Annuities and retirement income, in plain English.
Short, straight answers to the questions people ask me most. No jargon, no pressure.
Income Riders, Explained in Plain English
"Guaranteed income for life" is real. Here is how it works, what it costs, and the number people most often misunderstand.
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What Happens to My Annuity When I Die?
Who gets the money, how they can take it, and what they owe in taxes. Plus the one choice that decides it all.
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How Annuity Agents Get Paid (Straight Talk)
Most agents won't bring it up. Here is how annuity commissions work, and whether they come out of your money.
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9 Red Flags in an Annuity Pitch
Pressure to sign today, free steak dinners, "no risk, all the upside." Here are the warning signs worth walking away from.
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How Annuities Are Taxed, in Plain English
Tax-deferred sounds good. Here is when the tax bill actually arrives, and the one detail that changes everything.
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Fixed Indexed Annuities in Plain English
Market-linked growth with no market losses. Here is how that actually works, and the fine print worth reading.
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Is Your Old Annuity Still Working for You?
Bought an annuity years ago and not sure what it is doing now? Here is how to check it, and when to leave it alone.
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Retired and Worried About Running Out of Money? Start Here.
Retired with a few hundred thousand saved and worried it won't last? Here are the numbers that matter, and the moves that help most.
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Retired With Modest Savings and Not Sure Where to Start?
Already retired with less than $100,000 saved and not sure what to do with it? Here are four practical first steps.
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How Sequence of Returns Shapes Your Retirement Income
The order your returns arrive in can cut the income your savings can safely provide by more than half. Here's how, and what to do about it.
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Your CD Is Maturing. Here Are Your 5 Options.
When a CD comes due, the bank renews it automatically unless you tell them otherwise. Here's what to weigh first.
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Annuity Surrender Charges, Explained in Plain English
"Surrender charge" sounds scary. Here's what it actually is, why it exists, and how to make sure you never pay one.
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Annuity Bonuses: What's the Catch?
"Get a 10% bonus on day one!" Bonuses are real. Here are the three things that usually come with them.
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Why Retiring Into a Down Market Is So Risky
Two retirees, same savings, same average return. One runs out of money years before the other. Here's how that happens.
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The Most Useful Retirement Number: Your Income Gap
The most useful retirement number isn't your account balance. It's your monthly gap. Here's how to find it.
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When an Annuity Isn't the Right Answer
Some of the best advice I've given was "leave it where it is." Here's when an annuity usually isn't the right fit.
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