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California Baby Boomer And Retirement Income Specialist Matching Service Goes Live

California Baby Boomer And Retirement Income Specialist Matching Service Goes Live

The first free online matching service designed to help baby boomers find the best retirement income specialists is now available throughout California. Annuity123, the online retirement income educational portal, has opened their Annuity Harmony matching service for the benefit of all California consumer This innovative online matching service is aimed to match baby boomers and retirees with annuity and retirement income specialists. Annuity123, owned by Annuity Think Tank, has recently launched an interactive and educational website on everything about retirement income and annuities. The goal...

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Arizona Baby Boomer and Retirement Income Specialist Matching Service Goes Live

Arizona Baby Boomer and Retirement Income Specialist Matching Service Goes Live

A new online matching service aimed to match baby boomers and retirees with annuity and retirement income specialists is now live in Arizona. Annuity123, owned by Annuity Think Tank, launched an interactive and educational website on everything about retirement income and annuities. The goal of Annuity123 is not only to provide free retirement education for consumers in Arizona, but to also provide them a site to locate the best retirement income and annuity specialists in their city. Annuity Harmony, the free matching service in Annuity123,...

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Index Annuities Going Captive?

Index Annuities Going Captive?

For the average insurance professional selling index annuities, there have been some major ups and downs over the past few years.  Just a couple of years ago it almost seemed certain that fixed index annuities were going to be changed to securities with 151A.  However, the insurance and annuity community really came together and won a tough battle against the powerful broker dealers and FINRA.  We have also seen commissions take a nosedive, caps have followed a similar pattern, and the beloved income riders that...

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The Truth About Buy And Hold

The Truth About Buy And Hold

To begin, none of this can be construed as investment advice as we never give any investment advice or stock recommendations.  What we strive to do is bring education and solid content to our readers.  This week we came across an incredible read from CNN Money called, “Why Buy and Hold Doesn’t Work Anymore“.  The title jumped out at us right away because that is usually the opposite of what CNN and many of their peers publish.  Not to mention, it is the mantra that...

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How To Annuitize Your 401k

How To Annuitize Your 401k

For many years annuities have received some bad press.  Big names such as Suzi Orman and Dave Ramsey have made negative comments on certain types of annuities.  And even many financial planners bashed using traditional annuities like SPIA’s due to annuitization.  You see, annuitization basically means forced income and in some instances your beneficiaries might lose out if you passed away early.  There are so many misconceptions about annuities due to these SPIA’s (single premium IMMEDIATE annuities).  For instance, the average Joe hears “annuity” and...

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Annuity123 is Sold to Annuity Think Tank

Annuity123 is Sold to Annuity Think Tank

HLM Consumer Services, LLC announces the sale of their comprehensive retirement educational website, Annuity123.com, to Annuity Think Tank. Annuity123.com is an interactive and educational site on everything concerning retirement income and annuities. The site also boasts a free matching service for baby boomers where they can find and interview retirement income specialists in their area. The fast growing Annuity123 website and the matching service, Annuity Harmony, is being sold by HLM Consumer Services, LLC. The sale and agreement was finalized over the Feb 26th weekend...

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The Sandwich Generation – Part One

The Sandwich Generation – Part One

Dorothy Miller created the the term “Sandwich Generation” in 1981, to describe middle aged adults who found themselves responsible not only for their active children, but also for their aging parents who increasingly needed help with health and daily living challenges. Since then, their numbers have increased. It is true that in other cultures and in the past, multigenerational living arrangements were common, but post-war and mobile societies in western nations are generally centered around the single family unit. Now the current levels in unemployment,...

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Don’t rely on social security for all your retirement income needs

Don’t rely on social security for all your retirement income needs

The good old days of working hard for 30+ years and then retiring with a pension plan and social security or even just social security are in a sharp decline if not over. Certainly if you are not close to age 62 the likely hood that social security will be all the retirement income you need is very low.  With the ever growing medical expenses more and more baby boomers are likely to outlive their retirement income.   The stagnant economy also presents a threat...

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The “Stretch IRA” Could Be Finished For Good

The “Stretch IRA” Could Be Finished For Good

Although as consumers we are not even close to being experts on stretch IRA’s, we are certainly comfortable with the basics. We are also comfortable knowing the powerful value they contain to continue a legacy and to spread out large tax burdens.  Well our friends up on Capital Hill (who apparently are experts at finding ways to bleed more taxes out of us) are discussing a proposal that would end the stretch IRA’s for good.  As you read the well written article below by Michael...

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Social Security Taxes by State

Social Security Taxes by State

According  to the KiplingerTax Letter June 10, 2011 article, “Retiree Tax Heavens (and Hells)”  are as follows: Heavens;  Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Hells : California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Income taxes, sales taxes, real estate taxes, friendliness to pensions, and taxes on Social Security benefits were the considerations in compiling these lists. Not all states made every category. Just in case you’re wondering which states do not tax Social Security...

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