Business Marketing & Finance Resources

Many people today are considering the option of going in for retirement. While this is not a bad option as such, you need to think about what you plan to do once you have retired. There needs to be a steady source of income for you to rely upon so that you don’t end up in trouble due to a miscalculation of some kind. In order to avoid this, many people make it a point to go in for something known as annuities. With these, people tend to have guaranteed income even years after they have retired. There are three broad categories in this – Equity indexed annuity, Variable annuities and deferred annuities.

Equity Indexed Annuities

This is one of the most sought after kind of annuity today. It is popular for a number of reasons, and depending on how your portfolio might be; you too might be enthusiastic to go in for this option. In this, you will be able to get a higher return rate when the stock market is doing well. However, the rate will not fall beyond a certain minimum amount even in case of a stock market crash. Hence, this makes for a truly safe option when it comes to annuities, and essentially something that minimizes risk in the concept significantly.

Variable Annuities

For high net worth individuals, it is important to ensure that their money is not in jeopardy in any way. Hence, the only solution to make use of would be to go in variable annuities. In this way, even lawsuits cannot cause much harm with your annuity. Additionally, you can’t withdraw any money for a set period. Hence, unless you are not planning to touch your money until you have retired, this is not the kind of annuity that you would want to go in for. It is designed for people that have a high income and hence, to ensure that they can lead a comfortable life even after they have retired.

Deferred Annuities

If you are in no rush for money at the moment and want to avoid taking risks at any cost, then this is the kind of annuity for you. Not only do you get a guarantee that your money is going to be in safe hands, but you can also be assured that you will have income regardless of the status of the stock market. Hence, this makes for one of the safest investments around and something that is guaranteed to give you a decent income much after you have completed your job.

Hence, it is important to ensure that you don’t simply go out there and get something that is not suitable for your profile. Ensure that you read about all these things or at least talk to a knowledgeable person about it so that your money doesn’t get invested in something unimportant. A finance professional can clearly tell you about what all you need and how you might be able to get an assured income through annuities without any problem as such.

If you fancy your chances of making some money on the stock market, then it may be a good idea for you to get a good cheap stock broker to help you on your investment journey to make some money. If it’s your very first time trying your hand at this type of investment or you are already in the game of investment but you can’t afford those high commission fees, then you should try to go for a cheap stock broker. Going with a cheaper broker will definitely reduce your costs and quite possibly open up more opportunities for you to make some extra money.

If you are looking for a cheap stock broker, you will need to do some online searches and a few broker comparisons to get the cheapest broker. Checking online is a great way to help you narrow down your search for a cheap stock broker. This is because there is an online category called discount brokers which will offer you a wide array of affordable stock brokers that are specialists in the online trading arena. Going with these discounted stock brokers will definitely help you in the journey to make money to cover some bills, as well as reduce your trading costs.

The truth is keeping down your trading costs is usually the key to making that extra profit. If you have lower payouts in commission and other stock broker fees, you will have more money for your portfolio and more money for you to invest in other lucrative financial instruments. Therefore, getting a cheap stock broker is an excellent way to build your profitability, giving you the opportunity to take home that extra dollar. You should be careful though when choosing those cheap brokers, as many may not treat your money investment with respect due to low commission payouts.

On the other hand, if you go with a good cheap stock broker, they will offer you greater versatility and flexibility with regards to your trading options. In addition, you will get the opportunity to do a large number of smaller trades without having to worry about the large commission fees which would have been attracted if you went with other expensive stock brokers. Isn’t this wonderful, you will be able to buy and sell a number of times with smaller amounts of cash at extremely low commission fees.

A cheap stock broker is definitely the way to go if you are new to investing financial instruments. This is because you will be spared the wrath of high commission fees that regular stock brokers charge, as well as you will be positioned strategically to develop and enhance your financial portfolio and profitability. Additionally, if you only have a few dollars, you will still get an opportunity to invest and earn money like those folks who are well off financially and are investing in the stock market. By choosing a cheap stock broker you will have an equal opportunity to make some money without having to worry too much about losing money because of high stock broker payouts.

Having a secure, fulfilling retirement is a primary goal for most of us. At some point in the future we will no longer receive a “paycheck” from an employer and will instead rely on the income from assets we have accumulated and saved, plus income benefits from defined benefit pensions, Social Security benefits, distributions from retirement savings plans such as 401(k)s, deferred compensation, sale of our business and other investments. For most people, the overriding and often primary directive of financial planning is simply “retirement planning.” However, planning for retirement is not a particularly easy process.

The retirement planning process involves using a retirement planning calculator and creating a road map toward your retirement goal and developing a plan to achieve that goal. The plan generally considers post-retirement budgeting, savings, tax management, debt management, pre-retirement budgeting and a host of other inputs all geared toward ensuring a quality retirement. However, planning for retirement takes time and judgment, because it involves many unknown variables. Among the top variables that may determine when retirement is feasible are lifestyle/family goals, longevity, future income tax rates, portfolio returns, the effect of inflation on expenses and future investment returns.

Let’s review the basics of these variables as they relate to your retirement plan.

Lifestyle Goals

Would you like to travel? Own one home or two? What is your retirement vision? These questions and others like them are necessary to help create a budget for your specific retirement needs.

Longevity

Attempting to gauge how long we’re going to live in retirement is a task that’s becoming more and more difficult. Medical advances have led to increased life spans and continue to increase the mortality age. This is best illustrated by the Social Security system. In its original design, participants in Social Security were expected to live only a few years after they have begun receiving benefits. People live longer now, and life spans are increasing each year. We believe it is wise to project a retirement plan that assumes you’ll live to age 100.

Future Tax Rates

Since we can only spend our “aftertax” income, it is imperative that we consider what tax rates our retirement income will be subject to. However, as government bodies at all levels change with each election, so do virtually all tax laws, including property tax, sales tax, state income tax and the granddaddy of them all, the federal income tax. Taxes such as property and sales taxes should be adjusted to account for cost of living increases. One thing is certain – taxes will exist in retirement.

Investment Returns

How much you can withdraw from your “nest egg” each year is perhaps the most critical variable to retirement projections. Like the other retirement variables, the annual return on your nest egg will not be linear. As we know, the investments most suited for providing long-term income security into retirement are going to fluctuate. Financial markets can have long periods of up and down investment return cycles. We need continual income and that is the key. That’s why we work toward constructing portfolios that can provide lifetime income security for our clients. Many retirees get caught up in “short-termism” and use CDs, shortterm bonds and fixed annuities as core holdings in their retirement portfolio. But this investment strategy is very risky. While inflation causes things to cost more, deflation can keep interest rates low for many years, requiring the need for retirees to invade their principal savings to meet their budget needs.

At FIM Group, we balance the long-term asset volatility with the more stable fixed investments to construct our clients’ portfolios. Our goal is to allow clients to live on the income generated from their diversified portfolio with a goal of providing income that can increase over time. That way clients won’t need to invade principal. Simply put, we call it living on the eggs (investment returns), not the chicken (principal).

Inflation

Loss of purchasing power caused by rising prices must be included in any retirement plan. It is safe to say that one dollar will buy less in the future. As you progress into retirement, you should factor in giving yourself a raise periodically to offset cost of living increases.

Family Constraints

Will you need to provide for or care for your parents and/or children in retirement? If so, how much will you help them? In summary, we are realistic about retirement planning and take retirement seriously. While the future is unknown, we do know that life will go on, some businesses will grow and pay great dividends, interest rates will fluctuate, politicians will fiddle with taxes, and inflation and deflation will fight it out. One thing, however, is certain: we will retire someday.