This is a true story from my own experience that illustrates how buying assets for wealth creation works.
Just over 3 years ago I found myself with $75,000 to spend or invest. My wife and I needed a new car as the old one was 8 years old and not as reliable as it used to be, so we spent $40,000 on buying the latest model.
Our $75,000 was now reduced to $35,000.
We now made the wisest financial decision we have ever made (apart from buying our own home) and used the remaining $35,000 as a deposit on an investment property to help provide for our eventual retirement. The investment property cost a total of $178,000 including mortgage, conveyancing, and stamp duty costs.
Three years have gone by and this is what has happened.
The car has dropped in value by at least $10,000 and possibly more, but is providing good reliable transport.
The owner of the neighbouring property to our investment has put his identical property on the market for $319,000 which compares favorably with other properties in the area. As a conservative guess I would expect it to achieve a sale price of $300,000 or thereabouts.
This means that we have made around $122,000 on our original investment in the house and lost $10,000 on the car. It's actually worse than that. By buying the car instead of the neighbouring house we have forgone a possible $122,000 profit, so the car has has actually cost us $162,000! The old car is still running and in daily use.
The end result is that we have a paper profit of $122,000 on the house and a technical loss of $132,000 on the new car ($162k - $30k residual value).
The moral of this story is to put your money into things that increase in value (assets), and NOT into things that decrease in value (liabilities). You may not have a large sum of money to invest in real estate but there are other asset classes like art, antiques, coins or stamps where there are plenty of smaller investing opportunities.
If you can remember this story of buying a house versus buying a vehicle next time you make a major purchase, you can evaluate how the purchase is going to affect your future wealth. Do you really need a new vehicle or a wide-screen TV? Would a low-mileage second-hand car, and keeping the existing TV be sufficient? Making the right decision now will have a huge bearing on your retirement.
Learning to distinguish between wants and needs, and investing in assets is the key to wealth creation and a comfortable retirement.
Copyright 2005 by Robert Scott, LoanSense.com.au
Check out Robert's Home Loan Australia website that is dedicated to helping borrowers get the best possible deal on a home loan in australia.
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareBuilding wealth is as simple as saving a little bit... Read More
It's the beginning of a brand new year: a time... Read More
We talked recently about the wealth formula:Spend less than you... Read More
As a woman Netpreneur, I sat down via e-mail with... Read More
I want to share an experience I had in common... Read More
As a work at home Mother, I know the value... Read More
To budget, to have a budget and to be on... Read More
Recently, one late winter night, my four-year old son and... Read More
Before I had a lot of money, I was really... Read More
Let me ask you a very simple question. Do you... Read More
When I was a student in London, I had a... Read More
Top Investment PerformanceThroughout history, many coin collections have produced substantial... Read More
OK, this article will start with the cheapest piece of... Read More
Financial planning often gets a bad rap. Part of the... Read More
Most accountants, financial planners and wealth-building experts agree that there... Read More
Let's begin this lesson with a definition of the term... Read More
Is it hard to get rich? If you're young, not... Read More
How many people search Google, Yahoo and MSN each day... Read More
It's no secret that the market goes UP...the market, goes... Read More
Turn to the year 1999, a couple of friends sitting... Read More
Points to ponder as you consider what can be done... Read More
The business of banking has changed dramatically over the last... Read More
This is a true story about a homeless man from... Read More
No matter what markets you serve; what products you sell;... Read More
We all go to school for about twelve years, kindergarten... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..Everyone wants to be wealthy, but most of us do... Read More
Living on credit is fashionable. Indulging oneself is fashionable. Saving... Read More
Steve Martin once delivered an opening monologue for Saturday Night... Read More
Most people know it's important to keep and organize all... Read More
The fact is that most people continue to work for... Read More
Author: James Walsh ISBN: 1563431696: Publisher: Silver Lake PublishingIn... Read More
Saving money for retirement can be easy or difficult depending... Read More
While you need to have a lot of positive-thought and... Read More
According to Wallace Wattles, in his popular wealth treatise called... Read More
When I look around at all of my friends, and... Read More
Here's the truth: I have read hundreds and hundreds of... Read More
My First Million took me exactly 27 months to achieve.... Read More
Feel like a lemming lately? Ready to follow the crowd... Read More
This retirement account is so new and unique that you... Read More
Loose change that is, if you want a easy way... Read More
When you purchased your home, you most likely got a... Read More
The rewarding of high compensation packages to top executives who... Read More
How many people search Google, Yahoo and MSN each day... Read More
Financial planning at an early age may seem complicated, however... Read More
Masters degree not required...just a little common sense, a $5.00... Read More
Most accountants, financial planners and wealth-building experts agree that there... Read More
The idle are a peculiar kind of dead that cannot... Read More
There is perhaps no more important decision than to take... Read More
Now is a great time to make it a habit... Read More
SCENE 1: Pharaoh has just woken up from a very... Read More
Wealth Building |