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Fixed Annuities

Dancing with Your Money: The 2-Step for Tax Free Income and Legacy

Steve Soffer

Steve Soffer | April 2, 2015 | , , , , ,

Ok, cute title… but what the heck is a “2-Step” when it comes to taxes and my money? Well, if you currently have savings in a qualified 401k, 403b or 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, then one of your concerns is probably how taxes will impact your retirement as well as the legacy you leave your family. You might want to consider implementing this simple 2-step financial planning strategy. First of all, you might wonder, “Is it possible to use existing financial tools to create a...

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Fixed Index Annuity Basics

Mark Goldfinger

Mark Goldfinger | March 27, 2015 | , , , ,

When my clients ask me to list the most important ingredients required when looking to create and maintain a stress-free retirement plan, I explain to them that there are three basic financial requirements: a guaranteed income which they cannot outlive; little or no risk of losing their money/savings, and the ability to grow their money through participation in a growing stock market and NOT a receding stock market. I then inform them that there are financial tools that will help meet these three requirements, and...

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Fixed Annuities vs. Variable Annuities

Randy Floyd

Randy Floyd | March 25, 2015 | , , , , ,

For most people, the word “annuity” might as well be a four-letter word. When I talk about them in my practice, I find that there is a very negative connotation associated with them. Yet most people’s understanding of annuities is very limited at best. So, I wanted to take some time to explain what they are and go over some of the different kinds of annuities. I think most people will realize that they are not quite the monster they have been made out to...

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Kissing Market Risk Goodbye

John Jansen and Rob Wolff

John Jansen and Rob Wolff | March 3, 2015 | , ,

It’s the time of life that you have been waiting all your working years to experience. Retirement has finally come, and you can enjoy what you have been working so hard for. But suddenly, a flood of questions stream through your mind: What will happen if the market takes a sudden downturn? How safe are my investments from losing value? Did I save enough to receive income for life? If you are similar to many Americans, then these are questions you have already asked yourself...

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When is the Right Time to Buy an Annuity?

Randy Floyd

Randy Floyd | February 25, 2015 | , , , ,

This is a question I get asked a lot in my practice. However, this question is asked for many different reasons. There are several issues this question refers to, and each of them should be answered specifically in accordance with their real, underlying question. At what age should I purchase an annuity? This is a broad question, and will be answered in more detail as we work through some of the others. Generally speaking, most people under the age of 40 should not purchase an...

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How to Never Lose Your Money: A Guide to Fixed Indexed Annuities

Barbara Halperin

Barbara Halperin | February 17, 2015 | , , ,

Believe it or not, Tony Robbins, motivational guru, has joined the ranks of advisors offering fixed indexed annuities to the American public. He realizes that people in the United States today find value in the benefits that a fixed indexed annuity provides. What other investment can protect you from market risk while simultaneously producing tremendous streams of income guaranteed to last you for life, and also the lifetime of your spouse? There is no other product offered today that can do what a fixed indexed...

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Are Bonds Giving You the Blues?

Fred Smids

Fred Smids | November 18, 2014 | ,

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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Four Good Reasons to Buy an Annuity Now

Jerry Rubin

Jerry Rubin | November 3, 2014 | , , , , ,

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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Annuities 101

Steven Aul

Steven Aul | October 28, 2014 | , , , ,

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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The Five Steps to Making Investment Decisions

Mel Brandon

Mel Brandon | October 8, 2014 | , , , ,

Which came first? Throughout the ages, the question of the chicken or the egg has led to many discussions and even more questions. This article is not about chickens or eggs, but it is about the order that we should think about financial matters. On first introduction, we are often asked, “What do you think of a specific investment, insurance product, or style of investing?” There is only one correct answer to this type of question: “It depends.” The intent is not to be vague...

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