e-Wealth Daily: Free Ways to Make Quick Money, Ways to Become Rich

When it comes to finances, we all need some guidance from time to time. When you are an entrepreneur, the future of your business rests in your sound financial judgment, shrewd moves, and calculated risks. It is advisable that you have some kind of financial planner under your wing — even if it is just someone whom you consult a handful of times a year. But wait!

Choosing a financial planner is not like rifling through the Yellow Pages and selecting a barber, a florist, or a pizzeria. You must be sure to find a qualified, skilled planner who has your interests in mind — and nobody else's.

Unfortunately, the reality of the financial planning landscape is that the majority of advisors (the skeptical among us put the figure at 75%) are just trying to make a sale and aren't truly interested in advising you properly.

The first sign that an advisor may be more like a sales rep is if he/she has cold-called you. You shouldn't have to hear a sales pitch — an advisor's credentials and business practices should sell themselves. So, entrepreneurs must be wary of whom they choose for this role — and it takes the right questions to unearth the quality advisors from the inferior ones.

You want to be able to talk to this person before you hire them — always set up a meeting with them first. Then, face to face, you can find out the experience and credentials the advisor brings to the table. It goes without saying that they should hold a college education, but aside from that you want someone who has spent at least five years in the profession and preferably a decade or more.

Ask about their background and their credentials: They should have something beside their name on their business card, such as "CFP" for Certified Financial Planner or "CIMA" for Certified Investment Management Analyst. Ask how long they've been counseling clients and providing financial plans. Are they knowledgeable in all conceivable areas: investments, tax, retirement, insurance, estate planning, and others? Ask lots of questions.

To weed out any sketchy advisors, log on to http://www.nasd.org/ and check their record on the National Association of Securities Dealers. They should have a clean record there. Ideally, you want to get a fee-based advisor, because otherwise they are probably going to be selling you products in order to make commissions — that's how they make money, so consider it to be a red flag. A financial planner should be paid the same way a lawyer or accountant is: by the hour.

Here are some questions to ask in your first meeting with an advisor, so you can make sure that you get the advisor who is best for you:

"What are your specific areas of expertise?"
Although they should have a well-rounded understanding, many will specialize in certain areas.
"Do you have relationships set up with accountants, lawyers, and other professionals?"
If so, these networks will add supplemental benefits and make an advisor more credible.
"Do you concentrate on a specific client?"
This can often be the case: If it isn't you they are focusing on, then consider looking elsewhere.
"Will you handle my account or will an associate do
the work?"
If it's the latter, make sure he/she is qualified.
"How will you keep me informed of the latest
financial news?"
They should always be up-to-date on what is going on in the financial world.
"How will you select my investment solutions?"
They should do their own analysis and not depend solely on other companies' research.
"What's the cost of your service?”
First find out the cost of the initial plan, then ongoing service.
"Do you have any references?"
They should be able to provide you with names of some clients whom you could contact and ask about the quality of service.

** Release This Ball and Chain and You Will Begin to Fly
By Doug D'Anna, the "Hundred-Million-Dollar Man"

If you’ve been taking the steps I’ve discussed in previous e-mails, you’re already on your way to achieving the wealth that you’ve always desired. Of course, just like the most powerful eagle that’s chained to its nest, you’ll never fly unless you cut the ball and chain that may be holding you back. And I think we both know what that is: DEBT!

Most people who are in debt don’t realize this, but debt alone isn’t always the ball and chain that most people think it is. The rich borrow money all the time to buy houses, start businesses, and lease equipment. Simply put, they only borrow money to make money.

If you’re serious about getting rich, I suggest you do the same. The trick is to make a promise to yourself that, starting today, you will no longer make any more frivolous purchases and that you will stop living beyond your means.

Here’s what you need to do. First, sit down and figure out what you owe, how much, and to whom. Do you have multiple card debts? Multiple lines of credit? At what interest rate? Ask yourself these questions and be honest about the answers.

It might be in your best interest to head over to your bank and set up an appointment with a financial advisor. Figure out if it is better for you to keep your debts separate or to consolidate your debts so that you are only responsible for one lump payment each month.

When going to see a financial advisor, bring all of your financial information along — this includes your incoming finances, your outgoing finances, monthly bills, car payments, mortgage payments, rent, credit card statements, etc. Anything pertaining to money will be helpful in determining the best solution for you.

Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to first develop a repayment system to cut the ball and chain from yourself. Companies do this all the time. It’s called “restructuring.” Simply put, you restructure your debts in a way that not only pays them down faster, but also allows you to put a little extra in your pocket to invest.

The easiest way to do this is to get a home equity loan and use the proceeds to not only pay off your debt, but also give you an additional amount that you can invest in real estate, the stock market, or a small business.

Because every situation is different, your very first step should be to see a good financial advisor. Do this today, and I guarantee that in 30 days you’ll have not only snapped off the first link in the ball and chain, but also you’ll soon soar higher than you could ever imagine possible.

** Strengthening Your Professional Image
By Michael Newman, the "Money Finder"

The Maytag repairman is back, only this time he’s being put to work.

You may remember the popular character that helps promote Maytag brand appliances in the company’s television commercials. He was always falling asleep or playing solitaire in his office because the Maytag products he was supposed to fix never broke down.

Now Maytag has decided to re-introduce the repairman character only with a new twist. Since the repairman has so much time on his hands and has the skills that got him the job as a repairman, he’s out and about fixing non-Maytag machines such as photocopiers and cable TVs. All the while, he’s telling the people he is helping that if this were a Maytag they wouldn’t need repairs.

The goal of this new campaign is to try and keep a much liked, recognizable character and balance it with the ever-changing tastes of the market. The new Maytag repairman is more active, and although he still doesn’t need to repair Maytag products, he’s out there doing more than just sitting around bored as a post.

Teaching an old dog new tricks may pay off for Maytag, but only time will tell once it launches this new advertising campaign.

When it comes to your professional life, keep in mind the two aspects of this advertising campaign.

First, change is necessary. Your customers, your services, and everything around you will change over time. Dealing with that change determines the strength of your business. If you don’t work with this change, it can prove harmful to your company.

You can stay on top of change by keeping in contact with your market and tracking changes in your field of business through the news and other trade publications.

The second point is that just because change will happen doesn’t mean you have to jump and follow every trend. There is something about you and your business that makes you unique. Your customers recognize this, and over the long term, they have hopefully begun to associate this trait with you alone. Jumping on the bandwagon and following every trend is risky, and it can give your clients the impression that you aren’t reliable and lack the steadfast ideals many successful people have.

The key is to balance these two aspects. Accept change as inevitable and adapt accordingly without losing that extra touch that separates you from your competition and allows your customers to recognize your business.

Always remember what unique qualities you have that can help your customers quickly and easily identify you. It is usually just one or two traits, but by knowing your strengths, you can focus on them and possibly create a lasting impression that lets you stand above fads and trends.