![Fred Smids]()
Fred Smids |
November 18, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Fixed Annuities
The “Bond Blues” are beginning to show their ugly faces. Your supposedly safe investments are now showing losses, and if certain bond issuers don’t reorganize their affairs, they could possibly default. What do you do? Where else can you get favorable tax treatment on your money and a decent rate of return with little or no risk? The answer is twofold. First, you wake up from your lazy portfolio slumber and take action, that’s what you do! You realize your bond’s real return. You need...
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![Jerry Rubin]()
Jerry Rubin |
November 3, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Annuity Caps, Annuity Fees, Fixed Annuities, Income Riders, Index Annuities
A first-class fixed indexed annuity puts you in position to collect a pension-like income, guaranteed to continue for as long as you and your spouse are alive. These annuities allow you to profit from the stock and commodities markets with no risk. This type of annuity simply uses financial market indexes, like the S&P 500, as outside reference points to determine your interest. Whenever the market (index) goes up, you make money; whenever it goes down, since your money is never invested or at risk...
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![Steven Aul]()
Steven Aul |
October 28, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Annuity Definition, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Variable Annuities
I cannot count the times that I have sat down with a couple and asked what they would like to have in their retirement portfolio, and they tell me they want to have guaranteed income they cannot outlive, maintain their principal with little or no risk, and be able to participate in the market when it increases. They get excited when I reveal that there are tools that meet these requests, but when I mention the word “annuity,” they grow horns. I believe this negative...
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![Fortunato Puleo]()
Fortunato Puleo |
October 14, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Index Annuities
In today’s fast-paced world and economy we need to be sure of the financial steps we take, after all, it could mean the difference between enjoying retirement without worry, cutting back on your lifestyle, or worse yet, going back to work. 3 Reasons to Annuity or Not to Annuity If you are ok with market fluctuations and you truly have a sense of peace that the stock market will never go down again, then you should not put your money in an annuity. You see,...
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![Kevin Gilmartin]()
Kevin Gilmartin |
August 15, 2014 |
Annuity Basics
So, you have decided to purchase an annuity. Remember that most fixed annuities only provide annual statements – do not wait a whole year to find out if you have been scammed! The Latin statement caveat emptor, “Let the buyer beware,” has never been more appropriate. No one wants to lose his or her retirement savings to the likes of Bernie Madoff, or be the poster child for shows like “American Greed: Scams, Schemes, and Broken Dreams.” Be knowledgeable about where your funds are going....
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![Anton Hendler]()
Anton Hendler |
August 14, 2014 |
Annuity Basics
Against a background of more and more talk of another market correction, we thought it a good time to revisit the role that Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) play in one’s overall retirement strategy. Essentially you have your safe money-that is money that you want to protect and on which you never want to take a loss, and then you have ‘risk’ money-that is money that you are prepared to place at risk in return for promise of greater returns. As always, there is risk vs....
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![Ryan Allor]()
Ryan Allor |
August 7, 2014 |
401k and IRA Blogs, Annuity Basics, Social Security
Retirement in the 1960s almost always consisted of your Social Security and your savings. About 90% of people working used this method to fund their retirement years, and most families only had one wage-earner to draw Social Security, so the decision of when to start taking it was an easy one – most of the time, when you stopped working. To keep their best talent, many companies in the 1970s offered monthly pensions to their employees upon retirement. It was at the company’s expense to...
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![Ron Tetley]()
Ron Tetley |
August 6, 2014 |
Annuity Basics
The decline of traditional pensions and steady erosion of Social Security benefits has started to leave most retirees without a source of guaranteed lifetime income. Plugging that hole is emerging as the most important retirement issue of our day. According to a Black Rock retirement survey, 77% of retirees wish they had locked in a guaranteed income stream when they retired, and 86% say their employer should have helped them arrange one. When the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) was enacted, it...
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![Anton Hendler]()
Anton Hendler |
August 4, 2014 |
Annuity Basics
We spend so much time dwelling on why you should buy an annuity that we never go over some reasons not to do so. Also there are some myths out there regarding annuities that we hope to dispel. First, let us make the point that not all annuities are the same. We work primarily with Fixed Index Annuities which have little to nothing in common with, say, a variable annuity. For the purposes of this article for annuities read Fixed Index Annuities (FIA). 1) Your...
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![Brandon Bowen]()
Brandon Bowen |
July 29, 2014 |
Annuity Basics, Retirement Planning
As you consider all of your financial options, there is one simple question or thought that you must filter your decisions and strategies through to have a successful, independent retirement. However, before you can look at various solutions, you have to understand the needs of your household. Once you know how much your monthly expenses are and how much you need for income in retirement, you are now ready to take the next step. The single most important question that you and your advisor must...
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