The running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain each July provides for amazing images as young men run alongside the massive bulls trying to demonstrate their bravado. Unfortunately, the images we typically remember of the “running of the bulls” are those dozen or so young men each year that had unfortunate timing and were trampled or gored […] The post Are Annuities a Viable Option – As Markets Soar? appeared first on Annuity Guys ..read more

The stock market is well known for its roller coaster effect of up and down account values. For many retirees, this can mean more than a few restless nights and frequent trips to the store for antacids. Just the thought of losing thirty, twenty or even ten percent of your retirement savings can be unsettling at best. Did you know that […] The post Can Annuities Enhance Stock Market Investing? appeared first on Annuity Guys ..read more

What would Trump do? Do you think he might be the type to buy low & sell high? This sounds incredibly easy but when it comes to knowing the right time to get in or out of the securities/stock market, unfortunately the vast majority of individual investors and even experienced advisors fail miserably and it’s doubtful that President Trump […] The post Should You Buy Annuities in our Trump Influenced Bull Market? appeared first on Annuity Guys ..read more

“Why can’t we all just get along?” It seems that the spirit of divisive partisan politics has invaded the investment world of annuities vs securities and more specifically fixed index annuities. For a myriad of reasons it seems many advisors end up in one camp or the other – loving or hating annuities while at times masking their true bias! Investment broker types typically avoid or hate fixed index annuities but love promoting variable annuities# and other securities products. Insurance agents on the other hand love fixed index annuities and have little appreciat ..read more

Do you remember the first time you heard about annuities? It might have been in a nice restaurant hearing a presentation from an advisor or maybe your good friend who could not resist telling you about how he just discovered a great answer for secure retirement income and growth! Since then you may have searched the internet high and low, … (continued below video) Video: Dick and Eric tackle ten questions (listed below this video) about… Annuity Income & Growth to Maintain Principal **Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the is ..read more

Do you have to annuitize an annuity to get **guaranteed lifetime income? No, not if the annuity has an income rider. If you elect to place a lifetime income rider on an annuity does that selection prevent you from annuitizing in the future? No. Confused? The advent of the living benefits rider or as most of us call them – income riders, has led to a level of confusion among those individuals considering annuities for their portfolio. In the “old days” you had to…[continued below video] Video: The Annuity Guys, Dick and Eric, compare hybrid annuity income riders to the old s ..read more

Mom used to talk about knowing the difference between “a want” and “a need” when I was younger. As my sister and I would beg for one of those candy bars stacked beside the cash register, she would say “do you really NEED it or you just WANT one?” And, when money was tight, we learned quickly that we needed groceries and a roof over our head more than candy bars. Candy was a luxury item; food was a necessity. In retirement, income is a NEED. How you obtain that income and the amount you need is different for each person. Many retirees are comfortable managing their own portfolios and have ..read more

There’s no place like home… but when it comes to annuities, your Home State may not be the best place for annuities! The annuity you purchase in Texas most likely will not be the same as the similar one you buy in California – even if it is the same company and annuity by name. Does it matter? You bet, it does… Annuity policy requirements differ by state for various reasons. Oftentimes, the differences are due to…[continued below video] Video: Annuity Guys, Dick and Eric, discuss where you live impacts on your annuity selection, for better or worse. Guarantee ..read more

Most of us have a few regrets in life… but seriously – annuity regrets??? Perhaps we have gone too far as the Annuity Guys® in releasing the five most common annuity regrets expressed by folks we have spoken with, across the country… I’m losing money in my annuity and still paying high fees! Cashing my annuity in will hurt, it has a high surrender charge! Wish I had understood the annuity better that I was advised to buy! Laddering my annuities instead of just buying one large annuity could have been better! Why did I wait so long to get annuities? Watch this Annuity Guys® vid ..read more

Are You One of These Five Profiles who probably should NOT buy an annuity? Are you an Aggressive Investor with an Appetite for Risk? Do you believe the Stock Market is poised for a couple decades of steady growth? Are you age twenty to forty? Are you over age eighty? Do you believe that all financial institutions will fail soon and anarchy will prevail? [continued below video…] Video: Watch Annuity Guys, Dick & Eric, have fun profiling folks who shouldn’t buy annuities!  Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and ma ..read more