People who stop in our office will sit down, ask me about the business and why we got started.  So, for you readers who don’t get a chance to sit down in our Cumberland, Wisconsin office; here goes the story of why.     I say we have been in this business indirectly for 13 years.   It was mid-point 2005 and I started a boutique investment and management/ business development consultant firm that raised private start-up capital to kick-start companies that we managed. We has owners had put our “skin in the game” through cash or buying company stock through our individual retirement accounts. They call this process “self-direction.”  We began to roll-out this strategy as an alternative way for our less cash-liquid wealthy investors so they could invests in alternative assets or private company stock through his or her own retirement account (IRA, old 401(k), etc.).  In fact, it was a compelling strategy for the next few years because for some reason people knew the stock market was heading into a catastrophic “bubble” in the real estate market.   So our investors had a way to invest their money into a private company that we had our team into and they knew their retirement money was diversified too.      Lesson # 1.   Diversify IRA money outside the financial markets.    At the time, we figured that our team had saved our retirement account values by moving 25-50% of the money out before the stock market crashed between 2008-09 where some people lost 50% of their value.     

So you are probably thinking now, yeah, well big deal!    The stock market keeps growing and growing over the years so you’re better to be in it for the long-term.    That was my attitude in my 20’s, 30’s and into my 40’s.  After awhile my prior pharmaceutical employer of almost two decades had contributed and stowed away my own tax-free money into the company’s 401(k) account for me.   On paper it looked very good.  BUT, and trust me there is always going to be the “but” in this conversation; all things on paper doesn’t mean in reality you will ALWAYS have that money down the road.  So, in 2008-09 I lost $ SIX-FIGURES of retirement/profit-sharing money that was my retirement.  I knew a lot of people who were in the same boat.   However, it really makes you wonder what else you can do other than being a part of the million person crowd who lost Trillions of Dollars.   HECK NO!   I started to actively search out different ways to move money into different places for myself, my family and friends.

Over the course of the next four years I found many different alternative ways of plunking down cash.    I researched and found source of buying and selling consumer’s bank debt like overdraft checking accounts, unpaid credit cards and even small interim, high interest cash before paycheck loans or “payday loans.”   We bought these or “pennies on the dollar” and the management company did their best efforts achieve better than financial market returns.  Sometimes, 50% in 6 months.

I started working with a company who advised people on how to buy physical Gold and Silver as financial insurance or protection against their wealth.   We started rolling out a less popular, Precious Metals IRA in physical Gold and Silver model out across the country as more of an assets-based adviser for people who had all their “eggs in one basket” IRA or retirement accounts in the stock market.   We serviced their metals, bought and sold them and also helped them take advantage of market conditions to better themselves financially to be in compliance with their “required minimum distributions.”    Why Physical Gold and Silver?   It’s the only asset that will grow with inflation other than real estate.  When the  stock market falls, the price of Gold and Silver goes up.   You always have liquidity or can sell it and get cash in the same day or within 24 hours.  For our retirement folks that see their path shorter every day, will focus more on protecting their money rather than trying to grow it.

Lesson 2.   Don’t have all your eggs-in-one basket.  Alternatives like consumer debt, Gold and Silver strategically is like “financial insurance” so when you need it you have it outside of the financial markets grip.

Give us a call 715-318-4653 or write jimt@alternativasolutions.com to learn more!  Or, of course, stop in our Cumberland office anytime.  The door is always open!