Retirement Planning
Retirement Planning, in our opinion, is a process in which we assess where you are now financially compared to where you would like to be at retirement and what you must do to reach your goal. Some items that are taken into consideration are current age, retirement age, how much has been saved so far, current bills vs income, health, and risk tolerance. With this in mind, we design a financial roadmap to help you reach your goals.
Let us use this example. Let’s say you are planning to drive from Maryland to Nevada. You can do it in two ways. The first way is to jump in the car and start your journey with no clear route in mind, stopping from time to time to ask different people for directions. Your journey and arrival time would depend totally on the accuracy of the advice given to you by the strangers that you asked along the way.
The other way would be to ask a professional travel agent before you leave. He would map out a clear, precise route with the roads, exits and stopovers clearly marked. Hotels would be booked in advance so you would know where you would stay each night and how long you would have to drive each day to reach Nevada on your planned arrival day. Can you see the difference? This is precisely why retirement planning is necessary.
Most clients that come to us for help have approached their retirement planning like the disorganized traveler. In the process they have lost valuable time, usually a lot of money and have no idea how to make up their losses. Financial decisions have been made emotionally and without proper knowledge.
We look at the stock market and mutual funds exactly like the disorganized traveler…up one day, down two days; up two days, down one day and so it goes. Trying to reach your retirement goals using the stock market or mutual funds is risky, if not impossible.
We recently had a client come to us with a $100,000. He was 55 years old and wanted to have an income of around $20,000 a year, guaranteed for life, starting at the age of 71. He wanted to know how much more money he would need to put away each year to reach that goal.
He was quite surprised when we told him that one of our insurance companies would guarantee him $19,710 per year for the rest of his life starting at the age of 71 as long as no withdrawals are made prior to age 71. As a matter of fact he would never have to put another dime into the account.
So the decision is yours. If you would like a roadmap to a safe and secure retirement, please email us at baystate@atlanticbb.net
Put reitrement planning in the subject line and we will email you Our 9 Page "Personal Financial Security Review".
Accumulating and Securing Retirement Dollars
At Bay State Insurance Agency we help folks accumulate and secure retirement dollars through safe money. We are proud of the work we do for our clients. Not one of our clients has ever lost a penny of their hard earned money due to a downturn in the stock market.
Over the last several years when we meet with new potential clients, many of which you have recommended to us, we are usually asked a number of questions. We wanted to share a few of them with you.
Can you prevent me from losing 40% again?
Yes. In fact, products with principal protection features can guarantee that it won't happen again.
Does "Buy and Hold" really work today?
As advertisements for securities investments routinely state, past performance doesn't guarantee future results. When principal protection is important, products with principal guarantees should be used.
How safe is my money?
Different investment and savings vehicles have different levels of safety, from extremely risky to guaranteed. It's important that you consider your personal situation, individual needs and risk tolerance as well as the potential risks and rewards of all products being considered before you make any purchase.
How safe are bonds compared to stocks?
Experts see investment grade bonds as safer than stocks because, if held to maturity, the bond will return its principal value plus interest so long as the issuer of the bond doesn't default. However, because the value of a bond fluctuates with interest rates until maturity, an investor who sells a bond prior to maturity does bear significant risk.
I thought my money was "diversified". Was it really?
The most recent market meltdown shows what should have been obvious--diversification isn't a cure-all when essentially every investment vehicle is losing value. Simply stated, diversification can't protect against loss. You need insurance guarantees for that.
How can I avoid paying fees, even in years when I lose money?
Investments like mutual funds and variable annuities charge annual fees every year, even when they lose money. When investments like individual stocks and bonds are bought or sold, commissions are charged. However, when you purchase a savings vehicle like a fixed or fixed index annuity you are not typically charged anything at any time.
How do I address inflation risk in times like these?
Many annuity products provide inflation protection of various types and kinds. Be sure to consider the latest innovations.
Is this really just a paper loss?
A so-called paper loss is a real loss; it just isn't realized (and felt) until the product is sold. An investor who is able to hold onto an investment (that has lost money) indefinitely, may see its value go back up, but many don't have that luxury. It's also important to remember that if you lose (for example) 40% on and investment, a 67% return is then needed to get back to where you started. How likely do you think that is?
Is my money any safer with an insurance company?
Historically, insurance companies have failed much less often than banks and brokerages. For those rare occasions when an insurance carrier does fail, The National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations has stated that "every holder of a covered life insurance, annuity, or non-cancelable health insurance policy who has made the required premium payments has been given the opportunity to have the policy assumed by another healthy carrier or had the covered portions of their policies fulfilled by their guaranty association itself."
What investment options do I have that provide FDIC insurance?
Only banks can offer products with FDIC insurance, subject to certain limits. SIPC insurance protects securities investors from fraud or a brokerage insolvency, but market risk isn't covered. As noted above, state guaranty associations cover the value of insurance products, including principal guarantees. These limits are often higher than those offered by the FDIC.
With the volatility of the stock market today and the lower interest rates in the banking sector, we offer our clients peace of mind and a safe alternative for accumulating tax deferred retirement dollars.
If you would like a roadmap to a safe and secure retirement, please email us at baystate@atlanticbb.net .
Put reitrement planning in the subject line and we will email you Our 9 Page "Personal Financial Security Review".