The Atlas Annuity Podcast

Have you ever looked at an annuity illustration and seen a chart labeled "surrender schedule" and thought, wait... is my money trapped? In this episode, Marty Becker breaks down exactly what surrender charges are, why insurance companies build them into annuities, and why they're actually more forgiving than people assume.

Marty walks through real numbers showing how a surrender schedule works, why it's actually more flexible than a bank CD, and why every annuity discloses a Minimum Guaranteed Surrender Value (MGSV) — something stocks and bonds never tell you upfront. He also covers when surrender charges can become a real problem (hint: it's a planning issue, not a product flaw), plus the key exceptions that let you access your money penalty-free, including terminal illness, nursing home confinement, death benefits, and bailout provisions.

In this episode, you'll learn:

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or transfer any security or insurance product. Please consult a licensed securities advisor before making any investment decisions, and a licensed tax professional for any tax-related strategies.

Ready to see if the Atlas Annuity Strategy is right for you?
Book your free Income Clarity Call at atlasannuity.com or click the "Schedule a Call" button on any page of the website.

What if a portfolio that averaged almost 7.5% for over two decades still ran completely out of money by age 90? It's not a hypothetical — it's a real historical outcome, and in this episode, Marty Becker breaks down exactly why it happened.

Most advisors love to talk about "average returns," but almost none of them explain the difference between an average return and your actual return — and that gap could be the single biggest threat to your retirement plan.

In this episode, Marty covers:

If you've ever wondered whether your statement is telling you the whole truth about your money, this episode will change the way you look at every number on it.

Want to know your actual return — not just your average? Book a free Income Clarity call with Marty at atlasannuity.com.

Every week, Marty Becker gets asked the same question: "What's the best annuity out there?" His answer never changes — there isn't one, because it depends entirely on the person asking.

In this episode, Marty Becker, owner and founder of Atlas Financial Strategies in St. Louis, Missouri, breaks down the exact five-step process he uses with nearly every client: the Atlas Annuity Strategy. Rather than leading with a product recommendation, Marty walks listeners through why the "one-size-fits-all" approach used at most dinner seminars is a mistake — and what a personalized, gap-focused strategy looks like instead.

Listeners will learn:

This episode is for anyone who's been pitched an annuity based on a flashy bonus or high cap rate, and wants to understand what a genuinely personalized retirement strategy looks like before making a decision.

As always, this episode is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or transfer any security or insurance product. Atlas Financial Strategies Incorporated is an insurance-only licensed entity, and any decisions regarding securities should be discussed with a licensed securities advisor.

To see if the Atlas Annuity Strategy is right for your situation, visit atlasannuity.com to book a free, no-obligation call.

Most retirees have heard at least one of these myths about annuities. That agents are just chasing a commission. That annuities cap your growth. That your money gets locked up forever. But here's the truth — most of these myths come from a misunderstanding of how annuities actually work, and believing them can cause you to overlook a strategy that might genuinely fit your retirement.

In this episode, Marty Becker breaks down the 6 biggest annuity myths, where they actually come from, and exactly why they're wrong.

Here's what Marty covers:

Why the "commission" objection almost always comes from the client's current advisor — not the client
The real difference between a cap rate, a participation rate, and a spread, and why growth isn't as limited as people think
Why your money in a managed portfolio may already be more "locked up" than you realize
What you're actually paying for with an income rider fee — and how it compares to a typical management fee
How annuity companies actually use call options to protect your principal, and why they aren't pocketing your gains
The one question every retiree should ask before believing anything they hear about annuities at a dinner seminar

If you're tired of getting conflicting information about annuities and want to separate fact from fiction, this episode is for you.

Marty Becker goes head-to-head with the numbers: annuity vs portfolio, using a $1 million retirement as the test case. A 65-year-old couple needs $95,000/year in income, with Social Security covering $45,000 — leaving a $50,000 gap. This episode compares two ways to fill it: pulling the full gap from a traditional portfolio at a 5% withdrawal rate, or moving $400,000 into a guaranteed income annuity paying $29,750/year for life. The result is an honest, side-by-side look at what each path really means for a retiree's income and risk.

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

Have you been offered a rate-lock annuity? Before you sign anything, you need to hear this.

In this episode of the Atlas Annuity Podcast, Marty Becker — owner and founder of Atlas Financial Strategies in St. Louis, Missouri — breaks down exactly what a "rate lock" on a fixed indexed annuity really means, and why it's not automatically the better deal most people assume it is.

Marty explains the basic FIA story: your money isn't directly invested in the market, so if the index falls, you don't lose value — but if the index rises, the insurance company credits interest based on a formula. The problem? The cap, participation rate, or spread you're quoted today may not be the same one you get at your next anniversary. That's where "rate lock" products come in — but the term gets used in at least three completely different ways, and most people don't know which one they're actually being offered.

In this episode, you'll learn:

If you've been handed an illustration with the words "rate lock" on it, this episode will make sure you know exactly what you're signing up for before you commit a dollar.

Have questions about your own annuity or retirement strategy? Book a call with Marty today.

There's a popular belief that annuities are only for people who are afraid of the market or haven't saved enough. But what if an annuity could actually improve the retirement outcome of someone worth several million dollars — even when the market performs well?

In this episode, Marty Becker, owner and founder of Atlas Financial Strategies, walks through a real case study of a client worth over $4 million in combined assets who still had a $172,000 per year income gap heading into retirement. Marty breaks down exactly where that gap came from, why more wealth doesn't automatically mean more retirement income, and how a single guaranteed income annuity closed the gap completely — without touching the rest of the portfolio.

If you've ever assumed that having "enough" money means you don't need to plan for guaranteed income, this episode will change how you think about retirement risk.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Want to see what your own income gap looks like? Book a free call with Marty at Atlas Financial Strategies.

Most retirees assume TIPS and MYGAs are basically the same thing. Both are conservative. Both preserve your principal. Both appeal to people who want stability in retirement. But here's the truth — they solve two completely different problems. And choosing the wrong one for the wrong job can quietly cost you.

In this episode, Marty Becker breaks down exactly how TIPS and MYGAs work, what makes each one unique, and — most importantly — how to know which one is right for your situation.

Here's what Marty covers:

If you're looking for safe, stable retirement income and want to make sure you're using the right tool for the right job, this episode is for you.

Most people think putting their annuity in a trust is a smart move. Their attorney told them to do it. So they did it.

But that one simple paperwork change could trigger a massive tax bill — and most attorneys don't even realize it.

In this episode, Marty Becker breaks down the trust mistake that blindsides retirees every day. You'll learn the critical difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust, why it matters for your annuity, and how one wrong signature could make $150,000 in deferred gains immediately taxable.

What you'll learn:

If you have an annuity and an estate plan — this episode is a must listen.

In Episode 108 of the Atlas Annuity Podcast, Marty Becker, owner and founder of Atlas Financial Strategies in St. Louis, Missouri, explores one of the most creative retirement strategies he has come across in recent memory — using an annuity to pay your mortgage at a discount.

It all started with an email from one of Marty's sharpest clients, Dave, who asked a simple but brilliant question: could an insurance company essentially take over his mortgage payments for the next five years, and do it for less than he actually owes?

After running the numbers, Marty breaks down exactly how a 5-Year Term Certain Single Premium Immediate Annuity works, why the math makes sense, and how retirees can potentially lock in years of guaranteed mortgage payments while putting thousands of dollars back in their pocket — with zero market risk.

In this episode, Marty covers:

If you are approaching retirement or already retired and still carrying a mortgage, this episode is a must listen.