Business

Common Goals That Leveraging Credit Can Help You Reach

Published

4 years ago

July 24, 2020

We often think of our credit scores as just something we’ll need down the line — when applying for a loan or renting an apartment. However, leveraging credit (which can only be done with an ideal credit score) may be the answer to achieving some of our biggest life goals.

Many don’t often think of credit as a way to fulfill these goals, and instead believe they must first make the money required to achieve them. But, in the spirit of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad, one of the smartest ways to build wealth is to use “other people’s money.” This includes credit.

Not only is leveraging credit fairly straightforward, but it’s simply the smart thing to do – and it comes with its many perks, which can help you achieve other life goals. Just ask Colin Yurcisin, who’s been named the “Credit King.” He teaches students of all ages and backgrounds how to leverage credit to meet these goals and desires: many of which he’s been able to achieve in his own life with credit. His course, Credit Class, gets into all of the details on how to make credit work for you.

Here are the most common goals that leveraging credit can help you reach.

Starting a business.

There’s no way around it – starting a business typically takes some upfront capital. Even if you’re “bootstrapping,” there are websites, domain names, initial contractors – and these costs can feel significantly discouraging for first time founders. However, Yurcisin believes in the power of business credit.

“Business credit is truly a wonderful thing, especially because of the higher credit limits,” said Yurcisin. “Business cards typically give three times your highest personal credit limit – so if your personal credit score allows you to spend up to $5,000, a business card would allow you to spend $15,000 upfront,” he noted.

It isn’t just access to the capital, but what the capital can do for you in the long run. “There are many business cards that offer incredible deals upfront, so you can access capital and then get money back, or points to apply towards free travel.”

One of the cards that Yurcisin recommends in his Credit Class is the Business Ink Unlimited from Chase: it offers $500 cashback if you spend $3,000 in the first three months, 1.5% cash back on ALL purchases, and most pertinently: 0% interest for twelve months. This means you don’t have to pay back your initial investment for twelve months, which is plenty of lead time to make that money back. Yurcisin shared that with the Chase Business Ink Unlimited and Business Ink Cash you get 0% for 12 months and will just have to make small minimum monthly payments.

Buying other businesses or investments.

Credit is also commonly used to buy businesses or other forms of investments, such as real estate. Rather than applying for a business or personal loan from the bank, consider using credit, since you can get up to 1.5% cash back. Here’s one way to think about it: if you buy an Amazon e-commerce business for $10,000, you get $150 back. If you’re going to spend the money anyway on buying up businesses or other investments, you might as well get cash back.

Again, a twelve to fifteen month lead time to make the money back from that investment on these credit cards is ideal, as loans from a bank typically have high interest rates and payments start immediately upon accepting the money.

Traveling the world.

Finally, many entrepreneurs prefer to be digital nomads and travel the world constantly – or, at the very least, have a great vacation from time to time. This is also something Yurcisin lives by and helps with. “By leveraging credit, you can upgrade to a hotel’s most premium and lavish suite for pennies on the dollar of what someone else is paying for it,” he explained. In fact, many credit cards – such as the Chase Sapphire – make traveling in luxury easier than ever.

“Here’s an example: You can transfer your points from your Chase Business Ink Unlimited card to your Chase Sapphire Reserve for 1.5x more redemption points, so what you spend in your business can secure points that you can spend on travel,” he explained. And, that’s not even scratching the surface on what some credit card rewards can offer you: luxury lounge access at airports, such as the Centurion Lounge through American Express Platinum, free upgrades to first class, free checked bags, and more.

The beauty of leveraging credit is that you don’t need to choose just one of these three goals – they’re all accessible and possible through credit. Yurcisin’s Credit Class teaches the ins and outs of all available credit cards, how to repair or raise your credit score, and which order to get which credit card to maximize your line of credit and the rewards that you can access.

Business

Turning Tragedy into Triumph Through Walking With Anthony

Published

3 days ago

April 18, 2024

Rosario Farell

On the morning of February 6, 2010, Anthony Purcell took a moment to admire the churning surf before plunging into the waves off Miami Beach. Though he had made the dive numerous times before, that morning was destined to be different when he crashed into a hidden sandbar, sustaining bruises to his C5 and C6 vertebrae and breaking his neck.

“I was completely submerged and unable to rise to the surface,” Purcell recalls. “Fortunately, my cousin Bernie saw what was happening and came to my rescue. He saved my life, but things would never be the same after that dive.”

Like thousands of others who are confronted with a spinal cord injury (SCI), Purcell plunged headlong into long months of hopelessness and despair. Eventually, however, he learned to turn personal tragedy into triumph as he reached out to fellow SCI victims by launching Walking With Anthony.

Living with SCI: the first dark days

Initial rehabilitation for those with SCIs takes an average of three to six months, during which time they must relearn hundreds of fundamental skills and adjust to what feels like an entirely new body. Unfortunately, after 21 days, Purcell’s insurance stopped paying for this essential treatment, even though he had made only minimal improvement in such a short time.

“Insurance companies cover rehab costs for people with back injuries, but not for people with spinal cord injuries,” explains Purcell. “We were practically thrown to the curb. At that time, I was so immobile that I couldn’t even raise my arms to feed myself.”

Instead of giving up, Purcell’s mother chose to battle his SCI with long-term rehab. She enrolled Purcell in Project Walk, a rehabilitation facility located in Carlsbad, California, but one that came with an annual cost of over $100,000.

“My parents paid for rehabilitation treatment for over three years,” says Purcell. “Throughout that time, they taught me the importance of patience, compassion, and unconditional love.”

Yet despite his family’s support, Purcell still struggled. “Those were dark days when I couldn’t bring myself to accept the bleak prognosis ahead of me,” he says. “I faced life in a wheelchair and the never-ending struggle for healthcare access, coverage, and advocacy. I hit my share of low points, and there were times when I seriously contemplated giving up on life altogether.”

Purcell finds a new purpose in helping others with SCIs

After long months of depression and self-doubt, Purcell’s mother determined it was time for her son to find purpose beyond rehabilitation.

“My mom suggested I start Walking With Anthony to show people with spinal cord injuries that they were not alone,” Purcell remarks. “When I began to focus on other people besides myself, I realized that people all around the world with spinal cord injuries were suffering because of restrictions on coverage and healthcare access. The question that plagued me most was, ‘What about the people with spinal cord injuries who cannot afford the cost of rehabilitation?’ I had no idea how they were managing.”

Purcell and his mother knew they wanted to make a difference for other people with SCIs, starting with the creation of grants to help cover essentials like assistive technology and emergency finances. To date, they have helped over 100 SCI patients get back on their feet after suffering a similar life-altering accident.

Purcell demonstrates the power and necessity of rehab for people with SCIs

After targeted rehab, Purcell’s physical and mental health improved drastically. Today, he is able to care for himself, drive his own car, and has even returned to work.

“Thanks to my family’s financial and emotional support, I am making amazing physical improvement,” Purcell comments. “I mustered the strength to rebuild my life and even found the nerve to message Karen, a high school classmate I’d always had a thing for. We reconnected, our friendship evolved into love, and we tied the knot in 2017.”

After all that, Purcell found the drive to push toward one further personal triumph. He married but did not believe a family was in his future. Regardless of his remarkable progress, physicians told him biological children were not an option.

Despite being paralyzed from the chest down, Purcell continued to look for hope. Finally, Dr. Jesse Mills of UCLA Health’s Male Reproductive Medicine department assured Purcell and his wife that the right medical care and in vitro fertilization could make their dream of becoming parents a reality.

“Payton joined our family in the spring of 2023,” Purcell reports. “For so long, I believed my spinal cord injury had taken everything I cared about, but now I am grateful every day. I work to help other people with spinal cord injuries find the same joy and hope. We provide them with access to specialists, funding to pay for innovative treatments, and the desire to move forward with a focus on the future.”