Podcasts about fund grow

In this episode of Life and Listings, we dive into the world of business credit and funding for real estate with Amanda Webster, the COO of Fund & Grow. Amanda shares her journey of managing a top funding company that helps entrepreneurs—especially those in real estate—access unsecured revolving credit to fuel their business ventures. We discuss the ins and outs of obtaining business credit, why it's crucial for real estate investors, and how new businesses or those with limited credit can build a solid funding foundation. Amanda also talks about her life outside work as a mom of five and military spouse, balancing a busy personal life with her professional role. Join us as we learn valuable insights on navigating business credit and tapping into funding options many entrepreneurs may not know are available!   "Business credit is a powerful tool that lets real estate investors close deals like cash, pay for rehab costs, and even cover marketing expenses. We aim to make it accessible to all—from brand-new LLCs to seasoned businesses—so they can scale and succeed."   Key Takeaways: Understanding Business Credit in Real Estate: Amanda explains how Fund & Grow helps real estate entrepreneurs tap into business credit, providing them with unsecured capital to fund projects, from property purchases to lead generation software. Origins and Growth of Fund & Grow: Fund & Grow was born out of a need to support real estate investors when HELOCs dried up during the 2007 housing crash. The company's unique focus on real estate helped them tackle one of the hardest-to-fund industries. The Funding Process: Fund & Grow offers a comprehensive, step-by-step process for clients, including a consultation and personal credit audit, to ensure they receive funding suitable for their needs, starting from $30,000 to $100,000, with a 12-18 month goal of building up to $250,000. Importance of Personal Guarantees and Building Business Credit: Amanda emphasizes the role of personal guarantees in securing business credit for high-risk or new businesses. Her team educates clients on maintaining personal and business credit profiles, aiming for long-term financial health. Balancing Education and Service: Fund & Grow not only provides funding but also educates clients on credit use, ensuring they understand the process and are empowered to manage and grow their credit independently in the future.   About Amanda Webster: Amanda Webster is Fund&Grow's Chief Operating Officer. She joined the team in 2020 with vast legal knowledge and over 20 years of management experience, and she has been pivotal to the company's continued growth. Amanda is the CEO's right-hand to ensure all departments continue to run smoothly, works with the management team to improve processes, and coordinates employee events to foster a healthy work environment. As Chief Operating Officer, Amanda works closely with all departments to stay ahead of changing industry trends and ensure each client receives the most funding possible at the best terms when looking to launch or grow their operation. With a passion for sharing her immense knowledge, Amanda Webster has set a trajectory with Fund&Grow to empower countless entrepreneurs, offering the tools and support needed to take their businesses to the next level.   Connect with Amanda: Website: https://www.fundandgrow.com/amanda Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.webstercoo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-webster-coo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandawebstercoo/ Connect with Jennifer Staats: Website: staatssolutions.com Staats Solution Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staatssolutions/ Jennifer Staats Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifertherealtor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staatssolutions/

In this episode, Ali Katz addresses the complexities of funding a law firm, offering insights into the pros and cons of using services like Fund & Grow compared to traditional bank loans and credit lines. The discussion emphasizes the importance of securing a line of credit early, utilizing 0% business credit cards, and managing debt wisely to foster growth. A crucial mindset shift is highlighted, encouraging lawyers to view credit as a tool for investment rather than a financial burden, enabling you to turn  your law practice into a business without succumbing to fear-based thinking around debt. Key Takeaways: Get a Line of Credit Early: Establish a line of credit with your bank that you can access when needed, without accruing interest until funds are drawn. This acts as a safety net for your business. Business Credit Cards are Essential: Utilize 0% interest business credit cards for short-term purchases, allowing you to extend cash flow while earning rewards like points or miles. Credit as a Business Tool: Ali encourages lawyers to shift their mindset around debt—seeing it as a resource to invest in their business rather than something to fear, as long as it's used wisely. The Value of Outsourcing Credit Applications: Services like Fund & Grow can streamline the process of applying for credit, increasing approval chances and maximizing available credit lines. Use this link to receive a $500 discount on Fund & Grow services.  Use Credit Strategically: When using credit, ensure that investments directly grow your business, such as acquiring clients or expanding capacity, so you can easily pay off any debt without stress. This episode is crucial for lawyers focused on growth and those looking to invest wisely. Properly managing credit is essential for entrepreneurial success; borrowing should be viewed as an opportunity to invest in your future rather than a risk to avoid. Let's embrace these opportunities and make informed decisions! To learn everything you need to fund your law practice, enroll in our Funding Mastercourse to learn actionable strategies for growing your practice with the right financial tools.

At this point, we all know that real estate investing is one of the best ways to build wealth and achieve financial freedom, but there is still a large majority of people who don't know how and where to begin. It can seem pretty simple if you're already familiar with this industry, but for someone who is new, the abundance of information can be daunting and that's what we're here to help you with.   Smart Real Estate Coach and the Wicked Smart Community offers different levels of success that can help investors in all levels – from those who are just learning the ropes to those who want to diversify their strategies and grow their portfolios.    What you'll learn about in this episode:  How you can start investing in real estate without money Why you may need funds when doing a Subject To deal What resources you need to get started in creative real estate How revisiting your ‘why' can help you move forward in the terms business Which of our programs can help you learn more about creative real estate Why new investors should begin with creative real estate How wholesalers and flippers can benefit from creative strategies Why it is a great time to invest in real estate What it really takes to achieve success in real estate investing Why the basics are important to your success as an investor How your level of commitment will determine the level of success you will have How to gain clarity and confidence in decision-making What benefits you can get from joining the Wicked Smart Community   Resources:   Join us for our flagship event of the year happening on September 23-24, 2024, in Boston, MA! We're thrilled to be back live with an impressive lineup of high-caliber speakers, live coaching panels, and engaging breakout sessions. Whether you're a novice investor or a seasoned pro, QLS Live will equip you with the latest trade secrets, insider knowledge, and lesser-known strategies to propel you to the next level in your investing journey. Don't miss out—visit smartrealestatecoach.com/qlslive for more details. Coupon code: podcast50   Request a FREE copy of our best-selling book, Real Estate On Your Terms and Deal Structure Overtime, at absolutely no charge: wickedsmartbooks.com/podcast   Our FREE Master's Class is the ONLY webinar where you're given the exact techniques we use in our family company to buy and sell homes every month — all across North America and ALL on TERMS! Register by visiting: smartrealestatecoach.com/pcmc   Schedule a FREE strategy session with us. This is an opportunity for you to have an honest conversation with our team about your background, investment goals and create some action steps toward creating the life of your dreams. Together we'll discover where you are, where you want to be, and what's in the way. Just visit:  smartrealestatecoach.com/chrisprecall   Everyone is always asking us, “How is it possible to buy real estate without using my own cash or credit?” With decades of combined experience in real estate, we've perfected the process of investing creatively. We want to share as much as we can with you, which is exactly why we're running this FREE workshop! If you're thinking about leaving your job, escaping the W-2 lifestyle, and starting on the path towards creating generational wealth — this is for you! To register, just visit: smartrealestatecoach.com/pcws.    The Quantum Leap System has everything you'll need to start buying and selling on terms (without banks and without your own money or credit), launch & scale a business that fits your goals, and strengthen your mindset so you can follow the proven path to becoming a successful real estate investor. You can learn more by visiting: smartrealestatecoach.com/pcqls   For additional information on lead generation, funding, mindset coaching, legal assistance, virtual staffing, and business growth, visit the Investor Resources section of our website at: smartrealestatecoach.com/resources.   3 Paydays Apprentice: https://3paydaysapprentice.com/   Additional resources:   Fund & Grow https://smartrealestatecoach.com/fundandgrow   7 Figures https://smartrealestatecoach.com/7figures   In the Trenches Bootcamp https://smartrealestatecoach.com/ittbootcamp

In this heartfelt episode, host Yvonne Trost interviews Amanda Webster, a woman who transformed personal despair into empowerment. After escaping a toxic marriage, Amanda embraced her journey toward self-discovery and health, impacting many by sharing her story and assisting entrepreneurs through her work at Fund and Grow. Her narrative is a compelling testament to the power of resilience and the importance of reclaiming one's identity.   Key takeaways to listen for: Catalyst for Amanda's journey of transformation and self-discovery The power of support systems in overcoming isolation  Proactive steps towards mental healing and physical recovery Why a fulfilling work is vital in overall well-being Expert advice for entrepreneurs' growth and success   Resources: Unlock your potential for success in life, love, and career with the Limitless You Self-Love Quiz! Dive into self-love to boost your happiness, relationships, and professional life. Start transforming now at https://unlocklimitlessyou.com/self-love-quiz/. Get your score and begin your journey to a fulfilled life!   About Amanda Webster Amanda Webster is the vice president of Fund & Grow, a national lending program that helps entrepreneurs and business owners across America get access to business funding. Webster has 20-plus years of experience in human resources, marketing, AI, management, and company administration.   Connect with Amanda Website: Amanda Webster   Connect With Us Schedule a call and find your level of happiness by taking your self-love quiz at www.BradChandler.com/contact.   Join How to be Happier - For Entrepreneurs | Private Facebook Group https://mc.bradchandler.com/grouppc_bradc.   Follow Brad on Social Media! Facebook Page: Brad Chandler Coaching Instagram: @bradchandlercoaching Twitter: @lbchandler1 TikTok: bradchandler6 YouTube Channel: Brad Chandler  

Ari Page is the Founder and CEO of Fund&Grow, a company that specializes in alternative business funding. He has empowered over 30,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners with more than $1.5 Billion in zero-interest growth capital. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. The law of attraction can empower you to take control and responsibility for your life like never before. 2. Fund&Grow is a company that helps people finance their dreams, whether they are starting a new business or running a small or medium-sized one. 3. Many business owners struggle to secure funding, but using business credit cards over traditional loans is feasible and lucrative. Check out to start and scale your business with up to $250,000 of zero-interest funding - Fund&Grow Website Sponsors HubSpot Meet HubSpot's new AI-powered Campaign Assistant, a totally free-to-use AI tool tailor-made for the marketers and business builders who spend hours each day on content creation! Head to HubSpot.com/campaign-assistant to test-drive Campaign Assistant for free Thrivetime Show Is now your time? Clay Clark's business coaching has helped over 2,000 entrepreneurs to dramatically increase profitability. Schedule your free consultation today at ThrivetimeShow.com  

Ari Page is the Founder and CEO of Fund&Grow, a company that specializes in alternative business funding. He has empowered over 30,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners with more than $1.5 Billion in zero-interest growth capital. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. The law of attraction can empower you to take control and responsibility for your life like never before. 2. Fund&Grow is a company that helps people finance their dreams, whether they are starting a new business or running a small or medium-sized one. 3. Many business owners struggle to secure funding, but using business credit cards over traditional loans is feasible and lucrative. Check out to start and scale your business with up to $250,000 of zero-interest funding - Fund&Grow Website Sponsors HubSpot Meet HubSpot's new AI-powered Campaign Assistant, a totally free-to-use AI tool tailor-made for the marketers and business builders who spend hours each day on content creation! Head to HubSpot.com/campaign-assistant to test-drive Campaign Assistant for free Thrivetime Show Is now your time? Clay Clark's business coaching has helped over 2,000 entrepreneurs to dramatically increase profitability. Schedule your free consultation today at ThrivetimeShow.com

In 2009, Ari Page took over as CEO of Fund&Grow. Ari is a business credit specialist with a passion for people, a penchant for new ideas, and the ability to implement them. Ari's background has enabled him to use the power of the group to leverage individual competencies in order to better benefit his clients and grow a stronger, more cohesive company. One of Ari's core competencies is creating powerful new strategies to circumvent the many roadblocks that so many businesses face in an economy where banks are hesitant to lend to the average American business. In the competitive financial services industry, Ari and his team have excelled at delivering an incredibly powerful business-credit-building program that far exceeds the typical service and reputation of the industry. What you will learn in this episode: Why real estate investors need to have easy access to unsecured funding What process investors typically go through to get business credit If you need good personal credit to get approved for business credit What Ari has to say about obtaining funding during the Wicked Smart Summit What is the credit card stacking process, and how long does the process take If business credit shows up on your personal credit file The number one thing that small businesses can do to be successful Resources: https://smartrealestate.com/fundandgrow LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ari-page-business-credit-expert-73546835 Twitter: https://twitter.com/CC_Builders https://twitter.com/AriPage Additional Resources: Follow Chris and Zach on Club House to learn even more about deal structures and how to get 3 paydays from your real estate investments. If you're looking to secure some lines of credit for your business, check out Fund and Grow – Visit the Resource page at https://smartrealestatecoach.com/resources Schedule a FREE Strategy Call: SmartRealEstateCoach.com/action Register for our free masterclass: www.SmartRealEstateCoach.com/mastersclass Real Estate on Your Terms by Chris Prefontaine SmartRealEstateCoach.com/webinar SmartRealRstateCoach.com/ebook SmartRealEstateCoach.com/QLS Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast Sponsor: Paul G. Dion CPA, CTC    

On today's show, I'm joined by HGTV star, Tarek El Moussa! Tarek is here to share his tips to finding success in the real estate industry. We'll talk about his journey to becoming a famous flipper, what it takes to be successful, and how to think about mistakes in real estate.   In this interview, you'll hear the inspiring details behind Tarek's story, including how he went from living in his mom's garage to making $120k in 90 days. He'll also discuss how he pitched his show, Flip or Flop! Additionally, you're going to learn how to find profitable deals, the power of coaching, and why the ability to execute creates success!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.   Book a call with our team: https://go.oncehub.com/morrisinvest

Do you need funding for your small business or for real estate investing? Today we're sharing a game changing strategy you can use to attain business funding at 0% interest! Mike Banks from Fund&Grow is back to let you in on how you can jumpstart your business goals with their done-for-you service.   On this episode of Investing in Real Estate, you're going to learn how Fund&Grow can help you establish business lines of credit to start-up your business or purchase real estate. You'll learn how the process works from start to finish, including main qualifications, timelines and more. Ready to fund your next business idea? Press play to learn if Fund&Grow is a fit for you!   Book a call with our team: https://go.oncehub.com/morrisinvest   Save $500 off your sign-up fee by visiting morrisinvest.com/funding   This episode is also sponsored by Fiverr! Thanks to Fiverr, finding the right freelancer doesn’t have to be a struggle. Fiverr’s marketplace helps you get more done with less. Fiverr connects businesses with freelancers who offer hundreds of digital services including graphic design, copywriting, web programming, film editing, and more. Take Five and check out FIVERR.com and you will receive 10% off your first order by using my code INVESTING.

The US is the best place to buy high return real estate investments, no matter where you live. However, the access to entry can seem overwhelming from overseas. From financing to finding properties, it can be hard to do it all from across the map. If you're a foreign real estate investor, there are some amazing advantages to buying US real estate that you should know. There are so many powerful wealth building advantages available to you if you utilize the right strategies.   On today's show, you're going to learn the best and easiest way to invest in US real estate. You'll hear about non-recourse financing, and why it's a great option for foreign investors. I'm learn 10 benefits of purchasing US real estate, plus how to finance your purchase. If you've been thinking about buying US real estate, this video is going to blow your mind!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://go.oncehub.com/morrisinvest

In part 2 of our Behind the Scenes of a Renovation Series, I'm taking you back to my rental properties to assess the rehab process. You'll see various stages of renovation throughout the investment properties, and get a look at the teams at work!   Additionally, we're going to run the numbers, take a look at what this project costs, and talk about unforeseen costs. If you've ever wondered what a rental property renovation is like, costs and all, this episode is for you.   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes & video: http://morrisinvest.com/episode514  

No matter what goal you’re trying to achieve, it’s important that you fall in love with the process. Oftentimes we become so fixated on the end result that we miss out on important lessons that can only be gleaned from the process of practicing.   On this episode of investing in Real Estate, you’ll discover how to learn to love the process of going after your goals. We’ll talk about how to be more like children, why you should stop comparing yourself to others, and how to truly enjoy the little things.   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode486  

In both life and real estate investing, stress is inevitable. Most of the time, we tend to avoid stress and think of it as a limitation. But the truth is, stressful times present an opportunity for incredible growth.   On this episode of Investing in Real Estate, I’m sharing how to use stress as a way to improve. We’ll talk about how to strike a perfect balance with the amount of stress in your life, how to grow through your challenges, and more. Please join me for episode 483!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode483  

Should you use debt to buy real estate? Wealthy people know that the best way to grow a real estate portfolio is through using other people’s money. On this episode, Mike Banks from Fund&Grow is back to share how you can use business credit to purchase rental real estate.   On today’s show, you’re going to learn how to use 0% debt in order to buy real estate. Mike is going to walk you through the entire funding process, and help you determine if business funding is right for you. Additionally, you’ll learn how you can save $500 off your signup fee with Fund&Grow!   http://morrisinvest.com/funding   Today’s episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Pitney Bowes! SendPro Online by Pitney Bowes is an online software that helps you save time and money no matter what you send. SendPro Online is only $14.99/mo, and listeners can get a FREE 30 day trial when you visit pb.com/clayton.   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus! The Great Courses Plus was founded on the idea that education should be accessible to everyone. Right now, they’re giving my listeners a special, limited-time offer: a FREE month of unlimited access to their entire library! Start your free trial today by visiting thegreatcoursesplus.com/INVESTING.   Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode482  

You asked, we delivered! In this video, we're sharing 5 apps we can't live without! Many of you know, I love all things tech, and Natali loves all things organization. So naturally, apps help us simplify our real estate business.   On this episode of Investing in Real Estate, you're going to learn the apps we use on a daily basis to run our real estate business. This list covers everything from loan calculators to PDF editors. If you’re looking for apps to streamline your business, this episode is for you!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode463  

Part of being a successful real estate investor is doing your due diligence year-round in order to make tax time easier. Most likely, your business will have employed multiple contractors throughout the year. The IRS requires that you 1099 any person or business that you've paid more than $600.   On today’s episode of Investing in Real Estate, we're sharing all the details on sending 1099s to independent contractors. You'll learn the tax implications for your business, how to be prepared and organized, and more! Let’s get ready for tax season on this episode!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode436  

A 1031 exchange is a powerful tax-deferral tool that allows an individual or business to save capital gains after the sale of an asset. This program allows real estate investors to sell a rental property, and then reinvest the funds in another property. As a real estate investor, a 1031 exchange is one of the most powerful tools you can utilize for building wealth and saving on taxes!   On today’s episode of Investing in Real Estate, I’m sharing 5 powerful benefits of using a 1031 exchange. You're going to learn tips for saving on taxes, portfolio growth, and how to build legacy wealth. To learn more about utilizing a 1031 exchanges, listen in to episode 426!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode426  

⭐️Powered By SSIC...another great (and informative) podcast. Check us out at: https://ssiconline.com/ for upcoming events. MORE⭐️ Check out Mike and Nick as the discuss a Cutting Edge Program for financing your deals! Fund & Grow has a system that was devised to allow everyone (that has the drive) to be able to find funding for their Real Estate Deals. Check out their program here: https://fundandgrow.com/ssicfunding/

Using a debt service can be a fantastic way to build your real estate portfolio. However, it can involve running a lot of numbers. When you’re taking on financing, you really have to consider your interest rate, and how it will impact your cash flow. Luckily, there’s a way to get financing at 0% interest!    On this episode of Investing in Real Estate, we're joined by the team at Fund&Grow. They're here to share how their process works, and how you can unlock 0% funding using unsecured credit to grow your real estate portfolio. If you’re looking for a way to purchase real estate at 0% financing, this show is for you!   Save $500 off your sign-up fee with Fund&Grow: http://morrisinvest.com/funding   Today’s episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Pitney Bowes! SendPro Online by Pitney Bowes is an online software that helps you save time and money no matter what you send. SendPro Online is only $14.99/mo, and listeners can get a FREE 30 day trial when you visit pb.com/clayton.   Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode416  

Lately we’ve had an influx of questions about short-term rentals like Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway. This idea is attractive for many people, because there’s certainly the potential to make a lot of income in a short period of time.    And since Natali and I have personal experience renting out our vacation home, we thought we’d share our opinions on what it takes to successfully become a short term-rental host! You’ll learn about insurance costs, tax advantages, and why it’s so important to do your homework before diving into the world of short-term rentals.    This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode412  

As always, we do our best to keep an eye on the economy, the real estate market, and the implications for real estate investors. This past week, real estate investment trusts declined by 3%. On this episode of Investing in Real Estate, we’re diving into the news, and sharing what it means.   You’ll learn about REITs, how they work, and how they differ from traditional real estate investments. We’ll talk about stock-based investments, new construction real estate, and so much more!   This episode of Investing in Real Estate is sponsored by Fund&Grow. Fund&Grow helps investors access business lines of credit with 0% interest. For $500 off your startup fee, visit morrisinvest.com/funding.    Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/qr6iat  Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode405  

Mike Banks is the COO of Fund & Grow, providing financial and strategic advisory services to business owners and real estate investors. They help their clients obtain unsecured funding with creative 0% interest business credit lines. Fund & Grow handles all of the time-consuming work of establishing and building business credit for their clients, including developing new financial relationships, as well as structuring all legal agreements and authorizations required before beginning the credit building process. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why Mike stopped going to college and got started with Fund&Grow How Mike has personally benefited from Fund&Grow, giving him the confidence to get started in real estate The way business credit works and why you should avoid using personal credit for your business Examples of ways you can use Fund&Grow for your business Repairing your credit if you need to get it higher in order to use Fund&Grow’s services Benefits you’ll get, including big savings, if you check out Mike’s webinar Strategies you can use to get a loan with more money at a lower interest rate How to manage your business loans to keep them zero interest for as long as possible The things Mike will look at for you if you get a free Fund&Grow consultation, and the type of advice they will give you to prepare you for their services Why it’s okay to max out your credit cards, but what you should be doing with the balance to help your credit score Various aspects of your credit and what plays into your credit score, including things you could be doing that aren’t “bad,” but are negatively affecting your credit score The danger of using a no limit flexible spending credit card Common errors on credit reports that can be fixed to improve your score An insider tip to help you grow your business to the next level Ways to contact Mike: Email: mike.banks@fundandgrow.com

Mike Banks is the COO and Marketing Director of Fund&Grow and works directly with CEO Ari Page. With over 8 years of success and growth, they have built a thriving business based on offering exceptional service to their customers and a dynamic and rewarding work environment to their employees. Fund&Grow specializes in helping Real Estate Investors and small businesses get Business Credit Lines to fund their investments and obtain capital to grow. F&G builds up to $250,000 at zero percent interest for 12-18 months, the accounts are unsecured so there’s no collateral needed, and they don’t show up on the personal credit report. Fund&Grow has raised over $200M in 0% interest business credit funding for its small business clients, last year alone raised $40M.   Podcast Highlights   Who is Mike Banks? Mike is a regular guy who figured out how to make money and help people. He dropped out of college after realizing it wasn’t going to lead to the life he wanted and got into sales and that’s when he met Ari. Mike took a lot of knowledge from his previous jobs to Fund&Grow that helped them grow substantially in only seven years. Why are SOP’s so important at Fund&Grow? If you don’t know what you are doing, you can’t repeat it and have consistency. You have to record the policies and procedures. Even when it comes to requesting a testimonial or a review, that needs to be documented in order to get results. Your reputation is impacted by your procedures and your ability to deliver results that matter efficiently and effectively. Don’t bore yourself with the monotony of Standard Operating Procedures in the beginning, focus on revenue first. Once you do something a couple of times, it may be a good idea to document it. If you’re going to grow your business, you have to record what you’re doing. Low Interest Business Funding Business credit lines and business credit cards usually come with 0% introductory interest rates and they don’t show up on your personal credit report. If your credit is in good shape, you can get the lines set up within the next 3 to 4 weeks. You can use these type of funds for anything you need for your business. For people with a credit score of 700 or higher, you don’t have to prove income and don’t need a history in order to take advantage of these offers. Fund&Grow has relationships with the banks that make the process much more streamlined and you can often get much higher amounts approved in less time. 30% of Mike’s clients are credit challenged and there are still options for those people. They are very effective at cleaning up credit reports and also offer short term instalment loans that allow them to move personal debt to business debt at low to 0% interest. Mike’s Takeaway Don’t listen to that relative or voice, even Mike has had moments where he questioned his business. Fund&Grow is enabling people to chase their dreams and achieve their goals, they would be more than happy to help you out.   Links: cashflowdiary.com/fundme Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Ready to invest in real estate but don’t know where to start? We hear that a lot. It can be overwhelming to figure out how to purchase your first rental property without cash on hand or any personal connections in real estate. We’ve teamed up with an amazing program that can help you can attain business lines of credit to purchase rental real estate—at zero interest! The process is incredibly simple and allows you to secure funding easily and quickly.   On this episode of Investing in Real Estate, Mike Banks from Fund&Grow is here to walk you through the process, and help you determine if business credit cards can help you grow your portfolio!   Book a call with our team: https://goo.gl/dezwHT   Show notes: http://morrisinvest.com/episode335

This week we START the episode with a victory bell because we have a very special guest! If you take action, this conversation can change your Wholesaling business today.   Mike is the COO of Fund&Grow, an A+ Better Business Bureau-rated financial services firm that helps small businesses and real estate investors obtain unsecured funding (up to $250,000 and more) at 0% interest via creative credit card financing.   We’ve never recommended someone in the credit or lending space before, but Fund&Grow is easy and reliable.   RESOURCES: Learn more about Fund&Grow Register for Mike’s webinar: WholesalingInc.com/fund  

Mike Banks is the COO and Marketing Director of Fund & Grow and works directly with CEO Ari Page. With over 8 years of success and growth, they have built a thriving business based on offering exceptional service to their customers and a dynamic and rewarding work environment for their employees. Mike regularly hosts live webinars and creates elite Joint Ventures and Partnerships with other Expert Trainers and Affiliate networks, many of which are looking to help their clientele finance deals and purchases at 0% for 12-18 months. What you will learn: Why real estate investors can benefit from networking with professionals How to repair your credit quickly in order to start investing Using business credit lines to obtain financing for deals and protect your personal credit Keeping personal and business finances separate to reduce risk How to understand the business credit line market An easy to grasp negotiating process to help you win every time Working with the right underwriters for your business What to expect throughout the capital raising process Finding the guidance you need as a new investor Ways to contact Mike: Email: mike.banks@fundandgrow.com www.fundandgrow.com/srec Resources: SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/fundngrow SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/apply SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/webinar SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/termsbook SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/ebook SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/newportevent

Can you buy an OFFICE BUILDING in your self directed IRA or 401k?  I’ll bet you think the answer is YES, don’t you?  Actually, it’s only MAYBE.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ll tell you why right now in Episode #239 of Self Directed Investor Talk… ---- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you where all we ask is 7 minutes a day… and what you get in return is self-directed investing MASTERY! A great show is in store for you today and I’d like to remind you that you can ALWAYS get to the show notes for any show by putting the episode number after the domain name SDITalk.com.  For today, the show notes page is SDITalk.com/239… and you really should check it out.  You doubtlessly hear me referring to articles, studies and links from time to time in this show, and all you’ve got to do to get access to all of that EXTRA SDI-goodness is to visit the show notes page where you’ll find the show itself, a full transcript, and all of the resources I just mentioned.  Again, today’s show notes page is SDITalk.com/239. There’s one more link you should be aware of.  It’s SDITalk.com/credit.  I’ll make this short:  If you have any need for investment or even business funding, and you’d like to get up to $250,000 at a ZERO interest rate, then go to SDITalk.com/credit, sign up for the free webinar that’s offered there, and learn how to do it.  The guys behind that – Ari and Mike at Fund & Grow – are REAL pros, and they’ve provided over $4 MILLION in zero interest credit to your fellow members of SDI Nation in the past 12 months alone.  Check them out at SDITalk.com/credit. Ok, so can you buy an office building in your IRA? This question was prompted by an article I saw where a rather conventional financial advisor struggled to answer this question correctly, so I’ve decided to grace you with the actual CORRECT version of things. The simple answer?  YES.  Your IRA can own an office building.  There’s nothing in the law governing IRA’s – unless it’s changed dramatically in the last 24 hours – that prohibits your IRA from owning real estate, commercial buildings included.  Same for 401k’s – they are absolutely allowed to own real estate. But there’s a BIG BUT – that sounded a little vile, hmmph – there’s a big EXCEPTION to consider, which is: Many commercial properties are owned by a business entity of some sort – such as a corporation or LLC.  And it’s that entity which owns the real estate, and all of the accoutrements necessary to make that building a productive asset, like office equipment and such. So the real question to ask yourself is:  Am I buying real estate, or am I buying a business entity that owns real estate. Still, one would think that there’s no problem, because just as the tax code governing your IRA doesn’t prevent your IRA from owning real estate, it also doesn’t prohibit your IRA from owning business entities. So we’re good, right?  If the building is owned by an entity, just buy the entity, and it’s all good… right?  Your IRA can just buy the entity that owns the building and you’re all set… right? You’d certainly think so since neither real estate nor business entities are on the short list of totally prohibited asset types.  (Incidentally… do you know the things that ARE on the totally prohibited list of asset types?  You can find out on the show notes page at SDITalk.com/239.  Yes, that’s a shameless plug to get you to visit the website.) PROHIBITED ASSSETS go here in the fancy box https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-regarding-iras-investments So can your IRA buy the entity that owns that building? Well… maybe.  Probably, even. But if the entity that owns the building happens to be an S corporation, then your IRA is kind of out of luck, even though the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 - better known as ERISA – the law which created the IRA, certainly doesn’t prohibit it. But it’s prohibited nevertheless.  Under the law that created S corporations on the federal level, there are some limits to who can own shares in S corporations.  I’ll link to the relevant materials for you on SDITalk.com/239 but bottom line:  IRA’s are excluded from that list. So, in this, as in everything where rules and regulations are concerned… reality is a bit more nuanced than any of us would like it to be. But there is a type of real estate I know you CAN own in your IRA… and that is TURNKEY RENTAL PROPERTY!  You can learn more about that by calling my 24-hour free recorded info line at 773-TURNKEY, 773-TURNKEY. And a quick note – for any of you out in the Bay Area of California, well into Silicon Valley and surrounding areas… be sure to listen to the RADIO version of Self Directed Investor Talk every day at 3:00 pacific on KDOW 1220, the Wall Street Business Network!  Those of you NOT in the Bay Area can listen in very easily too, through iHeartRadio… just stop by the show notes page at SDITalk.com/239 for a link to KDOW’s live feed on iHeartRadio. And YES… we’ll likely be in more markets very soon, like as in the first quarter of 2017, so very soon. My friends… thanks for joining me and remember:  Invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Want to contribute to a Roth IRA, but your income is too high?  Never fear, my friends… a solution is here!  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ll give you that solution right now in Episode #237 of Self Directed Investor Talk. ---- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the broadcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you, where each day we educate, entertain and INSPIRE you to DECLARE INDEPENDENCE from Wall Street… and in the place of simply DEFAULTING to stocks, bonds and mutual funds, you open your mind and portfolio to alternative assets that are SIMPLE, SAFE and STRONG! Glad to be with you again today, my friends.  To participate in the show, just drop me an email at feedback@sditalk.com or reach out on Twitter or Facebook where our handle is @SDITalk in both places.  And… BE SURE that in this NEW YEAR you’re on the SDI Private Update list, which you can join by texting the word SDITALK with no spaces or periods to 44222. Hey I’ve told you a few times about my friends Ari & Mike over at Fund & Grow… they’re the people who, in effect, make it possible for you to have a 0% interest rate credit card with credit limits totaling up to $250,000 or more.  Their info that you should check out is over at SDITalk.com/credit but here’s something really cool I just learned:  In the last 90 days, they’ve helped a few of your fellow listeners to acquire a bit over $2 million in zero-interest rate credit.  Yep.  Pretty cool.  If you need some capital for your investments or your business, check them out at SDITalk.com/credit now. You want to contribute to an IRA, and you want the best tax benefits possible, which arguably come from the Roth IRA.  Problem is, you make too much money.  That’s right… the US congress, in its constant state of trying to punish the successful, instituted an income limitation such that you can’t even contribute to a Roth IRA if you make somewhere around $118,000 per year if you’re single or about $186,000 per year if you’re married. But fear not, SDI Nation!  There is a solution! It’s called the Backdoor Roth IRA, and the basic idea is that: While there’s an income limit for CONTRIBUTING to a Roth IRA, there’s no income limit for CONVERTING to a Roth IRA.  So here’s how we take advantage of this loophole in a most advantageous of manners to give you, my high-income-earning listener, the ability to contribute to a Roth just like your lower-income brethren. STEP 1:  Open a TRADITIONAL IRA – yes, I said “traditional”, not Roth – and make your deposit into that account.  But here’s the thing:  You can’t take a tax deduction for that contribution.  You’ll be doing what’s called a non-deductible contribution.  And that’s important in… STEP 2:  This is where you convert that Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA.  Voila!  Now you’ve got a Roth IRA, just as if you’d put money there in the first place. Yes, that’s all there is to it, conceptually.  It’s a simple 2-step maneuver that effectively eliminates the income limits for Roth IRA contributions. Now I’ll go ahead and warn you:  There are some people out there who criticize this strategy, even suggesting that it’s illegal.  That’s a hard case to make since Congress actually REMOVED the income limits for Roth conversions back in 2010, so from the vantage point of this incredibly well-informed layman who is still, in the interest of full disclosure, NOT a lawyer, I think it’s darn near impossible to argue that this is illegal. But there are 2 red flags to keep your eye on: Red Flag #1:  If you have any money in a traditional IRA at the present time, you might have a bit of a hiccup using this back-door Roth IRA strategy due to something called the IRS Aggregation Rule.  I won’t weigh you down with the details right now, but if you’re interested, check them out on today’s show notes page at SDITalk.com/237. And Red Flag #2 is something called the Step Transaction Doctrine.  In a nutshell, this is a legal doctrine that says if it’s against the law for you to do a certain thing, then it’s still against the law for you to accomplish that thing even if you can get there by taking intermediate steps that are entirely within the law.  The fear is that the IRS may apply that doctrine to the backdoor Roth IRA strategy. How do you address that risk?  My gut sense, as a non-lawyer who is wholly unqualified to give legal advice, is that it’s wildly improbable that the IRS would pursue that path.  Attacking retirement accounts en masse is a real hot button issue for them… there was a situation that arose a few years ago where the IRS could have EASILY pursued tens of millions of IRA’s of all types – not just self-directed IRA’s – for a particular kind of prohibited transaction, and they simply passed on the chance to do it… I think because it would never fly politically.  But that’s just my opinion of course, incredibly insightful though it is. So my advice:  Yes, you should seriously consider the backdoor Roth IRA if you want to contribute to a Roth but your income is too high.  But before you do that, be sure to talk to an attorney who is an expert in the area of self directed IRA’s.  If you don’t have such an attorney, there’s one I recommend highly, and you can get his information on today’s show notes page at SDITalk.com/237. And a quick parting note, my friends… We have some EXTRAORDINARY turnkey rental property investment opportunities available RIGHT NOW, the opportunity has never been better.  If you’re looking for some great real estate investments, whether inside your retirement account or outside of it – including for 1031 exchanges – then just call my 24 hour free information line at 773-TURNKEY and listen to my 2 minute recording to see if turnkey investing is right for you. My friends… invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was big in 2016 – and will be even bigger in 2017.  What is “IT”? CROWDFUNDING, of course… and I’ve brought in a special expert to discuss this whole CROWDFUNDING PHENOMEMON with us… and his opinion is… shall I say… something DIFFERENT than the conventional wisdom.  I think you’ll love it.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  This is Episode #235. ---- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the broadcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you where each day, we help you DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM WALL STREET. Today is show #235 so that means you can get the links, resources and transcripts from today’s show at SDITalk.com/235.  And if you’d like to participate in the discussion about this with us online, you can do that on Twitter or Facebook where you can find us at – of course – SDITalk. Today I’m sharing a special interview with you I did with Sal Buscemi of Dandrew Partners LLC, a New York-based commercial real estate advisory boutique firm that helps institutional investors place capital into distressed commercial real estate assets. He’s also a Goldman Sachs alum, having spent 5 years there as an investment banker, so he’s got the big-capital perspective of Wall Street, but the heart of a real estate man.  I’ve known Sal a long time, and while I don’t agree with everything he says.  I absolutely, positively respect his opinion.  I bet you will, too.  But first – Remember this, folks:  Here at the start of 2017 if you need $50,000 to $250,000 for an investment or your business, there’s one place to go to get that capital at ZERO INTEREST – yes, you heard that correctly – is to visit SDITalk.com/credit.  There you’ll find my friends Ari Page & Mike Banks from Fund & Grow.  Those guys work some special magic to make it possible to acquire long-term zero-percent funding for anybody with good credit… so if that’s you and you need a bit of capital to push 2017 in the direction you need, reach out to them now at SDITalk.com/credit.   Bryan Ellis:                       Sal, this whole thing called crowdfunding, there’s a lot of interest out there in this topic but from my vantage point, there’s a lot of confusion as well. It looks like from my humble but incredibly prescient viewpoint, this looks like amateur hour to me. How is crowdfunding playing out from your point of view? Sal Buscemi:                    I’ll tell you, I think it’s going to be one of the largest vehicles for wealth destruction in this country. I’ll tell you why, because you’re getting less sophisticated people coming in with the bare minimum investment of $500, $1000. They’re able to get involved in deals but are they really getting good deals and what’s really the driver behind this? Are there interests … In the industry we say, “How are my interests aligned with the operator?” Bryan Ellis:                       Right. Sal Buscemi:                    The operator is the person who’s pulling the money, who’s going to buy the investment. You always want to ask the hard questions and a lot of people are just not sophisticated enough going into this knowing the hard questions to ask. Bryan Ellis:                       Yeah, it looks like basically what’s happened is that crowdfunding’s made it to some degree possible for inexperienced investors to build pools of capital where before they would have at least had to go through maybe the Regulation D type offering at the very least. Now it’s much, much simpler for everybody so the bar’s lower and the dirt is thicker. Sal Buscemi:                    Yeah, there’s a lower bar to entry, right? The cheapest capital support is the biggest losers. Now you’re going to have people who don’t understand the asset class, they think they’re buying one thing, are they really buying it and really, what is the operator’s experience? My saying in the industry is, “Good operators turn bad deals into good ones and bad operators turn good deals into bad deals.” That’s just the way it goes and I think when the … Especially now where we are in the market right now Bryan, things are capped out. What I mean by that, prices are at the top and interest rates have changed and nobody was doing anything until we saw a change in the election. Now we see interest rates creeping a little bit, it has to do with China, they’re dumping some of the treasuries, I don’t think it’s going to last but that’s going to affect a lot of …                                          I don’t think somebody getting in it at a price today are going to be able to exit at the same price or more later on if that makes sense. It is no different than buying a house in Phoenix in 2007. It only was really worth at one point $200,000 but people are bidding as high as 350, 400,000 dollars. The only reason why they were able to do that is because there was so much cash readily available through subprime. The same thing is happening here and now you have one guy who decided to wake up one day, he’s tired of his corporate job, he’s a software engineer and he’s going to decide to buy an apartment complex two states away or two time zones away and I’m speaking from experience here. He has no one on the ground to manage it and he’s treating it like it’s a bond or a stock and it’s absolutely not. Bryan Ellis:                       Right. Sal let’s back up just a little bit, what is crowdfunding? Sal Buscemi:                    Crowdfunding in its simplest form is you’re able to crowdsource money from people using something that is passed during 2013 during the Obama administration called the JOBS Act, I think it’s title four if I recall correctly. It allows people to go out and raise smaller increments of money whereas before they would have to do something more meaningful using a Reg D. It would be more cost prohibitive, there would be a higher barrier to entry. Now, those barriers to entry have been removed as a direct result of the Jumpstart Our Businesses Act or I think that’s what the acronym is, the JOBS Act. That has made people able to go out there and crowdsource things as it relates to in simplest forms maybe new widgets, maybe new technology but it’s moving over to real estate and that’s really where the scary part is for me as someone who has grown up and been professionally trained as a classical distressed real estate investor his whole life. My friends, there's a whole lot more of that interview you'll get right here on tomorrow's show.  If you'd like to hear it right now, you're welcomed to do that by going over to SDITalk.com/235 where you'll find the transcript and entire interview if you'd like to get it right now. In the mean time, invest wisely today and live well forever... throughout ALL of this great new year of 2017! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth Heffron did everything right – she built up an IRA big enough for her retirement, AND enough to leave her daughter nearly half a million dollars.  But the US Supreme Court has different ideas, and it’s bad for Ruth, her daughter, and YOU.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  This is Episode #234. ----- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome back to Self Directed Investor Talk… the show where I, your humble host, daily throw myself into the lion’s den in proclamation of the Gospel of Self Directed Investing… namely, that you MUST DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM WALL STREET and take control of your own capital! Before we do that… can I just remind you guys about Fund & Grow?  They’re the guys that are just EXTRAORDINARY when it comes to build cash credit for investors, businesspeople and others.  For anyone with decent credit, their specialty is establishing $50,000 to $250,000 or more of ZERO INTEREST credit for you to use on anything you want.  Totally unsecured, too… It’s really amazing.  A great alternative to hard money loans, for example.  Check them out if you need capital.  I endorse them very proudly.  You can reach them at SDITalk.com/credit.  Ok, let’s jump in.  To participate in the conversation, reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter, or by email at feedback at sditalk.com. Ruth Heffron must be spinning in her grave.  She opened an IRA and build it up such that, even after using it herself, there was still nearly half a million dollars in there when she passed away.  Mrs. Heffron did what may of us would do in that case… she designated her only child Heidi Heffron-Clark as her beneficiary. For a while, things were fine.  Heidi was able to withdraw a bit of that money over time, such that she drew it down to a value of about $300,000.  But then something unfortunate happened.  Heidi found herself facing some financial difficulty, and chose to declare bankruptcy. Now if you’re wondering why Heidi would declare bankruptcy since she had an IRA worth $300,000… well, you’re on the right track.  When one declares bankruptcy, their assets are basically up for grabs by creditors… and so that $300,000 IRA she inherited from dear old mom would seem to be on the chopping block. Alas… Heidi – or more likely, her bankruptcy attorney – knew that there’s some very special statutory protection for retirement accounts.  With only a few exceptions, IRA’s and other retirement accounts are basically outside of the reach of creditors, even in the case of bankruptcy.  It’s one of the things that makes that type of account truly special… something like a fortress for your financial assets. So, armed with this assurance, Heidi Heffron-Clark filed for bankruptcy.  But then something wholly unexpected happened:  Her creditors fought back.  They claimed that those protections against creditors available to retirement accounts are available ONLY to retirement accounts… and since Heidi had INHERITED her IRA, and had been using it to pay her life expenses, then that account was arguably NOT a retirement account, and thus no longer entitled to the protections provided by law. And, lo and behold, when those creditors made these arguments before the US bankruptcy court, the court agreed, and Heidi had lost her $300,000 IRA.  Then the appeals came… she won some, she lost some… you know the drill, until one day, Heidi and the case of her $300,000 IRA land before the U.S. Supreme Court. And when the judgment on that case was handed down, something unusual happened:  There was a unanimous decision AGAINST Heidi’s claim.  Indeed, the U.S. Supreme Court had decided that by virtue of having INHERITED the account, Heidi’s IRA was no longer actually a retirement account, but was, essentially, a normal financial account, available to satisfy the demands of creditors like any other asset. Let’s put aside for a moment whether we agree with that decision.  The fact that it was unanimous – which is a rarity at the Supreme Court – suggests that the law is settled, whether we like it or not. But that raises the question:  How can you make sure that your beneficiaries ACTUALLY receive the money you’re leaving for them, since this IRA protection is no longer available? And respectfully, my friends, don’t do yourself the disservice of thinking this isn’t relevant for your loved ones.  You might have adult children who are extremely well established financially, and who you can’t imagine would ever declare bankruptcy.  But the issue is broader than that.  I submit for your consideration two additional considerations: Scenario #1 happens when someone – anyone – is attacked by an unexpected lawsuit.  It could be a car accident that you didn’t intend to cause, but that is nevertheless your fault.  It could be some unforeseen business issue.  No matter… if your beneficiary is targeted by and the victim of a money judgement, then whatever you leave to them in an IRA will be at risk. And scenario #2 is the all-too-common instance of divorce.  You leave your IRA to your child, and after you’ve passed on, there’s an ugly divorce… and your IRA will be fair game in that proceeding, even though you left it to your CHILD or GRANDCHILD or whoever… and not to their spouse.  That’s just the way it usually works out. So this is a real issue for everyone… not just those of you who have future beneficiaries who are currently showing signs of financial distress. So, what do you do? Well, step 1 – mandatory for everybody – is talk to a competent attorney about this issue.  I, of course, recommend THE GREAT ONE, Tim Berry who you can reach at SDITalk.com/tim.  But no matter who you choose, you MUST work with an attorney who has very specific expertise in BOTH retirement plan law AND in asset protection law, because this issue represents a collision of those two complex areas. The solution for MOST people will be one or both of these strategies: #1:  Put a TRUST between your IRA and your future beneficiaries.  I know that Tim Berry is particularly fond of using something called a Charitable Remainder Trust for even greater tax benefits.  Maybe I’ll have him on the show soon to discuss that. And strategy #2 is to structure the assets INSIDE of your IRA in some sort of asset-protected manner.  This is actually a rather ninja-level strategy, but the basic idea is to structure the assets inside of your IRA such that they are very valuable to you, but practically worthless to anyone else.  There again, I think I’ll have Tim come on and talk with me someday soon about this. There is one bit of good news though.  Since this Supreme Court ruling came down, several STATES have begun implementing specific protections for inherited IRA’s.  That’s not as good as protection by federal law, but it’s certainly a formidable barrier between the IRA you’ve worked so hard to build and the creditors who would like to take it from you or your loved ones. That’s all I’ve got for you, except this:  Please, tell your friends about this show… Several ways to listen… on radio via the Wall Street Business Network, on iTunes or of course at SDITalk.com.  I’d appreciate it so much!  Any my friends, invest wisely today, and live well forever!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The RISE Act Proposal is the biggest threat to self-directed IRA investors we’ve ever faced. Two episodes ago, I told you how Mitt Romney’s massive $100 million IRA prompted the creation of the RISE act, which I explained – in all of its terrifying detail – in the last episode.  Today, you see how this is ABSOLUTELY, POISTIVELY connected to the Trump vs Clinton choice we’ve all got to make on election day, November 8.  The next 7 minutes are overwhelmingly important to the future of EVERY SINGLE self-directed IRA investor.  I’m Bryan Ellis. This is Episode #231. ----- Hello SDI Nation, welcome to the podcast of record where we help you to declare independence from Wall Street and build a financial legacy for future generations.  Today I’ll show you how the future of the overwhelmingly NEGATIVE RISE act proposal is INTIMATELY connected to the Trump vs Clinton choice.  Remember – right now RISE is just a proposal, but not law.  Today you learn how to make sure it never, ever becomes law. Just a heads up… in today’s show, you’re going to hear me refer to the show notes page a few times.  That page is SDIRadio.com/231 and it’s got some really important, profoundly relevant things for you, including the links to Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3-part series.  So when you hear me refer to today’s show notes page, know that I’m referring to SDIRadio.com/231. But first – folks, you’ve doubtlessly heard of my friends over at Fund & Grow.  These guys are absolute magicians when it comes to helping their clients acquire zero-interest lines of credit… lines of credit that are essentially just signature loans, not even secured by real estate or anything else.  Think about that, folks… what if you could finance that real estate deal using a zero percent interest loan?  It’s a game changer, and that’s exactly what my friends Ari and Mike over at Fund & Grow do.  I say they’re magicians, but in truth, they just follow a great, great process that’s very reliable.  For people with decent credit or better, it’s totally achievable to reach $250,000 in zero-interest credit… and my friends, they’ve actually generated over $2.9 million worth of that type of credit for your fellow listeners just this year alone.  So my recommendation?  Check them out, and do it now… at SDIRadio.com/credit.  Again, that’s SDIRadio.com/credit.  You’ll be glad you did. So in episode #229 I showed you how Mitt Romney built a $100 Million IRA… and how the disclosure of that account may have, in part, cost him the presidency.  And in Episode #230 I showed you how the negative publicity that generated led to the proposal of the RISE Act by socialist Senator Ron Wyden, democrat from Oregon… an act that, frankly, if it passes into law, it will be a catastrophe of cataclysmic proportions for self-directed IRA owners. So what do we do about this?  We here at Self Directed Investor Radio, and our parent organization the Self Directed Investor Society, are here as YOUR ADVOCATE against government encroachment of your rights. Frankly, I’ll have a lot more to say after the coming week to guide you about how to respond to this threat, but in the coming week, you have a HUGE opportunity to DIRECTLY impact this particular issue… to cut it off at the knees before it ever takes root. How?  The way to do that is to WISELY cast your vote, both at the Presidential and at the Congressional levels. Here’s are 3 things we know for sure: First, If Republicans maintain control of both houses of Congress, the RISE act proposal will never see the light of day. As it currently stands, this proposal is little more than political theater to stoke the passions of Wyden’s bleeding-heart, entitlement-oriented constituency.  But if Democrats take both – or even EITHER house of congress – on Tuesday of this coming week, then this proposal stands a very, very real chance of introduction and passage The second thing we know is that If Hillary Clinton is elected President, you can bet your bottom dollar she’ll be totally on board to support this proposal. Hillary is no friend of your wallet.  She’s already proposed MASSIVE increases in income taxes and estate taxes, and mark my words:  Your IRA is a juicy target to her.  She famously made – and never, ever retracted – this statement: “Many of you are well off enough that the tax cuts may have helped you.  We’re saying that for America to get back on track, we’re probably going to cut that short and not give it to you.  We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”  Think you aren’t wealthy enough to be in her crosshairs?  Think again:  You don’t need to be in the top 1%.  More like the top 20%... and it only takes a family income of $111,000 per year.  Not a high standard, folks. The last thing we know is that If Donald Trump is elected, we don’t have any overt indication of where he’d fall on this issue. To my way of thinking, this is Trump’s greatest weakness:  We don’t have profound clarity on his positions because he’s not a politician with a long paper trail.  But what we do have is an overt proclivity in his published position papers IN FAVOR OF capitalism, small business and tax reduction.  That, in and of itself, is a huge positive.  Trump makes me nervous… nervous in a lot of ways.  But he’s definitely SAYING the right things in terms of showing respect for you and your wealth. So folks, if you’re voting with an eye towards the safety and security of your self-directed IRA… not just now, but for years into the future, then here’s what I recommend you do on election day, Tuesday, November 8: I recommend you vote AGAINST the philosophy of Hillary Clinton and Ron Wyden that will profoundly damage your self directed IRA by SUPPORTING Donald Trump.  And I recommend you hold your nose and have a bias in favor of Republican candidates for the US House & Senate.  I say that NOT because I’m a Republican.  I am NOT.  I find the Republican party – and the Democrat party – to be utterly negative and nothing more than a voice for the “elites” of this country who think they know how to run our lives better than we do. But where your retirement savings are concerned – and that means the financial security of your family, and of future generations – there’s simply no plausible argument to suggest that Hillary Clinton or any of Senator Wyden’s fellow democrats have any interest in doing anything with your money other than taking more of it away.  The RISE Act is prima facie evidence of that.  That proposal actually To vote for anyone who thinks like Wyden or Hillary is to vote against yourself, and to vote against the security of your IRA and retirement savings. And that, my friends, is the cold, hard truth of how you should vote on Tuesday if your retirement account matters to you.  Hold your nose, and vote for Trump and the Republicans.  Set aside petty concerns and vote to protect your family’s financial security – and your financial legacy – by supporting Trump and the Republicans. My friends… invest wisely today… and live well forever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You’re a self-directed investor.  Do you think that there’s no difference between a vote for Trump and a vote for Hillary?  Think again, my friends.  A new legislative proposal is out that directly attacks self-directed IRA’s specifically, and this leads to the CLEAR and RATIONAL conclusion that the difference between the candidates is huge.  I’m Bryan Ellis. I’ll spell it out in CRYSTAL CLEAR LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW in Episode #229. ------  Hello SDI Nation, welcome to the podcast of record where we help you to declare independence from Wall Street and build a financial legacy for future generations.  Today I’ll do that by helping you to understand what’s at stake in the upcoming presidential election that’s directly relevant to YOU as a self-directed investor.  Just a heads up… in today’s show, you’re going to hear me refer to today’s show notes page a few times.  That page is SDIRadio.com/229 and it’s got some really important, profoundly relevant things for you.  So when you hear me refer to today’s show notes page, know that I’m referring to SDIRadio.com/229. First – folks, you’ve doubtlessly heard of my friends over at Fund & Grow.  These guys are absolute magicians when it comes to helping their clients acquire zero-interest lines of credit… lines of credit that are essentially just signature loans, not even secured by real estate or anything else.  Think about that, folks… what if you could finance that real estate deal using a zero percent interest loan?  It’s a game changer, and that’s exactly what my friends Ari and Mike over at Fund & Grow do.  I say they’re magicians, but in truth, they just follow a great, great process that’s very reliable.  For people with decent credit or better, it’s totally achievable to reach $250,000 in zero-interest credit… and my friends, they’ve actually generated over $2.9 million worth of that type of credit for your fellow listeners just this year alone.  So my recommendation?  Check them out, and do it now… at SDIRadio.com/credit.  Again, that’s SDIRadio.com/credit.  You’ll be glad you did. My friends, have you heard of the poorly named Retirement Improvements and Savings Enhancements Act of 2016 – aka the RISE Act proposal?  Probably not… but as a self-directed investor, it’s HUGELY relevant to you, because it’s an all-out attempt to gut your rights to use a self-directed IRA in the ways that work best.  I’ll tell you specifically how in just a minute, but you really need to understand the background. During the presidential battle of 2012, Mitt Romney made the shocking revelation that he owned an IRA worth as much as $102 MILLION.  When I heard that, I thought WOW!  I want to be like him when I grow up!  But when certain people in Congress heard about it, all they could see was “THE RICH GET RICHER” and “THAT’S UNFAIR” and “he couldn’t do that legally”. All of these things are, of course, just the typical babblings of intellectually dishonest politicians who – let’s be honest – don’t give one little damn self directed IRA’s or about you.  What they do care about is appearing to their constituents – at least half of whom are below the average national income – that “I’m on your side and I’ll punish those rich guys who are getting rich at your expense.” It’s absolute garbage… it’s simple-minded reasoning for simple-minded constituents who have been trained by government schools, the media and our self-obsessed culture that success should be attacked rather than emulated.  If you agree with that – that success should be attacked rather than emulated – then you should stop listening to this show right now, because I’m not interested in having you as a listener. But if you understand, you agree that success is laudable, good and praiseworthy, and you agree that success leaves clues that the rest of us can follow, then listen on as I explain how we got to the threat of the RISE act that we face today. One particularly class envy-oriented senator, Ron Wyden, Democrat from Oregon, appears to have really gone bankers over the fact that some people had become very successful using their IRA’s… so much so that he demanded that the Government Accountability Office perform a study to find out how big the “problem” was, and how it was that anyone could ever build that much wealth. That last part is a legit question.  Most IRA’s have a max contribution of 6 grand per year or so, and even if you got a long-term profit rate of 8% per year, it would still take more than 90 years to get to $100 million.  Clearly, Romney isn’t 90 years old, so how’d he do it? Well, Romney didn’t break any rules.  We don’t really know what he did to accumulate such an impressive sum, but here’s my guess... and that’s all it is is a guess.  Remember that Romney was became rich as a venture capitalist specializing in business turnarounds and restructuring.  In other words, it was his JOB to find companies that were headed towards or already in bankruptcy – and thus essentially worthless – and to turn those companies around in such a way as to make a big profit.  And I suspect, after Romney had been doing this for a while and was very good at predicting which companies could be successfully turned around before it happened, he started to acquire shares of these companies in his self-directed IRA BERFORE he turned them around while they were available at very, very low prices.  You know, a company in bankruptcy is not expensive to buy.  So maybe he’s able to acquire thousands or millions of shares of a company for a few pennies per share.  He then works his magic as a turnaround expert and brings that company back from the brink of bankruptcy and causes those shares he bought for a few pennies to be worth a dollar, or 5 dollars or $100 dollars or more. And I suspect he did this many times.  And with that, it suddenly becomes very, very plausible to accumulate as much money as Romney did.  Again, that’s just my guess… only Romney really knows… but I bet it’s pretty close to this. Well, like I said, this revelation drove Senator Wyden insane with class envy. He commissions the GAO study I mentioned to you a moment ago, and what was revealed is that this issue of “mega IRA’s” like Romney’s isn’t a particularly big issue.  There’s a total of about 9,000 IRA’s in the entirety of America with a balance of greater than $5 million, most of whom are formerly high-earning retirees.  There are more than 9,000 people within 5 miles of my house.  That’s a tiny number.  So clearly, there’s nothing to see here in terms of a real problem.  Frankly in my mind, it wouldn’t be a problem if there were a million huge IRA’s… but the way I think is very different from the way Senator Wyden thinks. Which leads us to the RISE act proposal… and its connection to the Trump vs Clinton battle.  But unfortunately, we’re out of time- past time actually – in this episode.  So let’s do this:  The next episode with the Trump/Clinton connection is up and available RIGHT NOW at SDIRadio.com/230.  Again, that’s SDIRadio.com/230… so please, go there right now and check it out, because nothing could be more TIME SENSITIVE or RELEVANT to the safety and security of your self-directed IRA. My friends, invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In our last exciting exciting episode, you discovered how the specter of Mitt Romney’s 2012 disclosure of his $100 Million IRA still looms large over politics in 2016 with the announcement of the RISE Act Proposal, a legislative objective designed to totally cut off self-directed IRA’s at the knees.  Today, you learn exactly what the RISE Act is and why it’s the worst news for self-directed IRA investors… maybe ever.  And… oh yeah… you’ll learn about the CLEAR CONNECTION to the Trump vs Clinton presidential battle. Buckle your seatbelts, folks.  This one is going to be ugly.  This is episode #230. ------  Hello SDI Nation, welcome to the podcast of record where we help you to declare independence from Wall Street and build a financial legacy for future generations.  Today’s show notes page is at SDIRadio.com/230… write that down, because you’ll need it to reference some of the things I’ll tell you about today, that will simply leave you aghast. But first, folks, I owe it to you to make sure you know about my friends over at Fund & Grow.  These guys are absolute magicians when it comes to helping their clients acquire zero-interest lines of credit… lines of credit that are essentially just signature loans, not even secured by real estate or anything else.  Think about that, folks… what if you could finance that real estate deal using a zero percent interest loan?  It’s a game changer, and that’s exactly what my friends Ari and Mike over at Fund & Grow do.  I say they’re magicians, but in truth, they just follow a great, great process that’s very reliable.  For people with decent credit or better, it’s totally achievable to reach $250,000 in zero-interest credit… and my friends, they’ve actually generated over $2.9 million worth of that type of credit for your fellow listeners just this year alone.  So my recommendation?  Check them out, and do it now… at SDIRadio.com/credit.  Again, that’s SDIRadio.com/credit.  You’ll be glad you did. So, yesterday in Episode 229, I gave you my presumption about exactly how it is that Mitt Romney was able to build an IRA worth $100 million, totally legally.  You also learned how Romney’s success and the class envy-based reasoning of Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat from Oregon, resulted in the recent proposal of the deceptively named RISE Act – Retirement Income and Savings Enhancement Act of 2016. So what is it?  And what’s the connection to the Trum p vs Clinton battle?  Let’s dig in now. The RISE Act Proposal is the work of Ron Wyden, democrat Senator from Oregon.  It offers two mildly positive features: A very slight increase in the age where you must begin to take required minimum distributions, and Removal of the maximum age for Traditional IRA contributions Those are good things, but they’re incredibly minor in the grand scheme of things.  But there are 3 features of this proposal – “features” is the wrong word, they’re more like ASSAULTS – and they’re truly horrible… a direct attack against you as an IRA user… these assaults are designed to make sure that the IRA is less valuable in the future than it is now… and one of those assaults is designed specifically to cut the legs out from under savvy users of self-directed IRA’s who invest in real estate, private businesses or any other non-exchange-listed assets.  Let’s take a look: Assault #1 targets owners of Traditional IRAs whether self-directed or otherwise.  If Senator Wyden’s proposal becomes law, you’ll no longer have the option of converting your Traditional to a Roth.  The Roth account is in the cross hairs of the government because the Roth actually ELIMINATES tax liability rather than deferring it like the traditional IRA.  As such, Wyden proposes to eliminate your right to reduce your tax liability by converting from a al to a Roth. Assault #2 targets owners of Roth IRA’s, whether self-directed or otherwise.  If that’s you, you’ll now be subject to required minimum distributions – the dreaded RMD.  If you’re not familiar, RMD is a formula for determining how much money MUST be withdrawn from your IRA, even if you don’t want to withdraw it.  Previously, only Traditional IRA’s were subject to this, but not Roths.  Why is Senator Wyden expanding it to Roth IRA’s?  Well, here again, Wyden and his ilk HATE the Roth IRA because it ELIMINATES taxes rather than just deferring them.  Furthermore, the Roth IRA may be the single greatest estate planning tool ever created, because if you leave a Roth IRA to a beneficiary, that beneficiary can take that money out totally tax free at any time… but they can also continue to build that account using the funds you left to them, and the profits from THEIR transactions are also entirely tax free, and also entirely available for withdrawal at any time they want.  In effect, the owner of a well-managed inherited Roth IRA could live their life ENTIRELY income-tax free.  The inherited Roth IRA is astoundingly powerful, and Wyden is doing what he can to make sure that not only do YOU get less benefit from your Roth IRA, but he’s also trying to make sure your Roth IRA is distributed during your lifetime so that your beneficiaries can’t continue benefiting from its income tax elimination features. Which leads us to Assault #3… and this is the one that really cuts the legs out from under self-directed IRA owners specifically, whether using a Traditional or Roth account.  This one is actually two assaults in one.  First, the assets of self-directed IRA’s will now be required to be formally valued via a “qualified appraisal”.  The meaning of “qualified appraisal” is not defined, meaning that it’s left to the IRS to decide.  At the very least, I suspect this will translate into a requirement for formal independent appraisals.  That, in itself, is a huge, huge issue for some investors.  The cost of appraising certain types of commercial real estate or privately held businesses or other non-exchange-traded assets can EASILY become prohibitive, running to the 10’s of thousands of dollars per asset, creating an astounding burden on the self-directed IRA owner. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  The REAL REASON that valuations are required under Senator Wyden’s proposal is that the RISE act explicitly prohibits you from buying any asset for less than its market value.  Yes, you heard that correctly.  If Senator Wyden gets his way, you’ll no longer even have the option of buying real estate at a discount.  You’ll no longer be able to buy discounted notes or mortgages or any other asset at favorable prices.  You’ll no longer have the ability to do the one thing that real estate investors always aim to do:  To profit on the front end by BUYING RIGHT.  That will, literally, be illegal. And that’s not the whole story.  There are even MORE assaults against you as an IRA investor.  It’s simply stunning how thoroughly anti-capitalist the RISE proposal really is.  Folks, the tiny, tiny, infinitesimally small benefits offered by the RISE Act proposal are absolutely worthless compared with the tremendous, tremendous damage this act will do to you as a self-directed IRA user, whether Roth or Traditional. In short, this is PROFOUNDLY opposed to your interests, and it’s opposed to the interests of your beneficiaries, if building a financial legacy matters to you.  There’s just no doubt about it. So what’s the connection to the Presidential election that rages on right now?  My friends, I’m sorry… I’ve run out of time again for this episode.  But in the interest of making sure you get the information in time, you can hear part 3 – the FINAL part of this URGENT topic right now by going over to SDIRadio.com/231.   My friends, invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My friends, get ready to learn something about a huge limit on your IRA that is TOTALLY OPPOSITE what you’ve been told by everybody else.  This is a big, big deal and a huge risk factor for your self-directed IRA.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ve got the details for you now in Episode 228.   Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you, where we help you take control of your investments and your legacy, and today, I’ll do that by helping you to protect your self-directed IRA in the face of transactions that appear totally kosher, but could be like a nuclear detonation in your retirement savings. Let’s start the show with a bribe.  Hehehehe  Here goes: I want you to SUBSCRIBE to this show on iTunes.  That tells the iTunes people that we’re producing good stuff, and in turn they send us more listeners.  So here’s my proposal:  If I teach you something today you didn’t know before, which is DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE SAFETY OF YOUR INVESTMENTS either now or in the future, then will you SUBSCRIBE to this show for free when we’re done with this show in a few minutes?  That’s all I ask.  Deal?  Thanks so much! Awesome, let’s get to it.  This episode was spurred by an article I saw over at MarketWatch, where a debate broke out concerning whether a self-directed IRA can buy assets from or sell them to a COUSIN of the IRA owner.  The broadly accepted advice on this – spelled out on the IRS website – is that the only family members expressly disqualified are ancestors – like parents and grandparents – along with your descendants and their spouses.  This seems to indicate that other family members – like siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. are not disqualified and therefore are fair game as counterparties for your self-directed IRA. So is it kosher for your IRA to do business with a cousin, or other non-lineal family members?  Folks, that’s the WRONG QUESTION entirely, and looking at it that way can DESTROY your IRA.  Let’s look at that right after I tell you how to get 0% interest lines of credit of $50,000 to $250,000 by working with my friends at Fund & Grow.  A quick story – I was recently at the Georgia Real Estate Investors Association meeting, and another member came up to me and said “it works!”  I was really happy to hear this, but I didn’t know this person or what they were talking about… and that’s when they told me they’d listened in to the webinar I did with Fund & Grow… and as a result, this local investor was able to achieve an eye-popping amount of zero-interest credit!  It was really cool because they just approached me randomly… I wasn’t a speaker at that meeting or anything of the sort.  But this guy and his wife sought me out specifically to tell me about their GREAT results of getting 0% interest funding through my friends Ari & Mike at Fund & Grow.   Folks, if you need funding for any of your deals, do yourself a favor and reach out to them.  You can find them at SDIRadio.com/credit, and when you go there, you’ll learn how to have an extraordinary competitive advantage.  I believe in them.  Check them out right now at SDIRadio.com/credit. So… can your IRA do business with a cousin or aunt or uncle?  Or is that even the right question?  Well, to be blunt, it’s absolutely the WRONG question. Here’s the thing:  Yes, the IRS does stipulate a limited set of family members who are expressly disqualified from doing business with you through your IRA.  So, for example, if your parents or grandparents or even children owned a piece of real estate, and you wanted to buy it into your IRA, you can’t do it.  That’s prohibited very clearly.  But as far as family is concerned, the answer changes if the owner of the property isn’t your direct ancestors or descendants, but rather a sibling or cousin.  Those, at first glance, seem to be ok… and that’s the broadly accepted opinion. Alas, there’s more… FAR MORE… than meets the eye, and it’s all legally uncharted waters.  And I’m not giving legal advice here, though I am giving you exceptionally good information, hehehehehe. In moving forward, keep this little tidbit in mind:  The IRS lists 10 groups of people who are DISQUALIFIED from doing business with your IRA.  That list is linked in the resources for today’s show.  Number 6 on that list is “family members”… and we know from other sections that this only means lineal ancestors and descendants and their spouses. Ok, that’s great.  Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles… none of them are listed as disqualified.  So it’s cool to buy from them, right? Ummm…. Not so fast, sparky. Family members only make the list at #6.  What’s #1?  That honor goes to anyone who can be described as a FIDUCIARY of the plan.  So what, right?  The custodian is the fiduciary, right?  Yep, that’s right.  But my trusted legal advisor Tim Berry – the Great One, we call him – tells me that Section 4975 of the tax code defines Fiduciary as anyone who has discretionary authority over a retirement plan. Do YOU have discretionary authority over your retirement plan?  Ummm…. Yes, you do.  Remember, it’s *SELF* directed. But that only prohibits the IRA from doing business directly with you, right?  You’d think so, but… no. According to Tim, the examples in that regulation make it arguable that the disqualification extends not just to the fiduciary, but to anyone in whom the fiduciary has an “interest” that could sway the judgment of the fiduciary.  Notice the use of the vague word “interest”.  It doesn’t say bloodline.  It doesn’t say family relationship.  It doesn’t even say “personal relationship”.  It just says “interest”. Is it arguable that you have an interest in your siblings, your aunts, your uncles, your nieces or nephews?  Sure it is. So the bad news is this:  The law says YOU are a fiduciary of your plan, and that you – and anyone in whom you’ve got an interest – are disqualified from doing business with your IRA.  That’s a sobering thought. The good news:  Tim says he’s never seen this authority asserted by the IRS, so maybe their operating definition is narrower than what appears to be stipulated in law. So there you have it:  Chances are stratospherically high that 7 minutes ago, you thought your IRA could safely do business with siblings or cousins.  You probably also didn’t know you are technically a fiduciary of your own self-directed IRA… and because of that troublesome designation, anyone in whom you have an interest is prohibited from engaging in transactions with your IRA. Hey – I’m sorry the news isn’t a little better.  My advice:  Before allowing your IRA to do business with ANYONE with whom you’ve ever had a relationship of ANY sort… personal or business… get advice from the Great One, Tim Berry, or some other attorney who REALLY knows self-directed IRA’s. Tim’s contact information is linked in the resource page for today’s show at SDIRadio.com/228. So there you have it… did I deliver on my promise to you at the beginning of the show… did I teach you something about self-directed IRA’s you didn’t know which could end up being DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE SAFETY YOUR ACCOUNT?  If so, *PLEASE* stop by iTunes and subscribe to this show.  It’s easy and free, and there are directions available at SDIRadio.com/howto.  That’s SDIRadio.com/howto. Thanks for joining me today – we’ve got a lot more for you coming up as we continue helping you take control of your investments AND your legacy. My friends, invest wisely today, and live well forever!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When a candidate for President of the United States is so sick she’s got to leave the 9/11 memorial service halfway through, and then is unable to get into her vehicle under her own power, that’s a person who is clearly unwell.  Regardless of political stripes, we wish Hillary Clinton a speedy recovery.  But her illnesses – and the fact they’ve been so carefully hidden – begs the question:  What about YOU?  Have you prepared your spouse, your kids or whoever will inherit your portfolio all they need to know to understand and succeed with your assets?  And by the way – the potential of severe illness for Hillary has ramifications for your money, too.  Let’s take a hard look right now.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  This is Episode #227.  ----- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you where we help you TAKE and KEEP control of your investments. In the last episode, we talked about Bob, who recently passed away and left his 3 children with an IRA containing real estate.  It was a very valuable IRA, but Bob didn’t plan for the fact that that real estate would have to be divided when he passed away, and the predictable result was bad:  Serious legal strife among his 3 kids. But the potential for conflict over dividing assets in an inherited IRA is only one challenge when beneficiaries inherit a self-directed retirement account.  The other challenge is brought into sharper focus by recent news of Hillary Clinton’s health challenges.  Now before we proceed, note that this isn’t a political analysis, but a financial one. We know that Mrs. Clinton is suffering from a severe case of pneumonia and that she’s had a collection of other serious head injuries and illnesses in the past.  There’s also pervasive discussion in the medical community of the likelihood that she suffers from ongoing neurological problems. Whether those things are true or a product of the political circus we’re all witnessing right now, one thing is true:  Mrs. Clinton – just like you and me – will die someday.  Now unlike me, and most of you as well, Mrs. Clinton and her husband are extremely wealthy, reportedly having a net worth in excess of $100 million.  I don’t know how or whether the Clintons invest their money, but this issue affects them just like it does me and you. What’s the issue?  Preparing the next generation to handle the money and the assets. If, God forbid, Hillary and Bill were hit by a train, would Chelsea know how to handle what they leave behind to her? More importantly, will YOUR spouse or your children know how to handle the assets you leave behind? It’s important for you to grasp this one central concept:  Your knowledge doesn’t transfer automatically.  Your motivations and plans don’t transfer automatically.  Not even your IRA or 401k transfer automatically.  In each case, you’ve got to DO SOMETHING to make sure that your assets – and the ability to properly manage them – ends up in the possession of your loved ones… ….and nobody can make that happen except for YOU. Here are some of the things you need to make sure to do to prepare your beneficiaries for a successful succession into your financial assets, and as I go through this list, ask yourself:  Do your beneficiaries have this information for YOUR assets?  Here we go: A clear, detailed list of assets, and the accounts in which they’re held. A clear, detailed status report for your assets, including valuation (and how to update the valuation), any debt, any recurring or expected expenses, most likely unplanned expenses and any risk factors you see Thorough financial records. Think in terms of preparation for an IRS audit, because that could happen after you’re gone, and you won’t be available to lend your knowledge A detailed explanation of assets. For example:  What is the asset, exactly?  Is it a stock or bond or real estate or precious metal or… what exactly is it?  How can it be profitable?  How can it lose money?  Why did you choose to invest in it to begin with?  What were you hoping to accomplish? A target for your assets. If you have specific financial benchmarks you’re hoping to achieve with your assets, after which you want to liquidate or take other action, detail these targets and intentions. List of resources & relationships needed to manage your assets. For example:  If you are leaving real estate behind, you should make sure that you’ve documented the names and contact information of your property managers, insurance companies, lenders and any other service providers.  Document the names of the law firms, accounting firms and other professional services used on the property.  The goal here is for truly simple, seamless transition. List of responsibilities of the assets. Again using a real estate example:  Each year, property taxes must be paid.  Insurance must be purchased.  The property must be rented to generate cash flow.  These are all examples, and there are more.  The point is this:  Don’t assume that your beneficiaries know any of this.  In fact, assume that they know NONE of it.  And don’t fail to document EVERYTHING, even if those responsibilities are presently handled by a management company or other professionals, because at the end of the day, those responsibilities are still responsibilities of the owner. Give yourself a report card on succession planning for your portfolio right now.  Forget about whether end-of-life issues are a top-of-mind consideration for you presently, since none of us are guaranteed another day.  This is a here-and-now kind of thing… if your beneficiaries are actually important to you, that is.  And OF COURSE they are.   This is important stuff, folks.  If you didn’t get all of those, check out the list, which I’ve left for you in the description area below. Think seriously about this stuff my friends.  Just think of all of the STUPID mistakes you can make on your first real estate deal… and that’s when you’re excited about being a real estate investor.  Odds are, your beneficiaries may not have your level of enthusiasm about it, so they could be even more prone to make costly mistakes, so do them a favor:  Make it easy by leaving CLEAR documentation.  There’s no other way! And folks, before I go, I want to mention something to you:  I’ve found a GREAT way to fund 100% of the cost of most deals – particularly those in the $50,000 to $250,000 range… and the cost to you is no more than the equivalent of a very few points up front and ZERO INTEREST on the loan.  That’s right… ZERO interest!  That funding method is to work with my friends Ari and Mike at Fund & Grow.  Those guys are THE EXPERTS at establishing zero-interest lines of credit for their clients.  They don’t tell you how… they do it for you!  This is great stuff and I’ve seen it work time and time and time again, so check them out right now over at SDIRadio.com/credit.  Again, SDIRadio.com/credit.  You’ll be VERY glad you did! That’s all for now, my friends, but I do wonder what you think about something:  What are YOU doing to prepare the next generation to inherit your assets?  What things in addition to those I’ve outlined do you think should be done?  Tell me!  Tell me now!   You can do that by leaving a comment on today’s show notes page over at SDIRadio.com/227.  And be sure to check out the first comment on that page, which is from me.  There I give you one more tip that I’m using, which is NOT in today’s episode… and then tell me what you think!  And hey… if you’ve enjoyed this show and want more, be sure to tell your friends about Self Directed Investor Radio.  And if you haven’t yet given us a 5-star rating on iTunes, I’ll be SO GRATEFUL if you’d do so.  It costs you nothing and has a HUGE impact on this show.  If you don’t know how to do that, just go to SDIRadio.com/howto where you can get full instructions. My friends… a lot of GREAT things are in the very near future for this show.  Hang with me, and we’ll blow your mind.  And remember: Invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bob died recently, and left a self-directed IRA worth $2 million to his 3 adult children.  Fortunately for Bob, he never saw the huge problem he caused, which threatens to tear his family apart.  Today, I’ll tell you what Bob did wrong, because odds are, you’re doing exactly the same thing and don’t even know it.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  This is episode #226.   Hello Self Directed Investor Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for SAVVY self-directed investors like you, where each day we help you find, understand and PROFIT from exceptional investment opportunities. Today’s episode is a serious one, but first I’d like to share something with you from today’s sponsor, Fund & Grow.  Fund & Grow is awesome, plain and simple.  Ari & Mike, the guys who run the company, are MASTERS at helping you acquire ZERO-INTEREST lines of credit of $50,000 to $250,000 or more.  And it’s NOT THEORY in any way… I’ve seen it happen over and over and over again.  So if you need some capital for that great real estate deal, your business or anything else, reach out to them at SDIRadio.com/credit.  I recommend them because they are truly excellent at what they do. Ok folks, the serious matter at hand today:  Let’s consider Bob, who as I mentioned to you a moment ago, recently passed away.  Bob invested through his IRA and blew it up to being worth $2 million.  A great thing, for sure!  But Bob passed away, and now his 3 adult children own it, each with an equal share. Now if Bob’s portfolio was in stocks, mutual funds or other highly liquid assets, there’d really be no problem at all.  Each child would be able to have an inherited IRA with 1/3 of the assets of Bob’s account.  Any of Bob’s kid that doesn’t want to keep the stocks or mutual funds could sell them.  Any kid that wants to hold the assets could hold them.  Easy peasy. But in Bob’s case, he made his fortune through real estate investing.  In fact, the entire value of Bob’s account is attributable to a single piece of real estate he bought way back in the day that appreciated massively. And now, Bob’s 3 kids are going to own that piece of real estate… somehow. But how?  As it turns out, Kid #1 wants to keep the real estate.  Kids 2 & 3 want the money from selling the real estate.  And Bob… for all his kindness in bequeathing this incredibly valuable account to his kids, did them no favors at all, because all he did was to stipulate that each child received 1/3 of the account.  He didn’t specify how those assets should be divided, nor did he use any strategies to make real estate – which is inherently difficult to divide – easier for his children to deal with. And now, Bob’s kids are fighting with each other.  There’s a civil war going on in Bob’s family, and frankly, Bob’s wonderful act of generosity, coupled with his incredible lack of foresight, is clearly the cause. What could Bob have done differently? The most simplistic answer would be that Bob could have sold off his property and converted the account to cash before he passed on.  Cash is much easier to divide than real estate.  But even if that had been convenient for him to do, it wasn’t what he WANTED to do, because Bob believed there was a lot of upside potential to the property. Another option is that the kids could – will probably have to, in fact – hire a lawyer to divide the property among them by re-conveying a portion of the property to each one of their inherited IRA’s.  That can work and will work if they go through this legal division process, but because there’s tension among the kids, there may well be litigation costs involved as well… certainly not what Bob wanted, or what you want for your beneficiaries. Another option could be that maybe Bob should have titled the real estate in an LLC or trust, and have his IRA be the owner of that LLC or trust.  That way, what the kids would be inheriting would be shares of an LLC or trust… which, like cash, is much easier to divide than real estate.  In fact, Bob could have specified in the LLC or trust documents exactly how the real estate was to be managed and distributed when he was gone, to remove even more uncertainty.  That would have been wise. Another option of great potential is this:  There’s nothing prohibiting you from explicitly dividing your account among your beneficiaries by some means OTHER than simple percentages.  For example, you could allocate Asset A to Kid 1, Asset B to Kid 2 and Asset C to Kid 3.  Obviously there are some risks here too, but this is particularly relevant and worth considering for those of you who, like me, think that involving the family in your financial decision making is a great way to help them learn from your experience. Bottom line?  Bob failed in two ways, not just one. The first one is obvious – he didn’t clarify how his assets were to be divided, even though he knew that real estate is difficult to divide. The other one is less obvious – he didn’t prepare his children for what they were about to receive… they just had no real connection to or understanding of this wonderful asset Bob was leaving for them.  In so doing, Bob’s wonderful gift to them turned into something of a curse. My friends, don’t let that happen to you or your family.  It’s actually quite simple to avoid this sort of fate, but since self-directed IRA’s are such a new phenomenon, nobody is talking about this.  But as your THOUGHT LEADER in the self-directed IRA world, I of course consider it my job to think the thoughts you should think, but aren’t yet thinking!  Hehehehe. And in all fairness, I learned a WHOLE LOT about this topic very recently from IRA attorney extraordinaire, Mr. Tim Berry.  That guy is like a mad scientist, only he’s an IRA lawyer, and he’s REALLY, REALLY good.  If today’s episode stoked any concerns you might have about leaving assets that could cause a problem for your family, Tim is the guy you should reach out to.  You can get his contact info on today’s show notes page at SDIRadio.com/226. That’s also where you should go to comment on this episode.  I’d love to hear what you have to say… if you’re investing in real estate or ANY illiquid type of asset, this issue is important for YOU!   So stop by at SDIRadio.com/226 and tell me if you’ve done any estate planning within your self-directed IRA… I’d love to hear from you!   My friends… invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you want to build a legacy, and not just a portfolio?  If so, there’s one financial tool that is CHEAP (under $10), easy to use, and will have a bigger impact on FUTURE GENERATIONS than anything else you’ve ever done.  And odds are, you’ve never even heard of it.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ll tell you what it is and how to use it RIGHT NOW in Episode #225. ---- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the show of record for savvy self-directed investors like you, where each day you how to find, understand and profit from exceptional investments… and turn those investments into a wonderful legacy for generations to come! What a GREAT DAY to be alive, folks!  I’m so honored you’re spending some time with me right now, so let’s get right to it.  But a quick note to you, and I really hope you folks will take this seriously. Have you ever been in a situation where you were just a bit short of capital for an investment, or for your business, or anything else?  If so, I want you to check out my friends Ari and Mike at Fund & Grow. They are astoundingly good at acquiring zero interest credit of fifty to $250,000 that you can use at your discretion!  I really vouch for what they can do… it’s really amazing, and I’ve seen it work over and over with my own clients, many of whom are your fellow listeners!  To see how & why it works, just check out the short video we’ve posted at SDIRadio.com/credit.  You’ll be very glad you did. My friends, I know that many of you, like me, think in terms not only of building for your own retirement and other financial wellbeing, but also of building financial assets that will benefit future generations.  And you know, that’s a WISE thing to do.  In fact, right there in the middle of the greatest book of wisdom ever written, the Biblical book of Proverbs, is a verse that says that one thing that wise people do is to leave an inheritance for their children’s children… their grandchildren!  That means that wise people operate with an eye on making an enduring impact on at least 3 distinct generations:  Their own, their children’s generation, and their grandchildren’s generation. If you agree with that thinking, as I do… then ask yourself:  How would it impact your decisions today, if your time frame was not merely from now until retirement, or now until the end of your life… but at least now until the end of your GRANDCHILDREN’S lives?  Wow… that’s a huge, humbling and EXCITING thought, really… because time well used is the best friend of the wise investor. Now look, I’m no expert in Hebrew, the original language of that verse in Proverbs, but in the English translation of it I’m reading, there’s no indication that the inheritance that a wise person leaves to their children’s children is or should be limited to a FINANCIAL inheritance. What other kind of inheritance is there, you might wonder?  Well I’m glad you asked, my friends!  Hehehe What’s easily more valuable than any money you could leave is the benefit of your EXPERIENCE.  Don’t just leave money or assets… leave an awareness of what those assets are… why you chose them… what alternatives you considered and rejected… what factors about that asset gave you PAUSE, even though you opted to acquire it… what standards you adopted to know how long you should hold the asset… what kind of tax or legal structuring you used for the asset… what you planned to do with the cash flow generated by the asset… how the asset compares to other investments you’ve made in the past. There’s GOLD in that kind of information, my friends… PURE GOLD. Imagine if your parents or grandparents had passed on to you a journal… or many journals… that logged their thoughts about the kinds of decisions they made with their money?  There would be SO MUCH TO LEARN… even if your forebears were NOT financially successful… still, how valuable would it be to see the formation of the decisions that led them where they ended up?  Because it was THOSE decisions that affected YOU… and those decisions reverberate to your children, your grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond! I feel a real passion rising up in me for this notion… the notion of financial journaling…. But it’s not really just a financial thing… it’s more like LEGACY journaling… documenting the legacy that I want to leave and that you want to leave. And all it takes is to go down to the local office supply store and spend $10 on a journal.  I guess you could do it electronically, and there’d be value to that too, I suppose.  But there’s something special, I think, about handwriting. Can you imagine what it would be like to have the accumulated wisdom of multiple generations of your family to call upon?  Something to pass from one generation to the next… something that makes your family uniquely YOUR FAMILY among all of the families in the world?  Folks, nothing is more indicative of who you are, and who your family is, then how you spend your money.  Where your treasure is… what you use your money for… THAT is where your heart is.  THAT is what’s important to you… This is important stuff, folks!  And not just for investments.  For all things financial.  What if there was a history you could look back on to see when your parents considered whether to buy a home or a car or an insurance policy or even take a big vacation… how valuable would it be to know what, exactly they considered?  IMMENSELY valuable… because you’d have the benefit of hindsight, and the ability to objectively evaluate whether their decision turned out well or not. That kind of experience is PURE GOLD, my friends… absolutely priceless.  Absolutely priceless. And what about your financial RELATIONSHIPS?  Passing on knowledge of great advisors, great bankers, great attorneys, great accountants… that kind of information… those kinds of shortcuts have value of indescribable measure. This is a practical issue, too, for those of you who are interested in building not just a portfolio, but a legacy.  That’s because, unless you restrict your investments to the most plain-jane of assets, such as stocks or mutual funds, then there will be assets in your portfolio that may be unfamiliar to your children or grandchildren such that they don’t really know how to handle them.  But by WRITING DOWN what you bought, why you bought it, and how to know when it’s time to sell, you’ll be making the job EASY for them! There’s ABSOLUTE GOLD in that kind of information… and without it, that brilliant and very successful real estate deal you get into TODAY will likely be the one that your future beneficiaries will liquidate far below real value… not because they’re vindictive or foolish or anything other than that they simply don’t understand. So, that’s it, my friends… start a financial journal today.  Go to an office supply store, spend 10 bucks on a journal, and use it!  Maybe call it a legacy journal… and write down the important decisions you make and why you make them.  Then pass that information on, and teach your family to revere it as worth far more than money, because it is. Hey, that’s all for today except for one question I have for you:  Did you find today’s show helpful?  If you DID, and if you’d enjoy more shows like this, then PLEASE do this:   Tell a friend about SDI Radio, ok?  That’s the best way for us to grow.  Just tell them to stop by SDIRadio.com!  And be sure to leave your comments and questions over at today’s show notes page at SDIRadio.com/225…. I’d love to hear from you! And hey… if there’s anything you’d like to hear more about, drop me a line at feedback@sdiradio.com.  My friends… invest wisely today, and live well forever!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is wealth a badge of honor… or a symbol of shame?  Practically every time Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama open their mouths, they are vilifying the rich… while Donald Trump is clearly proud of his wealth, and promises repeatedly to bring wealth back to America.  Who’s right?  Is there something MORALLY or ETHICALLY either GOOD or BAD about wealth?  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ll spell out the answer for you RIGHT NOW in Episode #224. ---- Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you!  This is the show where you learn how to be a wise, profitable steward of your money… Today we’re going to talk about a topic that’s important, timely and rather personal.  We’re going to address the ETHICS… the MORALITY, even… of acquiring wealth, and being wealthy. But first, I’d like to introduce you to someone you should get to know, and I’d like to do that by asking you a question: Have you ever been in a situation where you found a great investment, but were a bit short of capital?  If so, I want you to check out my friends Ari and Mike at Fund & Grow. They are astoundingly good at acquiring zero interest credit of fifty to $250,000 that you can use at your discretion!  Yes, it sounds unreal, but it’s totally legit… I vouch for it… I’ve seen it work over and over with my own clients… your fellow listeners!  To see how & why it works, just check out the video we’ve posted at SDIRadio.com/credit.  You’ll be very glad you did. So… is wealth a good thing?  Is there any moral or ethical position to wealth at all? We’re in an election year, so it’s highly relevant to see what politicians are saying about wealth. Our outgoing president has left no doubt where he stands on that.  Remember these words of his from several years ago:  “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that.  Somebody else made that happen.”  That’s right, folks… there’s our president saying that those of you who have poured your blood, sweat and tears into building a business, well, guess what… you didn’t build that.  Somebody else made that happen… according to our President.  By the way… the link to the video where Obama said that is in today’s show notes page at SDIRadio.com/224. So Obama clearly thinks that your business… your wealth… isn’t yours.  Somebody else gave it to you.  You have what somebody else built.  You’ve taken what isn’t yours… you must give it back. Similarly, current candidate Hillary Clinton – who recently admitted she’s not driven a car since 1996 – commented that “There are rich people everywhere. And yet they do not contribute... They don't invest in public schools, in public hospitals, in other kinds of development”.  Clearly, Mrs. Clinton lumps all rich people into the category of being “takers”, not “givers”… with a clear implication that there’s something wrong, something fundamentally dirty, about wealth. Donald Trump has the opposite opinion, clearly and proudly embracing his own wealth, and claiming that it’s his wealth that makes him politically incorruptible. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Well, I’m right, and I’ll be happy to tell you why.  Hehehehe My friends, wealth and the things that comprise it… money, real estate, stocks, businesses, etc… these things are distinctly amoral… that means WITHOUT morality… neither good nor bad.  Practically all inanimate objects are completely without moral weight. I’ll go a step further… the moral character of money or assets does not change based on how that money or those assets were acquired.  Think about a $100 dollar bill.  Is that particular bill any more or less moral than any other $100 bill?  Of course not!  And that’s true whether that bill was acquired through flipping burgers at McDonald’s, through working as a corporate CEO, or even working as a drug dealer. Money is money.  It’s not good and it’s not bad.  Of course, if you’re a drug dealer, you’re a horrible scumbag who should be put under the jail for the rest of your life.  But that has no relevance whatsoever to the basically amoral nature of money itself. But we’re not talking about money, really.  We’re talking about wealth… wealth is an accumulation of excess money and assets, beyond what you need to live. So is WEALTH either good or bad?  There again, wealth is neither good nor bad.  BUT pay close attention to this: Contrary to what the left-leaning politicians will tell you, wealth is almost always a sign of GOODNESS… a sign that somebody has done something well along the way… an indicator that somebody has worked hard, made wise decisions, and remained diligent through trial. Allow me to say what’s profoundly politically Incorrect:  Amassing wealth PROBABLY means you’ve done something really, really well that helped a lot of people… or maybe that you helped a few people in a really profound way. Wealth is nearly ALWAYS an indicator of those three things – hard work, wise decision making and long-term diligence.  All of those are very good traits… and wealth is a common reward for having such admirable traits. And if you’re one of the bleeding heart types who instantly thinks of Bernie Madoff… or you get all out of what about the amount of money that CEO’s and hedge fund managers are paid… well, with all due respect… GROW UP.  I mean, come on, really!  For every crooked person who got rich, there are MILLIONS who became wealthy the right way… through hard work, wise decision making and long-term diligence.  And Madoff went to jail.  And those rich hedge fund managers… well guess what?  They’re rich specifically because they’ve made their CLIENTS rich, too… and if their clients are happy with them, why do you feel your opinion has a single iota of value? Yes, my friends… wealth is practically always a badge of honor, and not a symbol of shame.  In nearly every single case, guilt is an inappropriate emotion as a reaction to wealth, but the appropriate feeling is gratitude. Wealth is good.  The traits required to achieve wealth are good traits, and admirable traits.  And anybody who tells you otherwise is someone who opposes being committed to working hard, making wise decisions, and being diligent over the long term.  No, those traits don’t always lead to wealth.  But where wealth is earned, those traits are always present. Don’t be proud of your wealth, be grateful for it.  Rather, be proud of the hard work, be proud of the wise decisions, be proud of the diligence that got you where you are.  And be grateful for the wealth that resulted from it. And never, ever let scumbag politicians make you believe that wealth is bad or that you are bad because you’ve achieved it.  You are to be commended, and America wouldn’t be what it is without you, my financially successful friends. My friends… invest wisely today, and live well forever! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.