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Survey Results: Annuities Considered Critical to Retirement Strategy by Investors in 2012

Survey Results: Annuities Considered Critical to Retirement Strategy by Investors in 2012

Survey Results: Annuities Considered Critical to Retirement Strategy by Investors in 2012 | October 23, 2012 | , , ,

A recent survey has shown that a much greater percentage of investors consider annuities to be a critical part of a retirement strategy in 2012 compared to the same survey in 2011. This survey is titled “The Evolution of the Annuity Industry”, and it was produced by Cogent Research and Insured Retirement Institute with a core goal to examine the opinions and preferences of annuity producers and investors. In this most recent survey, 73% of the annuity owners stated that they are more likely than...

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Annuities: The Best Retirement Product No One Really Wants

Annuities: The Best Retirement Product No One Really Wants

Annuities: The Best Retirement Product No One Really Wants | October 4, 2012 | , , , ,

Written By: Jeremy Smith | Amerishield According to Fred Vettese, chief actuary of Morneau Shepell, “Annuities are not sexy. You hand over your money to an insurance company who then puts you into a seemingly stingy allowance for the rest of your life.” The simple fact is that an annuity may be a great idea, but not as many people that can benefit from it buy one; even though statistics indicate that the majority of indexed annuity owners are happy with their purchase. If you’re...

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Why Fixed Indexed Annuity Owners Are Happy

Why Fixed Indexed Annuity Owners Are Happy

Why Fixed Indexed Annuity Owners Are Happy | September 11, 2012 | , , , , ,

Written By: Jeremy Smith | Amerishield A happy fixed indexed annuity owner has been properly educated and appreciates its value.  If you look at statistics and numbers written on a piece of paper, some annuities aren’t as attractive as other investments might appear to be.  Appreciation of the value of a fixed indexed annuity is based upon the individual’s personal retirement goals. Low Risk vs. High Growth potential Many people looking at products for investment purposes seem to be very optimistic about how they want...

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Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis?

Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis?

Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis? | September 11, 2012 | , , , , ,

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group Today the market just announced that manufacturing activity has contracted to a 3 year high. This means that US manufacturing activity has dropped to its lowest level in 3 years. However, investors remain optimistic. They realize that the worse the economy looks the more likely the Fed is to pump another round of Quantitative Easement. This in turn will cause the market to rally which will allow investors to temporarily offset short term losses. That is, until...

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Survey Results: Annuities are Gaining Acceptance as a Retirement Income Tool

Survey Results: Annuities are Gaining Acceptance as a Retirement Income Tool

Survey Results: Annuities are Gaining Acceptance as a Retirement Income Tool | September 10, 2012 | ,

A recent survey by the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) has revealed that annuities are gaining greater acceptance among investors. Their polling of both annuity owners and financial advisors both showed increased awareness and acceptance of annuities as a favorable retirement income tool. In fact, 71% of financial advisors reported that they have had a client seek an annuity purchase in the past 12 months. Among annuity producers, 84% said that they are having more retirement planning consultations than they did five years earlier. This increased...

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The Financial Rule of 100 Applied to the Golden Years

The Financial Rule of 100 Applied to the Golden Years

The Financial Rule of 100 Applied to the Golden Years | August 20, 2012 | , , , ,

Written By: Jeremy Smith | Amerishield If you subtract your age from 100 the difference is the suggested maximum percentage of investment savings you should permit to be at risk. Note the word maximum, not the minimum, permitted to be at risk. Risky investments are not for everyone. It could be dangerous for everyone who violates the financial rule of 100. At age 55 (100 – 55 = 45) this suggests that you permit no more than 45 percent of your investment assets to be...

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Tips for Increasing Your Social Security Income

Tips for Increasing Your Social Security Income

Tips for Increasing Your Social Security Income | August 15, 2012 | , ,

Given the 76th birthday of Social Security this week, Emily Brandon was nice enough to post an informative article highlighting tips for increasing your social security payments. Although you may believe that the impacts to these factors may be hardly noticeable when looking at a monthly impact, the overall impact realized over multiple years can be surprisingly large. Below are the tips that she revealed in her article called How to Increase Your Social Security checks: • Work for at least 35 years: benefits are...

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Balancing Risk versus Growth in Retirement Plans

Balancing Risk versus Growth in Retirement Plans

Balancing Risk versus Growth in Retirement Plans | August 13, 2012 | , , , ,

Written By: Jeremy Smith | Amerishield Everyone has their own idea of what they want their lifestyle to be like when they retire, how much money they’ll need, whether they will travel, and even where they will live. If you’re approaching retirement, this stage of your life could last for 20-50 years or more! Knowing that can’t you count on an unpredictable stock market or economy to provide your income over that lengthy period of time, how will you make it through your retirement? A...

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Should You Buy an Annuity from Social Security?

Should You Buy an Annuity from Social Security?

Should You Buy an Annuity from Social Security? | July 23, 2012 | , ,

After a prolonged span of economic volatility, retirees are becoming increasingly thirsty for obtaining retirement income that is reliable, predictable, and lifelong. Annuities of course come to mind as an option that can address all three of those traits. There are many annuity products which one can choose from for meeting their particular needs. As Michael Ham points out in a recent article, an option that should not be overlooked is the purchase of an annuity from social security. At first glance, one might assume...

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Understanding Annuity Living Benefit Riders

Understanding Annuity Living Benefit Riders

Understanding Annuity Living Benefit Riders | July 10, 2012 | , , , ,

WRITTEN BY: JEREMY SMITH,  AMERISHIELD Over the last 15 years, there has been a tremendous change in the quantity and types of annuity riders you can choose during your purchase of an annuity for retirement savings. It is important that you understand how these may benefit you and the fees (if any) to you. Living Benefits Among the most common riders you must determine if you wish at the time of purchase is an Income Rider. There are many different names for these yet they...

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