retirementpla1

This recent article (click here to read) is about what key features to consider when choosing a fixed index annuity during a time of market unease. It helps us to understand details like how FIAs can help act as a source of guaranteed income, even when the markets are declining.  Reading the article provides tips […]

Even if you’re able to add up what you spend today, trying to determine what you will need when you retire is difficult because your spending is sure to change. While perhaps you won’t have a mortgage payment anymore, you may be asked to contribute to your grandchildren’s education, or perhaps you will want to

As we’ve seen from the news over this past week, many were caught up in the hurricane, and many did not have insurance that suited their needs. This is the case for many people because a natural tendency when purchasing something that pays money for a future event is to weigh the cost against the

We all remember our school days of worrying about the grades we would receive. What does it mean when an insurance company gets graded? Insurance companies are rated with a letter grade to indicate their ability to meet their continuing obligations. An A+ rating means that they are considered superior. You will usually also see

Someone asked us this past week if we would explain what the “Four Percent” rule is and how it came about. The Four Percent rule is based on a study by a financial advisor named William Bengen. His study suggested that one could safely withdraw 4% of their starting portfolio value for 30 years without

There was an interesting article the other day in the Wall Street Journal. The article discussed a recent survey of workers in their 60’s who were asked about their retirement preferences. The author found that the assumptions that are usually embedded in retirement income calculators–for example, good health, not wanting to make a bequest, and

“Money can’t buy happiness” is an adage that some people live by, and others ignore. According to a recent Purdue study: “income can correlate with emotional well-being and life satisfaction.” But, as a recent GoBankingRates article tells us, the price of happiness differs (apparently) depending on the State you live in. We may have some

A fixed indexed annuity is a type of annuity contract between you and an insurance company. It generally promises to provide returns that are based on a link to the performance of a market index. You usually make one initial lump sum payment to the insurance company. That payment is then allocated to one or

We continue to read articles confirming that, while it certainly is an arduous task to work for decades and plan ahead to afford a comfortable retirement, what continues to unsettle many is the actual transition into a life post-workforce. For example, concerns about losing one’s routine, the fading away of workplace friends, and confronting the