Your Retirement Archives - Annuity 123 : Annuity 123

How You Can “Lock In” All-Time Highs in the Stock Market With Fixed Index Annuities

Mike Riedmiller | January 3, 2018 | Annuity Basics, Index Annuities, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

As we approach the end of 2017, the stock market has been achieving all-time highs. This is very interesting since some people were calling for the stock market to crash this past year due to a number of factors. Of course, this crash did not happen. This has left many retirees and people approaching retirement with some important questions: 1. Is now the time to take some of my money out of the stock market? 2. Should I invest (risk) more money? 3. Should I...

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Discover why people love safer growth of their money and the option for lifetime income

Mike Riedmiller | September 15, 2017 | Annuity Basics, Income For Life, Index Annuities, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

There is a lot of talk and debate about the pros and cons of annuities and whether they are good to have in your retirement plan. All investments have their strengths and weaknesses. This, unfortunately, is something you don’t always hear about from people in the financial services industry or the so-called gurus you see in the media. First, let’s look at the three main types of annuities: Variable Annuities – Variable annuities usually have higher fees (2% – 4%). Your money is still “at...

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Why having a plan could change the outcome of your retirement

Ryan Schaner | July 31, 2017 | Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

Do you currently own or are you considering purchasing a financial solution? Do you know if that solution will accomplish what your true purpose is for that money? Before you can determine what type of solution you should put in place, you need to start with a plan. With a plan you’ll have a better understanding of your household’s needs, including how much income you need every month and how much you need in retirement. Once you’ve figured this out, you’re ready for the next...

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How the War Over Your Money Can Hurt You

Matt Jackson | May 8, 2017 | Annuities in IRAs, Annuity Basics, Income For Life, Index Annuities, Your Retirement

There is a war going on for your money, and you probably don’t even know it. Licensed stockbrokers, Wall Street, and big banks offering risky securities are fighting against insurance companies and banks offering principal-guaranteed products. These groups are as opposed to each other as Coke and Pepsi. So, why the fighting? Why don’t stockbrokers tell you about the advantages of some of these principal-guaranteed products, like fixed indexed annuities (FIAs)? I believe it’s because of the reoccurring fees generated by the amount of money...

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The concept of the family office

Matt Redding | January 11, 2017 | diversified portfolio, financial advisor, Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

Recently, I had a potential client that was frustrated with their financial situation. They had a financial advisor for their stock and bond investments, a CPA doing their bookkeeping for their business, an attorney handling their estate planning, wills and trusts, and an insurance agent doing their life insurance. In large part, their frustration was trying to coordinate with these parties and get them all on the same page to formulate a cohesive plan that takes care of their needs today, tomorrow, and for future...

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Why Some People Like Annuities

Nick Davis | November 4, 2016 | Financial Planning, Fixed Annuities, Income For Life, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

Annuities are considered an enormous and confusing topic. If you’ve searched “annuities” on the internet, you know that everyone has something to say about the topic. With the wild stock market swings in recent years, most people are looking for alternatives. As of right now, annuities are the best answer for a lot of people. At the same time, annuities are widely misused, which results in heated conversations about the product. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, everyone wants to grow...

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The Role of Index Annuities in Financial Planning

Jim Heafner | June 3, 2016 | Financial Planning, Index Annuities, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

What role do index annuities play in financial planning? Can they provide growth or just income? First, let’s address index annuity growth versus market growth. Since 1995, some of the better index annuities have historically averaged 4 to 5%.1 Many would dismiss this growth, compared to the stock market’s “higher returns.” The disconnect is that we often focus solely on actual market returns, pointing to the S&P or Dow during good market performance periods only, rather than focusing on actual return performance in an investor’s...

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4 Essentials Every Retirement Plan Should Consider

John Gill | May 17, 2016 | Income For Life, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

A mere six years after one of the most devastating recessions (2008) in U.S. history, which destroyed many Americans’ retirement plans, I frequently saw new clients who had forgotten about the losses their portfolios took during the early 2000s. I believe it’s important not to forget what a 20, 30, or 40 percent loss feels like in your portfolio. Why? Because another market loss can easily occur during your retirement years. When you enter retirement and begin withdrawing income to live on and not simply...

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Why the Social Security Administration Can’t Help You With Your Benefits

Sam Liang | April 26, 2016 | Annuity Basics, Social Security, Your Retirement

The Social Security Administration (SSA) can’t help you with your Social Security benefits. That sounds funny, I know, but they can’t. What I mean is that they can’t help you put a plan in place to maximize your benefits. An article in last year’s Wall Street Journal said it best: “The Social Security isn’t your financial advisor.”1 Everyday, 182,000 people visit an SSA office. They field 445,000 phone calls daily. In 2014, they received 17 million applications just for new and replacement cards. 59 million...

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RMDs — Required Maximum Destruction!

Sam Liang | April 18, 2016 | Retirement Planning, RMDs, Withdrawal Charges, Your Retirement

I know — RMDs don’t actually stand for that. They stand for Required Minimum Distributions. Many over age 70 ½ know what they are — it’s when the IRS requires you to take a withdrawal from your IRA accounts then are taxed on it. RMDs are calculated by dividing the total balance of your IRAs, employer sponsored plans (401k, 403b, etc.), and IRA based plans (SEP, Simple IRA, etc.) at the end of the previous year by the distribution period that correlates with your current...

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