“an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest” · here are some highlights oct....
TRANSCRIPT
– Ben Franklin
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”
More Choices More Control
Better Returns Greater Safety
Take Stock
Take Control
Take Action
The Broad View &
The Personal View (your plan – IRA, 401k)
Financial trends World trends Political environment
The Broader View
Debt – The Big Kahuna
Living on Borrowed Money Time
Independence Civil War WWII WWI 2006
Fiscal Cliff – Wile Style
Heck, if it works for him…
“…financial crises are things that happen • to other people • in other countries • at other times;
crises do not happen to us, here and now.”
Inflation
An Economy Hooked on Speed
S&P 500
Inflation Adjusted S&P 500
Inflation Adjusted S&P 500
SGS Adjusted S&P 500
2002 2012
Monthly SS
Inflation Adjusted SS
SGS Adjusted SS
2002 2011
CPI Adjusted
SGS Adjusted
1964 2008
S&P 500 Index in Gold Grams
2008 2013
Dollar denominated investments are in trouble long term.
2000 2030
U.S. Bank Failures Eurozone Instability Budget Deficits Bankruptcy Crisis
Inflation Brings Instability
Age of Aquarius?
Information Age Technology
Whatever
1800 — 40 acres and a mule 1900 — A house in the suburbs and a job in town. Oh! And a nice car. 2000 — ??
De-centralization?
• Information • Technology • Travel • Medicine
Growing Chinese financial muscle The U.S. dollar on the ropes Direct trade agreements without U.S
dollars
Financial Empire
Who do you think’s in charge here?
Will the Government Nationalize My IRA?
Only If You Let Them
$19.4 Trillion
2012 2000
Hungary Poland Bulgaria Belgium Ireland
France Bolivia Argentina
The governments of —
— have already seized private retirement accounts.
Here Are Some Highlights
Oct. 2008 – House Committee held hearings – Treasury Retirement Bonds to replace IRA’s, 401k’s
Feb. 2010 – proposed issuance of rules regarding “annuitization” of 401(k) plans
Feb 2012 – Calif. SB1234 introduced, it’s known as: "Golden State Retirement Trust". This Bill is based on GRA’s
May 2012 – Connecticut HB5337 (SCEPA) based on GRA’s.
2013
Obama Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2013, endorsed “Automatic IRAs”
The Latest
1. “Universal IRAs” 2. “Automatic IRAs” 3. “Guaranteed Retirement Accounts” 4. “help the little guy” jargon
Watch For
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures!
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures!
IRA, 401k, 403b… Retirement Investments
Personal View – Your Plan
Stocks Bonds Mutual Funds ETF’s, CD’s Money Market Accts.
Typical Wall St. Plan
ERISA says your IRA Plan Trustee
must be a bank or trust company.
About Custodians
Guess who controls the banks?
Like the Fox Guarding the Hens
Niel Kashkari $700 Billion Man
Level 1 Investing
Wall Street Special
Your Investing Platform
Inflation
Counterparty Risk
Enron Unicom Tyco Worldcom Bear Sterns
Lehman Bros. GM MF Global Wachovia WaMu
It’s All About Balance
Investing Platform Strategy
Plan Assets
Level 2 Investing
Move to a Truly Self-Directed Plan - Alternative Custodian -
Wall St. IRA SDIRA $
Rollover
Level 1 Investor
Level 2 Investor
Truly Self-Directed Plan
Stocks & Bonds Real Estate Precious Metals Private Offerings Private Loans Businesses
Private Mortgages Hard Money Loans Real Estate Options Ag Land, Timber Wind, Solar Natural Gas
Your New Self-Directed Investing Platform.
Real Estate
Stocks Gold
Bonds Lending Self-Directed Notes
Tax Liens Natural Gas Water Rights Commodities Real Estate Options And More …
Which is Better?
Stocks Gold
Bonds Lending
Self-Directed Plan
Wall St. Plan
Real Estate
Level 3 Investing
Direct Control of Your Plan Assets
Wall St. IRA SDIRA
Common & Familiar Hands off & Easy
(hidden fees) Few Choices
Alternative Custodian More Involvement
Fees Exposed – More Choices –
Paperwork Delays
$ Rollover
Level 1 Investor
Level 2 Investor
Custodians: Charge fees Slow or kill deals Are good at being bureaucrats
They work for you but you jump through the hoops?
Problems : Custodian charge fees Custodians are inefficient
Solution: Checkbook IRA
Gain Personal Control
Wall St. IRA
Level 1 Investor
Level 2 Investor
SDIRA Checkbook IRA
Level 3 Investor
$ $
Checkbook IRA
Wall St. IRA
$ SDIRA
LLC
Investment 1
Investment 2
Investment 3
Investment 4
Investment 5
$ 100% Funded by
IRA
You manage the LLC
As LLC Manager You write the checks on the LLC bank
account.
You hold the assets titled in the name of the LLC
LLC profits flow through to the IRA
How It Works
Side-by-Side
Wall St. IRA
Level 1 Investor
Level 2 Investor
SDIRA Checkbook IRA
Level 3 Investor
Hidden Fees Few Choices
Lower Fees More Choices Paperwork Delays
No Custodian Fees Unlimited Choices Direct Ownership Direct Control No Delays
$ $
If you want – Unlimited investment choice Checkbook control Direct posession of plan assets
2 Ways to Get Control
1. Checkbook IRA 2. Solo 401k
Level 4
The Elegant Solution A Solo 401k
Solo 401k
Wall St. IRA
$ Solo 401k
Investment 1
Investment 2
Investment 3
Investment 4 Self Trustee (You) Trust Bank Account Trustee Controls Assets No Custodian No Delays No Fees
You must be self-employed.
Any business will do, even part-time.
Have no full-time W-2 employees
To Open A Solo-401k
Anything you do with the intent to
make a profit is a business.
Anything
About the Business
Hobby Business Part Time Consulting Investing Contract Jobs Freelance Writing
Photography Flea Markets Antique Dealer Catering Trainer Seminar Speaker
Anything you do with the intent to make a profit is a business.
Do at least the minimum to make your business a real business:
Make It Real
assumed name (dba) tax number (EIN) business bank account keep separate books
You can have workers who:
have ownership in the business (owner- employee)
work less than 1000 hours per year
are independent contractors • follow IRS guidelines
About Employees
are non-resident aliens with no U.S.
income
are union employees
are under age 21
You Your Spouse Partners may also be included.
Who’s Included?
If your business must have full-time w-2 wage earners
The Solo 401k is not available to you.
You have 3 options:
1. Open a Checkbook IRA
2. Reorganize your employee relations
3. Adopt a 401k plan that covers you and all your eligible workers
(but still has all the choices you want)
A Self-Directed Smackdown
Both are based in ERISA but governed by different parts of ERISA, both allow:
“alternative” investments
rollover’s from other plans
checkbook control
ROTH component
How are they alike?
How do they differ?
403b TSP Roth
IRA IRA SEP
Simple 401k 457
IRA LLC Solo 401k
If you have only a ROTH IRA
You will have to use a self-directed IRA.
About Custodians
• Plans are Trusts • The Plan’s Trustee is the Custodian • You are the Plan’s Beneficiary
IRA Trustee
A Bank 401k Trustee
Anyone
No Custodian means No Fees with a Solo 401k
You can use debt financing to buy real
estate but your plan might have to pay UDFI tax.
UDFI = Unrelated Debt-Financed Income
About Debt Financing
Tax rates vary between 15% and 39.6%
Tax is levied on income and profits based on the percentage of financing used.
If 80% financing is used –
80% of the profits will be taxed.
IRA’s pay UDFI tax — 401k’s do not
Solo-401k Loans allowed Borrow up to $50k or 50% For any purpose
About Participant Loans
Reasonable Interest – Paid back within 5yr.
IRA, No loans – 401k, Up to $50
Solo-401k Employee = $17,500 (plus $5,500 over 50 yr.) =
$22,000 Employer = 25% of w-2 income – max $50k
combined
About Contributions
IRA, Minimal – 401k, Huge
IRA
Max (over 50) = $6000
401k
Max (over 50) = $50k
The Solo-401k is simpler
About Simplifying
Checkbook IRA Structure
There are 2 weaknesses in this system.
1. Custodian Intervention
2. Government regulation of the LLC
Wall St. IRA SDIRA
LLC Investments
1
2
Gov’t Mandates Rule Changes Forced Distribution
Regulatory Changes Increased Taxes Increased Filings Fines
Solo 401k Structure
Wall St. IRA Solo 401k Investments
Simpler is better
No moving parts 1. No Custodian 2. No LLC
Plan Trust is formed by a private document.
No gov’t. entity needed.
None or Minimal
IRS Filing Requirements
IRA Custodian does filing
Solo-401k Under $250,000 – no filing Over $250k – Form 5500ez (2 page form)
IRA LLC Solo 401k
Comparison
or
Investment Choice Portability
Checkbook Control Debt Financing Tax Free Loans
Large Contributions
Legal Structure Trustee
Custodian Required LLC Needed
IRS Filing
Trust Bank Yes Yes No
Trust Anyone
No No
No/Minimal
IRA LLC Solo 401k
Comparison
or
Remove the Dead Wood Look for Fertile Soil
Plant New Seed
How NOT to use your self-directed IRA.
Prohibited Transactions
“You got to know your limitations”
— Dirty Harry
Avoiding Problems
The IRS can disqualify your plan
entirely if you participate in a prohibited transaction.
You could pay tax on a distribution of the entire balance of your account.
If You Break The Rules
Penalties reach back to the date the
transaction occurred.
You will pay tax at 15% per year plus…
If not corrected within the current tax period you pay a 100% tax on the amount involved.
1. Disallowed Investments 2. Prohibited Transactions – 2 Rules 3. Disqualified Persons
What you can’t do.
Art and Collectibles any work of art, any rug or antique, any metal or gem, any stamp or coin, any alcoholic beverage, or you get the idea…
Don’t Invest In
2 Rules
Rule 1
No Self-Dealing
Rule 2
No Personal Benefit
Rule 1 Your plan cannot buy, sell, transfer or exchange assets with you or any disqualified person.
Easy Rule 1
Rule 2 Your plan cannot enter into a transaction which benefits you or any disqualified person.
Easy Rule 2
Remember
Don’t put your plan into deals with disqualified persons.
You and your linear ascendants and descendants & their spouses.
1. You and your spouse. 2. Your parents and grandparents. 3. Your sons and daughters and their
spouses. 4. Your grandchildren and their spouses.
Who are disqualified persons?
5. Plan fiduciaries & spouses. 6. Businesses, trusts, or other entities
controlled by you or any disqualified person.
Also Disqualified
Your plan can partner with – your daughter’s plan
– your wife’s plan – anyone’s plan
Or with anyone who is not a
disqualified person.
Bottom Line
• Don’t buy collectibles.
• Use Rules 1 & 2 as a Litmus Test for all your creative investments.
Traditional Assets Plus
Alternate Assets
Some Advantages Diversify Geographically & Politically Invest in Growing Economies Low Entry Prices (better than U.S) Cannot Be Forcibly Repatriated Future Retirement Home Retirement Income
Offshore Real Estate
Real Estate Tax Deals
The Government is Your Friend Tax Lien Certificates Tax Deeds (Texas @ 25% in 6mo.) Tax Lending with 1st lien position
Real Estate Notes
Buy Discounted Cash Flows Earn 18% Buying Discounted Notes Earn 35% Buying Partials Hope for a Default
Private Mortgages Owner Financing
Secured and Unsecured Notes Hard Money Lending to Investors 14-18% secured by real estate 8-10% to professional hard money lenders
“Private Bank” Earn 8-12% funding real estate deals
Private Lending
Buy Gold & Silver Bullion Store it offshore in a private vault
Buy mining stocks Buy Metals ETF’s Invest in “black gold”
Precious Metals
Lifestyle Investing
Renewable Energy Security
Lifestyle Investing
Offshore Income Real Estate Sustainable Living
Businesses
Equipment Leasing Self Storage
Food demand on the rise and people always need to eat.
Aggregate income 10% • Income from production • Asset appreciation
Offshore farmland – Low entry price
Productive Farm Land
It’s not really thinking outside the box.
The box is just bigger than you think.
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
~Marcel Proust