Thursday, December 20, 2012

Read an excerpt from '925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt & Retire a Millionaire"

Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World

925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World from the author of the highly acclaimed book, Your Mark on the World, is a collection of articles about family financial planning that originally appeared at FamilyHow.com.

925 Ideas... is an easy and readable guide to help your family find financial peace. Author Devin D. Thorpe explains:

1) how you and your spouse can find agreement on money matters,
2) how to teach your kids about money,
3) how to pay for your children's college education,
4) how to live like a millionaire
5) how to come up with $25,000 in a crisis
6) how to make ends meet on one income
7) how to get out of debt and stay out of debt
8) why home ownership should be your family's top financial priority
9) how to ask your boss for a raise
10) how to use your finances to do more good in the world.

Read an excerpt:

How to invest your first $5,000 for retirement

So you’ve just accumulated $5,000 in your IRA and now you need to invest it. It is impractical, if not impossible to invest it directly into stocks and or bonds so you’ll want to invest in a mutual fund or ETF.

You could split your investment and invest in two or three funds, but if we presume that you will continue to make contributions to your retirement account and that those future investments can go into other funds, our goal for today is to help you choose your first mutual fund.

Let’s assess your situation.

Are you over or under 50 years old? If you are older, you have somewhat less time to invest, making the risk of a reversal greater for you so you’d want to invest more conservatively. If you are younger—or much younger—you can and should tolerate a bit more risk.

How do you feel about risk? Does the idea that you could check the value of your mutual fund at some point in the future and discover that its value has declined send you into a panic? Does the idea that it might be worth 20 percent more in a year excite you? Would knowing that your retirement savings is at risk prevent you from sleeping at night?

If you conclude that you can tolerate investment risk well, then you should be considering mutual funds that invest in stocks. Their values rise and fall more than funds that invest in bonds, but over the long haul you should expect to earn more in stocks than bonds. If you don’t tolerate risk well you may want to make your first investment in a bond fund.

If you feel panicked about risk, please consider that without taking some risk, it is almost impossible to save enough for retirement. Risk free returns don’t earn enough interest to keep up with the value eroding impact of inflation. Money in the bank is better than no money in the bank, but it will be worth less tomorrow than it is today. To retire comfortably you need to get comfortable with moderate risk.

Morningstar is a private company that rates and categorizes mutual funds. There are dozens of categories. Your first mutual fund investment in your IRA could come from one of the following three categories:

Large Blend: A large blend fund invests in the stocks of large companies with a balance of growth and value investments (growth stocks are those projected to grow faster than the market and usually do not pay dividends and value stocks are those that are perceived to be trading below some other measure of value).

Moderate Allocation: A moderate allocation fund invests in both stocks and bonds, with more money invested in stocks than bonds. A portion of the money may also be allocated to cash. These funds expect to achieve some appreciation as well as to generate returns through dividends.

Long-Term Government Bond: These funds invest in treasury bonds that mature more than ten years in the future. Such bonds have no credit risk, that is no risk of not being paid on schedule, but as interest rates change, the value of the bonds will fluctuate.

Each of these fund categories would make a good first fund for your retirement savings. They offer high expected returns—compared to what you can earn in a bank account. They are listed in order from most risky to least risky. You can decide which of these three best represents your risk tolerance based on your own situation.

Once you’ve decided upon a category, you’ll want to choose an individual fund based primarily on the expenses. Your broker should provide you with a list of mutual funds you can purchase with no transaction fees. You’ll also want to choose a fund that doesn’t charge a “load” or upfront fee. You’ll also want to avoid marketing and distribution fees called 12b-1 fees. Finally, you’ll want to look for funds with low expense ratios. All of these fees must be disclosed so you can figure out which fund is best for you.

Your broker should provide a screener to help you choose a mutual fund that meets your criteria. You may also want to try the Yahoo mutual fund screener.

With that, you’re all set to make your first mutual fund investment in your IRA.
 

Get the book on Smashwords FREE or Amazon for only $0.99



Purchase Your Mark on the World on Kindle / Paperback / Nook / Smashwords

Follow Devin D. Thorpe

Blog: YourMarkOnTheWorld.com
Facebook.com/YourMarkOnTheWorld
Twitter: @devindthorpe or #yourmarkontheworld
Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/NLQBn6


Do you have a question for Devin D. Thorpe? He set up a page to help you! "Ask me anything page" Head over and get advice from a Financial Adviser!

The tour prize is an Amazon Kindle (GC equivalent) and 5 winners of Mark of the World and 925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World. Everyone can download 925 ideas for FREE from Smashwords! Fill out the for below to enter! Open Into for Digital and US for Print.
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Follow the tour!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

'Unleasing God's Power' Promo Blitz!

Reading Addiction Blog Tours


Christian/Non-Fiction
Date Published:11/6/12

An inspirational book for mid level to mature Christians. The book discusses eleven key steps to maximizing the power of God in a Christian's life. The author uses great analogies to connect things of the Spiritual to things of the natural. He also discusses deep uncommon truths about praise, prayer, Holy Spirit and faith. The book is definitely bound to empower and increase a Christian's faith, in turn, experience supernatural results in life.


Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1: Understanding and Strengthening Your Faith in God

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Belief is a by-product of faith. The following is a scenario that will shed light on belief and faith in God. If there is an empty house in front of you and I tell you that the house is owned by someone, although, you have not seen anyone in the house, will you not believe me? Yes, you will and this means you have faith in the law of nature. The law of nature says that every house built is owned by someone, even if not yet purchased, then in this case the builder or the bank owns the property. The same way we must believe and have faith in God.

Links to Buy 


Jimi Akanbi

I am Jimi Akanbi. I am a Christian nonfiction author, who is sold out to God. I live in Atlanta, Georgia USA. I have an MBA in Finance from Mercer University, Atlanta Georgia. I am currently an active member of the prayer and intercessory team at my church. I have also served God as an usher and protocol officer at my previous church. I have undergone a formal ten week bible training course. My interests include writing, counseling, ministry, movies, sports, music and more. I was miraculously called by God to be in the writing ministry, and I am acting in obedience.



Monday, December 17, 2012

'Simon's Choice' Book Tour & Review

Simon's Choice
Charlotte Castle

"But Daddy, who will live with me in heaven?"
 
Doctor Simon Bailey has everything a man could ever want.

Then his beautiful daughter is diagnosed with Leukemia.

He can almost accept her impending death.

He can almost accept the fact that he will have to live without her.

But he cannot stand the thought of his little girl having to face death alone.

He answers her innocent question in a moment of desperation, testing his marriage, his professional judgment and his sanity to the limit.

As cracks form in Simon's previously perfect family, we wonder, as do his loved ones ... will he really make the ultimate sacrifice?

Combining poignant moments of both humour and pain, 'Simon's Choice' is a penetrating account of parenthood at the sharp-end. 

**My thoughts**

This book is absolutely heartbreaking. The loss of a young child is something that no parent should ever have to endure. Unfortunately, it does in fact happen. I have personally dealt with the loss of a child as the result of a tragic accident. I cannot fathom watching a child die a long death from a horrific disease. It was bad enough watching my father go through something like that.

Simon and his wife have gone through varying degrees of devotion over the course of their daughter's illness. They have grasped onto their faith as if it is the very life blood that is keeping them going. They have doubted the purpose of God and questioned His decision to take away their precious daughter. They have discussed the idea of Heaven. Unfortunately, they are rarely on the same page at the same time.

And then their daughter, who is going to soon be leaving them, asks about her eventual transition to the other side. The conversation between Simon and Sarah is one that socked me in the gut. 

What would you say to your daughter if you knew she was going to die? What would you say when she wants you to go with her? Ponder these questions as you examine your own faith while reading this story. And keep a box of Kleenex on hand. You will need it.


Buy links: Paperback  \ Kindle \ Smashwords

About the Author:

The daughter of a successful novelist, Charlotte Castle considers herself ‘chronically unemployable’ and admits to being astounded that her book has had such a positive reception. 
 
To be honest, I started writing ‘Simon’s Choice’ out of a mixture of genuine desire to explore the horror of losing a child and a fair amount of desire to get out of mopping the kitchen floor. That people want to read it is wonderful.” 
 
A school governor for her daughter’s primary school and actively involved in her local ‘Community Action Group’, Charlotte juggles writing with cleaning up after a man whom she says is “completely unfamiliar with the term ‘washing basket’”, her cat and her two children.


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'925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt and Retire a Millionaire' Book Tour Blast!

Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World

925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World from the author of the highly acclaimed book, Your Mark on the World, is a collection of articles about family financial planning that originally appeared at FamilyHow.com.

925 Ideas... is an easy and readable guide to help your family find financial peace. Author Devin D. Thorpe explains:

1) how you and your spouse can find agreement on money matters,
2) how to teach your kids about money,
3) how to pay for your children's college education,
4) how to live like a millionaire
5) how to come up with $25,000 in a crisis
6) how to make ends meet on one income
7) how to get out of debt and stay out of debt
8) why home ownership should be your family's top financial priority
9) how to ask your boss for a raise
10) how to use your finances to do more good in the world.

Get the book on Smashwords FREE or Amazon for only $0.99

Purchase Your Mark on the World on Kindle / Paperback / Nook / Smashwords

Follow Devin D. Thorpe

Blog: YourMarkOnTheWorld.com
Facebook.com/YourMarkOnTheWorld
Twitter: @devindthorpe or #yourmarkontheworld
Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/NLQBn6


Do you have a question for Devin D. Thorpe? He set up a page to help you! "Ask me anything page" Head over and get advice from a Financial Adviser!

The tour prize is an Amazon Kindle (GC equivalent) and 5 winners of Mark of the World and 925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World. Everyone can download 925 ideas for FREE from Smashwords! Fill out the for below to enter! Open Into for Digital and US for Print.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour!

Friday, December 7, 2012

'Three Saints of Christmas' Book Tour

The Three Saints of Christmas

In this adventurous and compelling fictional story it takes St. Joseph, Gabriel, and Santa to get a family all together for Christmas 1866. From a stalking cougar, to a wolf encounter, to a little girl falling into a hole in the ice, and other crises, this story keeps the reader turning its pages.

Deep in Peace River Country in northern Canada, five children have been allowed to stay home on their own for what is supposed to be a three-day period while the adults leave for a town 45 miles away in bitterly cold weather. Brittany, a capable and mature 11-year-old, has been left in charge and is delighted by the prospect of taking care of her sibling and her three cousins.

However, a serious life-threatening accident with the horse and wagon occurs with dire consequences. Fortunately, the children are being watched over from above by St Joseph, Gabriel the Angel, and Santa Claus. The characters in the story are based on real-life children and adults, and make perfect sense to anyone who believes in saints, angels, miracles " and Santa Claus.

The Three Saints of Christmas is a story for children (from 5 to 95). The Three Saints will appeal to anyone who has an active imagination and the desire to explore the meaning of Christmas though fantasy and a non-traditional approach. This delightful story will appeal to children as well as adults young and old, around the world.

**My thoughts**

This is a sweet Christmas story about faith, hope, love and survival. Brittany is an amazing young woman, as children of the 19th century often needed to be. She does what it takes to care for the young brood, even though she is still a child, herself. She isn't aware that St. Joseph, Gabriel, and Santa Claus are keeping an eye out for her and her loved ones. God works in mysterious ways; bringing these three saints to all of them in human form is one way it happens.

The story is short, making it a quick read, but one that will have an impact on you. It could be good to share with your family, but I would probably aim for children a little older than 5. Some 5 year-olds could handle the mature themes (accidents, wolves and mountain lion attacks, potential death of adults), but I would be more comfortable reading this to middle elementary and older. It could make for a good discussion and a foundation for studying what life was really like in the 1800s.  

Purchase - Kindle / Paperback / Nook / Inkwater Press book store


Beverly Lein was born in Manning, Alberta, and raised in nearby Sunny Valley on her father’s farm with her three sisters and two brothers. Her hobbies have always included writing stories, songs, and poems. Before raising elk with her husband Carson on their own ranch, Lein worked as a cook, a farmer, a retailer, and a small business owner. A proud mother of two and grandmother of five, Lein’s life also requires her to be a veterinarian, a midwife, and an elk counselor depending on what the day brings. Beverly is the author of the books, *An Elk in the House *by NeWest Press, *The Three Saints of Christmas*, and *Wolf Spirit- The Story of Moon Beam and Mary Woman of Sorrows and Evil on the Peace River *published by Inkwater Books.

Follow Beverly Lein:

Website: http://beverlylein.wordpress.com/  
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/beverlyleinauthor

Follow the Tour
December 5
http://www.3psinapod.org
December 6
http://confessinosofanover-workedmom.com
December 7
http://mymommysworld.com
http://upliftingreads.blogspot.com
December 10
http://mommyreadstoomuch.com
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http://www.turningclockback.com
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http://nikita-mattes.blogspot.com/
http://www.literarysweet.com
December 14
http://www.libbyslibrary.com
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