Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: money

  • Get Growing

    Get Growing

    A No-Nonsense Guide to Cultivating Wealth and Financial Freedom

    Jessica Brady is woman who never thought she would develop a career in money management. To her money was something that you needed to have to be able to live but was just another part of life and living.

    Along her life pathway she realised the scales were not always balanced in wealth advancement, or money management and decided that ‘money know-how’ was something that could be learned no matter where you were placed on societies ladder. All you needed to do was be educated as to how this could and can be done, by understanding what it means to really be able to grow your money, to build up a nest egg to a better, more comfortable future: with no guilt attached.

    Get Growing is written in language that is very easy to both understand and enjoy – a no-frills walk through what she refers to as a  ‘no nonsense guide to cultivating wealth and financial freedom’ which it most definitely is; it is  a call to arms, one that will see you face the fear, the challenge and the success built on sound principals and common sense.

    Using the analogy of creating a garden, planting the seeds, weeding out the issues and putting in the hard work to build something that will result in wealth creation, is very relatable; common sense if you prefer. Recognising that wealth creation means different things to different people she encourages everyone to investigate becoming financially free, no matter what the future may deliver, no matter where you are placed, or think you are placed in society, and ‘Get Growing”.

    Her personal story establishes  the background of the book, her realisation that being nice to her clients that were constantly breaking the guidelines set down for their wealth management or growth, was not dong anyone any favours, along with her desire to make wealth creation something anyone can achieve, has led to her current pathway, a woman on a mission to change the way ‘wealth’ is viewed. Is she succeeding – most definitely!

    Get Growing is highly recommended for anyone, no matter your walk of life, who is wondering how they can gain financial stability in today’s world of continuous and rapid financial challenge.

  • How To Not Work Forever: Start Investing and Build a Life You Love

    How To Not Work Forever: Start Investing and Build a Life You Love

    How To Not Work Forever is a very well presented ‘how to’ guide to Investing so that you have choices as to whether you chose to work forever, or whether you look at the many and varied options available in today’s world; because you are financially able to do so, through smart investing.

    Natasha Etschmann and Ana Kresina share their years of experience investing, each one beginning in a very small and hesitant way, towards building a solid financial foundation which would allow them to choose their pathway in life, rather than have it chosen for them.

    In this practical, hands-on guide they look at all aspects of investing and why you should seriously consider, from a very young age, managing your money, wealth building and building a sound investment strategy. Over the course of the book they point out there is no such thing as ‘get rich quick’, unless for some reason you win lotto, or inherit a lot of money.

    Part 1 deals with Getting Confident with Money, something we are mostly not comfortable with, as it is a subject seldom discussed, which covers the Why: why are you investing, learning to manage your money or rather, facing the hard facts of where your money is going and where you will find the money to invest; no borrowing allowed!

    There is an excellent, very practical section on Investing basics, written in easy to understand language which will help all first time and any occasional investor understand the world of investment in a clean and concise manner.

    Part 11 Start Investing and Build a Life You Love sets out strategies, options, various way and means of investing, risk strategy, safe investing, building a portfolio and most importantly, there is a considerable amount of time spent on explaining the Financial Market, how it operates, the many options, as well as the diverse and often complicated language.

    Both Tash and Ana share their journey into the world of Investing, both in positive and negative circumstances, which helps keep the information in the book ‘grounded in reality’ which is of vital importance to anyone who is seriously considering investing for the first time. The Case Studies used are also very helpful as they are also full of very relatable advice.

    By the time the Conclusion is reached you will have made a decision to either opt in, even if it is only in very small way or out. You will have discovered many investment options, some suitable for what you want to achieve, you will also have discovered the pitfalls and the very important fact of understanding Finance before you leap into the unknown.

    How To Not Work Forever is a must have for anyone who is or has considered Investing or in just interested in the money market and how to grow your small investment into something very worthwhile.

    Highly recommended!

  • Stop Worrying about Money: Start Planning Now to Secure Your Financial Future

    Stop Worrying about Money: Start Planning Now to Secure Your Financial Future

    ‘Money is the root of all evil’ is an old saying which in so many ways is very true, but it is a given that money also is a life necessity; managing money is also a life necessity that so few do successfully, finding themselves deep in debt even though they earn more than sufficient for their needs.

    In Stop Worrying about Money Jacqui Clark shares her many years of expertise in the money market, with a sound common sense approach to looking towards the future and encouraging you to start taking control of your money.

    Life is full of unexpected twists and turn and more often than we like to admit, carefully created plans can come crashing down in what seems to be only a few short minutes.

    Loss of a job, divorce, family tragedy, illness and overspending to name just a few instances, can have a crippling effect on income and lifestyle. What to do, how to manage in limited financial situations and importantly, how to learn from the experience and begin to future proof your finances, are all discussed in a very down to earth manner.

    To help with this she details the planning, goal setting and reviewing money mistakes which are all important aspects of future proofing your finances, with worksheets to encourage you to understand and plan better use of your money.

    One very interesting chapter is Build a trusted personal financial village, something that for the average income earner looks like a big undertaking, but by the end of the chapter the importance of doing this, even if you do not consider you earn enough, is very obvious.

    Various strategies are presented to encourage you to stop worrying about money and begin to manage it. Areas such as taking a break, maybe you have long service leave but want to take longer than the time you have financial support for, Estate planning, let’s face it we are all mortal and this is a very volatile area for those left to deal with, setting up a ‘side hustle’ and the pros and cons of doing so, are discussed in a very practical manner, along with much more of interest in the modern working/family lifestyle.

    Maybe you are considering downsizing, or tree-changing’,  to reduce your debt load but are unsure if it is the right thing to do. Follow the planning strategies set out which are designed to cover all aspects of a specific lifestyle change which will encourage serious discussion and thinking.

    Perhaps the overarching and most important aspect for future-proofing is addressed in the final chapter, Educate the next generation. Most children are not educated well in any aspect of money management and therefor are prime candidates for a massive debt load with the ease of borrowing money, credit card use and pay later schemes.

    Clarke says the best legacy you can give your children is the understanding of money management and as she states, ‘share your reflections with them’. They will thank you for it in the future.

    Sound practical common sense, along with learned experience and a genuine desire to stop people worrying about their money and begin to make it work for them, not against them, makes Stop Worrying about Money an essential household book.

  • Capital

    Capital

    Stories without words are always fascinating, as they leave the imagination free to move about to interpret the message being promoted as it will. In Capital this is totally the case, as the illustrations are simplistic, vivid and bold, allowing the message to come through loud and clear.

    A man gives a small child a piggy bank. The man is obviously someone of wealth and importance and the message is already there; money is important. As the pages turn the child grows from a child into a teen and then into manhood, all the while looking after his piggy bank, adding to the contents and almost seeming to make this piggy bank the most important aspect of his world.

    As the years roll along, the young man becomes a man of means, a man of money; whatever he does money is most important aspect of his life. Leisure, friendship, love and marriage take a backseat to money.

    His greed to have more and more becomes out of control, destroying all he has created in his desire to use every means possible to become stupendously, insanely, immensely, wealthy.

    There is a moral to this cautionary tale which will be different to everyone who takes the time to sit and really enjoy what this award winning author, Alfonso Cruz, has created.

    Suitable for a wide range of ages, the tale can be viewed from many differing perspectives. Children’s interpretation of the artwork and tale would be interesting indeed, as they tend to be able to see things as they are, unclouded by preconception. Teens would have an alternative viewpoint, which would also be equally interesting and adults should use this to reflect on what is truly important in their lives.

    A book which has a multitude of uses, interpretations and aspects to be pondered and one that should be considered as an addition to any library.

  • The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need

    The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need

    Timely is a word for this release as, if you live in Australia at the moment where the ‘bubble’, in relation to finance has definitely burst, changes to the Aged Pensions and Superannuation are now in effect, and the long arm of the Governments stringent cost cutting measure are beginning to bite, taking note of the very sound information detailed in this down to earth look at saving your money and investing wisely, needs to be on the top of the MUST READ list.

    Scott Pape, his wife Liz along with their baby son, were just one of the many victims of the  devastating bushfires to sweep through country Victoria ten years ago, leaving their property blackened, the livestock dead or dying and their home and possessions, charred rubble lying on the ground.

    Looking out at the devastation surrounding them, his wife screaming with the pain of their loss, the baby crying and shock the overwhelming emotion, he took a deep breath and said to Liz and himself, ‘I’ve got this…’ not completely understanding just what he had either ‘got’ or ‘said’.

    They went out and bought an apple tree to plant as the symbol of a new beginning and although it was a small start, it was a beginning, a focus and a way forward. Some ten years on, Scott Pape and his very small beginning, have seen him grow and develop as one of the respected leaders in the world of financial investment and management, all based on his experiences of having to make it work, having to rebuild and having to set out strategies to be able to progress, rebuild and have a future of his and Liz’s choosing.

    Throughout the chapters he has set out his very simple strategies for doing exactly the same thing; building wealth and building a future you can be proud off. Perhaps the strategy may not be what another sources may advise, but the most important thing recognised by Scott Pape is that life is full of issues, some larger, some smaller than others, but that these issues such as divorce, death, redundancy, natural disasters and so forth affect each of us in a different manner; but there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel for everyone on a financial basis simply by taking the first step, scary though it may be.

    Each of the chapters is well laid out, written in language we can all relate to and for once, begins at the beginning, which not all books on finance seem to do. His very simple philosophy, begins with, assess your situation, take good look at where you are now, then where you want to be and then, go out to dinner and ‘put into place, The Barefoot Steps’, you really cannot go wrong; after all what have you go to lose!

    Each of the Chapters or Steps conclude with a case study, offered by people from all walks of life who found themselves in a financial mess for one reason or another, all of whom have taken Pape’s advice to heart and are now happily in charge of their finances and financial future. Nothing is based on ‘rocket science’ just on plain, old fashioned common sense, knowledge relating to how Financial institutions operate and how you, by looking carefully at how you can make changes, save money and prosper.

    Rounding off the information he looks at what next, in Part II as a Recap and offers you some more advice on what possibilities you may like to investigate once have achieved your goals and are looking to perhaps leaving a legacy, all of which make for interesting consideration and round out the journey to successful financial management, yours!

    Get the book, read the instructions, enjoy dining out on a monthly basis and most importantly, while you accumulate financial freedom, learn to live life, because life, as most of you understand all too well, holds many unknown challenges.