Be careful what you wish for. This is one of my favorite sayings and is particularly apropos when it comes to retirement planning. For most people, once they retire, there’s no going back. Retirement is one of, if not the biggest, life-changing events. A plethora of changes awaits you, some good, others not so good. […]

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While diversification is a vital principle when it comes to pre- and post-retirement investment planning, income timing is just as important in retirement.

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As I write this article, there’s a “Bulletin” at the top of the page on MarketWatch: “Dow Industrials up more than 200 points.” This equates to a 1%-plus increase in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. That’s great news for investors who aren’t shorting the market and who are chasing investment returns. When you’re in the […]

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If your goal is to build sustainable income with the ability to increase your lifetime income amount, one of the best ways is with fixed index annuities.

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There’s a strong tendency toward underestimating life expectancy. When asked to estimate how long the average person their age and sex can expect to live, approximately 60% of retirees and pre-retirees provided a response that was below the average, according to “The 2011 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey,” prepared by the Society of Actuaries. […]

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Longevity insurance is one application of different types of fixed income annuity products offered by life insurance companies to meet income needs.

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Talk about the circle of life. Most of us were taught our ABCs between ages three and five. Six decades later, there’s a new alphabet that we need to learn. It’s called Medicare. Although Medicare benefits generally kick in at age 65 for most people, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with, and begin […]

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Medicare wasn't designed to handle significant long-term care expenses. Medicare only covers medically necessary care with the focus on medical acute care.

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When you make a nondeductible contribution to a traditional IRA and you immediately convert it to a Roth IRA, 100% of the conversion is nontaxable, right? Not necessarily. You may be asking yourself, how it could be taxable since you didn’t get a tax deduction for the contribution to your IRA. What about the backdoor […]

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A fixed index annuity is the only fixed annuity where you can receive a stream of income and enjoy an investment value that comes with downside protection.

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