Foreign real estate inside my IRA portfolio? Why hasn't my financial advisor told me about this?

By Senior Consultant Cyrus Safavian

"I can invest in real estate with my IRA? I can even buy foreign real estate?"

It's true. Since 1974, when the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was introduced, you have had the ability to invest in real estate, among many other non-traditional investments using your IRA and 401(k) money, sometimes called a real estate IRA. Millions of investors already have.

"Why hasn't my Financial Advisor told me about this?"

Well, there could be many reasons - but often times many Financial Advisors are not even made aware that these opportunities exist by the financial institutions they represent. Think about how the financial institutions and brokers make their money - by keeping your money under their management and charging you on the basis of your transactions and account value.

Chuck of northern California has been a practicing real estate broker for more than 20 years. He's betting on international real estate as a hedge against risk in today's domestic real-estate and stock markets. Chuck sees this investment arena as one of the smartest moves he's made yet.

Chuck and his wife Tori are using their self-directed SEP IRAs to invest in a pre-construction rental property in Costa Rica. He just doesn't trust the US stock markets anymore. He is anxiously waiting for the completion of his Costa Rican property March of '08. Chuck expects at least a 15% annual ROI and positive cash-flow from day one. And the best part is - all of the income and appreciation on the home is completely passive and tax-deferred.

Chuck is not the only one banking on this new world of opportunity. Investors all over the country are enjoying these little-known investment strategies to invest in anything from foreign and domestic real estate to making loans, purchasing tax liens and deeds, making private investments in non publicly traded companies, and even for-ex trading; all within their self-directed retirement accounts.

Reputable companies like Guidant Financial Group have the knowledge, strength and expertise to educate and connect investors with a team of professionals including the investor's very own outside, expert LLM tax attorney to consult with them and educate them on making sound investment choices and the benefits of using a self- directed IRA in today's rapidly changing economy.

Self-Directed IRA Investors Find Good Real Estate Buys in Growing West and Northeast Regions

According to the National Association of Realtors®, several housing markets still showed double-digit increases in sales prices from last year despite the country’s overall real estate slump. Topping the list were Salt Lake City (21.9 percent increase), Binghamton, N.Y. (19.8), Salem, Ore. (16.7), and Farmington, N.M. (14.0). Additionally, real estate sales continued to grow in specific U.S. regions, with Washington state the winning region. A CNN Money article highlighting economic research by FiServ and Moody’s economy.com, reports that 9 of the top-15 most appreciable cities in the nation call the “Evergreen State” home. All are projected to experience a 10%-17% appreciation through 2007.

According to David Nilssen, president and CEO of Guidant Financial Group, a leading self-directed IRA and real estate IRA services provider, clients with self-directed IRAs are still finding good investment opportunities in these and other pockets of positive growth. “By looking to those regions projected to enjoy the most growth, real estate buyers have the opportunity to safeguard their investments even during today’s challenging market,” he says.

While the national average is down, specific regions in the United States are continuing to grow, as they have during the past several years. This is particularly good news for those who are eager to avoid the volatility of the stock market by investing in real estate. Historically, despite market fluctuations, real estate can still provide a good rate of return if investors stay abreast of real estate projections.

To read more about growing areas for real estate investing, click here.

401(k)s and SBA Loans: A Note on Business Financing From Doug Miller, Guidant Senior Consultant

With more and more people looking to start their own businesses, finding the right financing is a vital part of the process. There are many different options that will help your business get off to the right start. Possibilities include SBA loans, HELOCs (Home Equity Line of Credit), personal funds, commercial loans, and even using your IRA or 401(k) to fund your business. When structured correctly, financing a business with retirement funds can be done without creating a taxable event or distribution and does not require debt-service as it is NOT a loan.

Funding your business with equity and not debt is one of the main reasons people use their retirement funds for starting a business or purchasing an existing business. It is a great way to not only invest in yourself, but it could also be a great way to make the often large down payments that SBA loans require. Commonly banks will require 20-25% down to obtain an SBA loan. Using your retirement funds can help you to put that money down on your new business venture.

With the current unstability in the stock market, many people are looking for options to help grow their retirement funds - investing in your own business could be one of them. For more information about the funding of a business with retirement funds contact http://www.guidantfinancial.com/default.aspx?sid=55af8bfe-097b-423c-a999-2a04ca9c840b today and ask for a free consultation to see if we can help you fund your future.

Record Quarter for Guidant Financial Group

Guidant Financial Group, a leading provider of self-directed IRAs and IRA/401(k) business-funding solutions, has posted a record quarter, noting a 42 percent increase over third-quarter earnings from 2006.

Guidant President and CEO David Nilssen attributes much of the company's growth to the public's increased focus on their future financial security. Stock market volatility, the credit crises, and fears of Social Security's future continue to motivate many Americans to look more closely at their retirement savings.

"People are looking for ways to secure or grow their [IRAs and 401(k)s," says Nilssen. "When they really explore their options, they soon discover there are actually a surprising number of investments they can make with that money. For example, we offer self-directed structures that enable account holders to finance a business or invest in real estate. We also provide plans that simply allow an individual more control over their investments."

To read more about Guidant's record quarter, click here.