Luxury Safes by Buben & Zorweg – Protect Your Prized Possessions

Buben & Zorweg exemplifies ultimate luxury at its best and this year, the luxury brand celebrates two decades in the global luxury business.

The company began in 1995 when best friends Harald Buben and Christian Zörweg started offering luxuriously crafted watch winders to both encase and care for self-winding watches.

Keeping your expensive belongings safe and secure is a top priority. People use safes for a variety of reasons such as a fine watch or jewelry collection, gold bars, stock certificates, sports memorabilia collection and more. Buben & Zorweg is a world leader in bespoke, luxury safes to both safeguard and savoir your prized possessions.

What sets luxury safes from Buben & Zorweg apart from others is their goal of utilizing the early 20th century Art Deco era to incorporate luxury materials and expert craftsmanship into timeless objects of beauty.

Since the company was formed, they have been serving the most discerning and demanding clients from around the world, including CEOs, royalty, movie & music celebrities, sports stars and more!

Christian Zörweg was quoted, “We’re thrilled to mark our 20th anniversary. True luxury is to be found in the details and Buben & Zorweg is rarefied luxury at its best. We invest thought into every detail – from searching far and wide to hand select rare macassar ebony with the perfect grain and colour, to the way the doors of the Buben & Zorweg Object of Time Aston Martin One77 glide open and close remotely at the touch of a button.”

Buben & Zorweg is currently developing their Agartos timepiece with a bespoke color aluminium wood chassis – which offers a choice of an amazing one million color options.

The luxury brand is also working on their One-77 luxury safe (photo above). It will feature an exterior to perfectly match the exterior of a client’s personal Aston Martin One-77 Supercar. Wow! Once finished, the safe’s door will play the sound of the owner’s own Supercar engine starting up via the safe’s hi-fi system.

If you need even more to be impressed, consider the new safe will be the only one in the world with an interior that elevates at the simple touch of a button.

The unique difference is the team at Buben & Zorweg routinely spend many hours with their clients to fully understand their needs and wishes.

Co-founder and director Christian Zörweg states, “We pride ourselves in thinking of every eventuality, on both design and security aspects.

Buben & Zorweg use the most secure electronic system for safes, originally developed for use in the basements of Swiss banks. Once our clients start talking about personalizing a Buben & Zorweg safe or interior, they become as excited as small children.”

This German luxury brand is at the top if its game. They offer seven standalone boutiques and over 25 in-shop boutiques. They are present in over 100 countries.

If you would like additional information about luxury safes and other products from Buben & Zorweg, please contact us today. Return to follow our luxury blog and stay abreast of other luxury industry news and product announcements.

Photo: Buben & Zorweg




Beautiful, Handmade Backgammon Boards From Turkey

Cemas is located in Istanbul, Turkey and this Turkish company imports, exports and manufactures it’s own machinery products, but also offers stunning backgammon boards.

These top quality backgammon boards are handmade and are literally a piece of art. The luxury boards are made from walnut tree and include handmade brass filigree and original inlaid with genuine, mosaic mother of pearl made from the Red Sea Oyster.

To give each board a luxury look, they are carefully handpainted with olive oil. The final board is incredible with such attention to detail and expert craftsmanship.

These custom, handmade backgammon boards are available in various designs and sizes. Each creation would be a focal point in your home, office or even in a hotel lobby or game room. The ultimate in luxury decor.

If you want to receive additional information about the handmade boards, contact us today. Follow our luxury blog for other luxury related news and industry announcements.




Now You Can Own a Fairy Tale, Private Castle in Italy!

Italy has long, rich history of culture and incredible castles. Dozens of private castles across Italy are now up for sale.

Dimitri Corti is the CEO of Lionard Luxury Real Estate, and says his firm currently has 37 castles for sale, but there are over 70 throughout Italy in their portfolio.

So what’s driving the abundance of private castles? Corti states, “The high maintenance costs and the increasing tax burden on properties have convinced many owners, whose properties have often been in the family for generations to evaluate sales opportunities aimed at the foreign market.”

Prices for a private castle ranges from €1,200 to €8,500 per square metre for properties of great charm and value, in perfect condition,. Some tof the castles for sale are already being used as a tourist accommodation, or as a farm.

Two, great historical figures from Dante’s Divine Comedy are Farinata degli Uberti (c. 1212-1264) who was one of the damned souls in Hell, and the Sienese noblewoman Sapia Salvani (c. 1210 -1278), who was one of the envious souls in Purgatory. Both these characters are associated with two castles in Tuscany – Castello di Sapia near Siena and Castello di Tavolese near Florence. Now you can purchase one of these famous castles and become part of history.

Piedmontis the city where yo uwill find the best value properties. For example, one of the most eye-catching castles in the Monferrato area is surrounded by a park with age-old trees, 5,962 square metres of perfectly-restored indoor space, and a sixteenth century guesthouse. The asking price for this castle is about €7 million.

Another example is Acquabella that is located in the gorgeous setting of the Vallombrosa Nature Reserve, near the Abbey of the same name. The castle has been restored to perfection, boasting a total of about 5,000 square metres of indoor space.

An early 20th-century castle found on the coast between Livorno and Castiglioncello, provide stunning sea views. This castle has 700 square metres of indoor space over four floors and two crenellated towers. The castle property features a lush park with palm trees, oaks, age-old pines and exotic plants.

On sale for for €2.5 million is another property – Castello di Sapia. This castle was named after a main character in an episode of Canto XIII of Dante’s Purgatory. Located near Monteriggioni, Italy, this castle is nestled in the timeless countryside, but does need a complete restoration.

For those with a bigger budget and wanting a luxury castle, there were several that range in price between €10 and €20 million or more.

In Lombardy, you’ll find several manor houses for sale, including an impressive castle near Milan. This luxurious castle (photo above) is surrounded by a circle of medieval walls, protected by a typical moat, with six crenellated towers, the castle has 8,800 square metres of indoor space with adjoining stables, chapel and private cemetery. The property features a beautiful, Italian-style garden, in addition to a large swimming pool set in a nineteenth-century bath.

One impressive is castle is Castello di Tavolese. This amazing private castle once belonged to the illustrious Farinata degli Uberti and Canigiani families, Petrarch’s mother belonging to the dynasty of the latter. The castle offers 7,676 square metres of indoor space and 62 hectares of parkland. There are also other buildings on site such as a church and several farmhouses.

If you are interested in learning more about these private castles for sale in Italy, please contact The Life of Luxury. Return to follow this luxury blog to read about other luxury real estate news and luxury properties for sale.




Four Must Haves Your Financial Advisor Should Possess

When you select a financial advisor, it’s a very important decision. That person and financial firm they are associated with has a critical role in your financial well-being.

Whether you are currently choosing a financial advisor or considering one to help with you financial planning and retirement needs, the client-advisor relationship is important.

Many people today are not ready for retirement. It’s been reported by the Federal Reserve that 1 in 5 people do not have any money set aside for retirement. That is a very scary fact. How do you stack up?

Rodger Alan Friedman is a financial advisor and wealth management professional, plus author of the book “Forging Bonds of Steel.” Friedman was quoted, “This issue is making news regularly, and financial planning for retirement advertisements have spiked in recent years, in case you haven’t noticed.”

So what traits do you look for in a financial advisor. There are many advertisement out there all claiming they are the best. What is important to you?

Advisors also need to improve understanding their client’s needs. Just as every financial advisor is different, so are their clients. Some need a lot of guidance, some are very independent with minimal interaction.

– Here are four key attributes that clients should look for in a financial advisor.

• Empathy:
What is a client going through? Advisors must have their antennae up. Tears, anger, regrets and frustration are often bound with a person’s finances, and “I have met very few 22-year-olds who can fully understand the struggles, worries and dreams most people experience throughout a lifetime,” he says. Advisors have to develop an approach that helps clients feel comfortable in discussing difficult matters. The client needs to understand that the advisor truly cares and is not there merely for a transaction.

• Perspective & insight:
Perspective and insight are like twins: wherever there is one, the other is not far behind. Planners gain perspective and insight through thousands of hours of listening, collaborating, advising and acting as a steward of the financial assets and dreams of the families they serve. You know when you’re in the presence of these “twins;” it is often said that people with both see with their intellect – they possess vision. Clients should keep their antennae up for these traits when meeting a prospective advisor. Pay attention to how he or she may, as if without effort, intelligently guide the two-way conversation.

• Competence:
When advisors are unsure of themselves, it comes through. When presented with a set of facts, new advisors may not recognize what they are dealing with, or its importance. A seasoned advisor, on the other hand, has dealt with many clients with numerous problems several times over and knows what it takes to solve a problem. That’s why I feel that an experienced financial advisor is the best answer for someone in need of retirement income and financial planning. Also, financial advisors should be very well-read, with self-imposed reading requirements. Learning new ideas and revisiting old ones keeps veteran advisors fresh.

• Ability to listen:
“ ‘You have to have two ears and one mouth,’ my mother used to say; she made it clear that I should be listening twice as much as I was talking, and that advice has served me well in my life and career,” Friedman says. Clients come to an advisor for professional expertise, but they don’t want to be lectured. Advisors have to first listen to clients – their problems, needs and hopes – before offering a professional response. The conversation should flow easily both ways as an advisor and client get to the heart of matters in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

If you are looking for a qualified financial advisor to assist with your financial planning and retirement needs, contact us and we can assist recommending someone in your area. This luxury blog is a great place to follow the latest news in the financial industry.




Bill Gates Cruises In Style on “The Serene” Superyacht

When Bill Gates takes a family vacation, he goes in VIP luxury style. The Serene is a $330 million superyacht that features 12 staterooms.

Gates is renting The Serene for $5 million per week. The luxury yacht was anchored off the coast of Sardinia. Getting around isn’t a problem as the superyacht has a private helicopter and landing pad, so land excursions a breeze.

The Serene is 450 feet long and has seven decks. The megayacht offers its own saltwater pool, a library, health spa, climbing wall, plus an outdoor theater. For nighttime entertaining, enjoy the combined 48,000 square feet nightclub.

The Serene superyacht is currently owned by Yuri Scheffler, who’s a Russian and made his fortune as the distributor of Stolichnaya vodka.

Although Bill Gates doesn’t own a superyacht himself, he does enjoy renting them. Gates got married on the private yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The luxury yacht owned by Allen is named the Octopus.

Photo: Wikipedia

If you have dreamed of renting a luxury yacht, then contact us today. We have access to a wide ranges of superyacht that you can charter or even purchase. Be sure to return again and follow this luxury blog to read about other luxury travel stories.

Luxury travel




Avoid These Financial Mistakes and Don’t Take Big Risks

Having the financial freedom to do what we want is a dream for many people. If you desire to become a millionaire, anything is possible with hard work and sometimes a little luck. But there are some financial mistakes you need to avoid.

Many people look for the easy way out and don’t understand that setting realistic goals and having determination is just as important. Common financial mistakes should be avoided because they can quickly derail your drive for success and cause you to end up in a huge hole you can not dig yourself out of.

Mike Finley is a self-made millionaire and author of a book titled, “Financial Happine$$” to help others to avoid costly, financial mistakes. Finley also teaches a popular financial literacy class held at the University of Northern Iowa.

Finley was quoted, “You don’t have to be extraordinary in any of the headline-grabbing ways; what you need is the self-awareness to avoid wasting money on short-term, retail-priced happiness.” Here are Finley’s Top 10 financial mistakes to avoid:

1) Work a job you hate, and spend your free time buying happiness.
– It’s more important to find a fulfilling job during the week so you are not over compensating by some expensive, spending habits during the weekend.

2) Make the appearance of wealth one of your top priorities by acquiring more stuff.
– Avoid the temptation to to buy materialistic items so you can pretend to live a luxury life. These are not good investments, either financially or in long-term happiness.

3) Play the lottery as often as possible. While you’re at it, hit the casino!
– It’s an easy mistake to hope you strike it rich. It’s a very dangerous way to seek financial security.

4) When you come into some free money, spend it. You deserve it.
– That poor thinking says that a future version of you does not deserve that money. Take that money and wisely multiply with sound investments.

5) Live paycheck to paycheck and don’t worry about saving money. Live for today, that’s all that matters.
– How has that worked out for you so far? It’s important to plan for tomorrow and appreciate life and what you have today. Avoid unnecessary expenditures.

6) Run up your credit cards and make the minimum payments whenever possible.
– A common mistake many people do is pay extremely high interest rates on stuff you really don’t need just to live a glamorous life. It’s a sad waste of money.

7) Stop your education when someone hands you a diploma; never read a book on personal finance.
– Stay educated and keep up on financial news. a diplomas shouldn’t be the end of learning. Make it a goal to acquire wisdom. The time invested will reward you down the road.

8) Blame others for your problems in life. Repeat after me: I am a victim.
– Too many people point fingers and don’t take responsibility for their own actions. The victim mentality leads to poor habits and bad decision-making.

9) Treat those “amazing” celebrities and “successful” athletes as role models. Try to be just like them whenever possible.
– Many celebrities do live a model life and should be a role model. But many lead by a poor example. Don’t dilute your unique individuality by chasing a luxury lifestyle image. Be yourself!

10) Buy the biggest wedding and the biggest ring so everyone can see just how fabulous you really are.
– A wedding is a special day in our lives but do you really need to go into deep debt at a beginning of a wonderful marriage together? Don’t blow your entire savings on one evening.

We hope you enjoyed reading these financial mistakes to avoid. If just one person gets the message and changes his/her habits, then it was a success.

If you are struggling and ready to work with a financial advisor to help get you back on track, please contact The Life of Luxury and we can recommend a licensed professional to assist you today. Follow other financial news and tips like the above financial mistakes, by visiting this luxury blog.




SLS Beverly Hills Luxury Hotel Owned By Sam Nazarian – Now For Sale

According to a Bloomberg story, famous restaurant and nightclub owner Sam Nazarian, has listed his luxury hotel – SLS Beverly Hills for sale. Located near world famous Rodeo Drive, the hotel offers its guests the ultimate VIP experience.

The luxury Beverly Hills boutique hotel offers 297 beautifully decorated rooms and suites designed by Philippe Starck. The rooms are a mix of ultra-modern plus classic elegance. The hotel offers seven lifestyle suites that come equipped with personal gym equipment in addition to two hypoallergenic Pure Rooms.

The luxury hotel property has two signature restaurants run by Chef José Andrés.. The Bazaar offers an amazing fine dining experience that’s located in an indoor piazza that was also designed by Philippe Starck. Tres is the second luxury restaurant at SLS Beverly Hills and serves delicious tasting comfort food.

Sam Nazarian is founder and chief executive officer of SBE Entertainment Group LLC, which is the parent company of SLS. Nazarian was quoted, “We are confident the SLS Beverly Hills will sell for more than $210 million if you look at how the property is performing, the possibility to add on development to the existing hotel and the revitalization of that neighborhood.”

Sounds like there are current talks with three interested buyers about buying another the SLS property – the SLS Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Putting these two hotel properties up for sale is a focus by the company to target more on its management operations and capitalize on the gains from its real estate investments. Another property is located in Las Vegas – SLS Las Vegas Resort.

The sale of the SLS Hotel South Beach could close this summer and bring a price of approximately $126 million.

It’s not known what the selling price is for the SLS Beverly Hills, but there’ speculation it could be listed for over a whopping $200 million.

Nazarian feels the timing is right, “Our strategy is to move to the asset-light model,” he said. “The market is very hot right now. L.A. is trailing some of the bigger cities like New York and Miami, but it is recovering nicely. And Miami is as hot as it can be.”

Read more: Bloomberg




Billionaire Lifestyle – See How The Mega Rich Live

For many years, being a millionaire was an elite status that most of us could only dream of. Well prior to the recent worldwide recession, the economic gain by those wealthiest people has risen to unheard of heights.

In a world of about 6.5 billion people, there is a group of people so rich and so wealthy that the numbers are staggering. There are now 793 people who have the title of billionaire!

These billionaire people live a luxury life can go beyond words. The world is there luxury playground and they have all the money to do or buy as they please. It truly is the ultimate lifestyle of the rich and famous.

As a billionaire, your luxury lifestyle is often shielded from public life. But everything you do is on a grand scale – mega homes, private jets, super yachts, fine jewelry and around the world luxury travel.

This incredible video details who some of these ultra rich people are who live an extravagant and billionaire luxury life. It’s a VIP lifestyle to the extreme. Some of those wealthy people featured include: Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, King Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mark Cuban, Larry Ellison, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, Sir Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin & Larry Page, Stephan Cappon, Roman Abramovich, Wayne Azengus, Stavros Niarchos, Amanda Hearst.

This list details the top 10 richest people today, including their billionaire net worth, age, wealth source and country of citizenship.

1) Carlos Slim Helu & family (photo above)
$73 B 73 – telecom – Mexico

2) Bill Gates
$67 B – 58 – Microsoft – United States

3) Amancio Ortega
$57 B – 77 – Zara – Spain

4) Warren Buffett
$53.5 B – 83 – Berkshire Hathaway – United States

5) Larry Ellison
$43 B – 69 – Oracle – United States

6) Charles Koch
$34 B – 78 – diversified – United States

7) David Koch
$34 B – 73 – diversified – United States

8) Li Ka-shing
$31 B – 85 – diversified – Hong Kong

9) Liliane Bettencourt & family
$30 B – 91 – L’Oreal – France

10) Bernard Arnault & family
$29 B – 64 – LVMH – France

 




Fascinating Interview With Carlos A. Rosillo, Founder of Bell & Ross

Carlos A. Rosillo, is founder of the internationally acclaimed French watch company, Bell & Ross. The company has made a huge impact on the competitive, luxury watch industry since it first began over 20 years ago.

Bell & Ross is a French watch company founded in 1992. Words that define the Bell & Ross brand are: efficiency, legibility, and reliability. They had a goal of establishing a strong luxury watch brand and offer a luxury timepiece with an efficient chronometer, to meet the desired needs of the industry’s most demanding aviation user.

We wanted to get a first hand perspective from Mr. Rosillo’s thoughts about the luxury watch industry plus insight into the Bell & Ross approach to watch design, engineering and marketing.

Could you give our readers a brief summary of how you view the Bell and Ross brand today?

We created extremely precised collections that immediately categorized us as a “niche brand”! But I do not dislike this image, in a way, it describes us as a brand that “knows what it wants”, which has a clear objective, who presents a solid collection, and that is for customers that have personality.

The watch company was founded back in 1992. As you look back on your first twenty years with Bell and Ross, what have been the most significant developments?
The difficulty was the upkeep of this specificity, in its development in time, facing competitors that weren’t staying still. We had to conciliate a permanent renewing and the creation of a real collection that remains faithful to our direction.

How did you get involved with watches? Where did the interest come from?
It was a long-time dream project that I conceived with my childhood friend and associate: Bruno Belamich. We both shared a common passion for the watch industry, and a common goal to create utilitarian watches suitable for professional use adhering to strict military specifications where function takes precedence over design. In 1992, the big jump. Bell&Ross’ adventure was started…

What does Bell and Ross want to achieve in the next twenty years?
We are positioning on the professional and technical watches segment where our iconic and timeless Instrument model is ranked as the key model. Our goal for the next years will consist in staying the course and maintaining the brand’s fundamentals while innovating constantly.

Of All The Models You Currently Make, What Is The Watch That You Think Welcomes Customers Into The Brand The Best?
Our iconic timepiece: the BR01 Carbon or the simple idea to turn a cockpit instrument panel clock into a wrist watch. It takes its inspiration from the aeronautic instrumentation, an absolute reference as far as readibility, reliability and performance are concerned.

What Percentage Of Thought Goes Into Movement Conceptualization Versus Pure Aesthetics?
For the basic models we aim to maintain a good balance between quality and price.  As for the high end pieces, for which we do not have no price or material constraints, we can really create our own work of art, by developing our own specific movements thanks to collaborations with the best watchmakers. Our last collections are the proof of this trend as we use mechanisms either developed in cooperation with the best watchmakers like we did for our Tourbillon models or the Jumping Hour, either working with prestigious suppliers like Dubois Depraz or La Joux-Perret.

However, we develop our creations based on a key principle: “Every detail has its own meaning and function.” To design and manufacture watches, the designer adheres to precise specifications, focusing above all on the needs and requirements of professional users. Functionality is key, and minimalism is vital. Our motto is that the essential is never compromised by the superfluous. All our watches are therefore designed according to four fundamental principles necessary for the completion of missions under extreme conditions: legibility, functionality, precision and water-resistance.

Steve Jobs Once Said “I’ve Never Used A Focus Group, I’ve Never Used a Consultant to Design a Product,” Are Things Done The Same Way At Bell and Ross? Who Is In Mind When A New Piece Is Conceived?
Everytime we design a watch we try to think of the professional that will be using the instrument and start from there. We do not proceed with a market analysis.

Bruno Belamich’s role is to think of the collections every year. He dedicates part of his day thinking about what we want to do next in terms of design. As the Creative director of Bell & Ross, he is totally involved on all aspects of the Creative process of each timepiece. But we work as a team and this is what I call the combination of expertise. We use the combined skills and know-how of master watchmakers, engineers, professional users and designers in order to refine each watch design into something exceptional.

The Aviation collection is our favorite; do you have any plans to make any changes to the current BR models?
The BR Instrument collection had all the required qualities to become a classic: it has become an icon, it is unique, and its design is timeless. As far as the future is concerned, instrumentation is at the heart of our inspiration, but we are concentrating on the tools that are vital to piloting.

Several “High-End” Watch Manufactures Have Built Less Expensive Lines To Bring Younger Buyers Into The Brand. Does Bell and Ross Have Any Plans To Do That?
Our starting point to create a new model or a collection is always the same: does it make sense for a professional that would be using his Bell & Ross watch as an instrument?

This approach generates generally more added value and sophistication in the watch than the opposite…

Are you aware of any famous people who wear your luxury Bell & Ross watches?
We do have famous actors or sportsmen wearing our watches. But what matters most is to know that professionals or military people are using them. They are the reason why we create those utilitarian timepieces; they are therefore our best ambassadors.

There has been a lot of attention given to investing in watches as a more secure market than traditional methods. Do you think Bell & Ross offers a collector or investor the chance to have strong returns in the future?
I think that with the launching in 2005 of the BR 01 square case watch that became our iconic timepiece lots of our customers became collectors. Our impactful limited editions like the BR01 Airborne, the BR01 Instruments but also our Vintage WW1 Jumping Hours have also contributed to increase the number of collectors, all these models being sold out in no time.

But the watch that embodies all the Bell & Ross know how in watchmaking is the BR Minuteur Tourbillon. This exclusive timepiece is the proof of our watchmakers’ excellence as it incorporates four watchmaking complications: a tourbillon, a Flyback timer, a power reserve indicator and an independent small second.

At Bell & Ross we always search to produce high quality, perfect reliable and very impactful timepieces in keeping with our four creation principles: legibility, precision, functionality and water resistance, that became our DNA.  It is very important as well to accompany our customers with high quality services in harmony with the brand’s universe.

In Your Opinion, What Is About To Change In The Watch Industry?
The watch making industry is always changing to adapt to the evolution of the demand and market rules… and the current period is particularly active! One of the things that strikes me is the strong change in the clientele segmentation with the fast development of new markets such as China.

There are so many great brands out there today, assuming you weren’t the President of Bell and Ross, what would be on your wrist?
A FP Journe timepiece like the Chronometer Blue.

Who Else within the Industry Do you Really Respect and admire?
I do have a certain interest for few brands like François-Paul Journe or Jacquet Droz.

Since This Is Your First Profile With Us, Can You Tell Us More About Your Life Outside of Watches?
I am passionate with Asia where you can find serenity, a service and a cultural tradition that doesn’t exist anywhere else. I am also an architecture, and art aficionado. And I love to cook.

To purchase a luxury watch from Bell & Ross, please contact The Life of Luxury. Follow our luxury blog for the latest luxury watch news and fine watch product releases.




Don’t Be the Next Hacking or Identity Theft Victim

Protecting your identity and credit should be a top priority for everyone. Identity thieves work hard to steal your personal information to commit fraud, so be careful and prepared to protect your security.

Recently big retailers have been hit by hackers including both Target and Neiman Marcus. At least 110 million consumers were affected by the hack and the numbers may rise as the investigations continue to unfold.

It’s important to prevent identity theft from occurring by managing your personal information carefully and staying one step ahead of the thieves. Take precautions and don’t become an identity theft victim!

CEO of Merritt Ventures, Inc, Scott A. Merritt has put together a list titled “7 Tips for Protecting Your Identity & Money.” Merritt knows first hand the troubles one must deal with because he was a victim of identity theft himself back in 2006.

Before you become an identity theft victim yourself, take the important steps now to prevent a financial disaster from happening down the road. Here are Merritt’s seven ways to guard against becoming an identity theft victim.

1) Secure your wallet’s information. Photocopy everything in your wallet: photos, credit cards (front and back), membership cards – everything. Put the copies in the order the cards are arranged in your wallet, staple the pictures and place them in a strong box or safe.

2) Understand how and where it happens. Identity theft is like being robbed when you are away from home; most thefts occur in places where you do business every day. Either a place of business is robbed, a bad employee acts improperly or a hacker breaches the office through the computer.

3) Protect your banking information. While in the bank, keep account numbers and other data out of sight, and avoid stating account numbers, Social Security numbers and similar information out loud. When planning a bank visit, have items such as deposits and withdrawal slips prepared in advance.

4) Account for your interactions with vendors. Every time you speak to someone with whom you do business, write down the time, date, name and the purpose or outcome of the call. If an identity theft occurs on the vendor’s end, you will be able to reference these prior conversations effectively. Be sure to note any animosity or reluctance from the vendor.

5) Secure your digital habits and data. Change your passwords at least twice a year on a non-scheduled basis – don’t be predictable. Have a strong firewall if you shop online, and only access sites that are protected by a strong firewall and high industry standards. Access accounts of a financial nature only from your personal computer.

6) Don’t carry around your birth certificate or Social Security card. Unless it’s necessary, keep those vital items in a safe, or at least a firebox. If you know someone is going to need a copy of your tax returns or your driver’s license, for example, make the copies ahead of time. This avoids the need for a firm’s employee to leave the room with such information.

7) Make sure your information is consistent. For all of your identity and financial documents, make absolutely sure, to the smallest detail, that all of your personal information is accurate and consistent! Discrepancies such as using your middle initial on some documents, and not others, or having different addresses, can wreck havoc in proving your identity, and can compromise your credit score.

If you feel you have become a hacking or identity theft victim, take immediate action. You can contact The Life of Luxury and we can help put you in touch with a professional who can help.




Working Toward Financial Independence in 2014

As 2014 is well underway, many people are still in a financial mess and trying to dig themselves out of a mountain of debt. Well make 2014 the year of your financial independence.

Rick Rodgers is a Certified Financial Planner and president of Rodgers & Associates, and is offering “5 Steps to Take Toward Financial Independence in 2014.” Your goal should be to save something from every work paycheck this year. Keep increasing it until you are saving at least 10 percent of your pay.

You will need to make some changes in 2014 that you can stick with for the rest of your life. It’s never too late to begin. Gain your financial independence and make positive changes in your financial life.

Here are five helpful financial tips that can make a significant impact on your financial future:

1) Credit cards should be a last resort. Spending less than you earn will cause your savings to grow. The savings account will be there when the car breaks down or the washing machine goes out, so you don’t have to turn to credit to handle the emergency. Most Americans are not prepared financially for any type of unexpected financial burden. Your goal should be to have three to six months of living expenses set aside in a liquid account for emergencies.

2) Spend less than you earn. If you take home $1,000 per week, you cannot spend more than $1,000 per week. That seems simple, but a survey released by Bankrate.com in 2013 found 76 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Resolve to live on a budget that’s below your means. You will never be able to out-earn your capacity to spend, so get your spending under control this year.

3) Pay less in taxes. Anyone looking for a place to cut expenses might start with their own tax return. Too many Americans pay more taxes than they should. Take advantage of tax retirement accounts through work and health savings accounts, if they’re offered. There are tax credits available for children, higher education, dependent care and retirement savings. Many of these credits go unclaimed each year. Resolve to minimize your income taxes this year and put the savings into your new financial plan.

4) Invest for financial independence. This is not the same as saving for retirement. The goal here is to get to the point financially where you no longer have to work to support yourself. Set aside some of the money you’ve worked for today. Allow it to accumulate and grow so one day that money will be working for you. Start by controlling spending so you have money to save and invest. Continue the process until the return on your investments exceeds what you earn by working. Financial independence gives you the freedom to choose to continue working, change jobs, work part-time or not at all. It is the ultimate financial goal.

5) Make a plan. Baseball great Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you wind up someplace else.” This is especially true if you want to be financially independent. You need a short-term financial plan for controlling spending — a budget. You also need a long-term plan that establishes the level of savings you maintain, a plan to get out of debt and an investment plan that will take you to financial independence. The plan becomes your road map. There will be detours along the way; your goals and plan will need adjusting as you progress in life. Keep working at it. Don’t be distracted by outside influences you can’t control. You don’t want to get to the end of your working career only to find you haven’t saved enough to maintain
your lifestyle and you still have a mortgage on your home.

Remember, it’s never too late to start. Financial independence may seem like a pipe dream, but begin the journey in 2014 and keep it going.

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact The Life of Luxury and we can help put you in touch with a financial professional in your area.