Max Out Roth 401K or Real Estate

[Yoshi M.]

I have no debt, nor did I ever. Not a penny. I paid cash for my undergraduate degree. I paid cash for my car. I paid cash for my home. I have no credit card debt. I'll have finished earning my masters, which I paid cash for, in a couple of years. I have an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months. My monthly expenses are around 1000 a month. I have 40 years until I retire if I retire by 65.5. I don't have much saved up for retirement, but I get the maximum of my employer match for my 401K. My question is what is the best thing to do with all of my extra income? I can easily meet the yearly contribution limit of $18,000 a year into my Roth 401k, and live a perfectly happy life for the next 40 years. By the time I meet the catch up age and have a higher contribution limit, I should even be able to meet that. If I continue contributing just enough to get the max employer match contribution, I can easily put away $ 25,000 a year no problem, something not possible if I maxed out my Roth 401K contribution each year at the 18,000 a year. However at $25,000 a year saved I can easily purchase some cheap condo in my area for 50K in cash and rent it out. I could continue this process and continue to purchase cash paid for real estate investments?

Which is a better performer? Buying real estate in cash and renting out, or maxing out your Roth 401k contribution to the yearly limit?

I also have to ask. Theoretically speaking, if you contributing 18,000 a year with an employer match of 5% dollar for dollar and a growth of 7% a year and continue for 40 years and retire by 65.5, a big SUPPOSEDLY, I'd be looking at $ 4,500,000.00 by the time I retire.

What's the point on having more money than I need to retire?

So I have to question, what on Earth would you do with all that money? No really, what would you do? I don't see the need to have more than what you need to live off of, anything more is just a waste. Seriously. If I retire at 65.5 and have 20 odd years to live my life, what on Earth would I do with 4.5 million? Learning from my grandparents, by the time you hit your mid 70s, you struggle walking up the stairs, going to the grocery store is the only time you get of the house and get exercise, it's not safe for you to drive... the quality of life is horrible. No amount of money is going to make me have a good retirement and enjoy my life once I get to that point.

My point being I'd almost rather have "just enough" to retire so that way I have more money while I can "still enjoy" my money. If I have a whole bunch of extra money while I'm still young, I can have the big house, I can have the new car and so forth. If I'm old and it's not safe for me to drive than I can't have the new car. There's no point in buying a new car when I'm older because it's not safe for me to drive it. There's no point in buying a big house when I'm old and retired because I'm to old to maintain it, even something like mowing the lawn seems out of the question...

I know if I had 4.5 million by the time I retire, I can give it to my family. While I'd do that, I'm NOT THE ONE ENJOYING the rewards from all my hard work! Seems like it doesn't benefit me to just "give it all away", I'd at least like to enjoy the fruits of my hard work some what!

[Jarrod Martin]

Congratulations on always having enough money on hand to live comfortably. People in general have a difficult time making the right decisions as you have, that is a real talent. To be able to retire with such an exorbitant amount of money with such little effort is a true blessing. Maybe you can share your talents through philanthropy. Helping people to get passed their money problems, or any other service that you have the true desire to help others with. Remember, nobody ever knows just how long they will live unless they decide to end it on a specified date. One of my grand fathers lived to 60 and the other one is still alive and happy at 98. One grand mother passed at 66 the other at 93. When shall I die? Maybe tomorrow. 

My point is, whatever you decide will be the right decision. If you end up with 5 million at retirement, then think of all of the people that you will be able to help now and all the way through your life. True happiness comes from within and serving others, not the amount of money you have either now or in the future.

As to my opinion as to where to invest your money, it always depends you tax bracket.  I like both the 401k and S.D Roth ira, myself. But make sure that you also have an account to enjoy your life style your entire life. Enjoy the traveling portion of vacations for instance, as it is still part of your vacation.

Best wishes to you and your family and your friends.