Author Archives for alexhouse
November 26, 2013 4:29 pm
Published by alexhouse
After nearly 15 years as a financial advisor, I’ve come to accept that every prospective client who contacts me is like a snowflake: no two are ever identical. While this is true, it is also true that there are many similarities between snowflakes and prospective clients, and one of those similarities is that many profess to not being fans of annuities. Fair enough. Recently, a CPA referred a gentleman to me who has spent nearly 30 years working for a large manufacturing company. And he’s...
View Article
November 25, 2013 10:01 am
Published by alexhouse
By Phil Calandra in Atlanta, GA If you buy an annuity, with no regard to how it fits into your overall financial plan, you’d be making the same silly mistake. Now, in defense of modern technology in the golf industry, a graphite or titanium shaft club is certainly better than an ole’ hickory stick. You may need an annuity in your retirement “bag”. However, putting the wrong annuity in place could cost you your best retirement. Unlike golf, which is merely a game, how you...
View Article
November 22, 2013 8:56 am
Published by alexhouse
Before I answer that question, let’s take a minute and reflect on what it took to get to this point in your life assuming you’re already retired or about to be retired. If you’re like most people, you’ve worked hard over the last 40+ years to be able to retire. You competed to get that first job, worked hard to advance in your career, having to learn new skills and technologies along the way to keep up. You started and raised a family with all...
View Article
November 21, 2013 12:59 pm
Published by alexhouse
Question: I need to supplement my income stream right now and have been shown an immediate annuity by one agent and an indexed annuity by another agent. The products seem very different. Which is the best one to buy? Ernie from Billings, Montana Answer: Thanks for the question Ernie. Immediate annuities (i.e. Single Premium Immediate Annuities) and indexed annuities are drastically different strategies, so I’m a little surprised that you were shown both for income needed to start right now. Since that is what you...
View Article
November 20, 2013 10:26 am
Published by alexhouse
Wake Up America!!! Long-term care in the United States has become a necessary evil that every American will need to consider at some point in their life. The largest population of individuals in the country, those born from 1946 to 1964, began turning 65 in 2011 and by 2020 it is projected that some 12 million baby boomers will require long term care services. Facility Based Care Services vs. Home and Community Based Services Long term care becomes necessary when a person is no longer...
View Article
November 19, 2013 4:24 pm
Published by alexhouse
As a former stock jockey I remember well the concept of long term investing. Our client conversations always included the 10 plus years timeframe that we thought was appropriate if someone was considering exposing their money to the volatility of the stock market. Since converting to the Safe and Predictable world of Fixed Annuities, I find that clients are not used to the concept of Surrender Charges and this topic often comes up for discussion. Should you be concerned when you are presented a concept...
View Article
November 18, 2013 4:00 pm
Published by alexhouse
For those of you who are clients of ours, you will know that one of our primary retirement strategies is the use of the right combination of annuities including Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs). Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) are annuities which are tied to the stock-market via one or a combination of indexes such as the S&P 500. This allows owners of these annuity policies to share in any upside growth BUT at the same time, investors are shielded from any downside risk. The most important...
View Article
November 18, 2013 9:12 am
Published by alexhouse
If you’re like most people, you find the subject of annuities confusing. Just the terminology would befuddle anyone – “exclusion ratio”, “annuitization”, “indexed”, “cap rate”, “participation rate”, etc. As if that weren’t enough, the terms are not applied uniformly. Some writers about annuities refer to the kind that produces an income immediately after purchase as an “immediate annuity”; others call it a “payout annuity”. “Equity index annuity” and “fixed indexed annuity” are used almost interchangeably to refer to the same type of contract. And some...
View Article
November 15, 2013 12:16 am
Published by alexhouse
In today’s world, we want tomorrow’s results today and next year’s results this coming week. Go, go, go just like the movie Fast & Furious. We also want our money to work like that! Greed is always sliding in there to help push this thought process along as well! This is one reason a Fixed or Fixed Indexed Annuity may fit part of your portfolio! Remember the rabbit and the turtle racing each other? Well, we found out that the turtle was slow but steady...
View Article
November 14, 2013 11:17 am
Published by alexhouse
Question: Every agent I meet with is pushing a bonus as the main reason to buy the indexed annuity they are recommending. They make it sound like it’s free money, but I’m skeptical. What’s the truth about these upfront bonuses? Robert from Muncie, Indiana Answer: Phenomenal question Robert, and so important in the current over hyped annuity environment and the unregulated wild wild west of annuity internet promoters. Upfront bonuses really became popular around 5 years ago as an obvious way for insurance companies to...
View Article
