Got $40k thread

[Scott MacDonald]

Hello BP'ers,

Long time BP stalker, first time poster. A while back I read a forum thread named something like, "I have $40,000 and don't know where to start" that caught my interest because I am in a similar situation. I have $40k in a retirement plan that's going nowhere. Every time I look at my quarterly statement I get madder and madder.

I've been doing my research on real estate investing for the past year and feel I am ready to get off the sidelines. I'd like to utilize this $40k to get started but would like everyone's opinion on something. Would you role this money into a self directed IRA or pull it out all together and pay the taxes and penalties? I've been learning about the self directed IRAs and there seem to be some people that love them and some people that don't love them so much.

Any help and suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

Scott