Could a Housing Market Hiccup Ruin Your Retirement?

The economy has been showing signs of improvement lately—although the recovery is certainly taking place at a much slower pace than all of us hoped for.

One of the critical pieces of economic recovery in this country is the health of the housing market. Unfortunately, there have been signs recently that the housing market may not be as strong as it has seemed. Naturally, the media hasn’t focused on this issue; doesn’t fit their narrative of recovery.

It is important to see beyond the media hype, and to draw conclusions based off the facts, not the spin. This week Bloomberg reported on the recent struggles of the housing industry:

The residential real-estate rebound suffered a setback in June as housing starts unexpectedly fell to the lowest level in almost a year, curbing how much construction contributed to U.S. economic growth last quarter.

Work began on 836,000 houses at an annualized rate, the least since August and down 9.9 percent from a revised 928,000 pace in May, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. The drop was led by a 26.2 percent plunge in multifamily projects, which are more volatile than work on single-family homes. 

The figures were in contrast to a report yesterday showing homebuilders this month were the most optimistic in seven years as sales improved, indicating the reversal will probably prove temporary. The slump came as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said monthly asset purchases aimed at spurring the economy could be reduced or expanded as conditions warrant, with housing one area policy makers will monitor.  

"As construction ramps up, we’re bound to have some hiccups along the way," said Guy Lebas, chief fixed-income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Philadelphia. Having called for 915,000 starts, Lebas had the lowest estimate in the Bloomberg survey. “I don’t think this one data point is immediately concerning. The housing markets are going to be a driver of economic growth.” 

We certainly hope that the analysts are correct. A healthy housing market will contribute greatly to a long overdue economic recovery.

But what if housing doesn’t lead the recovery? A collapsing housing market would be devastating to financial markets—remember, it was the housing market collapse that sparked the stock market crash of 2008 in the first place. Investors who have their money exclusively in the stock market will be in really deep trouble. Also, if your main investments are held in real estate, right now is the time to lock in gains in value and to protect those gains (and yourself). This way you’ll avoid the trap of being house rich (maybe) and cash poor.

So what you should you do? Two words: “protect yourself.”  We can help. Let us show you how to reduce your vulnerability to market risk, as well as your exposure to taxes and inflation. We eliminate market risk; in the last decade, NONE of our clients have lost a single dime in the market. Prior gains can’t be lost, either.  This is why our clients have averaged over 8% during the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression.

Don’t let the risk of a housing collapse destroy your retirement hopes. To learn more, please visit www.HiddenWealthVideo.com to watch our short, ten minute video.

Financial Planning 101

Thirty years ago, the formula was simple. Go to college, get a good job, and invest a portion of each paycheck into the stock market. By the time retirement approached, you would have a suitable nest egg built up—plenty to retire on and enjoy a suitable lifestyle.

But things have changed. No longer can Americans trust Wall Street to act responsibly. In fact, investing into the stock market looks more like gambling than it does investing. As MoneyNews.com reports:

Stock market participants have turned more into traders than investors, and that’s not a good thing, says John Bogle, founder of Vanguard Group.

“The stock market is a giant distraction from the business of investing,” he tells The Wall Street Journal. “People look at investing more or less as trading stocks or mutual funds or God forbid ETFs [exchange-traded funds], and that has nothing to do with investing.”

The explosive increase in the frequency of trading illustrates a trend toward speculation. U.S. stocks’ annual turnover has surged to 250 percent in 2011 from 15 percent 60 years earlier, when Bogle began his investment career.

That frenzy of trading doesn’t get investors anywhere, he says. After transaction costs, advisory fees, sales loads, and administrative costs, they aren’t making much money.

Individuals should invest for the long term, mainly buying and holding index funds, he says. Bogle has no problem with the idea of ETFs, but doesn’t approve of narrowly-focused ones that are used largely for speculation.

Interestingly enough, some individuals are turning away from both speculation and investment in stocks, fleeing to bonds instead.

“People don’t trust the market anymore,” Manhattan College financial historian Charles Geisst tells The Associated Press. Individuals will likely shun stocks for a generation or more amid a “crisis of confidence” similar to the one that emerged from the 1929 market crash, he says. 

Don’t gamble with your retirement. Let us show you a better way- we’ll show you how to reduce market risk, exposure to taxation, and inflationary risk. We eliminate market risk so that our clients experience NO MORE MARKET LOSSES. Prior gains can’t be lost—this is the reason why our clients have averaged over 8% risk free and TAX FREE.

Email Debbie, our Strategic Assistant, at debbie@TheHiddenWealthSystem.com or phone her at (800) 825-1766.  Please provide Debbie with the two best times to contact you. Due to the continuing economic volatility, we are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries. Providing two contact times will insure that she is able to reach you.

The Dow's Down 350+ Points - Time to Act!

The stock market closed down drastically on June 20th. It was the second day straight day of losses following Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s announcement that the Quantitative Easing program could end.
 
On that day, many financial advisors locked their office doors, hide under their desks and just let the phones ring and ring. They were avoiding the panicked calls from their clients whose financial portfolios were taking yet another beating (losing almost 4% in two days!).
 
At The Hidden Wealth System, our doors were open, our Wealth Architect advisors could clearly be seen walking around in the open and oddly enough, our phones weren't ringing off of the hook, unless it was a call from a traditional stock market investor that was finally sick and tired of not making any gains. Why weren't our existing clients calling us to check on their retirement savings?

Because our proven, safe-money retirement solution provides a way for our clients to participate in the up side of the market while never suffering a loss when the market goes down. In fact, our clients haven't lost a single dime in the worst economy since the great depression.
 
Sound intriguing? Want to learn more? Click the link below to watch our 10 minute video. Then, if our common sense, peace of mind retirement solution sounds right for you, give us a call and schedule a meeting with one of our specially trained Wealth Architects. You've worked hard for your money, we'll work even harder to protect it.

Here's the link to that video:
www.HiddenWealthVideo.com

We Do Strategy, Not Product

Have you ever reflected on how you felt after purchasing a particular stock, bond, annuity or mutual fund? Were you worried that the investment you just made didn’t really meet your needs? Have you ever pondered the reason why you felt this way?

A common problem people encounter with financial advisors is that most advisors are really product specialists and not design specialists. The majority of advisors are commonly trained to fit clients into a pre-structured product that was designed to be sold to the widest possible audience.

Unlike typical financial advisors, the Wealth Architects at The Hidden Wealth System are design specialists; they are specially trained to have a special focus on helping you to discover, uncover and preserve your wealth. Our Wealth Architects work with you to build an overall, common sense wealth creation and preservation strategy that accounts for Hidden Wealth areas such as; 1. the avoidance of taxation on the growth and distribution of your savings, 2. market loss elimination and 3. the ability to out-pace inflation . You will not find off-the-shelf, one-size financial product like an annuity, bond, stock, or mutual fund, etc…

Are you worn out by trying to decide which one-size-fits-all financial product you should select? Are you looking for a real wealth creation and preservation solution, optimally designed for your specific financial needs and goals?

If you want a true, peace of mind retirement solution for yourself, you must register for our Worry-Free Wealth Webinar. We’ll show you how we can help you to design and build your own Personal Protected Pension Plan™.

There’s no cost to register and there’s nothing to buy at this wealth educational webinar.
Simply register now, simply go to:
www.HiddenWealthWebinar.com/ or call, toll free (855) No Tax 2 U, that’s (855) 668-2928

Protect Your Retirement Lifestyle from the Threat of Inflation

According to the U.S. Energy Administration, in 1981, a gallon of gasoline cost an average of $1.38. Based on current figures from the U.S. Department of Energy, the percentage increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline is 148% over the last 30 years. Meanwhile, data from The Congressional Research Service and the U.S. Administration on Aging show that the median income for persons age 65 and above during this same 30 year period has increased only 48 percent. This trend is not limited to just gasoline prices; the costs of housing, food, energy, and many other commodities have soared through the roof.

Most Americans are familiar with the concept of inflation and they understand that inflationary pressure makes it increasingly harder to get by, financially. What many people are missing is the connection between the last thirty years and the next thirty years.

When planning for retirement, people commonly anticipate a period of approximately thirty years. But yet, they fail to ask a simple question, “If inflation drove the cost of living up so dramatically during the last thirty years, what will happen over the next thirty years?”

If gas prices continue to increase at the same rate, in thirty years a gallon of gas will cost close to ten dollars! Food and other living costs will also experience similar cost increases. What would be the impact of these massive cost of living increases on your retirement lifestyle? Could you afford to pay over $8.50 for a gallon of gas?

The answer is grim for most prospective retirees.

There’s no doubt that inflation is a major threat to retirees. Yet, with proper planning, you can mitigate inflation’s impact.

The Hidden Wealth System’s Personal Protected Pension Plan™ can help you protect against inflation. Our Personal Protected Pension Plan™ provides you with a proven, safe-money solution, that helps protect your retirement from inflation; a retirement that is also tax-advantaged and free from market losses. Our unique design increases your retirement income as inflation rises to help protect your lifestyle from the effects of inflation. You can’t hope to keep pace with inflation using traditional retirement programs; learn how you can plan to beat Inflation. Inflation is a very real threat to retirees and those planning for retirement, but with careful planning, the risks can be minimized.

Don’t risk running out of money before you run out of life. Protect your hard-earned life’s work and immunize yourself against inflation. Imagine, living your retirement years with an income stream that is tax-advantaged and inflation-protected; safe in the knowledge that your income affords a lifestyle that allows you to be really retired. Contact Millie today at (866) 998-7699 or email her at: millie@TheHiddenWealthSystem.com and begin protecting your savings against inflation today!

More Wall Street Volitility - Get Off the "Dow Jones Coaster"

Do you have money in the stock market? If so, you are no doubt suffering from whiplash caused by watching the market shoot down, down, up, and then down some more. It’s like riding on a roller coaster that you really didn’t want to get on in the first place.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way! There’s no reason to ride on the “Dow Jones Coaster” every day. Our clients did not lose a single penny during these recent market swings. That’s because they only participate in market gains; they never give back any of their earnings. In our unique design you never have to make up for any losses. Not only is The Personal Protected Pension Plan™ safe from market loss but, when you retire, your distributions are tax-free.

If the past month has taught us anything, it’s that our political system is a mess—and it’s dragging the economy down the tubes with it. Between the debt ceiling debacle and the continuing European debt crisis, traditional investments face a completely uncertain future. To make matters worse, when the economy begins to recover (or even before then), inflation is likely to erode any hard-fought gains that the market may experience.

What should you do? The answer is quite simple: stop exposing your retirement to market risk! The Personal Protected Pension Plan™ is tax-free, market risk-free, and protected against inflation. Stop exposing the fruit of your life’s work to unnecessary (and rapidly increasing) risk. Stop riding on the Dow Jones Coaster for hours a day!

To see if The Personal Protected Pension Plan™ is right for you, email Millie, our Client Concierge, at millie@TheHiddenWealthSystem.com or phone her at (866) 998-7699. Please provide Millie with the two best times to contact you. We are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries and two contact times will insure that she is able to reach you. There is absolutely no reason for you to subject yourself to the rapidly increasing volatility of traditional stock investments. Wall Street is simply not the solution for couples and individuals that are looking for steady, reliable growth. Contact us today and let us help you discover and uncover your hidden wealth!

Do You Want to Work Into Your 8o's?

As the economy continues to sputter and the cost of living continues to increase, baby boomers are becoming increasingly concerned about their ability to retire—and with good reason. For those fortunate enough to still have a job, salaries have typically held steady or even been cut. Meanwhile, gas prices continue to climb, while investments and real estate have largely lost value. Add to this unpleasant cocktail the threat of major inflation in the near future and it is very easy to see why prospective retirees are concerned.

As economists dissect recent data, they are coming to the conclusion that many baby boomers will have to work well past the age of 65 before they can afford retirement. In fact, some economists are suggesting that many would-be retirees will be forced to work well into their eighties before they have enough saved for retirement. While some have dismissed these forecasts as overly gloomy, it is a mistake to ignore them altogether. It is a fact that our economy is currently experienced painfully weak growth—at a time when we need to be adding jobs rapidly to keep unemployment under control. The future of our economy is also very unclear, as many of our manufacturing and communications jobs have been outsourced. And while the stock market has rebounded from the crash of 2008 and 2009, investors remain unconvinced that the recovery is going to last. Finally, even if our economy is able to overcome these obstacles and regain strength (not to mention full employment), there is little question that inflation will be a factor in years to come. The question is not whether we will experience inflation or not—the question is how severe will it be?

Meanwhile, you have been working hard for decades, saving and investing your money in hopes of reaching retirement while you are still young enough to enjoy it. Now, through no fault of your own, your plans are in jeopardy. I have good news for you, however. It’s not too late to seize control of your financial future. A carefully crafted plan can help you weather the economic storms we are currently experiencing—and will make the retirement of your dreams possible. Get in touch with us today and let us create a strategy to protect you from the dangers of inflation and economic stability.

Personal Protected Pension Plan

The Personal Protected Pension Plan is a proven, safe money solution for your retirement income needs.  In this unique plan design, you particpate in the up-side of the market but never lose money to the down-side of the market.  Click the link below to watch this short video to see why Debbie, one of our clients, decided to stop giving her gains back to the market and never lose principle again.

Personal Protected Pension Plan

The Loss of Confidence in Traditional Investing

Investors seem to be growing tired of the financial roller coaster where their accounts post slow gains for a number of years and then those gains, plus some of their original principal, vanish when today's volatile markets take an unexpected tumble. In 2008, many people's 401k and IRA accounts lost 31 percent and most have not recovered back to what they had as their original principal. This pattern has been going on for decades and it seems many investors have now had enough.

Investors are getting fed up with the same traditional advice of investing in IRAs and 401(k)s, to postpone taxes and then having to deal with the ravages of market volatility on their long-term gain. In my experience as a wealth strategist, I've never had a client come to me from a traditional advisor that had a tax exit strategy or an inflation impact plan as part of their overall financial strategy. These are things that traditional planners just don't consider or deem important.

According to a new survey from Prince & Associates, 81 percent of investors with $1 million or more in investable assets plan to take money away from their current advisor. An even larger number, 86 percent, plan to tell other investors to avoid their advisor. Only two percent of those surveyed plan to recommend their firm to other investors.

It doesn't take a financial genius to realize that deferring taxes to a later date as tax rates continue to rise, placing money into investments that lack liquidity and placing the rate of return for a retirement nest egg in variable products are not winning strategies. Yet, these are only three of the major problems with traditional investments.

If you're tired of: giving your gains (and principal) to the market every few years, not having access to your money until your 59.5 years of age, having to take minimum required distributions at age 70.5 and worring if inflation will deplete your retirement income, please schedule a no-cost, no-obligation discovery meeting to determine if our planning strategies are right for you. Please call (866) 998-7699 to arrange a meeting or visit our website: http://www.thehiddenwealthsystem.com/

Power Principles for Success!

As many of you are aware, I have been working on a book with several of my colleagues who were named, along with me, to America's PremierExperts. America's PremierExperts is an organization that recognizes experts in their filed that are spreading knowledge and creating awareness in area of expertise. The experts have made significant contributions to their industry and the marketplace as a whole.

Interacting with the group this year has been a remarkable experience and I have learned so much by spending time with them. If I could wrap up everything I learned from them over the course of the past 12 months, I would, but that would be next to impossible.

I would tell you that the book we all contributed to, Power Principals for Success: America's PremierExperts Share their Biggest Success Secrets for a Life of Health, Wealth Happiness and Prosperity is the closet thing there is to summing up my experience with this group!

We'll be launching the book on July 22nd and I encourage you to purchase a copy and discover the knowledge that's being shared. We've put together a huge bonus package to help launch the book. By buying the book you'll receive hundreds of dollars worth of bonuses!

I appreciate your support. Watch for my blog post next week to get the details on how you can get these great bonuses.

Keeping Your Plan on Track

Part of my job as a Wealth Strategist is to help my clients to stay on track with their financial plan. This includes helping them to avoid making big money mistakes. I've recently developed a list of five, thought-provoking questions that can help clients to realize mistakes that they may not be aware that they are making:

1. What is the process that you use to budget or examine your consumption activities? The answer to this question can help you keep your family's spending within your acceptable limits.

2. Do your goals and aspirations have realistic time lines? This answer helps to keep you from setting unrealistic expectations for your financial plans.

3. Do you know what you can do, so that you can share with others what you want to do? The purpose of this question is to explore if you have adequate protection against unforeseen losses.

4. How have you strategically diversified your investments in order to reduce unpredictable fluctuation? This answer will help protect you from unnecessary investment risk.

5. Will you outlive your retirement resources? The answer to this question will determine the effectiveness of you inflation impact plan.