You Have Access to More Money Than You Think: 6 Places Your Money Is Hiding in Plain Sight

Let’s get straight to the point—you need $50K to start investing. Before you dismiss the idea, let’s explore how you can actually access that $50K.

I had a conversation with one of my best friends who regularly interacts with extremely wealthy individuals due to his line of work.

I asked him, “Why do the wealthy keep getting wealthier?”

Ryan: “Because people know they have money and bring investment opportunities to them, asking for their help.”

I wasn’t satisfied and pushed further.

ME: “There’s got to be more to it than that.”

Ryan: “The purpose of money is to create more money, and wealthy people understand this. They take the money they have and put it to work.”

“When your money goes out, make sure it brings back friends.”

ME: “When you say ‘put it to work,’ what exactly do you mean?”

Ryan: “Wealthy people invest their money into people, businesses, or assets thus allowing that money to generate even more in various ways. The #1 reason people approach wealthy individuals for funds is because they have this one KEY thing that many overlook: access to capital.”

ME: “So, do you have to be wealthy to get wealthy?”

Ryan: “No, you don’t. You just need to know who to ask for money OR learn how to tap into what you already have and use it.”

ME: “What do you mean by ‘tap into what they have’?”

He explained that many people in the middle or upper-middle class have more financial resources than they think; they just don’t know how to access them or make them work more effectively.

Let’s explore some of the places where you might have money without even realizing it:

• Brokerage Accounts

• Life Insurance (IBC – Infinite Banking Concept)

• Retirement Accounts

• Savings

• HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit)

• OPM (Other People’s Money)

I’ll break down each of these options in detail next.

Brokerage Accounts or Stock Market Holdings

If you have money invested in the stock market, let's leverage it to make your money work harder. And no, I’m not suggesting you sell your favorite stocks like Apple—I agree, hold onto them. But you can still use your stock market holdings to your advantage.

How? Most brokerage firms allow you to borrow a percentage of your portfolio’s value. For example, if you have $100K invested, many firms will let you borrow up to 70% of that amount. While you will pay interest on the borrowed funds, this strategy allows your investments to keep growing and compounding in the market while you use the borrowed money to generate additional returns.

Example: Let’s say you have $100K in the market, giving you access to borrow $70K. You decide to use $50K for a real estate investment for 12 months. Suppose the brokerage charges an 8% interest rate. You then lend that $50K to someone needing a real estate loan at 15%. They pay you 15%, and you pay 8% interest back to the brokerage, netting a 7% profit – Easy.

In this scenario, your money continues to grow in the market uninterrupted, and you earn an extra 7% on the side. While 7% might not seem like a huge gain, it adds up, especially when combined with other sources. Now, let’s look at where else your money might be hiding.

Life Insurance

If you have a Whole Life Insurance policy, you likely have some cash value built up that you can borrow against—similar to the previous example.

You can borrow money from your policy, use it for investments, and pay the interest back to the insurance company. The key advantage here is that your account continues to grow with uninterrupted compounding, even while you’re using the borrowed funds elsewhere.

How it works: You borrow from the cash value, invest it, pay the borrowing rate back to the insurance company, and keep the difference between what you earn from your investment and what you paid in interest.

This strategy lets your money work in multiple places at once.

If you have more questions about HOW to make this work for you, I know this world real good and use it all the time. Feel free to look at this video series we did and I’d be happy to help!

Retirement Accounts

This may sound familiar, but your retirement accounts can also be used in a similar way. Although there are more restrictions, it’s still possible. To tap into your retirement funds, you’ll need a Self-Directed IRA—an investment vehicle that allows you to invest in a wide range of assets beyond traditional stocks and bonds.

While you can’t withdraw funds from a Self-Directed IRA for personal purchases, you can borrow against it, much like with IBC accounts and brokerage accounts. This allows you to leverage your retirement savings without interrupting their growth, giving you more options to put your money to work.

Savings

If you have money in a savings account, hopefully, it’s in a high-yield savings account to maximize your returns. You can use these funds for various investments, but it’s essential to repay the money you use to keep your emergency fund intact.

However, if you’re considering using your savings for investments regularly, you might be better off starting an Infinite Banking Concept (IBC) account.

HELOC

(Home Equity Line of Credit)

If you bought a home in the last 5–10 years, there’s a good chance its value has increased significantly. This presents an opportunity to leverage your home’s equity through a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC).

Example: We purchased our home in October 2017 for $300K, and we currently owe about $240K. I approached the bank to set up a HELOC, and an appraiser valued our home at $600K.

The bank allows you to borrow up to 80% of your home’s value, minus what you owe:

• 80% of $600K = $480K

• $480K - $240K (current mortgage balance) = $240K

This means I have access to borrow $240K at any time once the HELOC is set up.

However, you will need to make interest-only payments on the borrowed amount each month. While this can be a great way to access capital, it’s important to note that this approach isn’t as advantageous as a Brokerage account (LAL) or an IBC account because of the ongoing interest payments.

OPM (Other People’s Money)

Sometimes, all it takes is asking. If you have friends or acquaintances sitting on cash, consider borrowing from them. Offer a guaranteed return of 10-15% on their investment, along with some collateral. This approach may push you a bit outside your comfort zone, but it can be effective if you know the right people.

It's essential to have multiple options—multiple “buckets” of money to draw from. Many of you may already have money in one or more of these areas right now. The key is to put that money to work in a safe and secure way. While no investment is entirely risk-free and guaranteed, by structuring your deals properly and ensuring you have collateral then you can sleep better at night.