Tony Wiley |
May 21, 2014 |
Inflation, Retirement Planning
For years now, with record low interest rates, many have come to the belief that inflation is a non-factor. Before I address that assumption, let us first understand what inflation is. In its simplest terms, inflation is an increase in the price of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. It reduces purchasing power and has been referred to as the “Silent Thief”. Historically, inflation is said to grow at around 4% per year. That means one dollar today should be...
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Carl Ostenson |
March 17, 2014 |
401k and IRA Blogs, Annuity Basics
Question: Is it possible to move your current 401k plan into a self directed IRA, before you retire? Answer: Usually YES, but you have to be 59 ½ or older. It’s called a 401k In-Service Distribution. You may have a good reason why you would want to move your 401k somewhere else: More investment options Lower fees Lock in some gains and put the money someplace safer Some kind of annuity for future income Whatever your reason is, a 401k In-Service Distribution allows you to...
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Carl Ostenson |
February 25, 2014 |
Carl Ostenson, Income Riders, Index Annuities
Do you want to put aside a portion of your retirement savings so it will guarantee you income when you retire? Here’s my Top 5 reasons why using an indexed annuity with an income rider could be a good solution: 1) LOCK IN THE LAST 5 YEARS OF GAINS: Since the market bottom in March of 2009 the SP 500 Index is up 165% without any real major correction. (As of 2/24/14) You are also 5 years older now and have less time to recover...
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Tony Wiley |
January 22, 2014 |
403(b) Annuities, Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA)
I have made the acquaintance of many educators over the years; both retired and still in service. I was fortunate enough to meet many of them while working with one of the 403(b) providers in the public school systems. Most of them had regularly contributed to their accounts as a way to supplement their pensions. What I’ve found is that the vast majority were not aware that there had been major changes made to 403(b)s over the last several years. First, let’s describe what a...
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