"Fun With Annuities" The Annuity Man Podcast

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   A plain annuity biscuit  Biscuits for the weekend  An annuity biscuit with a little bit of jelly and butter  The Annuity version of a CD    Key Takeaways:   A plain biscuit without anything on it would be a single-premium immediate annuity or a deferred-income annuity. You get lifetime income with no annual fees and no market attachments. It's a straig...

   In this episode, The Annuity Man and Roger Whitney discuss:   The two retirement crises Balancing on the teeter-totter Before going into fancy tactical stuff Focusing on what you can control    Key Takeaways:   There are two retirement crises: one is when people don't have enough money to pay the bills when they can't work anymore. The other crisis is for people with many resources and options...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   You can't hate all annuities  Who invented PIGs?  The four PIGs  Adding to your income floor    Key Takeaways:   Just to recap, you already have an annuity, and there's no way you could hate all annuities when there are a lot of kinds out there.  The Romans invented the original portfolio income guarantee. The government provided an annual payment to s...

  In this episode, The Annuity Man and Heather Schreiber discuss:   Insolvency in the future  When should you claim?  Consulting with experts  Collecting survivor benefits   Key Takeaways:   Somewhere in the years 2034 and 2035, social security will experience insolvency if nothing changes in the present. This is not as dire as it sounds; insolvency will only happen if nothing changes from now unt...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   Financial racism/classism in the annuity industry The responsibility of companies  Don't rush buying an annuity  Hiring a trustworthy expert    Key Takeaways:   Financial racism/classism is going on in the industry these days. People who have worked their whole life that are not particularly financially savvy are being preyed upon by annuity agents tha...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Rick Ferri discuss:   Outperforming 90% of investors  Developing a simple portfolio  Five ways to improve your portfolio Facing the risks   Key Takeaways:   Investing is not as difficult as others would have you believe. The best way to invest is to keep things simple; the fewer moving parts, the better.  Develop a simple portfolio that will hold four funds, tw...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed The two primary functions of an annuity  Don't time it; ladder it  Annuities are based on life expectancy When life expectancy tables change against you   Key Takeaways:   There are two primary functions for an annuity: principal protection or income for life. Never buy an annuity for market growth.  Don't time it; try laddering instead. If you have $300,...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Dana Anspach discuss:   Don't blame the hammer  Overcoming confirmation bias Avoiding "perfect" products  Long view financial planning    Key Takeaways:   Don't blame the hammer. It's easy to blame the tool, but many other variables come into play if it doesn't work. It could be that the person using the tool lacks experience or all the information they need to...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:  How annuity companies buy bonds for you Accessing industrial-grade bonds  Interest rates play a secondary role  Potential or contractual increases    Key Takeaways:   You can't open an account with an annuity company and have them buy bonds for you, but when you sign a contract for an annuity they'll buy bonds on your behalf to support the lifetime inco...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Ted Benna discuss:   From spender to saver  Getting more money in the long run  Employees should care about employees  Investing faster in your retirement    Key Takeaways:   The biggest help that 401k's have provided is that they converted employees from being spenders into savers.  A 401k plan enables an employee to essentially get more money in the long run...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   Social security is a lifetime income stream The annuity that most are unaware of  Your pension is your third annuity  Do you still need an annuity then?    Key Takeaways:   The first annuity that you already own is Social Security. By definition, Social Security is a lifetime income stream that will pay you as long as you're breathing based on your lif...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Amanda-Jo Wilt discuss:   Your most important asset  Removing the barriers to health  Weight acceptance and promoting health The problem with alcohol    Key Takeaways:   Your overall most important asset is your health. Invest in it, or you'll lose out on enjoying your retirement.  The best way to achieve a healthy lifestyle is to get rid of the barriers and ma...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   Why do they sell you indexed annuities?  Letting CPAs stay in their lane Listening to the right people  No good reason to sell    Key Takeaways:   Your CPA should not be involved in financial advice. There is a reason why they often sell indexed annuities, and that's because they'll get the highest commission from that type of annuity.  CPAs are analyt...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Steve Vernon discuss:   The Scrooge McDuck Syndrome  Facing your reality  Focusing on the future  Maximizing your social security   Key Takeaways:   The problem with decumulation is foremost a psychological one. People feel better seeing that account with money sitting there, but you have to turn the switch and spend it down.  Develop lifetime paychecks that la...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   What are interest rates? Payout rates and lifetime income Focusing on the monthly income You can't beat the annuity companies   Key Takeaways:   Interest rates have to do with multi-year guarantee annuities, the annuity industry's version of a CD. You will be locked in at a guaranteed interest rate. The payout rate is a whole different animal.  Payout...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Paul Merriman discuss:   The seven big things you need to know about investment Putting children on a glide path  Avoiding market-timing  Investing is simple    Key Takeaways:   Figure out a way to identify what equity asset classes you should have and figure out how to put them together.  Everyone needs a glide path, and in theory, it starts when a child is bo...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   What does Inverted Annuity Yield Curve mean?  An opportunity in current events  Are A++ companies too big to fail?  Annuities are not bonds    Key Takeaways:   An Inverted Annuity Yield Curve is when the two-year treasury rate is higher than the ten-year treasury rate. Typically when that happens, that's a pre-determinant of a possible upcoming recessi...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Peggy Nicholson discuss:   Lying in a shallow grave  How to live like you're dying  Letting money complicate your life  Stop waiting for yourself to be ready    Key Takeaways:   Envision yourself lying in a shadow grave and reflect. Think about your legacy and the people you'll leave behind. What are some things that came to your mind?  Live life today like you...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   The CBDC initiative  The taxing of cryptocurrency  Cryptocurrency is not going away  How blockchain can affect annuities in the future    Key Takeaways:   Putin using cryptocurrency to thwart US banking has led the administration to be aggressive with going in the direction of digital currency.  Since the government is taking a huge interest in blockch...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Charles Rotblut discuss:   Creating your own financial plan  Finding your real risk tolerance  History repeats itself  Crypto is purely speculative    Key Takeaways:   Prioritize your goals, recognize your risk tolerance, and identify your investment management preferences. Don't be distracted by shiny objects, and remember that everything you do with your mone...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   Annuities are customizable  An example of life with cash refund  What does it mean to get a joint-life policy Options and choices when getting an annuity    Key Takeaways:   A life-only contract means that the annuity company is on the hook to pay as long as you're breathing, but the money goes away when you die.  Life with cash refund means that you g...

   In this episode, The Annuity Man and Andy Panko discuss:   How advisors should construct their fees  The complexity of decumulation  Making the plan as good as it can be Cryptocurrency is a lottery ticket    Key Takeaways:   The work isn't linear to the asset size; advisors shouldn't make more money just because assets go up. In the same way, advisors shouldn't be paid less just because the mar...

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:   What are Black Swan Events?  How current events affect everything  Making a decision solely for your life  Considering guarantees always    Key Takeaways:   When something strange happens, something you're not prepared for, something you're not used to seeing, or an event that's entirely unique, then it's a black swan.  In just 90 days, we've seen inte...

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Michael Finke discuss:   Delaying your decision to claim  Insulating your income from volatility  Inflation is personal  Consequences of not annuitizing   Key Takeaways:   If you have a good reason to expect that you're not going to live as long as an average American, then it makes sense to claim early. Unless, you have a spouse who can continue to receive you...

   In this episode, The Annuity Man and Terry Savage discuss:   Responding to the IRS return delays  Managing your beneficiaries  The opposite of tempting fate  Setting an example    Key Takeaways:   Don't go refiling your returns. Just be patient; your refund from last year will come eventually with 3% interest. Go to IRS.GOV and look for "sign in to my account," even if you don't have one yet. S...