We all face uncertainty in our lives. In more areas than one – finances, health, family, and other relationships. If we had a crystal ball, then we would never have to worry. We could just avoid disaster before it happens. Unfortunately, that is not how this life works.
A recent nationwide survey conducted by the Alliance for Lifetime Income asked individuals aged 61-65 about lessons and surprises that arise for so many toward the end of their careers.
How To Think About a Retirement Reset
A good question to ask yourself is, “Is this a good time to retire?” With unprecedented volatility in our equities markets and a bond market with historically low-interest rates, this question creates an immense amount of uncertainty.
Of the people surveyed, 52% are uncertain that they will be able to retire at the age they identify as their goal.
According to a WSJ article from Feb 21, 2022: Investors pulled nearly $160 billion from money-market funds and $17.5 billion from bond mutual funds and ETF’s in the first 7 weeks of 2022 alone, according to an article by the Wall Street Journal.
According to the same WSJ article: “There’s not a whole lot of options for people,” said Jonathan Waite, a senior investment analyst at Frost Investment Advisors. He said he summed up the situation at a recent team meeting on the macroeconomic backdrop with a well-worn four-letter acronym: “TINA. There Is No Alternative” to stocks.
Seriously? No alternative to stocks? I am still dumbfounded that these so-called “lords of finance” still refuse to acknowledge that there is an incredible alternative with Fixed Indexed Annuities. Not only for growth but to give their clients the certainty that they deserve in retirement by having a protected and guaranteed income that they cannot outlive and can never be affected due to market downturns.
I have my conspiracy theories of why they refuse to acknowledge annuities, but I’ve railed on their management fees many times before. I’ll let that dead horse rest in peace.
However – and please pay attention because this is epic – the most ironic thing I noticed when studying these two articles next to each other, was that 7 out of 10 people surveyed are NOT making changes to their managed portfolios. Which is a number mirrored by 76% of the people who reported having…can you guess? Yep, a pension and/or an annuity.
So, the very same people who refuse to protect their client’s money/retirement income because they do not want to lose their management fees, are actually losing their management fees because they refuse to protect their client’s money/retirement income. I mean the irony is hilarious!
But what is not funny is what I opened this week’s newsletter with. The uncertainty of those who are wondering if they will have enough to retire after the dust settles from this latest correction. Or, those who are wondering if they will have enough to make it through retirement without having to depend on Social Security alone.
Some of you reading this already know that there is an answer to that uncertainty because you have watched my video series, “20% More Income in Retirement”, and have taken the time to book a short phone conversation. Then allowed me the privilege to walk you through a no-pressure process of how to have safety, security, guaranteed income that you cannot outlive, and no market risk.
For those of you who still have not had the time to do either, make this the day that you watch my video series which you can find at the bottom of this page. It’s broken up into 5 videos that are between 11-15 minutes in length.
Then take the time to click the “Schedule a Call” button in the top right corner and look at the calendar page to find additional FAQ’s about the meeting process with Atlas.
All the best,
Marty