Welcome to Wise Equity Planning

Where did all the money go?

In October 2008, tens of millions of people lost 30 to 50% of their retirement. Some are in their 50s or 60s and can't retire at all. Go to our education page to watch powerful videos from 60 Minutes that explain why - and why it is likely to happen again.

In October 2008, tens of millions of people lost money in stocks, mutual funds, and other investments. Worse, many of them thought that the money they had invested for retirement was safe. In fact, Consumer Reports reported that people who had not done any investment planning at all, and had left their money in traditional bank accounts, were fairing better than those who invested in stocks or mutual funds, even if they used an investment advisor.

Losing money hurts. And if it means working more years, or having less when we retire and are ready to enjoy life, it hurts even more.

Understandably, people aren't trusting financial advisors or retirement planners right now. According to a survey by Prince and Associates quoted in Robert Frank's recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Wealthy Investors Stage Revolt Against Advisors “81% of investors with $1 million or more in investable assets plan to take money away from their current advisor. An even larger number – 86% – plan to tell other investors to avoid their advisor.” And, in an industry where referrals are crucial, it is troubling that only 2% of investors plan to recommend their financial consultant. To learn more about this crisis of confidence, read our article, Where to turn- you can't go it alone, and you can't trust an advisor.

The Safe College Plan - Tax-Advantaged, Safe College Savings

College savings plans that rely on mutual funds or stocks have the same problem as retirement funds that rely on these investments that do not guarantee safety of principle. You could build savings for 15 years, and then lose half (or more) in a bad day at the stock market. Now there is a solution. See Wise Equity Planning's Safe College Plan.

Marshall Wise, Your Money Coach

Marshall Wise, Your Money Coach Now, meet Marshall Wise, your money coach. Marshall learned how we can build our own banking system to get all the advantages we need to ensure abundance in retirement, and when saving money for college.

Marshall founded Wise Equity Planning to make sure that your money is safe, available, has a high rate of return, and is tax-advantaged.

Let's take a closer look at those four points:

  • Safe: The investments that hold the core of your retirement should, whenever possible, have a guarantee of no loss of principle. That is, the money you put in will not be lost. Once this core is protected, then we can invest additional funds that risk some loss in return for a higher rate of return.
  • Available: As much as possible, your money should be available to you. Financial specialists call that liquidity. For example, money invested in real estate is not liquid - you can't get it out quickly. Money in mutual funds is more liquid - you can sell it reasonably rapidly.
  • High Rate of Return: This is about how much money you earn from investing your money. Generally, the lower the safety, the higher the rate of return. At one extreme, you can lock your money in a safety deposit box, and earn no interest. At the other end, you can take it to Las Vegas and win big - or blow it all. For those seeking enjoyable retirement years, solid safety with a reasonably high rate of return is the best solution for most of your money.
  • Tax-advantaged: The IRS taxes income at 25% or more. If we look only at rate of return, without looking at tax consequences, we can lose a lot. Tax planning requires careful analysis of the taxes on the seed (original investment), growth (earnings), and harvest (withdrawal and inheritance).

From Surviving to Thriving

Wise Equity Planning works with people who want to understand investing and make choices that increase quality of life for themselves and their families. We believe in empowerment and education. If you are ready to empower yourself to move from surviving to thriving, then read on:

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