I'm very close to 50 also. I'm not a very good saver and have relied on the institutions you don't trust (401K, universal life, mutual funds) to build up my sav

I'm very close to 50 also. I'm not a very good saver and have relied on the institutions you don't trust (401K, universal life, mutual funds) to build up my savings. I don't trust them either, but they get a far better return on my money than I could. My bank is very transparent in letting me know that I'm getting less than 0.5% interest. You're a little more than halfway through your working career, unless you retire early. There is still plenty of time to take some of your savings and be a little risky to get greater returns. Even a mediocre, safe, fund will return 5%+ a year over the long haul.