![Sam Liang]()
Sam Liang |
April 15, 2016 |
Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
Math is a funny thing, especially when it comes to averages. Let me show you what I mean. Let’s assume you have $100,000. The first year it gains 10% and the second year it loses 10%. Your average return is 0%, right? We add 10, then subtract 10, then divide by 2 years. That’s an average of 0%. But, you’ve actually lost money in this scenario, and here’s how. Start with $100,000. Say you gain 10% the first year, so now you have $110,000. Then you lose 10% of the...
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![Ash Toumayants]()
Ash Toumayants |
April 13, 2016 |
Annuities vs bonds, Bonds, financial advisor, Your Retirement
Senator Rob Portman recently revealed that about 10,000 baby boomers hit retirement each day. The typical retirement age is 65. This is the time when most retirees experience confusion. The employment that was a haven for income flow ceases. As such, investment advisors and consultants have recently found themselves answering questions regarding the best financial instruments and schemes to adopt for investment. One question many ask is — between annuity and bonds, which would be a better source of income for a baby boomer? Before...
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![Mark Melkowski]()
Mark Melkowski |
March 28, 2016 |
financial advisor, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
When my son was 10 years old, he needed heart surgery. We understood the risks to his health and the dangers associated with the procedure. So, we decided to look for a second opinion. Luckily, our doctor was very helpful and referred us to a doctor well versed in these types of surgeries. For some reason, few of us ask for second opinions on our financial situations. Most of the time, this occurs because we are friends with our financial advisor and/or we don’t want...
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![Dolph Janis]()
Dolph Janis |
March 8, 2016 |
Income For Life, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
Have you ever awoken at night and started worrying about running out of money when you’re in or entering retirement? Does the fear of losing what you have saved for retirement due to changing markets concern you? If so, you’re not alone. A large number of baby boomers have this feeling on a daily basis. I have been working with clients for over 11 years, and these concerns are brought up in just about every meeting or conversation I have with clients. When looking at...
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![Brian Jones]()
Brian Jones |
February 26, 2016 |
Fixed Annuities, Income For Life, Income Riders, Retirement Planning, Social Security, Your Retirement
For most of us, it’s very important to have an income or some type of cash flow during retirement, especially if you want to enjoy your retirement years. But how do you plan for this income and where does it come from? For most of us, Social Security is the first source that comes to mind. Yes, I do believe Social Security will be around in some form or fashion for most of us as one of our retirement income sources. If you are one...
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![Jeremy Reif]()
Jeremy Reif |
February 18, 2016 |
Interest Rates, Your Retirement
AXA Equitable was one of the pioneers of the Guaranteed Minimum Benefits (death or income) or Earning Enhancement benefits. During their heyday, the “Accumulator” was one of the top products available to consumers. Similar products were offered through; Hartford, Transamerica, American Scandia, Prudential, Jackson National, John Hancock, and MetLife to name a few. Of the companies listed, all have changed their current offerings for a wide variety of reasons. John Hancock left this annuity space, Hartford offered a buyout of their own and sold their...
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![Jim Fox]()
Jim Fox |
May 4, 2015 |
Annuity Basics, Your Retirement
If you’re like many Americans nearing retirement, you’ve been invited to more dinner and lunch seminars than you can count. What might surprise you is that only half a percent of people who receive those invitations actually attend the seminar. Even more shocking is that majority of seminars are geared toward one thing: presenting and soliciting annuities. When I began working as an advisor, almost two decades ago, I was trained that annuities were horrible retirement vehicles sold by seedy salesmen with little regard for...
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![Steve Soffer]()
Steve Soffer |
April 2, 2015 |
401k and IRA Blogs, Fixed Annuities, Life Insurance, Long Term Care, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
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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![Robbin Broome]()
Robbin Broome |
March 31, 2015 |
Retirement Planning, Your Retirement
In the last three decades that I have been in the industry, I have never seen change occur as fast and furious as it does today. As a country, we have the highest debt ever with over 19 trillion owed. Our inflation is eating the dollar’s value each year. Unemployment is at its worst, and taxes are increasing at alarming rates. The mortgage industry has just gone through one of the largest bubbles ever, and it is reported that another is on the rise. Our...
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![Todd D. Heckman]()
Todd D. Heckman |
April 17, 2014 |
Your Retirement
If you start talking with anyone – your financial advisor, someone who reads the financial press, maybe even your dog – about how much you can withdraw from your savings when you retire, you’re likely to get an answer revolving around “The 4% Rule.” This rule is not a real rule, just a “rule of thumb.” It’s based on a string of technical studies addressing the question: how much could you safely withdraw every year, with an allowance for inflation, and (probably) not run out...
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