The following guides cover a variety of retirement planning and annuity-related topics. All of these guides have been written exclusively for Annuity FYI and many include reputable outside resources where additional information can be found. These guides were written to address commonly asked questions. New guides are being added regularly.

ARTICLES & GUIDES

Looks as though the Fiduciary Rule is Dead After All

At Annuity FYI’s last writing two months ago about the Department of Labor’s Fiduciary Rule – the one that mandated that all advisors …

Managing Retirement Finances Requires Budgeting – as Well as Income Accumulation — and Analyzing Your Percentage of Past Income

Pretty much everybody who has thought about retirement knows that the key requirement for financial security post-career boils down to …

If Tax Overhaul Passes Congress, It’s Probably a Small Plus for Most Seniors

It looks as though a sweeping rewrite of the federal tax code has strong potential…

Insights into Buying a Second Annuity

You own an annuity, you believe you were wise to buy one and, most important, you recently …

Know the Ins and Outs Before You Buy an Annuity

Fewer than 10% of Americans own annuities. Ever wonder why, given that they offer distinct…

Is a Top-Rated Annuity Worth the Price of Admission?

When most people shop for an annuity, they care about independent ratings that grade its financial…

Affluent People on Medicaid? It Happens

Only six percent of Medicaid recipients use nursing homes, but their bills account for 42%…

The Official Cost of Retirement: $700,000 -Plus

A recent study about the cost of retirement by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave – an Emeryville, Calif.-based firm that focuses on …

Is (or Isn’t) Time Running Out for the DOL Fiduciary Rule?

Time may not be running out on the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule as quickly as first assumed when the…

The Wisdom of the Four Percent Rule is Fading

Most retirees like things to be simple, and financial advisers have accommodated them. So for more than two…

It’s a New Year and Time to Examine Your Portfolio

How did your portfolio fare in 2016? Regardless whether it went up or down, was it mostly due to luck or uncanny investment…

Don’t Forget to Review Your Retirement Finances Over the Holidays

We’re in the thick of the holiday season, and like most people you’re probably busy with Christmas or Hanukkah shopping…

Year-End Tax Tips Worth Knowing Even Though No Big Changes in 2016

With a new president with a new agenda poised to assume office, an unusually quiet legislative front regarding taxes and …

Do Annuity Homework In Case the DOL Fiduciary Rule Is Killed

Until very recently, April 17, 2017 meant something big to many retirement account investors. …

A Q&A with Annuity Journalist Kerry Pechter

Kerry Pechter knows a lot about annuities. As the founder of Retirement Income Journal, author of Annuities for Dummies …

Just Where Do You Invest in Today’s Head-Scratching Times?

Pity the poor annuity investor – or, for that matter, any investor. Almost across the board, investment prospects overall are…

Choose Passive Over Active Stock Fund Management? It Depends

Debates have raged for decades about the relative advantages and disadvantages of active stock fund investing versus passive …

The Future of Financial Planning: Still More Digitization, But Humans Won’t Disappear

Robo advisors theoretically threaten the future of traditional advisors because their services cost less. But there is still …

Should Retirees Invest More in Stocks and Less in Bonds?

A millennial, who has at least 30 years of work ahead of him or her, is almost always advised to invest most of their assets …

A Change for the Worse in Social Security Is Around the Corner — But Some Can Still Sidestep It

Annuities, many of which offer lifetime income, are an excellent way to bolster your financial health in retirement …

The Old Folks are All Right (More or Less)

You don’t hear much about Americans who retire with tiny nest eggs and who rely mostly on Social Security in their old age …

Don’t Buy an Annuity Without Weighing the Impact of Inflation

Prospective annuity buyers are notorious for the mistakes they make during the shopping process. They often don’t …

2016 Shaping Up To Be a Tough Year for Annuity Buyers – But There May Be Silver Linings

First the bad news: Annuity payouts started heading south last year and will continue to do so this year …

Updated Mortality Tables Poised to Trim Payouts on New Annuities

If you’re close to making the decision to buy an annuity, here is an important heads-up. You’re better off …

Financial Planning For Alzheimer’s Patients

Millions of Americans live with Alzheimer’s, by far the most common form of dementia and ultimately fatal…

Shop Carefully For An Annuity: 10 Annuity Buying Tips

“Baby Boomers spend big on annuities” – bigger, by far, than any previous generation. And the…

The Link between Inequality and ‘Retirement Readiness’

If you’ve ever wondered how the United States can have $24 trillion in total retirement savings…

Nursing Home Doublers Often Make Sense for those who cannot Afford LTC Insurance

When most people think about annuities, they think about an insurance product that generally offers…

Alternatives to Long-Term Care Insurance If It Is Not Right for You

“The sticking point,” says Scott Sadar, an executive vice president at Somerset Wealth Strategies, “is the idea…

10 Criticisms Of Annuities – Right Or Wrong?

Too much risk? Not enough protection? Read our rebuttals to common complaints and find the beauty in annuities…

The Ins and Outs of Medicaid Annuities

Medicaid annuities are restricted period-certain annuities that couples can use to protect some of their…

401(k) Plans for Small Business Owners

A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement plan in which employees’ money is invested while they are working…

Can I sell my Annuity?

Sometime when the market drops precipitously, as we have seen in recent years, the account value of a variable annuities…

Long Term Care Insurance

Long term care insurance is becoming a necessity as the average life expectancy continues to rise. The government…

Personal Finance Guide for Teens

Learning to manage your money as a teenager will help you to succeed throughout your life. The habits…

Annuities: Find the Right One For You
 

Annuities are an excellent way to generate lifetime income, save for retirement without the worry of…

Starting To Plan For Your Retirement While In College

Most young people do not start saving for retirement until their later years. It is important to start preparing and saving…

Are Annuities Right for Investors Over the Age of 85?

At Annuity FYI, we frequently get phone calls from investors and financial advisors alike asking…

Annuity Resources: Your Guide to 401(k)’S & IRA’S

There are many retirement savings plans available to consumers. One of the most popular is an IRA, or individual…

Equity Linked CDs

An equity linked CD is a certificate of deposit issued by a bank where the rate of return is….

Financial Planning Checklist

With the uncertainty in the current economy, more individuals are focusing on financial planning…

Financial Literacy for Kids

Financial literacy, or knowing how to spend and save money, is an important part of learning how to be a responsible…

Taxation History of the U.S.

When the Americans fought the Revolutionary War, it was mainly due to the control they were under from British…

Is an Annuity Right for me?

First, let’s make one thing clear. You should not be considering the purchase of an annuity unless you…

Retirement Resources

Annuity FYI is always on the lookout for retirement resources that investors may find useful…

457 Deferred Compensation Plan Resource Center

Recent laws enacted by the Tax Relief Reconciliation Act give employees with 457 Deferred Compensation Plans…

Ways to Save for Retirement and Stay Out of Debt!

Retirement is traditionally defined as the time period after an employee leaves his or her job and stops working…

Annuities, Financial Planning, and Long Term Effects

Annuities can be an important part of any financial planning strategy. Many people are familiar with the concept…

Financial Planning: The Future of Social Security

The Social Security program officially began in the US in 1935, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the…

Taxes to Investing: A Kid’s Guide to Money

We see money being used everyday just about everywhere. It is important because it helps our society to function by…