Money is energy

Everyone knows the proverb that money makes the world go around. Given how most of us feel about money, this may be only a slight exaggeration. The task of earning and managing money dominates many of our waking hours and our personal relationships are often affected by the intense emotion associated with it. Exploring money and how we relate to it, therefore, feels somewhat like bringing up an uncomfortable topic at a dinner party.

Why bother discussing it then? Simply put, understanding the principles of money can help you manage your physical, mental and spiritual health.

Each dollar, nickel or penny in your pocket represents a unit of energy, specifically the energy you invested to earn it. You can use that unit of energy to get the things you want and need, things in which other people invested their energy to produce. This energetic nature of money is clearly evident in its development.

The money we earn can serve as an excellent barometer of our current energy conditions. The emotions we experience as we work are stored not just in our bodies, but also in the money we earn. The value of the money we possess infuses with the emotional energy experienced as we earn it. If we hate what we do for a living, our earnings stand for kind of sacrifice. Every paycheck seems diminished because the work never seems equal to the effort. In contrast, when we love what we do, the money takes on very little extra meaning... it is just money.

Of course, whether earned in suffering or joy, that money does represent a certain value in society. The money we bring in and accumulate allows us to purchase goods and services. We may have positive or negative feelings about the amount of money we have stored, depending on the lifestyle we desire. The more expensive our target lifestyle, the stronger our feelings about our monetary worth will be and the more intense our feelings if dissatisfaction will be if our earnings do not allow us to afford the lifestyle we desire.

However, we can learn to generate and accumulate money in a way that empowers us. The key is to have a clear and realistic purpose with regard to earning and saving money. Money, like Ki-energy, must circulate to remain healthy. It can be accumulated and stored to increase power. But if must be used or else it will stagnate. To use money does not mean to simply spend it, but rather to invest it. Investing some of your money towards the fulfillment of your life goals keeps it circulating and gathering value.

Ask yourself, "What is the purpose of earning money? Why do I need money?" Draw a clear relationship between money and how you plan to attain your specific goals. As you may have experienced, there are many times when the purpose of earning money is not clear to you as you thought. Money is not an extension of our identity. If we begin to equate our self-worth with our monetary worth, we create a false sense of self. The key is to realize that our true selves are far more powerful than any amount if status gained through money, and that money is simply an energetic tool to be used for the creation of a purposeful life.

Just as we can break the connection between our identity and our earnings by investing in the fulfillment of our life goals, we can dissipate the undercurrent of fear in our transactions by making sure our regular expenses do not exceed our regular income. This is commonly called budgeting. For a budget to reduce anxiety, it must not be designed out the same fear already connected to how you spend money. The start of this process is very simple, just pay at least as much attention to the energy half of your transactions as you do the monetary half.

You have already taken the first step; the awakening that money is energy. With this insight, practice paying attention to how you feel when you deal with money. Continue watching until you can see your behaviors, actions, and feelings around money. For the sake of your budget, write them down. Record how you actually spend your money and what you feel during each transaction. Then comes the hard part, accept. Without judgment, accept that this record of your expenses reflects your current spending habits and the emotional attachments related to them. Once you have completely exposed your relationship to how you spend your money, you can choose with confidence how you want to spend it going forward.

Ultimately the goal here of exploring money as energy is not just about improving our relationship with money; it is about empowering ourselves to create more fulfilling lives. The missing link between a renewed awareness of money's energetic nature and living a more fulfilling life understands the source of the fears surrounding money. All of our fears around money are based on a simple, yet powerful belief, that the resources of the world are scarce, that there is not enough for everyone.

The catch is that it is hard to truly live in abundance with habits formed in scarcity. The tendency to hoard money rather than gather and circulate it is the biggest of these habits. Look again at your attitudes toward earning, saving and spending money and see if a belief in scarcity helps explain any anxiety you feel. The biggest paradox with the philosophy of a scarcity is that it is a self-fulfilling one. The fear of not having enough leads people to take more than they need and to hoard energy in all forms, which leads to the uneven distribution of wealth that plagues our world.

Once you remove this anxiety, and the related impulse to hoard, you can feel confident in using and consuming just enough. The moment you feel you or your family might go without, the urge to hoard arises immediately. Resist the urge and practice instead the techniques of money management based on the principles of energy. If you pay attention to your body and your soul, you will know when you have enough, in any given energy transaction. Living so that you use and consume only as much as you need to fulfill your commitments and life goals begins to create abundance.

As more and more of us subscribe to the belief in abundance, and manage our consumption accordingly, we will ensure that there is enough for everyone. As you master living in abundance, you will find that your capacity for peace, joy and fulfillment will expand.

About the Author:

Lauren Larsen is a holistic clarity consultant specializing in energy medicine, healing and spirituality. She offers private and group programs that will assist you in becoming the "conscious observer" of your life by addressing your sense of identity, personal character, life goals, spiritual beliefs, and relationships. You will discover that true prosperity begins when you shift your mindset to become a "whole soul" total package. For more information and monthly specials, articles and to join mailing list please visit her website at http://www.claritywithlaurenlarsen.com

Money

10 Rules Before Investing In Precious Metals or Rare Coins

Hello again, this is Richard Schwary (Gold coins, silver bullion, gold bullion, silver coins and PCGS Certified Coins at www.golddealer.com | America's Coin Dealer) and these ideas will save you time and money. If you have questions or would like to voice your own views my email is RSchwary@aol.com. Thanks for reading and good luck investing.  

 

1. Throughout most of 2008 gold has moved sideways between roughly $700 and $1000 an ounce. This almost predictable pattern should be seen as yet another chance to buy those bullion coins or bars needed to protect your financial ship in a stormy sea. I believe we are in the middle of great wealth redistribution in the United States, and with money supply figures exploding the folks who own gold and silver bullion will be in a better position to weather this storm. Stick with lower premium hallmarked products and develop a plan to purchase on a regular basis. This systematic approach will reduce natural market volatility and give you a chance to become familiar with the process. While using this approach ask your dealer about his “buy” and “sell” prices and the process involved when selling product back to him. Is cash available when you want to sell? There are a few bullion products which are reportable but most are not and knowing the difference will save you time and trouble. These are important questions, so if you get the runaround find someone who can answer them honestly.

2. If rare coins are desired for diversification, insist on one of the two recognized grading services. I prefer PCGS over NGC because they have a longer track record, are publicly traded (CLCT), and I believe their grading standards are more consistent, but I appreciate there are other opinions. Believe it or not there are millions lost each year because some folks consider “certified coins” a generic term, and anything in a plastic holder with the word certified on it is accepted. There are dozens of certification services and only one that I would recommend: PCGS is the industry standard, so why settle for less?

3. There is virtually no room for bargaining with a bullion purchase but with certified rare coins the story is different. Always shop rare coin price and certification service, especially if the dealer is new to you or you have been solicited on the phone. Most professionals will bargain if you are polite, and there is always some room in any rare coin investment. Also let me add that most legit rare coin dealers work on between 5% and 20% markup from wholesale depending on relative rarity and difficulty in finding an example. So don’t offer a real dealer 50% of the selling price, as he will think you are an idiot, and you will lose a valuable source of pricing information and liquidity.

4. Be wary of the “confiscation” argument when it comes to buying gold because unethical dealers use this to move you from a low profit bullion coin to a high profit alternative. This is called a “steer” in the trade and it goes like this: “You know that bullion coin you are considering could be confiscated by our government, as it was done in 1933 and could happen again.” You think this guy is doing you a favor and ask for a better bullion alternative so he suggests this “low price Swiss 20 Franc dated before 1933”. What he does not tell you is that on your first bullion coin choice he makes a modest $20 an ounce, but on his alternative the telemarketer pockets a whopping $100 an ounce and now places you in the sucker category. Because you did not figure the price per ounce for each coin the spot price of gold could double and you will not make a dime on the second choice. Actually the Swiss 20 Franc is a popular bullion coin; we sell a carload of them, but make sure the price you pay falls within the acceptable bullion range. And don’t go for this old story: “Our 20 Francs are more expensive because they are hand picked and better quality.” All of these small bullion coins are imported from the same two international sources by every coin dealer in America, and we all pay the same price and receive the same quality.

5. Before you invest your hard-earned money understand that not all gold coins are similar just because they contain gold. A PCGS graded rare coin may be made of gold but is far different from a similar looking bullion coin. This is not to say the PCGS coin should be avoided, it just means you need to do your own homework before the purchase. The bullion coin will cost you its weight plus a premium which will vary according to availability. The graded rare coin will run considerably more than its weight because you are investing in rarity, not metal content. The bullion coin will move up or down tracking the gold market. The rare coin brings its own price dynamic to the table. It is your job to understand these differences before you purchase if you want to be an informed investor.

6. There are many dealer organizations which promote good business practices within the coin industry. They all have a place, but there is only one which can represent you if you believe a dealer has not treated you fairly: The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). Every member is assigned a three digit number according to the year his credentials were impressive enough to be accepted. My number is 365, which was issued during the last ice age. Dealer membership is critical to your investment strategy because the PNG holds the member legally responsible for treating you fairly. The PNG arbitration process is simple and free to the public.

7. There is always confusion over Uncle Sam’s rules for dealing in cash. So here is the inside scoop: Federal forms must be filled out when you tender $10,000 or more in cash (the real green kind). The dealer will fill out Federal Form 8300, which asks a number of questions and includes your Social Security number. And you can't spend $5000 today and $6000 tomorrow trying to avoid this rule, as that is called a chain transaction and Uncle Sam does not like to be fooled. So here is the inside tip: If you pay for your stuff with a check or bank wire there is no reporting trigger regardless of the amount of money invested or the product chosen!

8. Delayed delivery programs involving precious metals are at least risky and could lead to disaster. The whole notion behind protecting yourself with precious metals is to have the product in hand if our currency melts down, so a certificate or promise to deliver is not the same thing. Also note that with premiums going through the roof for certain bullion products it has become popular to offer delayed delivery, which is code talk for you pay for everything now and wait until the dealer is good and ready to deliver. In the old days many dealers went broke before delivering product to their customers. Millions were lost in the 1970’s over this sleight of hand, so the only wait permissible in my book is for the clearing of funds. If your first bullion choice is “sold out” consider a low premium substitute which is not backordered, and you will sleep better for the choice.

9. Rare coins are graded by a credible third party service to take the guesswork out of the price equation. Bullion coins should not be graded because they are all basically the same and the grading process is not necessary. In the early days of independent grading (1986) bullion coins and other modern issues were not accepted by PCGS. But with today’s pressure to produce profits the services began grading bullion coins for the extra revenue. The problem then arises when a small number of unethical dealers sell these graded bullion coins to uneducated investors for shameful prices. I recently saw a great example of this on television as two pitch men sell certified Mint State 70 2009 US Silver Eagles for the “discount” price of $75.00 and you had better hurry as they are going fast. In fact a very nice example of the 2009 Silver Eagle can be had at most coin shops in January for less than $20.00. The unsuspecting investor gives the graded bullion coin the same status as the graded rare coin and thus is robbed of his investment capital. The poor souls that were sold certified bullion coins on television, or by their friendly telemarketer, will face a Madoff type scandal and legit coin dealers will be expected to clean up the mess. This rule is golden: Avoid graded bullion coins unless you don’t like your money.

10. Ask your dealer what specific plan he has in place to protect your private information. And don’t go for the old story about “we destroy everything”. That’s what they all say, and in my opinion fewer than 1 in 10 large dealers actually have a professional plan for shredding paperwork. We use Shred-It (Document Destruction - Paper Shredding - Shred-it) to destroy all unwanted notes and invoices. The unneeded paperwork is locked in Shred-It containers on each floor of the CNI Building, and once a month the contents of each station are destroyed with certification. Believe me if your dealer cannot describe in detail his specific plan your paperwork and important information is just being put out with the trash.



Richard Schwary
Gold coins, silver bullion, gold bullion, silver coins and PCGS Certified Coins at www.golddealer.com | America's Coin Dealer
1-800-225-7531

 

The Top 10 All-Time Rare Coin Price List

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Van Simmons

President, David Hall Numismatics

There are several thousand U.S. rare coins that are appropriate additions to any portfolio being built for maximum profit potential. But what are the best coins in this group? What are the very best coins to have in your portfolio?

I have compiled a rare coin price list that I feel represents the rare coin market’s 10 best bets for short-term, medium-term and long-term potential. Let’s call it “The Top 10 All-Time Rare Coin Price List.” These are the top 10 quality examples from the five most active, most liquid, most popular, and best performing areas of the rare coins market. Here are the criteria I used for my list:

My rare coin price list has at least one coin from each of the five major areas of the market: type coins, rare gold, silver dollars, 20th Century singles, and silver commems. I’ve also included coins in three piece groups: inexpensive coins ($50 to $1,000 for Gem quality examples), moderately priced coins ($1,000 to $10,000) and expensive (or, “Big Boy”) coins (over $10,000). As usual, all recommendations apply to MS64 or better quality coins only.

1. Saint-Gaudens

While this rare coin list doesn’t follow any specific order, I decided to put the $20 Saint-Gaudens first, because it is probably the world’s best-known coin. It is also one of the most beautiful coin designs in numismatic history. The coin has it all – beauty, popularity, rarity (in top condition), good past performance and, don’t forget, it’s almost exactly one ounce of “Oro Puro”! MS65. Saint-Gaudens is also one of the few coins that didn’t flop in price during the 1980-82 bear market, even though the price of gold bullion, MS60 and MS63 Saint-Gaudens tumbled. I have said it before, but it’s worth repeating – every portfolio should have at least one MS64 or better quality Saint-Gaudens!

[Editor's Note: This is the coin recommended by Investment U President Dr. Steve Sjuggerud - what we call the Secret Currency. If you want to invest in other types of rare coins, we recommend you start with one of David Hall's other nine favorites, detailed below.]

Rare Coin Price List Group One: Inexpensive Rare Coins…

2. Texas Commemorative Half Dollar

There are many excellent silver commemorative issues, but the Texas was an easy choice for number one commemorative on the Top 10 All-Time Rare Coin Price List. Between 1934 and 1938, approximately 150,000 Texas Centennial half dollars were minted. Probably 60% to 80% of those survive today. Of these, approximately 50% grade MS65 or better. So, this is not a truly rare coin, just a scarce coin. The thing that sets the Texas apart is the beauty of its design and the coin’s extreme popularity. In fact, no other U.S. issue is associated with as much regional chauvinism (i.e. support) as the Texas half dollar.

3. Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Like the $20 Saint-Gaudens, this is one of the world’s most beautiful coins. It is also extremely popular with coin buyers. Again, I’ve used the “most affordable” concept, though these coins are certainly not easy to find in top condition. And all five of the 1941 to 1945 Philadelphia issues make the rare coin price list-proof Walking Liberty half dollars are also great. They were only minted from 1936 to 1942 and they are a little more expensive than the circulation strikes.

4. Mercury Dimes

Mercury dimes and Walking Liberty halves represent the ultimate in 20th Century numismatic beauty and importance. Though the Mercury dime series stretched between 1916 and 1945, proofs were made only between 1936 and 1942.

Circulation strike Mercury dimes circa 1940 to 1945 are very reasonably priced, with Gems selling for less than $50. The proofs are a little more expensive.

Rare Coin Price List Group Tw Moderately-Priced Coins…

5. 1917 Type One Standing Liberty Quarter

Though this is one of the truly beautiful U.S. coin types, it was made for only two years. The exposed breast of Ms. Liberty caused such an uproar that they radically changed the design halfway through 1917. Since the 1916 is a five-figure rarity, this coin is effectively a one-year-only type coin. It makes the rare coin price list thanks to its collective beauty, popularity, importance and rare top condition.

6. Barber Half Dollars

Barber halves were minted between 1892 and 1915. They are one of the coin market’s most important issues. They are collected both by date and by “type” collectors. They are the rarest of the 20th Century sliver type issues. They are beautiful and important rare coins, and both Gem quality circulation strikes and proofs are wonderful.

7. Twenty-Cent Pieces

This odd coin was only made for four years – 1875 through 1878. The coin looked too much like a quarter to catch on with the public and there really wasn’t a commercial need for the denomination. Today, twenty-cent pieces are highly prized collector’s items. The design is the beautiful Liberty Seated type and all twenty-cent pieces are rare in top condition.

Rare Coin Price List Group Three: “Big Boy” coins…

8. Liberty Seated Dollars

This is one of the most beautiful coins ever made and one of the rarest of the major 19th Century U.S. types. Both circulation strikes and proofs are very rare. This coin is my number one favorite.

9. Early U.S. gold coins

From 1795 to 1834, the U.S. minted $2.50, $5, and $10 gold coins. In 1834, the gold content of our coins was lowered slightly and most pre-1835 gold coins hit the melting pot. Today, these early treasures of American financial history are rare in all grades and super rare in Gem condition.

10. Proof Gold

Today the Mint strikes millions of proof coins a year and sells them to collectors all over the world. In the 19th Century, the Mint struck a few thousand proof coins each year and only a handful of proof gold coins. Proof gold coins are the caviar of the numismatic marketplace… the beachfront property of rare coins. They are expensive, but they are super rare and demand is always sky high in both good and bad markets.

Originally published in A Mercenary’s Guide to the Rare Coin Market. For more information on David Hall, the Inside View newsletter and David Hall Rare Coins, go to www.davidhall.com. To buy or sell rare coins, contact Van Simmons of David Hall Rare Coins by e-mail at vsimmons@davidhall.com, or call toll-free, 800.759.7575.

Proof Gold

Gold Coins To Collect For Investment

by: Charles Roman

Why Gold American Eagle Coins are Popular among Collectors

Gold coins are a favorite of coin collectors with an eye toward investment. Not only are golden coins lovely to behold, but they also have a value that is guaranteed, due to their precious metal content. The value of gold coins is usually higher than the value of their weight in gold bullion, making them a better investment than the gold market alone.

Many countries produce gold coins for collectors or for commemorative purposes. These coins oftentimes emphasize unique aspects of the country’s culture. Australia reveres its national animal with the Gold Kangaroo, for example, while China has a Gold Panda with a lovely design that changes every year. Canada’s coin features a powerful national symbol with the golden Maple Leaf, and South Africa mints the Krugerrand. One of the world’s best selling coins, the Krugerrand features the South African national animal, the Springbok. Taking its place as one of the most popular gold coins among investors and collectors, however, is the American Gold Eagle. The American Gold Eagle stands out among other bullion coins because of its lovely design, and because its value is backed by the full strength of the United States government. 





The Beauty of American Eagle Gold Coins 
 
The Gold Eagle features a representation of Lady Liberty striding with torch in hand through a field of light rays on its front side. This image is inspired by a golden coin designed by Augustus Saint-Gauden and minted from 1907 to 1933. The Augustus Saint-Gauden Double Eagle is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful coins America has ever produced. On the flip side of the American Eagle gold coins is a nest full of bald eagles, the national bird of the United States. The nest represents the American dedication to unity and family. Furthermore, a special die is used when minting these coins, to bring the gold to an especially high shine and to make it easier to see small details in the design.


American Eagle Gold Coins have Guaranteed Value 
 
American Eagle gold coins are valuable not only for their lovely appearance, but also because they are the only bullion coin whose gold content is guaranteed by the United States government. Each American Gold Eagle is stamped with its exact gold weight, as well as its face value. They are minted from 22-karat gold, which by law must be pure gold bullion mined from within the United States. This guarantee of the authenticity of the precious metals used to make American Eagle gold coins is highly valuable to investors. 


Buying American Eagle Gold Coins 
 
Golden American Eagles were first produced in 1985 and come in a variety of sizes and values, ranging from the 1/10th oz American Eagle coin with a face value of $5, all the way up to full ounce gold coins with a face value of $50. Remember that most gold coins are worth more than their legal tender amount. Although they re not available for purchase directly from the U.S. Mint, American Eagle can be commonly found for sale in coin shops, on the internet, by gold dealers, and at coin shows. There are also variations on the American Eagle that are minted from silver or platinum instead of gold. 





About the author:
Coins and Coin Collecting http://www.coinsandcoincollecting.com: your guide to getting the very best from your coin collection.

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