TODAY’S ECONOMY
This week I thought to send you an educational article that I found informative. It begins by telling us that “In today’s volatile economy, it can be hard to feel balanced while riding the roller coaster stock market. A diversified retirement plan is essential, and indexed annuities can add balance, giving you some peace of mind—no matter what happens on Wall Street. As with other financial products, it’s important to understand the product and its benefits.” After you’ve read it, give me a call. We’re always here to answer any questions you might have.
TOOLS FOR RETIREMENT PLANNING
From time to time I am asked to provide resource calculator tools that can be used to plug in numbers such as age, income, social security benefits and years to retirement so that individuals can see if their resources are in line with what they believe their retirement needs will be, whenever that time comes. This week’s article provides a detailed “Retirement Calculator” which may help you determine if a fixed annuity that provides a guarantee of income for life is something that might help you in achieving your retirement goals. Call us if you would like to talk about this further, or if you have any questions. We’re always here to help.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE REASON?
Did you know that nearly one in three people between the ages of 18 and 34 – millennials – have no money saved for retirement, and one in four report owing more money than they have currently saved. That’s what this week’s article stated, along with writing that according to the same survey, 52% of millennials “showed interest in products like fixed indexed annuities that provide guaranteed lifetime income while ensuring the principal investment is never lost.” I wonder if that is because millennials realize that they need to preserve whatever they do end up saving. What are your thoughts? We look forward to hearing from you and are always here to talk about your savings strategies for feeling good about your retirement.
IS THIS RISK OF CONCERN TO YOU?
This week’s article reminds us that determining how much money one will need to save in order to have a secure retirement depends on “the ultimate unknowable: How long will you live?” The risk of running short is called a “longevity risk”, and this risk is of concern to many approaching retirement age. The Obama administration last year established rules to foster a new type of annuity that would provide a steady monthly payment until you die. If you are interested in this type of product as part of your retirement planning, call us. We’re always here to help.
WHAT ARE YOU COUNTING ON?
I frequently discuss individuals’ concerns over their inability to count on enough monthly income from their employer’s pension plan to provide them with the retirement income they want to receive. This week’s article also addresses these concerns and states “Present day retiring Baby Boomers are in search of that guaranteed income. Fixed annuities, simply said, are designed to guarantee income, offer peace of mind and provide protection. Nearly 90 percent of annuity owners buy them for just that; because they provide retirement savings and protect contract holders from losing money.” If these are your objectives, please call us so that we can discuss some options that may be available to you. We’re here to help.
MONEY MAY NOT BE EVERYTHING IN LIFE
This week’s article begins with this well known saying, but continues with admitting that “another truth is that money is something in life. Without money, we cannot enjoy the basic necessities of life that is food, clothing and shelter. Therefore, wise use of money and saving it for future purposes becomes important. Whether you are working in a company as an employee or running your own business, there comes a time when you need to call it a day and that is when the need of a steady source of income arises. This need can be fulfilled in many ways like keeping a part of your income in fixed deposits, investing in stock market etc. There is another way to fulfill this requirement- by way of annuities.” Call us if you are interested in this option. We are here to help you navigate your way to retirement.
REINFORCEMENT
I thought to refer to you this week’s article as in the past I have, from time to time, referred you to articles from the Society of Actuaries Retirement Committee who studies trends in retirement and life expectancy. This week’s article, written by another organization, refers to those past studies in discussing their response to questions asked regarding interest rates and annuities and “assessing the financial implications of living longer”. I’m happy to send you this article as it reinforces the benefits of some of the options that we can offer you in your retirement planning. Take a look and call us if you have any questions. We’re always here to help.
SENIOR YEARS
The Insurance Information Institute referenced an interesting article about senior years that I thought to share with you. It said that “by the time you retire, your accumulated wealth is probably at its height. The challenge now is to manage your assets so that they last as long as you do. Insurance still plays an important role at this stage of your life.” One of the topics discussed in the article under the Financial Planning section was the idea that married retirees “ review their financial situation and determine how much income a surviving spouse would lose” when the other passes away. The article gave an example of how a surviving widow might end up with a 40% reduction in family income due to loss of the other spouse’s social security check. We agree with the article when it states that one of the strategies for seniors should emphasize income-producing instruments that can supplement Social Security. If you would like to discuss this, call us. We’re always here to help.
20 YEARS HAS TO MEAN SOMETHING
“Over the last 20 years, FIAs have been a part of the longest and strongest bull market in U.S. history, as well as witness to two of the worst bear markets since the Great Depression. Through it all, indexed annuities have done exactly what they were designed to do — provide the potential for a little more interest than a stated-rate annuity would pay while still protecting premium and credit interest from market risk.” This week’s article discusses Annuities from the view point of different market environments.. If you would like to discuss where Annuities might fit into your retirement plans, give us a call. We’re here to help.
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO RETIREMENT
CNN had an article I thought to share with you this week on the Ultimate Guide to Retirement. It spoke about Annuities being “a popular choice for investors who want to receive a steady income stream in retirement”, and it reviewed how the income you receive from an annuity “can be doled out monthly, quarterly, annually or even in a lump sum payment.” There are various choices available to you, so take a look at what the article discusses, and then let us know if you have any questions. As always, we’re here to help!