If you have never changed jobs, as unlikely as that might be, you probably never have come across a rollover 401k account. A rollover refers to moving your 401k account when you leave one employer and go to a new employer. You have options to leave your retirement account with your prior employers management company or moving your funds to your new employer. Moving your account in this way is referred to as a rollover of your account.

You may not want to do a rollover everytime you move jobs. One reason you would not do a rollover is because your new employer does not offer a 401k. However, this is because it is easier to manage your accounts, it’s often recommended that you consolidate by rolling funds each time you change a job. Read the rest of this entry

The Rule of 72 is a quick method that can allow anyone to quickly compute how long it will take for their money to double.  This is an especially handy tool to have for anyone who is saving for their retirement.  It doesn’t matter whether you are trying to figure out the doubling effect on stocks, bonds or real estate it works perfectly every time.

The formula works like this:

The number of years it takes for your money or investment to double = 72 divided by the return on your investment.

For example, if you have $50,000 of your money in a self-directed IRA that is invested in real estate that is earning you a return of 9% it would take 8 years for you $50,000 to double in value (72/9 =8).

In forty years your initial investment of $50,000 would be worth a whopping $1,600,000 assuming you did not touch the money and your return on investment remained constant over the 40 year time frame. Read the rest of this entry

The best IRA advice allows you to be informed about benefits and deductions that may apply to you and avoid costly mistakes on your return.  What is an IRA? It is an individual retirement account program that helps and assists an individual to have a livable income when a person stops working. Most experts say that people need to secure their financial situation during retirement, and it is indeed true because at old age you don’t have great physical strength anymore. Since we are considering our future here, IRA Advice is very much needed if we want to live a comfortable life after our hardships in working.

Ever heard the investment term “becoming the bank”? There are people, including myself who did not have a clue to what this phrase means at first. I have attended several seminars with regard to this concern but I didn’t pay attention because I was not interested since I was student at the time.  But then I realized that in today’s economy, we need to secure our finances especially when we are still working. It’s far too late if we wait until the moment we retire? Read the rest of this entry

Few people realize that they have a lot of flexibility if they choose to move their IRA retirement plan.  Yes, its true that if one day you simply decide that you can get a better return with your money somewhere else you move the money to another qualified plan without any penalties.  After all it is your money.  Of course the main reason you would make such a decision is to restructure your investments in order to achieve maximum profits.  One of the best ways to do achieve maximum profits is to place your money in a self-directed IRA.

Moving Investments From A Qualified Plan To a Self-Directed IRA

If you plan to roll your money over from a IRA retirement plan that is not qualified you company would pay 80% to you and 20% would go to the Internal Revenue Service.  You must make up the difference and deposit that amount with the new custodian.  At tax time you can file your return to apply for the refund. Read the rest of this entry

Are you hoping to win the lottery before you can retire early?  Well, to retire early all you need is strategic early retirement planning and lots of sacrifice.  Most people who wish to retire early have one a big problem in one area – delayed gratification.  It’s true, they want what they want when they want it regardless of the long-term consequences.  But if your truly serious about retiring early there are 4 simple that you can take to help you achieve your goals.

The 4 Simple Tips To Early  Retirement Planning

Let’s be honest your chances of winning the lottery are slim and none but this doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams.  You can still plan to retire early but if you wait too long your nest egg will be quite small.  You’re not alone, less than 3 in 10 working people have saved money for their retirement.  In fact, those that have not even started saving still believe that they will have enough money saved by the time they retire.

Let me forewarn you that if you have a lot of debt, your chances of retiring early are greatly diminished.  Why?  Because debt is a deterrent to growth.  If you have a lot of debt try to get rid of it especially those 21% interest that some credit cards carry.

So how do you begin? Read the rest of this entry

Buying real estate with your self-directed IRA is quite simple to do once you know the proper steps.  Many people are unaware that they can fund IRA and direct it to buy real estate on their behalf.  Below are the steps you need to take if you wish to purchase real estate with a self-directed IRA.

Step #1 – Establish An Account With A Trust Company – You can find several trust companies who manage self-directed IRA’s by going online and typing the words “self-directed IRA.”  Setting up an IRA with a trust company usually takes only minutes by completing a simple application.

Step #2 – Fund Your Account – Now you have to fund the account, which is just as easy as opening the self-directed IRA.  The main ways to fund your account are by check, wire transfer or rollover.  If you have an existing retirement plan such as an IRA, 401k, or 403b these funds can be transferred to a self-directed IRA allowing you to make real estate IRA investments.  Check with your current or previous employers regarding transferring such qualified plans. Read the rest of this entry