Posts by Chuck Carrier

How Annuities Offer Protection and Growth Potential

June 14, 2022

National Annuity Awareness Month is upon us! Let’s go over how annuities can be an important part of a retirement plan. June is National Annuity Awareness Month, giving us the perfect reason to discuss how they can positively impact your retirement. Annuities have always played a role in retirement planning, but with growing uncertainty and market volatility, their importance has boomed. They offer the chance for growth along with the protection of principal during market downturns which is guaranteed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance carrier. While they can be a vital part of the retirement-planning process, annuities
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4 Tips to Save For and Fund Your Child’s College Tuition

May 12, 2022

College is an investment in your child and your family, but it can come at a hefty price. Here are some tips to save! College and other forms of higher education have always been a vital part of planning a career. The foundation of any resume, a recent study interviewing 500 professional recruiters showed that all 500 look for candidates with a college degree [1]. Some common rebuttals to the argument for college might start with names like Zuckerberg, Jobs, Gates and Oprah Winfrey, all who dropped out school. Those four have incredible stories, but they’re the exception,
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Are You Retiring Within the Next 5 Years?

April 14, 2022

What to focus on as the transition approaches You can prepare for the transition years in advance. In doing so, you may be better equipped to manage anything unexpected that may come your way. How much monthly income will you need? Unfortunately, there is no “magic” number for everyone to strive for. Instead, examine your monthly expenses, considering any trips, adventures, or pursuits you have in mind for the near term. As a test, you can even try living on your projected monthly income for 2-3 months prior to retiring. Should you downsize or relocate? Your home is not
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How Market Cycles Can Impact Retirements

March 22, 2022

Sequence of returns can play a role in your overall portfolio. A thoughtful retirement strategy may help you pursue your many retirement goals. That strategy must consider many factors, and here are just a few: your income needs, the order of your withdrawals from taxable and tax-advantaged retirement accounts, the income tax implications of those withdrawals, and sequence of return risk. Just what is the sequence of return risk? In brief, it is the risk that market declines in the early years of retirement, combined with steady withdrawals, could reduce your portfolio’s outlook. A recent CNBC article mentioned how
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6 Facts About Taxes

March 1, 2022

Individual income tax returns for 2021 will be due April 18th, 2022. In preparation as we head into the tax season, here are some facts to consider. Where your tax dollars go. In 2021, the federal government spent $6.82 trillion, which equals 30% of the nation’s gross domestic product. Three significant areas of spending make up the majority of the budget. Medicare accounted for $696.5 billion, or 10%. Defense spending made up $754.8 billion, or 11% of the budget, was paid for defense and security-related international activities. Seventeen percent of the budget, or $1.1 trillion, was paid for Social
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Your 2022 Financial To-Do List

January 25, 2022

Things you can do for your financial future as the year unfolds. What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for the coming year? Now is an excellent time to think about the investing, saving, or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives, from building your retirement fund to managing your taxes. You have plenty of choices. Here are a few ideas to consider: Can you contribute more to your retirement plans this year? In 2022, the contribution limit for your own Roth or traditional individual retirement account (IRA) is $6,000 ($7,000 for those age
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Your Year-End Financial Checklist

December 28, 2021

The end of the year can help remind us of last-minute things we need to address as well as the goals we want to pursue and get serious about. To that end, here are some aspects of your financial life to contemplate as this year leads into 2022. Your investments. Set up a meeting to review your investments with your financial professional. You’ll want to come away from the meeting with an understanding of your portfolio positions and a revisit of your asset allocation based on your age, desires and personal circumstances. Remember, asset allocation and diversification are approaches
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What To Do If You’ve Lost a Retirement Account

November 1, 2021

A recent study found that the problem of “forgotten 401(k)” and pension accounts is widespread, and amounts to approximately 24 million accounts containing $1.35 trillion in assets. The issue is so big that Congress is considering creating a national online “lost-and-found” database to help people track down their accounts as part of a larger bill containing more benefits and protections for retirees: the “SECURE Act 2.0” as some are calling it. But until legislation is passed, you will be on your own when it comes to finding your lost retirement money. Whether you changed jobs and forgot about your old
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5 Reasons to Consider Life Insurance

September 23, 2021

September is “Life Insurance Awareness Month.” Is your family using life insurance in the right ways as part of your comprehensive financial plan? Here are five reasons you should consider life insurance. You Have a Young Family1 Even though the pandemic has shown us all the need for financial protection for the family from sudden death or disability, there are roughly 102 million uninsured and underinsured Americans, representing 40% of the adult population according to the 2021 Insurance Barometer Study by LIMRA. One of the reasons cited was a lack of basic information about life insurance; less than a third
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