AUTHOR: David S on 2/14/2026 FIRST: Dan Smith on 2/16 | RECENT: William Dorner on 2/23
Comments
The moment I see that commercial I click off. Maybe not a total scam or illegal but borderline and certainly a bait and switch. Unfortunately they are taking advantage of those who do not understand all the fine or t and may not be in tune to what actual life insurance is.
Aaron, I agree with you, and I am a big believer in donating now to help those in need now. If you have funds earmarked for charity, why wait 20-30 years to give it away in your will? It's satisfying to witness the impact of these donations now while alive. And this is true whether you use a DAF or not. As far as the mechanics of making the donations, I start with an online portal and donations are generally sent by the DAF trustee in a week or less. It's a pretty seamless process.
As mentioned it wasn't until I was older when I was on my own that I figured it out. Growing up, thought everything was hunky dory and vaguely remember fights about money but whose parents didn't fight about money now and then? I think it's the "keeping up with the Jones" that'll get you every time.
I think it is fine to be proud of what you've accomplished. I am, but at the same time I don't go around broadcasting it. I feel fortunate that I am able to have a comfortable retirement. In many respects, I exceeded my own expectations of myself and this creates a sense of pride. My motives were greatly affected by witnessing what my parents were going through growing up and into my 20's and 30's. They were terrible with money, didn't save, and had miserable retirements. I did not want that to be me. As a result, I saved as much as I could, I worked my ass off, took on tough assignments, moved my family 5 times for better opportunities which led to greater financial outcomes. The pride for me is really knowing that I made this journey and it meant something. And I do not discount being in the right place at the right time, having great teammates along the way, and of course some luck!
Dan, part of the value proposition of charging this 60 bps fee is to offer other ideas for diversification, such as these private investment opportunities. It is up to me to pull the trigger or not, so I avoid plenty of these. There is not a commission on these types of offerings at least not the ones I an in. If I choose to invest they earn the 60 bps as part of the overall relationship. The manager of these funds, who are not part of the RIA, whether it is private equity, real estate, private credit, typically get a management fee and when the partnership distributes earnings, they typically get 20% of the profit and the investors receive 80%, but as I mentioned this can take several years before distributions. I have heard horror stories where well known investment firms, the names we all know, have marketed hedge funds and complicated investments called structured notes and those can have hefty fees and lousy results. I think the key is to understand what you are investing in and make sure it is consistent with your level of investment knoweldge. If you can't understand how it makes money, walk away.
Chris, I was 63 when I signed on with them and continue to do some part time consulting so still producing income. The RIA charges 60bps for assets under management which I believe is competitive for the size of my portfolio. Any of the brokerage firms such as Merrill Lynch or Morgan Stanley will charge a % fee, likely more than this. The fee also includes other services such as estate planning advice, tax advice,etc which I have utilized at times. The key to allocating a portion of the portfolio to alternatives is to make sure it is a reasonably % of the total, 10-20%, knowing it is money that will be tied up, all in the hope of achieving outsized returns and achieving more diversification. My message with this posting, as I look back, I realize I could achieve the same outcome with stocks and bonds without adding to the complexity.
Comments
The moment I see that commercial I click off. Maybe not a total scam or illegal but borderline and certainly a bait and switch. Unfortunately they are taking advantage of those who do not understand all the fine or t and may not be in tune to what actual life insurance is.
Post: The $9.95 scam…
Link to comment from February 28, 2026
Aaron, I agree with you, and I am a big believer in donating now to help those in need now. If you have funds earmarked for charity, why wait 20-30 years to give it away in your will? It's satisfying to witness the impact of these donations now while alive. And this is true whether you use a DAF or not. As far as the mechanics of making the donations, I start with an online portal and donations are generally sent by the DAF trustee in a week or less. It's a pretty seamless process.
Post: Why I use a Donor-Advised Fund
Link to comment from February 21, 2026
I am 66, my plan exactly!
Post: Keep it Simpler
Link to comment from February 21, 2026
As mentioned it wasn't until I was older when I was on my own that I figured it out. Growing up, thought everything was hunky dory and vaguely remember fights about money but whose parents didn't fight about money now and then? I think it's the "keeping up with the Jones" that'll get you every time.
Post: If you have done well, be proud.
Link to comment from February 18, 2026
You can be proud and humble at the same time. I know I am.
Post: If you have done well, be proud.
Link to comment from February 16, 2026
I think it is fine to be proud of what you've accomplished. I am, but at the same time I don't go around broadcasting it. I feel fortunate that I am able to have a comfortable retirement. In many respects, I exceeded my own expectations of myself and this creates a sense of pride. My motives were greatly affected by witnessing what my parents were going through growing up and into my 20's and 30's. They were terrible with money, didn't save, and had miserable retirements. I did not want that to be me. As a result, I saved as much as I could, I worked my ass off, took on tough assignments, moved my family 5 times for better opportunities which led to greater financial outcomes. The pride for me is really knowing that I made this journey and it meant something. And I do not discount being in the right place at the right time, having great teammates along the way, and of course some luck!
Post: If you have done well, be proud.
Link to comment from February 16, 2026
Dan, part of the value proposition of charging this 60 bps fee is to offer other ideas for diversification, such as these private investment opportunities. It is up to me to pull the trigger or not, so I avoid plenty of these. There is not a commission on these types of offerings at least not the ones I an in. If I choose to invest they earn the 60 bps as part of the overall relationship. The manager of these funds, who are not part of the RIA, whether it is private equity, real estate, private credit, typically get a management fee and when the partnership distributes earnings, they typically get 20% of the profit and the investors receive 80%, but as I mentioned this can take several years before distributions. I have heard horror stories where well known investment firms, the names we all know, have marketed hedge funds and complicated investments called structured notes and those can have hefty fees and lousy results. I think the key is to understand what you are investing in and make sure it is consistent with your level of investment knoweldge. If you can't understand how it makes money, walk away.
Post: Keep it Simpler
Link to comment from February 16, 2026
Chris, I was 63 when I signed on with them and continue to do some part time consulting so still producing income. The RIA charges 60bps for assets under management which I believe is competitive for the size of my portfolio. Any of the brokerage firms such as Merrill Lynch or Morgan Stanley will charge a % fee, likely more than this. The fee also includes other services such as estate planning advice, tax advice,etc which I have utilized at times. The key to allocating a portion of the portfolio to alternatives is to make sure it is a reasonably % of the total, 10-20%, knowing it is money that will be tied up, all in the hope of achieving outsized returns and achieving more diversification. My message with this posting, as I look back, I realize I could achieve the same outcome with stocks and bonds without adding to the complexity.
Post: Keep it Simpler
Link to comment from February 16, 2026