Variable Annuities- Do they Make Sense?

Recent Posts

• Low Rates Expected Until 2014

  Arguably the most damaging effect of low interest rates is the impact it has on people approaching retirement and looking for more safety. Traditional safe havens such as CDs pay very little interest in relation to the time commitment required. And I’ll admit that selling annuities in this climate is challenging to say the least.

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• Calculating Yields in the Secondary Market

  Nearly every time we send out an email with new secondary market annuity offers, several inquiries come back with people asking how the return is calculated.

  Let’s see an example that everyone can relate to…

  Assume a purchase price of $282,951 where monthly income payments of $1500 begin one month from today and continue for [...]

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• On Cashing Out In Retirement

  The tools used to maximize pre-retirement asset accumulation are not the tools of retirement  income generation.  Maximizing retirement income is just outside the scope of expertise  for most traditional advisors and individuals because  of the biggest unknown: life expectancy.

  An  individual seeking to maintain full control over their money, and setting their own withdrawal rate, [...]

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• The $440 Billion Pension Gap

  This distressing article highlights the issues pensions face meeting their promises to retirees.  According to the article, 14% of the nations workforce still participates in some sort of employer sponsored, defined benefit plan.  Yet, "The third quarter 2011 was the second worst in history for pension liabilities," due primarily to unrealistic assumptions and enduring low [...]

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