From: dfavor@logan.tivoli.com (David Favor)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Charles Givens Organization
Keywords: overpriced
Date: 21 Jul 92 12:57:21 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Jul19.043528.1129@cirrus.com>, lando@cirrus.com (Dave Landis) writes:

|> I got the minimum membership package with CGO and though he does
|> say some good things, what he says is expensive. Magazines such
|> as Money or even Givens book are a better value than the membership.

sounds like you were unsatisfied with your membership. I am curious as to how
much you saved after working through the 30-day planner. if you made/saved less
than $1000 for the year did you exercise the guarentee clause and get at refund?

in particular which strategies in the financial library did you research?
which did you implement? which of these gave a good return? which of these
gave you a poor return? which of these caused a loss?

|> Given tends to exaggerate figures.  An example his video tape on
|> purchashing cars is called "How to save $5,000 every time you buy
|> at car" is thrown in with the basic membership package.  I'm sorry,
|> Chuck, but my car sold for $10K.  The dealer would have laughed in
|> my face had I offered $5K when the sticker price was $11.5K

hum... I see your point... I think he is considering vehicles in the 20K+
range. I guess I missed this discrepency because I also normally think in
a 20K+ price range. to be accurate the savings should be a percentage.
 
|> You can use the strategies that he mentions or go to your local library
|> (for free) and read books and magazine articles that give you the
|> same data without all the hype.  He also recommends cutting
|> unnecessary insurance and invest the difference.  The stuff
|> that he recommended cutting would have saved me $30-$40/month.
|> I was better off trimming in other areas other than insurance.

what strategies have you extracted from other sources and how much have
you made/saved by implementing these strategies. the minimum membership
package costs $399. if the insurance strategies were able to save you
$40/month that's $480/year... that means the insurance strategies payed
for you membership in 10 months. also $40/month at 15% interest for 30
years is 280K+. seems like a fair return for a $399 investment.
 
|> I was told when I joined that I had to subscribe to the magazine
|> "Success InSight" for $80 per year.  Frankly, I think it is a piece
|> of JUNK.  The July cover story "Tell Us Your Story" by Charles Givens
|> wife Adena, tells me very little on how to make MY money go further.
|> The purpose of this is to get members to tell others how Given's
|> strategies have improved their lot in life.  Fine.  I'm glad if anyone
|> improved their lot, but hey, for the amount of print used in this
|> magazine, I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick.
|> Another space waster is "Announcing the Software Contest Winners".
|> It talks about software packages that rated high with members, but
|> there is little substance.

I agree that the newsletter could be improved. have you written to the
"Success InSight" staff voicing your complaint? it appears to me that
one of the thrusts of this magazine is to... draw the organization together
as a family. since the magazine is edited by Givens he can do as he wishes,
but for me personally I'm with you, I would prefer a more meat and potatoes
approach instead of so many empty calories. much of the information I
extract from the newsletter is geared more toward monitoring the direction
of the different Givens divisions, however, for most this is not particularly
useful information. I vote you write in your complaint.
 
|> To add injury to insult, they put loads of advertisements in the back
|> of Success InSight, or information about one of their departments.
|> July's was "TV Production Department".  Way too much of the magazine
|> is devoted to more "Rookie of the Month" fluff...AD NASEUM....

I agree 100%.

|> One of the adages that they use in their seminar sessions is that
|> you can't become rich if you share your money with everyone else.
|> I'd recommend that you not enrich CGO, he's just too expensive.

I only take advice from people that are wealthier than I am. last check
I made Givens was worth $150-$200 million. it appears that only a fraction
of these assets were generated via his products/services. the bulk of his
wealth appears to have been generated via leveraged investments in securities
and real estate. his style seems to be... taking on investment partners that
make him large returns while he relaxes on the beach. in my book this is
optimal business.

I agree, each person should enrich themselves. for some people the strategies
from the Givens Organization are highly beneficial. for others there may be
more useful ways to enrich themselves. I first heard of Charles Givens in
September of 1991. since then I have used his strategies to save over $10,000
in taxes, convert my software consulting income from W-2 to an S Corporation
and started two sole proprieterships, begun structuring a self-directed IRA
which will allow me to invest in real estate using tax deferred funds and
tax deferring any gains. these are just a few of the earnings/savings I have
enjoyed since our relationship began. like any relationship there are pros
and cons... for me this relationships has more pros than cons so I sustain it.
Newsgroups: misc.invest