“Dave, what can I invest in to get some better returns?” – This has to be one of the most common questions I get. Who wants to get 1 percent on a CD? Everyone wants the perfect investment. While I don’t sell products and I don’t get a commission, I will tell you a solid [...]
Self-Directed IRAs offer investors unique opportunities to diversify and purchase tangible assets in retirement accounts. Several Real Estate IRA companies have combined efforts to track investment purchases of real estate or real estate type assets in IRA accounts in Florida. Real estate type assets would include notes/mortgages (private lending), tax certificates or LLCs that purchase [...]
How many times have you heard it said we live in the greatest country in the world? We have running water in every building, store shelves are stuffed to the hilt, and pretty much the best health care in the world. We are not perfect, but we have it pretty good.
Today, we had one of the largest drops in stock market history. For retirees and soon to be retired, this is their worst nightmare. The last five years have been a disaster that continues to have no resolution in sight. Who would have ever believed it would come to this? I heard CNN blame Europe for much of our economic problems the last week, but our own house is a mess, and there is no leadership in sight from either party.
When someone hears 1031 exchange, they think real estate, but 1031 is incredibly diverse and flexible with a little planning. One sector of 1031 exchange that has really taken off is GOLD. Yes, you can exchange gold for other gold. Why exchange gold? If it is done properly, you avoid all the taxable gains on [...]
In our changing economic times, it is more important than ever to focus on our retirement planning and financial futures. For most of us, we have never seen the wild ride that the financial markets have shown us the last few years. Just as we check our calories, blood pressure and weight on a regular [...]
How do we make our financial decisions? Why do we invest the way we do and what is the benefit? I think the current economy has put a cold dose of reality in every type of investor. Many of us now realize that when our parents were harping on hard work and telling us what the world used to be like, they were not kidding. Oh my gosh, did I say my parents were right?
Many people have no idea that their retirement account (IRA, 401-k, etc) can invest in many different types of assets, many of which are not allowed by their current custodian. For instance, if you asked your typical custodian to buy real-estate, I’d bet that 99% of them would tell you no. The problem isn’t that the IRS prohibits real-estate. The problem is 99% of the custodians do not want to deal with property tax bills, deeds, and paperwork involved in a real-estate closing. They prefer transactions to be much more automated; transactions where they a button is pressed and you suddenly own stock. Investing in assets other than securities has been allowed since the Employee Retirement Act of 1974 (ERISA) was passed. You don’t need a special type of retirement plan. You need a special administrator.
So what are you doing now with regards to your Financial Life Plan? As Americans, we are terrible planners. Let me give you some statistics. Twenty percent of pre-retirees have spent no time actively planning for retirement. Sixty percent of pre-retirees have spent the same amount of time or more time on home improvement vs. financial planning. Thirty one percent said they would rather clean their bathroom or pay bills than plan for retirement. These statistics are from the Financial Planning Association.
Savvy Sanibel and Captiva real estate investors are always looking for deals, and now may be the best time. The Golden Rule of real estate investing has not changed – the profit is made by purchasing at the right price and not over paying. The rule on Sanibel and Captiva has never been truer. For buyers getting property at the right price, the tax laws have never been more favorable.
Investors often think they cannot make deals happen because they don’t have the experience or complete capital to drive an investment. However, through the past couple of weeks I have seen more and more individuals coming together to form partnerships for sound investment opportunities.