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Annuity Videos

How Annuities Can Solve Today’s Retirement Income Catch-22

Rob Brinkman

Joseph Heller wrote his American Classic ‘Catch-22’ in 1961 and the book title has become the catch phrase for a a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules. There are Catch-22’s in the investment world, particularly when it comes to retirement income. In this video, Rob Brinkman, explores the Catch-22 as it relates to the 4% Withdrawal axiom in our current environment where the 10-Treasury is trading well below that. In a case study he demonstrates a Bucket Strategy, using...

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Pros and Cons of Annuities – By Annuity Type

Rob Brinkman

Have you been sold or “pitched” an annuity and you have no idea if it is the right kind of annuity for your specific needs?  As you hopefully know, there are numerous types of annuities that are designed to address a specific risk or groups of risks that many retirees face.   A set of pros and cons for one annuity type is often completely different when analyzing benefits and features of other types. Education is key, and the video below does a great job in...

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Immediate Annuities Explained

Rob Brinkman

Provided By: The Annuity Guys In the golden era of career based retirements, everyone could count on a company paycheck for life in retirement. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer employees are leaving jobs with defined benefits programs that take care of their income and health benefits throughout their retirement years. So what options do workers who have invested a lifetime of dollars into 401Ks and IRAs have for lifetime retirement income? Watch as the Annuity Guys look at the gold standard of annuities – the immediate annuity, including...

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Should an Annuity Ever Be Placed in an IRA?

Rob Brinkman

When does it make sense to put an annuity inside of an IRA (Individual Retirement Account)?  This is a frequent question and the answer lies in what you are wanting to accomplish with your particular investment.  We all know that annuities are tax-deferred and so are IRAs. So, is an investor paying for tax-deferral unnecessarily when utilizing an annuity inside a qualified plan?  In this video, Rob Brinkman explores this question and gives some answers to when it does and doesn’t make sense to put...

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What Are Fixed Annuities?

Rob Brinkman

Provided By: The Annuity Guys If you are having trouble sleeping, you could count sheep or you could think about fixed annuities. Solid, unexciting, stodgy and downright boring are all wonderful terms to describe fixed annuities….along with safe, steady and simple.  Fixed annuities offer competitive interest rates, typically a couple of percentage points higher than bank CDs and money markets.  They were never designed to give returns comparable to the stock market, but this is due to the fact that they remove a layer of...

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What Annuities and Apple Juice Have in Common (Advanced Annuity Review)

Rob Brinkman

In this video, you will learn some advanced annuity concepts, the pros and cons of annuities, and why annuities are similar to apples in the fact that there is only so much juice you can squeeze from each product. Given the large amount of Index Annuities available for investors, the average consumer can quickly get overwhelmed.  This educational video walks the viewer through the different variables and how they affect one another inside an annuity contract. This educational video explains (in a very detailed, yet...

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Are Annuity Commissions Too High?

Rob Brinkman

Written By: The Annuity Guys Most of the mainstream media decries annuities as bad investment choices sold by unscrupulous agents solely to earn high commission. CNN/Money even states “annuities frequently charge other high fees as well, usually including an initial commission of up to 10% of your premium or investment”. The key word in this statement is “up to” – the majority of fixed annuities today are in the five to seven percent range assuming the agent elects to take the commission up front. It is important to keep...

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Bond Portfolios vs. Index Annuities in Rising Interest Rate Environment

Rob Brinkman

Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve is clearly pointing to higher interest rates in the future. Probably not a surprise as he would have trouble taking interest rates any lower than they have been for the last few years. Quantitative easing is coming to an end and now the conservative investor, who has traditionally relied on bonds as a safe money alternative, faces a quandary. How to safely make money in a rising interest rate environment? This educational video explains (in a very detailed, yet...

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What Is the Best Annuity?

Rob Brinkman

Written By: The Annuity Guys Are you trying to figure out which annuity will offer the best way to grow your money safely and generate income that you can count on as long as retirement lasts (without depleting your initial principal)? There are hundreds of insurance companies offering thousands of annuities – but how do you know what the best annuity is for you? It really is pretty simple. The best annuity is an annuity the helps to fulfill your specific financial objectives. However, don’t be surprised if your...

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What Do Annuities Really Earn?

Rob Brinkman

Written By: The Annuity Guys Apples and oranges – what do they have in common? Both are fruits! Why would we start a discussion about annuity earnings with apples and oranges? When people start looking at annuities, they invariably want to compare them to mutual funds or other securities. Commonly, they will start the discussion about the merits of a particular annuity by asking about the “upside” or growth potential. Let us state this clearly – thinking of annuities as accumulation products by comparing them to securities is just plain wrong in...

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