Annuity Rates Archives | Annuity Guys®

Can MarketFree® Annuities Balance Your Portfolio?

Annuity Guys® — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 06:00:17 +0000

It has been more than four years since the pandemic started and the stock market has reached some new historic highs, so… what better way to retain your gains than with safer, MarketFree® Annuities in your retirement portfolio. Most retirees are looking for ways to secure at least a portion of their retirement savings from the uncertainty of a volatile securities market and that is just what MarketFree® or MarketSafe Annuities are best at!

Definition:

Market Safe-aka-Market Free® -annuity -retirement and -portfolio; each refer to the use of fixed insurance products which earn interest with **guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.

Video: Watch as Dick and Eric discuss balancing portfolios for retirement with safer, MarketFree® Annuities

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

MarketFree® Annuity Income Advantages:

Retire and Never run out of money;
Contractually **Guarantee Lifetime income;
Fight against the ravages of Inflation.

MarketFree® Annuity Growth Advantages:

Gain when markets go up;
Keep your Gains when markets go down;
Protect Principal from losses.

MarketFree® Annuity Estate Advantages:

Heirs can receive the full account value with no penalty;
Heirs can receive money without being tied up in probate court;
Heirs can defer tax over their lifetime with traditional IRA MarketFree® Annuity;
Heirs can be tax free over their lifetime by using a Roth MarketFree® Annuity .

MarketFree® Annuity Liquidity Advantages:

Retain Majority Control;
Have access to approximately 10% of the account value penalty free, during the surrender fee period;
Have access to 100% of the account value penalty free after a specific period of time, at the end of the surrender fee period;
Control if and when a lifetime income stream should be started for maximum advantage.

MarketFree® Annuity Risk Advantages:

Avoids all direct market risk to principal and gains;
Avoids direct Bond risk;
Protects against Longevity risk.
Guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of issuing insurance companies;

MarketFree® Annuity Disadvantages:

Long Term Commitment;
Limited Liquidity;
Limited potential gains in a robust economy;
Does not have FDIC insurance protection;
State Insurance Guarantee Association (SIGA) backing varies from state to state.
May have fees.

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

We practice and recommend a "Holistic - OutCome Based Planning process when considering annuities." This approach has the effect of balancing your overall portfolio so you can meet your retirement objectives by "first identifying the least amount of your investments or savings (if any) that should be considered for annuities." OutCome Based Planning analyzes and models multiple outcomes so you can clearly identify your best income and growth opportunities.

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

This type of approach does take considerably more time, effort and analysis which will show you mathematically the successful possibilities by comparing various outcomes rather than trying to sell or convince you of that "so-called one best solution." Clients frequently tell us that this process removes some of the confusion and emotion to help them objectively identify a better retirement plan; rather than just ending up with the most convincing salesperson or advisor.

When requesting help you can be assured of working with an experienced Annuity Guys' Retirement Planner who is independently insurance licensed and securities licensed as a fiduciary financial planner having access to the vast majority of annuity companies in helping you choose the best annuities using a holistic-outcome based planning approach. We consider the high quality advisor recommendations we make to our website visitors as a direct reflection back on our commitment to serve all client's with a high standard of excellence in financial planning for retirement.

Based on survey feedback on advisors from our website visitors, we eliminated about two-hundred local advisors and now only recommend a few that we consider experienced vetted Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Advisors. Many local advisors continue requesting us to recommend them as a vetted advisor. However, our reputation and future business is driven only by satisfied website visitors. So, unfortunately we've had to tell the vast majority of local advisors no, since we changed our business model four years ago. At that time we stopped trying to satisfy everyone with local advisors, we now primarily work with individuals who are comfortable using today's internet technology to their fullest advantage by working with a select group of vetted, experienced and knowledgeable Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Planners.

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

After confirming your request for help and shipping address by phone, we will immediately send your FREE personally signed Library Edition of our popular Annuity Reference Book "The New Retirement" plus Fact-Filled, Full Video Access!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Are you willing to work with one of our retirement and annuity advisors based on their experience and expertise as a first priority rather than being limited by a local or regional area? The good news is that technology has forever eliminated our geographical limitations and leveled the playing field for everyone! As a result of today's technological advances, all of us can now work confidently with experts in any field including personal finance. We are no longer confined by regional or local boundaries limiting our choices and ultimate success. A high quality advisor is now as close as a click or phone call away.

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

When you think about it, your money is almost always in some other state with a custodian; whether invested in the market or with an annuity insurance company, the advisors competence is primarily needed when positioning your money initially. So working with a specialized expert in a financial discipline like investments or retirement planning is imperative. There are no undo buttons in retirement! Once the annuities get set up correctly, it is customary and more efficient for owners to benefit by having direct access to the issuer instead of having to go through the agent. And, of course any reputable advisor, local or national, is more than willing to assist their clients if needed after they are implemented.

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

We are fortunate to have a select few who we believe are truly the highest qualified advisors out of about two hundred licensed insurance agents that we eliminated. Your survey feedback is what helps us make these tough decisions. Our advisors have an independent financial practice, specializing in annuities and retirement planning, which helps ensure that you are given the best options available for your retirement planning.

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

"Anyone can sell you an annuity; however, it takes a truly qualified and experienced advisor to know how to structure them for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage. Typically, there is not just one that can accomplish all of these objectives. It is how an advisor structures multiple annuities in balancing your total portfolio that makes it possible to achieve your most important retirement objectives."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Almost everyone nowadays turns to the internet for answers on everything - from buying new widgets to researching just about everything under the sun; and finding the best annuity is no exception! At first, it may seem that researching will be straightforward but the more time you spend researching them, the more frustrating it can be. Why is this? First of all, it does not take long to realize that gimmicks abound - such as warnings and alerts from salesmen who just want your attention so they can sell you one or the "too good to be true" claims of 8% to 14% **guaranteed interest and of course the claim that you can get the full market upside with no downside risk! If you have done any research you have heard all of these claims in advertising which are mostly half truths and not fully explained. So how can you find the best annuities on the internet? The truth is... you can't! And what is even more frustrating is all the conflicting points of view from so called experts. There are well over 6,000 different annuities - all designed for different reasons, so is it any wonder that the deck is stacked against the average researcher or do-it-yourselfer. Add to that the fact that they pay high enough commissions to attract a plethora of both good and bad agents. This does not make annuities good or bad; they are simply a financial tool that truly benefit those who use them correctly. How can you find the best annuities for your unique situation?

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

^** Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. Annuities are not FDIC insured and it is possible to lose money.
They are insurance products that require a premium to be paid for purchase.
Annuities do not accept or receive deposits and are not to be confused with bank issued financial instruments.
During all video segments, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

^*Retirement Planning and annuity purchase assistance may be provided by Eric Judy or by referral to a recommended, experienced, Fiduciary Investment Advisor in helping our website visitors. Dick Van Dyke semi-retired from his Investment Advisory Practice in 2012 and now focuses on this website. He still maintains his insurance license in good standing and assists his current clients.
Our vetted and recommended Fiduciary Financial Planners are required to be properly licensed in assisting clients with their annuity and retirement planning needs. (Due diligence as a client is still always necessary when working with any advisor to check their current standing.)

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post Can MarketFree® Annuities Balance Your Portfolio? appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

Enjoy Annuity Income While Maintaining Your Principal!

Annuity Guys® — Mon, 20 May 2024 06:00:39 +0000

You can’t have your cake and eat it too… or can you?

When it comes to choosing annuities, most folks want steady growth and increasing lifetime income. The problem is that no one annuity is designed for optimum growth and income.

However, in a well constructed retirement portfolio, you can structure annuities to create an advanced income plan – which may enable you to have your cake and eat it too! Astute and experienced financial advisors are comfortable creating plans that utilize securities when desired and differing allocations of specific annuities giving clients an increasing lifetime income with the potential to maintain or rebuild their principal.

Video: The Annuity Guys®, Dick and Eric, look at having your annuity income while maintaining your principal.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

Inspired to learn more about this concept – see an excerpt from the white paper that inspired this weeks blog.

What Does It Mean To “Ladder” Fixed Annuities?

Some people have great experiences with fixed annuities; some people have poor experiences. In most cases those individuals who have had a bad experience with fixed annuities, had one for the same reasons that they might have had a bad experience with any other type of investment – when that investment was sold or structured incorrectly in relation to their investment needs or objectives. The bottom line is that fixed annuities are no different than most other things in life. They come with both good parts and bad parts. For example, most people really like the idea of tax deferred growth, safety of principal, **guaranteed growth, and . However, they are not as excited about poor liquidity, irreversible decisions, and little or no real inflation protection. Therefore, we conclude that while annuities can certainly provide definite benefits to some clients, they can also create problems for others. The fact is that while fixed annuities have both good parts and bad parts, they certainly have their limitations as a stand-alone product.

However, suppose for a moment that instead of just simply purchasing a single fixed annuity by itself, what if these same fixed annuities could be structured within a more advanced strategy? What if by doing so we could substantially magnify the benefits that fixed annuities can offer, while at the same time reduce or even eliminate the negative features? Think about it this way for a moment: In the game of chess, individual chess pieces in and of themselves are nothing really special. However, place those chess pieces into the hands of a world champion chess player who is a master of using those pieces within an advanced strategy, and you will see incredible results. The same is true when it comes to using fixed annuities within a laddered annuity strategy.

So how exactly does a laddered fixed annuity strategy work? The concept is actually surprisingly simple! First, instead of taking your asset and just purchasing one big annuity, we divide your nest egg into smaller, more easily manageable fixed annuities called “legs” that are each designed with a specific purpose. We then deposit the correct mathematical amount into each leg and structure these legs in the proper sequence. Some legs are designed to pay you income, and some legs are designed to keep replenishing your nest egg’s original balance. The effect is that you will have an indefinite stream of retirement income that keeps pace with inflation, and you never deplete your original principal. The last “leg” in line is always designed to re-grow your original principal by the time you get to it, and since we are only using **guaranteed interest rates, there is no question that your money will be there when you need it. This entire process becomes a self-funding mechanism that is specifically designed so that you will not run out of money. Furthermore, because we only use short term deferred fixed annuities, you never have to lock into an irreversible decision, your nest egg is never tied up at low “payout rates”, and every couple of years you have the option of either walking away with your entire principal penalty free, or continuing with the program and watching your monthly income keep getting bigger. Now, instead of just purchasing a single investment product, you have an actual strategy for providing yourself with a steadily rising retirement income stream while at the same time never depleting or forfeiting your principal. This is how fixed annuities can be used so that the good features are magnified and the bad features are reduced or even eliminated entirely!

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post Enjoy Annuity Income While Maintaining Your Principal! appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

Are MarketFree® Hybrid Annuities Good for Retirement?

Annuity Guys® — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 06:00:19 +0000

What would the perfect retirement financial vehicle look like if we could design it from the ground up?

Would it allow for stock index growth without losses? How about secure lifetime income?

We don’t proclaim MarketFree® Hybrid Annuities to be the best retirement option for everyone, however, they do provide for potential to capture a portion of a security indices’ growth without any market loss or risk and they typically include or make available various lifetime income **guarantee options. (continued below video)

Video: Annuity Guys®, Dick and Eric breakdown popular MarketFree® Hybrid Annuities.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

MarketFree® Hybrid Annuities are built on a fixed index annuity “chassis” that creates the foundation for increased growth without market risk to principal or gains. Combined with an income rider to provide a **guarantee for lifetime income without having to annuitize makes them even more attractive and beneficial.

Perhaps the best news for those who are considering annuities for their retirement is the fact that the insurance companies have been very innovative over the last several years and are introducing products that are simpler to understand, offer better growth potential and increased lifetime income **guarantees. Now, before everyone starts asking for this perfect one-size fits all annuity, just be aware that despite all the innovation there is still not just one annuity that solves all retirement needs. Hence, get help from a fiduciary financial advisor who’s annuity/insurance licensed and experienced to help you sort through hundreds of competing annuity choices.

This weeks article touches on the need to know how much you need for retirement before you can decide how little or how much you may choose to allocate into any annuity.

Do You Know Your Retirement Number?

Doing some math will help you figure out if you’re on track for a financially secure retirement.

Money US News Article

If you know how much money you need in the bank to comfortably retire, you’re in the minority: Only 1 in 10 people make such a calculation, according to the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. That might explain why Americans are on track to replace an average of only 60 percent or less of their income during retirement. Financial advisors generally agree that retirees need to replace 80 percent or more.

That means someone who brings home an $80,000 salary at the peak of his working years should save enough before retirement to generate at least $64,000 a year post-retirement. An investment, like an annuity, that generates a 3 percent annual return would require savings of at least $2.1 million to throw off that sum annually. (Retirees can also supplement their income by continuing to work part-time, as well as with Social Security payments and pensions.)

Yet, more than half of Americans report having less than $25,000 in savings and investments, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization. The EBRI also reports just 13 percent of workers say they are “very confident” they will have a comfortable retirement. The first step to joining that more self-assured group is to figure out how much money you’ll need. Here are six easy ways to do just that:

1. Use a calculator. Online retirement calculators can estimate for how much you should have in the bank before retirement. Figure out if you’re on track, based on current savings rates, or if you need to ramp up. “That first calculation is as frightening as it is a good one to scare you half to death on how much you have to save if you live to 90,” says William Sharpe, a Nobel Prize winner in economics and Stanford University professor.

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post Are MarketFree® Hybrid Annuities Good for Retirement? appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

What is the Best Annuity?

Annuity Guys® — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 06:00:10 +0000

Are you trying to figure out which annuity will offer the best way to grow your money and safely generate income that you can count on as long as retirement lasts (without depleting your initial principal) to reduce financial stress or even unexpected financial failure during retirement?

There are hundreds of insurance companies offering thousands of annuities — but how do you know which annuity is best for you? It’s really pretty simple. The best annuity is an annuity that fulfills your financial objectives. However, don’t be surprised if your best retirement annuity option includes a portfolio of traditional financial assets while simultaneously leveraging a few strategically selected annuities to meet your retirement income and growth goals.[Continued below video…]

Video: Watch as Dick and Eric enjoy discussing the elusive best annuity decision!

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

[Continued] …As Annuity Guys®, we believe in the balanced utilization of annuities to accomplish our clients foundational retirement needs for safety, growth and income. We like retirements built upon a base of **guarantees – not probabilities. What is the best annuity to achieve that goal? In Annuity Guys® opinion, it is the annuity that satisfies the foundational need with the smallest dollar amount. It often times will require meeting with an experienced fiduciary financial planner; who will help you evaluate multiple scenarios to determine which plan best fits your needs.

It’s your retirement and you typically only get one shot to do it right. So don’t be pushed or cajoled into a decision that you’re unsure fits your comfort zone and retirement objectives. Before you begin meeting with retirement planners or advisors, spend some time thinking about your income and retirement goals. If you don’t have an income or wealth transfer goal in mind, you will never accomplish it successfully and you will more than likely be disappointed with your results. Retirement portfolios often use annuities to achieve income goals by leveraging their growth with lifetime income **guarantees, yet retirees need to be specific with their needs so they do not over commit or come up short with this allocation.

Want even more information on picking the best annuity? Here is an article from AnnuityNews.com – on how advisors can assist their clients to solve their retirement income issues.

Four Steps To Selecting The Right Annuity

If you’re fairly new to the world of helping people prepare for retirement, here is something that may not be readily apparent. Financial professionals who offer a suite of diverse, well-structured annuity products that can be paired with optional lifetime income riders may be a boon to certain clients. In particular, the ideal clients for these annuity products are those who can benefit by shifting part of their product holdings from more traditional types of savings vehicles to income-producing vehicles. The process of determining which types of annuity products may be best suited to specific clients involves four primary steps.

We all know this, but let’s emphasize it: The first step in retirement planning or the sale of an annuity is to conduct a thorough assessment of the client’s current financial situation and potential future income needs. This assessment must be based on existing income, assets and expenses, as well as individual goals and circumstances. This first step also includes having the client estimate their projected expenses in retirement.

Then, you’ll want to calculate the client’s anticipated retirement income from all sources, including any part-time job; alimony; Social Security benefits; pension; 401(k) or other personal retirement plan; dividends from stocks, mutual fund^{^}s, etc.; interest on savings accounts, bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs) and other financial instruments, and any other sources.

I’m not about to imply that all of those income sources should be removed from a client’s portfolio or that annuities should comprise more than an incremental part of any overall, balanced retirement program. However, today’s low-yielding vehicles may not be enough to help meet your clients’ needs. Now could be an opportune time to consider layering a single premium immediate income annuity (SPIA) or a single premium deferred income annuity (DIA) into a repositioned income strategy for the client.

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post What is the Best Annuity? appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

High Annuity Rates or High Annuity Ratings – Which is Best?

Annuity Guys® — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:00:38 +0000

Understanding the balance annuity rates and annuity ratings play in choosing an annuity is a key in making the best annuity choice for your retirement.

Third party rating companies should play the dominate role in helping determine the claims paying ability of an insurance company for you as a consumer. So, just how much weight should be placed upon the rating alone is the $64,000 dollar question! Is it a good decision to chose a carrier or product based upon high ratings alone – or do high annuity rates and great consumer benefits play the determining role?

Video: Annuity Guys Dick and Eric tackle the rates vs ratings questions of balance.

Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

Want more information on this topic? Check out this article on Ratings or Rates.

Ratings or Rates: When You Can’t Have Both Which One Do You Choose?

Insurance company ratings or current annuity rates, which “R” trumps the other? I don’t know about you but I’m hearing this question more than ever before. We all want to get the best annuity rate we possibly can for our clients but when the carrier rating is the trade-off, what is really best?

Such questions are even further complicated, in my opinion, by the fact that there are five major ratings firms (Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, A.M. Best, Moody Investors Service and Weiss Ratings) that issue financial strength ratings for insurance companies. Each one is slightly different and their rating categories can also differ, i.e., an A+ from one may not mean the same as an A+ from another and some don’t have an A+ rating at all. I don’t think anyone is saying that it’s easy to understand or easy to explain to a client but is it important? I, for one, think it is. Here’s why:

First, ratings should help us support our insurance carrier recommendations to our clients and their ultimate decision to buy protection coverage or invest in their future financial well-being. These ratings are from independent third parties whose evaluation should help all parties determine the ability of an insurer to fulfill its financial obligations. In addition, having multiple carrier ratings available can provide valuable comparison benchmarks.

Second, a company’s rating should be a barometer of its ability to pay claims. The higher the rating the more the independent third party rating firm, in their opinion, believes in the ability of the company to meet their on-going obligations. Simply put, a high rating indicates the company has the assets and reserves needed to pay claims. [Read More…]

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post High Annuity Rates or High Annuity Ratings – Which is Best? appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

Buy an Annuity Now or Will Rates Rise?

Annuity Guys® — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 06:00:09 +0000

All things come to him who waits- provided he knows what he is waiting for… Prior to the Corona-virus it seemed like rates would remain stable and trend up. However, what has happened in the last year or so demonstrates just how quickly stability can give way to instability!

When folks question us if we think that rates are going to change, we answer quite emphatically – Yes! (We are just not sure when or whether or not they will go up or down.)

The follow-up statement to that is typically, “So you are saying, I should wait to buy an annuity?” to which our answer/question is “Why were you thinking about buying an annuity in the first place?”

The decision to purchase an annuity is often less about the return on your money as it is about the return of your money, with some reasonable growth. Annuities have the ability to provide lifetime income offering about the same or better payout rates than were available ten to twelve years ago. For growth purposes, as rates and the economy improve, your annuities can benefit with increased rates too!

Video: Annuity Guys, Dick and Eric, Discuss waiting on interest rates to rise may not be in your best interest!

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

Read more about how rates are impacting the US from CNBC.

10-year Treasury yield hits new all-time low of 0.318% amid historic flight to bonds

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield resumed its historic slide on Monday as investors continued to punish risk assets like stocks in favor of the safety of bonds between an all-out oil price war and contagion fears surrounding the coronavirus.

The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury briefly touched an all-time low of 0.318% in overnight trading, adding another 30 basis points to an unprecedented fall in the key interest rate. That rate was above 1.5% as recently as mid-February.

The 10-year yield, in particular, holds outsized importance in the U.S. economy for its use as a benchmark for mortgage rates and auto loans. The 30-year Treasury yield also hit a record low of 0.702%, breaching the 1% threshold for the first time in history. Bond yields fall as their prices rise. (Read more…)

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post Buy an Annuity Now or Will Rates Rise? appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

Annuity Rates vs Bank Interest Rates – Which is Best?

Annuity Guys® — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 06:00:21 +0000

Since something is better than nothing, then more of that something is usually even better – thus, the reason why so many traditional bank savers have been researching and choosing higher annuity rates over the last ten years.

Annuity rates may not seem a lot higher yet the difference of 1 to 3 percent over time generates sizable portfolio gains. By the way, the difference between the top paying bank rates and top paying five year maturity, multi-year **guarantee annuities (MYGAs) is typically about 1-2% higher with MYGA interest rates…[continued below video]

Video: Dick and Eric have fun discussing the choice of bank rates versus annuity rates.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

[continued]…Are we saying you must be crazy to put money into the bank instead of an annuity? NO – we are saying you may seriously be missing out if you don’t compare and consider the tax advantages and higher interest offered by fixed annuities.

Annuities are best utilized by individuals seeking income and long-term accumulation for retirement or to protect funds that have already been saved once retirement is near or at hand.

Both banking products and fixed annuities are considered safer, lower risk portfolio options that avoid stock market loss.

Annuities have advantages such as tax deferral (Dick even discusses triple compounding in this weeks segment), probate avoidance, stretch for beneficiaries, and **guaranteed lifetime income if needed.

Today's Top Ten Fixed Annuity Rates (MYGA)

ALL rates are continually subject to change and accuracy is never guaranteed since rates and features change frequently. Rates are provided for conceptual and educational purposes only. RATES SHOWN ARE NOT A SOLICITATION.

Are low interest rates killing retirement?

Not long ago, most people worked as long as they were able and eventually either “died in harness” or relied on younger family members to care for them in their old age.

Then along came this idea of retirement, where through hard work, shrewd investing and some help from a pension (if you’re lucky) and Uncle Sam, you could hang up your work boots a little early and spend your golden years enjoying a bit of leisure and fun.

But for most people, the math of retirement works only if they’re able to earn some interest on their savings. That is a challenging task in a world where central banks the world over seem to have declared war on savers.

What does this mean for the long-term viability of your retirement, and what can you do to keep your plans on track?

The 4 percent rule
In the early 1990s, financial adviser William Bengen did research on sustainable portfolio withdrawal rates. Assuming an asset mix of half stocks and half bonds, he back-tested withdrawal rates against historical 30-year periods in the market.

His conclusion was that if you want your portfolio to last 30 years, the maximum withdrawal that you should take each year is 4 percent.

That rate has worked well for millions, and many assume that it will continue to work unless future returns are significantly worse than past returns. Enter the central banks.

ZIRP and NIRP
The global economy has been stuck in slow-growth mode since recovering from the near-death experience of the 2008 financial crisis.

To stimulate growth, central banks around the world lowered rates to near zero and engaged in endless rounds of quantitative easing. When that didn’t work, some of them started adopting negative interest rates. That’s right, zero apparently wasn’t low enough.

ZIRP (zero interest rate policy) has given way to NIRP (negative interest rate policy) in countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan. The logic is to force banks to lend, weaken currencies to help exports and stimulate economies.

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of people who think these policies could come with some significant unintended consequences, not the least of which is that it will be pretty tough for savers, pension funds and governments to meet those future withdrawal needs if large portions of their bond portfolios are earning zero instead of the 4 percent to 5 percent that history has taught us to expect.

The $64,000 question (more like $64 trillion) is whether or not these low interest rates will derail retirees and the portfolios, pensions and Social Security program on which they rely to fund retirement.

I can say with certainty that … it depends. If these low rates are an anomaly and they eventually return to normal, then the 4 percent rule of thumb and the return assumptions that pensions rely on can continue to work.

But if they stay this low for a long time, then retirement as we have come to know it is at significant risk. Which will it be? I have no idea, but it makes sense to plan for the worst even while hoping for the best.

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free

Using OutCome Based Planning for Your Retirement

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.

"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book

Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2024 Advisor Report

*FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys

"For Your Retirement's Success"

Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.

Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90%

2024 Financial Advisor Summary Report

*Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.

Choosing your advisor can have

"The Largest Single Impact on

Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?

"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."

Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"

"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?

"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Use the internet cautiously;
Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

Site Terms & Disclosure

All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
MarketFree Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
Market Free (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
Market Free Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
Market Free Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
MarketFree Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
*"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
*"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

The post Annuity Rates vs Bank Interest Rates – Which is Best? appeared first on Annuity Guys®.

Are Annuity **Guarantees on Their Way Down?

Annuity Guys® — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 06:00:27 +0000

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Dickens often quoted opening to the Tale of Two Cities, might just as easily be applied to how we think annuities fit into retirement – right now.

Every week people reach out to the Annuity Guys to ask if this is the right time to buy…[continued below video]

Video: The Annuity Guys, Eric and Dick examine the current economic environment and what it means for annuity **guarantees.

[continued] …an annuity – after all, we are seeing global interest rates at their lowest level in decades. So, some people say they are just going to wait until rates go up before making any decision. But what if rates don’t go up? We look at what is happening in Europe and to bonds in many other countries wondering if that could possibly happen to the United States? For those of you who wonder what we mean, just consider Europe for a moment – nine of the major economic countries in Europe are issuing governments bonds at negative yields on maturities. To state it in the simplest way, bond investors are paying a fee to European governments for the right to lend them money.

So what does that mean for annuities? Insurance companies take a much longer perspective than we typically do as individuals. They have to make decisions based on the financial times that we live in while remaining profitable for the long term – they are charged with protecting their obligations to their clients. When they enter into a new contract, they have to be certain they can fulfill their financial commitment with their investment options at that time. Most of us have assumed that interest rates will improve and this war on retirement savers will end; but what if we enter into a time of deflation as it appears they are fighting in Europe? If that were to happen, annuity income and **guarantees would be forced to decline substantially further for new clients.

As Annuity Guys, we know that you have to make decisions based upon your current circumstances and needs. We always have an eye toward the future and what we think will happen, but we also like to know that our clients have foundational **guarantees that will empower them when they face the economic uncertainties that are almost inevitable. Use annuities for what they do best – safe growth and income **guarantees; regardless of what the stock or bond market does.

What Negative Bond Yields Mean for Investors

By Christopher Whittall

What on Earth has happened to bond yields in Europe?

As much as €1.5 trillion ($1.7 trillion) of euro area debt maturing in more than a year now pays a negative yield, according to J.P. Morgan. That compares to none whatsoever a year ago.

German government bonds offer negative yields on maturities up to six years, according to Tradeweb, along with those in Denmark. For five years, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Finland are in the club. For four years, add France and Belgium. In Switzerland, bonds out to a whopping 13 years in length have negative yields.

And there’s no sign of this trend letting up thanks to fears of deflation and further central banks easing policies.

Here’s what it means for financial markets:

What is negative-yielding debt? In a nutshell, bonds that investors have to pay to own before adjusting for inflation. That might seem like a dud investment, but whether an investor actually loses money by holding the bond depends on what exactly happens to inflation. If it is lower than the yield on the bond, then investors can still make money in real terms. An investor can also make money by re-selling the bond at an even higher price than where they bought it.

How did we get here? A combination of falling inflation and aggressive central bank action. Investors buy bonds in the expectation that they will make a positive return after inflation. If they expect consumer prices to fall, as they did in December in the eurozone, some investors will be willing to buy bonds with negative yields. Central banks have reacted to deflation fears by aggressively easing monetary policy, such as cutting deposit rates into negative territory. This has helped the stockpile of negative-yielding bonds to balloon worldwide to $3.6 trillion – or 16% of global government bond markets.

So how have negative deposit rates contributed? Central banks in the euro area, Denmark and Switzerland all now charge money to hold bank deposits, which has ripple effects throughout the market.

J.P. Morgan calculates there is currently €220 billion of bank reserves subject to negative interest rates, which looks set to grow exponentially because of the ECB’s forthcoming colossal bond-buying program. Plowing the money into negative-yielding government bonds can appeal to banks when the alternative is to pay even more to store cash on deposit.

Why does this matter? Because “[it] changes fundamentally” the equation for buying bonds, according to Iain Lindsay, fixed income portfolio manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which handles over $1 trillion in assets. The notion that yields are floored at 0% has been “broken once and for all”, he said. Previously, investors assumed bond prices couldn’t go above a level equivalent to a 0% yield (prices rise as yields fall). […Read More at the Wall Street Journal]

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The China Affect on Annuities…

Annuity Guys® — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 06:00:01 +0000

There has been no shortage of China headlines as their economy faces major headwinds. It would be naive to think that the second largest economy in the world, that is close to becoming number one, would somehow not affect the US economy adversely if they go into a free-fall. Even a small country like Greece going in and out of default cast economic turbulence on larger successful countries. So, imagine how much worse it could be for the world if… [continued below video]

Video: Watch as Annuity Guys, Dick and Eric, discuss the not so good “China Affect” on annuities!

[continued below]…China does not get its house in order soon!

So why should retirees who own annuities or those with plans to purchase them care about what is happening in China? Simple. When markets become unstable and volatile, investors flee to safety; this often leads them to purchase short-term US government bonds. As demand for US treasuries rise, bond prices increase which in turn lowers the yields on bonds as their price is bid up by demand. Hence, the annuity companies that rely on higher bond yields to remain profitable and solvent must react to these lower bond yields by cutting costs which translates into **guarantees and benefits being reduced as a cost cutting measure. Due to increased demand for bonds, most annuity companies feel this financial pressure and are now positioning for changes. So, if you are close to moving annuities into your asset mix, now may be an excellent time to lock in better **guarantees and benefits before they are reduced by the China Affect!.

How severe will it get in the market before another stable uptrend is underway? This is a question with no certain answer. Many believe that there will be a 20 to 40 percent drop before things get back on track; others believe we have already seen the worst. Regardless of which scenario is correct, you must ask yourself how much are you willing to lose and “that is the amount you should consider for stock market risk” especially if you are in or near retirement. Annuities and other insured or **guaranteed financial products are where the balance of your money needs to be if safety is one of your important objectives.

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Read more on this subject in this article:

10-year Treasury yield hits 2-month low after China’s yuan devaluation

By Ellie Ismailidou

Demand for Treasury bonds jumped Tuesday, driving yields down to their lowest level since May 29, after a surprise devaluation of the Chinese yuan by the People’s Bank of China sparked flight-to-safety flows into haven assets, like Treasurys.

“A devaluation implies even slower growth in China, and that’s driving an aggressive risk-off trade, with the rates markets taking back all of Monday’s losses,” Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott, said in a note.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury TMUBMUSD10Y, -0.12% tumbled 9.9 basis points to 2.139%, the largest one-day decline since July 6, according to Tradeweb. Bond yields fall as prices rise and vice versa. Read More…

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Are Annuity Complaints on the Rise?

Annuity Guys® — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 07:00:55 +0000

Mom always said; “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Well, we want you to know that this rule does not apply to annuities. As Annuity Guys®, we may be a tad-bit more sensitive to reading the negativity spewed by some writers when it comes to annuities; however, it does appear that any increase in complaints by investors or consumers just comes down to one particular type of annuity – the variable annuity^#.

Watch as Dick and Eric discuss complaints on annuities and other financial products.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button”]

Overall, annuity complaints actually decreased in 2013, but for the popular media it appears to be a lot more fun to talk about the high commissions, high fees, and bad advisors that offer theses products. You really have to dig to find an article that compares the number of complaints from mutual fund^{^}s and stock transactions — which far outpace those from annuity sales.

As Annuity Guys®, we are on record as stating that an annuity is not where you should put all your money, but it can be a great location to place dollars that will used to fund retirement income. Annuities are a financial tool and when used properly can alleviate risk to your portfolio.

You would never guess this article cites the fact that nine out of ten annuity owners are at least somewhat satisfied…

Angry Annuity Clients Seek Damages

By Matthew Heimer

When stock markets are humming along nicely, customers are less likely to complain about their brokers and financial advisers: 2013 was on pace to be the fourth year in a row of sharp declines in the number of arbitration cases filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra), the brokerage industry’s self-regulatory body. But as Matthias Rieker reports this week in The Wall Street Journal, complaints about one kind of investment remain stubbornly high. The outlier: Variable annuities.

Variable annuities usually offer a retirement saver a **guaranteed future payout, along with a chance of increasing the value of the saver’s initial investment depending on how markets perform; investments in many of these annuities can be tax-deferred. But they’ve long exasperated consumer advocates because of their relatively high commissions and fees, along with their often-impenetrable rules about what, exactly, an investor’s account is worth at any given time.

As Rieker reports, “In 2012, the variable annuity^# was the only class of security for which arbitration claims increased”; last year, the total number of annuity complaints dropped about 20%, but complaints in other asset categories dropped far faster. […Read More at MarketWatch]

Video Transcription:

Dick: And I’m Dick.
Eric: Hello, I’m Eric and we’re the annuity guys.
Dick: Well, Eric, are annuity complaints on the rise.
Eric: No… Yes.. No… Ours? no!
Dick: Depends on which annuity complaints you want to talk about. Eric: And that’s exactly the case. And then we see the black eye of the industry coming out in the open ever again with the old variable annuity^#.
Dick: Well, and that’s something that has been on the rise are variable annuity^# complaints and it runs the gammon from the fees and the surrender charges and loosing money when stocks go the wrong way.
Eric: You can loose money.
Dick: But what’s very interesting is the fixed annuities which would take in that hybrid annuity and everything. We’ve seen those complaints go down steadily. They kinda of hit the peak somewhere around 2006 – 2007; roughly around 200 complaints. And folks, when you think about this, 200 complaints over ten of thousands of folks that buy annuities in a given year; that’s not a lot of complaints. But now, they’ve actually tapered down. Fixed indexed annuities sales have been way up and their complaints have tapered down to – last year – i think around 54 complaints for the entire year.
Eric: Even when we look at the variable annuity^# complaints – one hundred sixty-five complaints on variable annuity^#.
Dick: That is not a huge number.
Eric: And we should very clearly clarify here that when somebody complains about annuity, it’s typically not because of the annuity design, it’s not the insurance company; unfortunately, it’s guys like us. Dick: Annuity guys.
Eric: Annuity guys or people that want to be annuity guys…
Dick: I beg your pardon.
Eric: -Who don’t fully understand the product. They don’t explain it very well, so they have consumers confused and they don’t know which direction they’re going; and their inability to articulate what product….
Dick: And Eric, this does not show up later when the person has the policy ans they have some need. They need to get additional money or they need to turn their income on or whatever; and it does not work the way they were told that was supposed to work.
Eric: They get caught with the sizzle side perhaps; the 5 percent **guaranteed roll up for income and deferral.
Dick: Or they though they’re going to earn 5 percent every year, **guaranteed. They see their account dropped a couple of years in a raw and they’re like “hey, this is not what I bought?”
Eric: That’s right! “That’s not what you’re told me”… and that’s where the complaints come from. And I guess, really to be fair to the annuity industry, we should say the number of complaints in comparison to the mutual fund^{^}s…
Dick: Or the securities industry… and that literally, looking at the reports that we’ve been looking at I think the SEC last year had over ten thousand total complaints. Now, that’s a lot of complaints. And we tend to not see that. What’s interesting about this is that we don’t see that in this financial articles a lot; we don’t a lot who talked about that.
Eric: I think we don’t want to talk about the thing we don’t want to know.
Dick: But we see a lot of talk about “ohh, this annuity this, this annuity that.” And I’ve seen now that the populous has become a little more educated about annuities; a little more understanding us out there; I’m seeing less of these negative articles showing up.
Eric: Well, I wish I could say I see less of that. Maybe I’m drawn to… it’s like everybody has a newspaper article or blog like to pick on it. The topic of this one, “Angry annuity client seek damages.” Now, that does not say “you know, really…” If you look at proportion, it’s not nearly as bad as the people with stocks that are three, four or five times as many complaints. It’s people…. the highlights….
Dick: It crabs attention and it sells advertising; and this is part of the industry. And folks, really, when you get down to why annuities are so popular and why they have so few complaints? It is because they actually do the opposite of what the market does; they make your money safe.
Eric: Right. Safety first.
Dick: It’s right.
Eric: And that’s why i always qrench when I see people that have newspaper articles – I’m not going to mention their names because they don’t deserve the heck. They’re like ohh, I like the brokers advice until they recommended an index annuity.
Dick: You would not be thinking about Malcolm Berko.
Eric: Yes, I would. I’m thinking of him too. It gives us bad names because we are in the index annuity world; we understand how they work, we understand where the benefits are and unfortunately, people that don’t live in our world…
Dick: And if you’re just, as Bill O’Reilly says “fair and balance”, there are ways that annuities can be used wrong, ways that are used correctly; they’re just simply a financial tool.
Eric: That’s exactly right. Annuities are great way to make sure you don’t live too long. It’s longevity, it’s guarding against outliving your money and we talked about that being the strength in the cornerstone.
Dick: The principle of protection; protecting what you’ve put into an annuity in terms of premium and you know that you’ll never go backwards – we’re talking about fixed annuity – and obviously, the variable is.
Eric: And we have some issues of the variable annuities^# ourselves because we don’t like to loose money and we don’t like for our clients to loose money.
Dick: Yes, we don’t like for our clients to loose money. So, are they on the rise or it depends on rather you’re talking about which type of annuity?
Eric: It depends if you’re in our office because in our office, not so much.
Dick: The complaints are under control.
Eric: That’s right.
Dick: Thank you.

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