For years, we followed the same advice as everyone else: max out the 401(k), stash money in a 529 for the kids, and pray the stock market didn’t nosedive. That’s what everyone—TV, our parents, our employers, and our financial planners—kept telling us was the “right way.” But after a decade of being diligent, our portfolio was barely more than what we contributed. We started asking ourselves: Is this really the best we can do?
We’d been playing by the traditional rules, hoping that the 7% average return would magically grow into a comfortable retirement. But each year, that finish line seemed to keep moving further away. Inflation really made it hard to predict our future needs. We were stuck. It was frustrating to watch our money do the financial equivalent of running on a treadmill—moving, but not really getting anywhere.
Then it hit us: the ultra-wealthy don’t follow the same playbook. And if we wanted to achieve our savings goals, we had to do something different. That’s when we looked at what the smart money—like Yale’s endowment fund—was up to. Turns out, over 60% of Yale’s portfolio isn’t in stocks and bonds at all. They’re in alternative assets: real estate, private equity, and hedge funds. Why? Because those investments deliver consistently better results.
In fact, over the past twenty years, Yale’s strategy has returned 11.3% annually—blowing past the average for other university endowments and the broader market. Think about that. While everyone else was settling for low single digits, Yale was crushing it, year after year.
And here’s the kicker: it’s not just about better returns. Alternatives, like real estate or private debt, aren’t tied to the rollercoaster of the stock market. They offer true diversification, steady income, tax benefits, and the kind of long-term compounding that can change your family’s financial future.
So, if you’re tired of the Wall Street casino, sick of hearing the same tired advice—“just keep dumping money into your 401(k),” “pay off your house,” and “expect 7% and be happy”—guess what? You don’t have to settle for that. You can do better.
By investing in alternative assets that are low-risk, tax-efficient, and provide cash flow, you can hit your goals in less time. This isn’t some get-rich-quick pitch. It’s about understanding what the wealthy have known for generations.
The path to financial freedom is out there. You just have to step off the beaten path and into the strategies that have been hiding in plain sight all along.