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Fixed Index Annuities – Protect Your ‘Safe’ Money!

Anton Hendler

Against a background of more and more talk of another market correction, we thought it a good time to revisit the role that Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) play in one’s overall retirement strategy. Essentially you have your safe money-that is money that you want to protect and on which you never want to take a loss, and then you have ‘risk’ money-that is money that you are prepared to place at risk in return for promise of greater returns. As always, there is risk vs....

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An Overview of Crediting Methods of Fixed Indexed Annuities

Keith L. Collins

Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) are a valuable tool for retirement savings. They provide peace of mind by offering guarantees and safety of the principal amount. What’s more, they offer growth opportunity to help retirement savings keep up with the pace of inflation. FIAs are distinct from other types of annuities in that the crediting methods differ. Regular fixed annuities credit interest at a rate that is linked to the T-bills rate. Fixed indexed annuities, on the other hand, credit interest using formulas based on changes...

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21st Century Retirement Planning Equals Social Security, Pensions, 401ks and Annuities

Ryan Allor

Retirement in the 1960s almost always consisted of your Social Security and your savings. About 90% of people working used this method to fund their retirement years, and most families only had one wage-earner to draw Social Security, so the decision of when to start taking it was an easy one – most of the time, when you stopped working. To keep their best talent, many companies in the 1970s offered monthly pensions to their employees upon retirement. It was at the company’s expense to...

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Is An Annuity Like A Pension?

Ron Tetley

The decline of traditional pensions and steady erosion of Social Security benefits has started to leave most retirees without a source of guaranteed lifetime income. Plugging that hole is emerging as the most important retirement issue of our day. According to a Black Rock retirement survey, 77% of retirees wish they had locked in a guaranteed income stream when they retired, and 86% say their employer should have helped them arrange one. When the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) was enacted, it...

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Top 3 Reasons Not to Buy an Annuity

Anton Hendler

We spend so much time dwelling on why you should buy an annuity that we never go over some reasons not to do so. Also there are some myths out there regarding annuities that we hope to dispel. First, let us make the point that not all annuities are the same. We work primarily with Fixed Index Annuities which have little to nothing in common with, say, a variable annuity. For the purposes of this article for annuities read Fixed Index Annuities (FIA). 1) Your...

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The Question To Ask Yourself Before You Buy An Annuity

Brandon Bowen

As you consider all of your financial options, there is one simple question or thought that you must filter your decisions and strategies through to have a successful, independent retirement. However, before you can look at various solutions, you have to understand the needs of your household. Once you know how much your monthly expenses are and how much you need for income in retirement, you are now ready to take the next step. The single most important question that you and your advisor must...

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The Secret to Minimize Risk and Maximize Returns

Kelly Shaw

I’ve been a financial advisor for over 22 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that when most clients approach retirement, they consider themselves conservative investors. Yet in 22 years of examining retired clients’ asset mixes, I find that most are actually allocated more toward a moderately aggressive mix. Why is there such a discrepancy between what they want and what they have? The reason is that most of them don’t have a very clear picture of what retirement looks like to them – what...

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Is A Fixed Indexed Annuity Right for You?

Rick Hughes

What if you could have an investment that you knew you could not lose? Would this get you excited, or would you be thinking, “This is too good to be true”? I want you to imagine you and a friend are going to Las Vegas. This does not mean you are a gambler, but let’s pretend for a moment that you are sitting in Caesars Palace at the roulette table. The dealer tells you that you are in luck; he is going to let you...

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Breaking The Rules

Art McPherson

To start, let me tell you a secret that many banks, stockbrokers and insurance agents won’t tell you. All three want you to give them your hard-earned money, and all three make money off of your money being invested with their financial institutions. The banks make money when you keep your money in their branches, and they use your money as reserves, making loans to others and using your money as collateral. Because they are using your money, they will usually pay you an interest...

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When and Where Do I Begin Planning for Retirement?

Frank Kalantari

The first part of this question is very simple to answer. When do you begin planning for your retirement? The answer in my opinion is, “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.” To give you a simple example of how this time concept works, imagine someone at age 20 sets aside only $50 per week for 10 years at 7% and stops adding any more money until age 65, he will have more money than if another person starts the same savings plan at age 30, and continues...

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