Fixed index annuities are not the only way you can invest in the stock market and be assured of not losing money over the short term. That’s because there’s a do-it-yourself alternative that avoids th...
Tag: Life Insurance
Should you buy an annuity for your retirement?
Annuities are a popular retirement income vehicle with many insurance agents, registered representatives and financial advisers. They probably have as many supporters as detractors. Here are some of t...
Want to play the lottery? These are the most speculative stocks of the year, by one measure
It’s 13-F season, which means the world gets to find out most of what the world’s top fund managers have been up, on a tape-delay basis. The likes of Warren Buffett and Carl Icahn it is fair to say ar...
No wonder Powell didn’t commit to extra hikes. Here are five reasons the January jobs report may be too good to be true.
Traders took heart that Fed Chair Jerome Powell, when he wasn’t being questioned by David Rubinstein on how he gets by on $190,000 per year, didn’t commit on Tuesday to having to be even more aggressi...
Annuity sales hit record in 2022 amid higher interest rates and fear
Tim Bieber | Photodisc | Getty Images Amid stock market gyrations, recession fears and loftier payouts, consumers last year pumped a record sum of money into annuities, a type of insurance that offers...
MYGAs and Fixed Index Annuities Are Popular. What to Consider.
Rising rates have made annuities of all stripes more interesting investments, but two in particular are worth a hard look right now. Multi-year guaranteed annuities—MYGAs, for short—are the insurance ...
‘My adviser insists this is a good, low-risk investment.’ I’m semi-retired at 63 with $2 million saved. My financial adviser wants me to sink half my money in an annuity. Should I do it?
I’ve never been a big fan of annuities, but my advisor insists this is a good low risk investment vehicle. Is a variable annuity a good option for me? Getty Images Question: I am 63 and semi-retired. ...
Here’s What a $1 Million Retirement Looks Like in America
Once a symbol of extravagant wealth, $1 million is now the retirement-savings goal for millions of Americans. For retirees able to accumulate $1 million in savings, the funds translate into inflation-...
Stock Selloff Hits Life Insurers’ Fastest-Growing Product
Listen to article (2 minutes) The hottest thing in life insurance for more than a decade might be cooling off. A long-running stock-market rally and low interest rates combined to create the perfect c...
Can you still retire on $1 million? That’s what today’s millionaires want to know.
OK, so a million dollars isn’t what it used to be. That’s the worry among a surprising number of America’s millionaires. So, at least, reports money-management giant Natixis, which owns bond shop Loom...
How to Keep Your Retirement on Track in an Unpredictable Market
Retirees and investors on the cusp of retirement are under stress this year. Inflation has spiked to multidecade highs, stocks have tumbled, and bonds—a haven in normal times—have slumped. The traditi...
Insurer Sees Strong Demand for Preferred Stock With Juicy 9% Yield
Income-oriented investors got a gift when insurer Lincoln Financial Group offered $1 billion of preferred stock this week, including a deal with a 9% annual dividend rate that is accessible to retail ...
Americans think they need $1.25 million to retire. Is that even enough?
Americans think they need $1.25 million to retire comfortably, new research suggests, but while that number may seem hefty — it still may not be enough. A study from Northwestern Mutual released this ...
Americans Say They Need $1.2 Million to Retire. Most Aren’t Saving Enough.
When it comes to retirement, Americans are simultaneously determining they need more stashed away to have a comfortable retirement and falling behind their savings goals. That’s according to two new s...
Weekend reads: How the Fed’s punishing policy can set you up for massive gains in the stock market
During a long bear market, investors’ moods can be so bleak and muddy that they cannot envision better times. But they always come. Warren Buffett has shown repeatedly over the decades how to enhance ...
21 dividend stocks yielding 5% or more of companies that will produce plenty of cash in 2023
When the stock market has jumped two days in a row, as it has now, it is easy to become complacent. But the Federal Reserve isn’t finished raising interest rates, and recession talk abounds. Stock inv...
Dividend yields on preferred stocks have soared. This is how to pick the best ones for your portfolio.
This year nearly every type of security has declined — bad news if you look at your portfolio’s value each day and have difficulty sleeping at night. On the other hand, it’s good news if you’re lookin...
Bill Ackman says stocks will soon be a ‘buy’ now that the Fed is ‘doing what it has to do’ to fight inflation
“‘Once people realize the Fed doesn’t have to keep increasing rates and will soon take rates down…that will be a buy signal for markets.’” — Bill Ackman Pershing Square Capital Management’s billionair...
Celebrity Medicare Sales Pitches Are Toned Down After Scrutiny
If it’s football season, you can count on seeing Joe Namath on television, along with William Shatner and Jimmie “J J” Walker. They are the most prominent pitchmen for what has become an annual fall s...
Bill Ackman says fast-food chains are an inflationary shield. Here’s two he likes, and one he just sold.
A cautious session is ahead for Tuesday, following the worst smackdown since June for major indexes. That’s as an increasing number of investors see the Fed pivoting from rate hikes to be a tall order...
I’m 65 and want to retire in 6 months. I have a $125K annuity, plus $100K of money that I’m not sure what to do with. Should I get professional help?
Is a financial planner right for you? Getty Images/iStockphoto Question: I had $225,000 in my 401(k) and then I rolled over $125,000 to an annuity at 7%, as I wanted income. I just turned 65 and want ...
My fiancé and I are 60. His adult daughter is opposed to our marriage — and insists on inheriting her father’s $3.2 million estate. How should we handle her?
What advice would you give to a widow and widower considering marriage on how to manage finances — and deal with adult children? We are both 60 years old and plan to work a few more years, mostly for ...