Synopsis
This book is about Langemeier\’s endeavor to fix the financial situations of her clients, while also teaching the reader about the basics of assets and passive income.
Loral Langemeier
She is a financial expert and coach who has worked with people on a television show dedicated to alleviating people out of debt via passive income.
Langemeier relates her own story growing up on a Nebraska farm and comparing it to her employment as an accountant. Most of what she learned stayed with her, while some she left behind.
How Does It Hold Up…?
…Thematically?
One of the most important factors in building wealth has to do with assets. It specifically pertains to investments and IRAs. It is also about having a diversified portfolio, so the investor does not have to worry about losing money. The types of investments include real-estate and energy. By looking towards these means of passive income, it is hoped that the relationship with money does not become base or bare-boned.
The relationship with money also becomes important in this book, since it is about prioritizing the habits that can make money work with rather than against the investor. This includes the dispelling of associations of money as being a harmful necessity, rather than as a helpful source. It was for that reason why she was successful in making sure the people she worked with would benefit in the best possible ways.
Another important theme that Langemeier mentions is the fact that there needs to be a team surrounding an investor in order to make the right decisions. She was put in the position of being a part of the team behind a struggling family\’s efforts to get out of credit card debt. As such, she recommends people to seek out mentors or accountants who can provide them with guidance in order to make the right investments.
Langemeier also condemns the poor advice financial experts and accountants give to patrons, which is typically to put money in savings rather than invest. This is not good advice because it continuously perpetuates the scarcity mindset that keeps people in debt. Also, because of the fact that money in savings only adds up in accordance to inflation.
The types of businesses Langemeier encountered are also a theme, because they all depend upon how much money is owed in taxes. In the case of the gym owner, he was paying more taxes than he needed because he registered his company as an LLC rather than a S business. The businesses that she recommends to those leaving their current professions has to do with whatever skills they may have learned, such as dog-walking.
However, as for her part concerning not worrying about cutting back on cuts in terms of budgeting, she argues that there is no need to do so if there is already a passive income in place to take care of everything. I do have issue with this, because budgeting and scaling back does not necessary have to be for desperation, rather to achieve the maximum amount of savings.
…Intertextually?
This easily relates to Michalowicz\’s Profit-First accounting model, since it is specifically for those who are struggling financially. In his case, he dealt with the same problems the families Langemeier encountered had. And just like Michalowicz, she provides schedules and lists indicating expenditures and accumulating costs.
Another important author who can agree with Langemeier is Yuval Noah Harari, who wrote about the evolution of human civilization. One component was the concept of money and loans, which meant that humans were able to monetize the future. It is not that different from assets such as investment stocks.
As for what she said about the importance of cash-flow, it can be related to Richard Dotts\’ book. Though, Langemeier puts it in much more concrete terms rather than superficial.
As far as relegating tasks to other people, this is another common theme I noticed reading business books, particularly by Tim Ferriss, James Schramko, and Jen Sincero. This is done so that time is not taken away from doing the essential tasks.
Like the previous business books, this one was the inspiration behind one of the bloggers in the 6-Figure Bloggers book by Sally Miller. In this case, Lena Gott, who has a early childhood blog, was inspired by this particular book because of its aggressiveness in approaching finances. Indeed, Langemeier does recommend some hard stances on money, such as developing a diversified investment portfolio.
Connecting To The Previous Book
As for the book written by Covey, I can say that it definitely relates, especially concerning the concept of deep listening. Langemeier encourages the investor to listen to his team in order to make the right decisions. Specifically, she mentions how in order to do that, then the mind must be completely decluttered of distractive worries and concerns. In Covey\’s case, deep listening is used in order to reach some form of agreement or compromise.
…Historically?
Langemeier wrote this book with the perspective of working on a show that was about helping people get out of financial ruin. Of course, this book was published in 2006, so it was before the sub-prime mortgage bubble popped and the Recession happened.
As such, I cannot be sure whether this book aged well.
…Rhetorically?
She makes use of fill-in lists in order to convey her point about calculating the amount of money each household has.
Langemeier also mentioned how the terms she used throughout the book might be intimidating, but assures the reader that they can be understood simply. Indeed, her writing style is easy to understand.
…Creatively?
Since Langemeier mentioned how having a diversified portfolio is important, I can clearly see how much creativity would be involved in finding the right funds to invest in, whether they are in real-estate or energy. She even states how diversifying a portfolio is creative. Of course, recently, there has been an effort to invest in green technologies, such as solar tech. So, there is the possibility of more future investments.
Another creative component of this book has to do with devising a business based on the investors prior skills.
…Innovatively?
While Michalowicz gets into the deeper, metaphysical purposes of earning more money, Langemeier provides a very simple reason, which is to attain financial freedom. There can definitely be innovations that would spring from this book, since it can provide unique solutions to devastating problems.
…Relevantly?
Although this book seems to have enticing information, this book seems specifically targeted to families who already have money in equities, specifically on their own houses. This may not be the type of book for everyone, since not everyone has an asset, let alone be financially literate. Nonetheless, this book can be a starting point for those who are in the dark with their financial future.
Inspiration To Myself
I can only hope that this book would have any relevance to me, particularly when it comes to the relationship between the self and finances. It starts with an internal prioritization that would be needed in order to advance to the next steps.
Ultimately
This book can do a lot of motivation, especially when it comes to taking bold steps such as investing.
Recommend This To…
- Any family who are struggling with debt. While this book might be a bit outdated, it can provide enough trajectory to determine which types of professionals to turn to.
Sources
- Covey, Stephen R. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.” Free Press. 2004.
- Dotts, Richard. “Dollars Flow To Me Easily.” 2nd Kindle Edition. Self-Published. 2015-16.
- Ferriss, Tim. “The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich.” Expanded and Updated Edition. Harmony Books. 2010.
- Harari, Juval Noah. \”Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.\” 1st Edition. Harper-Perennial. 2018.
- Miller, Sally. “The Essential Habits Of 6-Figure Bloggers: Secrets of 17 Successful Bloggers You Can Use to Build a Six-Figure Online Business.” Sally Miller. 2018.
- Newport, Cal. “Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World.” Grand Central Publishing. 2016.
- Langemeier, Loral. \”The Millionaire Maker: Act, Think, and Make Money the Way the Wealthy Do.\” McGraw-Hill. 2006.
- Sincero, Jen. “You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness And Start Living An Awesome Life.” Running Press. 2013.
- Schramko, James. “Work Less, Make More: The counter-intuitive approach to building a profitable business, and a life you actually love.” SuperFastBusiness. 2017.
- Ynkawen, Robert-Scott. \”The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, By Stephen R. Covey | 25 | 2022 Centobibliennial Reading.\” Onushoxu. 2022.