Bill Losey is a highly sought-after adviser, educator, and author. He has nearly 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He’s a certified financial planner, a certified senior adviser, and certified RSP-trained retirement coach. He’s the founder of National Retirement Planning Month. He publishes Retirement Intelligent, an award winning newsletter that reaches thousands of subscribers worldwide. And he’s the author of a fantastic new book called “Retire In a Weekend: The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Making Work Optional.”

This interview is the first in a series of 12 interviews I have conducted with true experts.  I am so excited about the value of the information provided by each of these extraordinary people, I just could not wait to share this one with you.

In this interview, Bill provides pragmatic advice and practical steps which help you create the retirement of your dreams beginning right now.

Whether you are 30, 60, or 70, following the financial strategies Bill outlines in this interview will guarantee that you have everything you need financially to create the abundant retirement you desire.

He likes to say ‘life is too long NOT to be doing those things that are fun and rewarding” and explains why it is so vital to begin with a clear image of what, outside of money, is really important to you.   

Bill Losey “America’s Retirement Strategist”

I am always interested in knowing whether or not the information I am providing you is useful.  Please comment on this blog and let me know how you like this post.

I am standing for all that is possible for you.

Sincerely and gratefully,

Steve

Your Retirement Success Champion

PS - I invite you to share this post with your friends and family.  I promise you they will thank you for it.

One of the many resources I encountered while creating some our retirement coaching program is an extraordinarily good book: 

“This Is Not Your Parents Retirement - A Revolutionairy Guide to Investments for a Revolutionairy Generation” by Patrick Astre.

No, it is not a brand new book.  It has been around a few years.  BUT, Astre keeps it updated on line at

http://www.thisisnotyourparentsretirement.com/Update.html

This is more than a retirement book.

The world has changed. Shouldn’t your retirement strategy follow suit?

You’re destined for a longer, more active retirement than any generation before you — and you want the cash to do it in style.  Forget nest eggs. There’s a revolution afoot in retirement planning, and expert Patrick Astre divulges the investment secrets that create multiple income streams for life.

It is time to consider a totally new way of thinking about life, money and retirement.  It is time to abandon your traditional, linear approach to life — a predictable transition for childhood, to marriage and children, work, and then retirement — and embrace the freedom and the rewards that come from living a nonlinear life.

Those of you who follow this advice won’t have to wait until retirement to travel, enjoy a hobby,  and live the life you truly desire.

Those of you who are already in the midst of retirement will find sound and practical advice to help you enhance your cash-flow strategy and begin living a limitless retirement.

You’ll be able to do those things now and will still be able to fund your needs when you are too old, or too ill, to work and to pursue leisure activities.

This book shows you how to become financially independent by providing common sense strategies and an easy-to-follow financial roadmap to accumulating the assets that will generate a series of income streams throughout your life.

I can not recommend it more confidently than these experts:

“This is absolutely a must-have book for anyone reaching for financial independence.” –Lynn Parrott, VP John Hancock/Manulife Financial

“This is one of the best financial books I have read. It’s clear, easy to understand and a great guide for anyone who wants to build and preserve wealth toward retirement.” – Arnie Pechler, MBA, CFP, CSA, LUTCF, Vice President, Farmers & Traders Life

As always I welcome your input and comment.  Please let me know if you enjoy this book and if this is the kind of information you are looking for.

Thank you for your visit

Gratefully,

Steve

Your Retirement Success Champion

PS - I will be doing making many more recommendations, suggestion and reviews in the future.  Please consider subscribing to the feed to be kept appraised.

Are you paying attention to the outside forces that can have a big impact on your business? 

Or is your head in the sand?

As an entrepreneur, it’s your responsibility to be aware of the external forces that can make or break your business.

In the March 2008 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, Andrea Cooper wrote an excellent article entitled, “The Influencers: What forces will affect your business in the coming year?”

She outlines the top 25 Influencers; the individuals, groups and trends that will have a substantial impact on business this year. 

Here are 6 that I thought were particularly interesting:

Mortgage Crisis

Continuing fallout from the mortgage crisis will undoubtedly affect you and your business in 2008. As banks wrestle with the problem of bad home loans, it may reduce their capacity or willingness to hand out money to entrepreneurs.

A Generational Shift

The first baby boomers are becoming eligible for retirement, and the nation is on the verge of a generational shift as those under age 44 assume more power. Boomers are itching to leave corporations and start their own businesses. Services that help them, such as small-business counseling, mentoring or virtual back-office support, should fare well. Older boomers are looking for meaningful part-time work that helps them leave a legacy; savvy entrepreneurs who create flexible opportunities can reap rewards from their talents.

Shrinking Middle Class

Working longer, commuting farther, sinking financially–that’s how The Trends Journal described the average member of the U.S. middle class last year.  What can entrepreneurs do? Believe that the high cost of oil will have real consequences on buying power, and make it easy for clients to work with you, whether it’s with convenient locations or via the internet and other technologies.

College Entrepreneurship Programs

Used to be, people didn’t think about going to college to learn how to be an innovative business owner. That was before the rise of college entrepreneurship programs. The latest trend on campus is teaching entrepreneurism outside of business school, even to English majors.

Socially Responsible Companies

Consumers care more than ever about corporate social responsibility. The “Edelman Trust Barometer 2007″ found that top concerns include employee treatment and open communication about a company’s conduct and impact, whether good or bad. “People are looking for responsible products, and they’re willing to pay a premium,” says Chris Deri of PR firm Edelman. “Take advantage of your smaller size and be nimble enough to be responsive to those demands.”

The 2008 Elections

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization surveyed its U.S. members about the presidential elections. Nearly 50 percent of them ranked the contest important or very important. The survey found that affordable health care is at the top of their wish lists, but it’s just one key item among many in this presidential race. “Everybody’s concerned about the economy,” says Alan Carsrud, executive director of the Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University. But the presidential election isn’t the only one to watch. What happens in Congress and the state legislatures can have just as much of an impact on your business.

Let me encourage you to read the entire article

You can read it here: 

                                    The Influencers

Keep Learning!

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com/

PS - As always, I welcome your comments

I usually limit my blogging to 3 days a week, but this morning I was so inspired by what I just finished reading I wanted to share it with you right away.

As I mentioned yesterday, I read between 4 and 6 books a week.  I recently completed a book called “Increasing Your Financial IQ - Get Richer By Getting Smarter” by Robert Kiyosaki.  In my opinion it is a must read for any resposible adult.

The excerpt from the book I read in an article this morning is what inspired me though.  I have adapted it here:

“Learning at an early age that we all have money problems - no matter how rich of how poor we are - is an important lesson.  Many believe that if they had a lot of money, their money problems would be over.  Little do they know, having lots of money just causes even more money problems.

The world is full of people who win millions and then end up deeply in debt just a few years later.

Money alone won’t solve your money problems.  That’s why giving poor peopl does not solve their money problems.

Hard work won’t solve money problems.  The world is fileld with hardworking people who have no money to show for it; hard working people who earn money yet grow deeper in debt needing to work even harder for even more money.

Education won’t solve money problems.  There are plenty fo highly educated poor people.

A job won’t solve money problems.  There are millions who earn just enough to survive but cannot afford to live happy and satisfied.  Many people with jobs can nto afford their own home, adequate healthcare, education, or even set aside enough money for retirement.

What CAN solve money problems is financial intelligence.  The truly financially wealthy take on financial problems and know that solving them will increase their financial IQ.”

I write a great deal about the personal and spiritual growth necessary to experience true and complete success. 

I know from personal experience that having lots of money does not, in and of itself, create the gratification and accomplishment of success.

As I describe in my free reports, “The Secret to Astonishing Entrepreneurial Success“, and “The Secret to an Abundant, Joy-Filled Retirement“, once you find you purpose, you must get into commited action to fulfill it and realize the successful and abundant life you desire.  

I also note in these reports that you will want to do a skills assessment and create an action plan to develop the skills necessary to maximize purposeful accomplishment of whatever you are truly and passionately commited to.

Developing your financial IQ is part of the action process. 

As I wrote about in my article yesterday, there is a champion within you. 

Let me encourage you to take on the Goliath of financial ignorance to accelerate your personal success.

Have an amazing day. 

Gratefully and Sincerely,

 Steve

“Your Success Champion”

PS - Please feel free to comment on this or any article.  I am always open to hearing what you want to know about.

PPS - I will be back on Friday with the next of the 4 Success Saboteurs.

I had a fascinating discussion with a group of retired seniors this weekend.  The average age of the group was 68 and they ranged in age from 63 to 75.  This means some of them are baby boomers and some are not.

All had held high profle positions in very successful companies, had earned a great deal of money, and made a lot of sacrifices along the way in order to achieve the ’success’ they had achieved.

You want to know what the most interesting thing was…..

NOT ONE of them was glad they had.

Yup, thats right.  NOT ONE.

Every single one of them said they wished they knew then what they know now about true success, happiness and joy.

Every single one of them said that if they had it to do over again they would have invested themselves in what they were truly passionate about and NOT in what they THOUGHT they SHOULD do.

Every single one of them said that they are confident they would have everything they need now even with out the high-flying career.

And….here is the kicker….. 

While every one of them is now ecstatically happy to be pursuing the interests and passions they had deferred all those years in their retirement,  they all wished they had done it much, much earlier.

So the question that this begs is….

If these gentlemen had NOT sacrificed and deferred all those years, how is it that they know they would be living in the abundant and joy-filled retirement they have now anyway?

How could this be?

I mean, aren’t we taught that “A successful life is hard work.  You must work hard, make sacrifices, make a lot of money, do without some things, save and invest for your retirement.”

Some of you already know that this is not working.  If you are totally honest about it, you are tired of the grind, but do not believe you have enough stored away and are not sure what you should do about it…so you just keep grinding away.

I took a lesson from these wise old gentlemen some years ago and ‘quit the deferred life plan‘.  I now work less, have more time for my family and the things that matter to me, and have more wealth, more happiness, and more joy than I ever knew possible. 

And I am only 49!

Can you imagine living the retired life of your dreams before the age of 50?

Download my report, “The Secret to an Abundant and Joy-Filled Retirement“.  It’s FREEEE!

We are hosting a Teleseminar with “America’s Retirement Strategist” and author of “Retire in a Weekend“,  Billl Losey on the 19th of March.  You do not want to miss it.

I know what is possible for you and I want to make sure you have it.

With sincere admiration,

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com 

PS - Check it out and ping me back with your thoughts.

I saw this headline today:

Planners Wanted ASAP - Needed: 50,000 new financial planners, and in a hurry

This article caught my eye.

Maybe it is because I have been in deep conversation with my friend and financial expert Joe Quenneville, http://retirementpitfalls.com/.

Or maybe it was because I just finished my second read of my associate Bill Losey’s terrific book, “Retire in a Weekend” http://retireinaweekend.com/

Or maybe it is all the research and preparation my team has done in preparation for the launch of our amazing new group coaching program, The Miraculous Retirement Coaching Program.

Regardless of the reason, with my fascination with demographic trends, I thought it was interesting that the shear numbers of boomers that are approaching that magical age called ‘retirement’ has, once again, sparked and entire industry into hyper-drive.

You might be interested in what Jane Bryant Quinn has to offer about finding the right financial planner. I have provided the link to the article ‘Planners Wanted ASAP’ below.

Before you go though, I want to tell you that we recently conducted a survey to learn more about what people like you were thinking about retirement.

2 crystal clear indications emerged:

First, those of you who are within 10 years of retirement (baby boomers) are totally clear about what you want in retirement.

Second 81% of you say are NOT sure you will have what you need to do it.

What this says to me is that you are not clear about how you are going to get what you want.

Don’t let anything keep you from learning how you can have it all, exactly as you want it to be.

With sincere gratitude and appreciation,

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com/

PS - The link to the Newsweek article about financial planners is:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/114770

I was in a conversation with mega-millionaire friend of mine who had recently retired.

She had been a highly successful technology entrepreneur and we were discussing her perspectives on the secrets to (her) success.

We talked about all kinds of things.  

I was flattered that she had read and agrees with the Key Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs article I wrote recently.

I was also thrilled that she took the time to brainstorm with me about some of the daily disciplines of success that had helped her experience such amazing success in her life. 

These are going into a new article I am writing now. 

Christine had a professional reputation for making what many thought were radical strategic shifts in direction with several of her companies.  We talked about some of these experiences and how from the outside looking in, they seemed totally crazy.

You might find her reasoning a bit surprising.  I know I did.

She said, “We really had no good reason to do it. It just seemed like a fun thing to do.”

Did you get that?

She did not say, ‘smart’ thing to do.  She did not say ‘right’ thing to do.  She did not even say ‘best’ thing to do.

She said ‘fun‘ thing to do.

I don’t know about you but that surprised me.

Then I got to thinking….there is great wisdom in what she said.

Wisdom for you and I to learn from.

Your business or job is the activity you invest the greatest percentage of your life doing(besides sleeping for some).

It should be something that’s fun to do.

If you’re not having fun, then why are you doing it?

For the money?  I think not.

If you expect to achieve goals and accomplish success in anything it’s just got to be fun and enjoyable.

I can promise you this, whether you are interested in creating astonishing levels of entrepreneurial success, an abundant and joy-filled retirement, or creating miraculous breakthroughs to personal success in other areas of life, you are going to have to be having fun to do it.

Let’s have some fun,

Steve

PS - Check out these great blogs for more useful information about this topic:

3 Ways to Get Better Results in Your Life

14 Step Guide to Finding the Perfect Career

Inspired by the work of my good friends and mentors Joe Vitale and Mark Ryan, I started digging in to the power of subliminal suggestion.

What I have learned from the experience is rather extraordinary. Let me explain:

If you have read either of my free reports “The Secret to an Abundant and Joy-Filled Retirement” or “The Secret to Astonishing Entrepreneurial Success“, or if you have read any of Joe’s work like “The Attractor Factor“, “Zero Limits” or “The Key“, then you know that it is your subconscious mind that actually gates the creation or manifestation of your desires.

By clearing the subconscious memories and limiting beliefs you, in effect, allow Divinity to manifest the life you desire. (Joe has a terrific explanation on his blog (http://blog.mrfire.com)

Netting it all out: Getting clear of these unconscious blocks is what allows you to experience the life you desire.

BUT, how do you reprogram these unconscious memories to the manifestation of what you DO want instead of more of what you do NOT want?

I mean, by definition you are not conscious of them.

In my research about the power of the submliminal, I found some tools to help you communicate with your subconscious in the subliminal language “it” understands.

The work Joe and Mark have done in this area is really amazing. You can literally sit back, watch a DVD, and reprogram areas of your subconscious mind.

Go see: Subliminal Manifestation

These tools are incredibly valuable in helping you tune your subconscuious mind into the desires you seek.Try it. I think you will be surprised at what develops for you.

Let me know how it works out for you by commenting on this post.

Thank you for visiting

Steve

www.championsuccess.com

PS - Read my post entitled “My Meditation Coach” for more incredibly powerful suggestion for subliminal manifestation.

“We are at the beginning of a new era.  A lifestyle revolution is taking place and with it we, as social people, are transforming who we are and what we do.  We are changing the way we live.  The predictable linear, chronological life pathways of past generations - from school, to marriage, to work, to children, to retirement - made sense when the average human life span was shorter….

Longer, healthier lifetimes have changed the way people perceive life’s options.  People are no longer limited to a single career in a lifetime.  Highly educated men and women are pursuing adventure, challenge, and greater sense of purpose than ever before….

People now return to school at age thirty-five, have children at age forty-five, start new careers at fifty, and remarry at seventy.” Maddy Dychtwald - Cycles

The possibilities that exist for you in your retirement years are absolutely endless.  My intention with this report is to communicate as simply and concisely as I can, how you can leverage the almighty power of the universe and miraculously manifest anything you desire, now and in your retirement.

Let me encourage you to accept all that is truly possible for you in this new era. Use what you have learned in this free report to begin creating the long, satisfying, joy-filled abundant life you desire.

Now you know that the secret to an abundant, joy-filled retirement is in what you believe.

“Imagining creates reality.  Therefore the man who is aware of what he is imagining knows what he is creating; realizes more and more that the drama of life is imaginal - not physical.  All activity is at bottom imaginal.  An awakened imagination works with a purpose.  It creates and conserves the desirable, and transforms or destroys the undesirable.”  Neville - The Law and the Promise.

Do you know what the number one fear or concern is for the baby boomers retiring?

Let me tell you.  It’s health.

But not in the way you might think.

Yes there is a lot of work being done in the alternatives to medical care like energy healing, exercise and fitness programs, and relaxation therapies of all sorts.

But, within all of this, there is some really amazing work being done in the area of brain fitness and plasticity.  Scientist have branched out from the world of academinc research to the practical implementation of all the amazing things that are possible.

Online programs and mind development games that can be loaded into our kids pocket-sized Nintendo and GameBoy systems are popping up everywhere.

The science behind all of this is aaaamazing!

I found this fantastic website with loads of great informaton.  Check it out: http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/

Knowing that there are ways to preserve and maintain life capacity physically and mentally is reassuring isn’t it?

The only remaining question for you to consider is, what are you going to do for 40 + years once you retire?

Find your passion,

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com/

PS - Visit Sharp Brains and tell me what you think