9 Ways to Build Wealth Fast Your Financial Advisor Won't Tell You If you want to build wealth, invest in a Roth IRA. But if you want to grow wealth quickly, explore other options.
By Jeff Rose
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Jeff Rose worked as a financial advisor for 16 years. During that time, he learned that investing in financial products for long-term growth isn't the only, or best, way to build wealth. To become a wealth hacker, you need to invest in ways that aren't mutual funds and S&P 500 — beyond what a financial advisor recommends. Here are nine ways to build wealth that most financial advisors don't recommend.
1. Save money on vehicles
Rose advises against unnecessarily spending money on your automobile. He inherited his first car, so he made no car payments as a first-year financial advisor. That savings allowed him to start funding his Roth IRA and put money towards his 401K. He estimates that driving that car earned him $10 million in redirected allocations.
2. Don't buy "more" house than you need
Similarly, Rose advises against buying a house that is more than you can afford. Make a sensible purchase or keep renting.
3. Stop buying so much stuff
In general, Rose advises avoiding unnecessary purchases — whether that be a new truck or an over-the-top kid's birthday party.
4. Save a percentage of your income
Though all financial advisors recommend saving a portion of your income, few suggest extreme savings of 30, 50, or 70 percent of income. But saving at these levels can help you gain financial freedom at a young age.
5. Work as much as you can now
Rose tells Gen Yers, in particular, to put time into their professions — either working overtime to build their careers or starting side hustles to generate extra income. This is contrary to what financial advisors typically recommend, but a side business could lead to future opportunities.
6. Invest in your education
Investing in a college degree, additional degrees, an MBA, or online certifications will help you earn more money.
7. Invest in yourself
Rose explains that he spent $8,900 for a year-long coaching program, an investment in himself that led to business opportunities, strategies for outsourcing, and smarter decisions to improve his efficiency and profitability. He says the coaching program, specifically, has had a greater rate of return for his investment than Facebook stock he bought early on — hundreds of thousands of dollars earned based on his initial investment.
8. Venture into entrepreneurship
Rose encourages you to have side hustles, especially when you're younger. He suggests starting an online business like a blog or ecommerce site.
9. Invest in real estate
Financial advisors typically promote financial products they make a commission from or manage and are unlikely to recommend real estate as an investment. But Rose says investing in a complex or flipping houses is a way to grow wealth, too.
Related: 6 Ways to Invest When You're Broke
