Invest Your Retirement Savings with Pride

By J.P. Dahdah, Vantage Founder & CEO 

Investing is typically not an area most people are confident in. In fact, anything surrounding money and financial matters tend to make people uncomfortable, stressed, and anxious. We worry about earning enough money, saving diligently, safeguarding our finances, and discovering effective strategies to grow our wealth. Add these concerns on top of the long list of other responsibilities we must prioritize in our adult lives, and it quickly becomes overwhelming. The bottom line is that understanding the various elements of money is hard. Very hard. We must push on, however. 

This is not a subject in our life we can simply throw our hands up in the air and surrender to. We must combat the comforting inner voice that is trying to allow us the permission to give up, procrastinate and convince us that it will somehow work itself out. We must resist the temptation to listen to that voice. We must build a stronger mindset that accepts the difficulty of the challenge and finds a way to persevere. We must believe that failure is not an option and then act accordingly. As with everything in life, it is about making a choice followed by a commitment to that choice. If you want to build a healthy net worth statement, it is less about being a financial genius and more about taking consistent action over time. Knowledge can only get you so far without action. I am sure this isn’t the first time you’ve been reminded that you need to work on creating good financial habits. Habits are actions. The problem is that taking action in something we are uncomfortable with is neither natural nor easy. We tend to want the easy route. We seek the magic pill that will make us have the result we want instantly. We notice other people who have achieved the results we desire and assume they achieved it effortlessly or that they possess something we don’t and never will. It’s not true. 

Financially independent individuals didn’t take a magic pill to amass their wealth. Their financial position isn’t created by the high level of financial literacy they have but rather because they have found a way to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. They were told they needed to save money, and as hard as it was to not buy the things they desired, they sacrificed and saved the money. They have built up a muscle to be ok delaying gratification instead of seeking it instantly. They have come to terms with the reality that there isn’t a magic pill, no gimmick or shortcut, and no fool proof way of getting rich quick. So, what do I mean by suggesting you “invest with pride?” Am I encouraging you to demonstrate arrogance, superiority or vanity in the alternative investment strategies you are deploying with your Self-Directed IRA? No, of course not. To me, investing with pride isn’t about being confident regarding the financial moves you are making strategically, but rather fundamentally. Are you doing the right financial things routinely? Your pride should be derived by the actions you are taking in the right direction knowing with certainty that the result will be a positive one when it counts – your retirement years. Are you doing the right things to be financially independent? Do you know what the “right things” are for you? 

At Vantage, we believe that Money is Personal®, which is why we are proud of educating AZREIA members about Self-Directed IRAs. Self-Directed IRAs allow you to define what the right real estate investing strategy is for your retirement and provide a tax-favored investment vehicle to take action in implementing them. If you haven’t figured it all out yet, it’s ok. We offer various local monthly free workshops to help you evaluate if investing in real estate with your IRA is right for you. Don’t give up. Don’t wait. We are here to help you do the right things for yourself and have experience and pride along your financial journey. 

For more information about Real Estate IRAs, please visit: www.VantageIRAs.com.