A long time ago, in a brokerage firm far, far, away, I was working days, nights, and somwtimes weekends for a large financial firm.
Most of my clients were people about to retire.
These were folks who had 401(k) plans or IRAs and wanted help “retire-i-fying” them.
That is to say, they wanted safer investment strategies that generated income while preserving their investment principal.
My manager mostly only approved either variable annuities or an investment strategy where interest earnings would sit in a guaranteed interest account and the investment principal would be fully invested.
More:
The firm eventually conjured up a new product where they would guarantee 7% annual returns to the client if the client:
- Never touched the money for at least 10 years and;
- Let the firm manage the money.
They eventualy had to stop selling that plan because it was very difficult to make good on that promise but… it stuck me as odd that so many people were interested in that sort of thing.
Everyone on the Tell-lie-vision says the market is the bees knees and yet… the guaranteed investment options outsold my firm’s non-guaranteed investment options by a wide margin.
A bird in the hand, as they say.
Today, it’s the same story.
And, I can understand why. Most people find their safe assets to be the best thing they own.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not the only thing they own and taking risks does have its advantages but… it’s totally unnecessary to be in a position where your total portfolio is down (overall) in any given year.
Most smart investors know this, which is why, on net, they never lose money.
Anyway, if you want to put yourself in the same position and never lose more than you make, then join my email list — now.