53
THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH

THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    5

  • Download
    2

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH

Page 2: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Kevin Whelan has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This work contains a Blueprint for building wealth. This is equivalent to the picture on the lid of a jigsaw. It is not the jigsaw itself. In a similar way, the content provides an overview but not financial advice. Professional advice should always be taken before considering chang-

ing pensions, investments, or any other financial decision that will influence the reader’s wealth.

The purpose of this content is to open the reader’s awareness to the fact that there are al-ternatives and options to be considered. The content does not prescribe financial action and

should not be construed as recommending this.

The Community of WealthBuilders itself includes members with the relevant expertise to ad-vise within regulated guidelines.

This review copy is a work in progress. There is much editing and revision yet to be com-pleted, but it is offered with a positive sense of urgency – to share a positive message with

those who are ready for some good news about complete Financial Independence.

The following trademarks of Wealth Builders Together Ltd are used in

this text: WealthBuilders

WealthBuilder

WealthBuild-

ing Wealth-

Mentor

BridgeBuilders

DebtSmart

BillSmart Tax-

Smart Insure-

Smart Mort-

gageSmart

WealthMap-

ping Wealth-

Maps Wealth-

Plan

Page 3: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Contents Blown away by the Blueprint – Foreword by Lex McKee 4 ..................................................

The Power of 8 4 .................................................................................................................

Filling the Frame: The Power of the Pillars 5 .......................................................................

1st Review Mind Map: An Overview of the Blueprint 7 .........................................................

My Story 11 .................................................................................................................................

There in 10 or there in 5? 15 ...................................................................................................

2nd Review Mind Map: Kevin’s Catalyst 18 ..........................................................................

Now and Then: 3 Dramatic Shifts 19 ..........................................................................................

The Industrial Revolution 19 ................................................................................................

The Social Revolution 19 .....................................................................................................

The Community Revolution 20 ............................................................................................

The changing economic landscape and its impact on the next generation 22 ........................

So why don’t they teach this in schools? 24 ............................................................................

Getting started 24 ....................................................................................................................

Noitacude 25 ...........................................................................................................................

3rd Review Mind Map: Dramatic Shifts 28 ............................................................................

The 7 Pillars and the Formula for Success 29 ............................................................................

Onwards and Upwards 39 .......................................................................................................

Financial Independence 39 .....................................................................................................

Call to Action 39 ...................................................................................................................

4th Review Map: From Now to Abundance 40 .....................................................................

Right Direction, Right Vehicle 42 ................................................................................................

The 5 ‘C’s 44 ...........................................................................................................................

Where are you now? 46 ..........................................................................................................

Changing Your Vehicle and something even more fundamental 46 ........................................

The Proactive You 47 ..............................................................................................................

5th Review Map: Right Direction, Right Vehicle 49 ..............................................................

In Conclusion: Choosing a WealthBuilding Mentor 49 ............................................................

The New Declaration of Financial Independence 51 ...............................................................

Call to Action 53 ...................................................................................................................

Page 4: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword

When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building wealth, I was blown away by the beauty of his blueprint. Here was a design for life that was accessible, understandable, and above all, applicable - immediately. I was convinced that anyone could ‘get it’ and therefore that everyone could get wealth. Everyone could become a WealthBuilder.

And I was partially right.

The truth is that becoming a real WealthBuilder requires a certain commitment. Kevin had demonstrated this in his own life – and continues to do so now as a mentor for others. It re-quires that rare person who will read beyond the first chapter of a business book, who will find the relevance for themselves, and who will take action - consistently. One of Kevin's sayings is now a part of my everyday consciousness: "Never let a month go by without building wealth!"

If I share a brief overview of Kevin’s blueprint, I think you might just be one of those types who will reap the benefits of this scientific process that has all the beauty of a work of art! The detail is in the book, but let me share what might be described as the “lid of the jigsaw”.

The Power of 8 The blueprint looks like the Pantheon – with 7 solid pillars. This, it turns out, is good news: there are only 7 assets to think about. With the “Frame” of the Foundation and the Roof, that gives the aspiring WealthBuilder just 8 major areas to consider when making their own plans for Financial Independence or for their dream life of Financial Abundance.

The Foundation deals with becoming financially smart. Four types of “Smart” help to get the WealthBuilder on the up escalator to Financial Security:

• Being DebtSmart is about managing debt so that it serves a purpose. On some occasions the Return on Investment (ROI) makes a Cost of In-vestment (COI) – i.e.

taking on debt – worthwhile. Most of the time, however, a WealthBuilder can get the best ROI by being debt-free.

• Being TaxSmart recognises that there is a Tax overlay on every asset being built. Understanding how to use tax advantageously is a key aspect of Finan-cial Intelligence.

• Being BillSmart is equally about taking advantage of an increasingly competitive market. With some diligence, the WealthBuilder can make huge savings which can then be applied to the serious business of building more Wealth.

• Finally, being InsureSmart means that wherever you are in your personal journey of building Wealth, your overall plan is secured.

Kevin’s insights into these aspects of Financial Intelligence made the Blueprint worthwhile for me since we all have to manage our liabilities.

All this wonderful architecture of wealth crumbles without the right Roof. Kevin’s Frame is complete in my mind because it covers the ways to protect your assets, your future and the future for your

Page 5: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

family. Just understanding the deliberate combination of your Will, Power of Attorney and Trusts was a real revelation.

Kevin summarises this aspect of the Frame with three “L”s:

• Legal – the documentation that makes managing your estate easier (your Will, the way you own assets, Trusts…)

• Legacy – how your Wealth is passed on to those causes and people you care about. • Legend – the enduring contribution you make to the World. History is littered with

examples of generations who have wasted the wealth built by the generation be-fore. For this reason, the educational aspect of passing on your Financial Wisdom to your family is vital to the establishment of a dynasty of ethical WealthBuilders. This is the Age of Intellectual Property – it’s never been easier to pass on your wis-dom to others – to live and communicate your own legend!

Filling the Frame: The Power of the Pillars As I said, the Frame really was an eye-opener for me, but the education leapt to a higher level when Kevin explained to me the heart of the wealth-building process, the ownership of assets, which Kevin refers to as “pillars”. There are 7, and only 7 of these.

The 1st is “Home Equity” – but I discovered that almost nobody turns their home into an asset – instead it’s usually a liability until it is sold or downsized at re-tirement. With the right strategy, you could be living in a Gold mine.

The 2nd pillar rarely fills people with excitement: “Pensions”! There is proba-bly no other asset that is so misunderstood or under-utilised. Don’t be sur-prised if you get excited about your pensions – perhaps for the first time ever – when you discover, through the series of books, how pensions can become a source of funding in the here

Pillar 3, “Investments,” will get you more engaged with the strategies Kevin shares to protect your investments against loss. With a Stock Market in such a volatile state, this will boost your confidence again in the value of having Stocks and Shares as a part of a

7-fold strategy.

Pillar 4, “Property Portfolio,” will encourage you to think outside-the-box – the box being the all-too-obvious route of buying-to-let. In a later book in this series, Kevin will reveal the secrets of how to achieve much higher ROI on property. You’ll love it.

Pillar 5, “Business,” may well cause you to re-evaluate the worth of any current businesses you own. This pillar will create a fresh appreciation of why anyone should be in business. It is a timely reminder of why the business owner needs to work on their business rather than in it. There’s no higher ROI than running your own business.

Pillar 6, “Intellectual Property,” is the one pillar I’ve always been in love with. I discovered, though, that my IP was underperforming unnecessarily. Kevin un-veiled ways to monetise my ideas that I’d never considered. Same ideas, high-

Page 6: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

er ROI – that’s smart thinking! If you are passionate about a subject, you’ll en-joy developing this.

The 7th Pillar turns out to be the key stone of the blueprint for many: “Joint Ven-tures” (JVs). JVs empower you to work with others towards a mutually-benefi-cial goal. Too many of us are loners in business – following what some call the “Rugged Individual” paradigm. (By “paradigm” I mean a pattern of thinking or behaving.) It used to be

cool to be a self-made man. I discovered though that being this kind of “cool” is like being a “fool” in the 21st Century. None of us need to build wealth alone anymore – and, in fact, Kevin will argue that it is impossible to build sufficient wealth using the pioneering ways of the 20th Century. The new pioneers build together. The forthcoming JV book will show you how to build relationships you can trust and how to structure a win-win agreement so that you can have confidence in any venture. JVs and the mentoring they require are at the heart of the growing community of WealthBuilders – a shared journey to Financial Independence.

Let me conclude my foreword to the introductory book in Kevin's series. This is a book with a story. Kevin is who he is and does what he does because of a positive response to a chal-lenge that became the turning point in his life. This is no sob story or tale of rags-to-riches but when you read his story you’ll understand how adversity can become a catalyst – if you have the mindset of a WealthBuilder.

What will be your story? What results will emerge for you as you travel through this blue-print? I believe you are in for a massive personal paradigm shift. You may find along the way that you too begin to see yourself as a “WealthBuilder” on an exciting journey with others. Whether you’re an employee who wants to create independence from the need to work, a property expert who needs greater leverage, or perhaps a business owner looking for a new source of finance to help your business really grow, I trust that you will seek to engage with this new pioneering community of the Financially-Independent-minded. I rec-ommend Kevin’s book because I think that any reader who takes action will find their wealth transformed for the better.

Enjoy the journey.

Lex McKee

Author, Presenter and WealthMapper

Ps. As a Mind Map artist, I have contributed some Mind Maps to help summarise each sec-tion. Below you will find a very simple summary of this foreword. A Mind Map, like a WealthBuilder, works from a single central focus. For a WealthBuilder, this is the central focus of building wealth – this is their core business, their raison d'être. Everything else radiates around this focal point.

In a similar way, this mind map shows Kevin’s central logo that represents and summar-ises “WealthBuilders”. Flowing out from this on eight branches are the aspects of the blueprint that I overviewed in the Foreword. The Foundation and the Roof are combined in the Frame blueprint icon and the pillars have their own colour of the spectrum. This is a good example of using colour on

Page 7: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

purpose to represent distinctions. Once you’ve read the whole plan, you’ll then be able to dip into key sections to review your learning in future.

A good Mind Map should allow you to get the BIG Picture at a glance. It is my hope that you can look at this map and rapidly assess where your strengths are already aligned with Kevin’s blueprint, and, more importantly, where the immediate opportunities arise for you to expand your personalised strategy for building wealth.

Whilst I recommend you read this book from cover to cover, the joy of a (Mind) Map is that you can see areas of interest and then navigate to these desired destinations dir-ectly. It may be that you’d like to speed-read the sections that most attract you, and then return to read the whole book to get those sections in context. This will be vital for building a coherent strategy. As you’ll discover, the more pillars you build with, the stronger your structure.

1st

Review Mind Map: An Overview of the Blueprint

Page 8: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Part 1. Setting the Scene

Page 9: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Page 10: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Page 11: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

My Story My own catalyst for becoming a WealthBuilder and for writing this book was deeply significant.

In 1985, when I was 25, my father died. Tragically he was only 46. He was a North Sea Oil-Worker who had a heart-attack on a rig.

Back in 1985, my father didn’t have the opportunities that exist now. They couldn’t take him off the rig or care for him in the ways possible today. He died on that rig.

My father’s death impacted me in many ways, on many levels. Genetically, we were cut from the same cloth. We were the same height. We even walked and talked the same. Whilst we weren’t exactly “peas-in-a-pod”, we were pretty close! At 25 I simply sought to get over the tragedy. But I needed to move forward and carve out a career for myself. I was seeking to build some momentum.

As a young economist, I knew something about finance but didn’t really know what I want-ed to do. Then the thought struck me, “What if I go at the same age? What if that genetic cloth is cut the same way for me too? What should I do?”

In a period of reflection, I decided I would have to change my financial future. I was getting married in 1989 and I realised I couldn’t possibly leave the kind of legacy that I wanted to. I couldn’t possibly save enough after tax to care for my wife and future family if I wasn’t there. I needed a new paradigm, a fresh strategy.

As well as the tragedy of an early death, my father died without a Will. He died leaving the family in debt. That was clearly not his intention.

So the situation acted as a powerful catalyst in my life and I resolved not to be the same. I found my motivation. I realised that I couldn’t achieve what I wanted to by working for a liv-ing, I had to build something that had on-going value. This is when the seeds of the ideas began to germinate into what later became the full WealthBuilding process. One key idea was the difference between working for a living as opposed to building things that pay you; between ‘work-income’ and ‘asset- income’.

Education is at the heart of everything that motivates me. The foundation of my approach was to train in Finance. I got a financial education! I figured that the best way to deal with these issues was to teach myself. I became my own mentor.

Trained by a major UK financial institution, I got the inside track on how money really worked. Fuelled by the growth in home ownership, and a massive desire to produce some-thing of value, I went on to build a Mortgage Broking business. I created this unique con-cept: “We don’t do mortgages… We eliminate them!” I paid off my own mortgage in super-fast time. Then I wrote the book on how to do that, “Save a Fortune… Fast,” because I proved it could be done. I became an expert. This is when I really began to invest in my own Intellectual Property.

The deliberate focus was always to build things, on asset-income rather than work-income. The balance was tough but it paid off. My catalyst was so strong…

Page 12: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Page 13: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Page 14: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

I apologise for making you work a little harder to read the above page. The reasons were two-fold. Firstly, work-income is by definition ‘work’ – often ‘hard work’! Secondly, moving from a work- income mindset to an asset-income mindset is called a ‘paradigm shift’. Like reading upside down, or turning the book round, it requires a complete shift of perspective.

My definition of an asset is unique. It will influence the assessment of the value of all 7 as-sets, so let me state it in full:

“An asset is something you own that is not you. It puts money into your bank account while you are asleep, and you can pass that money on to the people you care about or good causes. It does not end because you are not there.”

Creating wealth by building assets is motivating and enjoyable. It takes work, but that work is rewarding and energising. And it gets easier and easier.

In fact it’s as simple as ABC:

• Assets • Build • Cashflow

Page 15: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

By the age of 45, that’s one year younger than when my father died, I was Financially Inde-pendent. My assets had created the cashflow I needed to live the life I wanted. What I dis-covered next was very exciting. I found my ability to build wealth just accelerated. It was like being on an up-escalator – getting further up and ahead was easy. I now want to be an accelerator for others.

What I do now flows from a position of Financial Abundance. That’s true financial freedom. Now, my life is more to do with the transference of wisdom – being a Mentor to those who are hungry for alternatives. The lessons that I learned can be shared. I can help others learn and apply these lessons at an accelerated pace because over the last 25 years I’ve devel-oped a CAT-Scan like ability to diagnose the financial health of anyone.

So that is why I do what I do. My catalyst was tragic but it changed my life. Most people never get a wake-up call.

I’d like this book to be yours.

Without a catalyst nothing worthwhile hap-pens. WealthBuilding without a strong “Why” is virtually impossible. So, what is your “Why”?

This is such a fundamental question that I’m go-ing to invite you to press “pause” right now. Throughout the book you’ll see this symbol:

This represents a Mentor Moment – a brief pause for thought, usually with a quote or a catalytic question.

I have two questions for you at this point.

1. “What does “Wealth” mean to you?”

2. “Why is building wealth important to you?”

Without a big enough “Why” you’ll find reasons to quit if the going gets tough. But having a huge “Why” will be your catalyst that will drive your motivation. It’s part of your story. I’ve

shared with you my story; my catalyst; my motivation. Now we must reflect on your story and write the next chapters together.

There in 10 or there in 5? I’m trusting that if you’re still reading, it means that Financial Freedom is an important part of your future story. It took me 15 years to reach the state of Financial Independence.

Page 16: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Now I’ve learned some more lessons. I had a good foundation and developed some useful intelligence from being an economist. This experience has been priceless. Part of my story was being my own mentor – learning by trial and error. This book and your future story is very much focused on the value of having the right mentors at the right time. I now have my own mentors to facilitate the way I grow my wealth in areas which are not my speciali-ty. I am not claiming to be “the” mentor – just a suitable one for the purpose of this book.

I understand all 7 assets. I’ve made connections over the last 25 years with experts who are masters in their field. When you’re ready I can introduce you to mentors in each pillar – fel-low WealthBuilders who will accelerate the process for you.

The result is that I can now teach you how to become completely Financially Independent within 10 years. Or, if you’re really up for it, I can teach you to get there within 5 years!

To achieve this, I’ve formed the structure to accelerate the process:

• the 7 and only 7 assets that generate wealth • a community of WealthBuilders • mentors with integrity and expertise • a financial GPS system to keep you on track.

This unique structure, built upon the principles of integrity and sharing, is all you’ll need to get you to Financial Independence… and beyond.

Page 17: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

The way forward is the co-operative way of the community. Not just a group of people who travel on the same journey, but rather a community of people who share values and who share skills and lessons. Being part of a community of people who work together towards shared goals is energising and empowering. It’s the way of the future.

So let’s finish this section on my story with a couple of further questions to drive you forward on your journey.

Mentor Moment

Now that you can decide to become Financially Indepen-dent in as little as 5 years, I’d like you to reflect on the progress you’ve made over the last 5.

Consider the following 2 questions.

1. What major steps have you taken in the past 5 years to generate wealth?

2. How much of your current time are you spending on income generation rather than WealthBuilding activities?

Made you think? Like I said, I want this book to be your catalyst!

So, if you need a catalyst to be a WealthBuilder, if you need a bigger “Why” – read on!

Page 18: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

2nd

Review Mind Map: Kevin’s Catalyst

Here’s the next Mind Map – summarising, this time, the key points of my story which I hope will help you with yours.

Page 19: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Now and Then: 3 Dramatic Shifts As an economist, I’ve been a keen student of economic history. Let’s give you a quick his-torical perspective to help with your understanding of how to build wealth in the 21st Century.

The major changes in wealth have been obvious. In fact there have been three dramatic shifts:

• Landed Gentry to Industrialists – the Industrial Revolution • Industrialists to Individuals – the Social Revolution • Individuals to WealthBuilders – the Community Revolution

The Industrial Revolution In the Industrial Revolution there was a major shift in wealth from Land Owners to Industri-alists. A new breed of entrepreneurs invented products and processes that transformed the World. Work practices were changed forever too as factories which housed hundreds of people were a magnet attracting droves from the country to the cities.

It was a radical transformation in economic culture and wealth. The UK was the power-house behind it all.

The Social Revolution As companies grew, created by Industrialists, the benefits of wealth began to percolate down to more and more workers.

In fact the development of the concept of companies created the concept of shares. Work-ers could become share-holders, buying a share in the value of the company they worked for, or in any other company they chose.

Unlike today, back then shares were a reflection of the value of the company. The market to trade shares in these new companies grew too.

As companies expanded and employment grew the future security of the workers became more closely linked to the success of the company. Increasingly, employers provided a pen-sion in return for long-term employment. It was not unusual for an individual to work their en-tire life for the same firm. Financial security came at retirement. Workers gave their pound of flesh in exchange for long- term security. This was the trade-off.

You collected your carriage clock to reflect on the time you’d given the company. And you retired. For most, retirement was a relief though life-expectancy was not long.

With the emergence of the State pension, the increase in the concept of home owner-ship and a nest-egg with the bank, life was safe.

In order to achieve a decent level of security you didn’t really have to be that smart. You didn’t need to build anything. You just needed to turn up for work. Now you can’t. Those days have gone.

Page 20: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

The Community Revolution A shift is happening now that is every bit as dramatic as the changes of the Industrial and Social Revolutions. These changes will affect you so take note!

There are key distinctions between now and then.

In the 20th Century, financial security was dependent upon the stability offered by a job for life and by the employer. The introduction of State benefits made the situation even more stable.

Now, we have a Triple Whammy that’s destabilised and changed everything…

Final Salary Pension Schemes have been a great way to build security for a good retirement for many. Not anymore.

The first punch is the demise of Final Salary Pension Schemes. Those in the Military, Civil Servants, Politicians, Public Sector employees, and a few fortunate others still have this solid foundation paid for by the tax payer or by the employer. Moreover, there is no need for the individual to be involved in taking decisions about risk, and there is no commitment beyond turning up for work. For everyone else, this safe pension has either gone or is going fast. The foundations are crumbling.

For those outside the comfort of Final Salary Pension Schemes there is the prevalence of Stock Market-based pensions where the final pension depends upon an increasingly volatile Stock Market

Page 21: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

and historically low annuity rates. Whereas formerly the risk and the responsibility was miti-gated by the employer or the State – now that entire responsibility falls upon the individual.

The second punch is successive Governments’ response to the pressure of an aging popu-lation. The Pension Pot is not bottomless. Benefits must drop or taxes must rise. Living longer already means waiting longer to tap into a State Pension. The age has already been revised upwards from 65. Wherever that line ends up, a State Pension will be insufficient for the majority. It’s important to realise that this is an issue that is recognised by all parties. It is an issue of economics and demographics, not just of politics.

Frankly if you have to get into the details of what your State Pension will be in order to live, you’ve got the wrong plan!

Page 22: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Here’s the knock-out Third punch – The Triple Whammy!!! That’s right: Annuity Rates are at their lowest in history. With the volatility of the Stock Market giving low returns, many understandably cautious people are falling into the Annuity Trap – converting their pension funds into an Annuity often of just 5%. Once you’ve signed up to an annuity the rate is fixed forever – I call it, “The Annuity Trap”. (An annuity is an annual income payable monthly from a pension pot. Most frequently this is the income an insurance company agrees to pay out from the funds you’ve saved in your retirement nest egg.)

Tumbling from a 15% to a 5% annuity rate means that your money has to work three times as hard than in the past. This means that you will have to save three times as much in order to generate the same level of return available 1990. What was a good idea then is a bad deal now. The poor value of annuities is always in the Press – and for good reason. For most people, they are terrible value for money.

An annuity is one of the few things in life that can never change. You can change your name. You can change where you live. You can change your job. You can even surgically change your sex but once you’ve agreed to an annuity rate, it is fixed forever. Of course you can change your future by changing your choices, but as far as an annuity goes, once that choice is made the future is fixed. There will be more specifically on the Annuity Trap later in my section on pensions but I will state the warning again: annuity rates are at their lowest in history – you need alternatives.

The changing economic landscape and its impact on the next genera-tion Part of the problem behind low annuity rates is the changing nature of the Stock Mar-ket. Stocks used to represent a ‘share’ in the value of a company. There has been a cultural shift to a more sentimental appraisal of shares – they are worth what people feel they are worth. The Stock Market has thus become as volatile as feelings can be. This creates uncer-tainty and confusion.

The economic landscape has changed forever – and will probably never return to earlier forms. We’re not to blame – politics, economics, social and technological trends have all played a part. We do, however, have to pay attention to the changes that are about to im-pact our children.

Page 23: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!So, for the first time in history, the next generation will be poorer than our own. That’s a stunning change in the economic, social and cultural landscape. Since education is a key driver of economic change, it’s interesting to think about the future for today’s students.

That’s a financial millstone by anyone’s standards. For many it’s become even harder to get started in work. Youth Unemployment is currently over 50% in some European countries. A third of the UK’s unemployed youth do not believe they will ever get a job. With student debt projected at being over £50,000, the challenge is clear: we all need a catalyst. The huge growth in Payday-Loan companies is a sad indicator of the Nation’s attitude to debt. My greatest concern for the future is that students carrying such a burden of debt will find turning to a Payday-Loan company the path of least resistance. Is this the future you want for your children?

There has never been a greater need or a better time for you to get a financial education.

Page 24: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

So why don’t they teach this in schools? Were you ever taught at school about what it takes to be Financially Intelligent? With-out this education, it is most unlikely that you’ll be equipped to make the best choices for your future.

By the time our children leave school, practical skills need to have become habit in four main areas:

• How to manage Finances, including understanding debt and cumulative interest, de-veloping the practice of budgeting, and learning how to use tax advantageously;

• The crucial difference between investing in liabilities and investing in assets – both are investments but the returns are 180 degrees opposite to one another;

• How to create asset-income and thus become a WealthBuilder; • How to protect yourself and your assets, and define how these assets will transfer to

others in the future.

This is exciting, practical and relevant education. No child in their right mind would say, “Yes!” to a Payday Loan offer once they’ve seen for themselves the true scale and impact of cumulative debt interest.

This sort of education is a great opportunity for schools to teach why basic mathematics is so important to a student’s success in life. It’s important for their entire financial future – and I don’t remember my maths teacher framing it in that way.

Getting started I was asked by a budding WealthBuilder, “How do you start this process if you’ve got no money?” That’s an excellent question, and it cuts right to the heart of beginning a Finan-cial Education. It all starts with a switch – a choice between only two options: choosing liabilities or choosing assets.

I was then asked by someone in their early 50s, “Is it too late?” It was great to be able to share with them that I can get them there in 5 years. I think they’re going to live more than 5 years! So in no way is it too late to start right now.

Page 25: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Mentor Moment

Just pause for thought about this choice point for a moment.

Every time you choose an asset, you are choosing a better future. For all WealthBuilders there’s a point where this fact just clicks. Let me tell you about a technique that will make this distinction a habit for you.

I taught one of my WealthBuilding BridgeBuilders (i.e. one who introduces other WealthBuilders to the most appropri-ate Mentors and other connections) this straightforward technique.

I suggested he actually clicked his fingers when he got out his Debit Card to pay for anything. He had an addiction to spending that had caused him to amass liabilities rather than build assets. As his Mentor he’d asked me to help him break this habit.

I said, “When you click your fingers, this will remind you of the choice you have before you – the switch. It will let you pause and think about whether you’re investing in a liability or an asset. In this way, you will always make a financial decision on purpose – and, if it is a liabili-ty, you will find you can enjoy that expense more because you’ll know exactly what you’re doing.”

The technique I shared with this BridgeBuilder is called “Anchoring” by professionals who use Neuro- Linguistic Programming to boost their performance. It turns out that since that time he has used the click technique every time he starts his working day. A right click (al-most like using a mouse) was, for him, building an asset. A left click was used as a self-check that he’d slipped into trading-time- for-money, or was spending assets on a liability. He said to me that it had become like waking himself out of a spending-trance. Each Wealth-Builder’s life is a series of deliberate choices.

So, this is one of the scientific facts about Financial Intelligence: there are no neutrals. Any-thing that keeps that fact at the forefront of your mind is going to help you move forwards. Liabilities are most often a barrier to progress. If your finances were a vehicle to get you to the life you desire, liabilities are the brake and assets are the accelerator – you press one or the other! Stepping on the brake is not always bad of course! Pausing along the journey to have a celebratory meal with another WealthBuilder reinforces the point that this is never about penny-pinching.

This applies to the bigger decisions too. If you’re buying a car that reflects your journey – it’s a liability. But if you’ve got a fortune coming in through asset-income each month be-cause you’ve worked the plan, you can say, “So what?!” Rewards at the right time are a hallmark of abundance.

If, however, you’re still £50,000 in debt, buying that 52” Flatscreen TV on sale does not make sense to a WealthBuilder! Enough said.

Noitacude Of course, there actually is a lot of education going on. It’s called, “Noitacude.” Noitacude is “Education” backwards. At the moment there is a huge amount of education on the value of borrowing, how easy it is, and how it will “empower” you to have the life you dream of. Lies,

Page 26: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

lies, and more damn lies – but we let the advertisers get away with it. Like all advertising, this is “advice” with a vested interest.

To combat this we might benefit from some really good old-fashioned education: “the bor-rower becomes the lender’s slave.” That’s from a book of good management practice that is over 3000 years old. Somehow that message has got lost. The first part of the Proverb ac-tually says unambiguously: “The rich rule over the poor…” The book is attributed to King Solomon who historians count both as one of the wisest counsellors that ever lived and re-putedly the richest!

So, our children need to learn how to become DebtSmart. Otherwise they will abdicate control of their lives to others.

I am certain that we are agreed that the 21st Century demands a good Financial Education, but no institution consistently provides it. This is madness. In an age of so much opportuni-ty, yet so much debt and financial ignorance, it is the best and worst of times… which re-minds me of something.

Supported by Final Salary Pension Schemes, supported by State Benefits and high annuity rates, many people would argue that the 20th Century was the best of times. I think they’re mistaken. Today’s changes in the economic landscape have created opportunities as dra-matic as the shift from an Agricultural to an Industrial economy.

Page 27: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Even though the next generation and our own are facing such huge challenges, it has never been easier to build wealth. And it’s never been harder if you don’t know how to do it.

Why has it never been easier? You can now have at your fingertips all the information, the education, and the technology you could possibly need to make transformational financial decisions. In my opinion, this is the best time of all to be building wealth.

It’s simply a matter of learning the principles and then consistently applying them. When you learn how to build wealth, it’s your money that will do the hard work – you’ll just work smarter and you’ll become smarter too. Being a WealthBuilder changes you.

Breakthroughs in technology and access to information have made it easier – and faster. But…

…with so much information you’ll need a guide to direct you to the right information at the right time. This will help you find new forms of leverage to accelerate your progress, a new force to overcome the gravity holding you in your current financial situation. (Examples of leverage include the impact of a catalyst and the help of a mentor.)

I’ll be sharing more forms of leverage with you in a later chapter.

It’s all a matter of science. Let me be your guide and companion for this part of the journey. I got to Financial Freedom in 15 years; I can get you to get there in 5. There’s a way. And I can make the journey faster and far more enjoyable.

Page 28: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

They say when the student is ready the teacher will appear so let me take you back to the drawing board. But first, review! First you’ll need a dramatic shift of this publication, turning it landscape.

3rd

Review Mind Map: Dramatic Shifts

Page 29: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Part 2. The Blueprint

The 7 Pillars and the Formula for Success There are 7 assets you can use to build wealth- only 7 assets. We met them in the Foreword and I’ve added a reminder of what an asset means to a WealthBuilder:

Page 30: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Since there are only 7 assets, this leads me to an important scientific point…

Wealth Building is a Science; period. It’s not Rocket Science. It is Applied Science. Learn the process and then apply it. Going back to the drawing board means going back to basics. The basics are clear: assets build wealth because assets build ongoing cashflow. This is so cen-tral to everything that comes next that I’d like to repeat a graphic from earlier:

• Assets • Build • Cashflow.

Cashflow is the fuel for the life you want to lead.

Page 31: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Page 32: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Like any economist I love a good formula. I also recognise that all scientists love formulae for their processes! “Einstein” is the name most readily associated with being a Scientist. So let’s be like Einstein when it comes to developing a formula for building wealth.

How’s your maths?

Do you want the easy version or the full ver-

sion? Here is the full version in all its techn

cal detail:

!

Einstein, himself, had something to say about this kind of knowledge…

Page 33: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

Given what Einstein has said about simplicity, would you like the simple version to over-come any confusion?

It’s just over the page…

Page 34: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

! That looks a lot better, doesn’t it? It looks even better still with the answer:

Page 35: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

But what does it mean?

Actually the complex formula was from a lecture Einstein gave at Oxford University. I added the above simple formula! I’m sure that Einstein would forgive me; he had a wonderful sense of humour. He enjoyed the journey and the milestones along the way. I chose to use one of Einstein’s equations because he inspired me with his following definition of insanity:

…doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Do you remember my question about what you’ve done in the past 5 years to build wealth? If you haven’t done much, are you slowly going “insane”? Using the 20th Century processes in the 21st Century is also like a form of insanity – it’s just doing the same ‘stuff’ and expect-ing a better result. Doing nothing and expecting your level of wealth to change significantly is also insane. We need to get different results now because the rules have changed forev-er.

WealthBuilders do things differently. They use an alternative set of formulae to take an ap-plied scientific approach to WealthBuilding. They recognise that just finding a faster and bet-ter way to travel is still going to get the same results, just quicker. Without the right strategy, this could even mean finding a quicker result to the wrong destination.

Here is the formula again:

AI ≥ E = ☺

Where AI represents “Asset Income”,

E represents “Expenditure”, and

☺ represents you or me as a happy WealthBuilder!

Page 36: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Mentor Moment

A figure to focus on: Asset Income.

AI in the formula – “Asset Income” – is one of the most important figures you’ll ever decide upon. It answers the BIG question that I ask all my clients:

“What sum would you need each month to live the kind of life you’d like to live?”

Imagine being Financially Independent. There’s a figure attached to that concept. Think about it. Just picture a figure. Is it £2000 per month? £5000? £7000? £10,000? £20,000? Don’t worry about the Tax aspect – I’ll come onto that later. Everybody has a number – and everybody is different. What’s your number?

This figure you’ll have in mind is the sum of income you’d need each month to fuel the Fin-ancially Independent lifestyle you’d like. Once you’ve got your number, we can use the Fin-ancial GPS to find out how well on track you are – and where adjustments need to be made. The number you choose is not critical – it’s simply part of the process – you can change that number. And once you’ve chosen that number we can move on. But first I’m going to challenge you to think about a bigger number!

I am interested in “Abundance”. It’s a powerful concept. It’s a concept that has plenty of ca-pacity for sharing generously. Being a WealthBuilder is never going to be just about an indi-vidual. It is always about the other lives that the WealthBuilder influences. So it’s good to think in terms of abundance. “Abundance” appeared twice in our original definition of “Wealth” itself.

In fact one of the biggest questions you could ever ask yourself is totally dependent upon Financial Abundance: if money was no object, how would you live your life?

Page 37: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Abundance is a life without limits. What does “Financial Abundance” mean for you? It helps to think about 4 words:

• Have – what would be the material aspects of Financial Abundance? • Be – how would you be in yourself? • Do – how would you spend your time? • Give – what legacy would you contribute?

The Mind Map below is an example from one of my clients. You alone can define what Fi-nancial Abundance would mean for you, but I believe this example may inspire you to think big. Remember the BIG Number is the number you need for the BIG Picture – the final des-tination – that’s an “End Goal”. What I will share after the mind map are the interim stages of the journey – the steps that make the journey seem as achievable as it is in reality.

What would be on your map? Clearly this mind map is personal. Yours will be different. But the four main branches are very helpful headings for everyone.

OK, to get there, my client is going through the same 3 stages that you will.

Page 38: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

This means that on the journey, there will be, in fact, three figures of asset-income to aim for. It is one journey, but with 3 distinct stages. These are the milestones.

1. Financial Security = the stage where your asset-income matches your basic ex-penses, as in the formula. You can get by, but your choices will be limited.

2. Financial Independence = the stage where your asset-income replaces your cur-rent income. This will open up new worlds of opportunities for you. You will have lots of choices;

3. Financial Abundance = the state where asset-income is so far over and above your expenses that you can choose to invest your time, energy, resources in any project

or lifestyle you like. It’s a life without limits. ☺∞. You will have unlimited choice and the ability to help others on their journey too.

Reaching the point of Financial Security is the critical moment on your WealthBuilding jour-ney. This is the point at which you are truly free to choose how much further you’d like to go. You can also make a vital career choice. If you’ve got a job you don’t like – that chapter can close. You can now write a new script for your future. You can do something you want to do. You will be changing career from a position of strength. You will be changing from the basis of a firm foundation, not wishful thinking.

Page 39: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Onwards and Upwards

From here on up, you can choose Financial Independence (AI = ☺ci

[where ci = current in-

come]). Or you can aim for the stars (AI = ☺∞). Notice that “Expenses” are no longer part of these higher equations.

Trust me on this – it doesn’t matter where you are starting from. The journey to Financial Security is as much fun as the next stages of the journey to Financial Independence and then Abundance. But you’ll get such a buzz from your progress that like most people, you’ll want to keep on progressing. A professional at one of the property portfolio networks I share with put it eloquently the other day. She said, “Getting my first properties was exciting, but now it’s the networking with like-minded people that I get even more of a buzz from – and I can give a contribution back.” She has discovered that sharing is a key aspect of Abun-dance. Abundance is another word for True Wealth – a concept that embraces choice, shar-ing and a fully meaningful and satisfying life. That’s worth working towards, isn’t it?

Financial Independence

Since my definition of Financial Independence is: AI = ☺ci

, I challenge the dominant par-adigm about Final Salary Schemes. Consider that most people have been programmed to expect a Final Salary Scheme that is equivalent to 2/3rds of their Final Salary. Why would anybody be content with this? This is a book about Wealth, about Freedom and about Abundance. 2/3rds of your best income doesn’t fit anybody’s idea of Wealth. Less is less. Why settle for an income where you’ve lost 1/3rd? This was a trade-off people were willing to make in the 20th Century. We’re not in the 20th Century any more. Now you’re going to live longer and you’ll want to do lots more than your predecessors did. An active retirement is your bright future. And for that, you’ll need more resources, not less.

Call to Action Before you review this chapter and move on, make sure you:

• Have a figure for your desired monthly Asset- Income • Have been bold – sticking figures on both “Financial Indepen-dence” and “Financial Abundance”. You can always revise these lat-er. • Have an answer to the next BIG question – without which you can’t

fully track your progress. When do you want to be Financially Secure? That’s your first milestone. Place a time-frame on your plan, then you can work the plan. Without this, it’s just wishful thinking. I believe you are ready to put a time frame on Financial Independence too. That’s what I did, and it worked.

Do you want to be there in 10 years? 7 years? 5 years? Less than 5? What level of commitment can you invest in your future?

I challenge you to decide, before you go any further, that you’re ready now to be a WealthBuilder and to make this commitment within a specific time frame: your how much, by when?

Page 40: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

!

4th

Review Map: From Now to Abundance

Page 41: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Before we move forwards…

Page 42: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Right Direction, Right Vehicle

What could possibly stop you at this pivotal point on your

journey? You could. You could stop you.

I’ve concluded so far that it is insane for you to think you can make a significant difference to your level of Wealth on your own. It’s insane to look back over the last 5 years and to think that, if you’ve taken no action, anything will change for the better. It won’t. So, in this high-tech, fast-moving, information-age – what is it that would keep holding you back? What could possibly trap you in this cycle of insanity?

Page 43: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Just in case it is not completely obvious that doing what you did before isn’t working well enough, consider this analogy. You need a vehicle for the most exciting journey of your life. It’s a journey with a wonderful objective. The destination is magnificent. You need to choose the right vehicle. Try this one…

That’s a Sinclair C5 – one of the most forward-thinking innovations of all time. It was invent-ed and developed by Sir Clive Sinclair, former Chairman of Mensa – the High IQ Society. A British Treasure. A Peer of the Realm.

It was a stunning realisation of fresh thinking. It has, in fact, acted as a catalyst for the de-velopment of all manner of hybrid and electric vehicles which may yet free our cities from pollution. But it didn’t catch on. Why? Because it’s not built for long journeys. It is not built safely enough to protect the passenger on today’s busy motorways – or even in frantic sub-urban rush-hour traffic. It’s a vehicle suited to an environment that largely doesn’t exist. And yet many people are driving a financial vehicle that is the equivalent of a C5. What’s more, because the environ-ment has changed, they’re doing the equivalent of driving their C5 on the M4 Motorway!

Wrong vehicle, dangerous environment and only room for one on board. It’s not going to work.

So why would you do such a crazy thing? Well, it isn’t your fault. Millions of people are dri-ving their C5 financial plan on the M4 direction of life.

I chose the C5 because I respect the genius of its design and intent and also because it reminds me of the 5 points beginning with ‘C’ that have caused millions to get caught dri-ving one. Just because everybody else seems to be doing something, doesn’t make it right, or a good idea, does it?

Page 44: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

The 5 ‘C’s

You can see the 5 ‘C’s on the graphic… and only one of them is good! Let’s work through what they may well mean for you.

Consumed. Most people are consumed by the requirements of their jobs or running their businesses. This is the number one frustration professionals share with me. They are too busy. If you’re too busy, the last thing you want to do after a hard day’s work is sit down and review your finances! (Can you imagine coming home and spending the evening reviewing your pensions? No I didn’t think so!)

The result is that it is hard work to break out of the loop of working flat-out and then being too tired to reflect and research enough to develop an effective financial strategy for your future. Before you know it, you’re stuck in a C5.

The busy-ness is not your fault; it’s a consequence of living under the paradigm of a work-income. It’s a consequence of living in the information age and not filtering this information for what works for you. This is why you need a Mentor to save your time and direct your attention.

Doing a job well, or running a business requires a lot of time and Intellectual Property (your IP). If you are labouring under the 20th Century way of thinking you’ve most likely received income in return for the work you’ve delivered. Your IP has been your ideas, your ability to think, your skills and your expertise. You’ve delivered this IP over time – and that delivery mechanism, ‘time’, has completed the transaction. In many ways a job is = IP + time – the time it takes to deliver your IP. Putting in more time and IP should logically lead to doing a better job. Millions understand this logic

Page 45: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

– so they invest long hours, sacrificing family and social time, in order to stay competitive. This leads inevitably to the second ‘C’ – capacity… and the loss of it.

Capacity. If you’re giving the best hours of your day, your best ideas, and your best energy to the ‘job’ – it follows that you’ve little capacity for anything else. That was OK in the 20th Century because the long-term rewards made the commitment almost worthwhile. When there was a Final Salary Pension Scheme to look forward to or a Personal Pension with an annuity of 15%, you could put up with giving your life and soul to the company. When the report on your pension performance came in, you could even get away with filing it away in a drawer and forgetting about it. ‘It’ was being looked after. You didn’t need to get involved. In fact, you were so busy, you didn’t have the capacity to be involved. There just wasn’t enough time, energy, or education. You weren’t motivated to take an interest. Surprise, surprise, you ended up in a C5…

Complexity. Time for your wake-up call! The World has got suddenly more complex. I say ‘suddenly’ but actually it was an observable process – you simply wouldn’t have noticed it. It took you by surprise. It took nearly everybody by surprise. It wasn’t your fault. You fol-lowed the same signs as everyone else. You followed the same advice. But you ended up on the M4 in your one- person C5, just like so many others. It’s not a nice place to be though, in a C5, on the M4, is it?

In the 20th Century, you could provide for the future with just three key assets: a Home (and the equity it represented), a pension and savings or investments. Looking after the process-es that built and protected these assets could be delegated to other people. Your pensions were looked after by your employer and the State. Your home was looked after by the mort-gage companies… who often covered your insurance requirements too. Your savings and investments were looked after by the bank and sometimes by an IFA. You didn’t have to be involved. It was simple. Not complex.

The simplicity has gone for three reasons:

• We’ve seen that current low annuity rates make it highly unlikely for you to be able to build a pot that would deliver a Return-on-Investment (ROI) similar to a Final Salary Pension Scheme

• The Stock Market has demonstrated that it is not consistently offering a high enough ROI to rely on it alone to build wealth

• Bank interest rates are too low, affecting so many savers, and confidence in banks is at an all-time low.

I can hear that wake-up call, can you? It sounds like being hands-off is no longer a sensi-ble option. In the 21st Century you need to take more responsibility. You need to get hands-on. You need to take some action. You need to take control.

Confusion. With being consumed, working at full capacity, and facing complexity – the next C is inevitable: confusion. This, for many people, is the end of the journey. Confused people always say, “No!” Are you going to say, “No!” or will you choose the empowering option? It’s going to mean changing direction. It’s going to mean changing a lot of things that seemed to work before.

Catalyst. It is the smallest word on the graphic but the only one with the power to move you forward towards the future – and in the right direction. Just as Sir Clive’s C5 was a catalyst for the current development of electric cars, so you also can use the current situation as a catalyst. It may

Page 46: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

not be your fault that you’re facing such a complex scenario, but it is your life and you can certainly use the challenges as a catalyst for positive action! It’s your choice.

Where are you now? If you are willing to stay with the analogy for a little longer, you could well be on the M4 in your C5! The shift is that you’re developing a stronger and stronger catalyst to drive the chemistry of change. You already want to change vehicles. What else is there to consider?

Changing Your Vehicle and something even more fundamental It is clear that the C5 was a good vehicle – predicting the future need to develop al-ternative transport – but it is the wrong vehicle for here and now.

Being a WealthBuilder is as much about who you are as it is about what you do. You will be positively transformed in the process of WealthBuilding. Many WealthBuilders find they have a new level of energy and motivation. WealthBuilders are people with a purpose. They have a strategy. They possess a sense of direction. They exude confidence. They are fun to be around. Without being too dramatic, they also have a sense of destiny!

This sense of direction and destiny is very much centred on each WealthBuilder’s definition of what “Wealth” means for them.

Once “Wealth” is defined, they can choose the right vehicle for the journey. They can plan the route and identify the milestones that will demonstrate their progress. They can decide how long they want to take (how much, by when) and so they can set the pace. Then they can check their Financial GPS to see where they are now.

And do you know what? Many WealthBuilders make the biggest discovery so far…

Page 47: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

What if you were on the M4? The M4 is the perfect Motorway if you want to head West or East. It’s even called, “The M4 Corridor” – it’s that direct.

But what if you really want to head North? If you want to head North, the M4 is the wrong motorway! No amount of accelerating along the M4 corridor is going to get you North. You’ll be trapped in that corridor… just going faster in the wrong direction!

The Proactive You • New Vehicle • New Direction • New You!

In the 21st Century, you can no longer be a passenger – and you cannot be without a pas-senger. You can’t be an individual driving a C5. You need a new vehicle – with space at least for partners – your Mentors for each stage of the journey, and, later on, your partners in Joint Ventures. You may also need to re-evaluate your destination and so your direction.

You can no longer be passive. Free the new you – the proactive you.

Stephen Covey is famous for bringing the concept of “True North” into the consciousness of many professionals. “True North” is about being true to yourself, your ambitions and your values. The way the whole World was going in the 20th Century was OK, but the World has changed. In the 21st Century you must be true to yourself and head True North. To do that, you’ll need a better strategy. To do that you need on-going guidance on your progress and coaching on how to avoid hazards – your financial GPS. To get North, you’ll need another route.

Road hazards ahead…the essence of the M4 Most people approach me on a tactical level. “Should I put my money in a pension or in an ISA?” That’s a tactical question. It’s like asking me, “Kevin, how can I go faster?” This is a waste of energy if you’re on the wrong Motorway. You just get to the wrong destination faster and waste more fuel.

Worse still, you can end up more frustrated.

To get a better question, we need a better strategy – then the tactics make sense in the framework of the strategy. The strategy begins with your clear ‘how much by when’ and then builds around the blueprint I’m going to share with you.

Here’s the danger. Getting hooked into tactics will just keep you stuck along the M4 corridor – going East-West. Once I’ve captured your imagination with the full strategy, you will always be heading North. Every tactic will move you forward, Northwards… And as a Geordie, Newcastle sounds good to me! North is a good place. North is ‘up’. Let’s be aware of the danger of moving sideways – just getting hooked into tactics without a strategy. Don’t get distracted.

True North and True Wealth This will not be a strategy I will impose upon you – but it is a frame of mind you’ll need to make the most of what follows. It will be your strategy. It may include a vision for your chil-dren or for your chosen causes or for helping other people along the way. It will include oth-er aspects of your

Page 48: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

personal definition of ‘wealth’. Just as there is ‘True North’ so also there is ‘True Wealth’ – but only you can define what that means for you.

For me, True Wealth has a distinctive character. In has to include sharing and involving. These four aspects are programmed into my GPS:

• Financial Abundance – the fuel for the life I choose to lead; • True North – the direction I want to head in that’s congruent with my values; • Sharing with others who want to head in the same direction; • Building a legacy for my children and my chosen causes.

Just as a GPS needs several satellite reference points to navigate accurately, these four points inform my choices.

• If I choose a liability when I can choose an asset – I’m off-course; • If a business or personal decision violates my personal values – I’m off-course; • If I make a decision to keep knowledge to myself – I’m off-course; • If what I am doing is not building a better future for my children or chosen causes –

I’m off- course.

No compromise is neces-

sary. This is the way of

integrity.

It is the opposite of ‘complexity’ – it makes life simpler.

Now is the time for this new strategy and direction. Now is the time for connection through a Community. Why? Well, all the historical connections are falling and tumbling. Do you remember your personal Bank Manager? Some people still have one but how connected do they feel with them? Instead, we live in a ‘computer-says-no’ world. I hate banks. Adopt my strategy and you won’t need to borrow from the bank.

The current paradigm is up for challenge – even by those currently working in it – bankers and traditional financial advisors. There are pockets of people who are sharing. This is an-other aspect of being in changing times. The growth of peer-to-peer, like crowdsourcing and crowdfunding , is evidence that people are bypassing traditional connections such as the banks. There is a revolution taking place. The concept of being a shareholder has taken a new direction – but one that needs a strategy and a firm hand at the wheel. Like I said, you cannot be passive. You must take control.

Page 49: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

5th

Review Map: Right Direction, Right Vehicle

In Conclusion: Choosing a WealthBuilding Mentor

So far, I’ve not found anyone who is sharing using a comprehensive strategy. Part of my strategy includes consistently sharing with charities too who are aligned with the vision. It’s time to share. It’s time to build together.

Almost everybody who is working in the field of finance is also working in a single-focus silo. The Bank will do loans; the Financial Advisor will talk about products; the Property Management Company will talk about saving you time and money. They will offer you a product, a service or a course in a single dimension. What’s needed, but what’s missing, is a strategy that is holistic – a strategy that takes your finance and gives it a 360 degree view.

My strategy will show you the interconnecting paths. It won’t come at you from the point of protected self-interest. This is the message of the WealthBuilding Community- taking the holistic, strategic view and route rather than the tactical, silo-focused path.

Most people who are trying to grow their wealth in any way will seek a mentor. This is good. The challenge is to find a new kind of mentor whose grasp can span the multi-pillar ap-proach. Over 25 years, I’ve spoken to thousands of people, and they all say that the mentor-ship they get is singular in focus. There are dedicated experts out there who are property mentors – even down to specialising in specific aspects of property. One might be a Rent-to-Rent mentor, another an HMO mentor – and that targeted focus on specific knowledge for a specific outcome is excellent… but it’s no longer enough.

Page 50: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

If the overall process of WealthBuilding is about building wealth in pillars, not building wealth in ‘tactics’, you will need a mentor who has got that ability to see the whole process. This kind of mentor can ‘see’ the interconnecting paths I’ve mentioned and how they inter-act with one another. This is vital because every pillar can become a source of finance for every other pillar. It means that you won’t get compounding in just one direction, you’ll get…

Compounding

upon Com-

pounding

upon

Compound-

ing upon;…

Compounding

upon… Com-

pounding

upon…

Compounding

upon…

Compounding You might think I’m exaggerating the point – but I’m not. The extra result achieved by having that breadth of knowledge is transformation. That’s what I’ve been able to bring to the party because I’ve built my wealth in seven pillars – not in one. I can give you evidence that the cumulative result is nothing less that transformational - not merely incremental.

Page 51: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

So, whilst I may not have the full tactical genius of someone in a specific pillar, I know enough about it to pull the best expert in to contribute to the strategic WealthPlan. In this way, you can get the benefit of a ‘both’ + ‘and’ approach, rather than an ‘either/or’ dilemma. You can have both the strategic overview and the special knowledge required to make the the best choices.

What is unique and different about the WealthBuilding process is that it doesn’t drive you down a single track.

In fact those who continue to play a tac-tical game will rapidly be overtaken by those who choose the multi-pillar ap-proach – for many reasons including the impact of compounding on compound-ing.

Single tracks are only appropriate when they contribute to the whole. Additionally, when they are approached in the context of the broader vision, your progress will be far more rapid.

With a WealthBuilding Mentor to guide you, you won’t be seduced by ‘experts’ in a particular track who seek to add ‘ex-pertise sale’ to ‘expertise sale’ – tempt-ing you to spend more money.

Unfortunately, I have to say I have met many people who have invested a small fortune in learning expertise that they are not yet in a position to utilise. It would have been far better for them to invest the same amount

of time, energy and money in WealthBuilding activities that moved them forward on their journey and that developed assets.

The central responsibility for a WealthBuilding Mentor is building a relationship with you for your Wealth. This kind of Mentor has enough knowledge in all areas to help you build your WealthPlan and to help you judge your progress while continuing to guide you strategically.

The New Declaration of Financial Independence

I’d like to share with you the document that all members of the Community of Wealth-Builders sign. It is a declaration of their commitment to this exciting journey.

Page 52: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

Page 53: THE 7 PILLARS OF WEALTH...WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One; Blown away by the Blueprint – Lex McKee's Foreword When I first interviewed Kevin Whelan about his process for building

WealthBuilders The Blueprint Part One;

As I bring this first book to a close, I have to ask you, “Would you sign this declaration? Are you ready, right here, right now to take action?”

If you are, get in touch with us or with the person who gave you this book so we can support you on your journey. Our support will begin with send-ing you your very own declaration, personalised with your name. If you are in 100%

alignment with our values, your path to membership begins by simply signing this, in the presence of a witness, and then sending us a picture of you with your witness holding up your signed declaration. As part of the process, we'd like your permission to share your commitment and your picture on Social Media - celebrating our growing community.

You can connect with us via Social Media using the following link.

Our Facebook open group is here: https://https://www.wealthbuilders.co.uk/

facebook. By being connected to the Community, you can be sure of getting

the latest insights that will affect your strategy for building Wealth.

More importantly, to enjoy the journey, you need company!

We would be delighted if you decide to publicly share our values by signing the Declara-tion and posting on social media as a sign of your commitment to the WealthBuilding journey. And if you are more private, then you can email us a photo of yourself and your signed declaration to [email protected].

This book is not for sale. It is not available to the general public. It’s my gift to you to share the Principles of WealthBuilding. The other resources in this series will go into more specific details and so will avoid leaving your future to chance.

I trust now that you realise neither being consumed nor lacking capacity, complexity nor confusion can stop you once you know where you want to get to and once you activate your catalyst to begin the journey. If you choose not to be passive, but rather be proactive, nothing can stop you.

I look forward to travelling onwards together.

Kevin J Whelan

Founder of WealthBuilders