@Dave VerschHere are some similarities:The Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401k Similarities Both were created by congress for individuals to save for retirement;Both may be invested in alternative investments such as real estate, precious metals tax liens, promissory notes, private company shares, and stocks and mutual funds, to name a few;Both allow for Roth contributions;Both are subject to prohibited transaction rules;Both are subject to federal taxes at time of distribution;Both allow for checkbook control for placing alternative investments;Both may be invested in annuities;Both are protected from creditors;Both allow for nondeductible contributions;Both are prohibited from investing in assets listed under I.R.C. 408(m); andNeither may  invest directly in your own business startup. 

Its like having a 200,000 annuity that pays my rent.I know that I'm losing out on the spread between what I could borrow at with my secured loan, and what I could earn with another investment.

I do have a few thousand saved in a bank account, a very small annuity, and a money market account not that much in it though. 

Folks that think a STR is an annuity run by a Smart Phone, and with no intervention, are out of their minds.

I was talking to a close friend of mine here in Austin last week and we are contemplating a monthly meetup group to educate folks on alternative asset classes, non-correlating, that provide a more holistic approach to building durable life long portfolios  So much of magazines, financial advisors talk only of stocks, bonds and annuities.  

I just experienced this with a financial advisor that sold someone a bunch of annuities and made a very nice commission but the investor made almost no money at all in the investments.

A life insurance is not a retirement plan (an annuity, maybe).

Investing in the stock market is generally considered more volatile than other types of investments, such as fixed annuities and corporate bonds.

We would like to invest his money into a rental property, instead of an annuity which I'm told is typical for this situation.

So that in Texas and Florida, a person's residence of unlimited value, cash value of life insurance, annuities, and retirement funds, IRAs, etc, were protected and not subject to creditor attachment.