Category Archives : All

A SLAM DUNK

I read a good Consumer Reports article the other day that discussed when there isn’t enough saved to meet a retirees expectations in retirement. The article states “Fortunately, there are a number of options for generating extra income without asking undue risks,” and referenced that “to generate guaranteed income in retirement, annuities are a slam dunk.” It is often that opportunity for income without undue risk that retirees are searching for. If you would like to learn more about this option, give us a call. We are always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

FACTS + STATISTICS

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report referenced in this week’s article “highlights the role annuities can play in helping people secure enough income during retirement.” With so many of us searching for additional sources of income that we can’t outlive, annuities frequently come up as an option to consider. Call us if you would like to talk about how they may fit into planning for your retirement. We’re always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

NEW DATA

This week’s article emphasizes that “Americans need to take additional steps in order to ensure a financially stable retirement – one that allows them to pay for medical bills and essential costs of living while enjoying their bucket list.” Have you thought about Fixed Indexed Annuities to help do this? The article tells us that FIA’s should be considered “to help create a foundation of conservative growth and ensure a steady income during retirement. With both growth potential and principal protection, FIAs can be a complementary product within existing portfolios since they are not subject to the volatility of the stock market.” Call us if you would like more information about FIAs, we’re always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

DIFFERENCES CAN MATTER

Do you understand the different types of insurance coverage that you own? This week’s terrible hurricane has brought to light the devastating effect that nuances in an insurance policy can have on our future financial security. It is useful to apply this lesson to retirement planning, and to make sure that plans are not based on assumptions about sources of income you may be counting on, but rather on features of a product that are guaranteed. Call us, we can help clarify any questions you may have on your income stream. You can count on us. We’re always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Sometimes it is important to go back to basics and talk about the meaning of words that are often used when discussing options for getting that lifetime income you need. “Annuitization is one asset management strategy for retirees seeking to secure lifetime income.” If you are looking to obtain guidance in or near retirement and would like to understand how annuitization works so that you can make choices that are best for you, call us. We are here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

SHORTFALL OR SURPLUS?

We have often discussed that one of the biggest risks to a comfortable retirement is running out of money too soon. Sometimes the difficulty is in figuring out where you stand, so I thought to share with you an on-line calculator which “helps you determine your projected shortfall or surplus at retirement. You can also see just how long your retirement savings will last.” If your results project a shortfall, call us to discuss some options you may not have considered. We’re always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

WHAT IS IT?

The other day a friend told me that sometimes it was easier to explain what something was by telling what it was typically used for. This week’s article does a good job of telling us that “the usual purpose of a deferred annuity is to accumulate value for a retirement income that is typically received as a monthly payment to supplement retirement income from other sources such as Social Security. Income from the annuity value may be taken for life or a selected number of years. This plan is called an annuity both during the period of accumulation of funds and during the pay-out period. Deferred annuities may be either IRA plans or non-IRA plans.” Should this be something that you think would suit your needs, call us. We are always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW WHO YOUR BENEFICIARIES ARE?

This week’s article provides some resources I thought to share with you relating to beneficiary designations on financial assets such as checking, life insurance and retirement accounts. Because “each of these accounts has a named owner and often a beneficiary to receive the proceeds if the owner were to die” it is important when change of life events occur to “ensure that your account ownership and beneficiary designations are in keeping with your wishes”. If you would like us to review your insurance products with you to ensure that they have the designations you would like, please give us a call. We are always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

SUMMER TIME

This week’s article writes about topics on all of our minds right now, summer vacation! Just as you may have been busy this past year planning ahead, saving and budgeting both your time and money for a summer vacation, those same disciplines apply to getting “your retirement savings on track”. We take away three easy ideas from this week’s article: spend less and save more; make use of financial resources; and diversify your portfolio. You might want to consider going “beyond the workforce and consider other options like investing in a fixed indexed annuity. Adding a fixed indexed annuity to your portfolio can help ensure a lifetime stream of income.” Call us if you think this choice might interest you. We’re always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading

DO YOU HAVE A DEFINED CONTRIBUTION OR BENEFIT?

This week’s article tells us that the typical U.S. household has few retirement savings, and that most people rely on social security. One of the reasons is the reduction in employers offering any retirement plan, and another is for those that do, there seems to be a shift away from “defined-benefit (DB) toward defined-contribution (DC) plan” What does that mean to the employee trying to plan for retirement income? “In a DB plan, a beneficiary receives a lifetime retirement income based on their years of service and their final salary. By contrast, a DC plan is one in which the beneficiary makes payments into an investment account, and then receives the accumulation, plus the investment income, on retirement.” If you are in a DC plan and think that having a product that guarantees you income for life would benefit you, call us. We can tell you what your options are. We’re always here to help.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Continue Reading