<p>There is a financial product out there that could make you millions, and you may not even have invested in it. In fact, for a very small amount of money (compared to the payout) you could become very rich. No, I’m not talking about mutual funds; I’m talking about the Powerball.<br />
When it comes to investing, it’s a surprise that we are still putting money into 401k’s and mutual funds. Unfortunately, you have better odds at becoming a millionaire by playing the lottery then playing the mutual fund game. Mutual funds have averaged around 2 percent this last decade. So, there is a much better chance of winning the lottery then becoming a mutual fund millionaire.<br />
<strong>So Should I Play the Lottery?</strong><br />
Now, I am not saying you should play the lottery. However, in the lottery your state government is collecting about 25 percent of the money (cbsnews.com), but mutual funds whether they are going up or down are padding the pockets of big wigs and fund managers. The only millionaires in a mutual fund are the ones running the fund.<br />
I can understand that people want safety and security for their future, they want something predictable, and they want something that they can access when they need the money. However, in both the case of the Powerball and mutual funds, this is not the case.<br />
Looking at past history is one of the few ways we have to try to predict the future. However, I believe often times we disregard the present when making these decisions. A view at our world economy does not give me any renewed hope that mutual funds will be performing in the next 5 years. Now more than ever we have a necessity to find a better place to put our money.<br />
<strong>Then What Do I Do?</strong><br />
So then, where should you put your money? Well that depends on you. Here are three places I would suggest looking into.<br />
Real Estate: Real estate can be a good place if you really understand the market. The pros of real estate are the return you will get, and also a hedge against inflation by having actual hard property. However, the risk of real estate is very high, especially if you do not understand what you are doing.<br />
Your Own Business: The second place you should be looking at is your own personal business, or starting your own business. Like real estate, this depends largely on your mental capacity and education. And even after all that it still can be very risky depending on the way you approach it.<br />
The reason, however, that these two strategies are good is because they have homerun capabilities. They may not give you immediate millions, but they have the capacity to make you a great deal of money.<br />
Cash Value Life Insurance: The third place is much safer, that is cash value life insurance. This type of investment is going to produce a consistent rate of return (historically 6 percent). However, unlike the mutual fund, it has a guarantee that you will not lose money, it has accessibility even while your money is compounding, and it grows tax-free. On top of that, if treated properly will never be taxed again. These few advantages along with the growth make it a much more stable and effective way to safely grow your dollars (not to mention it also moves the risk of your death to someone else by providing your dollars with a death benefit).<br />
<strong>What About a Combination?</strong><br />
And one more layer to this, if you are investing in your own business or real estate, and you pass your money through a cash value life insurance policy first, you will add another layer of compounding and tax write offs that you won’t get anywhere else.<br />
There are two ways you should play your investments. You can play them with luck, or you can make wise decisions that will give you a growth potential. If you want luck, take the lottery, but if you want to make wise decisions that will have a much greater impact on you and your families future then study out your options carefully and make decisions deliberately.<br />
Josh Thompson is a certified wellness educator and contributor for The Infinite Banking Concept. You can also find him on twitter: @tweetjosht.</p>

Are Your Investments Operating On Luck?
