James L. Paris's Blog, page 220

Google To Now Include Twitter In Search Results

 

New deal between Twitter and Google will now include Tweets in Google search results. This is a really great way to get your content found on page one of Google search. Another good reason to include Twitter in your social media mix. 

Making Extra Money with “Retail Arbitrage”

If your current financial circumstances are leaving you in need of a little more dough to help make life easier for you and your family, but the idea of taking a second…or third…job is most unappealing, one option you might want to consider is something called “retail arbitrage.” The term arbitrage is used most typically in connection with formal investing, but the word, at its core, simply refers to the practice of exploiting the difference in price among different markets of a particular asset. In the case of retail arbitrage, the asset is a consumer good, and the idea is to buy that good for a lower price at one store and sell it for a higher price through another store. While it’s not possible for someone to re-sell an item through most retail stores…it is possible to do that very thing through the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, and it is the ability to do this that creates a way for you to establish another income stream to help meet your financial needs.

 

It was really just Jim Paris’ ever-curious nature that prompted him to become involved in this unique, but effective, method of making extra money. He’s a long-time Amazon customer, and was intrigued by the fact that items frequently listed for sale by Amazon are also listed by other sellers at Amazon, and that many of the same items offered by non-Amazon sellers were still shipped to purchasers by Amazon. From there, he traveled down a path that has seen him realize it’s possible for average individuals to become actual Amazon sellers themselves, to include having the products they’re selling shipped by Amazon to customers.

 

 

Take a look at the series of articles Jim has written so far on this fascinating topic:

Amazon Flipping: A Weird New Way People Are Making Money Online

Finding Items To Resell - Amazon Flipping Update

Amazon Flipping: Deciding What Items To Sell on eBay Instead

Planning To Pocket $500 On My First Amazon FBA Shipment

Saving Time By Using A Desktop Scanner Device

These Toys Bought For $76.85 Will Be Sold For More Than $300

So how much money can you make doing this? It is really up to you. While there are people who make their full-time livings doing retail arbitrage, the practice lends itself especially well to those people looking for a way to make some extra money without having to get a second job outside of the home. To help you learn more about retail arbitrage, including the practical, detailed information you need to know in order to actually do it successfully (to include ensuring that you’re buying the best items for resale and not paying too much for them), we have created an online course called Amazon Flipping. The programs now consists of webinar workshop video training totaling well over five hours, as well as admission to Jim’s private Facebook Group devoted exclusively to retail arbitrage, and 60 days of unlimited email Q&A with Jim personally. The cost of this program is $99, and while we sincerely believe that you’ll find the features of this program to be worth far in excess of that sum, we’re going to add to that value this weekend, by throwing in, as a bonus, your own desktop scanner, which you can use to completely sidestep the hassle of having to type in the bar code numbers whenever you add a new product to your inventory.

 

This offer…the complete Amazon Flipping program plus the bonus desktop scanner…will be good until Sunday, February 8, at midnight Eastern. Click HERE to join now!

Free Desktop Barcode Scanner With Your Order Prior To Midnight Feb 8, 2015

How The Richer Get Richer With IP And You Can Too...

There are currently two homes being built on the street where I live.  The sound is obnoxious and the air is dusty. The good news is, however, that it should all be over in about two months and my own house will go up in value with these nice additions to the neighborhood. I am currently doing a large amount of property development myself, and I plan on living on the income from it during my later years.  I also expect to leave the income streams from these properties to my family upon my death. The development I am engaged in may surprise you.  No, it is not real estate.  In fact, it is not even a physical asset at all - it is intellectual property (IP).

IP is perhaps the most exciting type of property to own. There have been quite a large number of very notable items of IP that you may have heard about.  One of the most newsworthy over the years has been the catalog of music written and recorded by the Beatles. Michael Jackson outbid Paul McCartney in 1985 when the back catalog of the Beatle's works were sold at auction by the then owner, Associated Television Corporation. Years later when Jackson was in financial trouble he sold a 50% interest in the catalog to Sony for a whopping $95 million dollars! Paul McCartney has been reportedly furious over the years to have to pay Michael Jackson and Sony a royalty each time he performs or records one of the songs that he wrote and made famous.  As the headline above indicates, the rights will revert back to McCartney on his own songs in 2018 (per the 56 year time limit established by the 1976 U.S. Copyright Act).  

We enter the strange and highly profitable world of intellectual property...

From Wikipedia -

Intellectual property (IP) is a legal concept which refers to creations of the mind for which exclusive rights are recognized.Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. 

There are very big players today in the world of IP, and many IP transactions are not for just millions, but billions of dollars.  Rather than buying other people's IP, there is another side to this game for those with a little creativity (and willing to put in a modest amount of effort).  It is almost as good as having a license to print money (maybe even more valuable once you fully grasp the concept). Creating your own IP and generating recurring monthly income may be one of the most powerful concepts available today for the average person to build their net worth.

How To Get Rich Creating IP - 27 Year Old Amanda Hocking Did It

I am not a songwriter like McCartney, but a book writer.  I want to give you a real life example of how a single small piece of IP can come to life and become worth more than $100,000 dollars in the bank. Consider the possibility of sitting down over the course of a month and putting together a short eBook of 50 pages in length.  Next, list that eBook for sale in the Amazon Kindle store for $5.  Let's make the math easy and assume that you pocket $3.50 for each sale.  If you sell 30 books monthly, you will earn about $100 each month ($1,200 per year). In order to generate $1,200 annually from a CD paying 1 percent, you would need to deposit $120,000. Yep, your little eBook now has an income value equal to that of a $120,000 CD!

Take a look at the article to the left that outlines the story of how a 27 year old became a millionaire generating income through IP. 

How Much Income From IP Do You Want?

After getting a grasp of this concept, the only question left to ask is, "How many pieces of IP do you want generating cash for you monthly?"  I am honestly amazed at how few people know about IP and how easy it is to cash in on.  President Obama earns more than $70,000 monthly from IP and the media rarely mentions this fact. I am planning on following in his footsteps (in this one isolated case). Obama earns nearly $1 million dollars annually from IP (royalties on his books). The smartest and wealthiest people in the world understand the value of an income producing asset. Most would not think twice if given the choice between a one time large payment or a substantial ongoing monthly payment (answer: they would take the monthly payment). 

Social Security vs. IP For Retirement Income

The current average monthly Social Security benefit for someone retiring today is about $1,200. In the example above, just twelve small IP assets would equal the income of what most people are retiring on. Even if you are a big saver and amass a $1 million dollar nest egg, that is likely only going to produce about $800 monthly based on current bank CD rates. Again, it is quite amazing that just eight small IP assets would be like having a million in the bank!

Why Creating Your Own Publishing IP Is Easier Today Than Ever

In the past, authors and artists had to go through publishers and record companies. These companies were very shrewd and ended up owning the IP of the author/artist (or controlling the lion's share of the income from it).  In fact, the IP wealth of just the publishing industry in New York City alone would be measured in hundreds of billions of dollars. Today, anyone can publish their own eBook and keep 100% of the IP rights and earn 60 to 70% of the royalty income from the retail sales. Yes, just another amazing change that the Internet has brought to the business world.

  

I have had so many people ask me how to get started, what are the steps to sitting down and writing an eBook of their own, how to get it edited, published to Amazon, and get that first check, that I decided to make available an online course on e Book publishing. What you will find especially unique about my course is that it includes unlimited access to me personally. There is no doubt that you will find other courses somewhat similar to mine if you do a Google search (although most are much more costly), but none will include unlimited access to an actual author of more than thirty books. Check out my e Book publishing course and let me know if you have any questions by sending an e mail to jim@ChristianMoney.com.

Special Bonus Offer - Writers Reference Library

In addition to the already huge library of training materials available to members of my eBook marketing program, I have assembled an amazing library of the most powerful resources for writers. I want to give you this reference library as a special bonus for joining my eBook training program! This special Writers Reference Library is my free gift to you if you join us at the Silver Level or higher.

Stephen King On Writing - Yes, the guy that writes all of those scary books has written an amazing book for writers. You will find this book on the shelf of any serious writer today. King shares his story of how he got started writing as a young adult, while raising his family in a trailer! This is a 288 page paperback book that I will rush to you after your enrollment.

How To Write And Sell Non-Fiction - It is one of the highest rated books on all of Amazon on the topic of writing for the Kindle market. This is an 89 page eBook (you don't need a Kindle to read it). We will purchase this book on your behalf and send you a link to read it online (or on your Kindle or iPad).

The Shortcut Publishing Method - In this two hour video, I will share with you how to write and publish an eBook within just two weeks! This video is a digital download, and you will have immediate access to it after placing your order. 

The New Rules Of Marketing And PR - How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly. One of the big questions new writers have is how to get publicity. Publicity is a big key, but is easier than ever using the Internet. No, you don't need to hire an expensive New York PR firm, you can be your own publicist. I love this book and have had it for some time now. These are the same strategies I use to get the word out about my books. I will rush this 464 page paperback book to you after your enrollment.

Discoverability - If you find yourself listening to any writers podcasts or browsing any writers forums, you will recognize this title right away.  For writers, discoverability means the difference between gaining an audience and publishing into the void. Now, USA Today bestselling author and renowned business blogger Kristine Kathryn Rusch deftly tackles the topic of discoverability in this latest WMG Writers’ Guide. I will rush this 330 page paperback book to you after your enrollment.

One huge secret to share: You don't even have to be a writer as there is a way to get other people to write your books for you.  This arrangement is totally legally and you can find 'ghost writers' for peanuts if you know where to look online.

The Free Writers Reference Library Offer Will Be
Honored Until Midnight Eastern Feb 2, 2015 ***

*** Must Enroll At The Gold Level Or Higher

Helping you make the most of God's Money (and IP)!

James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com 
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
Christian Financial Advice 
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio

How He Lost 250 Pounds - The Gregg McBride Story

http://www.christianmoney.com TV writer Gregg McBride joins Jim Paris Live to discuss his new book, Weightless. Gregg shares his weight loss journey, from growing up as a fat kid to reaching an adult weight of more than 450 pounds. What he did to lose more than 250 pounds, and how he kept it off. In the interview he shares how being overweight took a personal and emotional toll on him. Gregg offers practical advice on how to learn to eat less and consequently lose weight. This is not a fad diet, eat many of the foods you eat now - just eat less.

Christian Scam Charity Shut Down - Profitable Sunrise

http://www.christianmoney.com On this episode, Jim discusses turning 50 and the surprise party that his wife and friends threw for him. Jim also shares what happened on his latest Amtrak train trip, and how a Burger King customer accidentally received $2,600 instead of the crispy chicken sandwich they ordered in the drive-thru. The latest on the Profitable Sunrise scam, Nancy Jo Frazer, and what the state of Ohio did to finally shut down their scam charity that targeted Christians.

New Digital Currency Offer From Jim Paris

Our 1,000 Ripple XRP giveaway to new annual subscribers generated a remarkable response (and the offer officially ended last week). We received quite a few e mails, however, from individuals seeking a way to get in on the free digital currency, but with a more modest financial outlay. We are excited to open up a special offer today (good until Sunday night January 25 at midnight Eastern). All you need to do is sign up for a monthly subscription and we will bonus you 300 Ripple XRP. Our monthly subscription has an initial enrollment of just $37 and then $9.95 monthly (cancel at any time). To find out more about Ripple digital currency and why we are so excited about it, here is a an excellent article to read.

A Growing Library Of Videos For Subscribers

If you are at all aware of what ChristianMoneyPlus has to offer, you will know about the huge amount of content available to subscribers. We have been especially excited about the videos we have been able to include in the member's library. In recent weeks we have added the following new video workshops -

 

On this two hour video, Jim Paris and Bob Yetman go through the step by step method that they used for years to rebuild hundreds of clients’ credit scores. As partners in a mortgage firm they counseled people with recent bankruptcies, foreclosures, and all manner of damaged credit. This video outlines exactly what you can do to raise your score 100 points in just 100 days. Based on their Amazon.com bestseller.

 

 

 

On this two hour video, Jim Paris and Bob Yetman provide one of the most complete overviews on budgeting that you will find anywhere. Low tech and high tech budgeting options, software, and worksheets. The most common budget mistakes. The pros and cons of integrating your budget system with your other financial accounts. Cloud based options vs. desktop software and much more.   

 

 

 

 

On this two hour and 40 minute video, Jim Paris and Bob Yetman provide a resource you will not find anywhere on a topic that no one wants to discuss -What To Do When You Can’t Pay Your Bills. Finally a resource for those that are going through a financial crisis and need to understand what to do to survive until their financial situation improves. 

 

 

 

 

On this two part video (total running time approx 75 minutes), Jim Paris and Robert Yetman share how to search for lost money. This video covers nationwide searches, state by state, federal search strategies, and even how to locate lost life insurance policies.  

 

 
 

 

 New Video Coming On Home Buying

I am also excited to announce that we filmed a new video yesterday that will be added to the libary next week. It is a 2 1/2 hour workshop on home buying. The video covers every aspect of the process from deciding how much you can afford to buy, to financing, to closing costs, mortgage qualifying and much more. This video will be available at no cost to ChristianMoneyPlus subscribers, and we have many more exciting videos that will be added soon.  

Perhaps the most popular feature of ChristianMoneyPlus is the unlimited Q and A benefit available to members. Simply log in and use your member dashboard to send me your personal finance questions. I love answering these questions throughout the month! Everything from how to replace cable TV with free Internet TV, to getting a free home phone for life, to legally opting out of Obamacare. What is truly unique about ChristianMoneyPlus is not just the wealth of information members can tap into, but the opportunity to interact with the authors on an unlimited basis. 

Helping you make the most of God’s money!

James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com 
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
Christian Financial Advice 
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio

Crimes On Cruise Ships Update

Jamie Barnett, President of The International Cruise Victims Association, joins Jim to discuss the death of her own daughter on a cruise ship. Ashley Barnett mysteriously died on a three day Carnival Cruise. Her mother Jamie warns of unknown risks on cruise ships, including stories of rapes, murders, and missing persons. What are your rights when you are on a cruise ship? What legal jurisdiction has authority? If you have a medical emergency will you have access to a qualified doctor? What are the risks of leaving your kids in the care of cruise line employees? How can we change the laws so that passengers will be more protected and require cruise lines to make criminal statistics publicly available.

Save Thousands By Switching To A Prepaid Cell Phone Plan

Jim discusses his move from an AT&T contract cell phone plan to a Virgin Wireless prepaid plan. Why he switched and how much money he will save. The low price of gas has given lawmakers the idea that they can raise fuel taxes. A gallon of gas already includes about 50 cents in taxes. Jim is outraged that there is now talk about increasing fuel taxes beyond current levels.

Making The Decision To Go With A Prepaid Cell Phone

Prepaid cell phones are no longer just for those with bad credit. You will also find prepaid cell phone equipment options very similar to their contract phone competitors. Like many families, we have been on a contract for many years with our cell phones. As our children reached high school age, we ended up with a contract plan with 5 phones on it. Over the years the bill has grown to point that something simply had to be done, and our kids are now all young adults.

Why Contract Phone Arrangements Are A Terrible Deal

My falling out with AT&T began a few weeks ago when my wife temporarily lost her phone. I went into our local AT&T store and explained to them the situation. I could not have been more clear about the situation, but I ended up in a complete nightmare nonetheless. The salesperson told me that based on my plan I could get a very basic phone for my wife for $1. All I had to do was to agree to keep this line for two more years, and I was fine with that. We had no plans of dumping AT&T.

I told her that this was probably a good option for us and that my wife would likely find her lost phone (which she did end up doing). I wanted to be sure that this was not going to cost me anything more than the $1. For example, I know that historically when I have picked up a new phone with them there were activation fees, a month in advance was billed, and all together it was not an insignificant sum that was added to my next bill. If that was going to be the arrangement on this 'temporary phone' I would have simply walked out without it and let my wife take a few more days to be sure that her phone was really lost. 

My next bill arrived with an array of problems and new charges that I had not expected. Not only were there one time charges, but my wife's line was moved to a new plan (doubling the cost of her line going forward). This was just not acceptable, and I was very upset about it. I called AT&T and then said that I had to go back to the store where this all happened to get it straightened out. I attempted to call the store repeatedly and no one answered the phone (for three days). This went on for three days until I relented and went back to the store. Even after speaking with the store manager, the bill was still not completely corrected. In the meantime, we had been hit with more than $30 on our bill for going over the data in our plan. 

We returned the little phone and had to pay $30 for them to take it back, and on and on... I had also grown tired of being the guy receiving the bill for more than $300 each month and then having to collect prorata shares from my adult children. 

Making The Decision To Go With A Prepaid Phone

I had been reading about all of the great prepaid phone deals, but thought these would be companies with terrible coverage and off brand equipment. I need a good smartphone to keep up with my various Internet businesses and especially when traveling. My wife and I signed up with Virgin Mobile. We bought new phones for a total of $140. When the phones arrived, I was able to set up our accounts and transfer our phone numbers within a couple of hours. Honestly, I was shocked at how easy this all was. Had I known, I would have done this long ago.

Our monthly cost will be less than $90! We pay our bill in advance on the Virgin Mobile website and there will never be any surprises. No overages, no tricky salespeople to wrangle with, I just love it. My son also went with Virgin. My two daughters wanted to keep their iPhones and they went with StraightTalk. The only wrinkle with moving over to a prepaid plan is the issue of equipment compatibility. Most smartphones are programmed to only work with the carrier that sells them. I am sure that this is all about holding people captive (just like they used to do with phone numbers before the law was passed requiring to let you port your number when you leave). Virgin does have iPhones, but you can't take an AT&T iPhone and move it to Virgin. Straight Talk is a prepaid plan that works with AT&T phones, so this worked out perfectly for my daughters.

I bought my wife an LG Optimus phone for $69 and for myself an HTC Desire 510  for $86 (both Android). We are both very happy with these phones, having used them now for about three days. There are a wide variety of phones available for Virgin and the other prepaid companies. We bought these phones from Amazon, which has phones for all of the major prepaid plans at great prices.

Early Termination Fees 

To get away from AT&T I had to swallow a few hundred in early termination penalties. It will take about six months for my savings to offset my penalties, but the savings for years to come made this an easy decision. 

Hotspot Options

If you use your cell phone as a WiFi hotspot (like I do), one of the drawbacks of the prepaid cell phone plans is that many don't make available this option. I signed up with FreedomPop  and bought a USB hotspot for $20. The plan I went with is $10 a month and should provide more than enough data for the occasions where I am away from home and can't connect to free WiFi. So, even with the FreedomPop subscription I am still below $100 monthly. 

Do you have a prepaid cell phone plan? Use the comments section below, and we can start a conversation.

Helping you make the most of God's Money!

 James L. Paris 

Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
Christian Financial Advice 
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio  

ChristianMoney.com Video Library

It may be one of life's scariest moments. You realize that there are significantly more bills than you have money to pay them with. It might be the result of overspending for months or even years, on the other hand it could simply be the loss of a job and no emergency savings to fall back on. 

We don't seem to have much to offer people in such predicaments within the Christian community. Consider it tantamount to offering an exercise program or a cholesterol pill to someone having a heart attack. The standard Christian financial budgeting workshop will have little to offer to those in need of emergency assistance. Who do you call? What do you do? What happens when your creditors start calling? What if you end up being sued? Even worse, what if find yourself in foreclosure or facing the B word - BANKRUPTCY? Read More  

Budgeting is truly the foundation of our personal finances. It used to be a simple matter of employing a yellow pad or even a small ledger book, but today there are a dizzying number of methods of budgeting. The truth is, however, that it does not have to be as complicated as we make it. My mother is a 71 year old widow, and is by no means wealthy. She gets by just fine, and I asked her the other day if she had a budget. My mom simply explained that on the first of the month she pays all of her bills. Whatever money she has left over has to last for the month. Oh, if it could be that simple for everyone! Read More

 

Some people host an Internet talk show simply to build a following. This becomes their base for marketing their latest eBook, driving traffic to their blog or website, or generating speaking engagements. Some hosts get sponsors, while others promote affiliate products during their show. One interesting business model is that of Adam Corolla. He offers his current episodes for free, but charges for access to older shows. Corolla recently settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit over the profits from his podcast. Corolla's 20 million monthly downloads landed his podcast in the Guinness Book Of World Records.  Read More

 

Simply put, you find low priced items to buy and then turn around and sell them at a higher price on Amazon. People are buying a wide array of items (both new and used), and pocketing a quick profit by selling them on Amazon. Some of the popular categories include books, music CDs, VHS tapes, board games, electronics, video games, toys, textbooks, and even groceries! Read More

 

 

 

  

This is the time of the year when people start to scramble for extra money. The first idea many people come up with is to sell unwanted items. I love the idea of having a big garage sale, or simply selling things you don't need on eBay or Craigslist. Most of us could easily pick up a few hundred dollars (and as a side benefit end up with a clean garage). I want to share with you in this article is how to tap into an asset you already have that could be worth thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars). Read More 

 

 

  

They are officially known as affiliate programs, and most people simply don't know about them. In fact, on occasion when I have mentioned the idea I usually get very skeptical reactions. Why would Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, or any of these companies want to give me a nickel of their Christmas money? It's simple - YOU have an advertising value. You may not realize it, you may have never cashed in on it, but just like ads purchased on radio or TV, or in a newspaper,these retailers want to advertise on the YOU Channel (insert your own name).  Read More

   

 

One of the most common misunderstandings about credit repair is the amount of importance given to negative accounts. When most people begin to review their credit report, the first thing they are drawn to are the so called 'bad accounts.' They mistakenly believe that if they could just clear up these items they would end up with a good score. Oddly enough, tinkering with these accounts will usually do nothing to raise your score, and will many times do just the opposite. Read More

   

 

 

I am very excited about our new two hour video, 'The Shortcut Publishing Method.' I embarked on this topic a bit backwards. I filmed a two hour video first, and am now in the process of writing the ebook version. Of course, it is always smart to make available content in different formats. In this case, however, I have a feeling that the video will be especially popular. One of the distinct advantages of the video is screen sharing. This allows me to really 'show' students while we are explaining these new concepts. Just one example; I took a few minutes to demonstrate Amazon's new eBook pricing tool. Being able to take viewers into the dashboard of my Kindle Publishing account and show them how to use this was invaluable. Read More