“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

Have you ever made a trip to the grocery store where you picked up a few items, walked up to cashier only to realize seconds into the transaction that you don’t have your wallet or any way to pay for the items you picked up? If this has never happened to you, be thankful, because it is embarrassing. You suddenly feel like everyone is watching and judging you and there is nothing you can do other than apologize and get out of there as quickly as possible. Just knowing that not having money in an awkward situation like the grocery counter can cause such consternation. Can you imagine the de ..read more

Let me start with this basic truth as a Retirement Advisor & Annuity Advisor – THE ANNUITY GUYS ARE GUILTY – of believing annuities should be an important part of a well balanced retirement portfolio. We admit our bias in that we believe annuities are proven financial instruments that will provide safer, more secure growth and reliable lifetime income throughout retirement. However, finding a trustworthy licensed retirement financial planner with true annuity expertise to correctly balance your portfolio may not be as easy as one would think! Likewise beware, you would be hard pressed ..read more

If we only had a nickel for every phone call that came into the office which started out like this… “Hello, This is the Annuity Guys®. How can we help you?” “Hi, can you please tell me which annuity is best?” “Which of the two types are you referring to, variable or fixed?…  and what variations of those two types are you interested in?” “I just want the best one, maybe one of those fixed index annuities – the one that gives me the most income, most growth possible, and I don’t want to…[continued below video] Video: Annuity Guys®, Dick & Eric, discuss how ..read more