Summary: What's Making Us Nervous Right now, a lot of people are concerned about where America is headed. They have serious questions about how the election will turn out as well as the economy and what lies ahead. Many are experiencing considerable confusion as to what they should do. Let's face it, the kind of decisions we're currently facing are nothing we've ever dreamed of. Deciding which way to go can be a daunting task. We've allowed ourselves to be painted into a corner through a combination of government spending and nonstop printing of money to cover the deficit. Our national debt has doubled over the past 8 years. To understand what that means, just imagine if every American taxpayer had to write a check to cover their fair share of the national debt. We'd all be on the hook for just under $200,000 each. If this realization leaves you feeling powerless and wondering what can be done, just remember that we cannot sit back, paralyzed, and watch things get worse. We have to take action. It's not unlike a frog in a pot of water that's heating on the stove. Gradually, the frogs become accustomed to the temperature increase until eventually the water boils. Like frogs in a pay, we're being slowly but surely cooked. Don't Wait Too Long to Act The government keeps turning up the heat on us through increasing taxation and greater regulation. We simply cannot allow ourselves to become paralyzed or to procrastinate taking action. This could mean jumping out of traditional tax-deferred vehicles like IRAs and 401(k)s before we find ourselves in a situation where escape is no longer an option. There's nearly $23 trillion saved up in IRAs and 401(k)s. And it's no secret that our national government is eye-balling those funds, intent of taxing them to raise revenue in order to pay interest on the national debt. Rising taxes could make a dramatic difference in whether the folks to whom that money belongs will have enough to see them safely through the golden years. In reality, folks may find themselves paying higher taxes at retirement than they were during their earning years. At retirement, their deductions have usually disappeared. Also, tax rates aren't likely to be going down. The folks who can safely jump out of the pot before the water boils shouldn't have to suffer or worry about outliving their money. They'd be better off considering tax-free methods of accumulating their money than using tax-deferred vehicles. Many of these tax-free alternatives have been around for more than a century. <a href="http://liveabundant.com/events/" target="_blank">An active approach</a> to getting out of the pot before it's too late isn't simple pessimism. It's decisive action that is based in realism. Start by <a href="http://liveabundant.com/free-analysis/" target="_blank">visiting with a wealth architect</a> today. *Life insurance policies are not investments and, accordingly, should not be purchased as an investment.
