Annuity Guys®

Annuity Rates, Features & Ratings: America's trusted annuity resource. Compare best options for hybrid, index, fixed, variable & immediate annuity quotes.


Helping You Create Great Results Your Retirement Deserves!



(217)753-1515
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Site Terms & Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • FAQs
    • Most Frequently Asked Annuity Questions
  • All Annuity Guys Videos
  • Annuity Types
    • Best Annuity Reviews
    • Market Free™ Annuities
    • Choosing an Annuity
    • Deferred Annuities
    • Hybrid Annuity Choices
      • Hybrid Annuity Pros&Cons
      • Hybrid Income Riders
      • Hybrid Annuity Guarantees & Strategies
    • Fixed Annuity Choices
      • Fixed Annuity Performance
      • Better Fixed Annuities
      • Fixed Deferred Annuities
      • Fixed Rate Annuities
      • Fixed Annuity Alternatives
      • Fixed Annuity Pros & Cons
      • Fixed Annuity Negatives
    • Index Annuity Choices
      • Fixed Index Annuity Features
      • Fixed Index Annuity Performance
      • Better Fixed Index Annuities
      • Fixed Index Annuity Alternatives
      • Fixed Index Annuity Pros & Cons
      • Fixed Index Annuity History
      • Fixed Index Annuity Negatives
    • Immediate Annuities
      • Immediate Variable Annuity
      • Immediate Fixed Annuities
    • Variable Annuities
      • Variable Annuity Features
      • Better Variable Annuities
      • Variable Annuities Disadvantages
      • Variable Annuity Alternatives
      • Variable Annuity Negatives
      • Variable Annuity Performance
    • Pre-Issued Annuities™
      • Hybrid Annuities versus Pre-Issued Annuities ™
    • Annuity Glossary
  • Articles
    • How Do MarketFree™ Annuities Work?
    • Are Annuities Safe?
    • Living Benefits
    • FIA Performance
    • Beware of FIAs?
    • Annuities & Retirement
    • Annuities & Estate Tax
    • Rollovers & Annuities
    • Annuities & Tax
    • Charity & Annuities
    • The Lost Decade
    • Best Annuity Videos
    • Social Security Benefits
  • Calculators
    • Retirement Planning Calculator — Basic
    • Retirement Shortfall Calculator — Basic
    • Immediate Annuity Calculator & Quotes
    • Fixed Index Annuity Calculator & Fixed Annuity Calculator
    • Variable Annuity Calculator & Hybrid Annuity Calculator
  • Blog
    • Annuity Guys® Weekly Annuity Video Blogs
  • Get Annuity Guys Help
    • Request Annuity Guys’ Planning Help Today
You are here: Home / Archives for Procrastination

Stop Annuity Procrastination: New Years Resolution!

December 29, 2012 By Annuity Guys®

Procrastination – or the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority.

We always hear of people who spend more time planning their annual vacations than they spend planning their retirement. An annuity may or may not be one of the strategies you will use to plan a comfortable and secure retirement; do yourself and your family the benefit of resolving to develop a plan for retirement this year.

Watch Dick and Eric in this light-hearted video as they wish you Happy New Years and discuss why we all tend to put off planning for retirement.

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

 

**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.

Read More about Financial New Year Resolutions…

This Year We’re Serious About New Year’s Resolutions

NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Americans make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions.

Losing weight, pledging fidelity to faith and family, and/or improving their career all items that are high on the list of New Year’s resolutions.

But this year, money matters may trump all of those self-directed promises.

So says Fidelity Investments, the Boston-based mutual fund^ giant.

The investment firm uses this time of year to take a look at American’s New Year’s resolutions, and 2013 should bring renewed focus on personal financial matters, with 46% of consumers interviewed by Fidelity promising to improve their financial situation next year.

At first blush, that sentiment might seem like it belongs in the “master of the obvious” category.

But in actuality, the number of Americans targeting financial issues as a resolution is up remarkably over the past few years. In fact, Fidelity says the number of Americans focused on finances come Jan. 1 has grown 31% since 2009. [Read More…]

By Brian O’Connell of The Street

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Dick: Eric and I would like to first of all wish everybody a happy New Year, and we’d like to help you avoid that procrastination aspect of annuities.

Eric: It’s that time that to start setting your New Year’s resolution. It’s what do you need to do to get your financial house in order, perhaps? I think what we see a lot of times, especially right now with the low rate environment, problems in the economy, people are saying, “I’m just going to wait.” I’ve talked to people now that have been waiting for 18, 19, 24 months.

Dick: 23 years waiting for it to get better.

Eric: It’s going to change. I don’t want to know it now because . . .

Dick: How long have they waited in Japan for it to get better?

Eric: They’re going on 20 years right now.

Dick: I don’t think that we’re Japan. I don’t think, folks, that we necessarily have to use that as a true analogy, but the fact of the matter is that we’ve had 4 years or so of . . . we’ve seen the market rebound and do better, but we’re still in really a secular bear market and our economy still hasn’t gotten up to what it was back in the late ‘90s.

Eric: There’s strategies you can use, especially within annuities. If you’re afraid of making a wrong decision, you can at least make a decision with an annuity that has a return-of-premium aspect. If nothing else, a couple years from now, you start over again. There’s things you can do, strategies out there, and pieces that can allow you to move off the couch, so to speak, and get going.

Dick: The goal isn’t just to go out and get an annuity. Eric and I are not proponents of everybody needs an annuity, or everyone needs to make a quick decision. It’s just the opposite. If your situation, your goal, your objective is for the type of things that annuities can help you with, and you’ve been investigating it; what we call in industry, and it’s used a lot, a term is . . . go ahead.

Eric: Analysis paralysis. It’s my favorite term.

Dick: We see it all the time where, for one reason or another, it’s just easier to put it off.

Eric: The fear of making a bad decision puts you in a position where you make no decision. I’m making no decision because if I make a decision, it’s going to be a bad one, so by default.

Dick: By default, many times, you do make a bad decision. Again, when you’re wanting to get into the annuity aspect, you want to make sure you have weighed everything over to a reasonable degree, done your research. Then if it makes sense, the key is Eric, wouldn’t you agree, that if you’re meeting your goals and your objectives you’ve really solved the problem?

Eric: Yeah. That’s exactly . . . we always talk about working backwards. If you know what you want to achieve in the end, it helps you design and put the pieces in place that help you get there. You have to have a target. I always used to quote Zig Ziegler, and he said, “You’ll never hit a target you can’t see.” That’s true of your financial house. As a financial resolution, perhaps this 2013; start thinking about what your targets are. Where do you want to be? When do you want to be there?

Dick: Once you’ve identified the targets, you’ve identified the solution; it’s okay to move forward. You don’t have to keep analyzing and the paralysis of analysis. There is a certain level of becoming comfortable and making a decision. Folks if you’re anything like the clients we work with and most people that we’ve had experiences with, once you’ve made that decision, you’re going to want to second-guess yourself, you’re going to lose a night’s sleep or part of a night, and yet at the same time, you’ll feel a sense of relief that you’ve made the decision.

Eric: Work with a professional. Sometimes when people log into our site, and they say, “I look at all the annuities out there.” There’s almost 3,000 annuities there. How can I chose?

Dick: Just completely overwhelming.

Eric: What we say is, “That’s where you need to work with somebody that’s a professional because they’ll help you narrow down your selections and give you a much more reasonable pool to work within because they know what you are trying to achieve, and they can pinpoint what the best opportunities to help you get there are.”

Dick: Research on the internet of that nature, Eric, is a great place to start. What it really does more than anything, I believe, is it helps you folks to be able to ask the right types of questions to an advisor, to have knowledge of what you’re looking for in a general sense. That way, the advisor can start to narrow down in a much more specific product or antisense of what’s going to actually solve the problem.

Eric: Resolution: Take action, even if the action is making a plan.

Dick: That’s right.

Eric: It’s your retirement. You get to do once, do it right, but don’t let inaction be the plan, because it doesn’t work that way.

Dick: Exactly. Eric, in this video, we haven’t talked a lot about specific annuities. I think it’s good to have a good general discussion like this, where we just kind of share the holdbacks that we see with different individuals that we work with. Also, I just want to add this to it; we see a lot of folks that make a decision, that have done their research, they’re very comfortable with their decision, and they’re very glad they did. Years later, they’re very appreciative of everything that they’ve accomplished.

Eric: It’s the safety security. When you make that decision, sometimes, you feel like you’re giving something up, but you’re not just giving something, up you’re creating the first step in creating a plan.

Dick: Right. Folks, make that New Year’s resolution, not necessarily to run out and buy an annuity, but to go forward and do something that’s very constructive, that’s going to make a difference this year.

Eric: Sounds good. I resolve to see you in 2013.

Dick: Thank you.

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Rates, Retirement Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Life Annuity, New Year's Resolution, Planning For Retirement, Procrastination, retirement, Secure Retirement, Spending Plan

 

Empowering Annuity Reference Book

 
DOWN-LOAD NOW - FREE!
  • Annuity Guys Reference Book - 250 pages of Annuity Facts

  • "The New Retirement"
    Annuity Reference Book 
    Free Instant Download
  • Confidential - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

  • Top Five Reasons, Not to Buy an Annuity!

    Top Five Reasons, Not to Buy an Annuity!

    Let’s be honest, there are plenty of reason why someone should not buy an annuity. As Annuity Guys, we understand …Read More »
  • Who Should Choose Annuities?

    Who Should Choose Annuities?

    What type of individual chooses to purchase an annuity?Is there a stereotypical annuity enthusiast? Maybe not – however, we know …Read More »
  • Annuity Rates, Caps and Fees

    Annuity Rates, Caps and Fees

    “What are your best annuity rates?” This is how about 50% of our phone calls from website visitors start out after they visited AnnuityGuys.org .As independent advisors, fortunately, …Read More »

Revealing Fun Video: Fiduciary Advisors Vs. Annuity Salesmen
MUST KNOW FACTS 90% of
ANNUITY ADVISORS AVOID TELLING!
  • *FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
    Second Opinions Improve Retirements
     
    "For Your Retirement's Success"
     Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.
     
    Material Fact 1:
      About 90% of advisors ARE NOT REQUIRED by law to do what is best for their clients!
     
    Material Fact 2:
     Fiduciary Advisors ARE REQUIRED by law to do what's best for their clients! 
     
      Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor chose the highest legal standard required by law to work strictly for their highest good.
     
     We estimate Fiduciaries are less than 10% of total U.S. financial service providers. Fiduciaries are held to the highest client legal standard of financial planning and investment advice.
     
     The other 90% are sales oriented advisors, brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents, selling products on a much lower suitability legal standard, not necessarily what's best for their client!
     
       Fiduciaries also must disclose conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as; selling products that pay them higher commissions having higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product access limiting their client's opportunities, to name a few.
     
    Choosing your advisor can have
    "The Largest Single Impact on
    Your Retirement's Success or Failure"


  • Are 8 Percent Annuity Returns in 2025 Too Good to be True?

    Are 8 Percent Annuity Returns in 2025 Too Good to be True?

    Annuity Salesman asks:  “How would you like an eight percent compounded return? -Guaranteed!” Misled customer replies, “Where do I sign-up?”Is …Read More »
  • Ten Factors Determining the Least You Need in Annuities

    Ten Factors Determining the Least You Need in Annuities

    One of the biggest challenges facing pre-retirees is knowing the amount of income they will need in retirement to live …Read More »
  • Fixed Index Annuity & Hybrid Annuity Info

    MarketFree® Fixed Index Annuity Case Study…Case Study:  In November of 2006, Jan and Steve, a couple concerned about the security of …Read More »
  • Five Common Annuity Regrets to Avoid

    Five Common Annuity Regrets to Avoid

    Most of us have a few regrets in life… but seriously – annuity regrets???Perhaps we have gone too far as …Read More »
  • Annuities versus Securities

    Annuities versus Securities

    When you build a house, you don’t start with the roof – you start with the foundation. For many retirees annuities help …Read More »
  • Are Annuity Surrender Charges a Deal Breaker?

    Are Annuity Surrender Charges a Deal Breaker?

    The last time you bought a new car, how much of a factor in your purchase decision was the vehicles …Read More »
  • Is the Fiscal Cliff a Threat or an Opportunity for Annuities?

    Is the Fiscal Cliff a Threat or an Opportunity for Annuities?

    The “Fiscal Cliff” could have profound implications on the economy. Dick and Eric examine the potential impact on retirees and …Read More »
  • Is Social Security an Annuity?

    Is Social Security an Annuity?

    It is important to understand the way that Social Security was designed to function. By commercial standards, this is the …Read More »

View Our Newest Videos! Subscribe Now
  • Annuity Guys Videos - Annuity Answers
  • New Annuity Guys Videos
    Our Entertaining & Informative
     Saturday Morning Video Blog
  • Timely Retirement & Annuity Issues - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


  • Annuities: What Percentage Should Be in Your Retirement Portfolio?

    Annuities: What Percentage Should Be in Your Retirement Portfolio?

    The answer is… 50 percent (NOT!!!) — want to know why many insurance sales agents might say that?It’s nice when …Read More »
  • Who Should Not Buy Annuities?

    Who Should Not Buy Annuities?

    Are You One of These Five Profiles who probably should NOT buy an annuity?Are you an Aggressive Investor with an Appetite …Read More »
  • Choosing an Immediate Annuity

    Choosing an Immediate Annuity

    In the golden era of career based retirements, everyone could count on a company paycheck for life in retirement. Unfortunately, in …Read More »
  • Turning Your 401k into Retirement Income

    Turning Your 401k into Retirement Income

    “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” While Benjamin Franklin was probably not referring to what he …Read More »
  • Can Annuities Reduce the Cost of Retirement?

    Can Annuities Reduce the Cost of Retirement?

    Would you rather get something on sale or pay the full retail price? Silly question, right? Nobody wants to pay more …Read More »
  • What’s Your Best Retirement Income Strategy?

    What’s Your Best Retirement Income Strategy?

    Retirement encompasses many joys, fears, and unknowns. One of the biggest fears according to our field observations is running out …Read More »
  • Tax Free Annuities – Limited Supply!

    Tax Free Annuities – Limited Supply!

    Tax Free annuities are entirely possible with some planning and knowledge about Roth conversions.One of the biggest negatives continually re-hashed …Read More »
  • Five Annuity Obstacles to Overcome

    Five Annuity Obstacles to Overcome

    Purchasing an annuity for retirement can be a difficult and stressful decision. For many people this means re-positioning a portion of their retirement assets as …Read More »
Get Newly Released Annuity Guys® Videos on Saturday Mornings
  • Annuity Guys Videos - Annuity Answers
  • New Annuity Guys Videos
    Our Entertaining & Informative
     Saturday Morning Video Blog
  • Timely Retirement & Annuity Issues - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


  • Top Five Reasons, Not to Buy an Annuity!

    Top Five Reasons, Not to Buy an Annuity!

    Let’s be honest, there are plenty of reason why someone should not buy an annuity. As Annuity Guys, we understand …Read More »
  • Should You Choose a Variable Annuity?

    Should You Choose a Variable Annuity?

    Occasionally, we get requests from our site visitors and viewers to help them review a particular annuity – like that from …Read More »
  • Are Annuities Improving With The Economy?

    Are Annuities Improving With The Economy?

    Annuities have been on a significant growth upswing since the equities market started tanking in 2008. So if annuities were …Read More »
  • Are Annuity Commissions Too High?

    Are Annuity Commissions Too High?

    Most of the mainstream media decries annuities as bad investment choices sold by unscrupulous agents solely to earn high commission.CNN/Money even …Read More »
  • Choosing a Fixed Annuity

    Choosing a Fixed Annuity

    If you are having trouble sleeping, you could count sheep or think about fixed annuities.Solid, unexciting, stodgy and downright boring …Read More »
  • Study Finds Near Retirees Get Crushed! Can Annuities Help?

    Study Finds Near Retirees Get Crushed! Can Annuities Help?

    A recent headline from the Yahoo Daily Ticker caught our attention – American Incomes Are Falling And Near-Retirees Are Getting …Read More »
  • Can Annuities Reduce the Cost of Retirement?

    Can Annuities Reduce the Cost of Retirement?

    Would you rather get something on sale or pay the full retail price? Silly question, right? Nobody wants to pay more …Read More »
  • Lifetime Annuity Income: Annuitize or Control Your Money with Income Riders

    Lifetime Annuity Income: Annuitize or Control Your Money with Income Riders

    Do you have to annuitize an annuity to get **guaranteed lifetime income? No, not if the annuity has an income rider.If …Read More »
  • Low Interest Rates Hurt Seniors

    Low Interest Rates Hurt Seniors

    The Federal Reserve Board has not formally relaxed its intention to keep interest rates low through the end of 2014. …Read More »
  • Fed Up with Exaggerated Annuity Claims?

    Fed Up with Exaggerated Annuity Claims?

    There is a saying in the annuity world that annuities are sold, not bought! Yes, at times this may be …Read More »

 

Empowering Annuity Reference Book

 
Start Reading Now - Instant Download
  • Annuity Guys Reference Book - 250 pages of Annuity Facts

  • "The New Retirement"
    Annuity Reference Book 
    Free Instant Download
  • Confidential - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 
Comprehensive Site Terms and Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 Annuity Guys®


  ** 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.
Annuities 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 Annuity Guys website visitors. Dick Van Dyke semi-retired from his Investment Advisory Practice in 2012 and now focuses on this educational Annuity Guys Website. He still maintains his insurance license in good standing and assists his current clients.
Annuity Guys' 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.)



  # Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a variable annuity and its underlying investment options. The current prospectus and underlying prospectuses, which are contained in the same document, provide this and other important information. Please contact an Investment Professional or the issuing Company to obtain the prospectuses. Please read the prospectuses carefully before investing or sending money.


  ^ Investors should consider investment objectives, risk, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing.


  ^ Eric Judy offers advisory services through Client One Securities, LLC an Investment Advisor. Annuity Guys Ltd. and Client One Securities, LLC are not affiliated.