Benjamin Franklin invented the modern annuity Benjamin Franklin was a sagacious man, as a matter of fact; he was one of the first owners of an annuity. Since his time annuities have been intertwined with American history, in many ways, they have been a strong core of our country’s financial security. Ben was a wise [...]
At a recent Social Security workshop, I presented I was asked the question on every baby-boomer’s mind these days. “What should I do with my retirement funds with all this volatility in the stock market?” The answer is not simple but is not as complicated as many would have you believe. The question “assumes” a [...]
Will everything in your life remain normal? “Normalcy Bias”: a belief people hold when considering the possibility of a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects. Many people may tend to believe that things will always function the way things have performed in the past. This [...]
“Laddered funds” to assure retirement assets are safe, growing, and accessible as needed for decades to come.” Imagine you are standing on the ground looking up at a 30’ tall building. You need to get to the top of the building, but you don’t have a 30’ ladder. You do, however, have THREE 10’ [...]
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 [...]
