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Retirement Planning

Protecting Against Uncertainty

Protecting Against Uncertainty

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group This morning I took my son to a local diner for breakfast.  During the meal I couldn’t help notice the couple to the booth in front of me discussing how to protect a lump sum of money.  This couple was in their mid 30s, with a 3 yr old they were busily entertaining.  The option they were discussing was a 5 year CD.  I found it interesting that the husband made the remark “5 years from now...

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Why Every Small Business Owner Needs to Consider 412E3 Retirement Plans

Why Every Small Business Owner Needs to Consider 412E3 Retirement Plans

Written By: Barry Goldwater | Goldwater Financial Group A study entitled “Financial Viability and Retirement Assets: A Look at Small Business Owners and Private Sector Workers,” done by the advocacy department of the Small Business Administration found that smaller and more financially vulnerable business owners (those with fewer than 25 workers) have less invested in retirement assets than their larger or financially stronger peers. The percentage of self-employed business owners with retirement plans is surprisingly low. Another report conducted by Jules Lichtenstein of the office...

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Why You Need To Crush Your Debt To Secure Your Retirement

Why You Need To Crush Your Debt To Secure Your Retirement

Written By: Nina Avery, CFP ® | Avery Safe Money Solutions Einstein called compounding interest the eighth wonder of the world – if you are earning it.  If you are paying it, it can quickly become a nightmare. Heard of the rule of 72?  It is a basic calculation that lets you know approximately how long it will take to double your principal based on the interest rate being applied.  If you are earning – it’s AWESOME.  If you are paying – it’s SCARY. Let’s...

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Future Income IRA: Income You Cannot Outlive

Future Income IRA: Income You Cannot Outlive

Written By: Barry Goldwater | Goldwater Financial Group It use to be that you got a job with a U.S. company, worked for that company most of your life and then retired with a company pension and social security. This double annuity income was usually enough for a comfortable retirement. Then in the 1970’s companies started shifting retirement planning responsibility to the employee in the form of 401k plans, IRA’s, profit sharing plans. The company defined benefit plans, conservative annuity payouts which were usually comprised...

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Solving Your Retirement Concerns

Solving Your Retirement Concerns

Written by: Charles Garber | Garber Financial Services People approaching or at the actual stage of retirement, have several concerns that we need to address.  Concerns that cannot be dismissed and must be resolved for their peace of mind.  These concerns are as follows: 1)  Not having enough income for the rest of their life 2)  Inflation 3)  Stock Market Volatility and Losses 4)  Unexpected Bills 5)  Health and Long-Term Confinement At first glance, each one of these concerns requires 3-4 different types of financial...

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QDRO – Dividing up Retirement Accounts at Divorce

QDRO – Dividing up Retirement Accounts at Divorce

Written By: Cathy DeWitt Dunn | President of Annuity Watch USA Divorce can have dire consequences for women and their retirements if proper care is not taken. During years of marriage, many women have focused on raising a family…instead of focusing on building personal wealth. If you’ve spent your life taking care of family while your spouse earned all or the majority of the income, here’s something you need to know – QDRO.  A QDRO is a “Qualified Domestic Relations Order,” which provides a legal...

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Can I Find a Better Option for My CD Money?

Can I Find a Better Option for My CD Money?

Written By: Alan D. Marx, CLU, ChFC | Retirement Planning Specialist Many of today’s retirees have done an excellent job of saving, and they are enjoying a comfortable life style pursing those things they want to do rather than those that they have to do.  They are living off of a combination of income streams.  They have pensions, social security, and in some cases, some withdrawals from IRAs and annuities.  They also have liquid saving s in an amount necessary for any unexpected emergencies.  Finally,...

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Upgrade an Older Annuity with a 1035 Exchange

Carl Ostenson

Is it possible to upgrade your older annuity into a new one that has more benefits? The short answer is, YES. But the real answer is that it depends, and you need to do a little homework to be sure you are making your situation better, not worse. First let’s go through some common reasons why people might want to switch from one annuity to another. 1)  Fees: This would apply mainly to Variable Annuities. The total fees can range from 2% to over 5%...

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Apple Lesson: The Retiree’s Real Advantage – How to Take an Even Bigger Bite!

Carl Ostenson

Written By: Alan Schuh | Heritage Retirement Income Planners There is a great article today on MarketWatch.com by Larry Stein (click here for the full article). “In September 2012, Apple traded above $700 per share. Analysts were jumping over each other to predict that Apple would soon trade at $1,000 per share.  Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was THE company, an unstoppable juggernaut with innovation that no company could touch. Just six months later, Apple traded at $420 per share, down 40% from its previous high. If you...

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Crackerjacks and Fixed Index Annuities: There’s a Prize Inside

Carl Ostenson

Written By: Mark MacDonald | Sage Financial Partners When you were a kid, what was the best part about a box of Crackerjacks? The prize inside, right? Sometimes my friends and I would dump out the candy just to acquire the prize. Many Fixed Index Annuities have a prize inside. It’s called the Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB). It’s an optional rider – you have to proactively request it – but for the right person, it can be one of the best retirement prizes you’ll...

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