So my living is made as a money "guru" and because of that, and the exposure on TV, some people think I get fed up talking about the stuff. Enough is sometimes enough and there is a saturation point.
I’m often asked if I get irritated by people’s inability to get their finances straight – despite the best of my advice. "They’re not listening to you," people say to me. But the answer is I’m patient and I’m not fed up. Money, and educating people about it, is my calling. My mission if you like. My satisfaction comes from people taking on board what I say and making something positive happen to their finances.
You see my objective has always been to make the information being presented understandable to the person who must use it when implementing my plan. I try not to be judgmental; I see no benefit in it once the person has acknowledged that they need help.
What I strive to do is be honest, direct, and clear. I want to leave as little room as possible for the person to misinterpret, especially emotionally, what I am saying. I choose my words carefully to make the person receptive to and accepting of the message I am trying to deliver to them.
My goal is to motivate them, to make them feel positive about their abilities to achieve the goal they set for themselves today and in the future. 4
Money, you see, even when you are having fun with it, is serious stuff. And it can be dangerous.
That’s why I’m delighted to welcome you to this magazine, where we have fun with money and we get serious with it. Money buys not just what you fancy and what you think you might need, it buys the necessities. It pays for your home, it protects you through insurance, and it keeps you in your old age through pensions. It’s there everywhere.
The more you know, the more you understand, the better advantage you can take with your money.
That’s why the articles in this magazine have all been written with an awareness of "the reader over my shoulder". Many of the questions people have asked me away from the camera – during my book tour, in restaurants, in airports, on trains, on streets, and, yes, even in bathrooms – were in the back of my mind, and also in the minds of the other contributors, as we selected the topics and wrote the articles.
I hope this latest issue continues to demystify money, to help people get themselves out of debt, and to guide people toward those decisions that will help them create more stable and prosperous financial futures – for themselves and their families.
In short, I want you to help yourself – as I have done for myself. Let this issue spur you to take action, instead of just thinking about doing something.
