then your continued and paramount investment should be in knowledge.

 

Problem #6: Wealth Problems

Once you start making good money you become a target for higher taxes, lawsuits and other risks.

 

Solutions #6:

Problem A: You need to learn how to reduce your exposure to risk and liability.

Solution A: Set up a Nevada Corporation, Family Limited Partnership, and Business Trust.

Problem B: You need to pay fewer taxes.

Solution B: Attend Wade Cook Seminars, Inc.’s Wealth Academy. Set up a Nevada Corporation (even have a broker­age account in another state), a Charitable Remainder Trust, and a Pension Plan.

Problem C: Make sure your family and church get every­thing.

Solution C: Use a Quality Family Living Trust in conjunc­tion with other entities like a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT).

Note: callWade Cook Seminars, Inc. and ask about the BEST (Business and Entity Skills Training which accompanies the Wall Street Workshop) and Wade Cook Seminars, Inc.’s flagship event_the WEALTH ACADEMY. 1-800-872-7411.

THE PROPER BLENDING OF THESE ENTITIES TRULY BRINGS PEACE OF MIND

 

Problem #7; Retiring Age

Retiring at Age 35 or Being Really Cash Flow Rich at 65

 

Solution #7:

Treat the stock market like a business. Buy wholesale, sell retail. Only buy so that you have something to sell. Be aggressive. The preceding methods are what my books and seminars are all about. Many people, starting with even $10,000 are ready to totally retire a year or two later. This is no joke. I say ready because they could if they wanted to but they’re having too much fun. If you know you’re going to make $5,000 today, it’s pretty easy to get out of bed.

1.   Do you invest in a Pension type account?

A.  Keogh Plan for self employed,

B.  A Corporate Pension Plan,

C.  An IRA, SEP-IRA or the like.

Use peripheral entities for conducting the business or investments.

2.    Many investments are “retirement” in nature.

A.  Annuities

B.  Real Estate

C. Section 29, 42, Tax Advantaged Investments

All are deferred until you sell.

Training will help you determine which is right and when it’s right for you!

When a person is starting a business or in the midst of running or building up a business, his or her time demands are onerous.

Treating pension money like a business—doing aggressive strategies may be next to impossible. It may be difficult even putting money aside.

 

Two thoughts:

1.    Do it anyway. Two-step the money away from your business. Discipline yourself to put money aside— the highest percentage (amount) possible even if you have to let it sit for awhile—invested in passive, “no hassle” investments.

2.    Later when you slow down the “busyness” part of your life, then get more aggressive with your retirement money. Once you see how fast it compounds tax free, you’ll wish you had started earlier. The point: get rich in an account (entity) which pays no taxes. Don’t put this off.

 

Remember you get a “double benefit” when you use a pension type arrangement.

1.    Tax deductible donations—INVESTING WITH BEFORE-TAX MONEY

2.    ALL income (dividends, interest, partnership, et cetera) and all capital gains are made tax free and compound tax FREE.

 

THAT’S RIGHT, TAX FREE—the pension plan pays no taxes. You only have to claim income in 30 to 40 years when you pull it out.

Problem #8: Include Family/Train Kids

An age old problem exists in not only trying to involve your family but also in making sure they can perpetuate the dynasty.

 

Solution #8;

You’ll have just as much problem here as in any business. Care, concern, legality, and dedication are time honored problems.

A.  A few solutions:

1.    Let your children manage (a fictitious) ac­count at first. Later let them play with real money.

2.    Put money into an IRA for your kids to manage.

3.    Let them slowly take over the family ac­counts. (Set up so they can only trade—not make withdrawals.)

4.    Let kids earn their way through college.

5.    Discuss strategies frequently, assign them research projects.

6.    Have them visit companies and ask ques­tions.

7.    Immerse them in reading—articles, stories, reports, news releases.

8.    Plan working vacations—visit factories, companies (many will give tours).

9.    Attend shareholder meetings.

10. Track the impact of:

a)    new products and services

b)   competition

c)    expansion

d)   acquisition of debt

e)    other news

11.  Take them to seminars, forums, et cetera. Call Wade Cook Seminars, Inc. about the Youth Wall Street Workshop.

12. Listen to them. Let them in to ask their questions and let their questions guide you.

B.   More thoughts for older kids:

I believe the best financial gift a mother and father can leave is instilling in their children a desire to be self-sufficient, a team player, passionate and willing to do “what it takes” to support their families. If the parents are rich and have older children, they eventually need to be brought into the family dynasty—either to dismantle it or perpetuate it. All of the thoughts given above for younger children apply to your 40 and 60 year old children—most adults are teenagers when it comes to wealth protection and wealth endowment.

 

Problem #9; Winding Down Your Business

Sometimes it is more difficult to end a business than it is to start. You may have employees, leases, contracts, and commitments. It can be painful.

 

Solution #9:

Stock Market investing has no such demands. The worst “hard to get out of” situation you could get into would be a stock or mutual fund which is currently down in value.

Some thoughts:

1.    If you follow the Wade Cook system your empha­sis will have been on cash flow. Retiring will mean doing less or putting your extensive profits into high yielding investments or Section 29 income and utility stocks, bonds, MIPS, et cetera for income and tax credits.

2.    The activity of building your fortunes will now help you choose wise investments. If you have been using careful forethought, you will have used some of your profits to have purchased high quality stocks. Quitting will not be painful but a smooth transition many months or years in the making. You will learn how to build a solid financial house with a good supporting foundation.

 

Problem #10: Drive and Passion—Fun and Excitement

Rarely have I seen a true entrepreneur go into business for the “money” alone. They want to help to contribute to others and to better their family’s position. Most humans know instinctively that the way to wealth is to enlarge the pie. The problem is many get bogged down, dismayed and even after decades feel unsatisfied.

 

Solution #10:

The stock market will not solve this last problem. The proper application of knowledge is exciting. Working and fine-tuning cash flow formulas will produce pronounced results. Involving family and friends can be gratifying. Prepar­ing for a great retirement is thrilling. Planning your financial affairs so your family, church, or charity get everything is satisfying. Ultimately, your true happiness will come down to your relationship between you and your Maker.

It is to this ultimate end that we at Wade Cook Seminars, Inc. dedicate our service to you and hope that we are but one stepping stone to help your sojourn on this earth be one of peace, happiness and fulfillment.

Faced with time and financial freedom, I ended up writ­ing a book. I never did go back to college to get my teaching degree, but I did end up with a book in the bookstores. Since that time, I have written several more. I entered the lecture circuit and started traveling the country. My semiretired state was really becoming a fun career. This also gave me the opportunity to make more money.

I knew I didn’t want to put the excess money into savings accounts. I did buy a lot of second mortgages, which kept my cash flow ever increasing. In addition, $5,000 here and $10,000 there went into stock market investments.

I opened up a brokerage account and bought mutual funds, one of which had gone up in value 14% each of the previous three years. As soon as I bought it, it went down 2%. Quite a few stocks went up in value, but most of them floundered around and many went down. I figured the stock market was not for me, because I was going to have to learn a whole new set of rules and vocabulary to be successful at it. Meanwhile, I was still involved with real estate and teaching seminars.

Then I got a call from a friend who at that time was a stockbroker. He wanted to take me to lunch and explain what he was doing with many of his clients.

At lunch that day, I listened to a most fascinating idea, which struck a responsive chord telling me it was right and true, especially at that time. He wanted me to buy 100 shares of Motorola stock. (I don’t do this with Motorola any more. The stock started to climb up to $100 a share and has since had a two-for-one split. The stock went back down to $50 and is now trading at around $70 a share. Maybe it will roll again, but I am just not sure.)

I bought 100 shares of Motorola at $50 a share for $5,000 plus $80 in commissions. The stockbroker asked me to put the stock up for sale at $60. Those of you who are familiar with the stock market and have brokerage accounts realize that you can put an order in to sell and take off for Hawaii. If, and when, the stock hits $60 a share, the sale will be triggered automatically by computer.

I put in the order to sell at $60 a share. About six weeks later, the stock hit $60 and the computer sold it. I had $6,000 in my account, minus about $90 in commissions. I made about $830 profit on this transaction. Then the stockbroker said to put in an order to buy the stock again at $50 a share. I put in an order for 108 shares at $50. About five weeks later the stock rolled backed down to $50 and the computer triggered a buy. Now I was the owner of 108 shares of Motorola at $50 a share.

At that time, the stock dropped down to around $48 or $49, and I was getting kind of worried. But it climbed right back up to $60 a share and the computer triggered a sale again. I had the excess profit in my account. The stock rolled from $50 to $60 a share several times and kept climbing up to $61to $62, so I did miss out on some of the profits. I did this particular stock many times for several years.

This cab driver had found a way to do a meter drop on Wall Street.

I contend that the stock market makes a perfect home-based business and/or a perfect place to develop extra income even if you are working or relying on an existing business. I am convinced that in every respect and aspect it is far superior to most other businesses. I have had a lot of businesses, from one-man shows to a large (in my estimation) 300+ employee corpo­ration. Currently I am Director and President of Profit Financial Corporation—whose main subsidiary, Wade Cook Seminars, Inc., is a powerhouse.

I have taken years to build the business and took it public in May of 1995.1 only bring this up because I have employees, payroll taxes, advertising, and every other outlay of cash as well as concerns and considerations associated with running a large business. At times the “busyness” gets in the way of my true loves: family, teaching and working the brokerage accounts. I have tried to blend them together. I do owe an allegiance to my shareholders to be profitable. I have to make public how I work my stock and option deals in the corporate account. It is fun, profitable, and is building a tidy fortune for my immediate family (wife and children) and my share­holder family.

I realize that as I make a case for treating the stock market like a business, that I am competing with every “Amway” type company out there. My story is different though, be­cause I am not inviting you to join my “downline.” I want you to make a ton of bucks and keep ALL of them. I judge my success as an educator, not by how much I put into people but how much they get out of it. The business comparison can go a long way because you are probably familiar with most aspects (whether you are actually experienced or not) of running a business. Indeed, being familiar with what it takes to be successful may have caused you to get into business. We will dispel some falsehoods in a most unusual way. I will approach the comparison of using the stock market as a business by first stating the we are going to take a totally unconventional approach to creating a stock market income portfolio.

Can you get rich working for someone else?

Probably not, unless you make excess income and then get that extra income producing great returns.

Can you get rich owning your own business?

Yes, but most businesses fail. Even if the business does not fail, most take up too much of the owner’s (manager’s) time working on things which do not make him or her rich.

Is the American Dream still alive and well?

It truly is.

One secret of wealth accumulation has been that little extra something put aside and left to compound. Is the time right for you to “get rich?” After all, someone becomes a millionaire every 37 minutes. When is it going to be your turn? What superior knowledge do you have? What risks are you willing to take? What time can you donate to making a great financial life? This chapter is about getting rich—filthy rich if you want, with more income than you can possibly spend. I have thought long and hard about what I could write, what I could do to help you become a “cash flow millionaire.” I want you to read every word of this. Do not skip anything. I will build a case for you and show you in many ways that you can build up $12,000 to $35,000 per month cash flow—and do it in the next year. I will show you how to do it without vitamin pills, or any other multilevel concern. I will show you how to do it by first eliminating the risk—or at least making risk so negligible as to make it a non-item.

You will use Bear market strategies in the midst of a Bull market, and you can get started with $500 if that is all you have. It is doable. I have made tens of thousands of dollars a day—if you attend a stock market training session we will show you how you can build up this level of income. And you do not have to go through nine years of costly trial and error like I did. You will not have to be at the mercy of unscrupu­lous and unintelligent stockbrokers, as I have been. You can cut to the chase, start making huge returns in days and keep all your profits.

You might be asking yourself, “How can Wade possibly be talking about the stock market? Especially when funds man­agers claim bragging rights with 12% returns?” Can invest­ing really produce 18 to 42% monthly returns—month in and month out? And what kind of returns are these? I will answer all of those questions, but for now allow me to start with the last question. The kind of returns I am speaking of are actual cash—either hitting your account or mailed to your home or business. It is not growth, not tax savings, but money you can use.

For awhile—at least in the beginning—I suggest you use it for portfolio enhancement, either building more cash flow by doing more of what you did before, or buying some “hold” investments; or applying it to other formulas. Later, with a small amount of money, delve into riskier but incredibly profitable strategies to really make a big “bang” on your bottom line. Regardless of your choice, your return is in cash, not some poor substitute. I have always contended that WE, you and I and all my other students, can make more together than we ever can alone. It is true. I will lead the way. I will try and test new ideas, formulas, strategies, processes—you come along, buy my book, attend my ongoing classes, and then make millions, spending your profits the way you like.

Each person who attends my seminars does so for his own personal reasons. Some are just getting started and need to learn the basics, others are in business or want to be, and need help “growing” their business. Others are making good money but paying a high price in terms of stress, time away from their families, et cetera. Others have tax problems and a host of others are in various stages and want to learn how to keep and protect what they have as well as pass on what they have “scraped” together throughout their lives. And while they come for various reasons, they all have one thing in com­mon—they know there is a better way. A more excellent way, if you will. What is the saying, “Winners just find a better way to get there?”

Now that I have asked all these questions, who is this person asking these questions? Let me introduce myself briefly. I realize you may not know anything about me or my back­ground, or to what extent it will help you make more money. So I will be brief, but you need to walk in my shoes for a moment. I cannot help you in the present unless you know what got me here, what drives me, what my fears and passions are.