Your Fiscal Well-Being

Avoid the risk that you’ll have to file an amended return

Many taxpayers rush to file their tax returns as quickly as possible. Ordinarily, that’s fine. But if you own mutual funds, don’t file your tax return before March 1!

Here’s why: Everyone involved in the financial industry — including employers, banks, insurance companies, mutual funds and brokerage firms — is required to mail W-2s and 1099s by January 31. But in each of the past four years, either because of last-minute changes in tax law or accounting reconciliations, many mutual fund companies and brokerage firms discovered that their 1099s contained incorrect information — which forced them to issue “amended” 1099s.

This was very expensive for the firms, which had to pay twice for printing, postage and mailing costs. It was also a huge headache for the investors who had already filed tax returns based on the original documentation. These hapless consumers found themselves forced to redo their returns and file amended tax returns, adjusting the amount they owed or were due in refunds — and paying their tax preparer additional fees to do the extra work.

It looks like 2010 may be the same. Therefore, if you own mutual funds, we recommend that you do not file your tax return before March 1. By then, any amended IRS forms are likely to arrive, potentially helping you avoid the hassle and costs of filing an amended return.

If you’re expecting a large refund, the delay might annoy you. But please note that you’re not supposed to be expecting a big check from the IRS. Remember that a big refund means you’ve overpaid your taxes — and you’ve been giving the IRS a tax-free loan for months.

See if you can correct this by reducing the amount of money that your employer withholds from your paycheck. Remember: Refunds are not gifts from the IRS, but simply a return of money that’s yours in the first place.

Here is tip No. 1 and maybe the most important one of all…

1. Be real, be transparent, be authentic and be yourself… I mean your REAL self. Too often people spend incredible amounts of energy trying to project themselves as something they’re not. Most of their conversation is spent trying to impress and they think they have everyone snookered.

Here is the reality: no one is fooled. People are always transparent… even when they think they aren’t. I’m sure you meet people all the time who say all the right things, look the part, but you just know, in your gut, even if you can’t put your intellectual finger on it, that they are full of hooey.

We are all intuitive and sensitive beings. We can feel the truth. We can sense authenticity and we can sense when it isn’t present. Projecting pretense only pushes people away from you—quickly and regularly. Your real self—the one that isn’t king of the hill, has fears, is concerned about family and has a genuine passion for a product, service or helping other people succeed—is far more attractive to people than anything else.

I think the era of “fake it till you make it” of the ‘80s and ‘90s has passed. People are smarter today and more than ever are looking for authenticity. Now let me be clear, no matter where you are in your business, in your financial success or in life, I DO want you to start dressing the part and walking the walk. I want you to start representing your elevated self. I want those things to be demonstrations of your new commitment to be better, show up better and live better. I’m talking about not fibbing on the truth.

2. Treat people…like people. I remember a mentor of mine when I was in real estate corrected me on this. I was having a discussion and I showed him my “Hit List” of target prospects. He said, “Hit List?  Who wants to be your next HIT?! These are real people, real families, who will be going through one of the most emotional transactions of their life, involving the most valuable asset they own—their home. Not until this list is considered the list of those families whom you will help, protect and fight for next, will they be interested in what you have to say.” That was great advice. It is not just semantics; it is an entirely different philosophy, mindset and emotional approach to every conversation and human interaction.

Don’t treat people like targets, capital, pawns or even prospects or just customers. Treat people like people… people with real desires, fears, hopes, wishes, worries, dreams and ambitions… just like you.

3. Take a sincere interest in other people. The best way to do this is to talk less and listen more. Make fewer statements, ask more questions. Everyone wants to work on their script: What do I say? Instead, it’s better to work on your questions. What questions will draw people out so they talk about their real values, interests, hopes and desires. Once others express what they really want, it’s much easier to match your potential solution to their real and personally expressed needs.

4. Always be positive. Be the one who brightens a room and every conversation you enter. It is easy to pile on to a complaint fest or add to the rousing gossip, but you will actually be perceived better by others if you don’t join them in that talk.

I am always supremely impressed when I witness someone turn down the opportunity to talk negatively about someone else, even if it would have been only to agree with the one speaking or join the company of misery talk.

Let your reputation and brand become those of positivity, grace and class. These rare qualities are what people look for in others. Be the standout.

5. Recognize others. Give people honest and sincere appreciation. Take a page from Catherine the Great’s book: “Praise loudly, blame softly.” Catch people doing things right and acknowledge them. Congratulate others on their accomplishments; celebrate others’ victories. Find at least a dozen ways to compliment, congratulate or appreciate someone else’s work, contribution or successes every day.

Be so busy giving other people recognition that you don’t need any yourself. Do that and people will swarm to you like bees to honey.

6. Give. Most people are only after getting… and they wonder why they don’t. Look for ways to contribute, provide, help, offer and assist. This goes back to the golden rule of relationships that Zig Ziglar taught us, “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Give first, give often and give last. Give, give and give.

I see my relationships as bank accounts (psychologically, not emotionally), the more I deposit the more valuable I am to that person and the more I have on account with them. There might come a time when I need to make a small withdrawal, but I always want to be on the positive side of the ledger. My objective is to create a great surplus of wealth in as many accounts (or people) as possible by depositing as much as I can as often as I can.

This is how I use social media and my blog. All I want to do is give value, distribute value and contribute value, not to sell, promote or “get.” I use those platforms to help, serve, give and contribute. Each tweet, each posting on Facebook, each article on this blog, is completely focused on providing ideas, insights and resources to help people become more successful. As a result, I think, if the numbers and comments you leave me don’t lie, I am perceived to be a very valuable relationship for tens of thousands of people. Very rarely do I recommend something I own or benefit from, and if I do it’s because I know it will serve the subject we are discussing and the other person’s goals or objectives.

That is what I recommend you do—seek to help, give, assist, empower and support. Build a reputation as one who wants to give and help others… and as Zig promises, in return you will GET everything you want in life.

 ~ Darren Hardy ed. Success Magazine

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The reason most people spend their time on low-priority “busy work” is that it’s easier to do and does not require additional knowledge, skills or coordination with someone else. Set your priorities on a “must-do-now,” “should-do-today,” and “need-to-do-when-possible” basis. Set them every day, no later than the early morning of the day you are beginning—preferably, the last action of the previous day.

Concentrate your time and energies on the 20 percent of your activities, contacts and concepts that have proven most productive to you in the past. Remember the “80/20 rule” of Vilfredo Pareto, a nineteenth-century Italian economist: 80 percent of the production volume usually comes from 20 percent of the producers. What this means is that you need to focus your efforts on the most productive people and actions. —Denis Waitley

An enterprising person is one who comes across a pile of scrap metal and sees the making of a wonderful sculpture. An enterprising person is one who drives through an old decrepit part of town and sees a new housing development. An enterprising person is one who sees opportunity in all areas of life.

To be enterprising is to keep your eyes open and your mind active. It’s to be skilled enough, confident enough, creative enough and disciplined enough to seize opportunities that present themselves… regardless of the economy.

A person with an enterprising attitude says, “Find out what you can before action is taken.” Do your homework. Do the research. Be prepared. Be resourceful. Do all you can in preparation of what’s to come.

Continue Reading Creating Opportunity

An enterprising person is one who comes across a pile of scrap metal and sees the making of a wonderful sculpture. An enterprising person is one who drives through an old decrepit part of town and sees a new housing development. An enterprising person is one who sees opportunity in all areas of life.

To be enterprising is to keep your eyes open and your mind active. It’s to be skilled enough, confident enough, creative enough and disciplined enough to seize opportunities that present themselves… regardless of the economy.

A person with an enterprising attitude says, “Find out what you can before action is taken.” Do your homework. Do the research. Be prepared. Be resourceful. Do all you can in preparation of what’s to come.

Enterprising people always see the future in the present. Enterprising people always find a way to take advantage of a situation, not be burdened by it. And enterprising people aren’t lazy. They don’t wait for opportunities to come to them; they go after the opportunities. Enterprise means always finding a way to keep yourself actively working toward your ambition.

Enterprise is two things. The first is creativity. You need creativity to see what’s out there and to shape it to your advantage. You need creativity to look at the world a little differently. You need creativity to take a different approach, to be different.

What goes hand in hand with the creativity of enterprise is the second requirement: the courage to be creative. You need courage to see things differently, courage to go against the crowd, courage to take a different approach, courage to stand alone if you have to, courage to choose activity over inactivity.

And lastly, being enterprising doesn’t just relate to the ability to make money. Being enterprising also means feeling good enough about yourself, having enough self-worth to want to seek advantages and opportunities that will make a difference in your future. And by doing so, you will increase your confidence, your courage, your creativity and your self-worth—your enterprising nature.  Jim Rohn

Are you creating opportunity? Share with us any secret (we wont tell) you’ve used to incresase your self-worth. – Admin

If you’re looking for a job, your online profile is more important to you nowthan ever before!

Being in the job market can sometimes be a little soul-destroying, with many advertisedjobs getting far more applications than before. The job boards are still working for many job seekers, but in the age of Web 2.0, there are plenty of other things you can do to stand out from the crowd and get that position you want.

So how can you successfully market yourself online and really stand out?

Follow these 10 easy tips and watch your personal online brand come alive!

Continue Reading 10 Tips for Finding a Job Using Facebook and LinkedIn

Sharing makes you bigger than you are. The more you pour out, the more life will be able to pour in.

There are four areas concerning Leaving a Legacy that I consider to be fundamental: a Life Well-Lived, Principles to Live By, The Importance of a Spiritual Legacy and an Impact Legacy and a Financial Legacy. Today, I would like to share on a Life Well-Lived.

You know, I have had an amazing life. I have traveled the world. I have shared my heart with so many wonderful people. I have been fortunate enough to make a great living and enjoy the fruit of my work. I have met thousands of people who are dedicated to personal development and self-growth. I have made it my life’s pursuit to teach others the philosophies and actions that would help them achieve greatness and personal fulfillment in their own lives. Forty years ago, it felt like it would never end. Today, I still imagine I have many years left, but I also am more aware than ever that there is much less time left than before.

Continue Reading The Importance of Leaving a Legacy