Annuity Straight Talk Newsletter
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![Blog1 post image Fixed Indexed Annuity Calculator]()
June 27, 2026Fixed Indexed Annuity Calculator
Have you ever wanted to just look at the numbers for a fixed indexed annuity, but without the sales pressure? To this point you have to go with a specific company and contract to get an illustration but we just made it easier. I can’t say whether this is the only one available but I […]
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![Blog1 post image Substantial Annuity Rate Increases]()
June 12, 2026Substantial Annuity Rate Increases
Late last summer everyone was freaking out about the Fed dropping interest rates. As much as I’d like to say it one time and not ever have to say it again, the Fed does not control annuity rates. When the Federal Reserve acts it is an attempt to expand or restrict the economy and it […]
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![Blog1 post image Annuities vs Real Estate]()
May 20, 2026Annuities vs Real Estate
Lately I’ve been seeing some ads online suggesting people surrender annuities and buy into commercial real estate funds. The ads promise 12% or more cash flow and even suggest they will pay surrender charges for people to go for the higher payment. I’m putting this on the radar now because options like this tend to […]
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![Blog1 post image Required Minimum Distribution Planning]()
May 15, 2026Required Minimum Distribution Planning
This is a topic that will affect nearly everyone and especially those who otherwise don’t need any distribution plans in retirement. There are three general categories of people that can change how required minimum distributions are handled. First is those who have an income plan that will automatically cover distribution requirements. Second are those who […]
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![Blog1 post image Calculator Case Study with Social Security]()
May 8, 2026Calculator Case Study with Social Security
Some may think that my new software is just another trick to sell annuities. Nothing could be further from the truth and now I have some new features to prove it. The point of the software is to solve problems. Previously it took me several different calculators to figure out an individual case study and […]
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![Blog1 post image There Is One More Income Option]()
May 1, 2026There Is One More Income Option
A lot of people ask me how an insurance company makes an income annuity work. How are they able to pay such high rates for a lifetime? I don’t have specific insights into the investments of an insurance company but I can use some readily available numbers to illustrate the point. If you learn how […]
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![Blog1 post image Trading Maximum Income for Legacy]()
April 24, 2026Trading Maximum Income for Legacy
I’m two weeks back from a nice trip to Arizona and I got the chance to meet in person with several people while I was there. One was a guy named Joe who I met three years ago during my first winter in the desert. He was a little younger then and new to evaluating […]
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![Blog1 post image How Replacing an Old Annuity Paid 33% More Income]()
April 17, 2026How Replacing an Old Annuity Paid 33% More Income
A guy called us a few weeks back. He’s 70, his wife is 60. Back in 2021 he put $500,000 into an annuity. His buddy sold it to him and told him he’d get around $31,000 to $32,000 a year. He also told him he had to annuitize it to get the income. Neither of […]
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![Blog1 post image Your Allianz Annuity Promised More — Here's Why It Didn't Deliver]()
April 10, 2026Your Allianz Annuity Promised More — Here's Why It Didn't Deliver
I talk to people about Allianz annuities at least three times a week. That’s not an exaggeration. And most of the time, the story is the same. Someone bought it, the numbers looked great on paper, and now reality doesn’t match what they were told. Today I’ve got another one for you. The Client I’ve […]
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![Blog1 post image We used AI To Fact-Check Our New Annuity Calculator]()
April 2, 2026We used AI To Fact-Check Our New Annuity Calculator
This document outlines a comprehensive income annuity strategy for retirement, comparing market-only assets with combined market and annuity approaches over various time horizons. Overview of Strategy Performance and Results Historical Context and Impact Legal and Disclaimers Overall, the document advocates for a balanced retirement income approach that combines guaranteed annuity income with market assets to […]
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![Blog1 post image What To Do With An Old Variable Annuity]()
March 27, 2026What To Do With An Old Variable Annuity
I ran some case studies similar to this when I first started the podcast, but with solid market performance over the past several years we are seeing it more often. Having a variable annuity specialist on hand gives me another reason to dig into it. Nate spent many years as a wholesaler for variable annuities […]
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![Blog1 post image The New AST Annuity Calculator Exposes Bad Retirement Advice]()
March 20, 2026The New AST Annuity Calculator Exposes Bad Retirement Advice
I’ve been doing this for long enough that the basic numbers just come to me naturally. Tell me how much you need to spend in retirement and I’ll tell you how much money you need. Tell me how much money you have and I’ll tell you how much money you can spend. Both of those […]
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