My name is Tom Balmer and in the aftermath of the crash of 2008, I came to a bitter realization about the concept of the qualified plan (for me, a 401(k)). The first – embarrassingly obvious – part of this epiphany was that the money in the 401(k) is invested, and it can quickly lose value. I point this out simply because we have blurred the language so you may hear people saying, “I’m putting xx% of my salary into savings in my company 401(k).” Savings and 401(k) investments are two different things. In the former, your cash is secured; in the latter, you can wake up one day with half of your retirement fund in flames. I may still be slightly bitter.
In addition to being reminded that investments can lose money, I also realized that once this money is put into the qualified plan, it can be very difficult to get out. What is the use in “saving” all this money if we have no real access to it when an opportunity, or emergency, arises? Altogether we are giving up control of our savings and we are paying for it. Literally. The average 2% management fee for mutual funds can eat away 45% of your return over 30 years(i).
The good news is this dark time in my financial life motivated me to search for something better. After a good bit of research, education, and practice, I’m happy to say there is a way to save that is guaranteed, where you have access to your capital, and you can manage it to best suit your life. This discovery has made all the difference for me. As a wealth mentor with Life Benefits, I now help people discover how to use The Perpetual Wealth Code™ in their own lives.
I hope you get something out of this blog and I look forward to helping you on your own financial journey.
(i) – http://buyupside.com/calculators/feesdec07.htm