Steve’s Blog

There are four basic phases to your financial life: 1) The Start Up Phase (age 20-35) where you are struggling to get ahold of your finances and get to a point where you can truly start saving, then comes 2) The Accumulation Phase (age 35 to 55) where you get serious...

How do you compare the benefits and features of each type of annuity? Generally speaking, Baby Boomers are independent thinkers. They have always been unwilling to accept old-guard thinking that no longer applies to them, or to the current world. Suddenly, in the past...

With markets uncertain, many investors are not ready to let their investments get cut in half again like they did in 2000 and 2008. Many thoughtful adults are thinking about new forms of lower death benefit, higher cash value endowments. This special form of life...

If you change jobs or retire, you might find yourself having to rollover your retirement plan. Leaving an old plan to be managed under the strict rules of your former employer may not be to your advantage. A tax-deferred rollover is the best way to move money from one...

The new Department of Labor (DOL) fiduciary rule came into effect on June 9, 2017. This rule requires that brokers must put their clients’ interests first when offering advice regarding retirement savings accounts. This new rule won’t be enforced until after January...

A long term care annuity (LTCA) provides long term care protection for costs that are not covered by your health insurance policy. The benefits provided are based on the premium dollars you have paid into your annuity. The larger your premium, the greater your...

No one wants to think about requiring long-term care during his or her golden years. Adding to the subject's lack of appeal is the fact that it's expensive. Today, with longer life expectancies, you need to have a strategy to pay for this care if you and/or your...

As part of your diverse portfolio, an annuity can help you accomplish financial goals such as saving for retirement or protecting your assets. Consider these three different annuity strategies. Fixed Deferred Annuity vs. Certificate of Deposit Both of these...

Every investment involves some level of risk and annuities are no different. An annuity is an insurance contract used to provide a source of income during your retirement. Depending on how your contract is structured, you might fund it with a one-time lump sum or with...

Annuities can play a part of your estate planning strategy. However, because they are a life insurance product, there are things you should know about their tax and inheritance implications. Joint Ownership Annuities With a jointly owned annuity, the phase you are in...