BawldGuy Note: By necessity, this post is longish. I promise you though, it’ll be worth it. This step in the Purposeful Planning process is often overlooked and its value discounted. That isn’t advised, as you’re about to learn. Thanks for readin’ through.

We’re finishing up Step #3 in the process of creating a Purposeful Plan. In yesterday’s post we created an investor, giving them a financial ‘status quo’ based upon my ongoing experience. Turns out they have decisions to make about the potential sources of their investment capital.

The decision is crucially important.

In this virtual case study, it’s sometimes possible that this decision can and will dictate the quality of retirement possible. It’s akin to laying a building’s foundation. The larger, deeper, stronger, and more reenforced it is, the larger the building can be built. It’s how real estate investors begin that will often ensure success, failure, or merely mediocrity. Many times the difference in starting with more or less available capital can literally make or break the end game goal.

Factors they are considering. [Read more...]

Last week we talked about the first two steps in the Purposeful Planning process. If ya missed it, go ahead and catch up. We’ll wait.

Today let’s talk about the third step of any Purposeful Plan.

Step #3 — Identify your source(s) of investment capital.

Seems self-explanatory doesn’t it? Much of the time it is. There’s the cash in the bank. Maybe some stocks here and there. Or, takin’ advantage of today’s historic low interest rates, maybe the home equity is calling to you to put it somewhere else. You know, to more effective use. But, what most don’t even consider, is where many have bunches of available real estate investment capital — A 401k or IRA from a previous employer. An IRA sittin’ dormant for the last few years. Your instincts stopped you from continually adding to it, but you’ve been stymied from that point for awhile.

The case for gutting your 401k or IRA [Read more...]