Did I hear David Greene correctly this morning? Cash out 1.5MM retirement fund?

[Mike Terry]

I love Bigger Pockets. The site and the podcasts have been responsible for my success, be it limited, in my real estate endeavors.  The recent podcast advice stopped me in my tracks as I have started to really question the judgement and advice that is given to very inexperienced investors.  I think it is a good example what the podcast has become.  Not seeing Greene! Now I may have misheard, but I believe the advice was to cash out 1.5MM retirement fund (type unkown) and invest it in two short term rentals.  No consideration of tax implications, the investors experience or aptitude for operating this strategy. I am not sure how someone who is no where near retirement nor having any retirement planning qualifications can suggest such a thing.  I am in the middle of planning my own exit from W2 employment and I am agonizing over finding qualified and unbiased counsel on planning.  It is hard because the financial industry has been so distorted by compensation models.  I feel Bigger Pockets and in particular the real estate podcast has become the same. I know David Greene is smart and he has accomplished things I can only dream of, but The podcast has become his own personal advertising platform frought with self-promotion.  Very few episode don't include plugs for his brokerage business and his mortgage company.  I feel the same way about this as I do financial advisors.  Good advice is secondary to marketing and questionable opinions. 

I wonder if the listener took that advice and sought out David Greene's company to help her buy these assest,as he suggested? As always please consider the source.  Bigger Pockets needs to re-evaluate what they are about.  

[V.G Jason]

It's just advertising at it's core. It's a REI site and it's going to be pushed at any expense.

I mean ****, you don't see much better on the forums. There's threads daily about the nonsensical things people do to be a "REI" at the expense of their actual stress, daily lives, and families well being. There's turnkey providers with predatory 2-year balloon options on houses, one's with 50 1-3 post people show up to support them. Have you dealt with agents on this forum? Horrible and slimy, for the most part. It's just the core of this place, you need to filter through the ******** to really see the best of it. There are great people here and great sources, though.