The retiree’s greatest concern is running out of money.  In answer to this concern the financial press is full of advice about how to turn your retirement money into a lifetime of income.  Only problem is: there are no guarantees OR you’re locking in today’s basement interest rates for a lifetime.  There are easy ways to get a guaranteed lifetime income without locking in today’s historically low interest rates.  Dr. Shelby Smith of The Retirement Pros will show you how this can be done...

In the recent past you’ve probably read negative stories about indexed annuities.  Unfortunately, many of these are written for the uninformed or the biased.  These articles oftentimes contain half-truths and false information.  Sadly, much is written by those that profit if you invest your retirement money in mutual funds, stocks or other market options.  Be aware that great sums of money are spent to influence where you put your money...

If planning for retirement or already there, you know that risks abound: medical expenses, market losses, loss of a spouse, running out of money and more. The smart retirement route to travel is to prepare for risks you cannot control and avoid risks you do control.  Sadly, many retirees do neither and the consequences are oftentimes more stress & worry.  This webinar will help you better understand your risk options...

The greatest fear of most retirees is running out of money. While there are numerous reasons why this fear could become a reality, far too often it is a self-fulfilling prophecy brought on by avoidable mistakes. Most retirees spend less time planning their retirement than they do organizing a vacation, arranging a family reunion or planning a Christmas dinner. Retirement is the largest purchase most of us will ever make, it may last over 30 years, will hold many surprises and there’s only one chance to get it right...

You have many places to keep your retirement money: banks, market (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, variable annuities, REIT & more), U.S. Savings Bonds, real estate, insurance company and more.  What are the best options for you? 

What’s your greatest fear about retirement? Running out of money is the number one concern of most retirees. If this is your retirement worry, then positioning your money to deliver a reliable, stable income for life should be your objective. There are many recommendations on how to do this: invest for dividends, portfolio of stocks & bonds, lifestyle mutual fund, Monte Carlo simulation selection, laddered portfolio, annuities or invest and hope. In this short video webinar...

Over 70% of retirees start their Social Security benefits early.  For many this is a big mistake.  Getting SS wrong can rob you ...

It’s not how much retirement money you have, it’s how much your money will buy. Since the past is a guide to the future, we know the same money will buy progressively less as the years fly by. Inflation, like gravity, is always present. Social Security benefits are adjusted yearly for inflation and the same annual adjustment is now...

The retirement-minded want safety, predictability and fair returns.  Traditional places no longer provide these features, so where can they turn? This short video webinar by Dr. Shelby Smith, economist, author and spokesperson for The Retirement Pros, talks about the forgotten safe money option:  fixed annuities. You’re welcome to view & add the monthly video webinars to your website by…

Seismologists know that a major earthquake will occur on the San Andreas Fault; however, the time, place and severity are unknown.  The same is true of the next economic/financial panic, recession, depression or market meltdown.  The short video webinar by Dr. Shelby Smith, economist, author and spokesperson for The Retirement Pros, gives practical advice on how you can help clients and prospects insulate themselves.  You're welcome to view and add the monthly video webinars to your website by...

The historical low level of interest rates has left many retirees with little money to live on; the stock market meltdown has wiped out years of savings for some retirees; the volatile daily ups and downs of the markets have many retirees wondering what to do with their money.  Sadly, many are reaching for investments on the edge that promise higher returns without risks.  Is there are solution that will let retirees sleep peacefully?  Can you recover your past income without undue risk?

Recent Federal Laws have created an opportunity for retirees. If you own an annuity, you can convert your tax-deferred earnings into tax-free benefits should you be unfortunate enough to ever need long-term convalescent care, which approximately two-thirds of all retirees will. If you are fortunate and will not require convalescent care benefits, you’ll still have retirement money in a safe place, easy to access if needed and growing tax-deferred. Getting double-duty from your retirement money is just plain smart.

Automobile companies test their cars by crashing into concrete barriers, exposing to extreme heat & cold and deliberately trying to break them. The objective is to prepare their products for the unlikely extreme that will happen to some drivers.

When to start Social Security and minimize taxes ... get them right.

Many retirees do not plan to use their IRA money for retirement. Nevertheless, the IRS requires distributions once age 70½ is reached and eventually all the IRA is taxed. If you have IRA money earmarked for loved ones, why not bequeath your money tax free? You can with life insurance. Life insurance offers living benefits and pays death benefits tax free. Parenthetically, you can get life insurance even if in poor health. Here are retirement planning ideas if you have IRAs not needed for retirement...

The economic crisis of the past few years has punctuated the importance of financial literacy, i.e., knowing what options are available, the risks and rewards of each and how to adjust financial positioning in response to life changes like retirement. Many retirees entrusting their money to the market witnessed significant losses while others utilizing the safety of bank CDs suffered massive income reductions as interest rates plummeted to new lows. These folks now know, sadly too late, that financial literacy and the need to take control of key aspects of retirement planning cannot be left to chance...

The stock market fluctuates wildly some days – 300 or more points, representing a change of 3% or more, is common. For a retiree with $500,000 of her retirement money in “the market”, losses could easily be $20,000 in one day, even if her portfolio is diversified. Wall Street’s recommended withdrawal strategy is 4% annually; thus, our hypothetical retiree could be running on empty for the next 300 or more days after one bad day in the market. What might the future bring? Another meltdown or a sustained rally! History will tell but there is one certainty: money in the market is at risk...

The stock market, as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Averages, is rising and falling by hundred of points daily, setting growth records one month and reversing directions the next. The “new normal” gyrations make retirement planning next to impossible because the next prolonged downturn could be the very time you need your money. If your greatest fear is running out of money, and it is for most retirees, being in “the market” could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Is there a better way...

The stock market is dropping in a volatile frenzy, interest rates are near zero and the economy is anemic. Will there be improvement? The fact is: no one knows what will happen, ever. If you’ve been advised that “selling now would be a huge mistake” or “all will be fine in the long run”, remember that economic forecasting is not a science. Those who forecast are guessing, and basing retirement on guessing is hazardous...

Retirement is a marathon, not a sprint. The finish line could be over thirty years away and conditions early in the race will have a substantial impact on how you hold up in the final leg. While you may have saved adequately for the retirement race there is still concern about what could happen. Like a marathon where foul weather and leg cramps are uncontrollable, retirement has medical problems, investment losses, inflation and more. Just like the marathon runner, retirees cannot control all the risks they face but some risks can...

Every time money is put aside for later use, two competing emotions must be balanced: the desire to safeguard principal and the urge to make higher returns. These two concerns are always competing objectives: financial home runs are hit only by taking risk. There are numerous stories of savers who put their money in what was represented as safe and high-yielding investments only to learn later that their money was gone: scams, misrepresentations or misunderstandings. Oftentimes higher risks are rationalized because in the “long run” all will turn out well. What if the trends of past history shift? After all, we’ve never had two market meltdowns in the same decade, current market...

The ups and downs of the market make for an uncertain financial future while more stress is added with near-zero interest rates that fail to cover inflation. If retirement looms, what can be done? It is all so complicated, and you’re getting conflicting advice. Is there a common sense guide that can be used to simplify money management in retirement? You’re in luck...

Is running out of money one of your biggest worries about retirement? That’s normal! In fact, it has a name: longevity risk. How can you get rid of longevity risk without risking your retirement money? There are several options, but all except one have a fatal flaw. What’s best for you will depend on your circumstances, proclivities and situation; therefore, it is best to work with a financial professional that can steer you clear of unsuitable risk that retirees generally take...

Interest rates are currently at historical lows and expected to stay there for the foreseeable future. If you had $500,000 in a 5-year bank CD paying 6% your annual interest was $30,000. Currently the national average rate for 5-year CDs is 1.84% to yield $9,200 a year – 70% lower than before. Lower interest rates have left many retirees with perplexing choices: live on less money, invade the principal or find something paying 6% to replace the matured CD. What are many retirees doing to make up their loss...

As this is being written, the market is surging upward by 200 points – this comes after a matching downward spiral a few days before. Some sages say the market’s headed higher while other pundits say lower: my position is “you know, you never know”. The recent movements in the market are stomach churning for those in retirement’s red zone or already retired. This group is tired of speculating, too short on time to recover from another meltdown and fearful of outliving their money. Notwithstanding these concerns, the risk averse stays in the market because those benefiting by investing other people’s money have used myths to keep them there. Let’s review several myths used to keep you coming back or stop you from leaving.