Although we hope that the worst of the corporate scandals are behind us, we are considerably more wary now as investors than we were in the glory days of the '90s when stocks could be chosen by flinging a dart onto a page of the Wall Street Journal!
There is no way to predict whether the market will be rocked sometime again by a corporation’s mismanagement of other people’s money, but certainly there will always be the threat.
With the advent of IRAs and 401(k)s, the government effectively passed the responsibility of saving for retirement onto employees. Past scandals helped underscore that accountability for retirement-money investing lies with the individual investor. Whether we like it or not, we all are now individual investors, and it’s time for individual investors to become better educated on finances and investing. In his book Prophecy, Robert Kiyosaki tells us, “Being proactive, educated, and prepared is much better than the financial strategy most people have when it comes to their investments -- the passive strategy of ‘buy, hold and pray.’”
Self-directed IRAs—especially those with checkbook control—enable investors to take active control over where, how and when their retirement funds are invested. By self-directing funds into areas like real estate, tax liens, hard-money loans, etc., account holders can avoid the potential dangers of corporate mismanagement and the rollercoaster ride of the unpredictable stock market.
All investing—including that done with self-directed IRAs—requires attention, knowledge, common sense and serious responsibility. Fortunately, there are some excellent resources available online or through no-obligation consultations for those self-directing their money. Guidant provides investors with informational webinars, educational materials and consultations at no charge. Current investment resources and articles are also available free of charge through NuWire Magazine, a premier provider of alternative investments news, and there is always the opportunity to connect with others via blogs such as blog.guidantfinancial.com. No one cares as much about your money and your financial future as you. Through self-directed IRAs, you can make the most of your relationship with the money manager you trust the most: you.
More Information: Self Directed IRA LLC & Small Business Financing
