TED Community » Michael Barber

About Me

Michael A. Barber is a second generation auctioneer and real estate agent. His family has been serving the needs of North Carolina for nearly 40 years. He is a graduate of Campbell University (BAS in Applied Science), FSU (MA in Mathematics Education) and UNC-CH (BA in Mathematics). He is a veteran who served in the US Naval Submarine Service where he was awarded the Navy Medal of Achievement (the highest peace time award). Michael is an adjunct professor of finance at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He is very active in the community promoting community musical events and educational fund raising in Wilmington and Hampstead area of NC.


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More About Me

I'm passionate about

I am passionate about a great many things. However, the two topics that are currently all absorbing are; financial illiteracy of the public at large and protection of the North Carolina coastal areas

An idea worth spreading

The most important idea that I have been exposed to is this: "that it is possible for everyone in the United States to be independently wealthy". I am currently collecting data on trends of the wealthy and it appears that they tend to be very passionate, hard working people. Wealth does not prevent anyone from being productive, but rather tends to make people more productive. Wouldn't it be something if everyone was "infinitely wealthy" at their level of income (meaning that their wealth would sustain them indefinitely at their spending level if they no longer worked). We normally think of "wealthy" as richy rich, but what if your wealth produced $40K/yr. and that was all you used? Chances are that you would continue to work and be productive without the pressure to sustain yourself. Chances are even better that this lifestyle would make you more productive and you would become even wealthier. Chances are that you would also live a much happier life. Wouldn't that be great?

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