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There’s a strange twist that doesn’t get talked about enough in personal finance. Building wealth is hard. Spending it can be even harder.<\/p>\n
On \u201cThe Ramsey Show,<\/a>\u201d a 62-year-old attorney named Steve called in with a problem that sounds almost backwards. No wife, no kids, no debt, and $3.5 million saved across retirement accounts<\/a>. By most standards, he’s done everything right. And yet, he said he’s stuck.<\/p>\n “No money will be coming in, but all money will be going out,” he said. “I’m having a hard time getting comfortable with that. What I really want is somebody to tell me that I can stop.”<\/p>\n That hesitation is more common than it sounds.<\/p>\n Don’t Miss:<\/p>\n Steve didn’t mention his profession right away, but later shared he’s an attorney earning about $175,000 a year<\/a>. Over time, he built a sizable nest egg through consistent saving and investing.<\/p>\n Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey got straight to the math.<\/p>\n With $3.5 million invested, Ramsey said a 10% return could generate roughly $350,000 a year without touching the principal. That’s about double Steve’s current income.<\/p>\n So why the hesitation?<\/p>\n Steve pointed to uncertainty. “There’s still\u2026 some years it’s going to be up, some years it’s going to be down,” he said. “What do I do in the down years?”<\/p>\n Ramsey’s answer was blunt: “Use some of it.”<\/p>\n Trending: Dave Ramsey has long stressed investing with intention \u2014 now some are looking at early-stage plays in the fast-growing lithium space<\/a><\/p>\n He added that down years in the market are relatively rare and manageable, suggesting Steve could withdraw less in weaker years and let the portfolio recover over time.<\/p>\n Then came the line that reframed everything.<\/p>\n “It’s impossible unless you lose your mind and join Congress for you to go through this money before you die,” Ramsey told him.<\/p>\n The numbers weren’t the problem. The mindset was.<\/p>\n After years of saving, watching a balance grow becomes the goal. Flipping that switch and starting to draw it down can feel like going backwards, even when that’s exactly what the money was meant for.<\/p>\n Steve hinted at something deeper. Recent life events made him rethink how he wants to spend his time. “What I feel like I should be doing is spending time with people that I love,” he said.<\/p>\n See Also: Investors With $1M+ Often Use Advisors for Tax Strategy \u2014 This Tool Matches You With One in Minutes<\/a><\/p>\n Ramsey agreed he’s financially ready to retire, calling it a “no-brainer,” but added a different kind of warning. Retirement without purpose can be its own problem. He suggested using his legal skills in a lighter capacity, possibly helping nonprofits or causes he cares about, instead of stopping cold.<\/p>\n The takeaway is one many high savers run into. The hardest part isn’t reaching the number. It’s trusting it.<\/p>\n For anyone in a similar position, this is where a financial advisor<\/a> can play a key role. Not just running projections, but helping translate years of disciplined saving into a sustainable plan for spending<\/a>.<\/p>\n Because at some point, the goal shifts. The account isn’t meant to keep growing forever. It’s meant to support a life that finally has room to be lived.<\/p>\n Read Next: See What AI Could Build for Your Portfolio \u2014 Try a Custom Index Now<\/a><\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, professional financial guidance, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.<\/p>\n Rad AI<\/p>\n RAD Intel is an AI-driven marketing platform helping brands improve campaign performance by turning complex data into actionable insights for content, influencer strategy, and ROI optimization.<\/a> Positioned within the multi-hundred-billion-dollar digital marketing industry, the company works with global brands across sectors to improve targeting precision and creative performance using its analytics and AI tools. With strong revenue growth, expanding enterprise contracts, and a Nasdaq ticker reserved under $RADI, RAD Intel is opening access to its Regulation A+ offering, giving investors exposure to the growing intersection of AI, marketing, and creator economy infrastructure.<\/p>\n Connect Invest<\/p>\n Connect Invest is a real estate investment platform that allows investors to access short-term, fixed-income opportunities backed by a diversified portfolio of residential and commercial real estate loans.<\/a> Through its Short Notes structure, investors can choose defined terms (6, 12, or 24 months) and earn monthly interest payments while gaining exposure to real estate as an asset class. For investors focused on diversification, Connect Invest may serve as one component within a broader portfolio that also includes traditional equities, fixed income, and other alternative assets\u2014helping balance exposure across different risk and return profiles.<\/p>\n Mode Mobile<\/p>\n Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day<\/a>. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream. For investors, Mode Mobile offers exposure to the expanding mobile advertising and attention economy through a pre-IPO opportunity tied to a new approach to user monetization.<\/p>\n rHealth<\/p>\n rHealth is building a space-tested diagnostics platform designed to bring lab-quality blood testing closer to patients in minutes rather than weeks<\/a>. Originally validated in collaboration with NASA for use aboard the International Space Station, the technology is now being adapted for at-home and point-of-care settings to address widespread delays in diagnostic access.<\/p>\n Backed by institutions including NASA and the NIH, rHealth is targeting the large global diagnostics market with a multi-test platform and a model built around devices, consumables, and software. With FDA registration in progress, the company is positioning itself as a potential shift toward faster, more decentralized healthcare testing.<\/p>\n Direxion<\/p>\n Direxion specializes in leveraged and inverse ETFs designed to help active traders express short-term market views during periods of volatility and major market events.<\/a> Rather than long-term investing, these products are built for tactical use\u2014allowing investors to take magnified bullish or bearish positions across indices, sectors, and single stocks. For experienced traders, Direxion offers a way to respond quickly to changing market conditions and act on high-conviction views with greater flexibility.<\/p>\n Immersed<\/p>\n Immersed is a spatial computing company building immersive productivity software that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens inside VR and mixed-reality environments.<\/a> Its platform is used by remote workers and enterprises to create virtual workspaces that reduce reliance on traditional physical hardware while improving focus and collaboration. The company is also developing its own lightweight VR headset and AI productivity tools, positioning itself in the future-of-work and spatial computing space. Through its pre-IPO offering, Immersed is opening access to early-stage investors looking to diversify beyond traditional assets and gain exposure to emerging technologies shaping how people work.<\/p>\n Arrived<\/p>\n Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100<\/a>. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.<\/p>\n Masterworks<\/p>\n Masterworks enables investors to diversify into blue-chip art, an alternative asset class with historically low correlation to stocks and bonds.<\/a> Through fractional ownership of museum-quality works by artists like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso, investors gain access without the high costs or complexities of owning art outright. With hundreds of offerings and strong historical exits on select works, Masterworks adds a scarce, globally traded asset to portfolios seeking long-term diversification.<\/p>\n Finance Advisors<\/p>\n Finance Advisors helps Americans approach retirement with greater clarity by connecting them to vetted, fiduciary financial advisors who specialize in tax-aware retirement planning.<\/a> Rather than focusing on products or investment performance alone, the platform emphasizes strategies that account for after-tax income, withdrawal sequencing, and long-term tax efficiency\u2014factors that can materially impact retirement outcomes. Free to use, Finance Advisors gives individuals with meaningful savings access to a level of planning sophistication historically reserved for high-net-worth households, helping reduce hidden tax risk and improve long-term financial confidence.<\/p>\n Bam Capital<\/p>\n BAM Capital offers accredited investors a way to diversify beyond public markets through institutional-grade multifamily real estate.<\/a> With over $1.85 billion in completed transactions and guidance from Senior Economic Advisor Tony Landa, the firm targets income and long-term growth as supply tightens and renter demand remains strong\u2014especially in Midwest markets. Its income-focused and growth-oriented funds provide exposure to real assets designed to be less tied to stock market volatility.<\/p>\n Public<\/p>\n Public is a multi-asset investing platform built for long-term investors who want more control, transparency, and innovation in how they grow wealth.<\/a> Founded in 2019 as the first broker-dealer to offer commission-free, real-time fractional investing, Public now lets users invest in stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and more\u2014all in one place. Its latest feature, Generated Assets, uses AI to turn a single idea into a fully customized, investable index that can be explained and backtested before committing capital. Combined with AI-powered research tools, clear explanations of market moves, and an uncapped 1% match for transferring an existing portfolio, Public positions itself as a modern platform designed to help serious investors make more informed decisions with context.<\/p>\n AdviserMatch<\/p>\n