Plan Your Retirement (it's your future - Have a Plan)
When you look at all the areas that need to be addressed as you move into your retirement years, you may become overwhelmed, especially if you do not have an experienced guide to help you thru the process.
It is never too late to start planning for your future. No matter what stage of life you are in, planning for your future does not have to be stressful. The hardest part about retirement planning, is getting started.
So, you have a plan... Congratulations!
What are your milestones, and do you have a process to monitor your progress toward your goals? This is where an advisor becomes important. We all need a coach to keep our head in the game.
Every Plan should address these topics
Retirement Planning
Where will your retirement money come from? If you’re like most people, qualified-retirement plans, Social Security and personal savings and investments are expected to play a role. Every hard worker’s dream is to have comfortable, stable, and secure retirement years. And now because we will likely live much longer, healthier lives, we can expect to spend more time in retirement than our parents and grandparents did. Once you have estimated the amount of money you may need for retirement, a reliable approach involves taking a close look at your potential retirement-income sources.
Retirement Planning is financial planning for the spending years versus the accumulation years. The emphasis you should place on retirement planning does change throughout different life stages, so it’s important to work with a trusted financial professional that will help you map out your long-term goals and adjust your retirement plan if any major life events occur. When you plan your finances and lifestyle choices, it becomes much more likely to achieve that dream of a secure and happy retirement. We can help you build wealth, minimize market losses, protect your principal, and generate retirement income you can’t outlive.
We can help guide you along the path to—and through—retirement. No matter where you are in life, we can provide guidance, tools, and services to help you prepare for retirement on your terms.
Tax Planning
Understanding tax strategies and managing your tax bill should be part of any reliable financial approach. Some taxes can be deferred, and others can be managed through tax-efficient investing. With careful and consistent preparation, you may be able to manage the impact of taxes on your financial efforts.
Tax planning is an important component for your overall financial plan. Careful planning throughout the year can assist you in reducing the taxes you pay – as well as help you achieve your financial goals.
We work with expert tax planning and preparation professionals, utilizing ideas and strategies specifically designed to prepare for and maximize Life-Time spendable income. Most people do not take the time to position their assets to maximize their after-tax spendable income and the value of their estate.
know that in the retirement years every dollar saved by minimizing income taxes will increase your spending capacity in retirement more than additional growth on your money.
Tax planning should not be done in isolation, but instead should be driven by your overall financial goals and integrated with your total financial plan. We can help you develop and implement appropriate strategies to lessen or shift current and future tax liabilities to help you meet your long- and short-term objectives.
Money Management
One of the keys to a reliable financial strategy is spending less than you take in, and then finding a way to put your excess to work. A money management approach involves creating budgets you understand so you can make informed decisions about where your money is going. It also involves knowing where you may be able to put your excess cash to work.
You have meaningful goals. We can help you reach them. We have worked with individuals, families, businesses, and institutions—to deliver services and solutions that help build, preserve and manage wealth.
We work with you to determine the most appropriate way for you to invest. There is a range of ways to invest, each requiring different levels of involvement and decision-making. Some people like to be very involved in the investing process. Others would rather leave the day-to-day decision-making to a professional. Still, others are somewhere in between. We will work with you to find the best way to manage your portfolio of investments, based on your needs and risk tolerance.
Investment Strategies
In theory, investing should be easy—just buy low and sell high—but most of us have trouble following that simple advice. Some principles may enable you to put together a customized strategy that reflects your risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals. Understanding these principles and strategies can help you avoid some of the pitfalls that snare some investors.
Investing is about reaching your financial goals: retirement, paying college, or just providing for your family. Working with a financial professional can offer personalized, professional guidance to help you reach your investment goals. We will take the time to understand your complete financial picture and tolerance for risk — and provide a strategy to help you maximize all elements of your financial life.
We work with you to develop a personalized investment plan to reach your future retirement goals. We will help you implement any new plan of action that has been developed.
Social Security Optimization
Your Social Security retirement benefit represents a lifetime’s worth of savings, time and work. Although many Americans are familiar with the basics of Social Security, few are able to figure out exactly the best way to file, so they can get the most out of all they have put in.
We can help you understand your Social Security benefits and educate you on how you can maximize those benefits. For example, delayed filing for Social Security can potentially increase your benefit amount by a rate of eight percent per year.1
We will help you plan your Social Security claim strategy to maximize your benefit and cover your specific needs.
Lifestyle Planning
We work with you, focusing on the ideal lifestyle you want to live today as opposed to deferring that lifestyle to a future that may never come. Having you really think about what you’re saving for is a big opportunity to have a richer dialogue about your retirement and how we can help you develop a personalized plan to reach your ideal retirement lifestyle.
Creating a life map involves a close analysis of personal finances and an assessment of other building blocks. Lifestyle matters look at how to balance work and leisure, how to make smart choices for the future and many other items regarding how to help you enjoy the journey.
Life can change – the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a major purchase – which will readjust your financial strategy. We can help you chart a new course if need be to ensure you meet your financial, lifestyle and retirement goals. We will help you implement any new plan of action that has been developed in light of your changing goals or changing performance.
Life Insurance & Legacy
Insurance transfers the financial risk of life’s events to an insurance company. A reliable insurance strategy can help protect your family from the financial consequences of those events. A strategy can include personal insurance, liability insurance and life insurance1.
We’re dedicated to serving the life insurance, disability and long-term care needs of our clients. Our goal is to provide you with outstanding personal service and customized solutions.
Whether your need is life insurance for income replacement, retirement supplement or estate planning… disability insurance… or long-term care, we’re ready to find the right solution for you.
1Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying ability of the issuing company.
Business Owners should evaluate Employee Benefit Plans in light of their Long-Range Goals
Employee benefits are among the primary tools used to attract and retain a top-notch staff for any organization. Creating a plan that balances the goals of both the organization and its employees requires thorough analysis and review of benefit options and costs. Without the assistance of skilled benefit plan professionals, creating and managing the plan can consume much time and money.
Whether you’re in charge of a small start-up company or a large enterprise, we have the proven knowledge and experience to develop an employee benefits package that will optimize the best benefits possible for your company at the lowest available cost. You will receive strategic planning advice, creative benefit design, and financial management to help you meet your plan objectives and long-term goals.
We will evaluate your business and learn about its needs, offering creative and affordable solutions to maximize your employee retention and profitability.
Annuities & Protected Life-time Income
A Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) is an insurance contract between you and a life insurance company designed to help you accumulate assets for retirement. They offer low financial risk, conservative returns, and protection for market ups and downs. You pay a premium to the insurance agency in return for regular income payments over a period of time, beginning at some point in the future. If you are looking for a retirement strategy that protects your principal, has some good upside potential, and provides a predictable guaranteed lifetime income stream in retirement1, an FIA may be something to consider.
Are you in or near retirement? One of the most common fears for retirees and those planning for retirement is outliving their money. Learn how annuities can help generate a steady stream of income or increase your current savings. They can also help you leave a legacy and provide income for your heirs.
The purchase of an annuity is an important financial decision. Be sure to schedule a full discussion with our company about your retirement needs before making any decisions.
1Product and features may differ depending on the state of issuance and may not be available in all states. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing company.
Long-Term Care
Ensure Your Surviving Spouse is Financially Sound
Chances are you could live well into your 80s, your 90s and possibly even longer.
When you live a long life, the likelihood you’ll need long-term health care is greatly increased. Younger people also need long term care as a result of accidents or illnesses.
Almost 70% of people turning age 65 will need long-term care at some point in their lives1. Many people think the phrase “long-term care” refers to an insurance policy. While insurance may be part of your strategy, long-term care encompasses everything from long-term services and supports and finances, to where you will live and how you will navigate the myriad of legal, family, and social dynamics along the way.
Long-term health care is generally not covered by medical insurance, by Medicare supplement plans or group/employer insurance. For seniors on Medicare, the long-term care benefits can be quite limited.
That is why over 10 million Americans have purchased long-term care insurance1. We offer several LTC solutions including individual plans, asset-based long-term care, and life-insurance-based long-term care. We will work with you to find the best plan for your LTC needs.
1Source: Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Estate Maximization
Effective estate management enables you to manage your affairs during your lifetime and control the distribution of your wealth after death. An effective estate plan can spell out your healthcare wishes and ensure they’re carried out – even if you are unable to communicate. An effective plan can even designate someone to manage your financial affairs, should you be unable to do so.
It’s never too early to begin thinking about your legacy or to shape your estate plan. Contrary to what many people think, you don’t need to be a millionaire to have an estate plan. An estate plan is an important part of any ongoing financial planning process.
Your legacy transcends money — it also encompasses your values. Your wishes and dreams may include using your assets to help secure your family’s future or you may choose to support another cause close to your heart. This might be your favorite charity, your community or your place of worship, to name a few.
We can help you design a legacy consistent with your dreams and values. Estate planning is critical to ensure that your family receives the assets you have accumulated during your life. Regardless of how much money you have, we feel estate planning is the best way to protect the financial interests of your family when you are no longer here to do so
Income Strategies
You can now look forward to a retirement that could last 30 years or more. That’s a great thing. But planning for it comes with more challenges than ever before. One of the most common fears for retirees and those planning for retirement is outliving their money. So while you’re thinking about hobbies and travel, you’re also focused on healthcare costs. Volatile markets. Taxes and inflation.
We can help, with products that seek income and growth, fixed indexed annuities designed to provide guaranteed lifetime income1, and life insurance solutions that offer more kinds of risk protection along with the opportunity to build cash value.
We specialize in income strategies for guaranteed income to help you maintain your lifestyle now and in retirement. Contact us to learn more about the tools that can generate a steady stream of retirement income, increase your current savings, or leave a legacy and provide income for your heirs. Be sure to schedule a full discussion with our company about your retirement needs before making any investment decisions.
1Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying ability of the issuing company.
Dental, Vision & Hearing
As you approach retirement, your well-being takes center stage. Among the key aspects to consider are dental, vision, and hearing care – integral components of overall health that gain even more significance during your retirement years.
Why This Matters:
Retirement is about embracing life to the fullest. Neglecting dental, vision, and hearing care can hinder your ability to enjoy activities, maintain independence, and exude confidence. Prioritizing these aspects contributes to a vibrant and fulfilling retirement.
The Financial Aspect:
Investing in dental, vision, and hearing care is a proactive approach to managing both your health and wealth. Regular care prevents the need for expensive treatments down the line, ensuring that you're financially secure throughout your retirement journey.
Medicare Planning
Managing Health Expenses in Retirement
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for:
- People who are 65 or older
- Certain younger people with disabilities
- People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD)
With Medicare, you get to choose how you want to get your coverage. Once you are fully enrolled you will determine which of the two options are best for you. Or, there may be third option to explore. These two options include: Original Medicare, with or without a Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage Plans.
If you are age 65+ and choose original Medicare A & B, there is another option you may want to consider, Medi-Share 65+. Medi-Share 65+ acts very similar to a Medicare Supplement "F" or "G" Plan, but is not an insurance product, it is a membership with a Christian Health Sharing Organization.