Category: Financial Attitudes

Financial Attitudes, motivation

Formulas That Leads to Being a Billionaire

by Enes ÖnerLeave a Comment on Formulas That Leads to Being a Billionaire

Leverage

Control

Creativity

Growth

Predictability

One of the basic formulas of achieving great wealth is this step-by-step process. If you’ve studied the lives of successful entrepreneurs or investors, you’ll likely find a similar pattern or process there. Warren Buffett also uses a similar process when deciding which company to acquire. However, there is a different point in Buffett’s case. Buffet uses analysis instead of creativity. Warren Buffett’s genius analyzes a business and sees its current and future value. Therefore, whenever he acquires a business, he rarely sells it.

Many investors nowadays buy any asset just to sell. They want to buy at low prices and sell at high prices. They invest to earn capital income. In the stock exchange, these types of investors are known as short-term traders. In the real estate market, when a person constantly buys and sells, he is known as a hand changer.

The formula above may seem easy, but it is not easy to make it a reality. Most people do not attempt to follow the process indicated by the formula because they are unaware of its existence. Most people have no idea how some millionaires can gradually increase their wealth.

Some people who knew the formula tried to apply it and failed. Some of them were rich at first but later left broke. The formula has left them alone for the rest of their lives for some reason.

And for some people, this formula has become their life. This formula is their game. It always requires a challenge. It’s their fun, it’s their excitement. Applying the formula can almost be the purpose of their life. Usually these people are the ones who earn nine tenths of the money.

This post is about the decisive moments in one’s life when she makes decisions that will change her life. We all experience moments like this. These are the moments when we discover our characters. We become heroes or cowards; we become honest ones or liars; we either go forward or backward.

I want to show you DMD:

Desire

Motivation

Discipline

Some people have desire. However, if someone has the desire to get rich but lacks motivation, discipline, or both, he cannot gain wealth.

Here is PAS:

Passion

Attitude

Skill

Some people are passionate but never develop their skills. This is because they often have a negative attitude.

And EPE:

Education

Practice

Experience

There are people who are well educated but lack experience. Because of their lack of experience, they may not perform well, get things done on time, and achieve results.

Lastly, my favorite one, MHSH:

Modesty

Honor

Sense of humor

Happiness

Some people seem successful, but they have reached their position in dishonorable ways. Some people are successful but don’t even know what modesty is. Some people lack a sense of humor that they cannot laugh at themselves. Some people are also very successful, but they are also very unhappy.

These factors have enabled rich people to become successful businessmen and continue their lives that way. I say “continue” because as I have emphasized many times, the trick is not to get rich, but to maintain it.

Think of your own life. What are your feelings and attitudes? Do they help you succeed? Or are they stopping you from doing something? Be honest with yourself. Honesty brings clarity, and clarity brings the opportunity for change. By starting to see your life more clearly, you can reach another decisive moment where you will take control over your own life.

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Debts, Financial Attitudes, investment, Taxation

If You Know the Tax Law, You Can Also Pay Less Tax

by Enes ÖnerLeave a Comment on If You Know the Tax Law, You Can Also Pay Less Tax

Today, being an employee in America means paying half of the labor in taxes to the state. In fact, this rate is almost the same all over the world. There are no other tax options for employees. Before the employees receive their salaries, the state receives 24% of it.

The only tax cut that the state provides to employees only makes them more into debt. So, the path to financial freedom for employees or self-employed people is much more difficult.

Accountants tell their wealthy clients that if they buy a more expensive house, they can get more tax cuts. This option makes sense for employees or self-employed people. However, employers or investors often do not heed it.

Tax Reduction May Cause Debt Increase

The income tax rate paid by employers or investors is very low. For this reason, it is much easier to increase the money earned as a company owner or investor.

Employees or self-employed people can only benefit from tax deductions by purchasing a larger house. This doesn’t give a person financial freedom. It only brings more debt.

Buying a more expensive home is not wise for employers and investors. Because for them it’s the same as saying, “Lend me a dollar and I’ll give you fifty cents back.”

World History Full of Resistance to High Taxes

America has a progressive tax system. This means that low-income people pay lower taxes and higher-income people pay higher taxes. However, the system does not work exactly like that. Millionaires and billionaires can be the least taxpayers.

The taxes collected in American history have been protested many times. There have been many rebellions against taxation. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) opposed the heavy taxes collected from the British colonies in America. Later, Shays’ Rebellion appeared in 1876, Whiskey Rebellion in 1791, and Fries’s Rebellion in 1799. The reason for all these resistances is taxes.

Not only in America but all over the world, there was resistance to taxes from time to time. There have been more than three hundred and fifty resistance, civil disobedience or uprising against taxes imposed since the 16th century.*

Baby boomers begin retiring. What will happen now?

Especially in our modern world, taxes are needed. Problems arise if taxation is not carried out successfully and the collected taxes are poorly managed.

Baby Boomers are already retiring. Within a few years, millions more of them will retire and will cease to be taxpayers and enjoy social security benefits. This will increase the financial burden of the states considerably. So, in the face of rising taxes, the rich will seek other countries where they can invest their money.

How You Earn Money Determines Your Perspective on Taxes

There was an interview with an investor in the newspaper recently. The investor made a million dollars profit and paid no taxes. Because he was able to delay his tax since the money he earned was a capital gain. He was also exempt from tax when buying and selling real estate because he only exchanged property.

A few days later, I saw elsewhere that this same investor was captioned: “He made a billion dollars and admitted he didn’t pay taxes.”

What is written in this title is actually not a lie. However, at first glance, it makes you think that the investor is evading tax. But the investor did not do anything against the tax law.

Different ways of generating income.

This is a good example of the difference in tax perspective of those who make money in different ways.

The truth is that not all income is taxed equally. Some are less taxed and some are not taxed at all.

Those who have gained financial freedom, and especially investors, are familiar with the laws regarding taxes. Thus, it is easier for them to increase their money.

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Why Nine-tenths of Enterprises Fail

by Enes Öner1 Comment on Why Nine-tenths of Enterprises Fail

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

Plato

All business owners and even employees should think big and make plans for expansion. In order to start a job, a strong reason, in other words a source of motivation, is required. This part requires thinking big, and unfortunately most people fail at this step.

Ray Kroc, unlike most people, was able to think big and realize his plans. He got into the hamburger business. But if he had chosen another business, he would probably have done well there too. Many small business owners tend to keep their business small. Ray Kroc developed a system for his small business, then expanded his hamburger business into a huge company.

The triangle below is the one that Robert T. Kiyosaki often emphasizes in his books. The purpose of this triangle is to help focus thoughts and teach the eight main topics that will make a business successful.

Statistics show that, nine out of ten businesses fail in the first five years. Nine-tenths of businesses that can continue for more than five years end before they see the tenth year. Here is the 90/10 rule of money again.

Many business ventures fail because at least one of the eight sections in Kiyosaki’s triangle is weak or lacking in these ventures.

A Business Needs A Very Strong Mission to Be Successful

In the triangle, the “product” is uppermost; but it has the smallest area. The “mission” is at the bottom but is one of the three items with the largest area. Mission is at the base of the triangle. Undoubtedly, the most important item in this triangle is mission.

I’ve heard a lot of people who want to be entrepreneurs say, “I have a great idea.” These great ideas sometimes have a chance to come true. The world is full of great products that have failed. This is because the base of the triangle is not strong. When you ask those who want to be entrepreneurs about their mission, most of them answer you: “I’ll make money!” If the focus is on making money rather than enterprise, the result is likely to be disappointing.

Mission is the most important thing to the business. Mission is the soul and heart of a business. The lack of Mission, means the lack of power to tackle tough road to tread.

When the most successful businesses studied, you’ll see a well-based and solid triangle. Their mission is motivating, leadership is well executed, managers are competent and work in harmony, cash flow and finances are good, sales and marketing communication are effectively provided, the system established for employees works efficiently, legal documents and contracts are clear and understandable, and of course the product produced – as a result of all of them – very good.

The System Is a Major Difference Between Small Businesses and Big Businesses or Companies

Most of us can make more delicious burgers than McDonald’s burgers. But how many of us can build a better system? The system is a crucial difference between small businesses and big businesses. In small businesses, the owner of the business is the system itself. Things don’t work out in his absence. Many businesses operate in this way depending on people.

Big businesses and companies operate on their well-designed systems. Employees or leaders can change over time. However, thanks to the system, the same process continues. McDonald’s works the same all over the world.

When businesses with well-educated, high-salary, hardworking employees who still achieve little are analyzed, it is seen that these businesses depend on people. A system has not been developed for these enterprises. Even a business with well-educated and highly paid employees will fail unless there are well-functioning systems.Entrepreneurs are the people who have to build great racing cars. CEOs are the pilots of those cars. A great pilot can’t win a race with a bad car. There are very few people who produce racing cars and become their drivers at the same time. Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Steve Jobs are such people. We’ve seen these guys all building and driving excellent racing cars.

You may also read my THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR WORK AND YOUR BUSINESS post if you are interested.

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Financial Attitudes, Financial IQ

Why Financial Security Is More Important Than The Employment Security

by Enes ÖnerLeave a Comment on Why Financial Security Is More Important Than The Employment Security

Take Risk

Low risk high return investments can be made. All you have to do is learn how to do it. Remember, when it comes to investing, knowledge always eliminates risk. Learning is not difficult at all. It is no different from learning to ride a bike. You may fall at the beginning, but after a while learning not to fall, investing becomes as natural as walking.

People who haven’t achieved their financial freedom are more likely to avoid financial risk. It is always better to learn to manage risk rather than avoid risk.

Risk takers change the world. You can see very few people getting rich without risk. Many choose to depend on the state to avoid the risks of life. At the beginning of the Information Age, the phenomenon of benevolent state has come to an end. We know that. The Benevolent state was costing dearly. Unfortunately, millions of people around the world will be in a very difficult financial situation as they depend on “their rights” and lifetime bonuses. The greatest requirement of the Information Age is that everyone is self-sufficient.

The idea of “work hard and find yourself a solid, secure job” is from the Industrial Age. We no longer live in that age. Times are changing. However, people insist on not changing their minds as rapidly. They still think they deserve something. They believe investment is not their business. They expect the state, companies, unions or their families to take care of them on their retirement days. I wish they were right.

If you have already achieved your financial freedom, I will just say “Congratulations!”. Please help others to follow your path. If they need guidance, do not hesitate to help. Guide, but let them find their own way. Because there are many ways to financial freedom.

Whatever you decide, please keep this in mind: Financial freedom may be free, but it is not cheap. Freedom has a price, it’s worth it if you ask me. The trick is that financial freedom requires neither money nor good education. It doesn’t have to be risky either. The cost of financial freedom is measured by dreams, will, and the ability to overcome obstacles along the way. So are you ready to pay this price?

Assurance or Freedom?

• Go to school, get good grades, then find a solid, secure job.

• Go to school, get good grades, then start your own business.

If all people in the world were given these two options, the results could have been halved. However, people have become so used to the system that they do not know what they want. Even if they know, they don’t have the motivation to bring it to life. After all, many unknowingly find themselves applying the first option.

The reason millions of people seek assurance is actually what they’ve been taught at home and at school.

Most of us are instilled with employment security, not financial security, at an early age. In addition, since we are taught little about money, both at home and at school, what could be more natural than clinging to the idea of employment security?

If you look at people who are poor and have not achieved their financial freedom, you will see that they have opted for employment security. If you turn your head and look in the opposite direction, the rich and the people who have fully secured their financial freedom, you will see that they act with freedom.

Falling into the Debt Trap

The reason why most of the population chooses the first option and works without financial freedom is because of what they learned in school. They get into debt shortly after they finish school. This is such a deep debt that they cling to employment security even more tightly in order to pay their bills.

There are many young people who graduated from university with their diplomas and education loan debt. When they see that the amount of debt is between $ 50,000 and $ 150,000, they get depressed. If the parents covered the tuition expenses, then the parents may have to pay a loan.

An article I read recently wrote that most Americans had credit cards when they were students and would be in debt for the rest of their lives. This is because they took part in a scenario that became famous in the Industrial Age. Here is the scenario:

The boy goes to school, graduates, gets a job, and soon has money to spend. Now he can rent an apartment, buy a TV, new furniture, new clothes and of course a car. One day, this hero meets someone special, they fall in love with each other, and after a while they get married. Life goes easier with a double income. By putting a few dollars aside, they plan to own their own homes as all young people dream of. One day, they find that house, withdraw the money they have saved in their savings accounts, deposit the house down payment, and go under mortgage debt. Well, the new house needs new items, and they enter the furniture store that advertises in talismanic words, saying “Furniture in installments with no down payment”.

Everything is great, they throw a party to show off their new home, new cars, new stuff and new toys. After that, they will live in debt until the end of their lives. Then their first child is born.

Every morning, this ordinary, well-educated, hard-working couple leaves their children at kindergarten, making their way to the company where they work intensely. Now, employment security has become even more important for them.

Do you still insist on choosing the first option?

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Financial Attitudes, investment, motivation

Earn More With Less

by Enes ÖnerLeave a Comment on Earn More With Less

The difference that separates a good investor from a bad investor is that the good investor can make more money with less money.

Leverages allow us to do more with less force.

The Key Is Leverage

People have sought to do more work with less labor since they lived in caves. When a child was old enough, he was taught to use a spear for hunting and defending himself. Spear has provided a great deal of convenience to human beings in their cruel environment. Over the years the spears have shrunk in size and the bow and arrow have been developed. This was a superior technology. Compared to a spear, the bow and arrow allowed people to do more with less.

As time progressed, man learned to tame horses. More distance could be taken on horseback in a shorter time and with less fatigue. It was an important convenience used not only in transportation and agriculture but also in wars.

When gunpowder was invented, the rulers who owned the cannons triumphed. Indigenous peoples such as the American Indians, the Hawaiian people, the Maoris of New Zealand, the Aborigines of Australia, and many other cultures lost to gunpowder.

Just a hundred years ago, cars and airplanes replaced horses. Once again, these new technologies have been used in wars and peacetime for some work. Telephone, radio, television, computer and internet networks all also enable people to do more with less. Actually, they are all levers. Each breakthrough new invention brings more power and wealth to those who have access to these tools.

If you want to be rich and not a victim of global changes, it is essential that you develop the leverage that is stronger than all others: Your mind. If you want to be rich and protect your wealth, your mind, your financial education, is your strongest lever.

You might say: “I don’t know anyone who can teach me finance. I haven’t heard of such an education. There is nothing to do.” Perhaps because of this mindset, your chances of reaching great wealth and, more importantly, protecting your potential wealth are extremely low. Your chances are low because you are using your most important asset, your mind, against yourself. You’re using your mind to find excuses instead of making money or finding solutions. Remember that your mind is your strongest lever. If you can’t control your mind, you can’t control your life. Excuses are easy to find. For this reason, unsuccessful people always have an excuse.

We Are All Born Rich

We are all born rich. Each of us has been given intelligence, the world’s most powerful lever. So instead of using our minds to make excuses, let’s use it as leverage to make us rich.

In summary, the difference between cavemen and monkeys is leverage. The difference between the rich, the poor, and the middle class is leverage. The difference between savers and investors is leverage. A well-educated and disciplined investor can achieve higher returns by taking much less risk and spending less money. But this requires leverage. And in order to have leverage it requires you to train yourself and use your mind wisely.

If you want to learn more about investing, you may read my YOU NEED TO SAVE MONEY post.

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Debts, economy, Financial Attitudes, investment, Understanding Money

The Difference Between A Good Investor And A Bad Investor

by Enes Öner2 Comments on The Difference Between A Good Investor And A Bad Investor

Many people invest in mutual funds. When I ask someone, who is investing in mutual funds, he answers: “But I am also investing. I have a portfolio of mutual funds. I also have bonds and stocks. Isn’t this all investment?”.

Yes, saving is also an investment. Buying mutual funds, stocks or bonds is also an investment. But it is the kind of investment a saver would make, not an investor.

Let’s take a look at the passive investor philosophy. Most investment advisors provide a recommendation like that:

• Work hard

• Save money

• Get rid of your debt

• Make long-term investments

• Diversify your investments

This is good advice for a certain group of people – suitable for people with a savings philosophy or passive investors. In today’s circumstances, I believe this advice is riskier than any financial advice. It may seem as a reliable and wise advice to those who are financially inexperienced.

There is only one word to distinguish between a saver and an investor. That word is leverage. Thanks to leverage, you have the ability to do more with less.

Many savers do not use financial leverage. And if you don’t have enough financial knowledge or experience to apply leverage, it would be better for you not to use it. I will explain this to you later. Let’s take a look at these standard recommendations from the perspective of the saver and then the investor.

Work Hard

When many people think of “work hard” advice, they only think about their own hard work. The leverage effect on one’s own hard work is very small. Imagine if others will help you to get rich with their hard work. This is the power of leverage. States do not ask us to seek jobs, but to create jobs. If everybody starts looking for work, economies will collapse. For economies to grow, we need people who can create jobs.

Save Money

The problem with saving money is that the current economic system needs borrowers, not savers, to grow. In order for our economic system to continue to grow, it needs smart borrowers. The system does not need people who get poor by borrowing, but people who can borrow money and get rich. While 10 percent of the people who borrow money in the world benefit from their debts to be rich, 90 percent of them become poor with their debts. And this ratio is getting worse every day.

Get Rid of Your Debt

Many savers think that debt is bad and it’s smart to pay off mortgage loans quickly. And for many people, borrowing is bad and getting rid of debt is wise. However, if you are willing to devote some time to your financial education, you can use your debt to move forward. But if you are considering investing with debt, I would like to warn you once again that you should invest in your financial education first.

There is good debt and bad debt. Being financially smart is knowing when to borrow and when to avoid it.

In these economic conditions, savers are losers and borrowers are winners. For whatever reason, you should always be careful when using borrowed money.

Make Long-Term Investments

Look at this advice in terms of sellers: “Give me your money to keep me for years, and I’ll get certain payments from you over the long term.” The phrase “make long-term investments” is like the advantages that allow you to earn points. You become a loyal customer.

Depending on the payments you make to manage the fund, mutual funds may not earn you as much money as other investments.

Diversify Diversify Diversify

Warren Buffet, considered the richest investor in the world, says this about diversification: “Diversification is a safeguard against ignorance. It won’t make much sense if you know what you’re doing. “

Then the question arises: Whose ignorance do you protect yourself from? Is it your own ignorance or the ignorance of your financial advisor?

Diversification generally means that you should not put all the eggs in the same basket. Warren Buffet puts them all in the same basket. He once said: “Put all your eggs in one basket, but watch your basket carefully.”

Personally, I prefer to focus rather than diversify, and actually the reason I was able to move forward was focus, not diversification.

I saw an acrostic on focus in a book I read.

For many, diversification is a good strategy. This is only because it protects investors from themselves and inadequate advisors.

The traditional financial planning advice “work hard, save money, get rid of your debts, make long-term investments and diversify” is good for the average. This advice is also good for those who are rich but are not interested in learning how to become an investor. Many movie stars, wealthy professionals, or former athletes do that. Just remember that while following this path, you will have a very small leverage.

Are you interested in investment? Check out my other posts about investment here.

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Which Path Are You More Inclined To? (Employee, Self-Employed, Employer or Investor)

by Enes Öner3 Comments on Which Path Are You More Inclined To? (Employee, Self-Employed, Employer or Investor)

To earn money, we must be an employee, self-employed, employer or investor. Of course, we can be a few of these at the same time. We mentioned about that. Let’s look at these four ways to make money in more detail. Thus, we will see the characteristics of the people who tend to take each path.

Employee

When I hear the words “assurance” or “side income,” I get an idea of who the person is actually speaking. The word “assurance” is a sign of fear. There are many who hate the fear that comes with economic uncertainty. Employees frequently use the concept of assurance when they are afraid. 

The concept of “side income” refers to a defined additional income besides the wage received, such as a health plan or individual pension. The important thing here is the desire of employees to feel safe and to see something on the document. Uncertainty doesn’t make them happy; they seek certainty. They say, “I’ll give you this… but in return, promise to give me that.”

Employees want to reduce their fears. They want assurance and solid agreements when it comes to employment. When they say “Money doesn’t concern me.” they say it right.

For them, assurance is more important than money.

Employees can be senior managers or janitors. It doesn’t matter what they do, what matters is the employment contract they signed with the institution they work for.

Self-employed

These are those who want to “be their own boss” or “do their own business.”

They’re tight when it comes to money, and they don’t like their income dependent on others. If a self-employed person works hard, they want to pay off. They do not like to be determined by someone else or someone who does not work as hard as they do. If they work well, pay them. No, if they don’t do their job well, they will understand that they have to get as much as they deserve. They have a completely independent spirit when it comes to money.

This group includes well-educated “professionals” such as doctors and lawyers who have spent their years studying.

Most self-employed people are perfectionists. They want their work to be very good. According to them, nobody but themselves can do the best. They don’t believe that no one can do a job the way they want to. These people are artists in their own field and they do their work in their own way.

That’s why we become their customers. For example, you will go to a dentist, you want her to be well trained and experienced in her field. But more importantly, you pay attention to her being a perfectionist. You show the same care for hairdressers, marketing consultants, plumbers, electricians, lawyers or trainers. Whichever self-employed you need, you look for the best in the field.

It is not easy for these people to find someone to work with, because they do not believe that there is someone who will do the job better than they do. It is not easy for these people to find someone to work with, because they do not believe that there is someone who will do the job better than they do. “I cannot find a suitable colleague to recruit,” they often complain.

They train someone and teach the business. Most of the time, the trained employee quits the job to “do his own job”, “to be his own boss” and “to go his own way”.

Employer

They can do almost anything that self-employed people do not. Real employers hire people from all four categories for their business. Unlike self-employed people who do not like to distribute work to others because they don’t think that anyone but themselves will do the job the best, real employers love to share work. The motto of these people may be “Why should I do it when I can have someone else do it?”.

Henry Ford, for example, is one such person. It is said that a group of intellectuals accused him of being ignorant. They claim that Ford is “unaware” of the world. Then Ford invites them to his office and tells them to ask him questions. Thus, these intellectuals begin to pose questions to America’s most powerful industrialist. After listening carefully to the questions, Ford reaches for the phones on his desk and calls one of his smartest assistants inside, asking him to answer the questions. At the end of the panel, he tells his guests that he is hiring smart, educated people so that he can devote time to more important tasks. His more important task is “thinking.”

Self-employed people own a business, whereas employers own the system they have set up and employ people who are qualified to run that system. Most of the time, self-employed people can’t leave their jobs. When they want to take a vacation, their income must also go on vacation. This is an important difference between self-employed people and employers. Employers can take a vacation whenever they want, thanks to the systems. When they go on vacation, the flow of money continues.

The requirements to be a successful employer can be summarized as follows:

a. Owning or controlling the system;

b. Leading people.

Investor

Investors make money from money. They don’t have to work because their money works instead.

This way is the playground of the rich. Whichever way one earns money, if one day aims to get rich, sooner or later he has to choose the investment path. This is the only way where money can be converted into wealth. And the great thing about all of this is that it is possible and easy for anyone, whether poor, middle-class or rich, to choose this path.

I recommend you to read my THE KEY TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR post. You may also read THE FIRST RULE OF GETTING RICH if you are interested in investing.

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Financial Attitudes, motivation, Understanding Money

Make Money in a Better Way

by Enes Öner4 Comments on Make Money in a Better Way

It Doesn’t Need to Have Money to Make Money

We know that many successful people dropped out of school without getting a degree or never went to college. General Electric founder Thomas Edison, Ford Motor Co Founder Henry Ford, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, CNN founder Ted Turner, Dell computer founder Michael Dell, Apple Computer Company founder Steve Jobs, Polo’s founder Ralph Lauren did so. Higher education is important in traditional professions, but for these men it wasn’t important in accessing great wealth since they started their own business.

So, What Do You Need?

If money isn’t needed to make money and schools don’t teach how to achieve financial freedom, then what is needed?

It is necessary to dream, to be determined, the desire to learn quickly, the ability to use God’s blessings, and to know how to earn income.

Which Way Do You Make Your Income?

Different ways of earning income.

An employee earns money by getting a job, working for someone else or working for a company. A self-employed person earns money by working for himself. An employer has set up a business that generates income. An investor earns money from the various investments she makes.

There are different ways to generate income. It requires different mindset, different technical skills, different learning path and different people. Different people find themselves closer to different areas.

Although money is the same everywhere, the way it is earned can be very different. Think of the different qualities required in all four ways and ask yourself which way you get the most of your income.

Each one is very different. Earning income from different segments requires different skills and different personalities, even if the person in each segment is the same. Switching from one method to another is like playing golf or tennis in the morning and going dancing at night.

You Can Earn Income in These Four Ways

Most of us have the potential to generate income in all four ways. Which one we choose has nothing to do with what we are taught at school. It is more related to our values, strength, weaknesses and interests. What kind of person we are determines how we will earn our income.

Whatever we do professionally, it is possible to earn income in these four ways. For example, suppose a doctor chooses to earn income as an employee. He can work in a hospital or a public institution. He can even become a military doctor or become a permanent doctor of one of the insurance companies.

The same man can also open a clinic and work as a self-employed. He can also choose to be an employer. He hires other doctors. He doesn’t have to work in his own polyclinic, then he can employ a administrator. If this doctor does not necessarily want to have a job in the field of health, he can also establish a company operating in a completely different sector. 

He can also invest in other people’s business or other investment instruments such as stocks, bonds and real estate.

Different Methods of Generating a Source of Income

The way we earn income depends on our character. Some prefer to work for someone else, some hate it. Some people like to own a company but also like to run that company. While some people like to invest, others avoid it by citing the risk of losing money. Most of these attitudes can be found in us.

You Can Become Rich or Poor in All Four Ways

There is no clear relationship between these methods and wealth or poverty. Earning millions or being broke is up to the person himself. Choosing one way or another is not a guarantee of financial success, and no one can give you any advice.

These Methods Are Not Equal

Knowing the different features of each method is useful in understanding which one or which ones are more suitable for us.

Let’s say I choose to earn my income primarily as an employer and investor. Because I would like to take advantage of tax benefits. Legal tax privileges for groups at the top of the table are limited. On the other hand, there are plenty of loopholes regarding tax that can be used by those below in the table. If I get my income as an employer and investor, I can earn much more money in a shorter time and I will not pay high tax.

Money Supports Life

I believe it is absurd to spend a lifetime working to earn money and pretending that money is not important. Life is worth more than money. On the other hand, money is also important in terms of supporting life. We must learn to make money without working long hours. That’s when we get plenty of time to do other things.

If you take a closer look at this simple table, you will see that it contains not only different views of the world, but also very different worlds.

Neither is better than the other. Each of them has strengths and weaknesses.

Some of us can walk more than one path, maybe even all of the paths. We are all different individuals, remember, one method is not better or more important than the other. In every village, town and city of the world, all kinds of professionals are needed in order to balance the financial stability of the society.

On the one hand, our interests change as we grow older and our experience increases. For example, many young people who have just graduated from school are elated when they find a job. However, after a year or two, few find that they are not interested in rising up the corporate hierarchy or are not interested in their business. These changes that come with age and experience cause one to seek new ways to grow, challenge, achieve financial reward and achieve personal happiness…

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Financial Attitudes, Understanding Money

The Two Most Important Skills to Increase Your Income

by Enes Öner2 Comments on The Two Most Important Skills to Increase Your Income

Whenever I talk to someone who wants to make more money, I always tell them the same thing: You have to think about your life in the long term. Instead of just working to earn money and secure their future, which is undeniably important, I tell them to find a second job that will allow them to learn a second skill. If what they want is to train themselves in sales, I often recommend them to work in a large networked marketing company, namely in the multi-level marketing field. Some such companies offer unique training programs to help people overcome the fear of disgrace and rejection, which is the primary reason people fail.

In the long run, education is worth more than money.

The reaction of those is usually, “Oh, but this is a lot of trouble.”. I ask them: So, is it better to give half of your lifetime earnings to the government?

And some of them say, “All I want is to do the job that interests me.”. I tell these people that I’m not interested in going to the gym, but I do, because I want to feel good and live longer.

There is unfortunately some truth to the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. If the person is not used to change, it is difficult for him to change.

Some people make excuses if you talk about trying to learn something new. They don’t like to struggle. However, life is like going to the gym. Everything gets easier once you walk through the door. I get lazy to go to the gym many times. But after I get there and start exercising, I enjoy it. Finally, I leave the gym thinking that I am glad I came.

Rather than specialize in something, diversify your abilities. Know little about a lot. And always try to work with people who are smarter than you.

How many of us can make burgers better than McDonald’s? I guess everyone would say they could do better. So, if we know how to make better burgers, how come McDonald’s make more money than us?

The answer is obvious: McDonald’s is excellent in business. The reason so many talented people are poor is that they give all their attention to making burgers and not to establish a business order.

The world is full of talented poor people. They either struggle with financial difficulties or earn less than they deserve. Because they focus on making better burgers rather than improving their burger selling and serving skills. McDonald’s doesn’t make the best burgers in the world. However, no one gets even close to McDonald’s when it comes to selling and serving an ordinary hamburger.

Do not let your field of expertise trap you.

I know teachers who make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The reason they earn so much is because they have skills other than skills in their field. Apart from teaching, they also know about sales and marketing. In my opinion, there is no more important skill than sales and marketing. Acquiring sales and marketing skills is the nightmare of many people who are afraid of rejection. The more successful they are to communicate, negotiate and overcome their fear of rejection, the easier sales and marketing will be for them.

Specialization has both advantages and disadvantages. I have friends of genius, but they are incapable of communicating properly with others, and as a result, their income is very low. If they take the time to learn how to sell, their communication skills will improve even if they don’t make any money in the process. This is invaluable.

We need to be good teachers as well as good students, salesmen, and marketers. In order to be really rich, we must know whether to give or receive.

The poor always say: “If I had some extra money, I would donate it.”. They work harder to earn more money. But they ignore the most important rule of money: “If you give it, you get it.“. They think the rule is, “If you get it, you give it.”.

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Financial Attitudes, Taxation, Understanding Money

The Robin Hood Ideal

by Enes Öner4 Comments on The Robin Hood Ideal

“Why don’t the rich pay?”

“The rich should pay more taxes and help the poor.”

“The only reason the poor survive so hard are the rich.”

We often hear about the idea of taking from the rich and giving it to the poor. When I hear such sentences, I think of Robin Hood. Robin Hood may have passed away from this world hundreds of years ago, but those who followed in his footsteps are still alive.

The idea of taking from the rich and giving it to the poor most troubled the poor and middle class. The reason why the middle class is heavily taxed is actually the Robin Hood ideal. The harsh reality is that the rich are not taxed. The middle class helping the poor, especially high-income and educated ones.

For better understanding, we first need to look at the historical process.

There was no such thing as tax in Britain and America before. Temporary taxes were imposed to cover increased expenses during wars. In the past, the announcement was made by the king or the head of state and everyone was asked to put their hands in their pockets. The introduction of taxation in Britain took place between 1799 and 1816. During this period, Britain was fighting against Napoleon. In America, the first taxes were introduced during the Civil War period between 1861-1865.

In 1874, England turned income tax on its citizens into a permanent practice. The United States made the income tax application permanent in 1913 after the 16th constitutional amendment was approved. Americans used to be against taxation. The famous Tea Party in Boston Harbor contributed to the start of the War of Independence, and the reason was the excessive tax rates imposed on tea. In both England and the United States, it took fifty years for societies to adopt the regular income tax application.

These taxes were imposed to be collected only from the rich. The poor and middle class were told that taxes were levied only for the rich, so the idea of tax was popularized and imposed on the majority. Therefore, the masses voted “Yes” to the law and the tax was legalized. Although the main purpose was to punish the rich, in reality it was the people who voted for him, the poor and the middle class who were punished.

When we examine the history of taxes, we are faced with an interesting perspective. As stated above, the implementation of the tax system was made possible by the masses believing in Robin Hood economic theories, which argued that income should be taken from the rich and distributed to all. But the state loved money so much that it soon imposed taxes on the middle class, and taxes spread to the lowest class of society.

The rich took this situation as an opportunity. Because they play the game by different rules. Even in the time of sailing ships, they established insurance companies for goods carried on the voyage. The rich invested money in the company to cover travel expenses. The companies was hiring seafarers who would sail to the New World in search of treasure. Even if the ship sank during the voyage and the crew died, the loss of the rich was limited to the money they invested on that voyage.

Knowing the power of the company’s legal structure is what makes the rich superior to the poor and middle class. Thus, although the masses advocated “buy from the rich,” the rich sooner or later found a way to overcome them. That was why, the middle class was also taxed. The rich got what they wanted because they were aware of the power of money.

Companies and governments always protect the rich. But many people who have never started a company do not know that a company is really “nothing”. The company is almost a file containing some legal documents registered in the government office in the law firm. It is not a big building with its name on the top. It is neither a factory nor a community of persons. The company is nothing more than a legal document that creates a soulless legal personality.

As soon as the income tax was made permanent by law, the benefits of companies came back on the agenda. Because the income tax rate of companies is lower than the individual income tax rate. Thus, the wealth of the rich was once again preserved.

As a result, this war between those who have property and those who do not have been going on for hundreds of years. This is the “take from the rich” war of the crowds against the rich. Wherever and whenever laws are made, this war will be fought. It will take forever. The problem is that the uninformed ones are the losers. These are those who get up early every morning and go to work and pay taxes. If they understood the rules of the game the rich are playing, they could play better too. Then they could gain their financial independence.

Please let me know that what are you thinking about the taxes below.

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