Is an annuity a good idea for me? First of all, there are many different type of annuities and a lot of misconceptions about them. I personally think annuities can be a good fit for a portion of assets that you may be looking to protect, but choosing the right one or combination of annuities [...] 5/18/2013 4:45:08 PM 5/18/2013 8:45:08 AM

BlackRock (BLK) released a new survey that shows that investors are more worried about managing a longer retirement than they are about their specific investments. Longevity is creating a “systemic crisis” according to the Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, Laurence Fink. He is calling on our government and business leaders to make longevity a national [...] 5/18/2013 11:33:32 AM 5/18/2013 3:33:32 AM

If you are considering opening a retirement plan or have just recently enrolled in a 401k retirement plans, you may realize that 401k’s make it very easy for you to start saving for your retirement. Your contributions are deducted for you, invested for you, and then a statement is sent to you without you having [...] 5/18/2013 11:27:43 AM 5/18/2013 3:27:43 AM

In 2008, everyone’s retirement plans and 401ks took such a hit that it changed the way we invest forever. No one wants to be caught with his or her pants down and lose money like they did in just a few days in 2008. The first change is the amount of pessimism in investors. [...] 5/18/2013 11:19:36 AM 5/18/2013 3:19:36 AM

Athene Annuity announced earlier this month that there will be a rollup rate change effective June 1, 2013. To receive the current rate, complete application packages must be signed and dated 5/31/13 or earlier and received in good order in Athenes service center by June 7, 2013. The rollup rate changes are as followed: [...] 5/17/2013 2:03:38 PM 5/17/2013 6:03:38 AM

Find out all of the 401(k) Secrets That Your Employer Does NOT Want You to Know About with the most recent 401(k) report from Annuity Think Tank! The free report called the “Top 10 401(k) Secrets that your Employer does NOT Want You to Know About” contains many of the most common misconceptions that [...] 5/17/2013 12:04:00 PM 5/17/2013 4:04:00 AM

One of the number one reasons individuals do not purchase income annuities is the concern of liquidity. A recent study entitled “Features in Income Annuities: Immediate and Deferred Income Annuity Designs”, hopefully puts that concern to rest. The survey conducted by LIMRA and CANNEX, found that a lot of the income annuities being sold today [...] 5/17/2013 11:59:00 AM 5/17/2013 3:59:00 AM

The IRS allows for penalty-free withdrawals from a Non-Qualified Annuity. The rule requires that, in order for the annuity owner to take penalty-free early withdrawals, he or she must take at least five “substantially equal periodic payments” or equal periodic payments until age 59 1/2 whichever comes later. The amount depends on the owner’s life [...] 5/17/2013 11:52:19 AM 5/17/2013 3:52:19 AM

The IRS allows for penalty-free withdrawals from an IRA account. The rule requires that, in order for the IRA owner to take penalty-free early withdrawals, he or she must take at least five “substantially equal periodic payments” or equal periodic payments until age 59 1/2 whichever comes later. The amount depends on the IRA owner’s [...] 5/17/2013 11:38:37 AM 5/17/2013 3:38:37 AM

Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway has been downgraded from AA Plus down to AA by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. Speculation is that the downgrade is partly due to the company’s focus on the insurance industry. 5/17/2013 11:04:38 AM 5/17/2013 3:04:38 AM