Books
Download these Booklets on important retirement topics to get a basic understanding of concepts and tools that you can integrate into your own customized retirement strategy.
Our Annuity Booklet ~~~ Our Annuity Booklet covers the types of annuities and their basic features, as well as how to learn how you might employ Annuities to ensure a [...]
Our Social Security Booklet~~~ Our Social Security Booklet outlines the basics of our system and how you might maximize Social Security to maintain your retirement income. [...]
Our Life Insurance Booklet ~~~ Our Life Insurance Booklet provides an overview of the various types of Life Insurance and their uses, including how you might employ Life Insurance to [...]
Articles: Annuities
Learn more about different types of annuities, including specific features that can affect your payout, how women can use annuities to set up a more secure retirement, and how to decide where an annuity might fit into your retirement estate plan.
How Annuities Can Lend Safety and Stability to Your Retirement Plan ~~~ An annuity can be a powerful tool for reaching goals in life that are basic to security. An Investment that you cannot outlive. [...]
What Is a Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity (MYGA)? ~~~ Get a guaranteed interest rate with this tax-deferred investment strategy. Multi-year Guaranteed Annuities (MYGAs) are fixed annuities that promise a set rate of return for a period [...]
Indexed Annuities Offer Security with a Limited Amount of Risk ~~~ You can think of an indexed annuity as a cake, with a solid layer of security topped by a sweet icing of market exposure. [...]
Understanding the Difference Between Fixed And Variable Annuities ~~~ Do you know how much the fees and expenses associated with your retirement investments are? Annuities offer tax sheltered growth which can result in significant long-term [...]
Articles: Social Security
Get an overview of how the Social Security program works and the risks of it defaulting on future payments to retirees. Weigh the pros and cons involved in claiming your benefits at different ages. See how health care costs could take a big chunk of your Social Security income later in life.
What is the Social Security 2100 Act? ~~~ The Social Security program has run a deficit every year since 2010, and new projections expect that it will be unable to meet its obligations to American [...]
The Uncertain Future of Social Security ~~~ The Social Security program has had a deficit every year since 2010 and by 2033, the program is projected to become insolvent. Though Social Security’s full retirement age [...]
The Impact of Health Care Costs on Social Security As health care costs continue to rise at a faster annual rate than Social Security payments, and lifespans continue to lengthen, the need for retirees to [...]
Social Security Survivor Benefits ~~~ How do you claim them? How much can you receive? About 5 million widowed Americans get Social Security survivor benefits. If your spouse has passed, you may be eligible to [...]
Articles: Life Insurance
Understand the key features of a life insurance policy. Learn about the types of life insurance and how they can help you achieve your financial goals in different phases of life.
It’s Time to Review Your Life Insurance When was the last time you looked at your life insurance coverage? Why not do it now? Life insurance can be a remarkable estate planning and tax-saving tool. [...]
Basics of Life Insurance ~~~ Are you considering a life insurance policy? Review these life insurance basics which can help you get started as you examine the many options available to you. Life Insurance Defined [...]
Term Life Insurance: Advantages and Disadvantages ~~~ Term life insurance is the simplest form of life insurance. It offers death protection insurance at a fixed rate of payment for a limited, specific period of time. [...]
Using Life Insurance To Meet Your Financial Goals ~~~ Life insurance can be a key part of a well-structured estate plan, an important business strategy, and a wealth-building tool. When was the last time you [...]
Articles: Financing Your Retirement
When should you retire? How much savings is enough? What can you do to ensure that you’ll have an income for the rest of your life? Don’t forget to include inflation in your planning. Women can take steps now to avoid financial insecurity later in life.
When the Fed raises the federal funds target rate, bond market values will decline, and the longest term bonds will suffer most. But that’s only part of the story - as interest rates increase, new [...]
Identity Theft and Retirement: How to Protect Yourself Identity theft is a problem that impacts millions of people annually. Retirees and older Americans have recently been targeted at higher rates than other segments of the [...]
Good Debt, Bad Debt Under the right circumstances, debt can have a positive impact on your finances, but the key is to maximize good debt and minimize bad debt. The average American owed $16,720 in [...]
Inflation Erodes Retirement Savings Inflation does not literally reduce the number of dollars you possess, but it does reduce your purchasing power. How inflation is measured Inflation and deflation describe whether prices of goods are [...]
Articles: Tax Efficiency in Retirement
Brush up on when and how to prepare for tax day. Learn about tax-reducing credits and investment strategies. Explore tax consequences and potential uses of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
Avoiding Tax Scams in Retirement ~~~ Every year, as the April tax deadline approaches, there’s an increase in the number of tax-related scams that are reported according to Transaction Network Services. Thousands of taxpayers are [...]
Annual Financial To-Do List Actions you can take this year to improve your financial security. What financial, business, and life priorities do you plan to address in the coming year? Now is a good time [...]
Tax Efficiency in Retirement How much attention do you pay to this factor? Will you pay higher taxes in retirement? Do you have a lot of money in a 401(k) or a traditional IRA? If [...]
Getting a Jump on Tax Season What should you bring to your preparer? You can file your federal tax return starting in late January of the previous year. IRS filing season will start right on [...]
Articles: Estate Planning
Learn how to set up your estate plan and put in place strategies for minimizing probate and also conflicts between your heirs. Do a deeper dive into living trusts and beneficiary designation.
Reduce Family Conflicts Over Your Estate ~~~ Strategies to transfer your assets without confusing or upsetting your heirs. Relying on a will to pass along your wealth after you die may not be enough to [...]
Minimizing Probate When Setting Up Your Estate ~~~ What can you do to lessen the impact of probate for your heirs? For some estates, probate takes very little time and few financial resources, for others, [...]
How Can LTC Insurance Help You Protect Your Assets? ~~~ Plan to create a pool of healthcare dollars that will grow in any market. How will you pay for long term care? The sad fact [...]
10 Estate Planning Success Tips ~~~ Though the terms have changed dramatically over the past decade, estate taxes continue to be in force. In 2001, legislation was made to phase-out estate tax by raising exemption [...]
Calculators
From estimating how much to set aside each month, how long your projected nest egg will last you, what to expect from the effects of inflation as well as predictions for your Social Security income – these calculators can help!
How long will my money last? ~~~ Calculate how long [...]
How much should I save to reach my goal? ~~~ [...]
Social Security Retirement Income Estimator ~~~ Estimate your monthly Social [...]
How does inflation impact my retirement income needs? ~~~ Calculate [...]
What are the tax advantages of an Annuity? ~~~ Understand [...]
What is the value of a bond? ~~~ Calculate the [...]