J. L. Collins - The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life

The Simple Path to Wealth Copyright 2016 by JL Collins. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior written permission of the author.

jlcollinsnh.com

Cover Design: Carol Chu

Cover Illustration: Trisha Ray

Interior Design: Mary Jaracz

ISBN-10: 1533667926

ISBN-13: 978-1533667922

First Kindle Edition

Front Matter

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my daughter Jessica, for whom it is written and who inspired me to write it. And to the readers of www.jlcollinsnh.com whose questions and comments over the years helped me more fully understand what those aspiring to financial independence want and need to know.

Disclaimer

The ideas, concepts and everything else in this book are simply my opinion based on what has worked for me and what has kicked me in the ass. It may not continue to work for me and it may not work for you.

While I hope the book answers some of your questions and provides valuable guidance, I cannot possibly know the full details of any readers personal situation or needs.

As the author, I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information in this book and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

You are solely responsible for your own choices. There are absolutely no guarantees here.

Acknowledgements

I am an avid reader. As such, I have read the acknowledgement page of many books. Ive always scoffed. Sure, Id think to myself, some people might have done a bit to smooth the rough edges, but the real heavy lifting was done by the author who is now just being nice.

Then I wrote this book.

Editing

The Simple Path to Wealth wouldnt exist were it not for my editor, Tim Lawrence ( www.timjlawrence.com ), and that is no idle or simply kind assertion.

His guidance has certainly made the finished product a far better piece. But his relentless encouragement, persistence and faith in the value of and need for the book are what finally dragged me across the finish line. He even relentlessly forced me to pare down my use of the word relentless of which I am overly fond. But as he is not editing this Acknowledgement page, I get to slip it in again thrice more.

So arduous was this task, near the end he fled for the peace and sanctuary of a monastery. Im pleased to report, after half a year, he has returned to the rest of us.

Since then he has been living nomadically. Last I heard he was somewhere in Southeast Asia. He writes about adversity and resilience.

Remarkably, he is still speaking to me.

Cover Design

Since the moment I first shared it as a work in progress, the cover of this book has received rave reviews. My guess is you would have given it one too had you been asked. So when I say designer Carol Chu ( www.heycarolchu.com ) did a brilliant job, I do so without fear of contradiction.

Where such talent comes from, who knows? I can tell you, she was a White House intern in the 90s (before Monica Lewinskys time) and shes burned through three passports; collecting stamps from Haiti, India, Estonia, Japan, France, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Italy along the way. The Russian border patrol once detained her, seizing her passport.

Shes been a professional designer for over 15 years and outside of her day job, shes illustrated three books and authored two. She restores and sells mid-century furniture with her poet husband as a side hustle. They met in a blizzard.

All that is well and good, but when it comes to her success with this cover and working with me, my money says the key is that experience with the Russians.

Cover Illustration

I love the illustration on this books cover. Ive been friends with Trisha Ray ( www.trisharay.com ) dating back to my bicycle trip thru Ireland where she and her then fianc kidnapped me, hauled me up to Galway for a music festival and then abandoned me on the side of the road to find my own way back. How could we not wind up friends?

She has lived and worked in twelve countries on four continents and currently resides in New Mexico with her musician partner and a worried cat. Now that she has sold her import/export company, she has more time for her travels with backpack and sketchbook. Her book, Meanwhile, Back in Los Ranchos , is filled with her wonderful illustrations and short, well told stories about the adventures that lead to them. I was arrested twice. Once for reckless parking and once for grave digging. I was guilty of both.

There is even a story, with pictures, about me in there. But not about my kidnapping.

Interior Design

Mary Jaracz has worked as a professional graphic designer for nearly 15 years. Shes won awards for her book designs, a rock band T-shirt design, and for her homemade Oreo recipe.

Easily lured into a challenge, shes learned a variety of art forms including glassblowing, ceramics, wood block carving, and fabric design. Mary and her husband enjoy trying to keep up with their late 1800s historic home and their two sons. She can be contacted at maryjaracz@gmail.com.

Should you need the inside of your book designed, or just a good Oreo cookie recipe, I strongly urge you to do so. Assuming, after dealing with me, she ever accepts another assignment.

Proofreading

Because I am a bit obsessive, I used two proofreaders. The two I found each had a bit more than just professional proofreading expertise.

• Dr. Kelly Paradis has a Ph.D. in atomic physics and currently works as an academic medical physicist at a major medical center in the Midwest. So, of course, when she raised her hand to volunteer I told her she wasnt quite educated enough to proofread The Simple Path to Wealth .

  Her graduate work focused on the application of trapped atoms for quantum information and she now applies the principles of physics to treating cancer with radiation therapy, speaking both nationally and internationally about research applications in the field. So, then I figured, Well, maybe.

  In addition to the proofing, she also checked all the math. Probably because she had learned to question my judgement.

  When shes not in the lab lighting things on fire or blowing them up, Kelly, her husband, and their cat Apollo write about their own journey to financial independence at www.frugalparadise.com .

• Rich Carey is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force so, of course, I told him he didnt rank highly enough for this task.

  He has spent most of his 16-year military career overseas. In this time, he has worked with NATO, the United Nations, various foreign militaries and law enforcement organizations, and has even been involved in international peace negotiations. He is fluent in Chinese and also speaks Japanese. More importantly, for my purposes, he is a native English speaker.

  His avocation is financial independence and his approach has allowed him to pay off his D.C. townhouse and student loans in six years. He also has purchased several rental properties which he owns mortgage-free. He writes about his journey at www.richonmoney.com .

Fact checkers

As the concepts, opinions and approaches presented in this book often run counter to the norm, it was especially important to me that the facts be correct. So I used three fact checkers.

Two of the very smartest writers on financial independence out there today are the Mad Fientist of www.madfientist.com (a financial blog that includes the occasional travel post) who is still trying to preserve some of his privacy and Jeremy Jacobson of www.gocurrycracker.com (a long-term slow travel blog that includes the occasional financial post) who doesn't care.