How to Design a Retirement Asset Allocation for Safety, Growth & Income for Life

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How to use the ‘Three Buckets Approach’ – And Why it’s Important

The following content is excerpted from Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success, by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, and Jack Canfield. Get your copy here!

In our book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success, we discuss “The 7 Rules To Live By For Retirement Security,” some of which we have also written about on this blog and you can find linked below:

  1. Avoid Large Losses – Use the 5%-10% Rule
  2. Minimize Fees
  3. Significantly Reduce Volatility
  4. Earn a Reasonable Return Rate
  5. Manage Taxation
  6. Generate “Certain Income” from Your Assets that Will Last for as Long as You Live
  7. Have a Written Retirement Income Plan

If you are like retirees we have met with, you probably love the idea of having a “Retirement Planning Roadmap” like this, right? It’s designed to help you plan for retirement income you can count on – for life.

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Use the Correct Process for Financial Success in the New Year

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If You’re Following a Faulty Retirement Plan, Now is the Time to Make a Change

The following is an excerpt from Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success, by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, and Jack Canfield. Get your copy here!

Many retirees do not have their assets allocated properly to give themselves the highest probability that they can receive a high level of consistent income, will never run out of money for as long as they live, and will never suffer a big stock market loss like 2008 again.

In a previous blog, we described in detail the differences between Stage One of Retirement Planning – Asset Accumulation, and Stage Two of Retirement Planning – Income Distribution and Asset Preservation.

When you meet with your financial advisor, even after you’ve retired, the conversation will almost always be focused on your portfolio. Your advisor will likely talk about:

  • The growth of your portfolio (even though it actually hasn’t probably grown much).
  • How the market is doing “so well” and you need to ride the wave.
  • How you are diversified by having your 20-30 mutual funds.
  • Adding bonds to the portfolio, if you are worried about risk.
  • How you are in it for the long-term and no matter what, you should “ride out all market volatility.”
  • How they have the best money managers.
  • How they will get you high rates of return.
  • Maybe they will throw in some technical terms like alpha, beta, Sharpe ratio, and standard deviation.
  • How it’s best to defer IRA distributions as long as possible, until age 72, to minimize income taxes.

The advisor might say you are now invested moderately, or conservatively, but they don’t define what this means in potential losses. So, your advisor says “moderate” or “conservative,” and you are thinking “low risk,” even though your current portfolio could lose -30%, -40%, or even -50% or more. The risk is likely caused by the portfolio’s primary focus on growth.

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What is a ‘Safe’ Rate for Retirement Income Withdrawal?

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Plan Ahead So You Won’t Out-Live Your Nest Egg

What does the phrase “safe income withdrawal rate” mean to you? Most people would answer, “the amount of income you can withdraw from your assets without the fear of running out of income during your lifetime.” This seems cut and dried. But you have to look at what the word “safe” means to different people.

“Safe” to some people might actually mean “safer than something else,” such as you stating that you are “driving safe” because you are going 80 miles per hour while everyone else on the road is driving 90 miles per hour, but the posted speed limit is 65 miles per hour. And then, “safe” to other people might mean the chance of anything negative happening is 0%. In planning for retirement, safe better mean safe, something you can count on for sure. Safe better not mean “kind of safe.”

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Do You Know the One Thing WORSE Than a Stock Market Loss?

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Learn What Can Devastate Your Portfolio – and Your Chances at Long-Term Success

Every investor knows that stock market losses can potentially devastate a portfolio – and your chances for long-term financial success, too. However, today we’re going to talk about something that could be even more devastating than a stock market loss. Truly!

Now, you’re probably thinking, “What could that be?” because stock market losses can ruin your retirement. Here’s the answer, which far too many retirees and near-retirees overlook: high fees!

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Do You Know the Two Stages of Money in Retirement?

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Asset Accumulation and the Important Shift to Asset Preservation

At Peak Financial Freedom Group, we believe that the thing our clients want more than anything else is retirement security. Fortunately, there are seven rules to live by that will help you achieve them, and we’re sharing the first lesson here with you today. (If you want all seven rules right now, we detail all of them in our book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success.)

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10 Reasons to Use a Fixed Index Annuity

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How to Guarantee You Won’t Outlive Your Nest Egg

The following content is excerpted from our book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success,” by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, and Jack Canfield, with contributions from multiple financial advisors across the US.

Most of our clients share a common fear: running out of money in retirement. We tell them that there are at least ten compelling reasons to put some of their more serious money—money needed to produce guaranteed retirement income for life—into a fixed income annuity with an income rider. Below, we’ll go in-depth on each of these reasons.

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An Income Stream You Can’t Outlive

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The Holy Grail of Retirement Planning

The following content is excerpted from our book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success,” by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, and Jack Canfield, with contributions from multiple financial advisors across the US.

Every retiree and pre-retiree worries that they could run out of money during retirement. Most people literally fear there could be a day in their future when their income stops, and they end up poor. During my 35 years as a financial planner, the most common and pressing questions clients ask me are:

  • How can I retire and stay retired?
  • How can I guarantee I will avoid running out of money during retirement?

People know there are many factors that can cause their assets to run out and their income to stop before they die, such as large stock market losses or a chronic illness—they just don’t know how to protect themselves against such catastrophic events. The good news is that there are solutions available today for all of these risks and potential problems.

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Addressing Annuity Myths: Part 2

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Eight More Lies People Will Tell You About Fixed Index Annuities with Income Riders

The following educational content is excerpted from our book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success,” by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, and Jack Canfield, with valuable contributions from other leading professionals from around the world. This excerpt was contributed by John Kirker, fiduciary financial advisor, and reviews eight more annuity myths – specifically, annuity lies people believe about fixed index annuities with income riders.

This is Part Two of our two-part Annuity Myths series. If you missed Part One, read it here.

Today we’re back with more facts about annuities. Specifically, we’re sharing content to bust common annuity myths that can damage your long-term finances if you believe them. Remember, it’s always important to educate yourself, do your own research, and speak with a financial professional you trust when you’re trying to determine whether a specific financial product is right for you. Many people find more peace of mind and financial security with a fixed index annuity with an income rider, so learn more about their benefits below.

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Addressing Annuity Myths: Part 1

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Ten Lies People Will Tell You About Fixed Index Annuities with Income Riders

The following content is excerpted from the book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success,” by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, and Jack Canfield, with valuable contributions from other leading professionals from around the world. This excerpt was written by John Kirker, fiduciary financial advisor, and reviews ten annuity myths – specifically, annuity lies people believe about fixed index annuities with income riders.

This is Part One of our two-part Annuity Myths series.

If your goals are to:

  1. Protect your money against 100% of all stock market losses.
  2. Guarantee you won’t run out of income for as long as you live.
  3. Receive the same or higher income for as long as you live regardless of stock market volatility or how long you live.
  4. Pay a relatively low total annual fee of approximately 1%.
  5. Have the opportunity to earn a competitive rate of return.
  6. Defer 100% of the taxation on any growth until you take distributions.
  7. Never subject current or previous gains to future stock market losses.
  8. Pass 100% of all remaining funds at your death to your beneficiaries.

One of the only, if not the only, financial instruments you can use to do all of these things is a fixed index annuity with an income rider.

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