Financial Services

Retirement Income

Creating an income plan to last throughout retirement is perhaps the single most important challenge retirees will face. After all, with the fact that we’re all living longer combined with advanced medical science and technology, it’s very probable that people who are retiring today could spend 30 years or more living in retirement without earned income and only from social security and investments to support them. That’s a scary and very realistic thought.

That’s why we make income planning our top priority at our firm.  We help our clients establish a solid income plan guaranteed to last as long as they do. In other words, the income plans we prepare for our clients are guaranteed to “go the distance.” Even if that means they live to be 120 or older! They are guaranteed to always receive that monthly check.

As an Independent Agent for the last 20 years I work for my clients’ interests, not a company’s, to find the right solutions to meet their needs. Everyone deserves to have a guaranteed plan designed around their specific circumstances. On my Radio Show “Safe Money and Income ” I talk about the difference between INcome and IFcome.  

IFcome refers to the money that you will have to last the rest of your life IF everything works out, according to the assumptions, probabilities, and simulations that your typical Financial Advisor will draw up to impress you that you SHOULD be okay. But it is really all just speculation when you break it down.

INcome is what you can count on because it is based upon guarantees. There are only three things that can guarantee you will not outlive your money; Social Security, Pensions, and Annuities. Most people will have Social Security, a fortunate few have Pensions, and the smart ones will have Annuities to fill any Income Gap.

If an income plan is the most important thing in retirement, peace of mind might be the second. Let us help you create an income strategy you can’t outlive so that you can enjoy retirement with confidence and certainty. Don’t let worry rob you of your dreams!

Asset Protection

You’ve spent the last 40 years, or longer, in the accumulation phase of planning your retirement. Now it’s time to switch gears and focus on the preservationof your retirement assets. But it doesn’t mean that growth has to stop. In fact, that’s one of the ways we help our clients the most, by helping them receive a reasonable rate of return throughout their retirement years. The difference is, we do it without loss, guaranteed!

Did you know that Warren Buffett’s number one rule to investing is to never lose money? He also has a second rule and that is to never forget rule number one!

We specialize in helping our clients make asset protection and preservation their top priority. Many people underestimate the devastation of losses to their portfolio due to market declines and don’t realize how difficult it can be to rebuild an account.

Did you know that a loss of 25% requires a positive return of almost 34% just to get back to even? A 50% loss of your retirement account means you have to double your money (receive a 100% return) just to be whole again. Think about it. If you have $100,000 and lose 50%, you’re left with $50,000. Now you’re left with the insurmountable task of going from $50,000 back to your original deposit of $100,000; a return of 100%. How long do you think that will take? Two years? Five years? Ten years or more? What if you experience additional losses in the process of trying to get back to even? What if you’re drawing income from this account? What kind of impact will that have?

We believe that the best way to make a dollar is to keep it. Retirement is a critical time and most retirees simply don’t have the time to recoup losses in their portfolios. Let us show you how we help our clients achieve a reasonable rate of return, in many cases in double digits over the past few years, locking in those gains, and without ever subjecting their retirement accounts to loss – guaranteed!

Estate Maximization

Many of our clients are the ones with the bumper sticker on the back of their RV that says, “We’re spending our kids’ inheritance,” but for many others, their goal is to leave a legacy for their children and grandchildren. That means determining (while you’re still alive) where your assets should go after you die, along with a thorough evaluation of potential tax liabilities, probate avoidance, and opportunities to leverage the value of your estate using the most recent estate planning tools. 

Because of the constantly emerging vehicles designed to help you protect and transfer your assets effectively, it’s important to work with experienced estate planning professionals who stay current in this field. One area of concern we deal with all the time is how to effectively take RMDs while still being about to pass those funds on to beneficiaries, without them being depleted. We have various methods to utilize that will satisfy Uncle Sam, while still having that money grow every year, on a guaranteed basis, for wealth transfer!

Contact our office today to schedule an estate planning consultation.

Qualified Plan Rollovers

Changing jobs and retiring are two transition times in our lives that can be stressful. Fortunately, we work with people every day who are in the same situation and are looking to take personal control of funds in an employer-sponsored plan, or just need help transferring the money to another employer plan. We make a seemingly daunting task easy and are happy to help you with your qualified plan questions and needs. There are a lot of things to consider when you are trying to decide what is the best option for you.

Here are four things you can do with the money in your employer sponsored retirement plan:

  • Leave the money where it is
  • Take the cash (and pay taxes, plus a 10% tax penalty if you are younger than age 59 ½)
  • Transfer the money to another employer-sponsored plan (if the plan allows)
  • Roll the money over to a self-directed IRA

Let us help you determine if a rollover is the right move for you!