In many cases, once a person decides he or she likes the idea of using an index annuity they always want to find the best annuity for maximum performance.  As much as I tell people the strategy is more important than the product, there are plenty of people who dig a deep hole by comparing […]

Volatility is probably the biggest concern of most people I meet, but fees may be just as bad for total performance.  Paying fees for any type of investment or manager is palatable for some and not for others.  There are several ways a fee can erode investment gains but the highest cost may not be […]

Tons of people ask this question and those who don’t are probably thinking about it.  Annuities are supposed to be safe so what happens if a company fails?  Most people understand that every state has a guaranty fund for insurance contracts but there’s a lot that needs to happen before that even comes into play.  […]

Much of the work I do and the strategies I have created are based on debunking popular myths about annuities.  Not all contracts do what Ken Fisher warns against and most people trashing the products are only trying to sell magazines or another financial product.  Everything has a negative side so you have to keep […]

Three or four unfinished drafts are sitting in the newsletter folder and most of the time I can’t decide what I plan to send out for the week.  Recent stories and misguided objections gave birth to this weekly exercise just about a year ago.  Since then hundreds regularly read this email and many of those […]

This year so far has certainly had its share of ups and downs.  In some ways it could be viewed as a microcosm of the issues one might face throughout all the years of retirement.  It’s summer time and I stepped away from writing for a few weeks because I figured no one would notice.  […]

In some ways I consider it a waste of time but it happens often enough that I’ve realized it validates the information I provide.  This website and all the newsletters are meant to help consumers but there are plenty of advisors as well who are looking for answers to the same questions.  And it makes […]

It’s never more evident than when you talk to kids growing up today.  Younger generations take for granted easy access to information that can still seem like magic for anyone who remembers a rotary telephone.  I appreciate the convenience it adds to my life while trying to make sure it doesn’t run my life. Technology […]

One benefits of picking my brain that many people don’t realize has nothing to do with asset management or annuity shopping.  I’ve talked to hundreds of people just like you.  I hear stories of both failure and success or good choices and bad.  My recommendations are not only based on what I know about retirement […]

Timing is a deciding factor for a lot of people.  Interest rates and stock market performance keep people locked in to current holdings and nervous about making changes.  If rates were higher many would find it easier to shift toward protecting assets.  Instead there are those who hang on to old habits and currently have […]