Keith L. Collins |
August 11, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) are a valuable tool for retirement savings. They provide peace of mind by offering guarantees and safety of the principal amount. What’s more, they offer growth opportunity to help retirement savings keep up with the pace of inflation. FIAs are distinct from other types of annuities in that the crediting methods differ. Regular fixed annuities credit interest at a rate that is linked to the T-bills rate. Fixed indexed annuities, on the other hand, credit interest using formulas based on changes...
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Kelly Shaw |
July 21, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Retirement Planning
I’ve been a financial advisor for over 22 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that when most clients approach retirement, they consider themselves conservative investors. Yet in 22 years of examining retired clients’ asset mixes, I find that most are actually allocated more toward a moderately aggressive mix. Why is there such a discrepancy between what they want and what they have? The reason is that most of them don’t have a very clear picture of what retirement looks like to them – what...
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Rick Hughes |
July 18, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Deferred Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
What if you could have an investment that you knew you could not lose? Would this get you excited, or would you be thinking, “This is too good to be true”? I want you to imagine you and a friend are going to Las Vegas. This does not mean you are a gambler, but let’s pretend for a moment that you are sitting in Caesars Palace at the roulette table. The dealer tells you that you are in luck; he is going to let you...
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Richard Ericson |
July 2, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Annuity Caps, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
When I coached college football years ago, the young players often wanted to stand out, to be different and unique, and have some sort of distinction from the other players. Some would wear their uniforms differently, with multicolored socks or flashy undershirts. Some would do crazy things with their hair, like shave it off, grow an extra-long beard, or let their really long hair flow out of their helmet. Although any one of these features would get a player noticed, my coaching experience taught me...
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John CasaSanta |
June 27, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, Index Annuities, Variable Annuities
We often hear the expression that an educated consumer is the best consumer. I believe this holds true, whether someone is purchasing an appliance or an annuity. When visiting a client for the first time, after a discussion of goals and objectives, I like to explain the four types of annuities. Immediate Annuity – This is similar to a personal pension and the most traditional form of an annuity. When you implement an immediate annuity, you will receive a set amount of money for a...
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Ron Tetley |
June 19, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
The answer you receive to this question will depend on the person you ask. I’m of the mindset that if it works for my client, I like it. If it doesn’t work for my client, I don’t like it. First, we need to understand that every investment in the world is designed with a specific goal in mind. Let me give you an analogy to help it sink in. Automobiles are all made with a specific intended use. If you needed to haul 15 people...
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Keith L. Collins |
May 13, 2014 |
Deferred Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
A survey by Financial Research Corporation showed that more than 36% of investors ask about the guarantees of Fixed Income Annuities. It is a fact that the collapse of several high profile corporations in the previous decade has severely shaken investors’ confidence over financial market investments. Most investors are now concerned about the safety of their investments. Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs) can be a great answer to a lot of worries of conservative investors. They offer protection from market volatility, interest rate, and inflation risks....
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Mike Lester |
April 25, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
In the past couple of decades, annuities have become more popular with financial advisors and retirees for retirement planning. In many cases, annuities can be a valued part of a well-diversified portfolio. However, there are also many characteristics of annuities that can make them undesirable or even hurtful in retirement planning. Annuities have evolved from simple pension replacement plans and CD alternative types of investments to include complicated investment vehicles that many advisors claim to deliver gains regardless of market performance. Often, it’s the claim...
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Richard Ericson |
April 9, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
A little boy runs into his grandpa and says, “Can you make a sound like a frog?” Grandpa replies, “of course I can make a sound like a frog. Why do you ask?” The boy says, “Grandma says when Grandpa croaks we can all go to Hawaii.” Grandma and Grandpa knew their money was protected and safe in Grandpa’s indexed annuity. There are many common questions that I am asked by investors as they learn about indexed annuities. “What happens to my fixed annuity when...
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Anton Hendler |
March 21, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
Given the current market uncertainty we thought it a good time to revisit the question of Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) and whether one can, in fact, gain without losing. The short answer is, of course, yes. But there are a few points that need to be made to properly explain what is meant by gaining and losing. Certainly with a FIA you will never share in any market losses. Your gains, if there is a gain, are ‘locked in’ on a set basis (usually every...
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