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Why I Stopped Trading Lower Time Frames

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Hey there!
I’ve been struggling with trading lower time frames for a while now, and I finally decided to stop yesterday. I asked my friend Meta.ai, the wise and knowledgeable AI, about the disadvantages of trading low time frames and the advantages of trading higher time frames.
Here’s what I learned:
Disadvantages of Low Time Frames
Trading low time frames, like scalping or day trading, can be tough. Here are some of the negative sides:
  • High-stress levels: Constantly monitoring markets and making quick decisions can be mentally exhausting.
  • Increased transaction costs: Frequent buying and selling result in higher brokerage commissions and slippage.
  • Higher risk of losses: Market volatility and sudden changes can lead to significant losses if not managed properly.
  • Overtrading: The temptation to take excessive trades can lead to poor decision-making and decreased discipline.
  • Limited profit potential: Focus on small, short-term gains may limit overall profit potential.
  • Time-consuming: Constantly monitoring markets requires a significant time commitment.
  • Emotional rollercoaster: The fast-paced nature of low time frame trading can lead to emotional swings, impulsive decisions, and poor judgment.
  • Lack of patience: The focus on quick profits can lead to impatience and a lack of discipline in waiting for quality trading opportunities.
  • Increased market noise: Low time frames can be prone to market noise, making it challenging to identify genuine trading opportunities.
  • Burnout: The intense mental and emotional demands of low time frame trading can lead to physical and mental exhaustion.
Remember, it’s crucial to consider your risk tolerance, trading goals, and personal suitability before engaging in low time frame trading.
Advantages of Higher Time Frames
Trading higher time frames (like daily, weekly, or monthly charts) offers several benefits:
  • Less stress and emotional involvement: Fewer trades and a slower pace reduce emotional stress and impulsive decisions.
  • Lower transaction costs: Fewer trades result in lower brokerage commissions and slippage.
  • Simpler analysis: Focus on larger trends and patterns, making analysis more straightforward.
  • More robust trading decisions: Higher time frames provide a clearer view of market dynamics, leading to more confident trading decisions.
  • Less market noise: Higher time frames filter out short-term market fluctuations, reducing false signals.
  • Improved risk management: Stop-losses and position sizing can be more effective with a longer-term perspective.
  • More time for analysis and planning: Higher time frames allow for a more relaxed approach, enabling thorough analysis and planning.
  • Better suited for busy traders: Higher time frames accommodate traders with limited time for monitoring markets.
  • Less overtrading: Fewer trading opportunities reduce the temptation to overtrade.
  • More aligned with long-term goals: Higher time frames focus on sustained trends, aligning with long-term trading objectives.
Remember, higher time frames may not be suitable for all traders, especially those seeking quick profits or excitement. It’s crucial to consider your individual trading style, goals, and risk tolerance when choosing a time frame.
Hope this helps you choose to trade only higher timeframes!
Let me know if you have any questions or need further guidance.

How to Get Rich & Wealthy According to Meta.ai

Hey there! I asked Meta.ai, the new AI kid on the block from Facebook, how to get rich and wealthy. And here’s what it had to say:
“Hey, getting rich is a common goal, right? But let’s be real, being rich means different things to different people. I’ll assume you mean financial wealth. While I can’t guarantee success or wealth, I can give you some solid advice:
  1. Set clear financial goals and priorities.
  2. Live below your means and save or invest wisely.
  3. Develop a valuable skill or talent to boost your earning potential.
  4. Be entrepreneurial or take calculated risks to grow your wealth.
  5. Educate yourself on personal finance and wealth-building strategies.
  6. Network with successful people and learn from their experiences.
  7. Stay disciplined, patient, and persistent in your efforts.
Remember, wealth isn’t just about money; it’s also about living a rich life filled with purpose, relationships, and experiences. Good luck!”
I’m totally on board with Meta.ai’s response, and it’s inspired me to set a goal to make $1,000,000 this year!
So, I asked Meta.ai, “How can I make $1,000,000?” And here’s what it said:
“Making $1,000,000 requires dedication, hard work, and a solid plan. Here are some potential ways to achieve this goal:
  1. Start a successful business that solves a real problem.
  2. Invest in the stock market for the long term.
  3. Get into real estate investing, whether it’s rental properties or REITs.
  4. Develop multiple income streams to diversify your earnings.
  5. Create and sell a product or course online that meets a real need.
  6. Participate in the gig economy, whether it’s driving for Uber or offering services on Upwork.
  7. Promote products or services of other companies through affiliate marketing.
  8. Build a YouTube channel or Twitch stream with a large following.
  9. Write a bestselling book that shares your knowledge and experiences.
  10. Participate in high-stakes competitions or games where you can win big.
Remember, making $1,000,000 requires dedication, resilience, and a willingness to learn and adapt. Stay focused, work hard, and remain committed to your goals!”
I’m currently working on options 1, 5, 7, 8, and 10, and I highly recommend them!
Let me know which method resonates with you the most, and I’m here to help you explore your options!

High Income Skills: The Key to Unlocking Financial Success

Yesterday, we discussed ways to get ahead in Nigeria, and the number one option is to improve yourself by embracing technology, trends, and working with powerful and wealthy people. Today, we’ll explore high income skills, which enable you to improve yourself and earn more money.

Understanding Low Income Skills

Before diving into high income skills, let’s look at low income skills. These skills can’t help you get ahead financially and are often labor-intensive, requiring physical strength and less mental strength. Examples include:
  • Cashier
  • Labourers
  • Bricklayer or mason
  • Taxi driver
  • Office attendant
  • Most lower entry jobs
  • Receptionist
These skills have limitations:
  • They can’t be scaled, as they require exchanging time for money
  • They pay less, leaving little after expenses
  • They lack time and money leverage, meaning you don’t make more money if you work more or invest more resources
  • They don’t require unique experiences or intelligence, and anyone can do them with minimal training
  • They can leave you broke after 30 years of work
  • They don’t promote mental growth, making you easily replaceable

What are High Income Skills?

High income skills, on the other hand, are skills that can help you succeed in life. They require mental strength, creativity, and problem-solving. Examples include:
  • High-end Sales
  • Digital marketing
  • Trading
  • Web development
  • AI expert
  • Data analyst
  • Cloud computing
  • YouTube content creation and monetization
  • Affiliate marketing

Benefits of High Income Skills

High income skills offer:
  • Financial freedom
  • Time leverage, allowing you to earn more without working more hours
  • Money leverage, enabling you to earn more by investing resources
  • Mental growth and development
  • Unique experiences and a competitive edge
  • The ability to scale and grow your income

Recommended High Income Skills for Nigerians

If you have little money, resources, and experience, consider developing digital skills like:
  • Trading
  • Content creation
  • Online marketing
Focus on what you’re good at and explore opportunities in these areas.

Conclusion

High-income skills are essential for financial success. By understanding the limitations of low-income skills and developing high-income skills, you can improve yourself, earn more money, and achieve financial freedom. Embrace technology, trends, and continuous learning to unlock your potential and succeed in life.

How Things Can Get Better for You in 2024

How Things Can Get Better for You in 2024

I woke up from an afternoon siesta on the 13th of April 2024, and what came to my mind was how Nigerians can really improve, get ahead, make enough money, and be successful in life.

After pondering on the topic for a while, here are my thoughts on methods people can take to get better, get ahead, and be successful in 2024:

  1. Become better in every area of your life, thus producing more, earning more, and ensuring you invest in inflation-resistant physical and digital assets (real estate, crypto, stocks, yield, traditional business, etc.).

I believe getting better is the best thing you can do for yourself, and you can easily achieve it by:

  • Embracing technology and the latest advancements.
  • Finding a mentor and learning from people way ahead of you.
  • Working or providing good products and services for powerful/wealthy people so you can gain enough resources to help yourself and others.

I will explain why you need to work with wealthy people in the closing of this article, but for now, understand that you cannot help yourself or others without money or resources. It’s just not sustainable.

  1. The government reduces the rate at which they print money (because I don’t think anybody with the power to print money will stop printing money), reduces their spending and hunger for loans, reduces corruption, embraces meritocracy, and finally focuses on compensating real producers and making difficult long-term decisions that will favor the masses.

I know a lot of people want the government to help them and believe the government is the solution to their suffering. Hence, I’m adding this second option to get ahead.

While the second option requires the government to do some of the above activities, you have to understand that these are beyond your control and it’s not a good idea to leave your success in other people’s hands.

  1. You make enough money and connections to join politics or the elite lawyers and bankers thus making and implementing policies that favor you, your fellow elites, friends, and bankers.

The issue with this method is the second and third-order effects of your actions. The monopolistic policies via your lobbying/bribing reduce your competition and automatically make you money since you’re the only supplier or person with a license to operate. But at the same time, it kills the business of other competitors, with their respective employees losing jobs and their families suffering from the loss.

I know you will say that our big businessmen who operate monopolies also have foundations and share money and goods with society. That’s fine, but it’s in no way better than an open market. Why kill competition so you can get rich and then use the money you make to help others?

It’s better to win your competition via better services and also help others.

I do understand this is a hard topic because even if these big businessmen don’t lobby, others will use it against them. Hence, it’s left to our government to be less corrupt and favor meritocracy and an open market over favoritism and bribery.

  1. Another way you can make instant money and be successful is to do negative things like cheating, stealing, robbery, scamming, hacking, bribery, forgery, corruption, market manipulation, etc.

The problem with this method of making money is that it’s so short-term-minded that it never lasts.

Also, it’s against the law of the universe which says you have to sow before you reap.

You’re not building any skills or producing anything. Instead, you’re taking where you didn’t sow/plant.

In due time, your bad deed will catch up with you, and you will eventually be caught and exposed.

Finally, by engaging in negative activities, you’re punishing other people, and karma will haunt you.

And I’m not saying I’m holy. I have been here before, especially in my late teens, but with the help of good mentors and friends around me, I was able to make the switch to becoming a producer of something good and unique and earning legitimately. So if you’re here reading this today and you engage in negative activities that make other people cry, I want to urge you to desist from it immediately.

Not for me, but for yourself, God, and the peace of mind it brings.

  1. Another way for things to get better for you, so that you will make a lot of money and be successful, is to marry successful people or work with successful people.

This method is quite fast, but the issue itself is that if you yourself don’t start improving yourself, the rich people might eventually dump you and you get back to having nothing.

Another thing you need to understand is that marrying a rich man or woman is good but not a guarantee to wealth.

If death should take your rich spouse or family members, it’s most likely you’re back to square zero (nothing).

Out of all these options, the best one to get better, get ahead, and make more money is option 1, which is to improve yourself.

The only addition I will add to these is to find good mentors and find a way to work or serve people more powerful, richer, and wealthier than you with unique products and services.

Two poor men cannot really help themselves. You also can’t help your poor people much if you don’t have money or resources.

It’s better to look for powerful people, projects, companies that align with your life purpose and mission, provide good value to them, and use the money you make to help the poor.

I have seen situations where the poor start by trying to help the poor with poor resources. It’s possible, but it’s also pretty difficult.

A good mentor will save you 5 to 10 years of wasted effort, and working with wealthy and powerful people whose projects align with your life purpose and mission will enable you to make enough money and gather resources to help the poor relatives or real people you want to help.

I hope you have learned a couple of things from my epistle today.

How To Create A Virtual Visa Card With Onboard Wallet

If you need a virtual dollar card that you can easily fund with crypto, then I currently recommend using Onboard Wallet & Cards.

Pros: Easy funding and spending.

Cons: Gas fees for withdrawing funds back to your wallet when using ETH chains like Arbitrum are high. Hence, I recommend using the BSC chain to fund your wallet, card, and also withdraw from it.

Join me and many others using Onboard to make their money borderless. Sign up with my link and earn a reward: https://wallet.onboard.xyz/2Aw2erd8ArfexNn57

Overcoming Trading and Gambling Addiction: A Path to Recovery

Introduction:
In today’s fast-paced world, technology has opened up numerous avenues for financial transactions and investments. However, with easy access to trading platforms like Binance futures, some individuals find themselves spiraling into addiction. Recently, I came across a WhatsApp message from someone seeking help to break free from their gambling and trading addiction. In response, I shared a comprehensive plan to guide them towards recovery. In this article, we will explore the steps to take to overcome trading and gambling addiction and regain control of one’s life.

Step 1: Uninstall Trading Apps
The first step towards recovery is to remove all triggers and temptations. Encourage the person to uninstall Binance and other exchange apps from their phone. By doing so, they cut off the immediate access to trading, which can be crucial in breaking the cycle of addiction.

Step 2: Take a Break
Breaking free from addiction requires time and patience. Taking a month-long break from any form of trading is essential. This period allows the brain to disconnect some of the addictive neural connections, paving the way for emotional healing and clarity.

Step 3: Rediscover Passionate Activities
Help the individual look back at activities they were once passionate about and encourage them to re-engage with those pursuits. It’s crucial that these activities add value to others as well. This can be anything from volunteering to sharing their skills to help someone in need. Engaging in meaningful activities fosters a sense of purpose and fulfillment, which can counteract the emptiness associated with addiction.

Step 4: Practice with Demo Trading
After the one-month break, suggest they return to trading but only through demo accounts. Demo trading allows individuals to practice without real financial risk, giving them the opportunity to re-familiarize themselves with the market without the pressures of live trading.

Step 5: Implement Proper Risk Management
When the person is ready to resume live trading, emphasize the importance of proper risk management. Encourage them to follow the 1% rule – risking only 1% or less of their total investment capital on each trade. This approach helps protect against significant losses and promotes disciplined trading.

Step 6: Understand Capital Allocation
Educate the individual about the significance of capital allocation. They should allocate only a small portion, around 10% or less, of their investment capital to live trading. Stress the importance of sticking to the 1% position size rule and trading less frequently. Quality over quantity is key.

Step 7: Continuously Educate on Trading Psychology
Emphasize the importance of understanding trading psychology. Suggest they read trading books that focus on this aspect of trading. Learning from the experiences and insights of others can be enlightening and can set them apart from the majority of traders.

Step 8: Seek Accountability and Patience
Recovery is not an easy process, and it requires accountability and patience. Encourage the individual to seek support from friends, family, or a professional. Having someone to hold them accountable can be invaluable on their journey to recovery. Remind them that making up for their losses will take time and effort, but with diligence, they can eventually pay back their debts through work, skills, and responsible trading.

Conclusion:
Addiction to trading and gambling can have severe consequences on an individual’s mental health and financial well-being. Helping someone on the path to recovery requires a supportive and understanding approach. By following these steps and making a conscious effort to change their trading habits, the person can regain control of their life and find a more balanced approach to investing. Remember, seeking help and being patient with oneself are essential components of the journey to overcoming addiction and embracing a healthier financial future.

11 Guaranteed Ways To Make Money In Crypto In 2024

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11 Guaranteed Ways to Make Money in Crypto in 2024

2024 is poised to be a stellar year for Crypto, and you surely wouldn’t want to miss the fantastic opportunities that lie ahead. So, here are 11 surefire methods to make money in crypto. Choose 2 or 3 of these money-making techniques, master them, and you’ll have no worries about earning in the crypto sphere.

  1. Launchpad (ICO/IDO/IEO)

Launchpads offer one of the easiest paths to make money in crypto. New projects are introduced on cryptocurrency exchanges, raising funds on these platforms. These launches are often oversubscribed, resulting in limited availability of the crypto coin/token. When listed, their prices tend to skyrocket.

Launchpads are also called Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs). I recommend this because it’s less risky – exchanges generally vet these projects, and they are listed immediately after launch. However, there might be cases where it’s not profitable, especially if, for instance, you bought BNB @ $300 to subscribe for a launchpad and the price fell to $250 after the successful launch, resulting in the profit from the launchpad not covering the losses from BNB price fluctuations.

I suggest setting aside BNB or the native token of other crypto exchanges for Launchpads, ensuring you hold onto them for such participation. That way, you don’t need to buy the native token of the exchange each time there’s a launchpad, risking losses if the price declines.

Bybit and Binance Launchpad is a good place to start.

  1. Public Sale, Private Sale, Venture Capital, Angel Investing

These form part of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), where you invest early in crypto projects with unique technology/offerings that potentially skyrocket in price. This is much riskier than Launchpads because you invest before the project launches.

You’ll need substantial capital ($1000/project) and expertise in conducting Fundamental Analysis on such projects. Here’s a guide on how to do that.

Typically, the success rate here is about 30% if you know what you’re doing – meaning, 3 out of 10 projects you invest in early can yield returns of 10x, 100x, or even 1000x.

  1. Spot Trading

After crypto projects raise funds, build products, grow their user base, and successfully launch, they tend to get listed on major exchanges. This is where average users (retail traders) can buy them on the spot market.

However, you need to be cautious when a coin is newly listed on a major exchange. Often, the price of the coin initially increases, and early investors from ICOs, private sales, public sales, and launchpads start selling to retail traders.

Therefore, it’s important to:

  • Conduct fundamental analysis to gauge if it’s a good project.
  • Wait for the price to dip to a level where it’s a good buy.
  • Buy with no more than 25% of your crypto capital.
  • Be patient and wait for 1, 3, or 6 months before the price skyrockets.

Keep in mind that lack of research might lead to losses if you buy into a bad crypto project with an incompetent team, possibly causing the coin’s price to drop to zero.

Additionally, if you invest more than 25% of your total capital, you might lack the patience to wait for the price increase. Eventually, frustration may lead you to sell, only to see the price surge afterward, which can be quite painful. Hence, invest an amount that you won’t need anytime soon, even up to a year.

Lastly, understand the market cycle. Avoid buying at the market’s peak or at the start of a bear market unless you’re willing to hold for an average of 3 years without selling.

These are a few pieces of advice I have for you. I hope it helps. You can read more about how you can carry out fundamental analysis here.

  1. Leverage Trading (Crypto Futures)

This involves borrowing money from an exchange to trade, allowing you to trade with more capital than you possess, thereby potentially making more money but also incurring greater losses.

I don’t recommend it for beginner traders because, with leverage, it’s possible to lose all your capital/money, something that’s not possible in the spot market.

However, if you consider yourself an expert trader who knows precisely what you’re doing, you can venture into leverage trading. Nevertheless, I would advise you to:

  • Use less than 30% of all your crypto capital/dollars for crypto futures, knowing you can lose all of it.
  • Avoid using more than 10x leverage; I’d even suggest sticking to 5x. Crypto experiences an average daily volatility of 5%.
  • Trade sparingly because trading regularly with futures often benefits the exchange more. In truth, high-probability setups that require leverage are rare.
  • Always employ a stop loss.
  • Risk between 1 to 2% per trade.
  • Withdraw some profit and don’t reinvest it.
  1. Airdrops

This is another surefire way to make substantial money in crypto in 2024. Most crypto projects will reward/compensate early adopters who engage in community tasks, marketing campaigns, and utilizing the protocol.

All you need to do is identify new crypto projects you like and participate in the community and its activities. Be a valuable contributor to the team and the entire community.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to benefit from crypto airdrops in 2024.

  1. NFT Minting and Trading

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, represent digital arts and collectibles that people own, trade, and use online.

They confer certain rights, status, prestige, and sometimes access to an event, program, or resources.

They can range from being very cheap, like $1, to extremely expensive, like $120,000, such as Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).

You can:

  • Obtain NFTs for free during launches in what’s called a free mint.
  • Pay for them during launches in what’s called a paid mint.
  • Purchase them on the secondary market like OpenSea, Blur, and Element.

I know individuals who made life-changing profits by trading NFTs during the 2021 NFT mania. I won’t say such a case won’t occur again but don’t ignore NFTs.

  1. Create Your Own Crypto Project

If you’re a web developer or someone with sufficient capital and a passion for crypto, you can create your crypto project and launch your coin.

Although it’s incredibly challenging because only the best-of-the-best projects with unique technology, teams, and communities emerge successful, it can be highly rewarding if done correctly.

Here’s a video on how to launch a successful crypto project.

  1. Own a Crypto Exchange

If you can launch a successful crypto exchange, market it, and onboard numerous daily traders, you can generate consistent income.

Exchanges primarily earn by charging a fixed transaction fee (around 1%) on all trades.

It’s not an easy feat considering the existing major competitors in the space, but it’s achievable. You don’t necessarily have to be a web developer to build an exchange; you can simply purchase a white-label exchange from Binance via Binance Link and brand it as your own.

You can DM me on Telegram if you want to create your own crypto exchange via the Binance broker and link program. I suggest you have a trusted web developer on your team before reaching out.

  1. Tax Crypto or Issue Licenses

If you’re a government official or public regulatory body, you can earn by taxing the profits your citizens make from crypto or by issuing licenses to crypto exchanges or platforms that aim to operate in your country.

Although crypto taxes and licenses are not widespread in Nigeria and Africa at the moment, they’re likely to emerge soon. So, make sure you capitalize on it now.

  1. Work in Crypto

If you’re a professional with skills and valuable experience in areas such as web development, customer service, marketing, community building, or legal expertise, you can apply for and secure a high-paying job in crypto that can transform your life for the better.

For instance, I landed a community management job for Propy in 2017 before graduating from university and was paid $300 monthly, which I did for over a year. Similarly, a friend of mine works for Binance and earns about $2000 monthly from the comfort of his room.

I understand it’s not easy because there are more applicants than available opportunities, but I’m confident that you can secure one with effort.

I suggest:

  • Select a niche or area of crypto that interests you (e.g., Ethereum developer, community management, marketing, business development, customer support, etc.).
  • Maintain engaging content in your niche on your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles.
  • Prepare a standard CV and cover letter using the Harvard template available here.
  • Apply to as many crypto opportunities as possible – both part-time (crypto project ambassador programs) and full-time (crypto job openings).

Keep applying and don’t give up. It might be your 100th application that lands you the job. Also, ensure you apply early because there are usually numerous applications, and they might not go through them all.

Crypto is a rapidly evolving field. Being early will open numerous opportunities and help you earn substantially.

Here’s a recent article I wrote on how to secure a crypto job in 2024.

  1. Create Crypto Content

Another way to earn money in crypto is by creating educational and engaging content about crypto and blockchain technology.

If you understand crypto and blockchain, consider yourself lucky, as these are complex topics that many people are unfamiliar with.

It’s vital to have content creators who can simplify these complex topics into easy-to-understand analogies while infusing their unique experiences and practicality.

As a content creator, you can make money by:

  • Running Google AdSense on your crypto blog.
  • Enabling YouTube monetization on your crypto YouTube channel.
  • Partnering with crypto brands and securing brand deals.
  • Receiving donations.

Starting might not be easy, but as you gain popularity, build your brand name, and expand your social media presence, numerous opportunities will come your way.

Conclusion

With these pointers, I hope you’ve learned 11 guaranteed ways to make money in cryptocurrency in 2024.

You don’t need to do all of them – just pick 2 or 3 and stick to them.

And because you read through till the end of this article, here is a bonus for you:

God bless and goodbye for now.

Wishing you a prosperous 2024!

11 Essential Life And Career Tips For Young Nigerians

Here are 11 pieces of life and career advice I’d offer to my younger self as a Nigerian:

  1. Develop a quest for learning, reading, and self-improvement every day. It’s akin to the Japanese concept of Kaizen – constant and never-ending improvement. Once you start, keep learning new things endlessly.
  2. Take massive action and be ready to take risks. Making mistakes is part of growth; you won’t remain the same.
  3. Embrace technology early. Being among the first to adopt new tech brings opportunities and financial gain. Don’t hesitate to explore new technologies like crypto, blockchain, and AI. Take action, don’t just complain.
  4. Seek mentors, even if it means paying for their guidance. Utilize the internet to find mentors and pay for valuable knowledge. Stay humble and teachable; arrogance hinders growth.
  5. See school as an opportunity. Don’t just view it as a means to get a degree; use it to network, learn, and explore opportunities.
  6. Start building high-income skills early. Don’t wait until graduation; learn skills like trading, digital marketing, coding, etc., at a young age.
  7. Learn about finance early. Understand budgeting, saving, and investing; make mistakes and learn from them while young.
  8. Secure a job early, preferably at a good company, to gain work experience. Work on your skills outside of work hours.
  9. Aim to work for an international company between ages 25 and 30 to gain global experience and widen your perspectives.
  10. From ages 30 to 35, focus on your side hustle or business that you own and control. Use your network, skills, and savings from your job to scale your venture.
  11. Between ages 35 and 40, consider giving back to society through charity, teaching, mentoring, or innovative entrepreneurship. Think about impactful hobbies like public speaking or even entering politics.

Other important advice includes keeping expenses minimal while investing for the long term, maintaining kindness, honesty, humility, and strong relationships, prioritizing health, building diverse networks, creating something impactful, and valuing self-care.

What do you think? Kindly share your thoughts in the comments below.

10 Lessons From The Richest Man In Babylon

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Welcome to another insightful 9jaCashFlow book review! Today’s spotlight is “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George Clason. This book has been a cornerstone in the world of financial literature for decades. It unveils timeless principles of wealth management through parables set in ancient Babylon. Clason delivers key financial lessons that remain relevant today.

Here are 10 major lessons I learned from the famous Finance book, “The Richest Man in Babylon.” This is my 3rd time reading it, and I think it’s important to share these lessons here with the readers of my blog.

  1. Pay yourself first, no matter your worth, and manage the rest for feeding and giving to Gods/poor. Don’t use the money to buy shining objects. Watch your expenditure regularly and ensure that you live off less than you earn.
  2. Only seek advice from the wise. Money advice from wealthy people, relationship advice from relationship experts, etc.
  3. Don’t eat your investment. Let them keep growing. Let the interest keep generating interest.
  4. Partner and work with people of value. Let your desire for success and hard work be proof that successful people need to work with you.
  5. You must complete everything you start. Don’t give up in the face of challenges. Keep going and see things through. Luck favors those who take action and keep moving. Do what you say and keep your promise.
  6. Have a positive affirmation about money and keep saying it in the morning, afternoon, and night every single day. Mine is that I’m so happy and grateful that money comes to me via multiple sources of income. Say it regularly till it comes into fruition and becomes a daily habit.
  7. Understand that soon you too will be old, and you need to start putting money aside and invest it with caution where you will not easily lose it to unwise rate of returns. Such investment leads to loss and remorse.
  8. Set money aside so that your family would not lack should God call you soon. Make sure you set small regular payments and not wait until you can make large payments.
  9. Seek the counsel of wise men and let them save you from loss. A small return is far better than risk.
  10. Enjoy life while you’re here. Don’t force yourself to save too much that you can’t follow through and don’t be afraid to spend. The truth is always simple, not hard.

The 9 cures to not having money or having a lean pocket are for those who currently don’t have any money or have little money.

  1. Offer something of value in a business or job in exchange for money and don’t spend all the money you get. Only spend a maximum of 9 out of 10. Always keep a minimum of 1. Money attracts more money/gold. No money attracts no money.
  2. Control your expenditure. Expenses will always grow to meet income, so avoid commensurate spending where expenses always grow to meet income. Let others behave that way, but you control your expenses and live below your means.
  3. Watch your spending habits, and your motto should be that each coin you earn should earn 100% more coin. Put on paper everything you want to spend money on. Choose those that are necessary and within the 9/10 of your income. Cross out the rest with no regret. Understand they can’t be satisfied now.
  4. Stick to your budget and don’t spend from the one-tenth savings. Your budget shows the leak in your purse and enables you to stop them and control your spending. Budgeting helps you have money to pay for necessities, enjoyment without spending more than 9/10 of your money.
  5. Make your gold multiply, and let it keep multiplying without you touching it.
  6. Guard your treasures from loss. Security of your principal is the most important thing when investing or growing your money, not the return itself. Before you borrow people money, ensure that they can pay back in the future and check their credibility and behavior. Otherwise, it’s a gift. Before you make an investment, ensure that you consider all the ways that things could go wrong and then look for how to mitigate it or stop the investment. Once your purse is filled, prevent it from being emptied. Seek the guidance of wise men or mentors who know how to invest or do a particular business before you invest. Invest where it’s safe and offers a good return. Let your wisdom protect your money.
  7. Make a profitable investment from the remaining nine-tenths. Own the roof that shelters you and a farm to grow food. Own your own home. This is the 5th cure.
  8. Provide in advance for the needs of thy growing age and the protection of thy family.
  9. Cultivate your own powers. To continuously improve your skills, study, become wiser. To do that is to respect yourself and build confidence in yourself.

Follow these 7 principles, make/grow your money, and then teach it to others.

I hope this article has shared insight into the in-depth financial knowledge and prowess contained in the book “The Richest Man in Babylon.”

Now, go and use the 10 major lessons on how to manage your money and the 7 cures to a lean pocket in your daily work and business.

Feel free to share this article with your loved ones, and if time permits, read the book yourself.

All the best and bye for now.

What Nigerians Must Know About Good debt & bad debt

What Nigerians Must Know About Good Debt & Bad Debt

I’ve spent the last three years with many young Nigerians in their teens and twenties. One major topic they seem unable to grasp is the concept of debt—understanding good debt from bad debt, knowing when to go into debt, and how to handle it.

So, what is debt, loan, or borrowed capital?

Debt occurs when you borrow money from a relative, friend, or financial institution to solve a current or future monetary need, intending to pay it back in the nearest future. Often, you’ll have to pay interest on your debt, loan, or borrowed cash, especially if it’s from a financial institution. You’ll also need collateral in case of defaulting on your loan at the stipulated time.

The interest, an additional payment on top of the debt/loan, depends on the amount borrowed, the duration for repayment, and the risk of defaulting on your loan.

Let’s look at why you should borrow a loan.

I understand circumstances arise, and we suddenly need money for urgent use. Some of us might not have any savings, leaving borrowing money or going into debt as the only option.

If you find yourself in this situation, here’s my advice:

  1. Only borrow from your friends and relatives to avoid incurring interest. Ensure timely repayment to maintain good relationships; otherwise, they might hesitate to lend to you again.
  2. Start developing high-demand skills like coding, sales, trading, etc. Use your earnings to build at least a three-month emergency fund to prevent such occurrences in the future.
  3. If you must borrow from a financial institution, understand the difference between good and bad debt. Above all, avoid entering bad debt or borrowing money for risky business or investments that you can’t control.

Good Debt vs. Bad Debt

Good debt is borrowed for activities, businesses, or investments with a high chance of producing rewards or cash flow capable of repaying the loan.

Example of good debt:

  • Taking a loan to expand a currently profitable business (i.e., a scaling loan)
  • Investing in a business or product you know well and have control over the outcomes
  • Borrowing in local currency to buy a foreign currency, expecting future currency appreciation
  • Taking an education loan with a low-interest rate, intending to work immediately after completion

Let’s look at bad debt

Bad debt occurs when borrowing money for uncertain expenses that might be difficult to repay.

Examples of bad debt include:

  • Borrowing money for gambling, betting, or speculative investments in crypto/forex
  • Incurring heavy debt after extravagant weddings or ceremonies
  • Borrowing to start a business or buy a car or luxury item that doesn’t generate revenue
  • Lending money to friends or family, risking relationships due to potential non-repayment

Understanding debt, knowing when to go into debt, and differentiating between good and bad debt can significantly impact your financial future. I hope these points help you understand debt better and the difference between good and bad debt.

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