In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Should you purchase I Bonds? 

• Treasuries are as safe as it gets 

• Five places to put your money 

• Inflation is personal 

Key Takeaways: 

• Purchasing I Bonds is a no-brainer. Go to treasurydirect.gov to buy direct from the treasury I Bonds. 

• Treasuries are as safe as it gets because they can tax us and confiscate our money to pay them off, and that would happen if we needed to do that. The downside to I Bonds is that they don’t allow you to put as much money in them. 

• There are only five legitimate places to put your money that protects the principal and that you’re not going to lose a dime, and you’re going to get an interest rate. Those five are money markets, CDs, fixed-rate annuities - also called MYGAs, treasuries, and Triple A-Triple A insured municipal bonds.

• Inflation is personal. Don’t get too caught up on inflation because most people in retirement will not be affected that much by it. Ask yourself if you’re being affected by it, or are you overplanning? 

"If it’s a no-brainer, then it’s a no-brainer, and I-Bonds are the ultimate no-brainer. You can do it every year, so why not put it on your calendar and do it every year? It just makes sense. " —  Stan The Annuity Man.

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator! 

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Traditional laddering with MYGAs

• What is “reversing”? 

• Traditional laddering and reversing 

Key Takeaways: 

• You do a traditional 3-year, 4-year. 5-year ladder if you are hoping that rates will go higher. It’s a strategy you use when you want to have money as the rates are rising so that you can attach yourself and lock yourself in with those higher rates. 

• Reversing is the opposite of laddering; you lock in the MYGA for 10, 9, 7, or 10, 7, or 5 years because the rates are falling. This is also a great strategy to use with MYGAs since MYGAs are not callable, the rates are locked in. 

• If you are undecided whether you should ladder or reverse, you can put half your money in one and half in the other to get a more balanced outcome. What’s important is that you should have some of your money be not callable. 

"A lot of times when Powell raises interest rates, the annuity industry yawns. You can't time it; there’s no sweet spot. There's no arbitrage moment." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator!

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Protecting your beneficiary from dumb choices

• How Stan lovingly handcuffs his beneficiaries

• Handcuffing your loved ones is good for them

Key Takeaways: 

• Lovingly handcuffing your beneficiaries with annuity guarantees protects them from making dumb decisions with lump sums. 

• Stan has written in the trust that when he dies, there will be a lifetime income annuity purchase for each of his daughters, guaranteed to pay them for the rest of their life as long as they are breathing. 

• Your beneficiaries might not react positively to you giving them income instead of a lump sum, but handcuffing them contractually is the right thing to do and it will be good for them in the long run. 

"Death is not a good strategy, because you can only use it once. But wouldn't it be good to know regardless of what happens, that they're taken care of? And that lifetime income stream is going to be in place?" —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator!

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• State guaranty funds 

• The true safety of the industry 

• Life insurance companies are more regulated 

• Assigning unused money to beneficiaries

Key Takeaways: 

• If you look at the state guaranty fund, each state has a specific rule in place to protect you and your money in case something happens to the carrier. 

• You should be buying the claims-paying ability of the life insurance company from the standpoint of safety. The true safety of the annuity industry is the industry policing itself. 

• Life insurance companies are not smarter than banks, they’re just more regulated. The company is handcuffed from making financially stupid decisions. 

• You can structure an annuity so that 100% of any unused money goes to your family or beneficiaries. 

"You can protect yourself and your hard-earned money in a myriad of ways. You can protect it by buying very good companies, by buying underneath the state guarantee fund within your state, and by structuring the policy so that 100% of any unused money goes to your family or beneficiaries." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator!

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Retirement planning is not a game

• Asking hard questions

• Diversification and limits

• Two key questions to ask

Key Takeaways: 

• Stan emphasizes that choosing an annuity is not about sales tactics or commissions, but about protecting your life's hard-earned savings and creating a secure retirement strategy.

• Always ask detailed questions about the annuity product, understand its contractual guarantees, and don't buy something you can't fully comprehend. If an advisor can't explain it clearly, walk away.

• Don't put more than 50-60% of your investable assets into annuities. Shop across multiple carriers for the best contractual guarantees and focus on your specific needs using the PILL framework (Principal protection, Income for life, Legacy, Long-term care).

• When considering annuities, focus solely on the contractual guarantees. Ask two key questions: "What do you want the money to contractually do?" and "When do you want those contractual guarantees to start?" This approach helps create a predictable, surprise-free retirement income strategy.

"Every single time when someone's pitching you something, I want you to think to yourself, ‘this is not a game. Let me ask hard questions. Let me understand everything before I make a final decision on this hard earned money.’” —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator!

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Income Riders vs. Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIA)

• Comparison Process

• Strict rules 

• Probability of Improvement

Key Takeaways: 

• Stan explains that in some cases, you can potentially swap an income rider from a variable or indexed annuity for a SPIA with a higher guaranteed lifetime income stream.

• To determine if a transfer makes sense, you must: compare the income rider amount, use the accumulation value (not the income rider value), ensure the new annuity provides a higher contractual guarantee, verify the transfer is a non-taxable event

• The annuity industry has strict rules to prevent unnecessary "flipping" of annuities. Any transfer must demonstrate a clear financial benefit to the consumer, with a side-by-side comparison showing a higher contractual guarantee.

• Stan estimates that about 70% of the time, you won't beat the existing income rider by transferring to a SPIA. However, he recommends checking to ensure you have the highest possible contractual guarantee.

"The annuity industry does not want agents and advisors out there transferring an account to create a commission for the agent or advisor. Whatever you think about the annuity industry, they really do care about the consumer." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator! 

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Annuities were never meant to be a market product 

• The complexity of index options 

• Misleading sales pitches to avoid listening to 

• Annuities solve for your specific goals 

Key Takeaways: 

• Fixed indexed annuities were created in 1995 to compete with CD returns, not to provide true market participation. They are fixed annuities issued by life insurance companies, regulated at the state level, and not securities.

• There are over 750 index option choices and 50+ indices, with complex calculation methods that can change annually. Most index options are one-year long, and the insurance company can modify terms at each anniversary.

• Common sales pitches like "market upside with no downside" are misleading. Upfront bonuses are essentially marketing tricks, and claims about free long-term care are inaccurate. The most legitimate use is for guaranteed Income Riders.

• Indexed Annuities should be bought for principal protection, CD-like returns, or future income streams - not for growth. Always solve for specific financial goals and shop for the highest contractual guarantees across carriers.

"If you buy the dream, you're going to own the contractual reality, which means that if you're going to buy them, buy the contractual guarantee." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator! 

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• You can’t time annuities 

• Annuities provide guarantees 

• The cost of waiting 

• Annuities are not bought for market growth 

Key Takeaways: 

• You can't time the market when it comes to annuities - there is no "perfect" time to buy.

• Annuities can provide different contractual guarantees like principal protection, lifetime income, legacy, and long-term care coverage.

• There is a cost to waiting to purchase an annuity, as you may miss out on payments.

• Do not buy annuities for market growth, but rather for the contractual guarantees they provide.

"There is a cost of waiting. Does that cost pay off? If you wait, it can pay off for lifetime income because you're older, but you have to factor in the payments that you missed while you were waiting to get the higher payment." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator! 

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Gap Filling and Annuity Options:

• Social Security Timing and Considerations:

• Balancing Emotional and Financial Well-being:

• Flexibility and Lifetime Guarantees with Annuities:

Key Takeaways: 

• You need to find ways to cover your income needs before Social Security kicks in, typically from ages 62 to 70. Consider using strategies like Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIAs) or Multi-Year Guarantee Annuities (MYGAs) to provide contractual income during this gap. SPIAs pay a guaranteed income for a specific term, while MYGAs offer a fixed interest rate with the potential to preserve your principal.

• When deciding whether to take Social Security at age 65 or 70, consider your personal circumstances. Factor in the payments you'll miss while waiting for a higher payout and how long it will take to recoup those amounts. Think about living for the present and enjoying your money now rather than solely focusing on maximizing every penny.

• Reflect on the emotional and lifestyle aspects of your financial planning. Prioritize your personal happiness and well-being by doing things for yourself and living life to the fullest. Stan encourages turning on the lifetime income stream sooner rather than later, especially if you've spent a lifetime scrimping and saving.

• Use annuities to provide both lifetime guarantees and gap-filling strategies. Explore these options based on your specific needs and circumstances to bridge the gap between now and when Social Security kicks in. Consider both period certain Immediate Annuities for guaranteed income over a specific term and MYGAs for interest income while preserving your principal.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Every single time. There are limitations to every strategy. You just have to weigh the good and the bad to see if it makes sense." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator! 

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed: 

• Retirement planning essentials 

• Achieving financial security in retirement 

• Determining a lifestyle number 

Key Takeaways: 

• Lifestyle income guarantees are crucial for retirement planning, allowing retirees to live their desired lifestyle without worrying about market fluctuations or economic uncertainties.

• Annuities are the only financial products that can provide contractually guaranteed lifetime income, which can be combined with other sources like Social Security and pensions to achieve financial security.

• It's important to determine a "lifestyle number" - the monthly income needed to live comfortably and enjoy retirement, beyond just covering basic expenses. A combination of financial products can be used to achieve this lifestyle income guarantee.

"At the end of the day, it's about your lifestyle. It's about living chapter two of your life, and checking off all those boxes and making sure that you maximize every single day and be happy about it every day." —  Stan The Annuity Man. 

Connect with The Annuity Man: 

Website: http://theannuityman.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Book: Owner’s Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g 

Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator!