L
inks in this article may generate revenue for Wikimedia Commons, Moneywise, and Yahoo Finance. While U.S. equities recently reached record highs, Michael Sonnenfeldt, founder of the ultra‑wealthy Tiger 21 network, says the richest investors are not chasing the frenzy. Jeff Bezos has made property ownership accessible: you can become a landlord for just $100 without tenant hassles. At 49 with no retirement savings, the advice is to stay calm and consider catch‑up strategies—cutting debt, investing in index funds, tax‑advantaged accounts, income streams, and disciplined budgeting. These include maximizing employer‑sponsored 401(k) matches, setting up automatic contributions, refinancing high‑interest debt, and exploring side‑business opportunities. Dave Ramsey warns that nearly half of Americans are committing a major Social Security error—failing to claim benefits at the optimal age, which can reduce lifetime payouts. The mistake often involves claiming too early or too late, cutting total benefits by up to 30%, and he outlines three quick fixes. Sonnenfeldt noted a slight pullback in stocks and real estate last quarter, yet private equity remains a core holding. Members are now allocating more to cash, fixed income, gold, and Bitcoin—a shift toward liquidity‑focused portfolios. Preservation tops their priorities, making gold a haven. Gold has long been a sovereign‑independent store of value, rising over 40% in the past year, with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan projecting $4,000 per ounce by 2026. A gold IRA, through Priority Gold, offers tax‑advantaged exposure to physical gold or related assets, combining tax deferral with a hedge against inflation. Gold IRAs can be funded with cash or by transferring existing gold holdings, and they are subject to the same contribution limits as traditional IRAs, protecting retirement wealth from economic volatility.