No Pension, No Problem!

7.18.25: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

7.18.25: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Speaker1:
Any examples used are for illustrative purposes only, and do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and may not be suitable for all investors. It is not intended to predict the performance of any specific investment, and is not a solicitation or recommendation of any investment strategy.

Speaker2:
Welcome to Retirement Results, the national radio show and podcast for listeners like you who want to protect and grow their hard earned money. In a world filled with so much uncertainty and financial risk, we seek to cut through the noise and build successful plans for hardworking Americans on their road to financial freedom. Retirement results is powered by Active Wealth Management, a team of fiduciary advisors who always place your needs first and now your host. He's a registered social security analyst, member of the Forbes Finance Council, and author of multiple books on retirement planning. Here's your chief financial adviser, Ford Stokes.

Speaker3:
Some Ford Stokes are chief financial advisor. Got Sam Davis here with us, our senior financial advisor and co-host on the show.

Speaker4:
Welcome to the week end result. Drivers. Hope everybody is having a fantastic day. Thank you for tuning in once again to retirement results. If you missed last week's show. Check us out on your favorite podcast app where they're just search retirement results and you can listen to all of our recent episodes.

Speaker3:
Also, thanks for making us the number one listen to radio show on Am 920. The answer on the weekends really appreciate it. Also, big thanks and shout out to all of our listeners on WDHN who's we got a really fast growing show up there, um, in Gainesville and around the lake and hope everybody's enjoying their their morning coffee or enjoying driving around here in Atlanta, whatever they want to do. We're so excited you're with us. We're here to help you better plan for retirement. We're here to help you protect and grow your hard earned and hard saved assets. If you're wondering a result driver, is it somebody who is listening to the show on a consistent basis? They're also somebody that is not just a long time listener. They're a first time caller. So I'd encourage you to reach out to us at (770) 685-1777. Again. Seven. 706851777. And we're happy to help you. You can also visit us at Retirement Results. Com you can even submit your information at retirement results. Forward slash plan. That's retirement results. Forward slash plan. And we look forward to getting started right away on your free financial plan and portfolio analysis. But again, people who are listening to the show who are a result, drivers are looking to build that tax efficient, fee efficient and market efficient portfolio. All you got to do is reach out to us again at retirement results. Com click that schedule a consultation button in the upper right corner.

Speaker3:
We'll get started right away. So on today's show the name of this show is no pension no problem. How to self-fund a pension and create more retirement income Then you can just by doing a normal 4% withdrawal rate. Um, and let me give you a quick overview of today's show. We're going to quickly go over the financial wisdom of the week. Sam is going to let us know that one. Then we're going to cover estate planning updates for retirees and business owners. And then we're going to go through a list of signs that you are financially savvy, reviewing the fundamentals of smart financial planning. We've also got why annuities are good for retirees. Health. And we take a look at the actual facts involved with your health. And then and also what are the facts on how annuities really actually help you with your health and and relieve the stress that is so prevalent with retirement these days. And then the problem with living longer, planning for a multi-decade retirement, we're going to help you do that. And we're also going to discuss the fees are inside your for one day. Let's get your savings working as hard as you do or as hard as you have done. And Sam, why don't you go ahead and share this week's financial wisdom quote of the week from the great Mark Twain.

Speaker5:
And now for some financial wisdom. It's time for the quote of the week.

Speaker4:
Plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life. I love this quote from Mark Twain Ford I've read a lot of Mark Twain quotes. This was the first week that I had actually read this one, and I wanted to share it with all of the result drivers on the show this week. Once again, plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.

Speaker3:
That's so right on it. That is an awesome quote. If it is to be, it's up to you and me. Let's go ahead and get planning and get going on that stuff. Also, you want to show up and finish and anything you're doing. That's one of my dad's keys to success. And what I would encourage you to do is reach out to us at retirement results. Com forward slash plan and we'll get started right away. So here's what you get when you meet with us. You actually get a free portfolio analysis so you can understand the risk risks you're taking and the fees you're paying with your current portfolio. And chances are, it's probably more than you think. We're going to also help you understand your expense ratio, which is a measurement of the internal fees that are within your portfolio that you may not be aware of things like 1281 fees, things like administrative fees. Um, also a lot of people don't know what their advisory portfolio fees are. We're going to help you try to understand those as well. The next thing we're going to do is we're going to try to get a better understanding of what your risk level is. That's measured by standard deviation. If you don't know what the expense ratio is or the standard deviation is on your portfolio, I would recommend you go ahead and reach out to us at (770) 685-1777. Again (770) 685-1777. And we'll get started right away.

Speaker3:
Next thing we're going to give you a retirement income gap analysis. So you can understand if you're starting with a positive retirement income surplus or a negative retirement income gap. Also if you start with a negative retirement income gap. Each and every year or each and every month, you're going to find that inflation is going to help widen that gap unfortunately over time. So we really want to start with that positive retirement income surplus. Number three is we're going to give you a registered social security analyst roadmap and our SSA roadmap. That's kind of like a Social security maximization report. And we're going to help you better plan for your Social Security, because Social Security is going to be either the number one or number two primary source of income for your retirement during retirement. And so it's going to be a really important choice you're going to make on when to turn on Social Security. It's going to help you make that important decision with metric and objective information, not subject information. And then number three is we're going to help you understand what your current plan looks like. We're going to give you a financial plan for your 95th birthday with your current portfolio that you that you currently have right now, and let you know kind of what your average rate of return is, your standard deviation, all of your expenses and all that kind of stuff. And and also help you plan between now and 95.

Speaker3:
Then we'll do one with our recommended portfolios. And then number five is we'll also add on a strategic Roth ladder conversion plan for you at no cost. So you can delete the IRS and being your partner in retirement. If you're interested in deleting the IRS from being your partner in retirement, then I encourage you go ahead and reach out to us at (770) 685-1777. But to recap those five really quick. Number one is you're going to get a portfolio analysis to understand the risk you're taking, the fees you're paying. Number two is you're going to get a retirement income gap analysis. Number three is you're going to get an RSA roadmap which is a Social Security maximization report. Number four is going to be your current plan all the way to your 95th birthday. That has nothing to do with us. Number five is we're going to give you a financial plan, your 95th birthday with our recommended portfolios. That also includes a strategic growth ladder conversion plan. So it's either 5 or 6 things you get. It's all a $2,500 $500 value, and we're happy to do it for you. Absolutely. At no cost to you to help you make an informed financial decision. So go ahead and reach out to us at retirement results. Comm. Now, before we get started on the signs that you are financially savvy, Sam, I want to go ahead and go through the state planning updates for retirees and business owners.

Speaker3:
Because of the of the big beautiful bill. On July 4th, 2025, President Trump signed a new tax law, section 70106 of H.R. one, which creates a new $15 million permanent federal, state and gift tax exemption effective for estates of decedents dying and gifts made after December 31st, 2025. As in the past, this exemption will be adjusted for inflation in the future. The question for estate planners and their clients is what, if anything, is the impact of this new permanent federal estate and gift tax exemption on estate planning and in summary. Estate planning. After the new tax law and the wisdom of making large lifetime gifts has become a balancing process. This balancing involves an examination of the potential estate tax savings resulting from the transfer, including potential benefits resulting from grandfathering in the 15 million federal estate and gift tax exemption. On the other hand, the loss of income tax basis step up on the other history shows there's a chance of any future dramatic reduction in the size of the exemption becomes smaller the longer, the larger exemption remains in place. Um, and we're excited about this exemption. It's nice because it's $30 million per couple. So that's pretty exciting there too. And we'll see how that goes. But that's another really great thing for for retirees and beneficiaries of assets from retirees as, as they pass on. Um, so it's really good for your family, in my opinion.

Speaker4:
All right. And when we come back forward, we're going to get into that list of signs. You're more financially savvy than the average American. Can't wait for you to come back and join us for that list. You're listening to retirement results.

Speaker2:
Call (770) 685-1777 to schedule your free, no obligation meeting with us today. You're listening to retirement results.

Speaker6:
Hot blooded. I got a fever of 103.

Speaker7:
You are going to see a crack in the bond market, okay? It is going to happen. And I tell this to my regulators. Some of you who are in this room, I'm telling you, it's going to happen and you're going to panic. I'm not going to panic.

Speaker3:
Did you hear that? That was Jamie Dimon warning all of us about serious trouble ahead in the bond market. Hi, I'm Ford Stokes, president of active wealth management and host of the Retirement Results radio show. If you're holding bonds in your retirement portfolio, it's time to rethink your strategy. Our team at Active Wealth can help you replace those bonds, avoid market risk, and still get market like gains without risking your principal. You could get a bonus on your investment. Enjoy gains when the market grows. Generate lifetime income during retirement, all without bond market exposure. Visit Active Wealth com right now to schedule a free consultation that's Active Wealth.

Speaker1:
Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor.

Speaker2:
Schedule your free, no obligation consultation today by visiting Retirement results.com. Now back to the show.

Speaker3:
And welcome back to retirement results in sports. Stokes, your chief financial adviser, got Sam Davis here with us, our senior financial advisor and co-host of the show. So, Sam, right now we're going to talk about the signs that you are more financially savvy than the average American. Let's go through these one by one.

Speaker4:
All right. Starting out with number one, you're more financially savvy than the average American. If you're seeking out the highest annual percentage rates and best interest rates for you and your investments in your daily life forward. Last week, we were talking about the importance of refinancing your safe money and taking advantage of products that have things like bonuses, guaranteed returns, you know, so if you are just settling for bank CD rates out there, you really owe it to yourself to do just a little bit of research. Or better yet, let us do the research for you and see what are the best options out there for you and your safe money.

Speaker3:
Yeah, it really doesn't take much effort to find the best interest rates for various products like fixed index annuities, multiyear guaranteed annuities or migas, guess money markets or bank CDs. A simple internet search. Or call our office at (770) 685-1777 is all you need to do to reach your own, your long term goals, and just do a better job at getting higher interest rates. It might surprise you that you can get up to 8% guaranteed interest with some fixed indexed annuity products into the income accounts. It might surprise you that there are migas and much of your guaranteed annuities that are paying 5.85% for 2 or 3 year annuity. You may want to reach out to us and we can help you right away. All you've got to do is reach out to us at (770) 685-1777 or visit retirement results. Com.

Speaker4:
All right. Number two on the list. You're more financially savvy than the average American if you're taking time to plan and budget. You know this takes us back to the quote of the week plan for the future, because that's where you're going to spend the rest of your life. Mark Twain So making a financial plan and establishing a monthly budget. Those might be the two most important traits of financially savvy people, and we help people do this for their retirement every single day.

Speaker3:
Yeah, we do a really good job at trying to help people understand the discretionary and non-discretionary expenses that they're they're dealing with leading into retirement or through retirement. Also, we really take a long, hard look at the first five years before retirement and the five years after retirement, what we call the retirement red zone. And we really want to do a good job at managing within those budget guidelines and timelines and really getting that retirement income gap analysis done. So you can really say it out in front of those expenses. Sam, one of the other things that you and I implement all the time is we try to encourage people to take two months in a row. So let's say you took May and June or June and July and added those two months up together divided by two, and that would give a good understanding of actually what you're spending. Maybe May's a wrong month because of all the graduation gifts you got to give out, but you might want to consider just adding up two months and putting them together to get a better understanding of how much you're actually spending.

Speaker4:
Yeah, I think that's a great idea for everybody. I feel like once you have a more, you know, clear picture of what your monthly budget is, you really start to value those discretionary dollars a whole lot more, and you become a much savvier, uh, you know, financial American and also a savvier investor as well. Uh, number three, for you're more savvy than the average American when it comes to your finances, if you're seeking advice from the right people and thought, as fiduciaries, we try to help people understand their money for the very first time or better than they ever have before, and lead them to making the best decisions for them in their situation.

Speaker3:
I mean, literally nobody is born financially savvy. You don't come out of the womb financially savvy, ready to go, and nobody becomes, you know, nobody who becomes financially savvy ever has it all figured out. You need to keep aiming for ways to learn more. And what we say at the end of every show. What I say at the end of every show is, hey, if you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly. Be as aggressive as you can to try to seek information out about retirement. I think it's a really good way to do that. And really, you want to seek information from people that hold a fiduciary standard. They're held to a fiduciary standard. They're to put your needs ahead of their own. That's what we are. We're serious. 65 licensed advisors, life and health licensing agents as well. But we're here to put your needs ahead of our own because it's required us for our license. It's far easier for us to get a new client than it is for us to get a new license. So we're going to do the right thing each and every time, with each and every interaction with you. And all you have to do is reach out to us at retirement results. Com forward slash plan.

Speaker4:
Yeah I think it's a great thing for people to do get all the information you can. We do all of that planning that $2,500 value you laid out earlier in the show forward. We do that on a complimentary basis for everyone out there who's listening to this show or contacts our office. We run those plans for them. So take advantage of that today. The next item on our list. You're more financially savvy than the average American if you're steering clear of unnecessary debt. One thing financially savvy people have in common is they're not burying themselves under a mountain of debt. They're not getting caught up in that consumer credit card lifestyle. They know the value of a dollar, and they're putting those little soldiers, those dollars in their paycheck, to work every time they get paid.

Speaker3:
Yeah, I think I saw an interview with Scott Bassett, the US Treasury secretary, last week. On last Sunday, one of the new news shows, political news shows on Sunday mornings. He said that 50% of the people are invested in the stock market, with 41 cars and investments and things like that, and 50% have debt. Don't be one of the 50% that just have debt. Let's go ahead. Let's get the credit cards paid off. One big strategy that Dave Ramsey says is, hey, get your car payments paid off, and use that money to pay your credit cards down and off. And then and only then once you've saved up the money to buy a new car. You can go buy a new car. So stay with an old beater and let's just try to deal with it. That's a really good way to do it. Let's just break out of the vicious cycle of paying only minimum on your debt each month as well. Let's pay it down. Let's get rid of it. Let's go. So let's get aggressive on debt. We like to work with people that are debt free, obviously that have been able to save their money, things like that. So let's go ahead and get going on that. Because we're a private wealth management firm and you want to be able to work with a private wealth management firm so you can really protect and grow your hard earned hard save wealth. Just reach out to us at (770) 685-1777 again (770) 685-1777 or visit retirement results. Com forward slash plan.

Speaker4:
All right. Next item on the list. You're more financially savvy than the average American. If you find other income streams you know being financially savvy isn't just about budgeting and spending wisely. You also want to figure out how to build these new income streams, right? That's why we encourage people all the time to think beyond Social Security. Think beyond your 401 or your pension. Establish additional income streams. That's going to give you the lifestyle you want in retirement, you know, so you can actually enjoy what you've spent decades saving up. You know, you save that money so you can spend it, but you want to spend it in the most efficient way.

Speaker3:
Yeah. One of the ways for retirees that really if you want to count all the income streams you can get, number one is okay, we're going to get Social Security. We're going to maximize that Social Security income. So Social Security is income stream number one. Number two is a 4% withdrawal rate from your assets. That's number two. Number three could be rental income. You could be getting income from a rental house if you held on an old house, things like that. Um, and then number four is annuity income. You could actually get instead of bond income from your assets, try to replace the bonds in your portfolio and get annuity income. So you've got an entirely different income stream than just taking 4% of the assets out of your portfolio. So you can also get well beyond a typical 4% withdrawal rate. That also goes up 0.1% each year. So getting that would be a really good idea.

Speaker4:
All right. And the last item on our list is you don't waste money on impulse buys or luxuries. That's going to make you more financially savvy than the average American. You know, it's okay to, you know, buy something if you really want it or especially buy something if you really need it. Um, but if it's, you know, one of those luxury items or you think it might be an impulse buy, maybe write it down, think about it for a month or so. If it's something you still want, then go ahead and make that investment. But you don't want to, you know, just be keeping up with the Joneses and letting your life, that lifestyle creep in really impact your retirement.

Speaker3:
So Stanley gave me one of the best lines on this I've ever heard. He said, it's far better to Want than it is to. Oh, and so you're better off having that healthy want rather than owing the money on the item you bought. That is going to immediately be probably cut in half on a on an actual value. So I would encourage you to reach out to us at retirement results, and we'll help you become more financially savvy almost immediately. And when we come back for the break, we're going to talk about why annuities can improve retirees mental and physical health. But we're also going to talk about how to build that personal pension. Brick by brick and annuity by annuity. For sure. All you do is reach out to us at retirement results. Come right back.

Speaker2:
We'll be back in just a moment to continue helping you navigate your financial journey. Stay tuned for more retirement results.

Speaker1:
If you've got credit card debt, you are not alone. I'm Matt McClure with the Retirement Radio Network, powered by a life. Consumer debt is piling up in this country. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says as of this year, Americans hold more than $1 trillion in credit card debt. That's trillion with a T and the average interest rate, it's hovering around 20%, sometimes even higher. That means if you're only making the minimum payment each month, most of your money isn't even touching the balance. It's going straight into the lender's pocket as interest. And that debt. It adds up quietly, consistently, and often painfully. One of the smartest money moves you can make is to avoid going into debt in the first place. Robin Rowley is head of consumer deposits at Bank of America.

Speaker8:
Even if you're spending with a credit card and you have a bit of a higher limit, don't max that out, right. Just spend with what you've allocated for in your budget. But any time you're spending on that credit card, you have to make sure that you're paying that monthly balance off on time and in full, because that's really the key to building your credit history.

Speaker1:
But maybe you're not there right now. If you feel like you're drowning in a sea of credit card debt. There is hope out there. A debt management plan, often offered through nonprofit credit counseling agencies, can help you consolidate those payments into one monthly amount, often with lower interest rates. These aren't shady payday loans or too good to be true ads experiences. These are regulated, real programs built to get you back on your feet. And here's why that matters your credit score. Growly says it's not just a number.

Speaker8:
Well, a good credit score is so important to our financial journey, right? And all the doors kind of that good, good credit score can open for us. So things like renting an apartment or getting a favorable rate on an auto purchase. A good credit score is so important to be able to do those.

Speaker1:
And so if you've been avoiding your statements or feeling the stress build every time your phone lights up with a balance alert, make a plan and ask for help if you need it. Because this isn't about shame, it's about taking back control. With the retirement Dot Radio network powered by amateur life. I'm Matt McClure.

Speaker2:
Visit retirement results.com to schedule your free, no obligation consultation today. Now back to the show.

Speaker3:
And welcome back result drivers I'm Ford Stokes chief financial advisor. We got Sam Davis here with us on the mic. He's our senior financial advisor and co-host of the show. And again we want to thank everybody for making us the number one listen to radio show on Am 920. The answer and also want to thank our growing audience up there around the lake on one as well. And we try to bring you really good things that are happening out there. And this article from Forbes came up on the 9th of June, and we felt like it was really important to read for you. The title of this is Why Annuities Can Improve Retirees Mental and Physical Health from Forbes.com. Sam, let's go ahead and get into this article. I think it's really, really interesting.

Speaker4:
Yeah. So reading directly from the article, annuities are good for retirees. But America's workers lost access to annuities and other pensions over the last 40 years. Today, only about half of the 63 million Americans nearing retirement or retired ages 50 to 64, have retirement accounts. Of those with retirement accounts, the average balance is about $150,000. That's not nearly enough. With market volatility and increasing life expectancy. There's a resurgence of interest in guaranteed lifelong income. Annuities, especially when embedded in retirement systems, offer a solution to a complex and increasingly urgent problem for many. Most Americans nearing retirement or recently retired have endured a lifetime of financial insecurity. The scale of the challenge is staggering. 63 million Americans between ages 50 and 64 are entering retirement after decades of stagnant wages and the disappearance of secure, defined benefit pensions. Ford we talk about this on the show all the time. How, you know, pensions just aren't offered that much anymore. And the article goes on to say. Automation and globalization eroded demand for their skills. Many took on mortgages, consumer debt, even student loans to support their families. The 401 K causes problems when it's time to spend it. The stress of managing a lump sum is immense. The math is impossible. Annuities help solve what Nobel laureate William Sharpe called the nastiest problem in finance, which is how to make a lump sum last for an uncertain lifespan. And for I thought that quote in particular was very interesting.

Speaker3:
Yeah, we need to include that in our seminars moving forward. It is very difficult to understand how do you make one single check? And that's what we work with business owners, we work with retirees. We work with retirees. They all have one thing in common, Sam. They all have one check to last for the rest of their lives. And we want to do a great job at making sure that they can do that. What's great about fixed indexed annuities is one their principles 100% protected. The next thing is, it can actually give you a consistent income that grows over time. That'll keep pace with inflation. It's generally and usually a higher payout factor than what you see with the typical 4% withdrawal rate. I mean, there are a lot of financial advisors out there that are saying you really need to think about the 4% rule of a 4% withdrawal rate would be more like a 3.2%, or even a 2.8% rule to only take out 2.8 to 3.2% of your assets each and every year. That's very difficult for people to live on. Let me give you an idea what that looks like. If you got $1 million saved, you're looking at, you know, on a 4% withdrawal rate, that's 40,000 plus, let's say the household's making another $45,000 in total in Social Security income.

Speaker3:
I mean, that's 85 grand. Most people can live on that. But if you're talking about getting only 28,000 from your million dollars and then you're getting, you know, another 40,000 from Social Security, 68,000, you may not be able to live on it. That's a lot different. I mean, $12,000 less than a thousand, less a month. So maybe getting to a fixed indexed annuity and replacing the bonds within your portfolio is a really good idea. Look, I mean, in 1952, Sam, you and I both know we weren't around then, but Harry Markowitz was given credit for being the founder of modern portfolio theory. And what that stated was, if you take 60% stocks and 40% bonds, both traded on the same exchanges, money's going to rush out of stocks and into bonds. If there's problems in the market, and then you're going to be fine, you'll have an efficient investment frontier. That's not necessarily the case anymore. It's not that money's running out of out of stocks when the market goes down. Like what happened in in early and mid April this year, what we're seeing is money ran out of stocks and then it stayed on the sideline or stayed invested in the stocks.

Speaker3:
And they held it. And then all of a sudden it came back 2 to 4 weeks later where the Nasdaq really rebounded as an example, where a lot of people have invested their money, but you're you're seeing stuff like, hey, I'm going to put it in real estate, I'm going to do other things with it. But it is scary out there for bonds. If you held bonds in 2019 and you endured what's happened in the bond market over the next four years, 4 or 5 years, my goodness. I mean, the amount of money you lost in market value on those bonds because you're 2019 bonds that may have been paying 4% are not nearly as attractive as the bonds that are paying out 7.75% or more today. You have to discount your bonds, and therefore that interest rate risk is netting out a significant loss of market value for your bonds. Meaning why take the risk on interest rate risk with bonds? Why do that when there there really isn't interest rate risk with fixed index annuities and your principal 100% protected? Yes, I'm on a stump speech about this, but this article is very telling to me.

Speaker4:
Yeah. And it goes on to say that economic security through annuities is good for retirees emotional and physical health. Maintaining a steady monthly income is healthier than managing a half $1 million or more in your 70s and 80s. The two main reasons annuities are good for your health. People with annuities have financial incentive to live a long time. They take better care of their health, and lump sum management causes more stress and depression compared to receiving guaranteed payments. And for there was a section at the bottom of this article retirees with annuities prioritize their health. Emerging research suggests that people who perceive they will receive an annuity may engage in more health focused behaviors. A 2025 study presented at a consumer research conference showed that individuals expecting annuity payments expressed a willingness to invest in relatively expensive health checks and pay for more intensive exercise programs than their current routine. So forward. What I'm getting from this is that incentive to live longer, that knowing that another check is going to come next month. In fact, if you're investing in an annuity, multiple checks are going to come next month between the Social Security checks coming into the household annuity payments. Hopefully you're one of the lucky ones that have a pension, but if not, no problem. You can actually self-fund a pension yourself. Thanks to all of these highly rated insurance companies competing for baby boomer dollars.

Speaker3:
Yeah, and if you'd like to explore your personal pension options for your retirement and maximize your retirement income potential, give us a call at (770) 685-1777 or visit retirement results. Com you can click that schedule a consultation button in the upper right corner. Get booked directly into our calendars.

Speaker4:
Yeah, absolutely. And we would love to speak to anybody who reaches out via our website or gives us a call at our number at our office to take a look at some of the best options available right now from those highly rated carriers. See which ones fit best in your situation, and actually start to project what your retirement income is going to look like, not just in your first year of retirement, but throughout your entire retirement. For I think it's really cool when we're able to show people on one page. Here is from now to age 95, what your retirement income is expected to look like when factoring for things like inflation, market risk, taxes, all of it. So if you really want to see your retirement results in advance, that's really what we're all about.

Speaker3:
Yeah. Also, this article had a bottom line on annuities and well-being as well. I'll just try to finish this one up. Annuities can improve well-being by encouraging healthier behavior, reducing stress, and providing a stable income for life. Retirees with annuities report higher satisfaction, lower depression, and even biological markers of better health. Listen policymakers, employers, and financial planners should revisit how annuities are presented and offered. We like to present annuities as bond replacement products. If you can replace the bonds, avoid the interest rate risk, but also get into a serious retirement income plan with a fixed indexed annuity. That's a really good way to do it. And the mother of all annuities, Social Security is in need of some changes. Um, and if it if it is expected to continue and support the income of retirees as well. But we're hopeful that this is all going to get a lot better with Social Security and that the OAS trust fund won't be depleted 100% by 2033. Because what that would mean is a, um, you know, a 24% across the board cut. But when we come back, we're going to talk more about how Americans are facing a growing retirement risk, which is living longer. That's good news. But we've got a plan for that to come right back and listen to our primary results on Am 920. The answer to WWE retirement results.

Speaker2:
We'll be right back. Learn more and contact the show at retirement results.

Speaker3:
Hey, this Ford Stokes with Active wealth Management and the Retirement Results radio show. Are you worried about outliving your retirement savings? Nationwide's peak ten fixed indexed annuity is designed to help you feel secure and confident. With Nationwide Peak ten, you will receive protection for your principal, keeping it safe from market downturns, growth opportunities tied to market indexes but not invested directly in the market. Guaranteed lifetime income and protection for your loved ones with spousal income options and a death benefit. Call us now at (770) 685-1777 or visit Active Wealth com to connect with an advisor and learn how peak ten can help you retire with confidence.

Speaker2:
Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Guarantees and productions referenced are subject to the claims. Failing ability of Nationwide Life and annuity insurance company nationwide PG ten is issued by Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio. Neither nationwide nor its other entities are associated or affiliated with Active Wealth Management.

Speaker1:
Hi. This is Matt McClure, senior financial advisor with retirement results. You've saved your whole life so you wouldn't have to worry about your money when you retired. But you worry more now than ever. You've been a good saver. You have 500,000, maybe $1 million or even more. You should feel confident, but you don't. You're worried a big loss will wipe you out. You saved so you could spend during retirement, but you don't. You're worried you'll run out of money. You want to retire, but you don't. You're worried you don't have enough. Does any of this sound familiar? Well, it should, because we hear these things all the time from people just like you who are preparing for retirement or even already retired. So why do you worry so much? It's because you don't have an actual plan in writing. Nothing to guide you through retirement. Retirement results helps people just like you. You'll get a free, customized written retirement plan. That's right. Free and no obligation. Schedule your meeting now at retirement results. That's retirement results.

Speaker2:
Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. Missed part of today's show. Retirement results is available wherever you listen to podcasts and online at retirement results.

Speaker3:
And welcome back to retirement results. Result drivers on Ford Stokes with chief financial advisor. We got Sam Davis here with us on the mic. He's our senior financial advisor and co-host on the show. First of all, good luck to the Americans. And in the British Open, um, Scotty had a pretty good start. Um, hopefully we can continue to do well in the British Open. Get ready for that all important Ryder Cup. It's really important to Sam Davis and Ford Stokes. I can tell you that we're a huge us Ryder Cup team fans around here. Um, and we are following closely. Who's going to be on that team? It'll be interesting. We're going to we'll come out with a special and we'll talk about who we think our team's going to be as we go into the stuff. I think, um, Sam and I, Sam and I don't differ very much, actually. We we both kind of believe the same thing.

Speaker4:
Yeah. When we're not, when we're not strategizing for our client's retirement, we're thinking about how the, uh, Ryder Cup is going to go this year.

Speaker3:
Exactly. Please, please, please make sure we win at Bethpage Black. That's all I gotta say. That's right, that's right.

Speaker4:
Um, well, Ford, we've got a couple more things for the result drivers this week. The first is Americans are facing a growing retirement risk. It's a little good news. Bad news. The good news is, is that Americans are expected to live longer and longer. Uh, the number of Americans living to 100 and beyond is expected to quadruple by 2054. In fact, they have a name for this group of people. It's centenarians if you live to be 100 or older, you are a centenarian. While this certainly is a positive, it does come with a risk as far as being prepared for retirement. According to a report from the Nationwide Retirement Institute, extending time and retirement by just five years increases the risk of running out of money by 41%. So I'll say that again, according to this retirement institute. If you live just five years longer in retirement, it on average it increases the risk of running out of money by 41%. But despite this high risk, many Americans are not taking longevity into account when it comes to their retirement portfolio and savings. And let me tell you, especially when it comes to things like health care expenses, you spend a lot on health care the deeper you get into retirement. Longevity isn't just a number, it's actually a multiplier of other retirement risks. The longer you live, the more you're exposed to market volatility. You know, if you're going to be retired for 20 or 30 years, how many market corrections do you think you're going to experience? How much inflation do you think you're going to experience? What about rising healthcare costs? All of that increases the risk of outliving your savings, which for this is why we run plans to age 95. And we're considering considering all of these risk factors and encouraging clients to diversify their income streams.

Speaker3:
Yeah, I'll say this. The health care costs definitely ramp up and they ramp up really quickly. Um, just shout out to her priest, my or my father in law and my wife's dad, and he had two surgeries this week. Really, really tough week for all of us. He's 82 years young. Think he's going to be okay? I think he's going to make it and do just fine. But he's he has had a really rough go the last several months. And one of the things that really helped them financially, Sam, is they had a very big time, big deal overpay for it. Medigap supplement insurance plan and that has covered all of their additional the additional 20% costs for all these hospital stays and all these surgeries. And that has been a godsend for them. Um, so that's been a big deal. My my mother in law is like, oh, she's like 6 to 9 months younger than then, my father in law and and, um, and she's had some tough, tough times too. She fell on the steps a few years ago with her home, and she's she's all the way back. So that's been good. But oh my gosh, it I'm telling you that the health care costs just really start stacking up. And you better have a plan for it.

Speaker4:
Yeah. The Americans really do need to kind of shift that mindset to planning for retirement, not just saving for retirement. It's tough to get people to kind of shift into that accumulation mode. But if you can do it in an efficient way with products like fixed indexed annuities, reduce that market risk still be linked to market growth, but have that principal protection for a safe portion of your portfolio that's really going to serve to be your income driver in retirement. And that really is what drives your lifestyle and retirement as well. So that's an important thing to do. Um, for another thing, we want to talk about before we wrap things up, today is forgotten 401 account fees. I couldn't tell you how many 401 K statements we've already looked at this year forward, but it's not enough because there's a lot of you out there who have what we call orphaned 401 K's, or those stray 401 K's. That's the money that you've had with a previous company. You didn't roll it over, you didn't move it to a self-directed IRA, and there's fees inside there. As of 2023, the latest numbers 29.2 million left behind 401 K accounts. That's the number of accounts, not the number of dollars. Those accounts hold 1.65 65 trillion in assets of money that's not currently being managed in those big companies with their names on the skyscrapers, they're just racking up account fees. So take control of your assets if you have a straightforward one or an old account, take control of that. It's good to save, but you don't just want to set it and forget it. You want to be more active in your investments.

Speaker3:
Amen. I mean, nearly half of employees leave their money and their old plans during work transitions, according to the 2024 report from Vanguard. Um, that latest data that Sam just talked about was from capital as a fintech firm. However, all that can come at a cost. 41% of workers are unaware that they're paying those phone fees at all, according to 2021 survey by the US Government Accountability Office. And in most cases, for one fees, which can include administrative service costs and fees for investment management and also will be one fees that are inherent and included in the mutual funds that are used, the investment options a lot of these people have invested in over usually in the first week that they started working long after they've left the company are relatively low and depending on the provider, but there are additional fees on forward accounts left behind from previous jobs that can come with an extra bite. I mean, we need to be careful about this, and what you need to do is consider moving that money and rolling that money over into an IRA, that where you have control, and specifically an IRA that is managed by a fiduciary financial advisor. We'd love to help you all. You got to just reach out to us at retirement results. Comm. That's our retirement results.com. We would encourage you to go ahead and reach out to us. Put your information in at retirement.com/plan. That's retirement results.com/plan. And we'll get started right away. And we're going to give you that $2,500 value. Absolutely no cost to you. So you get that forward an analysis. You get the retirement income gap analysis. You get the SSA roadmap to maximize your Social Security income benefit. You get the financial plan, your 95th birthday with your current plan, and you get the plan to your 95th birthday with our recommended portfolios. And you get to delete the IRS from being your partner in retirement with a strategic Roth ladder conversion plan that all we have to do is implement. So all you gotta do is reach out to us again at retirement results. Com forward slash plan.

Speaker6:
It's the final countdown.

Speaker2:
So let's recap what you may have missed. It's the final countdown.

Speaker6:
The final countdown.

Speaker3:
So on this week's show, it was action packed. We talked about no pension, no problem, how to self-fund a pension and create more retirement income. Also with those old four one KS that we just talked about. Those orphan. For one case we can implement strategic asset allocation. We can. We can implement. Tactical asset allocation. Absolutely. At no cost to you. Um, we we only make money when we manage money. Um, but when we can implement these different plans, you're going to find that's going to work out really well. Um, we also gave you signs that you were financially savvy. We gave you six really great signs there. We talked about why annuities are good for retirees. Health based on a Forbes article. Uh, that that came out on June 9th. Google that article and checked that out. And then also we talked about the problem with living longer. If you add five years to your life, you're actually risking 41% more chance you're going to run out of money and be living on Social Security only. And then also we just we just talked about, uh, the fees inside your phone case. And we really want to get your savings working as hard as you do. One of the ways to make it more efficient is to kind of delete the fees out of your being, your partner.

Speaker3:
They're in this old orphan for one case. Reduce that expense ratio from a typical 0.78 eight, all the way up to over 1% with the old orphan for one case down to 0.15, or to 0.17 with a managed portfolio with uh, ETFs are used to implement that tactical asset allocation. Reach out to us. Give us a call at (770) 685-1777 or visit retirement results. Com forward slash plan. We'll get started right away. And for the second time in the show I'm going to say this. If you're seeking information about retirement, if you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly. Be as aggressive as you can to see as much information. You can continue to learn and make sure that you're getting into that true retirement planning and retirement implementation mode as you're nearing retirement. And let's do a great job with the accumulation phase of retirement, and not just a great job of just saving for retirement. Reach out to us again at (770) 685-1777. And next week we're going to talk about more things on how you can build a smart retirement plan for your successful retirement future. Have a great week everybody.

Speaker2:
Thanks for listening. Two retirement results. You deserve to work with an independent team of fiduciary advisors that will strategically work to protect and grow your hard earned assets. To schedule your complimentary financial consultation, call us now at (770) 685-1777. That's (770) 685-1777. To connect with a qualified advisor. To learn more about our mission and our team visit. Retirement results. Investment advisory services offer through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, VCM, a registered investment Advisor, VCM and Active Wealth Management are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCI, but are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Past performance cannot be used as an indicator to determine future results.

Speaker1:
Registered investment advisors and investment advisor representatives act as fiduciaries for all of our investment management clients. We have an obligation to act in the best interest of our clients, and to make full disclosures of any conflicts of interest. Please refer to our firm brochure. The ADV two, item four for additional information.

Speaker2:
Get started on your free portfolio analysis and financial plan right now by visiting Retirement results.com.

Speaker4:
And welcome to the Retirement Results Bonus segment for all of our listeners to the Retirement Results Podcast, and also for our radio audience up and around the lake in North Atlanta. Hope you're having a fantastic summer. Forward. We're here to talk with our last few minutes about an opportunity to do a little bit better, especially with your safe money that's out there. We get a lot of calls from folks that have money in bank CDs. They have money in older annuities, maybe just sitting in cash in their bank accounts, or maybe in a money market account earning a few percent. But we want to talk a little bit how just like you would refinance your home, why don't you refinance your safe money, refinance some of those safe bank CDs, those annuities, and get a little bit better return with some of the great products that are available right now?

Speaker3:
Yeah, some of the people that have annuities that are 5 or 10 years old or longer, they don't have the same rates that are being paid out right now. So if you were if you've ever refinanced your home and you're trying to get a lower rate for your mortgage, why wouldn't you refinance your safe money, that fixed income money to get a higher rate of return, to pay you more money later, or pay you more money immediately? So I would encourage you to refinance your old annuity, your old variable annuity, your old fixed indexed annuity, your old fixed annuity Refinance, you know, a 3 or 5 year bank CD or a two year bank CD. Let's go ahead and get you a high rate of return. Let me give you some examples of some of those rates of return that we can get you. We have multiyear guaranteed annuities that are paying out 5.85% and a 2 or 3 year annuity. That's just and you just lock up your money for 2 or 3 years, you get your money back. Also, what's great about those magazines or any annuity is you don't pay any taxes on it until you take withdrawals or until you surrender the policy. Whereas with a bank CD, you have to you actually get a 10.99 on the interest that's generated from that bank CD each year, even if you don't take any income from that bank CD. Next is these fixed indexed annuity rates are significant right now with the ten year US Treasury kind of yielding over 4.2% right now.

Speaker3:
They're able to pay triple. It's about triple what it's been throughout my career in the financial and insurance industry. It's usually averages, or the ten year U.S. Treasury averages a yield around 1.4 to 1.8%, and they use ten year US treasuries to generate the interest to help you get the growth and invest in options on these underlying indexes that are tied and linked to your money. And with these hybrid fixed index annuity products. Let me give you an example of how this benefits you. So if the ten year US Treasury is paying out over 4.2%, the the annuity companies can afford to buy three times the amount of options, then they typically were able to buy with that interest. So what that's netted is 15 to 27% immediate bonus rates, whether it's into the income account or the actual account value. And then also we're seeing 8% guaranteed interest each and every year that you defer withdrawals. With the nationwide peak ten going into the income account. And Sam one one product you're really passionate about the SPDR Synergy Choice Bonus and the the speed of synergy. Choice. Max. That's paying out a 15% bonus and 75% of how the Invesco QK performs without any downside financial market risk. And the Max is paying out 113% of how the Invesco QK does. You'd rather be in that than just invest in the QK?

Speaker4:
Yeah, absolutely. For those of you out there, whether or not you're actually invested in that Invesco QK ETF, it follows a lot of Nasdaq stocks and tech stocks. You know those Fang stocks is how they'll refer to them. Sometimes if you're invested in those heavily with your portfolio. And a lot of you are, particularly those of you who are still working and you're looking for growth and your stocks and your equity investments, it really makes a lot of sense to diversify and continue to get market like gains that follow the performance of those companies, and an index like the Invesco QK q, with the 100% principal protection and 100% reserve requirement, knowing that you will not retreat, but you'll continue to participate in the gains of a stock index that you're already invested in and fully exposed to. So if you're invested in the QQ or Nasdaq stocks like that, it makes a lot of sense to diversify and put a protective shield around a portion of those investments.

Speaker3:
Amen. I just think it's a really good idea. So I want to recap this, this bonus segment. So only a few minutes. So if you want to get 8% guaranteed interest, that's more than what you're getting with a bank CD. If you want to get 15, 20 or even 27% immediate bonus on your money. Some of these are account value bonuses that are going to be vested over the ten year life of the annuity. That's a big deal too. If you want to get 75 to 113% of how the Invesco QQ performs without any downside market risk. That's another reason to do it. If you want to get 310% of how the BNP Paribas Global Factor Index performs. With that nationwide peak ten product that goes into the account value. So you're getting 3.1 x. How the index performs over a two year period. If you want to get that kind of growth, then I would encourage you to reach out to us at retirement results. Com forward slash plan. That's retirement results. Forward slash plan or reach out to us at (770) 685-1777. Or just go to retirement. Com and click that schedule a consultation button and we'll get started right away.

Speaker4:
Yeah thanks. Board. And I'd really just encourage everyone out there to take the time to see if you can refinance some of that safe money, whether it be your money that's sitting in cash or a bank, CD or even an older annuity. Take a look at what a few of these products could do for you and your situation. We'd be happy to meet with you virtually over the phone in our office, whatever you prefer, and put together an illustration to show you what this might look like in your plan. If you missed part of today's show. Check us out on the Retirement Results podcast and thank you so much for listening to retirement results.

Speaker2:
Thanks for listening to retirement results. Schedule your complimentary financial consultation now at retirement results.

Speaker1:
Any bonuses mentioned may be subject to additional restrictions and regulations based on the offering annuity company. You may not receive the bonuses if the contract is fully surrendered, or if traditional annuity payments are taken, and if the policy is partially surrendered, it could result in a partial loss of bonuses. Because these are bonus annuities, they may include higher surrender charges, longer surrender charge periods, lower caps, higher spreads, or other restrictions that are not included in similar annuities that don't offer a bonus feature.

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