Retirement Wiz

Foreclosure Property Investment: The Best Investments You Can Make Today

2010-01-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

Foreclosures have been front page news across America for the past couple of years. And this phenomenon is expected to continue unabated for the next 2-3 years, if not longer. As a result, foreclosure property investment has become an major industry unto itself.

As foreclosures were just beginning to grab headlines, various investors and real estate professionals began to approach banks for their lists of "REO properties". ["REO" is an acronym for "Real Estate Owned" by banks and other lenders. In other words, REO properties are homes that have been foreclosed and repossessed by banks.]

Early on, when the banks supplied these REO properties lists (also known as "tapes"), they also provided the prices that they would accept for these homes. There was little negotiation at that time, as the banks simply weren't willing to drop their prices much below the loan balances owed on the original loans. So, in the early stages, making an REO or foreclosure property investment was a difficult process and was typically done on a local bank-by-bank, home-by-home basis.

That all changed when foreclosures began to sweep across the U.S. like a tidal wave. Today, banks are literally being inundated with mortgage defaults every week and have become much more aggressive in seeking means to cut their losses and unload their growing inventories of REO properties. This is because it costs money to hold onto a house with no payments coming in. The banks still have to continue paying maintenance expenses on every one of these homes (insurance, taxes, utilities, gardening, etc.). As a result, they have become much more willing to negotiate and accept lower prices for their REO properties -- laying the groundwork for a "perfect investment storm" for savvy investors. (When all of the necessary ingredients come together simultaneously for an extraordinary event.)

As the foreclosure situation has escalated from being a "problem" into a "crisis", a select group of people will capitalize on this extraordinary financial opportunity in the midst of all the chaos. This group of individuals shares several key attributes. (Because you are reading this right now, you probably are one of them.)

The key attributes shared by this group of people are:

1. Vision: The ability to identify an opportunity while the masses see only calamity and confusion.

2. Strong desire to be successful: These folks are driven to have more. They are highly motivated to succeed financially.

3. High tolerance for "educated" risk: These folks are risk takers, but not "blind" risk-takers. They make calculated risks, but they don't over-analyze the opportunity until it's too late either.

4. Courage to act: To quote General George S. Patton: "A good plan, violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow." Nothing happens if you don't take action. These folks, after identifying and assessing an opportunity, take swift and decisive action.

It is a fact that more millionaires came out of the Great Depression than went into it. Many of the richest people in the world today, made their fortunes when the economy had hit rock bottom. These people recognized the fact that real estate, stock markets and economies are all cyclical in nature. They shared the same four key attributes listed above and they took swift and decisive action. The question is: "Will you?"

What makes this opportunity a "Perfect Storm" for investors?

Two important realities that are public knowledge regarding residential real estate in America today are:

1. There is a glut of homes on the market right now in many areas of the country. In other words, we are "over-built".

2. The U.S. population is projected by the United States Census Bureau to grow +29% between the years 2000-2030.

What does this information tell us?

First, it tells us that we currently have more homes available than we have people to buy them. Second, it tells us that this is only a temporary situation.

How do we know that? Well, if you do the math, we are going to have approximately 82 million (that's 82,000,000) more people living in the United States by the year 2030!

And I can tell you, without hesitation, that despite being over-built today, we do not have anywhere near the amount of homes available to house 82 million new people. So, the bottom line is that we will absolutely grow out of the current "over-built" situation. The $10,000 question is: "When?"

Depending on the "expert" opinion that you subscribe to, that timing is somewhere between 2-3 years away.

Why is this relevant for foreclosure property investment today?

As long as there is a glut of homes on the market, the pressure on home prices will continue to be downward. This is basic economics:

Excess Supply = Lower Home Prices

So, let's say you are an REO properties investor who is looking to make a profit by purchasing and reselling a foreclosed home. Not only can you acquire REO properties for pennies on the dollar today, but you can be quite confident that the value of the REO properties that you acquire will appreciate within the next 2-3 years. (Sooner, in some markets.) The reason for this is also basic economics:

Increased Demand = Higher Home Prices

And this increased demand is from the 82 million new people that will be added to the U.S. population over the coming years.

Q: Do you have to wait 2-3 years to earn extraordinary profits from foreclosure property investment?

A: Absolutely not! You can profit right now if you know what you're doing and where to invest.

To learn more about foreclosure property investment and how to earn extraordinary profits right now, I suggest reading "The LazyMan's Guide to Understanding Foreclosures & REO Property Investment" available at www.LazymanCompany.com

REFERENCE:

www.johnhanlin.com/Foreclosure_Investment.html

Author's Bio
-
John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant specializing in high yield safe investments secured by real estate. He is a seasoned investor of over 25 years, manages the investors' website: www.JohnHanlin.com and is the author of "The LazyMan's Guide to Understanding Foreclosures & REO Property Investment" - now available at www.LazymanCompany.com

Retirement Advice & The Future Of Social Security Benefits

2009-11-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

According to the latest retirement advice, the average American household has just $55,000 saved for retirement. Many people continue to believe that social security benefits or their companies will take care of their retirement financial needs. However, the fact is that social security is at risk of insolvency and many corporate retirement plans are vanishing along with their companies. The bottomline? Individuals must start taking personal responsibility for and control of their financial futures RIGHT NOW!

Are you aware that when the U.S. Social Security Administration was originated back in 1935 that the United States Government expected benefit payouts to be minimal at best? And with good reason! At the time (1935), the average American's life expectancy was just 62 years of age.

At what age do you think an individual became eligible for social security benefits back then? The answer is 62 years of age! So, you can see why the government was pretty confident that their financial liability for this program was limited at that time.

But guess what? The age for social security benefits eligibiliy is still 62 years of age. However, the average life expectancy in the United States is now 78 years of age! This is the source of the financial crisis that the Social Security Administration is faced with. We are living longer, and as a result, millions of people are now qualifying for benefits at an alarming rate and cost.

Somehow, the government never really saw this coming before it was too late. Based on the original design in 1935, social security benefits are funded from the government's annual budget. And, we all know by now that the total U.S. budget deficit is now in the 10's of TRILLIONS of dollars.

The result of this situation is that the government has been and will continue finding ways to shift the costs of retirement benefits back on me and you. For example:

Pension Reform Act of 2006
Lifetime Savings Accounts
Lifting the $110,000 AGI cap for Roth IRA participation in 2010
Solo Roth 401k plans
Increasing FDIC insurance to $250,000 and extend through 2013
etc.

Retirement Advice:

Please take the following retirement advice very seriously. If you are one of the folks who continues to believe that social security benefits or your company's retirement plan is going to take care of you through your golden year -- review the facts. This situation is real.

We all need to take responsibility and control of our financial futures RIGHT NOW. This is a big step for many people, but there is FREE retirement advice & help available if you will just seek it out.

John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant and author. He offers FREE independent financial advice for retirement on his website. Please visit: http://www.JohnHanlin.com).

How to Find the Best Investments For You

2009-10-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

The term "best investments" can and should vary by investor. In other words, "one size doesn't fit all". Everyone has a unique "investment personality". This is a culmination of their upbringing, investing experience, job history, economic climate, etc.

All of these components contribute and mold each investor's tolerance for risk; level of involvement in decision making; and inclination to venture outside of their comfort zone. Therefore, the best investments for me will probably not be the same for you. However, there are some ways to help investors narrow their choices and help them find the best investments for their specific investment personality.

STEP 1) The first step in finding the best investments for your "investment personality" is to do a self-assessment. For example:

* What is your tolerance for risk?

* How involved do you want to be in your investment portfolio decisions?

* Are you willing to consider investment alternatives that you aren't currently familiar with?

To help you with this, I have supplied a link: "Investment Personality Calculator". This will ask you questions and then calculate where you fall on a scale ranging from Conservative to Aggressive.

In addition, here is another link that should be very helpful: "7-Step Investment Planning"

STEP 2) The next thing to help determine the best investments for you is to consider your goals. Start with the big picture.

* How far away are you from retirement?

* What lifestyle do you want to lead for the rest of your life?

* Where?

* How big of a nest egg do you need for financial security: emergencies, inflation, family assistance, etc?

And so on....

STEP 3) Now, ask yourself if you can afford it. Also, how confident are you that your current investment portfolio will support your goals?

To assist you with this, I have supplied a link to the "AARP's Retirement Calculator".

This is going to help you with two things:
----------------------------------------------------
1) Help determine how much money you'll need to achieve the goals you established in Step 1 above.

2) After comparing how much money you'll need versus how much money you have (or expect to have) in your investment portfolio, you will know whether or not there is a financial gap between those two amounts.

If there is a gap (and for the majority, there usually is), then you have 2 choices:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A) You can revise your goals more conservatively (less expensively).

B) Take a hard look at your investment portfolio and make some changes.

Assuming that you will choose B) above, ask yourself: "What are the best investments that I can add to my portfolio to accomplish my goals?"

STEP 4) So how do you find the best investments for your situation based upon:

* Your investment personality?

* The financial gap between your goals and what your current portfolio can provide?

To answer this & find the best investments we need to look at history:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is widely held that real estate, in its various forms, has created more wealth than any other type of investment. Many folks today cringe when they think of investing in real estate because of the recent sub-prime debacle and rampant foreclosures. Meanwhile, many of these same people continue to hold on to their stocks that have declined 40-50% in value!

Unlike stocks, which can become worthless, real estate always will retain a certain amount of intrinsic value.

So ask yourself this question: "Is this a real estate buyer's market or a seller's market?" That's right! It is definitely a buyer's market. Property values have declined significantly in virtually all real estate forms (raw land land development, residential, commercial, etc.) As a result, sellers are willing to entertain most offers.

This presents an extraordinary opportunity for investors with:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Money to invest

* Knowledge of how and where to invest

Now, back to history: savvy investors understand that economies are "cyclical". Eventually, recoveries follow recessions. Real estate values and stocks will rebound.

Now the $10,000 Question is:
----------------------------------------
"Where should you invest your hard-earned dollars to help you close the gap in your portfolio?"

My money says REAL ESTATE!

STEP 5: As noted in Step 4, I believe the best investments today and in the future will continue to be Real Estate.

In the short-term, I believe that investments in "distressed properties" (foreclosure properties and REO bank-owned properties) are the best investments today.

Most people reading this will say: "I'm no real estate expert and never will be, so foreclosure property investments aren't for me." Now, the great news is that you don't have to be! Read on.....

As foreclosures have become an enormous industry, exciting new companies have emerged to take advantage of this extraordinary wealth-building opportunity. These new firms are called: "REO Companies".

REO Companies buy foreclosure properties in large quantities from the banks and other lenders. They rehab these homes to "move-in" condition then resell them quickly and at a profit for their investors. And the returns on investment can be staggering!

Recall from Step 3 above we said you had two options if you have a financial gap between your goals and what your current portfolio can provide. And, we assumed that you would choose to reevaluate your investments and make some changes versus choosing to live a less expensive lifestyle.

My recommendation is that you consider investing in foreclosures & REO properties in some way. Either on your own or by investing with a professional REO Company. Personally, I choose to invest with an REO Company and leverage their expertise as a "silent partner". Here is a link explaining how this works: "Why You Should Invest in REO Companies".

STEP 6) The best investments for the mid-to-longer term (2+ years out), in this author's opinion are:

* Commercial real estate development investments

* Raw land development investments

Here is a link to learn more about these investments: "Why Land Development is a Great Investment Right No w".

Once again, you may feel, at first blush, that this is outside of your comfort zone or expertise. And my response is - it needs to be! If your current portfolio isn't going to achieve your goals, you need to consider alternatives that can!

As with investing in foreclosures and REO bank-owned properties, you don't need to be an expert. Similar to REO companies, you can invest with professional developers in both commercial real estate and raw land developments, letting the experts do what they do and share in the profits as a silent partner. (Passive income!)

We've already said that Real Estate has created more wealth than any other investment type. Furthermore, the 3 "forms" of real estate that I have recommended are the most profitable and overall best investments in the real estate industry:

* Distressed properties (foreclosures & REO bank-owned properties)

* Commercial real estate development investments

* Raw land development investments

STEP 7) Finally, if you would like recommendations on how and where to invest in these "best investments", contact me - it's FREE advice! Just click on this link: "Contact The Author" and fill out my contact form with any questions you make have. I'll be happy to tell you where I invest and how it works.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant specializing in high yield safe investments secured by real estate. He is a seasoned investor of over 25 years. Mr. Hanlin is the owner of the investors' website: http://www.JohnHanlin.com Click on this link for a copy of John's FREE Special Report titled: "The Safest High Yield Investments You Can Make Today".

A Legitimate High Yield Investment: Buying Investment Property

2009-10-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

In today's chaotic economy, whether it's verbalized or not, a main topic on investors' minds is: "Where can I find a solid investment opportunity without a lot of risk, but with high yields?"

Is this a fairy tale or can investors still find high yield safe investments?

This article will provide answers to these questions. It will explain why and how savvy investors should consider buying investment property (real estate) in the form of "raw land development projects"; exactly what is involved; and what makes them "legitimate" high yield investment opportunities.

First, some background:

Many of the richest families in the world today made their fortunes when the economy and markets were in dire straits. These folks looked for opportunities in the midst of the rubble, while the masses focused on their worries.

So, what can we learn from this? Is there an obvious wealth-building investment opportunity available to investors today in the midst of this financial chaos? Here's a thought starter:

Can you think of a better time to purchase real estate than in a down market like we're experiencing right now? The golden rule of investing is to always "buy low and sell high" is it not?

Here are 5 reasons why buying investment property is a legitimate high yield investment opportunity right now:

1. More millionaires are said to have been created by real estate that any other form of investment.

2. Raw land development is considered the most profitable form of real estate. [Per industry average: professionally managed land development projects increase the value of raw land by 2-5 times its original cost.] And it can be much higher.

3. Land development is one of the most secure, low risk investments that an investor can make. This is because the developer will typically back their investors' capital investments with the assets of the project (the property itself). In addition, they will place their investors in "first position" for the project assets and revenue. This means, in the event of a land developer's default or other problem on a project (heaven forbid), the property can be sold and investors can recoup some or all of their principal plus any net profits. Also, it means that the investors, being in 1st position, are the first in line to be paid, if project assets must be sold. (Not unlike how a bank will hold the mortgage or first deed as collateral or security on a house.)

4. Real property prices are very reasonable right now. Buying investment property in the form of raw land is literally a "buyer's market". This is because landowners aren't any different than other folks. They have been affected by the stock markets and the overall economy like the rest of us. The net effect is that many are willing to sell their land for very reasonable prices because they need the money.

As a result, with today's tightened credit markets, professional land developers are in need of private investors to help them acquire raw land at these "bargain basement" prices. [Plus, they're often willing to pay handsome interest rates for the use of their investors' money.]

5. The United States population is projected to grow +29% from 2000-2030. (According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.) That means the addition of 82 MILLION new people in America! And these new people are going to need new homes, new schools, new stores, and new communities to support them.

Where are these new homes, schools, stores and communities going to come from? You guessed it: Raw land development! The "building blocks" of all new community construction.

So, that summarizes what makes buying investment property a "legitimate" high yield investment opportunity.

About the author:

John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant specializing in high yield safe investments secured by real estate. He is a seasoned investor of over 25 years. Mr. Hanlin is the owner of the investors' website: http://www.JohnHanlin.com Click on this link for a copy of John's FREE Special Report titled: "The Safest High Yield Investments You Can Make Today".

How to Maximize Return on Investment

2009-10-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

This article explains the world's easiest way to maximize your portfolio's return on investment. But there's one catch! Before you can gain access to the most lucrative investments available, you have to meet certain qualifications. If you qualify, an exciting new world of opportunities awaits you!

According to Wikipedia, "Return On Investment" (also known as ROI or "Rate of Return") is the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment relative to the amount of money invested. Return on investment is a common benchmark, expressed as a percentage, that is used by investors to evaluate how their investments are performing.

It may surprise you to learn that most investors in the U.S. do not currently have access to (or even know about) many of the most lucrative investment opportunities available -- and this is mandated by Federal Law!

Meanwhile, a select group of people who meet certain qualifications under this law have access to a spectrum of investments with extraordinary return on investment potential that most investors wouldn't believe possible AND will also never see.

QUESTION: What is the "world's simplest way" to maximize your portfolio return on investment?

ANSWER: Determine if you qualify as an "Accredited Investor"

Surprisingly, there are a lot of people who qualify as Accredited Investors that don't even know it! Also, most people don't know what the term means or the benefits associated with being an Accredited Investor. But as mentioned earlier, if you do meet the qualifications, a whole new array of investments are available to you. And, the potential return on investment for most of these will rock your world!

On the flip side, if you don't qualify, you will never hear about these investments. And the reason for this is because it is actually illegal for investment companies and financial advisors, according to the Federal Securities Act of 1933, to share information about them with Non-Accredited Investors.

BACKGROUND:

After the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing "Great Depression", the US Congress decided that it needed to institute tighter controls on the investment securities industry and financial markets. So, in 1933, the Securities Act of 1933 was passed. One component of this act defines the qualifications required for investors to participate in certain types of investment securities based upon their personal net worth and income levels. Those persons who meet these qualifications are known as "Accredited Investors".

DEFINITION OF AN ACCREDITED INVESTOR:

In the United States, for an individual to be considered an Accredited Investor, they must have a Net Worth of at least one million US dollars or have made at least $200,000 gross income each year for the last two years ($300,000 combined with his or her spouse's income if married) and have the expectation to make the same amount in the current year.

NEXT STEPS:

If you meet the qualifications above, you should get together with your Financial Adviser right away. Tell them that you qualify and would like to be made aware of all current and future investment opportunities to which only Accredited Investors have access.

If you do not have a Financial Advisor, you should get one soon to learn how to maximize your portfolio's return on investment with the spectrum of investment opportunities now available to you!

IMPORTANT NOTE:

One pitfall to be aware of when dealing with most Financial Advisors is that they will typically restrict the investments that they share with their investors (Accredited or not) to the investments offered by their company (the ones they earn commission on). And most often, they will only deal in "Traditional Investments" like stocks, bonds and mutual funds. As a result, you will never hear about investment opportunities in real estate, precious metals, commodities and other "Alternative Investments" because the Financial Advisor won't earn a commission on them.

To overcome this issue, look for an Independent Investment Advisor. They are not restricted to one particular company's investment offerings. For more information, visit this website: Free Independent Financial Advice

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In addition to being an author, John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant specializing in high yield investments secured by real estate for investor security. Click here for a copy of his FREE Special Report: "The Safest High Yield Investments You Can Make Today".

Where Is The Best Place To Invest Money Today? Buying Investment Property (PART 3)

2009-05-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Raw Land Development Process
Step-By-Step

STEP ONE: Professional Land Developers spend a great deal of time seeking what is called the "Path of Growth". They research economic and population projections and key factors such as job creation trends to identify geographic areas with favorable growth outlooks. Then, they drill down to the community and neighborhood levels to determine the directions of future growth and new construction. To do this expertly requires a seasoned research team and a network of external contact including local government officials, business leaders, real estate brokers, builders, etc. to conduct this 'due diligence' process and help locate possible raw, undeveloped land acquisitions situated in the identified path of growth.

STEP TWO: Once raw, undeveloped land is identified in the path of growth, the Land Developer will negotiate favorable terms for acquiring the property. There are a number of ways that land developers acquire property, the two most common are:

a) Purchasing the property upfront.

b) Obtaining an 'Option To Purchase' agreement: the land developer obtains the rights to buy the raw land by a set date at a set price by offering a non-refundable deposit.

NOTE: Investors are typically sought at this stage to help fund the acquisition of the property and cover costs associated with Steps Three - Five. These investors will become "silent partners" in the land development project. (Meaning: they will not be involved in the day to day management of the project.)

STEP THREE: Plans are drafted for a proposed future economic use of the land. (e.g. Master-planned communities, shopping centers, business parks, industrial complexes, etc.)

STEP FOUR: The proposed "future use plans" are submitted to the city, county, state and federal governments for necessary approvals. This is known as "The Entitlement Process" and involves all of the critical sign-offs and approvals required for the newly proposed use of the property.

NOTE: In this step, the Land Developer literally 'creates' value and this is why raw land development can be so profitable. It is this entitlement process that creates an average 300-500% increase in the value of raw land - often with limited associated costs for even higher profits!

The increased value of the newly "entitiled land" results from several important factors:

A. Obtaining the necessary government approvals to build on raw land requires time, experience, relationships and the ability to manage against competing intentions for the property.

B. The land developer makes formerly raw, undeveloped land available to builders and construction contractors in "ready-and-approved-to-build condition" -- often with turn-key access to utilities, municipal water and sewer, roadways, etc.

C. Fully approved or 'entitled' land is ready for immediate construction, giving builders and contractors the benefits of accelerated cash flow and returns.

All of these factors help make raw land development projects among the safest high yield money investments available today.

NOTE: A typical raw land development project will take anywhere from one to several years to complete. This all depends upon the size and complexity of the project, plus government approval time-lines.

STEP FIVE: After the raw land's value has been increased by the completion of the entitlement process and other improvements such as access to utilities, municipal water and sewer, roadways, etc. have been installed, the newly "entitled" property is sold to Building and Construction Contractors.

Result = average 300-500%+ increase in land value

Once the newly entitled land is sold,
the Raw Land Development Process ends.
Profits are realized and Investors are paid.

Finally, the Building Contractors take over.

After purchasing the land from the raw land developer, Building Contractors will begin to install the structures (e.g. homes, golf courses, retail shops, office buildings, industrial complexes, etc.) on the newly 'entitled' land. They will go on to sell the finished homes, offices, etc. to their customers - the end users (homeowners, businesses, etc.)

About the author:

John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant specializing in low risk investments and retirement portfolio planning. He is a seasoned investor of over 25 years. Mr. Hanlin is the owner and contributing author of the website: www.JohnHanlin.com which provides detailed information about raw land development investments and free independent financial advice for retirement.

The Best Investment You'll Make In Your Lifetime

2009-03-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

The headline says it all. It is heartfelt and sincere. If you miss this, I'm sorry. I don't know a better way to communicate to more people than the internet.

Here it is:

"We are RIGHT NOW faced with the greatest opportunity for financial gain that anyone in our lifetimes will ever experience."

To learn more:

Click here and sign up for this FREE Special Report.

How to Profit From the Foreclosure Landslide

2009-03-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Are you a licensed real estate agent or appraiser?

If so, you QUALIFY and are in a perfect position to reap tremendous profits from the current foreclosure debacle!

How?

1) By providing BPO's (broker price opinions) to your heart's content!
2) By securing listings for bank REO's (real estate owned) in DROVES!

** EVERY foreclosure requires a BPO.
** EVERY REO needs to be listed.

Why not be the one providing these services?

Here is a BPO REO Business Kit that gives you all the tools, training and contacts you need to get started right away! A great resource at the right time and a great price.

CLICK HERE!

Where is the Best Place to Invest Money Right Now? Buying Investment Property (PART 2)

2009-03-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

PREFACE:

In today's chaotic economy, whether it's verbalized or not, a main topic on investors' minds is: "Where can I find a legitimate high yield investment without a lot of risk to my principal?"

Is this a fairy tale now or can investors still find good safe investments that earn solid returns?

This series of articles provides answers to these questions.

In Part One of this series (see blog below dated 2-27-09), we focused on "WHY" investors should consider buying investment property in the form of raw land development projects and "WHAT" makes them legitimate high yield investments. In PART TWO, we will now discuss "WHERE" to invest in these opportunities:

In December of 2004, the acclaimed Washington D.C. think-tank, Brookings Institution, sponsored a research project by Virginia Tech University titled: "Toward A New Metropolis: The Opportunity To Rebuild America".

This study explains that in order to accommodate U.S. Census Bureau population growth projections, the United States' future raw land development needs will require 209 BILLION square feet of new community construction between 2000-2030. This massive expansion will take place primarily in 10 major metropolitan regions the study calls "Megapolitans" and at an estimated cost of $25 TRILLION.

Not only does this study underscore the fact that buying investment property is a legitimate high yield investment opportunity, it tells us WHERE to invest! This was well-documented in a November 2005 article by Paul Kaihla in Business 2.0 Magazine titled: "The $25 Trillion Land Grab".

Here is what the 10 Megapolitans are being called and WHERE investors should consider investing right now:

1. CASCADIA: Will encompass land from Seattle, WA to Portland, OR. Vast quantities of cheap, prime property give this Pacific Northwest megapolitan tremendous growth potential. By 2030, massive land development activity will have filled in the greenspace between these cities, making this one huge, intertwined metropolitan region.

2. NORCAL: Will encompass property from San Francisco to Sacramento plus the Central Valley of Northern California. There will be much more activity buying investment property east of the Bay Area, where there is much more reasonably priced raw land. The Sacramento region, in particular, is expected to build more housing and office space than any other Western area excepting Las Vegas.

3. THE SOUTHLAND: This megapolitan will include real estate ranging from Los Angeles in the north to San Diego in the south and through the "Inland Empire" to Las Vegas in the east. Surging trade with China through the nation's busiest seaport in L.A. will spur massive expansion in logistics, warehousing and distribution centers throughout the region.

4.VALLEY OF THE SUN: Will encompass land from Phoenix, AZ to Tuscon, AZ. This will be the smallest megapolitan, but also the one with the biggest amount of "buildable" land at the lowest prices. This is why it is expected to become the fastest-growing metropolitan region in the United States. The main attraction: Palm Springs resort lifestyle at a substantial discount.

5. I-35 CORRIDOR: Will entail land spanning San Antonio to Dallas to Kansas City. No region better captures and caters to the Latino population explosion. A new generation of Hispanic business owners and industrialists will drive the growth, and the area will become a magnet for foreign companies trying to cash in on the U.S. Latino market.

6.GULF COAST BELT: Will encompass real estate running from Houston to New Orleans. Surrounding megapolitans will enjoy spillover growth because of the region's higher risk premium punctuated by Hurricane Katrina.

7.GREAT LAKES HORSESHOE: This will encompass land from Chicago to Detroit to Pittsburgh. With manufacturing's decline in this region, these industrial cities are evolving into a "service industries" region and are expected to attract a flood of new people to this megapolitan.

8.ATLANTIC SEABOARD: Will include property from Boston to New York City to Washington D.C. America's most heavily populated megapolitan is set to experience another expansion. And most of the new development is expected to "vertical" with new skyscrapers providing much of the new construction. Expect more urban growth versus suburban in this region.

9. I-85 CORRIDOR: Will involve land ranging from Raleigh-Durham to Atlanta. The expanse running from Atlanta to Raleigh is becoming a contiguous strip of homes and businesses. As the textile industry fades, financial services in Charlotte, telecom in Atlanta, and high-tech in the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle will drive future growth.

10.SOUTHERN FLORIDA: Will encompass land from Tampa through Miami. Florida posted the nation's highest job growth in 2004, as baby boomers from the North poured in to take advantage of the job market and climate. Land scarcity will also drive urban growth in this region.

BONUS: UTAH 'MINIPOLITAN': This is an add-on to the Brooking study markets. Key areas in Utah are experiencing tremendous population and job growth and need to be added to the list.

So, that summarizes "WHERE" investors should consider buying investment property (particularly: raw land development investments), as a "legitimate" high yield investment opportunity.

PART THREE of this series will focus on the PROCESS of Raw Land Development.
PART FOUR of this series will focus on HOW to invest in Raw Land Development projects..

About the author:

John Hanlin is an Independent Investment Consultant specializing in low risk investments and retirement portfolio planning. He is a seasoned investor of over 25 years. Mr. Hanlin is the owner and contributing author of the website: www.JohnHanlin.com which provides detailed information about raw land development investments and free independent financial advice for retirement.

Where is the Best Place to Invest Money Right Now? Buying Investment Property (PART 1)

2009-02-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

[This is the first part of a new series]

In today's economy, most investors are asking this question:

"Where is the best place to invest money right now?"

This series of articles, starting today, will set out to answer that question. Specifically, the series will explain why and where savvy investors should be buying investment property (real estate) -- our recommendation for the best place to invest money right now. Furthermore, the series will explain why these investment properties should be in the form of raw land development investments.

First, some background:

It is widely held that more riches have been created by real estate than any other form of investment. Taking that one step further, raw land development is the most profitable form of real estate.

So, you can do the math: Where is the best place to invest money right now? Raw land development.

Can you think of a better time to purchase real estate than in a down market? The golden rule of investing is to always "buy low and sell high" right?

Here's WHY investors should consider buying investment property right now:

1. More millionaires have been made by investing in real estate that any other investment.

2. Raw land development is the most profitable form of real estate investment. Per industry average: professionally managed raw land development projects increase the value of undeveloped, raw land by 2-5 times its original price. (i.e. A professional raw land developer will sell their completed raw land development project for 200-500% more than they originally paid for the property. And it can be much higher.

3. In addition to being among the most profitable forms of investment, raw land development (professionally managed) can be one of the most secure, low risk investments an investor can make. This is because the raw land developer will typically back their investors' principal with the assets of their project (the property itself). In addition, they will place their investors in 1st position for project assets and revenue.

This means that in the event of a developer default on a raw land development project (heaven forbid), the land itself can be sold so that the investors can recoup part or all of their principal plus any net profits. Also, it means that the investors, being in 1st position, are first in line to be paid if project assets must be sold -- making this one of the most secured forms of investment available to investors.

4. Property prices are reasonable right now. Buying investment property in the form of undeveloped, raw land is a 'buyer's market' today.

This is because landowners aren't any different than other folks. They have been affected by the stock markets and the overall economy like everyone else. The net effect is that many are willing to sell their undeveloped land right now for very reasonable prices because they need the money.

As a result, raw land developers are in need of investors right now to help them acquire raw land at these 'bargain basement' prices.

5. The United States population is projected to grow +29% from 2000-2030. (U.S. Census Bureau) That means the addition of 82,000,000 new people in America. And these people are going to need new homes, new schools, new stores, new communities to support them.

Where are these new homes, schools, stores & communities going to come from? Raw land development.

Are you starting to see the answer to our question: Where is the best place to invest money right now?

Look for Part 2 of this series coming soon:

"Here's WHERE investors should consider buying investment property right now"

For FREE independent financial advice about safe investing and retirement, visit my website at: www.JohnHanlin.com. I specialize in the safest money investments and the best HIGH YIELD safe investments, particularly in raw land development. (Please fill out the Contact Form on my website if you have questions that the website couldn't answer.)

Best Investments For Your Future

2009-02-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

Is retirement coming soon in your future? How prepared are you for this? What financial situation and lifestyle will that cast you into? Could you use some free independent financial advise to help get your retirement investments on track so that you can lead the lifestyle you've always dreamed of?

We have developed a "7-Step Retirement Action Plan" for investing in your future. One of the elements of this plan is to consider alternative investments for your retirement portfolio.

Real estate has proven time and again to be the single best growth investment worldwide. We suggest that investing in real estate can be either scary or it can be a "no brainer" depending upon how you go about the investment process and what form of real estate you invest in.

You've probably heard is said the real estate has created more millionaires than any other form of investment. To take that one step further: Raw Land Development is the most lucrative form of real estate. This is why many of the world's wealthiest investors have put their money in raw land development investments for generations.

"Raw land development is probably the most profitable and most secure form of investment that you NEVER heard of."

Raw land development is NOT the same thing as "land banking" or "raw land investing" which is where you would buy a piece of raw land, sit on it, do nothing to it, pray for appreciation and then hopefully sell it for a profit someday. That just ties up your money with an unknown return on investment. While land banking can be very profitable, we believe there are better and lower-risk investments for your hard-earned money.

Raw land development investments are where you invest as a "silent partner" with an experienced, professional land developer in a well-researched, raw land development project.

Silent partner investors share in the land developer's net profits. And, in addition, some professional developers will also pay you interest for the use of your money until the principal is returned to you.

After a lot of due diligence and research, a professional land developer will acquire raw, undeveloped land in the path of future community growth. Then, they obtain governmental approvals for rezoning and preparing the property to build upon. Finally, they sell the newly "improved" or ready-to-build land to building contractors and construction companies. This land could be used by the builders for any number of purposes: residential projects, shopping malls, industrial complexes, business parks, government offices, schools, golf courses, etc.

NOTE: The raw land development process may sound simple in concept. However, the process can involve in excess of 100 governmental entitlements (approvals) that must be completed and can take months or even years, depending upon the size and complexity of the project. This is why we recommend investing with an experienced, professional land developer versus doing it on your own.

** The industry average for a professionally managed, raw land development project is a 300-500% increase in value. In other words, the land developer will sell the newly "improved" land to building contractors and construction companies for 3-5 times what they originally paid for the raw land. **

So, that explains why raw land development can be so profitable. Now let's discuss "investment safety".

The professional land developers that we invest with always put their silent partner investors in "first position" for the raw land development projects' assets and revenue, meaning that the investors get paid first. In addition, the investors' principal is asset-secured (also termed: asset-backed). This means that in the event of a default situation by the land developer (heaven forbid), the land and other project assets can be sold and the investors can recoup all or part of their investment (plus any potential profit).

This is safety and security that investors rarely find outside of real estate. Consider the stock market for example: if the value of your shares drops to zero, what is left? No recourse and no security. This is why we consider professionally managed raw land development to be the best high yield safe investments available today.

And, we can show you different ways to invest in raw land development: from how to find the right projects; to how to use your 401k and/or IRA funds to invest.

"What is the best investment for my money?" We all ask that question and very few of us actually know what the answer is. Our website gives you that answer and also gives you the opportunity to do it now to help you prepare for a comfortable, secure retirement.

There are many options today for investing your money, including a lot of "get rich quick schemes". That is not what investing in Raw Land Development is about. This is an investment that has been around for many generations. It is a proven process and a huge industry. However, even in this business there are companies that either don't know what they are doing or are just after your money. So, of course, you need to thoroughly check them out before investing. That is where we can help.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity for a bright and beautiful future with financial security in their retirement investments.

Eventually, we all grow old and need to plan for retirement. It does not need to be stressful nor does it have to be difficult. However, it does need to happen now with you making the decision to take control of retirement future. That is why our "7 Step Retirement Action Plan" was developed: to provide a practical process that you can follow to achieve financial security and live the lifestyle that you've always dreamed of for your own retirement.

For FREE independent financial advice about safe investing and retirement, visit my website at: www.JohnHanlin.com. I specialize in the safest money investments and the best HIGH YIELD safe investments, particularly in raw land development. (Please fill out the Contact Form on my website if you have questions that the website couldn't answer.)

Smart Money: Safe Investing for a Secure Future

2009-02-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

You can secure your family's future financial security by making smart money investments today. With the help of an experienced professional, you can learn about the best high yield safe investments available in today's marketplace.

As we get started, let's clarify one fact: there is no such thing as a completely "safe" investment.

There are, however, some very good "low risk" investments -- but the industry still tends to still refer to them as "safe" investments. So, when reading this blog or any article or advertisement about investing, please keep this in mind.

"Safe" investing in asset-secured, high yield investments is the key to a profitable and financially stress-free future. Imagine not having to worry about the financial security of your loved ones or yourself after you retire. Maybe you are ready now to begin living a life that is free from financial worries. Well, there is no need to wait. Take advantage of the experience and guidance of an investment professional who is ready and willing to help - at no cost to you. That's right! FREE independent financial advice for your retirement!

You have a multitude of choices about where to invest your money and it can be both confusing and intimidating. Your options include 'traditional investments' like stocks, bonds and mutual funds. PLUS, many other 'alternative investments' that you may not be familiar with, such as a professionally managed raw land developments, other types of land investments, apartment buildings, precious metals, commodities, etc.

By seeking the advice of an investment expert, you can explore these new opportunities, get all of your questions answered, and find the best and safest money investments that are most suited to help you achieve your financial goals.

For example, you can learn why raw land developments have, for generations, been cornerstone investments for many of the world's wealthiest investors. And, why YOU should consider investing in these assets for your own portfolio.

A professional can explain the raw land development process step-by-step; help you identify the best land developers to invest with; tell you where to find the top growth markets for land development; and even show you how you can use your IRA to to invest in real estate opportunities like these!

You'll rest easier knowing that you are investing your money with the guidance of someone who has the training and experience you need to help you find the best high yield safe investments that fit your personal goals and life situation.

You CAN still achieve financial security, even in today's volatile economy, by investing in secure, high yielding investments. And, you CAN feel confident that you are providing for your family's financial security in the years to come by investing with the guidance of an experienced professional.

For FREE independent financial advice about safe investing and retirement, visit my website at: www.JohnHanlin.com. I specialize in the safest money investments and the best HIGH YIELD safe investments, particularly in raw land development. (Please fill out the Contact Form on my website if you have questions that the website couldn't answer.)

HERE'S AN ADDED BONUS: "How To Earn Double-Digit Returns"

P.S. I have launched a new blog site named: "Raw Land Development Investment". Check it out for more information about what I consider to be the #1 safest, high yield investment available today!

How To Earn Double-Digits Returns

2009-02-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

I recently wrote an article for eHow.com titled "How To Earn Double-Digit Returns".

If you are tired of earning sub-inflation interest rates on your money (or worse - losing it!) this article could be for you. You could be a earning double-digit returns with asset-backed investments if you know where to look!

Please click on the article title in parentheses above to view the article.

Reuters News Article: "U.S. Housing Market Bottom Within Sight"

2009-02-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

On February 5, 2009, Reuters published a news article by Julie Haviv titled:

"U.S. Housing Market Bottom Within Sight"

The article cites a report generated by Moody's Economy.com titled "Housing In Crisis: When Will Metro Markets Recover?" - an analysis that has been cited by top advisers in the Obama administration in relation the the U.S. economic stimulus package.

Here are a few of the key points in the Reuters article:

A bottom is within sight, likely in the 4th quarter of 2009 nationally.
An improvement could portend a turnaround for the U.S. economy & help stop losses at U.S. banks.
Positive signs: inventories are flattening, prices are more reasonable & sales are nearing stability.
From peak to trough, total U.S. home sales will have dropped by 40% & housing starts by 70%.
The outlook assumes action by U.S. policymakers with regard to the economic stimulus package.

To view the Reuters article, click on the article title in italics above.

New Blog: "Safest Money Investments"

2009-02-05T06:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

I have launched a new blog named "Safest Money Investments".

Here's a summary of this new blog's focus:

This blog is dedicated to answering questions that I regularly see from people wanting to know where they can find: "the best low risk investments in today's economy". These questions range from: "What are the safest money investments available?" to "What are the best high yield safe investments?" -- but they all involve the central themes of low risk and asset security for safe investing. This is truly free independent financial and investment advice.

Click on this link to check it out: Safest Money Investments

More to come....

Retirement Wiz

My Retirement Action Plan

2008-11-26T03:08:00.000-08:00

Can YOU Afford To Retire?

It's a fact today that a growing number of people simply cannot afford to retire.

*One-third of Americans over 50 aren't confident that they will have enough money to retire, and over two-thirds expect to have to keep working well into old age. Despite making good incomes, many people live paycheck to paycheck and see their IRA and 401K funds either not growing fast enough or even shrinking with the stock market. Plus, they're concerned about whether Social Security's going to be around when they hope to retire. (*Source: TransAmerica SecurePlan March 12, 2008)

I was one of these statistics and decided to do something about it. I've spent several years studying and researching virtually everything I can get my hands on about investing: books, tapes, CD's, DVD's, seminars, webinars, workshops, investor's clubs, you name it!

Here's what I learned from all of this:

My IRA and 401K funds didn't even offer some of the most lucrative investment alternatives available!

1) Approximately 97% of IRA and 401K funds in the United States are limited to "Traditional Investments" which are primarily stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

2) Most Fund Managers and Financial Advisors are NOT going to tell you about "Alternative Investments" outside of their own investment offerings because they don't earn a commission for doing so.

As a result, people like you and me are kept in the dark about valuable investment alternatives that could help us achieve our retirement goals. Furthermore, because of this restriction imposed by our own 'trusted' financial fund managers and advisers, most people are not properly diversified and therefore, at risk in the event of a severe stock market downturn.

What You Can Do About It

I've spent years perfecting a "Retirement Action Plan" to achieve my own financial goals. Now I'm on a mission to educate others and help them toward their retirement goals using what I've learned and implemented for myself.

MY RETIREMENT ACTION PLAN

1) Take control of your investments and responsibility for your retirement: Essentially this means making a promise to yourself to be responsible for your future and not simply rely on others to do this for you.

2) Establish specific financial goals for your retirement: You'll need to ask yourself critical questions to determine how much it will cost you to live during retirement and how much money you'll need to have in your portfolio to support you. (e.g. How long do I expect to live in retirement? Where do I expect to live? What type of lifestyle do I want to lead?)

NOTE: Many people will find that they do not have sufficient funds to support their retirement goals. Don't panic! This is exactly where I was too. The following steps will help you learn how to close the gap between what you have and what you need to achieve your goals.

3) Start educating yourself about your existing investments and finances: Congratulations! You've already started by visiting this blog. First, get organized. Itemize each of your investments and assets - review past performance of each. Become familiar with investment terminology and alternatives.

4) Research "Alternative Investments" and how to truly diversify & protect your portfolio. **(See page bottom for information on Alternative Investments)

5) Consider converting your Traditional IRA to a "Self-Directed IRA" account. This will allow you to invest your IRA funds in a whole new spectrum of Alternative Investments that were previously not available to you.

6) Consider new investments (in both Traditional and Alternative Investments) that will help you achieve your retirement goals. There's an old saying: "If you keep on doin' what you've always done, you're gonna keep gettin' what you've always got!" There's truth in this. If there is a gap between what you have saved today and what you'll need to retire, changes have to be made.

7) Make the changes in your portfolio, stay involved and keep studying alternatives! This isn't a one-time deal, you need to stay close to your investments and adjust as needed. (Remember the promise you made to yourself to take control of your future in Step 1.)

Alternative Investments

Approximately 97% of all U.S. IRA and 401K portfolios are entirely invested in Traditional Assets (e.g. stocks, mutual funds & bonds) with similar price movements. As a result, these portfolios are at extreme risk in the event of a market downturn, which, if severe enough could wipe out people's lifetime savings and set them back many years in their plans and dreams for retirement.

Much more consideration, therefore, needs to be given to including assets with dissimilar price movements, which we call "Non-Traditional or Alternative Assets" to hedge against market risk. What are they?

Here are a few examples:

-Land Development Projects (my personal favorite)
-Commercial & Residential Real Estate
-Precious Metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc.)
-Gemstones (diamonds, rubies, etc.)
-Commodities
-Oil & Gas
-Tax Liens & Tax Lien Certificates
-Trust Deeds
-Tenancy In Common Properties (TIC's)
-Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT's)
-Timberland
-Fishing Rights
-Etc.

All investors should seriously consider incorporating some of these into their portfolios if they want to be 'Truly' Diversified and protected when the market winds shift. But be sure to do your homework first.

I really encourage you to embrace this action plan - it can put you on track for a secure retirement.

To learn more, click on the picture below:

Until next time! Retirement Wiz (you can email me at Johnha7@yahoo.com)

If The Stock Market Crashed Would You Be Wiped Out?

2008-10-05T17:35:00.001-07:00

Click on the Arrow to play Video

Duration: approx. 14 minutes

Link to Video Author's website: www.JohnHanlin.com

Until next time! Retirement Wiz (you can always email me at: Johnha7@yahoo.com)

The 5 Secrets Of Success

2008-09-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

"There are five key traits that all successful people share. What separates the average or unsuccessful people from those who achieve great success can be attributed to several key differences."

Good News!

If you were to watch of movie of people's lives, these five characteristics would be illuminated in their successes or failures - over and over again. For some, these traits come naturally. For others, they may take years to learn, or they may never learn them at all - without coaching.The good news is that these traits CAN be learned. And, it's a proven fact that by embracing them and making these five characteristics a part of your 'being', you WILL achieve success in your personal life. These key traits are relevant for success in relationships, business, investing.... you name it.

Secret #1: "No" Usually Means "I Don't Get It"

Whether you're trying to convince someone to vote for you or you're trying to sell them a fishing rod - it's critical that the potential buyer clearly understands what you're offering. More importantly, it's imperative that you understand their needs, desires and problems in order to give them what they want. You can't solve a problem if you don't know what it is.

Typically, when someone doesn't understand what they're being offered or told, it's because they don't have the necessary information on which to base a decision. So, their natural response is to say "no" to the offer. This is because many people don't want to admit: "I don't get it" and appear foolish or unintelligent. So, to avoid embarrassment, they will simply reject the proposal or offer.

Successful individuals realize that "no" is often a natural response to confusion or missing information. So, they make it their mission to provide the listener with all of the necessary information, in a form they can understand, in order to make an educated and, usually, a positive decision.

Secret #2: You Can't Read People's Minds

Your thoughts control your results. Many people are held back or unsuccessful in certain aspects of their lives because they make assumptions or believe things to be true without actual proof. This often happens subconsciously.

These assumptions can limit a person's recognition of tremendous opportunities that surround them every day. This affects the choices they make, the actions they take, and can severely limit the success that they attain.

Example: A gentleman is interested in a lady friend and would like to ask her out to dinner. However, he repeatedly passes up opportunities to do so, because he feels that she will decline. Perhaps he has experienced rejection in his past. But now, he is assuming that this lady and perhaps 'all' ladies will react the same way to his invitation. He's afraid of risking embarrassment and what others might think about him. So, to protect his self-esteem, he does nothing, without ever knowing the true end result.

Successful people realize that just because one outcome occurred in the past, doesn't mean that it is the only outcome that can occur forever into the future. They recognize that they can't read other people's minds and so, they proceed toward their goals accordingly.

Secret #3: Ideas Are Worthless Without Motivation & Action

Have you ever had a great idea about an invention or concept that really seemed to make perfect sense? It's a pretty common occurrence. I'll use my son's idea from about 10 or 12 years ago as an example. He said: "Daddy, why don't people's houses have clickers like your car?" What he meant was: "Why don't we have the same technology to open the front door of our home as our car does with the keychain 'thingey'?"

Guess what? That was a genius idea for any age group! And, I'm not boasting here (OK, maybe a little), but come on - a nine year-old with a life-altering idea! (More to come on this is a later edition - maybe.) Most of us have had situations like this where we said: "I thought of that!". But, did you take action? Well, the successful people among us DO take action. (FYI: keep me posted if you see anyone with a front door clicker on their keychain.)

Important note: most successful people often fail several times before they achieve success. in fact, they usually fail at least 3-5 times before they land on a winner. Now, how you & I define "success" is going to vary greatly, but the philosophy of achieving "success" will not, it's the same 5 traits I'm explaining here.

"Momentum"

Let's go back to my own son's idea. Let's assume I think his was a 'big idea'. So, it started with an idea. Next, came 'the dream' or 'visualization of the outcome'. Now, parlay that image into your own mind. Do you have an idea or invention you've been mulling over?

These are critical questions that you need to ask yourself in the 'motivation' stage of taking action. To achieve success, you have to ask yourself at this point: "How far am I willing and able to go?". Do you know? Can you visualize what great opportunities are ahead of you if you just take one more baby-step towards attaining your dream?

Here's the key, one more time! MOMENTUM

It only requires one baby-step: "Just get the sled moving up the incline."

What successful people realize is 'gravity'. "Once you crest the top of the incline, momentum will take effect and your sled will glide."

I'm not judgmental in any capacity, but the following quotation will follow me to my end: "If you have faith, nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Secret #4: Focus On Positive Thoughts Not Negative Ones

If you watch or read the news it's usually pretty negative - because it sells. And on a personal level, it's much easier to fall into a negative emotional trap of fear, doubt and low self esteem than it is for optimism, belief in one's self and confidence.

Have you ever heard the saying "be careful what you wish for, you'll surely get it"? This is another way of describing a 'self-fulfilling prophecy'. This simply means, what you think about is actually subconscious goal-setting. If you think about negative things, some of those things are likely to occur. On the other hand, think about positive things and some of those are likely to occur as well. Don't take my word for it, many research studies have been conducted to confirm this.

Successful people recognize the power of positive thinking. They form a mental image of the outcome they desire. Their mind then begins to formulate and construct ideas and plans to obtain that outcome. It ties closely with MOMENTUM in Secret #3. Does this mean that successful people never consider problems? Of course not, however, they do this differently than most people -- they are not focusing on these problems, they are looking for roadblocks they might have to avoid to achieve their desired outcome. They "hope for the best and plan for the worst". They don't let negative thoughts control them and throw them off target. Instead, they use what they think about as tools in achieving their goals by thinking positively.

Secret #5: Success Is In Attention To Details

One of the things that sets successful people apart is that they pay close attention to details. They make sure that the details are taken care of because this can be the difference between success and failure. Whether you're running a business or running a triathlon, a tiny adjustment somewhere within the race can make the difference between winning and losing.

Until next time! Retirement Wiz. Email me anytime: johnha7@yahoo.com

FREE retirement fun stuff: ebooks, jokes, quotes, speeches, poems, gifts & more!

2008-07-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

With today's blog, I thought I'd offer up some fun and interesting links and freebies that I've come across recently. So -- please review, download, and enjoy!

I'll start with a FREE ebook download that includes the preface and 1st chapter from a bestseller titled "The Joy of Not Working", by Ernie J. Zelinski. This is not only a fun read, but great advice about living happy. Click on the book image link below:

Here's a couple of excerpts from the book:

"Whether you are retired, unemployed, or working, you can use "The Joy of Not Working" as a practical and reliable guide to create a paradise away from the workplace. Because all of us need reminders from time to time about the obvious and the not-so-obvious, we can all use a handy guide on how to enjoy life more." -- Ernie Zelinski

"My father taught me to work, but not to love it. I never did like to work, and I don’t deny it. I’d rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh - anything but work." —Abraham Lincoln

The next item of interest is another FREE ebook download by Ernie Zelinski titled "101 Really Important Things You Already Know, But Keep Forgetting". I really enjoy this book. It's a compilation of truly valuable life lessons that you may already have learned and forgotten, plus some others that you may not have encountered -- yet. The free ebook includes 15 of the 101 'important things' that are included in the complete book that you can purchase from the Amazon.com "I Recommend" box on the right border of this page. To download your free ebook, click on the book image link below:

Here's another fun one from Mr. Zelinski. Click on the book image link below for your FREE ebook download of "Graffiti for the Employee's Soul":

The next FREE ebook "The 437 Best Things Ever Said About Retirement" is chock-full of funny & interesting quotes and sayings that are great for retirement dinners or just to keep your conversations lively. A lot of fun! Click on the book image link below to download a free copy of this ebook:

Click on the image link below to enter the "Retirement Cafe" website which offers a FREE Collection of Retirement Jokes, Speeches, Retirement Letters, and Poems:

Need retirement gifts or supplies for a retirement party? Click on the image link below for great party ideas and supplies, plus retirement jokes, shirts, poems, and other retirement gifts. (Note: these products are NOT free, but I think this is the best resource of its kind anywhere):

Well, that's about it for today. I hope you enjoy these resources. -- Retirement Wiz

Email me anytime at: johnha7@yahoo.com

Enjoy high yields & low risk with Trust Deed Notes

2008-06-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was in a bank lobby that provided little or no privacy for the people that were conducting their business with the tellers. I couldn't help but overhear a conversation taking place with a couple probably in their early 60's. They were trying to figure out how they could put more money into the bank under the FDIC's $100,000 insurance - by opening separate accounts, opening accounts in the name of their trusts, children, grandchildren, etc. And it really saddened me. You might wonder why?

Well, it's because the interest rate that they were going to be earning on their money was MAYBE keeping up with inflation. In other words, they weren't growing their money. And it saddened because there are alternative investments that they could be putting their money into that earn far greater returns with low risk and high security!

Let's take a look at what banks and other lending institutions are paying today - these are national overnight averages from BankRate.com:

2.38% Money Market Accounts
2.89% 6-month Certificate of Deposit (CD)
3.27% 12-month CD
3.86% 5-year CD

Click on the link below to check out today's rates for yourself:

BankRate.com

Again, these are national averages, so you can find some banks with higher rates around the country. For example, I know of one bank that is offering 3.9% on its Savings Accounts right now. Regardless, we're still talking about interest rates that are barely keeping up with inflation if we're lucky. And, I'll step out on a limb and say that they are NOT keeping up with inflation because of the way that the government calculates and reports it. (We've been quoted 3% inflation since the price of gas was well under $2.00 a gallon. Who still believes that inflation is 3% now that the price of gas is approaching $5.00 a gallon??)

So, let's take a look at one Alternative Investment that can earn much higher yields with low risk:

TRUST DEED INVESTMENTS

There are many investors that only invest in this one asset type and consistently make a steady 9-12% annual return. But there are many more investors who have never even heard of Trust Deeds, let alone know how to invest in them.

Basically, investing in Trust Deeds involves your becoming a lender to a homeowner or a builder. For the purposes of this blog, I'm going to narrow it down to lending to homeowners.

Now, as a Trust Deed lender, you can either 'create' a Trust Deed loan directly with a borrower yourself (usually with an attorney's assistance) or more commonly, you can purchase an existing Trust Deed loan from a Mortgage Loan Broker (aka 'Hard Money Lender').

Many homeowners are unable to obtain loans from banks or other large financial institutions due to various reasons: low credit scores, gaps in employment, etc. However, they may have a very immediate need for the money. This is where 'Hard Money Lenders' come in. These are typically smaller local businesses with money to lend. They are much more flexible than the large financial institutions, can react very quickly, but charge significantly higher interest rates for the use of their funds.

The typical Hard Money Lender doesn't intend to hold onto most of the loans or Trust Deeds that they initiate. Instead, they seek to sell these loans to individuals, institutions, trusts, etc. They make their money by charging loan fees and points in the initiation and resale processes.

Before I get too far along, let me explain WHY you should consider doing this with some personal examples: I own several Trust Deed loans in California. The interest rates I earn on these loans range from 12% to 16.99% and I get paid every month on these loans by my borrowers. And I've turned downed Trust Deeds as high as 18.99%.

You might be saying "there's no way!". Quite the contrary my friends. In fact, these interest rates are very common in the "Hard Money Lending" business, which you are going to learn about shortly - and they are completely legal. I won't go into "usury law" in this blog because the laws vary by state, but I will be happy to speak with you about it if you care to send me an email with a question. (My email address is: Johnha7@yahoo.com)

Now, I'd like explain more on what Trust Deeds are and why they can be very secure investments. Then, we'll discuss what determines their value and then, how you can invest in Trust Deeds.

The Trust Deeds we'll discuss in this blog are related to real estate. When someone purchases a home, they commonly take out a loan (mortgage) to acquire the property. Loans against real estate have two components:

1. The Trust Deed (aka Mortgage or Deed of Trust): this legal document pledges the property to the lender as security in case of a default or non-payment by the borrower.

2. The Promissory Note: this legal document specifies the payment terms of the Trust Deed, including the amount of the loan, monthly payment amount, payment due dates, interest rate, term of the loan (# of months), and penalties in the event of late payments or default. This is essentially, the borrower's promise to repay the loan amount plus interest.

Now, there are many situations when an existing homeowner needs money and their only significant asset is their home. It may be for a 'hot' new investment asset, a remodel of their home, a family or medical emergency, etc. So, they might seek to take out a 'Home Equity Loan'. There can take various forms, but I'll focus on the following:

* First Trust Deeds: if the homeowner/borrower has no current mortgage on their property (they own it free and clear) and they took out a Home Equity Loan, it would be considered a First Trust Deed. This means that in the event of a default or failure to pay and subsequent foreclosure, this loan would be paid off before any others. (As noted above, the Trust Deed pledges the property as security in the event of a default.)

* Second, Third, Fourth.... Trust Deeds: if the homeowner/borrower does have a current mortgage (this would be their First Trust Deed) and they have a good amount of equity in their property (their home is worth more that they owe on their mortgage) -- they might take out another loan(s) against their remaining equity in the property.

These 2nd, 3rd, 4th.... Trust Deeds, however, are named as such because it identifies their 'lien position' in the event of a default. Sometimes, as we're experiencing in a number of U.S. markets today, the property values can go way down and the equity that was borrowed against virtually disappears. In the event of a foreclosure and subsequent resale of the property, whatever funds are obtained from the sale are paid out in order of priority: First Trust Deed gets paid off first and if any money is left over, then the Second Trust Deed gets paid, etc. Unfortunately, there may not be enough funds to repay even all of the First Trust Deed off. In this case, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th Trust Deeds, etc. don't receive anything. That's right, they're out of luck!

So, what's the lesson here? Well, like any investment, you need to do your homework and research before you invest in a Trust Deed. My definition of risky investments are those that are made in the dark.

Now please don't let this scare you off. Here's why - there are:

Five Simple Ways To Reduce Risk For Trust Deed Investments

1. Make sure any Hard Money Lender that you will be purchasing your Trust Deeds from is reputable and experienced. Check them out. We'll discuss how to do this a little later.

2. Review the property appraisal and title (this will determine if the borrower has equity and if the property has clear title with no other liens or complications). Is the appraisal current? Who did it? You want an independent 3rd party doing these. Some investors will have their own appraisals done. Make sure that there is title insurance! This is added SECURITY you don't want to invest without.

3. Research the market value of the property and trends. Is the real estate market stable? What have comparable homes in the immediate area sold for recently?

4. Give yourself a 'cushion' between the amount of the loan and the value of the home which you researched in steps 2-3 above. This is called Loan To Value (LTV). It's calculated as follows:

Amount of Loan divided by Market or Appraised Value = Loan To Value

A good LTV is my opinion is under 70%. This means that if a home is valued at $100,000 - then I will loan no more than $70,000 on it. Why?

Well, if the borrower defaults on their loan and I foreclose, I could take possession of the property valued at $100,000 for which I only have $70,000 invested in the loan. It's now mine and I have an automatic $30,000 in equity if I can sell it for the market value of $100,000 AND I would get my original investment back!

There are two big benefits here:

* Potential for additional profits: The 'cushion' of the 70% LTV means there is potential for additional profits in the event of a default and foreclosure. (In the example above, it was an additional $30,000 of profit that I didn't originally plan on.) This isn't ever my intended outcome, but it's nice to have the added security and cash.

* Added SECURITY: In the event that the real estate market were to depreciate like it's doing in many areas today, with my 'cushion' provided by the 70% LTV -- the value of the property can decline by as much as 30% and I'll still be protected and able to get my original investment back if there's a foreclosure.

IMPORTANT: In a situation where the borrower already has a First Trust Deed on the home and they are seeking a Second Trust Deed, I still stick to my 70% LTV model. If the COMBINED loan amount (1st + 2nd Trust Deeds) is under 70% LTV, I would loan the money. In other words, if the home is worth $100,000 and the 1st Trust Deed balance owed is $50,000, I would loan up to $20,000 for a 2nd Trust Deed. This would add up to a total amount borrowed of $70,000, which is within my 70% LTV guideline.

5. Research the borrower's ability to pay. Check employment, credit scores and payment history where possible. Honestly though, if I get a really good LTV, say 60%, I'm not concerned about this. Why? Because, if the borrower defaults and I foreclose, I get the property at 60 cents on the dollar.

If you follow the five steps above, you will virtually eliminate the risk from your Trust Deed investment.

Factors That Determine The Value Of Trust Deeds

All of the following factors needs to be considered together when investing in Trust Deeds. In other words, you should look at everything before you decide to lend money - not just one factor by itself.

* Loan-To-Value: as explained above, this is the relationship between the amount borrowed and the valuation of the property. I stay below 70% LTV. A Trust Deed at this LTV is more valuable than one at 80% because it has less risk (more 'cushion'). Trust Deeds with higher LTV's will commonly pay a higher interest rate to compensate for the greater risk level.

* Interest Rate: obviously, a Trust Deed with an interest rate of 12% is more valuable than one with 9%.

* The Loan Term: this is the period of time in which the debt has to be paid off. Most investors like to get their money back quickly. So, Trust Deeds with shorter terms are more valuable than those with longer terms.

* The Borrower: the creditworthiness of the person borrowing the money is another factor. Trust Deeds for borrowers with sound employment, high credit scores and good payment histories are more valuable than those with lesser credentials.

OK, we now know what a Trust Deed is; how to reduce risk when investing in Trust Deeds; and the factors that create value in a Trust Deed investment. Next, we're going to look at:

How To Invest In Trust Deeds

There are two ways to invest in or acquire Trust Deed investments:

1) By lending the money directly to another party and creating a new Trust Deed yourself.
2) By purchasing an existing Trust Deed from a Hard Money Lender.

We are going to focus on # 2 above:

Key Steps For Purchasing An Existing Trust Deed:

A) First, you must locate a reputable, experienced "Hard Money Lender" (aka Mortgage Loan Broker). There are a number of ways to find these companies - I typically look in the classified ads of my local newspaper under 'real estate', 'business opportunities', or 'money to loan'. Other good ways are to search the internet for 'hard money lenders' in your area and to consult with friends or business associates who may have experience with Trust Deeds already.

I recommend that before you invest any money with a Hard Money Lender, that you meet and interview them - ask for a professional profile, background, experience, etc. Then check them out with your State Dept. of Real Estate and Better Business Bureau. Most states also have Mortgage Loan Associations that you can research.

B) Once you've identified a qualified Hard Money Lender, you'll want to review the existing Trust Deed Loans that they currently hold and are offering to sell. (By purchasing the Trust Deed from the Hard Money Lender, you are actually becoming the new Lender on the property associated with this loan.) A good Hard Money Lender will have the critical information you need to use for 'sifting' through the offerings and narrowing them down to a short list for further, more detailed research and due diligence by you. This critical information should include:

* Property information: description, location, photos, etc.
* Loan amount
* Loan position (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Trust Deed, etc.)
* Other loans on the property
* Total combined LTV (all loans)
* Appraisal
* Market comparable sales
* Interest rate
* Term of loan
* Title information
* Borrower information: credit score, employment, etc.
* Etc.

With this information, you should be able to identify a couple of Trust Deeds that might fit your requirements. From here, you may want to take these and dig even deeper, perhaps visiting the property, driving the neighborhood, talking to realtors about the area, researching market trends, etc.

C) Assuming you've found a Trust Deed that fits the bill, you will start the Escrow process. Your Hard Money Lender will lead you through the process and serve as middleman to get the property assigned to you as the new lender of record. I always recommend communicating directly with the borrower via letter/email and telephone to establish a good working relationship with them.

D) Finally, you'll need to start getting paid! Some Hard Money Lenders provide the administrative duties of processing payments for you. Others do not and you'll have to determine whether you want to handle those chores yourself or farm it out to a third party note processor. Personally, I use a third party service called The Note Servicing Center. They're national and very good at what they do. In fact, they are located very near my old hometown in Midpines, CA. Click on the image link below to check them out:

Well, I hope that this information inspires you to explore Trust Deed investing further. If you go about it the right way and do your homework, these investments can help to truly diversify your portfolio and add stable, high yielding assets with low risk. And please, don't rely on CD's as your primary investment strategy! There's too many great options available and Trust Deed loans are just one of them.

Until next time, I am the Retirement Wiz! (email me anytime at: Johnha7@yahoo.com)

If the market crashed would you be wiped out?

2008-06-13T06:40:00.001-07:00

Many people would be wiped out if the stock market were to crash today. Not me. I'll tell you why in a minute.......

Here's another question: Is your retirement portfolio diversified?

Most people would say YES. And I'm gonna say that they really are not. Why? Read on.......

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word "DIVERSIFY" as follows:

1.a. To give variety to; vary.
1.b. To extend (business activities) into disparate fields.
2. To distribute (investments) among several companies in order to average the risk of loss. To spread out activities or investments, especially in business.

"Approximately 96% of U.S. retirement portfolios are limited to 'traditional' market investments. As a result, retirement portfolios are very vulnerable to market risk, which, if dramatic, can wipe out an individual's lifetime savings." (Source: PENSCO Trust Company, April 25, 2008).

What the heck does all this mean?

It means that "many people think that their portfolios are diversified but they really don't have a clue".

Now this may sound harsh at first blush, but if you can grasp the concept below, it can be life changing and protect you from financial disaster. And, it's the reason I said at the start that I wouldn't be wiped out if the stock market crashed today.

"TRUE DIVERSIFICATION"

"True Diversification is a means to increase your expected rate of return and at the same time, reduce your portfolio volatility and risk."

Does this sound improbable or impossible? Allow me to introduce you to:

'Modern Portfolio Theory' (MPT)

Modern Portfolio Theory is a sophisticated, yet simple to execute, investment approach first developed by Professor Harry Markowitz of the University of Chicago in 1952. In 1990, he received a Nobel Prize in Economics for MPT, which has become the framework upon which many institutions such as Harvard and Yale universities' endowment funds and savvy investors construct their investment portfolios.

It was Markowitz's position that portfolio risk could be reduced and the expected rate of return increased, when assets of dissimilar price movements were combined. "A diversified portfolio, of uncorrelated asset classes (or 'Alternative Assets'), can provide the highest returns with the least amount of volatility or risk."

"Many investors are under the delusion that their portfolios are adequately diversified if they are invested in various individual stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and international stocks." While these are different investments, they are still in the same general asset class, with similar price movements and generally move in concert with each other. For proof, take a look at what happened in the last market crashes. "TRUE diversification’ according to MPT, is in ‘uncorrelated and Alternative Asset Classes’ that move independently from one another."

So, now I'm going to repeat myself:

Approximately 96% of U.S. retirement portfolios are limited to 'traditional' market investments, and although the inclusion of 'Alternative Assets' is increasing, it has a long way to go. And as a result, retirement portfolios are very vulnerable to market risk, which, if dramatic, can wipe out an individual's lifetime savings. More consideration therefore, needs to be given to 'True Diversification' and incorporating Alternative Assets and non-correlated asset classes into retirement portfolios to hedge against market risk.

Are you "Truly Diversified"? Here are some Alternative Assets/non-correlated asset classes that you might consider including in your own retirement portfolio to provide that 'hedge' against market risk:

Alternative Asset Examples

Land development projects (my personal favorite)
Raw land
Commercial & residential real estate
Tenancy in common investments (TIC's)
Real estate investment trusts (REIT's)
Trust deeds
Tax liens & tax lien certificates
Precious metals (gold, silver, platinum)
Gemstones
Commodities/futures
Oil & gas
Hedge funds
Private equity
etc.

I believe the pick of the litter is Land Development because it has outstanding returns and is secured by the land itself. For more information, click on the image link below:

Hopefully, you'll take this information to heart and do something with it. I did and I sleep a lot better at night. Now, you may be saying "but I can't do anything, my retirement money is tied up in my IRA or 401K". Well, guess again. You absolutely can use those funds to invest in Alternative Assets. Check out my Blog dated March 4, 2008, titled "How to take control of your IRA & 401K investments". It will explain the easy steps to do this & there's a FREE information guide you can download there to explain everything.

To your retirement portfolio health! Until next time!

- Retirement Wiz. (email me anytime at:johnha7@yahoo.com)

How you can profit from the 'Rebuilding of America'

2008-05-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

In today's blog, I want to address a tremendous financial and social opportunity that is available to anyone with the knowledge I will share and the vision to do something with it. It's the "Rebuilding of America".

What am I talking about?

We are sitting at 'ground zero' for a land/construction development boom that, by the year 2030, will make the build-out following World War II look like "Lincoln Logs". (I assume that most who read my blog are old enough to know what Lincoln Logs are.)

Most state and local governments across the US conduct their own research to estimate trends in demographics, households, markets, and industries in their geographies over the coming years. These projections serve as the basis they use to develop localized growth plans and public policy related to future development requirements for their geographies. However, until recently, there has not been a "national" study conducted to evaluate the development needs for the entire United States.

In December 2004, the highly acclaimed Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy supported a project titled "Toward a New Metropolis: The Opportunity to Rebuild America" by Virginia Tech urban planning professor Robert Lang. This is the first study of its kind, whether by government, public or private sources. I will be referencing information from this study and others in today's blog. (Click the Brookings image below to view this study.)

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how projected changes in our nation's population, plus demographic, household and market trends will impact our development requirements for the future. That is: how many new homes, schools, parks, libraries, shopping centers, hospitals, office buildings, industrial complexes, etc, will we need to accomodate future growth?

First, let's start with the 'engine' that's driving the need for future development in the US:

The US population is growing. This is due to:

* Extended life spans (people are living longer)
* New births
* Immigration (legal and illegal)

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU PROJECTIONS:

Year..... Population...... Cume Increase...... Cume % Change
2000...... 282Million.......... ---------------------------------
2010...... 309Million........... +27Million ............. +10%
2020...... 336Million...... .... +54Million ..............+19%
2030...... 364Million........... +82Million ............. +29%

Summary: Between 2000-2030, the US population is expected to grow by >82Million new people (a 29% increase!).

According to the Brookings Institute study noted above:

* By 2030, total "built" square footage in the US (including residential, commercial & institutional, and industrial square footage combined) will need to increase by 42% to accommodate the projected new population growth. That means adding another 127 BILLION square feet of buildings.

* By 2030, approximately 27% of previously existing square footage will need to be replaced. That means another 82 BILLION square feet of re-development building.

* All told, this amounts to 209 BILLION square feet of total development needed between now and 2030.

* Most of the new square footage will be residential space (79%). That's over 100 BILLION square feet of new homes.

* Total projected cost of this new "Rebuilding of America"? $25 Trillion Dollars!

The bulk of the $25 Trillion Dollars will be spent in developing 10 major metropolition regions, which the Brookings study calls "MEGAPOLITANS":

Source: "The $25 Trillion Land Grab" article by Paul Kahlia (Business 2.0 Magazine).
Click on the image below for a copy of the article.

1. CASCADIA: Will encompass land from Seattle to Portland. Vast quantities of cheap, prime greenfield surrounding Seattle, Portland, and Eugene give the Northwest megapolitan explosive growth potential. By 2030 the three metro regions will be intertwined.

2. NORCAL: Will encompass land from San Francisco to Sacramento plus the Central Valley. The action is moving east from the Bay Area: The Sacramento metro region will build more housing and office space in the next 25 years than any other Western megapolitan city except Las Vegas.

3. SOUTHLAND: Will encompass land from Los Angeles to San Diego in the south thru the Inland Empire to Las Vegas in the east. Trade with China through the country's largest port, Los Angeles, will fuel a boom in logistics, warehousing, and distribution centers for companies like Target. New military and space programs will do for the Southland what the Internet did for NorCal in the 1990s.

4. VALLEY OF THE SUN: Will encompass land from Phoenix to Tuscon. This is the smallest megapolitan, but the one with the greatest supply of raw, buildable land at the lowest prices--one reason it will soon be the fastest-growing metro region in the country. The big draw: a Palm Springs lifestyle for the masses at a substantial discount.

5. I-35 CORRIDOR: Will encompass land from San Antonio to Dallas to Kansas City. No region better captures and caters to the Latino population boom. A new generation of Hispanic business owners and industrialists will drive the growth, and the area will become a magnet for foreign firms trying to cash in on the U.S. Latino market.

6. GULF COAST BELT: Will encompass land from Houston to New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina will for decades exaggerate a divide at the Texas-Louisiana border between the region's richer western section and the poorer eastern one. Surrounding megapolitans will enjoy spillover growth because of the Gulf Coast Belt's higher risk premium.

7. GREAT LAKES HORSESHOE: Will encompass land from Chicago to Detroit to Pittsburgh. Hit hard by manufacturing's decline, the constellation of Northern industrial cities is morphing into a service-economy region and will draw a flood of immigrants.

8. ATLANTIC SEABOARD: Will encompass land from Boston to New York City to Washington DC. The country's most heavily populated megapolitan braces for another boom. Where will most of the development go? Up: Urban infill will outstrip suburban growth.

9. I-85 CORRIDOR: Will encompass land from Raleigh-Durham to Atlanta. The 410-mile stretch from Atlanta to Raleigh is fast becoming a contiguous strip of McMansions and McDonald's. As textile manufacturing fades, consumer banking in Charlotte, telecom in Atlanta, and high-tech in the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle drive the growth.

10. SOUTHERN FLORIDA: Will encompass land from Tampa to Miami. The state posted the nation's highest job growth in 2004, as baby boomers from the North poured in to take advantage of the job market and climate. Land scarcity will drive urban growth.

BONUS: UTAH 'MINIPOLITAN': This is my own addition to the $25 Trillion Land Grab markets. Utah is experiencing tremendous population and job growth and needs to be added to the list.

How can YOU profit from the 'Rebuilding of America'?

Well, I suggest that you find a way to participate financially in the development process, particularly in the 'Megapolitans & Minipolitan' geographies listed above.

Personally, I am investing in a company that specializes in real estate development.

If you would like to learn more about what I'm doing, click on the image below:

That's it for now. See you next time! Retirement Wiz (email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com)

How to avoid running out of money in retirement

2008-05-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just came across a very informative report that I'd like to share with you today. It's called "The 15-Minute Retirement Plan: How to avoid running out of money when you need it most", prepared by Fisher Investments.

For a FREE copy of this report, click on the image below:

Here's a brief summary of what I believe are key points in this report, plus some of my own thoughts on the subject:

Running out of money is one of the worst things that can happen to a person in retirement. You might work your whole life saving for your future and then find out that you don't have enough money to last for the duration of your life.

To avoid this happening to you, there are several key factors that you need to consider:

1. The length of time that you will need to save for. Many people underestimate their life expectancy. In 1952, the average lifespan was 68.6 years. In 2006, that had increased to 77.8 years. And, with continuing improvements in medicine and healthcare, it's expected that life expectancy will only continue to increase.

What does this mean to you? Expect to live a long time and build this into your savings plan for retirement. Below is a 2006 life expectancy table from the IRS to help you with this.

Age.....Life Expectancy
51-----------84.3
55-----------84.6
60-----------85.2
65-----------86.0
70-----------87.0
75-----------88.4
80-----------90.2
85-----------92.6
90-----------95.5

2. The effects of inflation. Many people believe that if they're earning 10% per year on their portfolio, that they can withdraw 10% per year without reducing their principal. This isn't correct. They forget to take into account INFLATION, which historically has averaged 3% per year. So the real earnings for their portfolio is just 7% per year (10%-3%=7%). If they're withdrawing 10%, they are actually reducing their principal every year.

More on inflation: it has a compounding effect on your cost of living. If you need $50,000 per year today to cover your living expenses, in 20 years you'll need $92,000 to keep the same lifestyle. In 30 years you'll need $125,000. You get the point.

3. The amount of money you withdraw from your retirement portfolio each year. The amount of money that you withdraw each year obviously will affect how long your money will last. Here are three scenarios based on an average 10% annual return on a $1 million portfolio over a 30-year time horizon, adjusted for inflation:

* Withdraw 10% per year: the portfolio will last approx. 18.2 years
* Withdraw 7% per year: the portfolio will last approx. 24.2 years
* Withdraw 5% per year: the portfolio will last approx. 27.9 years

4. The makeup of your retirement portfolio. In particular, if you're heavily into stocks, you must take into account the volatility of the stock market. If you need to take 10% withdrawals each year and take it in a year when the market and your portfolio are way down, you could significantly cut into your principal. To illustrate: if your portfolio has declined 20% this year due to a stock market downturn, and you withdraw 10%, you'll need your portfolio to grow 39% next year just to get it back to even.

What can you do?

I recommend that everyone take a good look at raw land development investments for their retirement portfolios.

Here's why:

Though nothing is certain with any investment, raw land development is one of the most lucrative investment vehicles available to investors. And that includes stocks, bonds, commodities, other real estate products, etc. Professional land developers commonly increase the value of their raw land investments by 200-500%. And it can be much higher. (I consider that pretty lucrative.)

These investments are typically secured by the value of the land being developed. This is in contrast to stocks where there is really no security at all.

Land developers do not rely on market appreciation for their profits, unlike residential real estate. Instead, they CREATE value by taking raw land, obtaining government permits and approvals to rezone the land so it can be subdivided and built upon - then they resell these newly approved lots to production builders for typically 2-5 times more than the land developer paid for the land. So, there is typically far more stability and much less volatility.

To learn more about raw land development investments, click on the picture below:

See you next time! Retirement Wiz (e-mail me at: Johnha7@yahoo.com)

The best places to retire in America

2008-04-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today, I thought we'd have a little fun and review "the best places to retire in America". As my source of information, I'm referencing articles from US News & World Report dated 9/20/07 and 9/25/07.

Here's the process they used to arrive at their selections for the Top 10 Best:

* They started with a list of 2,000 places with populations of >15,000 people. Their reasoning for this population minimum was that communities smaller than this are less apt to have adequate medical facilities or income opportunities for those who might wish to work a little during retirement.

* Next, they narrowed the field to about 1,000 places based on things like cost of living, crime rate, climate, healthcare, recreation, etc.

* Finally, they selected their Top 10 list from this grouping as Editor's Picks - shown below in no particular order.

NOTE: Click on the pictures beneath each city to go to specific information about that city.

Enjoy!!

> Smyrna, Tennessee:

> Bozeman, Montana:

> Concord, New Hampshire:

> Fayetteville, Arkansas:

> Hillsboro, Oregon

> Lawrence, Kansas

> Peachtree City, Georgia

> Prescott, Arizona

> Venice, Florida

> San Francisco, California

** Remember to click on the pictures above for specific information about each city.

I hope you enjoyed it! Until next time -- Retirement Wiz (email me at: Johnha7@yahoo.com)

Why land development is one of the best investments you can make....period!

2008-04-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Back on March 11, 2008, I wrote a blog titled "A well-kept secret: Investing in Land Development". There, I gave four reasons why everyone should consider investing in land development. Here, I'm going to explain further about why land development is one of the most lucrative investment vehicles of them all -- and that includes stocks, bonds, other real estate products, commodities, precious metals, etc. You name it.

Here goes....

Land development, also known as raw land development, is the process of converting raw or undeveloped land into land that can be used for a higher economic purpose -- i.e. it can be built upon. How does this magical transformation take place?

It's simple, but not easy. The developer obtains the necessary permits from the government and public agencies that are required to give permission to modify the land for a different purpose or use. It's a lot of red tape and can literally take years to complete depending on the size and scope of the project. In addition to being very time consuming, it can require a bunch of legal wrangling, a lot of politics, financial and management expertise and a great deal of patience.

Most developers are rookies and they usually fail because they don't have the relationships or experience needed to do this expertly. Many go into it with a great piece of property, in a great location, with a great idea for the property -- then fail because they couldn't get the necessary permits approved before they ran out of time and money.

The successful land developers are professional companies that do this all day every day. There are very few of these in the U.S., but these are the guys making all the money. They have the relationships with government officials, local business leaders, lenders and builders across the country. In a way, it's a 'good old boy network'. More importantly, they have experience.
So, how do these 'professional' land developers make their money? Well, simply put, they "create value". They do this by conducting a tsunami of research (that's a lot of research) about where population shifts are taking place, where communities are growing to, where jobs are being created.... you get the idea.

Once they have identified where the growth is going to take place (they look years into the future), they then search for raw undeveloped land or property in the path of this growth. Once they identify some raw land to their liking (it could be anywhere from a few acres to thousands of acres), the developer generates preliminary plans for this property in the form of a greater economic use. This could be a shopping mall, a master-planned residential community, an industrial complex, a golf course, etc.

The next step is to obtain the rights to the property. This is another area where non-professional developers often over-extend themselves and fail. The professional developer rarely will pay cash for a property up front and tie up his or her capital. Instead, they will employ modest deposits or 'right to purchase' contracts, etc. to obtain the rights to the property with little out of pocket expense. Meanwhile, a non-pro often doesn't have the knowledge or expertise in this area and they get in over their heads financially, causing them to ultimately run out of money and fail.

Next, the professional developer, will usually contact their network of builder relationships and present their preliminary plans (they might do this even before they obtain the rights to the property) and get a 'handshake' agreement to build-out the project once the government permits are obtained. And from there, the land development project goes into high gear -- meaning the permits and approvals are pursued full-time until completed.

To be clear, a true land developer does NOT build on the land. They simply (but not easily) obtain the approvals to do this. Sometimes, they will install the "infrastructure" - which could be the sewer and water mains, utilities, curbs & gutters, etc. -- but not always. Once they have obtained the permits and approvals, they will then sell the property to the builders and that's the end of their involvement in the project!

You may be thinking, that's it? How could that be so lucrative? Well I can assure you that it is. It is by far the most lucrative form of real estate. The reason is that it takes many years to become expert at what land developers do. I've already told you that most developers fail because they lack experience, so there is a lot of risk if you don't know what you're doing. So, the pros get paid very well for what they do because the builders have confidence that THEIR projects have a great opportunity for success.

One other thing.... Land development isn't susceptible to market fluctuations like residential real estate. Land developers don't rely on appreciation for their profit like builders and residential investors do! As I've illustrated above, the land developer CREATES value by obtaining approval to build on the previously undeveloped land:

A typical land development project increases the value of undeveloped land by 200-500% !! And it can be much greater. I consider that pretty darn lucrative don't you?

Now I hope you can see why any investor who can fog a mirror should consider land development as a component of their portfolio.

In the past, small investors like me couldn't participate in land development projects as investors. As I mentioned above, it's been a 'good old boy network' for many years among the few professionals in the business. So, you had to be know somebody to be 'invited' to invest and even then, you had to have millions to invest or you weren't worth their time.

But that's changed!
Recently, a new type of investment structure was created that now allows smaller investors to participate in this very lucrative field. I sure do!

To learn more, click on the image below:

Until next time! Retirement Wiz (email me at: Johnha7@yahoo.com )

Use your IRA funds to invest in Real Estate tax deferred

2008-03-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

For years and years, we've been literally "hoodwinked", "brainwashed", "convinced" by the big financial brokerage houses and banks that our IRA funds can only be invested in things like stocks and bonds and CD's (certificates of deposit) -- products that they sell. However, we are also aware that the stock market is volatile and can decline sharply in just one day - putting our retirement plans on hold until it (hopefully) recovers.

The good news is that we don't have to ride that rollercoaster if we don't want to!

There are investment alternatives that offer far more safety and upside potential: REAL ESTATE products. Yes, real estate! And you can use your IRA funds to invest in real estate products and still retain the same tax deferred status that you currently have with your IRA. You can do that with a self-directed IRA as I detailed in a previous blog (please see my blog archive: "How to take control of your IRA and 401k investments").

OK, let's move past that point as a given for now, alright?

So, I know what you're thinking... The residential real estate market is in foreclosure isn't it? Well, yes it is. Residential real estate is hurting is many areas around the country. I can make a strong case that there are very profitable investment opportunities in this environment for the savvy investor -- in fact, many pros are gobbling up foreclosure properties aggressively right now. WHY?

The answer is: because residential real estate is cyclical. Remember the 1980's? So soon we forget. We've been there before and done that, right? The dynamics are different this time around with the sub-prime lending issues, but the cycle will win the day and here's why......

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will balloon by >111 Million new people between NOW-2050. That's a 36% increase! And where are all of these new people going to live?? That's right, they'll need houses, schools and communities to support them.

It's all about Supply and Demand. The population growth quoted above represents increasing demand. Today, we have more supply than warranted -- we're over-built with homes, but that's going to change in the next couple of years as the population swells and demand outstrips supply of homes.

Since we're talking about retirement investing, we're also talking about patience and growth potential in connection with our investments. I can't think of another investment category that offers better potential than real estate for the coming decades.

The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy released a paper (44 pages) in Dec. 2004 titled "Toward A New Metropolis" - The Opportunity To Rebuild America." This document was summarized in an article published by Business 2.0 on CNN Money.com in Nov. 2005 titled "The $25 Trillion Land Grab." It states that we are on the groundfloor of the biggest "land grab" since the build-out after WWII. It goes on to identify 10 geographic areas around the U.S. where this "land grab" will be taking place. The fact is that this is taking place RIGHT NOW. Professional developers and investors are quietly and aggressively acquiring raw land in these key markets ahead of the "path of growth". (Click on the image link below to view the article.)

What does this mean for you and me as investors? Well, a couple things:

1) We know that the population is going to grow significantly creating more demand for homes and land development.

2) We also know geographically where that growth is going to happen.

So, as investors, we can choose to capitalize on this opportunity or not. I've made the choice of capitalizing on the opportunity. If you would like to know how, click on the image link below.

In future blogs, I'll be sharing a number of real estate investment products that you can invest in using your IRA funds. These will range from products with immediate cash flow to products with longer term profit potential -- and some with both.

Until next time..... Retirement Wiz (email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com)

A well-kept secret: Investing in Land Development

2008-03-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

The wealthy have been doing it for years....

You've probably never heard about this opportunity...

Your financial advisor certainly won't be telling you about it...

What am I talking about??? RAW LAND DEVELOPMENT INVESTING

Raw land development is widely regarded as the most lucrative form of real estate investment. In fact, land development is one of the most lucrative investment vehicles available (and that includes stocks, bonds, commodities -- you name it).

200-500% increases in land value are common returns for professional land developers. (And, they can be even greater.)

Q: What exactly is raw land development?

A: Simply put, it is the process where raw, unimproved land is acquired by the acre and governmental approvals are obtained to prepare the land for building upon. This newly "improved" land is then resold to building contractors in surveyed lots and parcels.

Why should anyone consider raw land development as an investment?

1st, as I already mentioned above, it can be very lucrative. Who wouldn't want to share in these 200-500% potential returns? However, until recently you had to have millions of dollars to invest to even be considered as a potential investor -- and, even if you had the money, you had to be "invited" by a developer in order to participate. BUT THAT HAS CHANGED, as I'll explain a little later.

2nd, because these investments are typically secured by the value of the land that's being developed -- which is in contrast to stocks, for example, where you really have NO security at all on your investment.

A 3rd reason to consider land development is because unlike residential real estate, which we all know is in foreclosure in many markets, raw land development is aggressively expanding, particularly in 10 key markets around the U.S. In fact, it's widely held that we're on the ground floor of the largest "land grab" since the build-out following WWII. (Reference: "The $25 Trillion Land Grab", Business 2.0/CNN Money.com - NOV. 2005) -- click on image link below:

A 4th reason is because the population is projected by the U.S. Census Bureau to balloon by over 111 MILLION new people between NOW-2050 (a 36% increase in our population). And these new people will require new homes, schools and communities to support them, which DICTATES more land development!

At the end of the day, it's all about supply and demand. The demand created by the population growth will need to be supplied by more and more land development.

Guess what? It's happening right now! As I write, in the 10 key markets detailed in the article mentioned above, raw land is quietly and aggressively being acquired for development now and into the coming decades.

As I mentioned above, in the past, you couldn't participate in land development investing without millions to invest and an invitation from a developer. I also, mentioned that something has changed all that. What is it?

Well, several years ago, a new investment structure was developed, now allowing smaller, accredited investors who don't have millions to invest, but who want to participate in the 200-500% value increases possible with land development investments.

To learn more, click on the image link below:

Until next time, Retirement Wiz (email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com)

Have some fun with Penny Stocks

2008-03-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot of time today for my blog, but I wanted to share a fun topic: Penny Stocks. If you have some spare time and you're a bit of a gambler, this can be an enjoyable venue for you.

I got started playing with penny stocks a few years ago. Basically, they are stocks priced under $1.00 per share - hence the name "penny" stocks. I own some that cost LESS than $0.01 per share!

Why would you gamble on penny stocks (and that's exactly what you're doing)??

Well, first of all, it's fun to buy these and watch what they do. Second, there's always the chance that you'll pick one that could turn into the next Microsoft.

And there are tons of them out there to choose from. All you need to do to find ideas on stocks is to Google the terms "penny stocks" or "hot penny stocks" and you'll find dozens of sites providing tips. Here's a link to one I just checked out this morning:

http://www.thehotpennystocks.com/

Now, I caution you on a few things:

1) I haven't made a penny with my penny stock portfolio - so I won't share my personal picks with you unless you ask me to do so.

2) This is like Vegas or Atlantic City, unless you can afford to lose the money, don't play the game.

3) This can be addicting! Like I said, it's basically gambling. And, it's kind of cool to say "I own 1 Million shares of this company!"

If you're interested, here's a link to a FREE online book by penny stock guru Peter Leeds titled "Understanding Penny Stocks:

http://www.pennystocks.org/

To get started you WILL need an online trading account. I use E*Trade, but there are a number of others to choose from like ScottTrade. These have low commissions (you have to pay a commission for each buy or sell order that you make - ranging from about $7-$13 depending on the company you choose). Here are the image links below to E*Trade and ScottTrade:

It's simple to set up an online account with these companies. They will require a deposit (I believe E*Trade requires $1,000) to get you started trading. Once you're set up with an account, you just need to type in a stock ticker symbol (e.g. GOOG is the symbol for Google - but it's definitely NOT a penny stock). Then, you need to decide how many shares you wish to buy. You'll also be asked to choose how long your buy offer is good for (e.g. one day only, one week, 60 days, etc.) and you'll be asked if your offer is a "market" offer or a "limit" offer. A "market" buy offer means you'll pay whatever the market price is at the moment you submit your offer. The "limit" offer means that you can set the price you'll pay (it can be under the current market price). I always use the limit offer because I'm in control of what I'll spend. However, if you feel like you just have to have a stock right away, the market offer is the way to go.

Those are the basics. Honestly, I didn't read any books beforehand, I just waded in and learned as I went. I didn't even have the weak advice that I'm providing here to go on.

Anyway, I hope I'm not turning people into gamble-aholics with this blog. Just have fun with it and who knows? You could be the next Warren Buffett!

Until next time. Retirement Wiz (email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com )

How to take control of your IRA & 401K investments

2008-03-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

For most of my adult life and working career, I let my 401K and IRA fund managers invest my money as they saw fit. I believed that they were paid professionals and would seek out the maximum returns possible to build my account. And, to a point, that's true. However, these fund managers can only work with their own proprietary investment products. In other words, there are a lot of investment alternatives out there that they can't include in MY 401K or IRA portfolio.

It took me a long time to figure this out. I just assumed that my best interests were being served. If the stock market took a licking and my 401K didn't drop as badly as the overall market, I felt like I was doing good.

Then I came across a phenomenon called "self-directed IRA's". They aren't new to the planet, they were just new to me (they've been around for >30 years).

What are they? Self-directed IRA's are legally no different than any other IRA. The difference is that you choose the IRA's investments from a much broader set of alternatives. You have much more flexibility and control.

Basically, to set up a self-directed IRA, you need a third party "custodian" for the assets of your IRA. There are two classes of companies legally allowed to hold IRA assets:

1) Banks: (banks, trust companies, savings & loans, and credit unions).
2) Non-bank custodians separately licensed by the IRS (broker-dealers, mutual fund companies, and insurance companies).

There are about 20 self-directed IRA custodians available in the US. The one I use is PENSCO Trust Company (they fall under class 1 above). PENSCO has been around since 1989. They service customers in all 50 states. Their corporate offices are in San Francisco, but their Trust Company offices are in New Hampshire. They are regulated by the IRS, the NASD (Nat'l Assoc. of Securities Dealers), the US Securities & Exchange Commission and a state banking commissioner. I felt that was good enough oversight to help me sleep at night knowing my funds were safe. Plus, they are excellent communicators and very efficient. You can check them out at the image link below -- also, be sure to download their FREE ebook "Answers to Investors' Top 50 Questions About Self-Directed IRA's from the image link below:

Self-directed IRA's are growing rapidly in popularity, but they still only represent about 3% of the IRA funds invested in the US. However, people like me are catching on and word is spreading.

The initial concern I had was: is this legal and legitimate? After doing my homework, I clearly found the answer to be a resounding YES. But you'll be surprised how many people, including professionals like attorneys, bankers and accountants who still aren't familiar with self-directed IRA's.

What really sparked my interest was the fact that I could still invest in the securities like stocks and bonds that my old fund managers were investing in if I wanted to, plus things like Certificates of Deposit, annuities, mutual funds, etc. -- but I could also invest in a whole new spectrum of investment vehicles. These include things like raw land development projects, rental properties, trust deeds, tax liens and tax lien certificates, new or existing businesses, commercial property, race horses, airplanes, billboards, fishing rights in Alaska, foreign real estate, etc. There are some restrictions, as there are on any investment type. For example, all of these must be handled as investments and can't be for personal use (e.g. you can't live in a rental property owned by your self-directed IRA).

There are a few assets that you CANNOT invest in with your IRA

Life insurance contracts
Collectibles (cars, stamps, furniture, rare coins, etc.)
Capital stock in an "S" corporation

Anyway, I recommend that EVERYONE at least check out self-directed IRA's. With the stock market gyrations these days, it's worth exploring your options.

See you next blog. Retirement Wiz (email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com )

Is your Financial Advisor lying to you?

2008-03-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

What investment opportunities is your investment advisor NOT telling you about?

I'm a little past middle-aged. Up until a few years ago, I managed my retirement investments from a distance. A loooong distance. I figured that was what my fund manager was paid to do. They're the experts right? They're looking out for my best interests right?

Once I woke up and finally realized that I needed to take control of my future, I started surfing on the internet and one day a stumbled across a "Retirement Calculator". I was curious about this because the finish line to retirement is getting closer and closer, so I started filling in the blanks on this calculator to see where I stood.

Well, talk about a MAJOR wake-up call! In short, this calculator told me in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't have anywhere near the amount of retirement income that I would need based on my savings and current retirement investments. It really scared me. I was afraid that I couldn't afford to retire -- certainly not when I wanted to.

What was I going to do? I needed serious retirement help. So, I started studying everything I could find about investing: books, tapes, CD/DVD's, seminars, workshops - you name it. And guess what?

I found out that my 401k and IRA funds didn't offer some of the best investment alternatives available! The glaring omission was real estate secured investments. Products like raw land developments, high-yielding real estate-backed notes, trust deeds, income-producing properties from rental homes to commercial buildings, tax liens and tax certificates, etc. These include some of the most LUCRATIVE investments available and I didn't know anything about them and didn't have access to them.

Q: Why wasn't my investment advisor telling me about these investment options?

A: Because they only earned commissions on the stocks, bonds and various other mutual fund products that their company offered and managed for my little IRA and 401k accounts.
(Notice that I wrote this in the "past tense" -- they are no longer managing my retirement funds.)

Bottom line: financial / investment advisors deal primarily in stocks, bonds and the occasional REIT (real estate investment trust) or TIC (tenancy in common properties) -- but largely NOT in real estate.

So what did I do? I took control of my retirement money. I transferred my funds into a Self-Directed IRA Account. Now I can invest in the same investments and funds as before BUT I can also invest in a whole spectrum of new alternatives: real estate backed investments like land development, businesses, etc.

Here's a link to a FREE e-book with 50 FAQ's (frequently asked questions) concerning Self-Directed IRA's -- click image below:

More to come on this in future blogs. In the meantime, if you'd like to check to see if YOU can afford to retire, click on the link below for a FREE 5-Minute Retirement Calculator (Courtesy AARP):

'Til next time. Retirement Wiz (email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com )

Initial thoughts from Retirement Wiz

2008-03-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is my opening act. I'm brand new to blogs, so here goes....

Six or seven years ago as a mid-level manager for a major int'l conglomerate I burned out. I was too young to retire, had no immediate plans on what I wanted to do - but I resigned anyway. I know it sounds dumb, but that's what I did.

So, I embarked from there on an adventure spanning numerous failed business ventures as a self-employed nobody. I even took on partners twice in two separate ventures since that time and those failed as well.

Then, one day I guess I woke up and realized that my large nest egg wasn't so large anymore and I'd better get serious about my future. I wasn't getting any younger and needed to find something that would pay the bills now and in retirement - which I knew I couldn't afford.

It's weird - but one night I couldn't sleep, so I turned on the TV in the middle of the night and started watching Public TV here in Southern California and they had a guest named Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame). At the time, I'd never heard of Mr. Kiyosaki but I was honestly inspired by what he had to say. So, in support of the Public TV fundraising offer, I ordered a set of CD's. Next, I went to one of the Rich Dad seminars, bought some books and more CD's, etc.

Here's an image link to the Rich Dad website for anyone interested:

To make a long story short, I learned a lot about investing and more importantly, I learned that I still had much more to learn. So, I started to educate myself more and more (and still do). I read just about everything I can get my hands on the subject. I surf the web for information. I attend free and paid seminars. All about investing in its various forms.

One of the key things I learned along the way that many people like me probably aren't aware of is the fact that you can use your IRA and 401K funds to invest in a LOT more things than are offered by the fund managers. For example: Real estate! raw land, land developments, rental houses, trust deeds, tax lien certificates, local businesses, and much more.

I was literally amazed to learn this. Why didn't I hear about this before? The answer is simple really: Fund Managers and Financial Advisors don't make any money or commissions if you invest in these alternatives outside of their stocks, bonds, and occasional REIT (real estate investment trust) funds.

Anyway, you absolutely CAN use your IRA and 401K funds to invest in alternative investments such as Real estate, etc. through a self-directed IRA and it's very simple to set up. You simply contact a quality self-directed IRA custodian and they walk you through the steps. I use a company called Pensco Trust Company. Here's an image link to their website if you want to learn more:

By the way, I don't make any money by sharing these sites with you. This is simply my way of offering what I've learned and I hope that it might help someone else.

Anyway, that's it for now. I hope my first blog was OK. I'll expand on some of these thoughts in future blogs. Regards! Retirement Wiz

(email me at: johnha7@yahoo.com )