retirement income planning

Why Life Insurance Works so well for Retirement Income

by
Why Life Insurance Works so well for Retirement Income

Life Insurance used to generate retirement income is a slightly more advanced subject within the world of life insurance and financial planning. The stock jockeys hate it, and the life insurance agents love it. No surprise there. But is there something that life insurance brings to the table that is truly special? Or are you …

Keep Reading

When a 5.75% Return is Better than an 8% Return

by

It’s not uncommon to hear an investment salesperson or financial guru looking to chum the waters for a possible comment section debate make a statement like “whole life insurance/universal life insurance is a bad investment because the rate of return is terrible.”

Though we’ve addressed this statement a few times on the Insurance Pro Blog, I wanted to distill the point many people miss into as simple a notion as possible. Also, I want to have a conversation about total return or total benefit you get from committing dollars to a specific cause.

Keep Reading

Think 8% Returns are Realistic? At Least One Robo-Advisor Disagrees

by

 

For years the investment industry—and various financial gurus—have told us that we can achieve an 8% (or better) return on our money by “investing in stocks.”

That statement is vague on the details so it’s difficult to determine exactly what it means, but the consensus on the inference is that investing in stocks (perhaps even a few bonds) brings with it at least an 8% return. Again, 8% when, where, and on what exactly remains a tad iffy, but silly details such as that need not keep you up at night.

So…what exactly should you anticipate as a return on your money?

Keep Reading

Same Stock Market, Two Different Decades

by

We know the stock market is volatile and we know that stock market losses happen. Traditional advice is that losses can be recouped with time so any investor whose stomach twists into knots when he or she opens a 401(k) statement need not worry if he or she can wait out the correction.

For the most part, there is nothing wrong with this advice, but what happens when one doesn’t have time to wait out the correction?

Keep Reading

038 Meow

by
Meow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

(Complete Show Notes Below)

subscribe-itunes-icon

In the 38th episode of the Financial Procast:

Coaching Clients on Retirement Income Planning a Problem for Advisors

It seems that 40% of financial advisors surveyed are having difficulty with talking to their clients about retirement income planning.  We wondered…why is it so hard.

Well, for one thing the financial services industry is engineered to help people accumulate wealth not distribute it.

The other thing that really holds up financial advisors from having these conversations…it's really hard to talk to their clients and tell them that they don't like to hear. Especially when you have to tell them they haven't saved enough money and need to readjust their plans on retiring.

Keep Reading

035 If You Turn to Page 15,099

by
035 If You Turn to Page 15,099

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

(Complete Show Notes Below)

subscribe-itunes-icon

In the 35th episode of the Financial Procast:

We Discuss the PBS Frontline Special “The Retirement Gamble”

If  you haven't seen this short special/documentary, here's a short preview and a link below the preview that will take you directly to the Frontline page on the PBS website where you can watch the epidsode in its entirety–don't worry it's less than an hour long and it's worth your time.

Keep Reading

What is a Pension?

by
What is a Pension

Ah the Pension.  A long sacrosanct retirement vehicle known for its rigidity and stability.  The anchor that led many American's into a comfortable retirement.  That was, until the late 70's early 80's when a few pieces of legislation dramatically changed the retirement planning landscape and gave way to a new (and much cheaper for some people) focus to retirement planning.

We'll ignore all of that for a minute, and instead focus on what exactly a pension is, and then come back to why it has sort of gone the way of the dodo.

Keep Reading