When Does Capital Gains Tax Apply?

When Does Capital Gains Tax Apply?

Taxes   Updated for tax year 2022.

You sold your house, an investment property, or something else of value. When do you tell the IRS?

When you sell a valuable asset, such as real estate, the IRS wants to know about it.  In fact, for the sale of many assets, the IRS finds out even if you don’t tell them, thanks to reporting forms such as Form 1099-S, Proceeds From Real Estate Transactions.

No matter how large the transaction is or how much money you received due to the sale, you wait until you file your income tax return to report the sale to the IRS.

However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to do anything until next year. In fact, it could be an expensive mistake if you wait until you prepare your tax return to plan for any tax on capital gains.

It’s very important when you sell an asset to determine if you need to make estimated tax payments or otherwise plan for the tax consequences of the sale.

Why Worry About Estimated Tax Payments?

The IRS may require you to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you have substantial income, such as that from the sale of an asset not subject to withholding.

For tax year 2022, you may need to make quarterly payments if you owe more than $1,000 when you prepare your tax return, and your withholding and refundable credits are less than 90 percent of your total tax or 100 percent of your tax for the previous year.

If you don’t make estimated tax payments, you could face penalties and interest charges on the amount of tax you should have paid during the year.

Will You Pay Additional Taxes Because Of Capital Gains?

First you need to determine if your tax bill will go up as a result of the sale. If you didn’t have a substantial gain, the sale may not affect your taxes much.

For example, if you sold an asset, no matter how valuable it was, for less or little more than you paid for it, there’s little to worry about. However, if you realized significant appreciation on your asset and sold it for a big profit, your capital gains tax may drastically affect your overall tax bill.

Perhaps the easiest way to find out if you owe more money due to selling an asset is to run next year’s tax numbers using our income tax calculator. Simply answer all the questions based on your expectations for the entire year. It’s all right to estimate. As you work through the calculator, you’ll be able to see how the sale affects your tax refund or the amount due.

How Else Can I Estimate The Tax On A Capital Asset?

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20 Genius Things Mark Cuban Says To Do With Your Money

20 Genius Things Mark Cuban Says To Do With Your Money

You might have heard this billionaire's name, but who is Mark Cuban and how did he make his money? It's possible you know him as one of the sharks on the hit show "Shark Tank," but Cuban is more than just a TV personality -- he's also the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a successful investor. In fact, Cuban's companies are so successful that he made his first million in 1990 after selling his business to CompuServe and then earned a $5.9 billion paycheck after he sold his online streaming audio service to Yahoo in 1999.

Cuban knows how to be rich and successful, and he isn't afraid to share his insight. Check out Mark Cuban's advice, so you can learn how to budget money and think like a billionaire.

Be a Little Bit of a Risk Taker

Talk to any self-made millionaires or billionaires and they might preach the importance of taking calculated risks. Sometimes, risks and rewards go hand-in-hand, as Cuban pointed out in a 2017 interview with Money magazine while discussing the value of investing your savings.

He explained that it's possible to save a million dollars, but only if you're disciplined and take risks. Many who achieve higher levels of financial success aren't afraid to invest for the betterment of their future -- whether they're investing in the market, a business or their education.

But Invest Only Up To 10% in Risky Investments

If you do take risks in the investment realm, limit the amount you contribute.

"If you're a true adventurer and you really want to throw the Hail Mary, you might take 10% and put it in bitcoin or Ethereum, but if you do that, you've got to pretend you've already lost your money," Cuban told Vanity Fair. "It's like collecting art, it's like collecting baseball cards, it's like collecting shoes -- something's worth what somebody else would pay for it. I'd limit (risky investments) to 10%." 

Put It in the Bank

In an exclusive interview with Young Money, a personal finance education and media company, Cuban offered this general investing advice and then followed the statement by saying, "The idiots that tell you to put your money in the market because eventually it will go up need to tell you that because they are trying to sell you something. The stock market is probably the worst investment vehicle out there."

Although some investors believe the stock market is the ticket to wealth, others believe the market is too risky and volatile. Your stock can be profitable one day, yet it only takes one downturn to lose it all. Rather than put all your eggs in the stock market, Cuban encourages keeping some money in a savings account for a rainy day so you're protected if something goes wrong. In his own words, "Buy-and-hold is a sucker's game ... Those who put their money in CDs sleep well at night and definitely have more money today than they did yesterday."

Save 6 Months of Income

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/20-genius-things-mark-cuban-201212050.html

How to Avoid Capital Gains Tax

How to Avoid Capital Gains Tax

Helping people make smart financial decisions

March 2023

Saving for retirement is all about investing, and no matter how you go about it, you’re going to end up paying taxes on what you save and earn. Taxes on capital gains can eat up a significant portion of your earnings each year.

When you’re building wealth and planning for retirement, it’s important to not leave any money on the table. That’s why it’s important to point out that a fiduciary financial advisor can help you optimize a tax strategy and identify savings opportunities to lower your tax liability.

An advisor can also help you manage assets and plan for retirement, so you can worry less about meeting your financial goals. According to a 2021 Fidelity study, financial advice can add between 1.5% and 4% to account growth over extended periods.1

The hypothetical study discussed above assumes that professional financial advice can add between 1.5% and 4% to portfolio returns over the long term, depending on the time period and how returns are calculated and is based on the Fidelity Whitepaper “Why work with a financial advisor, November, 2021”. Please carefully review the methodologies employed in the Fidelity Whitepaper.

SmartAsset’s free quiz simplifies the time-consuming process of finding a financial advisor. The short questionnaire can help match you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors, each legally bound to work in your best interest. Advisors are rigorously screened through our proprietary due diligence process.

Here are some common strategies for avoiding capital gains taxes and how you can implement them.

What Are Capital Gains Taxes?

When you own an investment or other asset – such as real estate, land, a business or stocks, for example – and later sell that asset for a profit, you have realized capital gains. The tax that is then levied on the profit portion of your sale is called capital gains tax.

Depending on how your gains are classified, and your total taxable income for the year, your capital gains tax rate can vary. This percentage could be as low as 0% or as high as your ordinary tax rate. Consider consulting a financial advisor to determine how your gains will be classified so you can know what to expect when taxes are due. Click here to get matched with up to three advisors who serve your area.

How to Avoid Capital Gains Taxes

Handing over a chunk of your profit can be painful. Thankfully, there are a few ways that you can reduce the amount of capital gains taxes you will pay after selling an asset.

1. Choose Long-Term Investments

Capital gains can be classified as either short-term or long-term, each of which has its own tax rates.

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here: LINK

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5 Steps To Take Right Now To Be Rich in 5 Years

5 Steps To Take Right Now To Be Rich in 5 Years

Bob Haegele  Wed, March 8, 2023

You probably have heard that getting rich quick won’t work in most cases unless you win the lottery or receive a large inheritance. But, if you are trying to build wealth yourself, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

On the other hand, if you want to build real, sustainable wealth, it’s important to have a concrete plan with defined steps. Then, of course, you must follow through on those steps.

In other words, it’s not enough to have a vague goal of wanting to be rich. Without specific steps to help you achieve your goals, you won’t be able to move forward or — worse — you may even move backward.

Thankfully, our experts have provided their best tips for building wealth, which you can turn into actionable steps. Depending on how you define it, you may not be “rich” in five years, but you certainly can set yourself up for success and be well on your way long before then.

1. Know Where Your Money Is Going

Knowing where your money is going is the first step of any successful financial plan. If you don’t know where your money is going, it may be tough to put it to better use. Typically, this step would involve setting up a budget, but Mark Wilson, founder and president at MILE Wealth Management, has a different take.

“I’m not recommending massive spreadsheets here,” he said. “I’m recommending (roughly) categorizing your spending items. Instead of tracking every line item, he recommends establishing Owe, Grow, Give and Live categories. Wilson gave examples of what each category might entail:

Owe counts mortgage/rent, student debt, credit cards, taxes (income, property), etc. — nondiscretionary debt

Grow includes your short-term and long-term savings

Give is the amount you give to charity

Live is everything else — your “more discretionary” expenses

Wilson recommends allocating a certain percentage of your money to each category; for example, 25% Owe, 10% Grow, 5% Give, 60% Live. You might adapt those percentages to how you spend your money, but each category is important.

2. Financially Educate Yourself

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/5-steps-now-rich-5-140025032.html

4 New Scams Targeting Americans and How To Keep Your Money Safe

4 New Scams Targeting Americans and How To Keep Your Money Safe

Josephine Nesbit    Wed, March 8, 2023

Scams always seem to be on the rise, and criminals are constantly developing new tactics to swindle the average American. Recent Federal Trade Commission data showed that consumers reported losing nearly $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022 — a 30% increase over the previous year — with the most commonly reported being imposter fraud.

“Right now, transnational criminals from all over the world have their sights set on American citizens, American banks and the American government,” Haywood Talcove, the CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government Group, wrote to GOBankingRates.

“Vast amounts of Americans’ personally identifiable information (PII) is available on the dark web, and it was this information, in conjunction with weak fraud prevention systems, that led to our government losing hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud during the pandemic,” added Talcove. “Now that ‘pandemic relief’ programs are over, or winding down, these same fraudsters are using our PII, except they’re going after individuals rather than the government.”

Here are the details on four new scams targeting the American public and how to better protect yourself:

1. Voice Cloning and AI Deepfakes

Scammers are using artificial intelligence to mimic your voice, or that of a loved one, using examples of your speech online pretending to be in trouble. For example, you could get a call from your grandson’s number saying he’s in jail and needs $5,000 to bail him out with directions to pay. You rush to the bank and wire the funds only to learn it was all a scam.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, if something seems off, ask security questions to verify the person on the other end. Voice cloning and AI deepfakes are sophisticated, but they won’t be able to answer personal questions without a delay.

2. ATM “Tap and Glue” Scheme

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/4-scams-targeting-americans-keep-231857156.html

Half of Americans Say They’d Lose Everything in a Recession: Here’s How To Be Prepared

Half of Americans Say They’d Lose Everything in a Recession: Here’s How To Be Prepared

Gabrielle Olya   Wed, March 8, 2023

While economists are having trouble predicting if and when a recession will hit, many Americans believe one is inevitable. Three-quarters of Americans (75%) worry there will be a recession in 2023, while 69% say one is already here, according to a new Real Estate Witch poll.

Even more alarming, more than half of Americans (55%) said they would lose everything if a recession occurred.

“Although the job market is strong and wages are rising, many Americans are at risk financially simply because the cost of living is rising faster than income,” said Jaime Seale, data writer at Clever Real Estate. “That causes Americans to dip into savings, retirement accounts or lean on high-interest credit cards. Once in debt, that can make it more difficult to get back on track financially.”

On a positive note, the majority of people (87%) said they are taking steps to prepare for a possible recession. Here’s a look at the ways Americans are prepping for an economic downturn — and which ways are the most effective.

Saving More Money

The majority of people (44%) said they are saving more money to prepare for a recession, which is a smart money move.

“One of the best ways to prepare for a recession is to put savings in an emergency fund to cover three to six months of expenses,” Seale said. “Americans should be able to draw from this account immediately if they lose their job or have an unexpected emergency.”

Having an emergency fund can help people stay out of debt, which is particularly important during a recession.

“Interest rates tend to rise during a recession,” Seale said, “and, if consumers have a variable rate, like on many credit cards, they could pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars extra each month, putting even more pressure on their finances in tough economic times.”

Other measures Americans are taking to prepare for a recession include cutting back on non-essential spending (44%) and taking on additional income (32%).

Paying Off Debt

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/half-americans-d-lose-everything-130024910.html

Why Everyone Should Have These 5 Types of Savings Accounts

Why Everyone Should Have These 5 Types of Savings Accounts

Heather Taylor   Tue, March 7, 2023

You might have heard of different types of savings accounts before, but how do you know which accounts are the best fit for your savings needs?

Your overall financial picture may require using one or more savings accounts to reach your financial goals. Let’s review some of the most common savings accounts and the types of savers these accounts make for an ideal match. Read on to see why everyone should have these savings accounts.

Savings Account

Ideal for: Someone who is beginning to grow their savings or wants to immediately access their money

Those who open a savings account may use it for short- or long-term savings. This money should always be available to you without withdrawal fees.

Jaspreet Chawla, SVP of savings products at Navy Federal Credit Union, said savings accounts pay interest on the money you deposit in the account. However, this interest typically isn’t significant. While the interest is smaller than other savings account options, Chawla said your money will always be accessible to you.

Money Market Savings Account

Ideal for: Those saving to reach a financial goal, such as building an emergency fund or making a large purchase

A money market savings account is a type of deposit savings account. It accumulates dividends based on the account balance. Compared to most savings accounts, a money market account pays interest on your deposits at a higher rate. This can help grow your funds, which can be easily accessed through ATM withdrawals, transfers and writing checks.

Keep in mind, however, there are certain requirements necessary for opening a money market savings account. Chawla said these accounts often have minimum balance requirements. The higher your balance, the greater your earnings will be.

High-Yield Savings Account

Ideal for: Short-term savings goals, like buying a car or taking a vacation, or storing an emergency fund

Ben McLaughlin, president at SaveBetter, said high-yield savings accounts are similar to traditional savings accounts but offer better interest rates. If you need to quickly access funds on short notice, you’ll often be able to do so with a high-yield savings account.

“Savers should note savings account rates are variable, meaning they may change at any time based on overall market conditions. The good news is banks are expected to continue offering even more attractive interest rates on average, as the Fed is widely anticipated to continue to increase rates,” McLaughlin said.

Savings Certificate

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https://news.yahoo.com/why-everyone-5-types-savings-120111573.html

Tax Refunds Are Coming Up Shy This Year

Tax Refunds Are Coming Up Shy This Year — to the tune of $300, on average. Here are the 2 big reasons why and what you should do about it

Bigger Isn't Always Better Though.

What are you looking forward to this spring? The Oscars? The return of Succession? King Charles III's coronation?   If you answered "a juicy tax return," we've got some bad news.

Early data from the Internal Revenue Service shows that as of Feb. 3 the average refund amount for those keeners who have filed their taxes is $1,963. That's a 10.8% decrease from average return of $2,201 on Feb. 4, 2022.

This comes as less of a surprise, as the IRS warned in a news release earlier this year that 'refunds may be smaller in 2023'.

What gives? Here's why 2023 won’t bring a hefty tax return for many households and what else you should know now that this year’s filing season is underway.

Why Refunds May Be Smaller This Year

During the pandemic, the IRS was doling out some pretty sizable refund checks. In 2022, the average tax refund was $3,176 — a 14% jump from $2,791 in 2021, according to the IRS.

But in 2022, there were no new stimulus checks from the federal government. And some expanded tax credits and deductions, like for charitable gift deductions and child care, have reverted back to pre-pandemic amounts.

Back in 2020, Congress introduced a new incentive to encourage charitable giving. Taxpayers could claim up to $300 for cash donations (or $600 for married couples filing together), even if they didn’t itemize — but this provision wasn’t extended for 2022.

And families with children will see their child tax credit shrink, since it’s reverting back to the pre-pandemic level of $2,000 per child. In 2021, the credit was as high as $3,600 per child.

Which means the days of supersized refunds are over. To make matters worse, those smaller refunds may take longer to arrive in your bank account.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://moneywise.com/taxes/irs-warns-2023-tax-refunds-will-be-smaller?utm_source=email&utm_medium=mwd&utm_campaign=mon_mwd&utm_term=mon_mwd_3_7&utm_content=mon_mwd_24403

Understand This and Dodge Losses During the Next Paris Hilton Ape NFT Frenzy

Understand This and Dodge Losses During the Next Paris Hilton Ape NFT Frenzy

Notes From The Field By Simon Black

[Editor’s note: Today’s missive is by Karl B, a former investment banker. Karl is now the new editor and publisher of The 4th Pillar investment newsletter. To read more about The 4th Pillar, you can click here.]

Bernard Baruch, one of the wealthiest financiers on Wall Street, said after the 1929 stock market crash:

“Taxi drivers told you what to buy. The shoeshine boy could give you a summary of the day’s financial news as he worked with rag and polish. An old beggar who regularly patrolled the street in front of my office now gave me [stock] tips. . .”

It’s foolish to believe that someone’s profession – or lack of one – and their level of financial sophistication will always go hand-in-hand.

There are plenty of astute janitors. And there are plenty of idiot fund managers.

Throughout my career, I’ve encountered both types.

But when the pattern is crystal clear… when everyone is seemingly on the same side of the market, then it’s time to hit pause. And not to walk away, but to RUN, from popular and overbought (i.e. overpriced) assets.

If you’re paying attention, then you’ll see these similar patterns replay over and over.

For example, back on 24 January 2022, hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Five months earlier, Hilton had been named number 7 on Fortune’s NFTy50 – a ranking of the most influential builders, creatives and influencers in the non-fungible token (NFT) space.

(NFTs are one-of-a-kind digital assets that exist most commonly on the Ethereum blockchain; like cryptocurrency, the blockchain tracks who’s holding the NFT.)

On this January 2022 appearance, Fallon lauded Hilton’s NFT bonafides to the audience. And then he proudly exclaimed, “I jumped in [to NFTs]... you taught me what’s up, and I bought an ape.”

Fallon was referring to his recently purchased Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT.

He didn’t know it at the time, but the floor was about to fall out from under the crypto universe, including NFTs. Fallon would become the so-called bag holder – one of the last buyers in the cycle who’s left holding onto a depreciating asset.

And the market carnage wouldn’t be limited to cryptos…

By the time that Paris Hilton went NFT ape crazy on The Tonight Show, stock markets were already headed down. The S&P 500 had topped out on 3 January 2022. The Dow Jones had peaked on 6 January 2022.

The blow-off top speculation was stopped dead in its tracks… and that caused big losses for some.

But not for all investors.

Astute investors knew then that when it comes to financial markets, external circumstances will never remain the same. That an understanding of investor psychology is key.

You’ll see the predictable market pattern:

Euphoria – the highest level of financial risk (e.g. Hilton’s Tonight Show appearance)

Gives way to anxiety…

Which leads to denial…

Which ushers in fear…

Which produces despair…

And then panic…

And ultimately results in capitulation.

And after markets bottom out, there’s a host of emotions on the upside – ranging from hope all the way back to euphoria. Then, the cycle restarts.

Again, we see these patterns in financial markets – whether that market is cryptocurrencies, tech stocks, commodities, etc.

No matter the market, if you can master investor psychology, you can consistently book profits and avoid losses.

Over a decade-plus long career in investment banking, I helped my bank’s clients to be on the right side of the investment cycle.

And now, as the newly minted editor and publisher of Sovereign Research’s monthly investment newsletter, The 4th Pillar, I’m putting those skills to use for individual investors’ benefit.

We’re in a difficult investing environment – perhaps one of the most challenging ever in our lifetimes. We’re undergoing a fundamental global restructuring. Energy, economies, even entire societies are in decline.

All these factors have major repercussions in terms of the companies and sectors you might wish to invest in.

In The 4th Pillar, we dive into promising sectors and fold in historical patterns that shape our perspective. We cover balance sheets, fundamentals and valuations. And I’m consulting with my deep network of experts who know every aspect of the sector.

In short, I’m providing an answer to your burning question: At times like these, where can the rational, cautious investor safely invest capital?

Fortunately, there are still pockets where you can make money.

You just need to:

Be extremely disciplined – with both your capital and time horizon;

And know where to look.

But let’s be clear: This type of investing is not for everyone.

If you’re content to follow the herd…

If you lack the patience to wait for your stock prices to increase…

If you’re constantly checking the value of your portfolio on your phone…

Then you’re probably not cut out for this type of investing strategy. We’ll save you some time. You can close this email, and you can ignore this week’s remaining emails.

But if you have a long-term investment horizon, then the risk is minimal, and the rewards are potentially unlimited.

We know that it’s your vision, discipline, and hard work that will reap the rewards. And we are confident that you will build something lasting for years to come – something with real value.

Click below to peer over my shoulder, discover how you can invest in real value and create true long-lasting wealth. LINK

Master Long-Term, Global Investing With The 4th Pillar

Good Investing,  Karl B, Editor  The 4th Pillar

Types of Banks: Which Is Right for Your Needs?

Types of Banks: Which Is Right for Your Needs?

There are many different types of banks, all of which have different target customers and perform different functions. But what exactly are the differences?

Jacquelyn White Mar 6, 2023

Though they dictate a large portion of our financial lives, many people don't know the difference between the many different types of banks. Discover what each bank does and how you can choose the right one for your needs.

What Is a Bank?

It may seem simple, but it's a question people don't ask enough. Banks play a huge role in our lives, so it's important to fully understand what they are. At a high level, banks are financial institutions that are certified to receive deposits of money and provide loans that allow people to borrow money. However, many banks offer other services as well, including financial advising and currency exchange services.

Some banks only serve a specific set of people, while many others serve the general public. Other types of banks, such as a central bank, serve as regulatory bodies for national governments.

Types of Banks

There are many different types of banks in the world and each serves its own special purpose. Knowing the kinds of banks at your disposal is important for making financial decisions, whether you are hoping to open a savings account or take out a loan:

Retail Banks

The majority of people are most familiar with retail banks, as they are aimed primarily at consumers. Typically, consumers will use their local branch for everyday banking and other financial services. These local branches connect to a larger bank that services commercial customers.

Aside from having basic banking services, retail banks usually provide financial advice and can offer personal loans and mortgages. Unlike commercial banks, retail banks only service consumers and do not provide loans for large businesses or corporations.

Commercial Banks

Commercial banks primarily serve individuals and small businesses. Typically, they will offer similar services as a retail bank: The ability to open checking and savings accounts, provide small business loans, and offer other financial products. These types of banks are able to provide loans using all of the deposits funneled into individual accounts.

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/types-of-banks-14934713

How It All Works (A Few Short Stories)

How It All Works (A Few Short Stories)  MH

FEB 22, 2023  by Morgan Housel@morganhousel

Afew short stories whose lessons apply to many things:

Author R.L. Stine is one of the bestselling authors of all time. His Goosebumps series of scary kids books have sold over 400 million copies.  But horror wasn’t his first act. Stine spent the first two decades of his career writing kids’ joke books.  Scaring people, he discovered, is easier than making them laugh.

“Everyone has a different sense of humor, but we all have the same fears,” he said. “Kids are all afraid of the dark, afraid of being lost, afraid of being in a new place. Those fears never change.”

Everyone has different tastes, but emotions – especially fear and greed – tend to be universal.

Physical attractiveness is something everybody intuitively understands but struggles to put into words. What makes an attractive face? It’s hard to describe. You just know one when you see one.

Several studies have tried to crack the code, the most fascinating of which I think is the idea that average faces tend to be the most appealing.

Take 1,000 people and have a software program generate the average of their faces – an artificial face with the average cheekbone height, average distance between eyes, average lip fullness, etc. That image, across cultures, tends to be the one people are most likely to judge as the most attractive.

One evolutionary explanation is that non-average characteristics have the potential to be above-average risks to reproduction. They may or may not actually impact reproductive fitness, but it’s almost like nature says, “Why take a chance? Go for the average.”

People love familiarity. That’s true not just for faces but products, careers, and styles. It’s almost like nature’s risk-management system.

William Vanderbilt was one the richest heirs to ever live. But hold your envy – his life was hardly a joy.

Just before he died in 1920, Vanderbilt told the New York Times, “My life was never destined to be quite happy. Inherited wealth is a real handicap to happiness. It is as a death to ambition as cocaine is to morality.”

The interesting thing is that the other end of the spectrum – an overdose of ambition – may be just as miserable.

A half-century before, Mark Twain wrote to William Vanderbilt’s grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt:

How I pity you, and this is honest. You are an old man, and ought to have some rest, and yet you have to struggle, and deny yourself, and rob yourself restful sleep and peace of mind, because you need money so badly. I always feel for a man who is so poverty ridden as you.

Don’t misunderstand me, Vanderbilt, I know you have $70 million. But then you know and I know, that it isn’t what a man has that constitutes wealth. No – it is to be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://collabfund.com/blog/how-it-all-works/