CRISIS IN RETIREMENT PLANNING
The Harvard Business Review published an interesting article explaining how when interest rates and stock prices both plummeted, “the value of pension liabilities rose while the value of the assets held to meet them fell.” You don’t need to be a participant in a group plan to experience similar problems, as the same result can occur in individual retirement accounts. This is often a reason why we talk about finding options where the principal is protected, and the product purchased can generate an income that cannot be outlived. Call us if these kinds of options are of interest to you. We are always here to help.
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.
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.
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.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
“Knowing how much and where to save your money is essential to leading a financially secure life”. However, “wrapping your head around the multitude of retirement options available” can not only be stressful, but confusing. This week’s article is useful in that it provides three questions that you should be sure your financial professional to help you understand your personal situation. Call us, we are always here to help and will make sure that “you are left with more answers than questions to help you achieve your long-term financial goals”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.