Todd D. Heckman |
May 19, 2014 |
Retirement Planning
This is a tough question, because it can be hard to make up for lost time. And because how do you define “enough?” What you’ll need depends on what lifestyle will keep you happy in retirement, how money-smart you are in supporting that lifestyle, and what good and bad luck you experience along the way. None of that is easily quantified, and despite what you may have heard or read, there is no “Number” out there that can possibly specify ahead of time just what’s...
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Michael Wolf |
May 15, 2014 |
Retirement Planning
If you are like most baby boomers, you have worked your entire adult life putting hard-earned dollars in the company 401k, maybe some in a CD or a Roth IRA, and now you are within striking distance of retirement. You have seen Wall Street’s large gains and large falls and you are trying to figure out how to time the market for a stable retirement income while wondering how to not outlive the money you have worked so hard to accumulate. The two questions you...
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Keith L. Collins |
May 13, 2014 |
Deferred Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
A survey by Financial Research Corporation showed that more than 36% of investors ask about the guarantees of Fixed Income Annuities. It is a fact that the collapse of several high profile corporations in the previous decade has severely shaken investors’ confidence over financial market investments. Most investors are now concerned about the safety of their investments. Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs) can be a great answer to a lot of worries of conservative investors. They offer protection from market volatility, interest rate, and inflation risks....
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Winter Troxel |
May 9, 2014 |
401k and IRA Blogs, Annuities in IRAs
In 1978, 401k plans were enacted into law and have become a popular savings option for millions of Americans. The rise in popularity of 401ks coincided with a decrease in defined benefit pensions provided by employers. These plans, along with similar defined contribution plans, have many attractive benefits like automatic payroll deduction for contributions, employer match arrangements, and the ability to defer taxes on the monies in the account. As millions of baby boomers retire, most are wondering, “What am I supposed to do with...
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Richard Ericson |
May 7, 2014 |
Annuity Caps, Index Annuities
Who knew that Dr. Seuss gave great investing advice, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Another common question I am asked regarding indexed annuities is, “What is an Annuity Cap?” First of all, your Annuity Cap is in relation to your contract value. Traditionally with indexed annuities the Index Cap is the maximum annual percentage number over the beginning of year index number that may be credited to you. In...
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Anton Hendler |
May 1, 2014 |
Index Annuities, Inflation
It wasn’t that long ago, that inflation was the topic of choice but, after a protracted period of next-to-no inflation, and perhaps a touch of deflation, not much has been heard about this inevitable fact of our lives for quite some time now. The latest annual inflation rate for the United States is 1.1% through the 12 months ended February 2014* and the average annual inflation for the past 100 years or so has been about 3.2%. Effectively this means that if you are not...
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Mike Lester |
April 25, 2014 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities
In the past couple of decades, annuities have become more popular with financial advisors and retirees for retirement planning. In many cases, annuities can be a valued part of a well-diversified portfolio. However, there are also many characteristics of annuities that can make them undesirable or even hurtful in retirement planning. Annuities have evolved from simple pension replacement plans and CD alternative types of investments to include complicated investment vehicles that many advisors claim to deliver gains regardless of market performance. Often, it’s the claim...
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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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Ron Tetley |
April 15, 2014 |
Your Retirement
While attending classes to become a financial advisor, my teacher said something that completely changed my life. It changed the way I look at financial planning as a whole, and how I have directed my career path to this point. As a result, I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure of helping many people. I was sitting in my class one day, taking notes, and the teacher said: “Someday, you will be sitting at your desk and one of your clients will be sitting across...
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Anton Hendler |
April 14, 2014 |
Index Annuities
Not that long ago, many corporate and government employees had the safety of a defined benefit pension plan which was funded by the employer and would provide a steady stream of “guaranteed” retirement income for the rest of their life. Sadly, this type of pension plan is a disappearing commodity and, with them, goes the security of an income stream to support one throughout retirement. So, given the inevitability of the current trend to alternative vehicles, what can a retiree or future retiree do to...
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