Financial Freedom

In this world of the Instant Meal, where water and heat seem to be the only ingredient added to a premix of compounded elements, a look at the world of personal finance certainly needs to be examined along those same lines. But what goes into the perfect "after dinner" portfolio that will be easy, fast, and memorable? Taking each element of the equation, this article lists and combines the carefully measured proportions of services and tools needed to create the perfect financially tasty entrée.
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Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, advertisers, business people, snake-oil salesmen, marketing moguls and the like have sold the idea that faster, easier, and "more nutrition" through chemicals is better. We've been convinced that instant gratification is not only something to seek, but even demand in modern society. One only has to look at recent cookbooks to see we have become a society of "mixers" not cooks. Our hunger for the quick and easy has taken the place of real substance, not only in our kitchens, but in our finances as well.

As one who certainly knows his way around an oven, I wouldn't promote this type of culinary blasphemy. Nor would I endorse the type of piecemeal financial planning that I see emerging and evolving today. As with food that has been semi-produced before it even sees a mixing bowl; pre-mixed, poly-financial solutions requiring no critical thought should be discouraged as well.

So, if you could locate everything you needed to prepare, serve, and enjoy a financially tasty future, what would it look like?

The first ingredient is money. Like it or not, if you're going to manage finances you have to have finances to manage. Get out the big measuring cup for this ingredient. If you don't have this, the best case scenario is to put yourself in a position to obtain it. If your financial plan doesn't include a way to obtain and renew this resource, you won't even have the opportunity to preheat your oven…or bank account.

If you are among those "cash gifted" to have this already, the next step is a set of goals and a plan that will be refined and tweaked throughout the process. If your recipe doesn't allow for creativity, you're just another one of the masses that will be stuck in a continually rotating cycle of mediocrity. You will eventually fall short of the imagined final result. The financial horizon is always changing…you should too.

You should have a cupboard full of ingredients. As any good chef knows, just because it's there doesn't mean you have to use it. With the exception of some in the southern United States, cayenne usually doesn't compliment pecan pie. That's not to say you couldn't use it. Just as unfamiliar ingredients shouldn't be tested on guests, so too is your approach to finance. If you aren't completely comfortable with the "ingredient" don't use it. After a little study and, yes, critical thought, if you have a complete understanding of the risks and benefits choose your next step.

Your ingredients should include:

1. Solid Corporate Structures- this should be both legal and effective in furthering your goals. Sometimes, depending on where you reside, this means looking beyond your comfort zone. If you only used saffron or whole vanilla beans that are produced within your own borders, would this not seriously limit your table fare? The same is true in the financial world. Chefs and financiers alike know the value of using unusual ingredients to their advantage. That's what makes them number successful and sought after!

2. Legal and Financial Professionals - a solid team of international folks in the know. As governments, laws, and attitudes change and evolve, you need timely information to make informed decisions

3. A Basket of Diversified Financial Products - FOREX (Foreign Currency Exchange), a private, secure, members only credit union with internationally competitive certificates of deposit, proven hedge fund, tested managed accounts, precious metal depository for the physical product, several choices of currencies to hold, an international credit card (not a debit card) for use with corporate expenses and international business or travel, and a corral of folks to advise and educate you on new and tasty financial opportunities. Here again, you don't have to use everything in your cupboard, only those ingredients you feel comfortable using.

4. Continuing Education and Program Expansion - Let's face it, a menu can get boring and stale after awhile. Just as chefs change and tweak their courses, so too will the savvy financier. You could not possibly research and attempt everything that comes through the door onto the financial scene. That's why you need to employ the assistance of legal and financial experts to keep you abreast of what's changing, what's working, and what's not. For every new program that comes along, it's a good bet that 90% of them are "duds" or simply not something you're going to try. A good team working on your behalf is essential for safe, steady growth.

I attempted to find just such a group for many years. I was always disappointed with the results. Sure, I could find these services and opportunities, but never in one place! For FOREX, I had ABC Investments, for stocks, there was Chuckles, Inc., for international business structures there was a train load of companies who, after closer scrutiny, were communicating to members who were either on the run or in "the big house." Bad advice, outdated theories on ever-changing international tax laws and inter-nation co operations seemed to be the norm. After much searching I was able to discover and confirm the Venture Resource Group (personal link hyperlinked here); a group of like-minded individuals who are constantly on the lookout for opportunities, shifts in the international legal and financial arena, and a business building structure that enables even those with very little starting capital to begin to grow and thrive in, not just survive in the hottest room in the international house! This is certainly worth a look and deserves serious consideration for those that don't want to have to join several different companies to begin their journey towards financial and personal freedom. The Venture Resource Group (hyperlink here), I discovered, has everything I have listed above. If you're not a great "cash cook", or don't have a lot of time, if you're just looking for something in "a box" this may be your "instant meal." This international group brings forward practical ideas and legal alternatives that are available to most everyone worldwide. Individual control of one's path and destiny is not only required, but encouraged.