Ah, remember the good old days? You would get up, go to work for 30 years, and then retire. The company funded your pension and you had enough in savings to cover you for the rest of your life. That was fine, because you would typically die 5 or 7 years after retirement. But that isnt the case any more. Many people are living 20 or 30 years after their retirement, companies are no longer offering pensions, and many people are spending more money than they make.

Because of this, it is up to you to take control of your retirement and IRA funds.

The stock market has historically gone up. But when its going down, or even sideways are you expected just to take it? Many would have you believe that yes; you just have to go with the flow. Or they will tell you that its the entire market, everyone is getting hammered. Just stick with it and everything will be fine (have they already forgotten what happened in 2000?).

Brokers will tell you that your mutual fund is safe or secure because its spread across many different companies and many different industries. With all things relative, it is true that it is "diverse". So why does the market value go down in your mutual fund or perform lower than the market itself? They will tell you that the fund is diverse, but guess what...its only one asset, stocks!

It's not okay to just accept it, you do have a choice.

Did you know that you can invest your IRA funds in other assets beside stocks, bonds, and mutual funds?

Investing in alternative assets can be a very beneficial strategy to compliment your retirement portfolio. Alternative assets include anything from real estate, oil and gas, tax liens, private notes, trust deeds, and many more. Im not saying to sell all your stocks and mutual funds. Those are required as well to have a diverse portfolio and there are many good brokers and mutual funds out there. Some of them are truly worth their weight in gold and I would recommend them to my friends and family.

However, I talk to people everyday that are just fed up with the stock market and their broker. Just like anyone else, they hate losing money. I reassure them that the market has historically gone up, and it will again go up. I dont know how, why, or where it will go up, but history has proven itself. Even though they know that the stock market will go up, they still want to look for alternative ways to making money outside the stock market and to keep their portfolio truly diversified.

So now is the time to take control of your future! Dont let someone else dictate what you need, want, or should do.

The Self Direct IRA LLC is a tool that allows you to invest your IRA funds in these non-traditional assets. You can buy and sell real estate, energy, and tax liens in which all the profits will flow back into your IRA. Many people already do this, but not in the IRA. The IRA has tax favorable treatments which can be great in accumulating wealth.

The Self Directed IRA LLC is not for the passive investor, it is for the active investor that truly wants to take control of their IRA funds and their retirement. As we live longer lives, we will not be able to afford the drops in the stock market. As you get older, it becomes more and more important that your portfolio doesnt decrease in value. Dont rely on others to make sure you retire comfortably. Take control and truly diversify your retirement portfolio with non traditional assets for a more secure and rewarding retirement.

As always, do your research and keep your portfolio diversified.

Copyright 2006 Damon Clifford