Do you own a small business? If so, are you using a tool that’s not quite as popular as it was, say, 10 years ago? That tool is your business card.

If you’ve got a business card does it tell the world exactly what your product or service is? You don’t want “ABC Consulting, Inc.” Why? Because the world has zero idea what ABC Consulting does. What do they consult, who do they consult, how do they consult? See where I’m going with this?

So if you still use a business card to connect with prospects, be sure you take time while designing it and let the rest of the world know exactly what your product or service is. They’ll be much more likely to contact you if you do this.

Here’s a bonus tip. Use the blank space on the back of your card. Put something unusual on there. Expand on what you offer maybe. Be sure to leave some blank space for your prospect to write a note or jot down a number, etc.

To Your Self Employed Freedom,
Greg Whitaker

Who’s financially smarter, men or women? The Debt Shepherd facebook fan page shows 61% of its likes are from women, 37% from men. I believe women are more open minded to discussing money.

Discussing money with others is an emotionally charged issue. On the surface it can be small talk, chit chat, and non-specific. But when it comes down to it, money brings up any and every feeling you can imagine. Your emotional money intelligence comes out when you discuss your personal finances. I believe women are more emotionally intelligent than men.

Most of us aren’t willing to let that side of us show in conversation. Becoming aware of how we feel about money is important. Understanding why we feel the way we do about money is even more important.

Next time you’re in a social setting and the topic of money comes up, just sit back and observe how people react. Pay particular attention to how men react vs how women react. And ask yourself why. You can learn a lot about yourself this way.

To Your Emotional Financial Freedom,
Greg Whitaker

Have you ever believed you’ll never own your home free and clear? Don’t believe it! You can do it.

Just got off the phone with my brother. He just paid his house off. What does he do for a living? He’s a welder. How old is he? He’s 45. You can do it too.

It just takes discipline, action steps each time you get paid, and a plan. My wife Lynn and I are in the two year stretch to pay our home off too.

You know where to find me if you need help.

To Your Mortgage Free Future,
Greg Whitaker

Want out of The Rat Race? Don’t know how to exit that fast lane of empty promises and broken dreams?

Go to my website http://www.debtshepherd.com. At the top of the page click “Get Debt Free Now!” You’ll meet my mentor, the guy who started me on my debt freedom journey in 2006.

He’ll walk you through 3 simple steps. Get a pad of paper and:

1) List all the burdens of your debt
2) List all the benefits of being debt free
3) List all your debts

We have to see where we are before we can get to where we want to go.

You’ll see links with audio messages and testimonials from people who have started their journey to total debt elimination and financial freedom.

For less than $40.00 you can download your e-course and start TODAY!
Yes, I’m selling you something. I’m selling you an idea. Moving over the psychological hump of fear and getting started is the first step.

To Your Financial Freedom,
Greg Whitaker

How do you feel when you look at your checkbook balance at the end of the month?

Are you a first time homebuyer? If so, the market couldn’t be better than it is right now. Money isn’t going to get any cheaper than it is right now. Interest rates are at records lows. The cost of borrowing money isn’t going to get any lower.

If you don’t know whether you can qualify for a home loan, this is THE time to find out. Get in touch with a loan officer. Call your local banker. Find someone you know and trust who recently bought a home and ask them which bank they called.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid if you’ve never applied for a home loan before. Ask your loan officer to pull your credit (3 bureaus). Give them a check, $15-$20 should do it, and ask them to pull your credit. If they can’t get you a loan now, ask them what you need to clean up on your credit so you can eventually get a loan.

Fear isn’t going to get you anywhere. Don’t be afraid of being turned down. If you are, it’s not the end of the world. You might just be surprised how uncomplicated buying a home can actually be.

To Your Financial Freedom,
Greg Whitaker

How do you save over $30,000 and, at the same time, save over 8 years of your life?
You discover the $100 a month difference, that’s how.

By pre-paying a 30 year, $100,000 mortgage by just $100 a month you get out of debt 8 years faster and save $30k to boot!

Where am I gonna find $100 a month to pre-pay my mortgage you say? Let’s take a look at where some money might be leaking out of your budget each month.

We only need to find $100/mo. or $25/week or $5/day. Hmmm…….how much is a coffee at your favorite espresso stop? How much is a burger and fries at your beloved fast food destination?

I’m not asking you to never indulge. I’m just asking you to pay attention to where you’re spending your money and ask how you could put it to better use.

Total wealth impact is what it’s about. When you borrow money ask yourself:
“How much is this going to cost me OVER THE LIFE OF THE LOAN?”
“How much time is this going to cost me?”

I’m not saying never borrow money. What I’m saying is you don’t have to make interest payments for the rest of your life.

If you like the $100/month difference, you’ll love this. By applying just 10% of your net income to your debts you can be totally debt free, including your mortgage, in just 5 to 7 years on average!

To Your Financial Freedom,
Greg Whitaker

Here’s a simple rule to remember about inflation:

Low interest rates mean HIGH inflation. That means when rates are low there’s a high supply of money. More money in circulation means every dollar you hold is worth less.

The more money Ben Bernanke prints, the worse it gets for all of us. When interest rates rise, and they inevitably always will, that means only one thing.

The interest rate on money Congress borrowed from The Federal Reserve (Ben Bernanke) is going to go up. That means Congress won’t be able to make their interest payments to The Fed. That means your taxes are going to go up.

For the real scoop on inflation, and a whole lot more, check out: shadowstats.com

To Your Financial Education,
Greg Whitaker