Some people believe that one can manage his retirement resources better than the government can. To some extent, that depends on the government in question, of course, but everyone I know, who has a substantial net worth, tells me that nobody, no professional nor any amateur, can manage your money better than you. After all, if YOU manage it, it being YOUR money, you won't do anything ridiculously risky, right?

I have to admit, I trusted a "certified financial advisor" on the recommendation of someone else, to manage my retirement resources, and took a loss of 86% about three years ago. I later learned that anyone who could muster up a $500 fee and 19 hours of online training, could become a "Certified Financial Advisor", as that appellation was sold by one of the insurance industry's many diploma mills.

Normally such individuals as seek this "title" are normally insurance sales people, and anyone with half-a-brain knows what their goals are ... and it's not to make YOU prosperous.

The U.S. government's "retirement" program is basically going bankrupt because the corrupt politicians couldn't leave their fingers out of the pie. They've spent much of what's in the social security trust fund, an will never replace it, since they're all afraid of Grover Norquist's "pledge" that they were bullied into signing.

With no government-based retirement program, you're on your own, but have the freedom to make a billion or to lose it all. You just have to pay attention.

RE