Simplifying Retirement Income Planning (and eliminating: "so what’s the catch?” ) Planning for one’s retirement is not nearly as complicated and confusing as you have been led to believe. You just need to understand how to overcome the “catch,” as in, “so what’s the catch?” Yes, we’ve all been told, if not instructed, that planning [...]
Is your outlook on life negative or is it just being realistic The other day a customer called me “negative” --- said I was “thinking too negatively about the financial markets, and that in my business I should be MORE positive.” Holy cow! Where do I begin to respond? First of all, nobody is [...]
While you are exposed to risk in your investments, does your broker enjoy a guaranteed income from your portfolio? His income stream is called fees! It’s the week before Christmas, and the markets are tanking, and Securities Dealers should be getting a spanking. You’ve lost all the year’s gains you thought you had made, and [...]
Somewhere at the intersection of “I told you so” and “I wish I wasn’t right”, lies your worry and angst of losing your retirement funds in the Wall Street Casino – unless you had the wisdom and foresight to transfer at least some of your nest egg into the safety, stability and guaranteed growth of [...]
The stock market is in a state of volatility. Up one day, down the next. People who are depending on stock market returns have been faced with uncertain volatility which can cause stress and concern. Here are four points to consider. 1. The market will crash. Maybe today is the beginning of the “correction” that [...]
What if the solution to your retirement income is the thing you don’t know about or WANT to know? How many of these features would you like for your retirement? • A reasonable rate of return. • Participate in market gains without exposure to market losses. • Guarantees that [...]
The truth hurts sometimes, and so what follows may sting some of you a little. However, I owe you the truth. Always. (though you may not be hearing it from your financial advisor) If you are 58 or older, or nearing retirement at any age, and you need that retirement nest-egg to provide for your [...]
My head is healing up nicely now. It gets better when I stop beating it against the wall in my office. My business partners have grown to recognize the thumping, pounding sound. It’s just an occupational hazard that comes with being in the retirement income planning business. I sell annuities. “Did you know that running [...]
Many pension programs both in the private and public sector offer a “Spousal Survivor Benefit.” If the primary pensioner dies first—the spouse gets a percentage, usually not all, of the regular monthly pension received before death. If selected, this nice benefit comes at a not-so-nice cost. The provider of the monthly pension is now going [...]
One day Little Red Riding Hood was walking across town to her Grandma’s house. She was carrying her favorite basket which she always used when bringing things to Grandma’s, except today in the basket she would be carrying something very, very valuable and important—in the basket would be Grandma’s life savings. Grandma was retiring after [...]
