Guidant Financial Group Blog

On May 6 the stock market suddenly and inexplicably plummeted nearly 1,000 points before just as mysteriously rebounding another 16 minutes later. Financial experts are still trying to figure out what happened. Some blame Greece’s economic crisis, while others suspect a trader mistakenly typed “billion” instead of “million” somewhere along the line.

Already the papers, blogs and media outlets are filling up with commentary on the market’s craziness and are offering opinions on what happened and how to avoid it in the future. Here’s a good one from The NY Times.

Everyone from financial titans to the proverbial man on the street are facing the reality that Wall Street is just another word for gambling – and far too often with the odds stacked against you.

Whether you want to refer to the May 6 plummet as a “Greek Tragedy” or a “Fat-Fingered Failure” (and throw in another couple of f-words, if you like!) it’s a terrifying thing . . . and only proves what those of us at Guidant already know: The only investment you can control is an investment in yourself.

This is why we’ve already helped thousands of clients invest IRA and 401(k) funds in a small business or franchise they own and control. Rather than watching helplessly as their retirement funds dwindle into nothing by the hand of mismanaged or unscrupulous corporations—or watching as moribund accounts gather dust rather than interest—these savvy investors are now experiencing business success while watching their nest eggs grow.

Maybe it’s time you turned away from Wall Street and looked instead in the mirror . . . and invested in the one person you can always trust to have your best interests in mind: YOU.