Displaying items by tag: retirement

(New York)

Most advisors know and respect Wade Pfau, a retirement guru in our space. Well Wade has just offered a new take on annuities as part of a broader conversation on retirement income strategies. According to Pfau, “Annuities deserve an equal seat at the table with any other retirement income strategy … The whole idea that annuities mean giving up something is not true”. Pfau says that understanding a client’s retirement income preferences is key. For example, the total return approach is not for everyone, and the peace of mind of guaranteed income can be a big winner for certain clients.

FINSUM: Pfau’s one-size-does-not-fit-all view is a very apt one and it highlights how annuities could be the bedrock of a strategy for one client, and completely absent for another, with the majority being somewhere in between.

(New York)

Annuities have a long and complicated past that ultimately created a less-than-stellar reputation. However, over the last few years, the asset class has undergone a transformation of newer and better products, combined with better sales practices. Now, two big elements are creating a major tailwind for the product: growing demand from retirement plan inclusion, and aging demographics. According to TIAA, TIAA “nearly nine in 10 plan sponsors who do not offer in-plan guaranteed lifetime income annuities are at least somewhat interested in offering them” (from ThinkAdvisor).

FINSUM: Baby boomers are in peak retirement years and many don’t have as much saved as they would like, so annuities have a role. Further, Gen X is aging and likes annuities more than the Boomers, so they are presenting a very fertile market as well. Accordingly, many firms are seeking more annuities participation.

(New York)

Model portfolios are seeing great inflows recently, but their popularity has created its own problems. The biggest of those problems—a dizzying proliferation of funds. Today we are going to make an off-the-cuff recommendation. How about a one-stop, no fee “model portfolio” for retirement. The model portfolio? Buy these four ETFs: the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS), the iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF (IUSB), and the Schwab US REIT ETF (SCHH).

FINSUM: This is in jest of course, but this is a dead simple and well-conceived set of ETFs for retirement.

(New York)

When clients think about retiring early, Social Security benefits and their timing are often a critical consideration. However, what most don’t realize is that health insurance costs are often the biggest hindrance to retiring early. This means advisors have a crucial role to play in helping advisors plan for retirement healthcare costs. One of the main options for keeping costs lower is to use Obamacare (ACA insurance) for the period between retirement and Medicare eligibility. However, this takes significant planning, as the pricing for this is based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). The way MAGI is calculated includes some standard forms or income, but excludes others, such as Roth RIA contributions.

FINSUM: Advisors need to be careful in how to structure client income during this period of retirement as it can have a very material effect on insurance pricing and thus cost of living.

(New York)

The annuities market is healthy and doing well. According to Ken Burger, national sales director for annuities at Luma, “When you look at our current market environment of minimal low fixed-income yields, high levels of volatility, and fears of mounting inflation, it’s easy to see the attractiveness of the annuity category”. The issue for advisors though is that annuities have long been a complicated and crowded space that is too complex and time-consuming for advisors. That is where Luma is trying to expand the market, as they have a slick annuities comparison tool that allows advisors to easily compare annuities side-by-side.

FINSUM:Annuities are a great fit for the current market given ultra-low rates and the huge mass of Americans who are retiring. Check out Luma.