Category: Retirement Plan Alternative

Can you Roll Over your 401(k) or IRA into a Bank On Yourself Plan?

Updated April, 2020

One common question we get is…

“Can I roll over funds from my 401(k)/IRA/403(b)/TSA into a Bank On Yourself policy – and what are the tax consequences?”

Moving money from a conventional tax-deferred retirement account into a Bank On Yourself policy is a common method people use to fund a policy.  It’s not technically a “rollover,” since you can only do that from one 401(k) or IRA to another.  Here’s how it works… [Read more…] “Can you Roll Over your 401(k) or IRA into a Bank On Yourself Plan?”

How Sequence of Return Risk Can Devastate Your Retirement Lifestyle

There are three words that could have the biggest impact on whether you enjoy a comfortable retirement… or you have to struggle and forego life’s luxuries – and even life’s necessities.

But almost no one is talking about these three words. And there’s a good chance you’ve never even heard of them.

These three words could have more impact on your retirement lifestyle than living longer than you expected… or than being forced to retire sooner than you planned (which happens to nearly 50% of Americans, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute).

The three words may sound a little technical, but I’m going to make them brain-dead simple to understand. [Read more…] “How Sequence of Return Risk Can Devastate Your Retirement Lifestyle”

Why Your Retirement Account is Missing $186,000

An eye-opening Report released last month by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College reveals that the fees charged by mutual funds and 401(k) and IRA plans will slash the value of the typical person’s account by almost 37%!

That means if your account should have been worth $500,000, you end up with only $314,000 – all because of stealth fees that are draining your hard-earned savings! That’s $186,000(!) of your money that will end up in other people’s pockets, not yours.

These money-sucking fees often apply even to funds that track stock market indexes such as the S&P 500… as well as to the “Target Date” Funds that most employers now automatically put employees’ 401(k) money into.

Listen to John Bogle, the founder and former CEO of Vanguard, who many consider to be the father of the indexed mutual fund, quoted in MarketWatch:

Question: “If you pay a hefty fee to an active manager, what happens to your potential return?” [Read more…] “Why Your Retirement Account is Missing $186,000”

The Secret Connection Between Health and Wealth

Is there a connection between your physical health and your financial wealth?

Absolutely! And it’s more important than you may realize…

When you’re not in good health, you’re not as effective on the job, in your investing strategies or at home.

Often, the price we pay for inattention to the care and feeding of our bodies doesn’t become evident for years or even decades. However, when the tab finally does come due, it is often shockingly high and can instantly erase a life’s worth of careful financial planning.

Diabetes… a heart attack… cancer can all drain tens – or even hundreds – of thousands of dollars out of your pocket over time.

Other tolls, such as worry, insecurity and loss of companionship, can’t be measured in dollars.

I’ve been a “health nut” for decades – reading and learning voraciously about ways to prevent and cure illness without relying on drugs, surgery or other invasive, debilitating procedures.

What I’ve discovered is that there is a whole world of natural alternative cures that you and I weren’t being told about.

Which is why I want to introduce you today to Dr. Stephen Sinatra – the world-renowned cardiologist and nutritional expert who’s advice my family has found incredibly helpful and effective.

Cardiologist Cures Chronic Conditions… Without Drugs

[Read more…] “The Secret Connection Between Health and Wealth”

Are we living in the United States of Amnesia?

It was announced that more than $1 trillion has been added to the value of American equities since the stock market hit a two-month low on August 7th. Americans’ wealth has reached a record high, thanks to a surge in the value of stocks and homes.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but here’s a news flash: You haven’t made a penny in the stock OR real estate market!

tornpaper2

We’ve been here before…

Just like those glowing reports about how much Americans’ wealth had ballooned prior to the last financial crash, the new reports are pure fiction. Until you sell your assets and lock in your (hopefully) gains, you have nothing more than a bunch of eye-popping numbers on paper. Those numbers repeatedly sucker many of us into believing we have real wealth and financial security when we do not. [Read more…] “Are we living in the United States of Amnesia?”

A Special Message for Women Who Want to Be Financially Independent

Best Kept Secrets of Successful Women - Financial Edge
Free Bonus Report when you subscribe to the Women’s Financial Edge

I was really excited when one of the largest consumer newsletter publishers in the world, Agora Publishing, asked me to be the Editor-In-Chief of The Women’s Financial Alliance, a new publishing franchise dedicated to helping women grow their wealth safely and enjoy a richer lifestyle.

We launched a free e-letter – The Women’s Financial Edge – at the beginning of May, and it’s being extremely well received. We’ve already been featured in USA Today, CNBC, Huffington Post, The Detroit Free Press and more.

If you haven’t already subscribed, you can do so here right now. And when you do, you’ll be able to instantly download our Bonus Report, The Best-Kept Secrets of Successful Women.

This Report contains 28 powerful, easy-to-implement strategies and tips for saving more, avoiding costly financial mistakes, saving a relationship, gaining a career advantage most men will never have, getting more done in one day than most people do in a week, losing weight effortlessly, and much more! (Get this Report instantly when you sign up to receive the Women’s Financial Edge here.)

Perhaps you’re wondering…

Do Women Really Need or Want Different Financial Advice than Men?

Good question! And one I asked myself when I was first offered the position of Editor-In-Chief of this new publication. That got me doing a lot of research, and I was surprised by what I discovered…

[Read more…] “A Special Message for Women Who Want to Be Financially Independent”

What does Financial Independence
mean to you?

flag-fireworks-4thWith Independence Day right around the corner, I got to thinking about the real meaning of financial independence.

(Take our survey now and tell us what financial independence means to you.)

For retired Navy Commander and Bank On Yourself revolutionary Bob Chambers, it means,

Spending time with family and friends and having a predictable, life-long income that provides a comfortable lifestyle.”

If you’ve been a subscriber for a little while, you may recall that Commander Bob agreed to share the booklet he wrote, which he called “Financial Independence Made Easy,” after we received an avalanche of requests for it when I posted an interview I did with him.

Commander Bob has been a student of money and finances for many years, and his 20-page booklet is full of profound insights, including:

[Read more…] “What does Financial Independence
mean to you?”

Breaking news roundup from
Bank On Yourself

Here are summaries of three important news stories affecting your money and finances…

1. Investment brokers fight rule to favor best interests of clients

Did you know that brokers are not necessarily required to act in your best interest – even if it’s your retirement savings at stake?

The investment industry – from large Wall Street firms to small independent financial representatives – is spending millions of dollars to fight a rule that would require a broader group of brokers and planners to put their clients’ interests ahead of their own.

The Labor Department said it would release the proposed rule in January, but has already indicated it may miss that deadline. That’s not the first delay on this, though. The rule was originally introduced in 2010 and was rescinded the following year after brokers and lawmakers protested. Wow!

[Read more…] “Breaking news roundup from
Bank On Yourself”

Are you a predictably irrational investor?

Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries and dating…”
– Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert

UPDATED May 2016: With full confidence, I can say that you are irrational when it comes to investing.

I know this not from talking to your broker or your mother-in-law, and I haven’t hacked into your portfolio statements. I know this because you’re human.

What will happen in the stock market isn’t predictable. But one thing is absolutely for sure and for certain: Investors are predictably irrational. We’re not talking smart or stupid, sophisticated or naïve. We’re talking across-the-board irrational.

So maybe you’re thinking that you’re the exception. You think you can handle the volatility of the market by just gritting your teeth and praying everything turns out all right as you roll the dice in the Wall Street Casino. Or maybe you think that at the first sign of trouble, you’ll be able to bail out of stocks and into bonds or money market funds to lock in your gains.

Researchers say, “Nope, that’s not what’s happening…”

[Read more…] “Are you a predictably irrational investor?”

Two New 401k Revelations

If you’ve been a subscriber for a while or you’ve read my new best-selling book, The Bank On Yourself Revolution, it’s no secret that at the end of the day, I’m not a big fan of the 401(k).

Or the IRA, 403(b), or any other government “blessed” and controlled retirement account. There are many reasons for that. This recent blog post I wrote reveals one big problem – mutual fund fees, which are likely devouring far more of your savings than you realize.

Broken 401k nest egg

But in the last couple of weeks, there have been new studies revealing just how devastating to your financial health a 401(k) can be:

Broken 401k nest egg

Recent 401(k) Wealth-Killing Revelation #1:

A new academic study by two Yale and University of Virginia professors argues that millions of workers have been ripped off by excessive fees charged by plan sponsors and financial representatives to these plans.

The study concluded that…

[Read more…] “Two New 401k Revelations”