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Should I Buy An Immediate Annuity Or An Indexed Annuity?

Stan The Annuity Man

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...

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Defraying Long Term Care Costs with Annuities

Todd D. Heckman

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...

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Why Should I Worry About Surrender Charges in Annuities?

Jerry Rogers

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...

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Fixed Index Annuities – In Them We Trust!

Anton Hendler

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...

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What Are The Different Kinds Of Annuities?

John L. Olsen

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...

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Fast and Furious or the Rabbit and the Turtle

Chris Raup

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...

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What’s The Truth About Bonuses On Indexed Annuities?

Stan The Annuity Man

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...

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Annuity Acronyms Explained (GLWB, GMAB, GMDB, and GMIB)

Rob Brinkman

Annuity Acronyms! How can you understand them all? GLWB, GMAB, GMDB, GMIB – what do they all stand for? This video will teach you exactly what each annuity acronym means and how it affects you. To begin, usually an acronym on an annuity refers to some type of annuity rider. And usually (like 99% of the time) a rider costs money. Meaning there is an annual fee to have the rider. So if you aren’t 100% sure you need the rider, don’t add it to...

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Why Buy a CD-Like Annuity Instead of a Bank CD?

Carl Ostenson

The “Plain Jane” vanilla ice cream in the annuity world is called a Fixed Rate Annuity…also known as MYGA (Multi Year Guarantee Annuity). She’s really pretty boring….you agree to deposit money at an insurance company for a certain period of years, 2-10+ year contracts are all available. In return, the insurance company agrees to keep your money safe and pay you a fixed rate of interest for that term. At the end of the term, you can take your money and do something else with...

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What Are “Discounted Annuities”?

Carl Ostenson

Written By: Ken Olshein in Houston, TX Investors looking for a higher return than that of a Traditional Annuity, an Immediate Annuity, a Bond, a Certificate of Deposit (CD) or Money Market fund with similar risk should consider Discounted Annuities….also known as Secondary Market Annuities. These are structured settlements consisting of payment streams (or a lump sum payment) that are sold by Factoring Companies who purchase them from claimants looking to get cash in exchange for their future payments. The discount comes in because the...

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