John Conley |
October 6, 2017 |
Annuity Basics, Annuity Beneficiaries, Annuity Bias, Annuity Commissions, Annuity Taxes, Fixed Annuities
Now that the Powerball winner has come forward to claim her prize of $758 million (before taxes), you can’t turn on the television or radio without hearing the word “annuity.” The winner of the lottery had a very important choice to make: to take an after-tax lump sum or pay the taxes and receive income for life. This got me thinking about the number of people who don’t understand exactly what an annuity is and how it can be beneficial when used in the following...
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Mike Riedmiller |
September 15, 2017 |
Annuity Basics, Income For Life, Index Annuities, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
There is a lot of talk and debate about the pros and cons of annuities and whether they are good to have in your retirement plan. All investments have their strengths and weaknesses. This, unfortunately, is something you don’t always hear about from people in the financial services industry or the so-called gurus you see in the media. First, let’s look at the three main types of annuities: Variable Annuities – Variable annuities usually have higher fees (2% – 4%). Your money is still “at...
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Ryan Schaner |
July 31, 2017 |
Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
Do you currently own or are you considering purchasing a financial solution? Do you know if that solution will accomplish what your true purpose is for that money? Before you can determine what type of solution you should put in place, you need to start with a plan. With a plan you’ll have a better understanding of your household’s needs, including how much income you need every month and how much you need in retirement. Once you’ve figured this out, you’re ready for the next...
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Jim Fox |
July 26, 2017 |
Retirement Planning
Since the ‘70s, we have heard about the shrinking of the middle class, but is it true? There are some statistics that prove the middle class is shrinking but much slower than most people realize. Before we can figure it out, we need to know who exactly makes up the middle class, and that’s not as simple as you may think. Most people would say someone making $50,000 to $100,000 would be middle class, but if you lived in New York City or San Diego,...
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Matt Jackson |
May 8, 2017 |
Annuities in IRAs, Annuity Basics, Income For Life, Index Annuities, Your Retirement
There is a war going on for your money, and you probably don’t even know it. Licensed stockbrokers, Wall Street, and big banks offering risky securities are fighting against insurance companies and banks offering principal-guaranteed products. These groups are as opposed to each other as Coke and Pepsi. So, why the fighting? Why don’t stockbrokers tell you about the advantages of some of these principal-guaranteed products, like fixed indexed annuities (FIAs)? I believe it’s because of the reoccurring fees generated by the amount of money...
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Nick Guida |
April 6, 2017 |
Annuity Basics, Fixed Annuities
Ever wonder why so many people include annuities in their financial plans? It’s because they’re looking for safety and guarantees. The most popular annuities today are Variable Annuities and Fixed Indexed Annuities. One of them offers safety from market loss and guarantees on your real money; the other does not. Variable Annuities do not offer any downside protection from market loss to the investments within the annuity. If you have a Variable Annuity, this may come as a shock to you, so please read on....
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Alin David Lozada, RICP®, CSA |
March 3, 2017 |
Indexed Universal Life, Life Insurance
For years, Americans have been told that the best way to save for retirement is by contributing to accounts like 401(k)s, IRAs, SEPs, and Tax-Sheltered Annuities (TSAs). These have two things in common: You receive a tax deduction based on your tax rate, and you must pay a tax when you withdraw the money. Most accountants and CPAs are more concerned with saving taxes today than in the future, so they will advise you to maximize your retirement plan to receive the greatest tax deduction. Also,...
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Matt Redding |
January 11, 2017 |
diversified portfolio, financial advisor, Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
Recently, I had a potential client that was frustrated with their financial situation. They had a financial advisor for their stock and bond investments, a CPA doing their bookkeeping for their business, an attorney handling their estate planning, wills and trusts, and an insurance agent doing their life insurance. In large part, their frustration was trying to coordinate with these parties and get them all on the same page to formulate a cohesive plan that takes care of their needs today, tomorrow, and for future...
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Jon Sanchez |
January 5, 2017 |
diversified portfolio, Financial Planning, Income For Life
Most of us have assets that are of some value. It may be something as large as your home or as small as the tools in your garage. If you took an inventory of your assets and created a plan so each asset produced a steady flow of cash, you could have more income than you know what to do with! There are several tremendous ways to turn your existing assets into a cash flow machine. However, get ready to put in the hard work...
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Granger Hughes |
January 3, 2017 |
Annuity Basics, Annuity Definition, Income For Life, Index Annuities
Many people today are faced with the harsh reality that they may wake up one day and their 401(k), or other retirement plan, may be cut in half. We put our lifetime and hard-earned savings onto the proverbial blackjack table. In reality, many people who play blackjack wouldn’t dare take their entire stack of chips and bet it on one hand; however, we do it every day with our retirement. Is this because we don’t know better, or have we been hardwired to think this...
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