Retirees Want Seven (7) Main Things From Their Money

Written on .

With 10,000+ Americans retiring every day, there have been countless studies completed detailing what retirees want from their money.

There are many opinions and differing answers depending on the study and the participants. We have reviewed many of these studies, with some focusing on risk, some on investing, others on generating income, several on longevity, and many on the fears and concerns retirees have about their money in general. While all of the studies differed, we noticed a common core, basic similarities, in the results of the studies we reviewed. We found retirees want seven (7) main things from their money:

Continue reading

Questions You Must Be Able To Answer To Have A Successful Retirement

Written on .

Most retirees have not gotten answers to their most pressing questions about retirement from their current brokers, advisors, employers, or own research.

If you can’t answer basic questions about your retirement, how can you expect to succeed, feel secure, and feel confident you are making the right decisions about your money? You can’t feel good about it. If you can’t answer basic questions about your money, it means your plans for retirement are based on hope and luck. It means you are hoping you will be lucky, and things will work out. Your broker or advisor might seem to know a lot about your portfolio and managing the assets because that is what they mainly talk to you about. Your broker or advisor may say you are diversified, state they have great money managers, let you know you are positioned for good rates of return, tell you if you want less risk they can put a larger percentage of your assets in bonds, and will often confirm you can expect an 8%-10% average annual rate of return. However, when you ask the important questions about your money, they don’t have any answers. Moreover, your broker or advisor has never put your plan in writing. This means your current broker or advisor is comfortable with you basing your plans for retirement on hope and luck. Are you? In our 50+ years of experience, we have found there is certain data (see diagram on following page) you must have to build a secure plan and to be able to stop worrying about your money:

Continue reading

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

Written on .

You need a safe rate of retirement income withdrawal to protect your financial security throughout retirement.

Plan Ahead So You Won’t Run Out of Money in Your Golden Years

What is a safe rate of retirement income withdrawal? What does the phrase “safe 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.”

Continue reading

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

Written on .

High investment fees can be absolutely devastating to your financial security – learn why now.

It’s Time for an Analysis of Assets to Beneficiaries 

In past articles, we shared everything you need to know about the very first step in creating a comprehensive written retirement income plan: the Retirement Income Projection. Next, we discussed the second step in your planning, the Income Tax Analysis. If you didn’t get a chance to read those articles yet, you can start here.

In this final installment of this series, we give you details about the third step in your comprehensive written retirement income planning: an analysis of assets to beneficiaries. Having a comprehensive written retirement income plan you can rely on is incredibly important to your financial health in retirement, so let’s take a look at this final step.

Continue reading

Continue reading

Understanding The Two Stages of Money in Retirement

Written on .

Did you know there are two different stages of money in retirement? Learn about both to better prepare for the future.

Making the Shift from Asset Allocation to Asset Preservation

At Peak Financial Freedom Group, we believe that the thing our clients want more than anything else is retirement security. Fortunately, we believe in seven rules to live by that will help you achieve it, 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.)

Continue reading

10 Reasons to Use a Fixed Index Annuity

Written on .

These ten fixed index annuity benefits can give you peace of mind – and a secure retirement income, too.

A Strategy to Guarantee You Won’t Outlive Your Retirement Savings

This content is excerpted from our book, Momma’s Secret Recipe for Retirement Success,” by Dan Ahmad, Jim Files, Jack Canfield, and others. The contribution below is from Robert M. Ryerson, CFP, CITRMS, CLTC.

Most of our clients share a common fear: running out of money in retirement. We often tell them that there are at least ten compelling reasons to consider putting 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 fixed index annuity benefits.

Continue reading

The Income Stream You Cannot Outlive

Written on .

Would you like to create a retirement income stream that can never run out?

Discover 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. The book is also full of valuable contributions from other leading professionals from around the world, including the below from Robert M. Ryerson, CFP, CITRMS, CLTC. He tells a tale of three very different investors, with the very same problem… and the safe and sound solution available to all of them.

It is common for retirees and pre-retirees to worry that they could run out of money during retirement. Some people literally fear there could be a day in their future when their income stops, and they end up poor. During my 35-plus 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.

Continue reading

Addressing Common Annuity Myths: Part 2

Written on .

Believing annuity myths and lies can keep you from exploring advantageous financial opportunities.

Learn the Truth to Optimize Your Retirement Income Plan

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 and lies – specifically, annuity lies people believe about fixed index annuities with income riders.

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

Today we’re back with more facts about annuities. Specifically, we’re sharing content to bust common annuity myths and lies 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.

Continue reading

Addressing Common Annuity Myths: Part 1

Written on .

Clear up confusion with the the real information you need to dispel these common annuity myths.

Setting the Record Straight on 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 common annuity myths – specifically, annuity lies people believe about fixed index annuities with income riders.

This is Part One of our two-part Common 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.

Continue reading