Sunday, December 28, 2014

Recent Book Purchases

This past Friday I visited my parents. My trip home is not complete without a visit to Square Books and Off Square Books in Oxford, Ms. This trip was successful! I found these three books. Plus, I now have a coupon for $17.00 off my next book. I don't know what I want yet, but I am excited about my upcoming book purchase. 

Challenges

I am trying hard to achieve my goal of reading 15 books in 2014. What was your reading challenge this year? How many books did you read this year? 

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Guest Post: Financial Book Review: The Bank On Yourself Revolution by Pamela Yellen By Teresa Kuhn

Financial Book Review: The Bank On Yourself Revolution by Pamela Yellen
By Teresa Kuhn 

"The Bank On Yourself strategy gives you a rare combination of guarantees, safety, liquidity, and control. Your money grows by a guaranteed and predictable amount every year, and that growth gets better every year you have it," Pamela Yellen- "The Bank on Yourself Revolution"

Several years have passed since the publication of "Bank On Yourself," Pamela Yellen's first attempt at articulating for a wide audience the benefits of using specially-designed whole life insurance in financial planning. Since that time, the ever-fluid, ever- chimerical world of personal finance has grown even more unfathomable and unpredictable.

As a Bank On Yourself authorized advisor, I believe that a sequel to the original Bank On Yourself book was long overdue. This is why I was so pleased to learn of the publication of this second, more comprehensive discussion of a truly unique cash management system.

In the sequel, The Bank On Yourself Revolution, Yellen has gone to considerable effort to deconstruct the Bank On Yourself method in a way that makes it even more accessible and understandable to the average person. She lays out a concise, solid, yet still passionate case for using specially-designed, dividend-paying whole life insurance policies as vehicles for preserving and growing wealth. When put together correctly, she says, these policies build up cash value as quickly as possible and provide unparalleled safety and security.

Yellen explains that a person can make tax-free withdrawals and loans from the accumulated cash value in the policy to finance large purchases, such as college tuition, automobiles, and cash-producing real estate. You use your policy and are able to pay yourself back, with the loan secured by the death benefit. This idea, which has been around in various forms for well over 150 years, is referred to by some as "becoming your own finance company." Yellen does a good job of explaining the ideas behind Bank On Yourself without losing the reader in a fog of insurance-speak or marketing hype.

Implicit in her explanations is the understanding that anyone wanting to use the system laid out in BOYR should do their own due diligence. It is definitely not for everyone.

In The Bank On Yourself Revolution it is evident that Yellen has put a lot more thought and effort into the content and layout of the book, making navigation from topic to topic easier and keeping her commentary focused and free of anything that could be perceived as excessive verbiage.  She does an admirable job of making the ideas presented clear and easy to understand, even for those who have little financial education.

The Bank On Yourself Revolution introduces us to some old school financial concepts that Yellen admits aren't "sexy," but which work, such as the "10-10-10" money management method and the common sense idea of not having much debt.  She makes a strong case for designer whole life polices over both term insurance and the always trendy indexed universal life (IUL) policies

Nice additions to this volume are the "takeaways" at the end of chapters which give the reader nuggets of information designed to be easy to grasp, retain and implement. Yellen also includes stories of real-life users of the system ranging from housewives to entrepreneurs to former professional athletes. Such anecdotes obviously have value, especially to financial professionals who are introducing the concept to their clients for the first time.

People feel better knowing that "real people" just like themselves are finding success with Bank On Yourself.

The Bank On Yourself Revolution makes for an entertaining read and is a worthy contribution to a growing body of evidence supporting the wisdom of using permanent life insurance in financial planning. If you are someone who is looking for alternatives to banks, Wall Street, and finance companies, this book will help you understand one such alternative- Bank On Yourself.

For more in-depth discussion of the topics explored in The Bank on Yourself Revolution, please visit the [http://www.livingwealthyfinancial.com]Living Wealthy Financial site.

File under: Yellen, Pamela. "The Bank On Yourself Revolution" published February, 2014 by Benbella Books.

Learn more about financial topics that are important to you and your family. Visit http://www.livingwealthyradio.com or call us toll free to receive free information.

(800) 382-0830 (USA ONLY)

Article Source: Financial Book Review: The Bank On Yourself Revolution by Pamela Yellen

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! <3 Cassandra AKA Mississippi's Bookworm Diva :)

Monday, December 15, 2014

Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb

Order your book now!
Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb offers a refresher course on the importance of the Christmas Spirit.  Not familiar with Sharon McCrumb's ballad series, I am now curious about them and will start reading them.  Containing two parallel stories, this book takes place on Christmas Eve.  McCrumb's talent as an author is evident in her ability to tie both unique stories together.

The first story involves Nora Bonesteel and her "sight ability." Possessing a peculiar gift, Nora is often the center of inquiry for mysterious events that take place.  A couple, who believes that their home is haunted, asks Nora for her expertise.  Nora is able to use her gift to contribute to the couple's enjoyment during Christmas.

The second story involves the local sheriff and the sheriff deputy.  Due to unlikely twists of the plot, the sheriff and deputy demonstrate exactly what the Christmas Spirit is all about.  Ironically, the lesson begins with the pursuit of a criminal and an arrest warrant.

Initially as I read the book, I wasn't quite grasping the overall gist of it.  Yet, with each turn of the page, I was drawn more and more into the story.  I would definitely recommend this book.  I think everyone should add it to their TBR list.  Check out mine on Goodreads.com.

Now here is what you can do since you have read thus far!!! You can click on the link and order the book I have just shared with you. If you really enjoyed reading about this book, share this post on Twitter or Facebook. Don't forget to share you thoughts and comments below.

Praise for Sharyn McCrumb & her pervious bestselling “Ballad” novels

“Ms. McCrumb writes with quiet fire and maybe a little mountain magic... She plucks the mysteries from people's lives and works these dark narrative threads into Appalachian legends older than the hills. Like every true storyteller, she has the Sight.” —The New York Times Book Review 

“There are few writers today who are able to blend past and present, tradition and law, legends and headlines in a wholly credible fashion—Tony Hillerman springs inevitably to mind. Sharyn McCrumb is another; her widely acclaimed Ballad series is one of the finest being written today.” —Bookpage 

“McCrumb provides fresh evidence that there is no one quite like her among present-day writers. No one better, either.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune

“True to the language and culture of its time and place...the Ballad series could be headed for bestsellerdom.” —Library Journal 

“With fluid writing and sensitive telling, McCrumb presents her Appalachian series as perfectly as dogwood in the spring.” —Houston Chronicle

Discovering the Joys of Being in a Book Club

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