Short on Retirement? How to Make Up for Lost Time

Are you short on retirement? You’re about to discover the most effective way to make up for lost time and be ready for the best years of your life.

If you find yourself short on retirement savings, don’t despair. Whether you are just getting a late start or have little to nothing saved up, there’s hope. No, I’m not going to tell you to spend less and to save more. That’s not realistic in today’s world. Instead, I‘m going to share with you 5 steps to accelerate your wealth using real estate investing. Specifically, you’ll learn how to acquire income producing property regardless of where you are starting from, where you are located, previous experience and even if you aren’t starting with a lot of money.

Step 1: Acknowledge You Are Not Alone

The first step is to acknowledge that you are not alone. There’s a hidden generation of people just like you who are striving to make up for lost time. Life throws curveballs, and many of us have had to use our savings for unexpected circumstances or immediate needs—such as putting kids through school or navigating career changes. Sometimes just knowing that others are in the same boat can motivate you to take the necessary steps toward catching up.

Step 2: Take Inventory of Your Situation

The second step is to take inventory of your financial situation. The conventional method of saving for retirement might not work if you’re getting a late start and working harder at a job is neither desirable nor practical at your age. This is where wealth acceleration comes into play. You need to find alternative methods to rapidly grow your wealth, which we will discuss further in steps four and five.

Step 3: Know Your Numbers

Knowing your numbers is critical. This means creating income that exceeds your expenses. Without this knowledge, you are essentially flying blind. At this stage in your life, you need to set two critical financial targets:

Rat Race Number: This is the monthly sum of money needed to cover your basic living expenses like mortgage or rent, insurance, taxes, and food (no luxuries!).
Lifestyle Number: Once you achieve your Rat Race Number, your next goal should be to cover your desired lifestyle expenses. This is the amount of money that allows for additions like vacations and other luxuries.

Again, these targets clarify your objectives and direct your real estate investment strategies. Start by achieving your rat race number and then aim for your lifestyle number as your next goal.

Step 4: Take Action

Step four is arguably the most important: take action. If you’re reading this, you likely want to change your financial trajectory and provide a better future for yourself and your family. The best way to do this is by buying income-producing real estate. To quote myself in a previous video, “income follows assets”, and the more assets you have, the more income you create. Here are the best commercial properties to buy to catch up on your retirement:

When evaluating potential commercial assets, here’s what to focus on:

Cashflow: Invest in properties that provide steady income immediately. Don’t buy a property you think can cashflow three years from now, those days are over at your age! Cash flow is your number one focus.

Value Growth: Unlike most investments, commercial real estate can not only generate substantial income, but also appreciate over time. Choose commercial properties where increased rents and net operating income lead to higher property values. This is called forced appreciation, and it is key to wealth acceleration and making up for lost time.

Tax Planning: Implement effective tax strategies so you can keep what you earn and maximize your profits.

Capital Preservation: Be conservative in your investments and have a razor sharp exit strategy to protect your initial capital. If you are starting late and making up for lost time you can’t afford to make mistakes and take unnecessary risks.

Whether it’s multifamily units, storage facilities, or mobile home parks, the key is to act now and invest in property types that offer reliable cashflow and potential for value growth.

Overcoming Financial Barriers

What if you don’t have significant funds to start with? Don’t let this be a barrier to catching up on your retirement. If you’re concerned about a lack of money, there are several financing strategies to consider:

Home Equity: You can use your home equity to invest in commercial real estate. Check out this video to learn how: How to Turn Your Home Equity into Monthly Cash Flow
Retirement Funds: Another strategy is to leverage your retirement funds to buy properties. This video here will show you how: How to Use Retirement Funds for Multifamily Investing
Creative Financing: Buying properties using creative strategies like seller financing is where we shine as a company. We have coached students from coast to coast with little to no money on how to use creative financing to invest in real estate. To learn more about how we acquire cash flowing commercial real estate using creative techniques go here: Creative Financing Commercial Real Estate
Wholesaling: If you don’t have home equity or are short on cash, you can wholesale a property. This is essentially when you flip a property under contract to another buyer for a profit to earn money quickly.
Syndication: Another effective technique is to pool together other people’s money to invest in real estate.

We’ve removed all excuses and provided multiple ways to get started so you can move forward and start building wealth.

Step 5: It’s Never Too Late

Finally, it’s never too late! Age shouldn’t be a barrier to taking action. Research shows that the most productive years of our lives are between 60 to 70 years, and you have the potential to achieve great things, even if you’re starting later. Even in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, real estate investing can be a powerful tool to help you catch up and create a lasting legacy. We help students of all ages achieve remarkable results, proving it’s never too late to make up for lost time.

Questions or Comments? Text PETER to 833-942-4516.

Every Successful Commercial Real Estate Investor Has a Mentor

Remember, the best time to buy real estate was five years ago. The second best time is today! If you’re short on retirement and need to make up for lost time, it is absolutely possible through the power of commercial real estate investing. Get mentored by me and my team by applying to be my next Protege: Commercial Property Advisors Protege Program