This week’s article that I thought to share with you is called “The Secret to Generating Lifetime Income.” It states that “one solution to help ensure lifetime income is adding a fixed indexed annuity (FIA) to your retirement portfolio. These products can help balance your portfolio and generate guaranteed income for life.” We certainly don’t keep these products a secret, as they are frequently used by retirees to supplement social security income. Call us, we are happy to explain how they work and to discuss if they might be a good option for you to consider. We’re always here to

“While a whopping 94 percent of Americans currently give themselves a passing grade on retirement, a third of them have confessed to stopping retirement savings at least once”, according to a new report cited in this week’s article. Stopping savings can happen for a variety of reasons ranging from loss of a job and income to added unexpected expenses. Because these events can also happen in retirement where income that is not derived from guaranteed investments declines, or health care costs go up, it is best to plan for these bumps in the road. Call us, we may have some

The editor of this week’s article wrote that “An annuity can be a very smart retirement investment for many people. That’s not just because an annuity can provide a secure revenue stream — a monthly check — for the rest of your life, no matter how long you live. On top of that, the longer you live, the more you get what’s called a “mortality credit” as you outlive other people who bought into the annuity. The income gain from that can be many times greater than any other secure investment you’re likely to find.” To help explain the different

Now that it is May and tax season is behind us, it may be a good time to reassess how retirement has impacted or will impact your living expenses. This week I thought to share with you a chart that may help you with this assessment. “Your living expenses may increase or decrease at retirement but will likely not stay the same.” You can use this calculator to help compare living expenses that you have now to the day that you will retire. This may help you to plan your savings requirements accordingly. Call us if you need help in

This week’s article discusses the situation when a company offers to cash out the pensions of certain retirees and former employees and instead give them a lump-sum payment. In the past we have discussed the difficulty in being confronted with this type of situation. “For most retirees, a guaranteed stream of income for life is a better option than a lump sum.” But these types of situations require a thorough talking through to ensure that you are making the best possible choice from among your options. Call us if you find yourself trying to evaluate this or a similar situation.

A common concern when planning for retirement is the difficulty in knowing exactly how much income the retiree will have, and how long that income will last. It is also sometimes difficult to understand how different products work. Because retirees often choose to purchase an annuity with a guaranteed lifetime income to help them with this part of their retirement planning, I thought to share with you a short video that “breaks down the guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit that provides predictable income in retirement.” After you have watched it, call us with any questions you may have. We’re always here

From time to time we come across publications that are beneficial for anyone owning or thinking of owning an annuity to have. This week’s publication is a glossary of terms that are often used when discussing this particular type of product, and it is in a form that is easy to print out and reference in the future. We thought to share it in order to better enable you to have a clear understanding of your options as you plan for your retirement. It is important to make independent decisions about what options are best for you, and without a

This week’s article tells us that “A new study has found that one difficulty workers saving for retirement have in judging whether they’re on track is that they could be under the “illusion of wealth” or, conversely, under the “illusion of poverty.” The study, “The Illusion of Wealth and Its Reversal,” published in the Journal of Marketing Research, found that the format in which information is presented affects an individual’s perception of wealth (or poverty).” We thought you might be interested in this study, and why individuals fall into one category or the other. Call us once you’ve had a

We always enjoy finding articles that help you to make good decisions for your financial future. This week’s article is one of those as it suggests some questions to ask that help determine what a good choice might be for you. “Indexed annuities offer a unique and attractive blend of safety, growth potential, tax advantages, lifetime income and liquidity” and it is important when you make your decision of which Annuity to purchase, to ask the right questions. Take a look at this week’s article. We think you will find it informative. Call us if you would like help in

If you have ever wondered how often you should review your annuity portfolio, this week’s article tells us it should be done “as often as you would your other investments”. This is one of the reasons we invite clients for an annual review. Major changes such as a serious illness, stopping work, or health issues can have an impact on your financial planning. We look to help you make the right choices for where you are in your life, knowing that the only constant is change itself. So call us, we’re always here to help you get your bearing, and