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How was Mitt Romney able to amass somwhere between $21 million and $102 million in his individual retirement account during the 15 years in which he was at Bain Capital?…(read more)
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When it was first reported in 2012 that former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had an individual retirement account (IRA) worth as much as $100 million, many people were left scratching their heads. How did he accumulate such a large sum in a tax-advantaged retirement account?
The answer lies in what is known as a self-directed IRA.
Unlike traditional IRAs, which typically hold stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, self-directed IRAs allow individuals to invest in a wider range of assets, such as real estate, precious metals, and even private businesses. This allows investors to potentially earn higher returns than they would with a conventional IRA, but it also comes with greater risk.
Romney’s IRA is said to have been primarily invested in Bain Capital, the private equity firm he co-founded. Bain Capital was known for acquiring struggling companies, improving them through reorganization and cost-cutting, and then selling them for a profit. This strategy often resulted in high returns for investors, and it’s likely that Romney’s self-directed IRA reaped the benefits of this investment strategy.
However, the use of self-directed IRAs has come under scrutiny in recent years. Some critics argue that it’s unfair for wealthy individuals to use them to accumulate vast sums of money in a tax-sheltered account while most people are limited by IRA contribution caps.
Others claim that self-directed IRAs can be used for unethical purposes, such as investing in businesses that engage in illegal or harmful practices.
Despite these criticisms, self-directed IRAs remain a popular investment tool for many wealthy individuals, including business owners and real estate investors.
The secret behind Mitt Romney’s magical IRA may be a combination of savvy investment strategy and the flexibility afforded by a self-directed IRA. Whether or not this strategy is accessible or ethical for the average investor is up for debate.
You must not know what Self-Directed IRAs/401Ks are.
I believe it's called insider trading.Just ask Martha Stewart.
Not the IRA I was expecting…
What's Venture Capital about what Bain? they find undervalued companies, do a leverage buyout then saddle the company with debts by offering it Bain management solutions – over time the debts become too much and the company folds leaving the banks to shoulder the bad debts and the Govt to save the employee pension schemes.
3million to retire the … what? Dude what are you talking about? I'm interested if Clinton did any illegal cattle futures trading and people should bring that up if its valid but I've never heard of that.
You can't get over the fact that Romney is a slimey greasy manipulating guy. Its just a fact. The problem comes when he's more than just unethical but breaks the law.
Fortunately for him, his money can bail him out
The ramblings of an idiot who knows nothing about venture capital. The risk and returns are great and the numbers are NOT unreasonable. What I wonder is why noone questioned Hillary Clinton's Cattle Futures Trading activity. With her return on capital, the government should have given her $3Million to retire the national debt.
And that's exactly why he'll only release 2 years. Hopefully Americans recognize the "oh shit I'm gonna get busted – 2 step" he's doing.
Cancel all Social Security to registered Republicans and dipshit "Independents."
Yes, SEP IRAs still exist. (I have one.)
I still think Rmoney was born with a silver HOOF in his mouth, and his Satanic tail is becoming harder and harder to hide. 🙂 Did he really think he could keep on hiding his IRS returns past November? But who knows what big lies will be told about Obama by those Superpacs, owned by folks like Sheldon Adelson.