I'm 26 years old. After reading The Automatic Millionaire, my priorities of saving money are reinforced more than ever. I had $7,000 in credit card debt after college and was struggling paycheck to paycheck. Things have changed for the better since I've been debt-free. I set up a $600 monthly deduction toward a savings account at ING Direct with a 2.2% interest rate. I also have a monthly $200 deduction toward Ameritrade for stocks. On top of that, I have bumped my 401K plan deduction from 10% to 15%. This definitely makes me feel more in control financially! Thanks for the resources!
As did my father, I enjoyed your book The Automatic Millionaire. Just like my father, I plan to never have a credit card; a debit card is just fine.
I was home schooled and began working for a salary as a grader in a private school at age fourteen. My father taught me the value of saving. I am now eighteen and meet all the requirements of becoming a millionaire as you show on page 48. That is without adding another penny. I started my IRA at fourteen and my stock account as well.
Thank you for the book, it reinforces what I already knew from believing in my father. P.S. Despite not having gone to any organized school system in my life, I was lucky enough to be awarded a full "trustee's scholarship" at a four year college. A 100% prepaid tuition is also a good investment.
I just finished reading your book, Smart Women Finish Rich. What a great book!
I am a 67 year old Breast Cancer Survivor, and it gave me encouragement to move forward. I have recently relocated to South Carolina, to be near my daughter in North Carolina, and have been a Realtor for many years. I am going to get back in Real Estate here in South Carolina and put my pin ribbon on my Remax sign and hope to do very well with your inspiration. Thanks for the encouragement.
My name is Steve and I am a financial advisor with a major brokerage firm as well as a certified Finish Rich speaker.
The Finish Rich series has transformed how I work with my clients as well as my family. Instead of focusing on just the "big money" I have taken a renewed look at how small investments over time can make a significant difference in the lives of my clients and my children.
As a result of this system, I am in the process of opening Roth IRAs for each of my three boys. With other money they earn from chores, they each will be able to fund their IRAs with approximately $260 this year--not bad for 13, 11, and 10 year olds.
It is exciting for me as a father to see my kids excited about saving and investing and talking about companies to invest in. Through this process they've also learned the value of money.
I've shared this idea with other parents and it has become popular in our neighborhood. Thanks for making a difference in my business, the lives of my clients, and my family!
I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing the important fundamentals on personal financial success. I was inspired by The Automatic Millionaire because it re-enforces that the financial philosophy which I have set out for myself many years ago are the same philosophies shared in this book. My wife of 22 years bought me this book because she has seen you on The View and thought that your philosophy on finances reminded her so much of those of my own. She was right. I did gain additional information that I will be utilizing promptly.
I work as a Director of Transportation for a Canadian distribution company. I am 42 years old, have two teenage children and have done well in real estate in the past 22 years, owning a home mortgage-free, a condo which I rent out mortgage-free and 50% of a condo in Florida which is also mortgage-free. A lot of my colleagues and friends tell me that I should be teaching financial courses on the power of managing your money. For me this has been all achieved by managing my money.
It is true what you say in your book that you don't have to have a lot of money to be rich. The McIntyre story was very inspiring. It's a great example how a couple put their financial plan together and how automatic they made their goals achievable. I have shared their story along with the Latte factor at my place of work. It's funny, at first the reaction is all the same as you wrote it. I can't save $ 10.00 per day!! Then you take them through the Latte factor scenario and its now a WOW reaction. I think I can do that. Since November I have convinced 13 employees to join our company pension and kick start them to commence their automatic RRSP contributions.
It was a great book and I thank you. Now it's time for me to spread the word, so many others can share in a wealthy future. Most importantly, congratulations to you and Michelle on your new addition, your son Jack. Children bring the utmost wealth and happiness into a marriage. Take the time and enjoy him. They grow up faster than you think.
Mr.Bach, Thank you, I saw you on Oprah and ordered "The Automatic Millionaire" through Amazon that day. I have only read the first chapter but I am hooked. I am 43 and my husband is 48. Already I've started looking for ways to save. I hope its not to late because of our age. The success stories I have read, they started saving when they were in their 20's. I figure we will work until at least age 60-65 and then following your program retire. Is that possible? I want to attend you semiar in Newport News, Va. on July 28 & 29, 2004. I hope to meet you. Thank you,
I started reading your book at the grocery store. I confess to coming back and reading at intervals over several weeks before I finally bought it. MY latte factor was dvd's I haven't stopped all together but have been able to start saving $50.00 per pay check automatically. I am sharing this with my son's high school friends that are about to start college. I wish I thought about this sooner being middle aged. We recently sold our house because my husband lost his job. We did have 6 months worth of money and now we have nothing, but the change in thinking can really change our future outcome. Thanks for the book and the change in thinking!! Louise
We're feeling GREAT today after reading your book "The Automatic Millionaire." Despite having three special needs children and the mounting bills that accompany them, we started the automatic deduction process 10 years ago with my husband's 401k. You really DO not miss what you cannot see. That "automatic deduction" has grown from zero to over $126,000 even though we have had to tweak our percentage to match our financial needs at any given time. Despite dropping to 2% some years, we are back to 18%. I work 2 part time jobs. I have $250 a week automatically put into a money market account to cover our Roth IRA contributions. I have $1200 a month automatically withdrawn to be divided into a 529 account for each of my sons. We automatically put the rest of my pay into our "emergency fund" which is over $20,000 - 5 months worth! Another $50 a week automatically goes into a vacation club. I am now in the process of having money from my second job (freelance TV) put into either a SEP IRA or the new one-person 401k. Like you said, the ONLY true way to do this is through automation. We are very disciplined and could not commit. Now, we are used to it. We live comfortably below our means and knowing our future will be set! We also make one extra payment a year on our mortgage. Not bad for a family besot with many challenges.
I just read through the other success stories and decided it was time to write mine. For years I had been afraid to look at my financial picture. My "live in the present" husband thought my concerns were silly, but worrying about the future was keeping me awake at night. Your book had been sitting on my desk for at least a year when one day I randomly opened it. The heading in front of my eyes read "What if my partner doesn't want to do this exercise with me?" Talk about getting my attention! Well, to make a long story short, we went through the exercises, talked about and wrote down our values and goals, and have:
- Organized our financial paperwork
- Refinanced the mortgage and pay extra every month
- Almost eliminated credit card debt
- Started contributing 25% of my income to my 457 retirement account
- Started saving another 13% of my income to other savings accounts
- Planned a cross country trip for next summer with our three children
- Started an IRA account for each of our children with the money they earn working for my husband
I sleep better now. Thanks!
Oh my gosh - started your book at 7:00 pm last Sunday (today is Friday) since then, I maxed my 401k plus added the 'over 50' catch up, transferred my paultry bank MM to an ING savings account, bought an individual copy of the book for each of my 3 grown children, my office manager and my fiance - it has completely changed my attitude towards "MY MONEY" - all that with a 200+ page book - I am a self-employed physician who obviously has really never "paid myself first". Thanks so much.
I am on my way!! I'm doing so much. Look at what I am actually doing automatically. I don't even drink coffee but I am already a Latte winner!
I automatically pay an additional $1,856 on my home mortgage, pay myself $3,000 monthly in a money market, invest $13,000 max in my 403b, invest $125 monthly in a index fund, invest $100 in a Ira monthly, and invest $100 in my daughter's savings. I will make an automatic extra payment to each of my 8 income properties. I even have life insurance payments deducted automatically from my checking account. I feel so good about what I am automatically doing.
David,
I just want to say thank you. You can't imagine how helpful your book Smart Women Finish Rich has been to me. You make me feel that I can take control of my money. You have taught so much, and now I am sharing all that I know with my friends and family.
Thank you one more time.