How to retire early tip #1 - Know what you actually own

Hey there! Ever felt like you’re just spinning your wheels with your investments, not really sure what you’re actually holding? You’re not alone. Many people we speak with trust their money to a company or a manager, only to find out they’re paying extra for something they could easily do themselves. IMO…money managers aren’t there to help you build wealth; they can however help you manage it…and keep it once you’ve attained it. So you’re still in need of help to build that wealth and that’s where these tips and emails come in. Let’s talk about one of the most common traps—those top 10 holdings in your portfolio. For example, if you're invested in something like a Vanguard fund like the screenshot below, you might be buying the same stock three times over but watered down. That same Apple stock, for instance, is all bundled up into the various funds to “diversify.” That means you’re buying the same stock…but hidden within three separate funds. Make sense?? No?? That’s okay too. Because these funds are complicated and make you feel uncertain, unsure, and dependent on someone else to figure it out for you. Actual breakdown in someone’s retirement account: (what is inside of all these weirdly named securities and funds???) [Enable Images] Now if you research one of those funds, VUG for instance, and look at the top 10 holdings, do you recognize any of those companies? Chances are those big company stocks like Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon are part of OTHER Vanguard funds too. [Enable Images] So you're paying a fee to have your money in a fund, and most likely, you’re paying a fee to your money manager or another company as well to help you put your money into those funds. That’s .4-.7% for the fund 1% for your money manager That’s almost 2% and that can add up! In fact, that could reduce your total retirement by $250k over a three-year period. That compounding interest is powerful! Here’s a better way to invest your money: Look at the top 10 companies inside those funds like we did above. Instead of paying that extra .5% plus your manager’s fee of 1%, you can just buy the stocks directly yourself. And buy them when they bounce off of a simple moving average. Either the 100 or 200 SMA to be exact. It’s simple, straightforward, and saves you money in the long run especially if you’re pretty confident that big company will not be going anywhere anytime soon. [Enable Images] Sure… Ted, your money manager, might be happy taking your cash and putting it into a fund, but guess what? You don’t need Ted. By the way, Nancy, one of our students did just that after [having a chat with me](. The result? She’s saving thousands on fees, self managing her money, getting higher returns on her retirement, and feeling more confident than ever about her financial future. And we haven’t even begun to talk about how to get insurance on those positions yet! Take this easy step, open up your retirement account and figure out what funds you’re invested in. That’s the first step! Stay tuned—there’s more to come! Jerremy and team If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe](