Author Archives: Katherine Smith



Whole Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 27th, 2011

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Whole life insurance for seniors can be a great way to help you protect a portion of your wealth and transfer it to any intended beneficiaries once you pass on.

How a Retirement Annuity Works

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 26th, 2011

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The lump sum or multiple payments you make to an insurance provider can give you guaranteed returns for a set period, such as your entire life; this is basically how a retirement annuity works.

Strengthen Your Income Planning Strategy with Maximum 401K Contributions

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 25th, 2011

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Taking advantage of the 401K contribution limits set for 2011 can help you boost your income planning strategy for retirement and provide you with financial relief when you retire.

Stages of Retirement Planning: Ten Years to Retire

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 25th, 2011

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Making sure that you have enough money to last your golden years requires thorough retirement planning that goes through different stages: from a few decades away from retirement to the point that you retire and start life as a retiree.

Expert Financial Advice for 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 24th, 2011

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Access to expert financial advice and amending your retirement plans accordingly can help you save more money in your retirement savings accounts and get better yields from your investment portfolio.

Target Date Funds and Investment Risk

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 23rd, 2011

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Target-date funds have not had a good couple of years. These portfolios (made up of stocks and bonds) were established to allow 401K participants to save up for retirement, although expected benefits from participants may be in trouble.

Threats to Retirement Security in 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 22nd, 2011

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The oldest members of the Baby Boom generation will start to reach normal retirement age at the beginning of the year, with much to worry about because of the financial threats to retirement security in 2011.

Should You Buy a Retirement Annuity?

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 21st, 2011

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Are you wondering if a retirement annuity is a good investment to help fund your golden years? The flexibility of different payment and payout structures, as well as the guaranteed income you can receive upon completion of your payments to an annuity makes these investments a worthy inclusion in any investment portfolio.

Retirement Income Planning with More Cash Flow in Your Portfolio

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 20th, 2011

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Investing with freer cash flow in your portfolio may be a good retirement income planning strategy because of the extreme fluctuation of stocks and instability of various other investments for retirement.

The Retirement Annuity Explained

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 20th, 2011

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Prior to buying this type of insurance product, you will need to know about how annuities work, in addition to the different kinds of annuities available, and the pros and cons of these investments to pick the best one.

Covering Debts With Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 19th, 2011

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Life insurance for seniors is valuable for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest reasons most people get life insurance is to be sure that all their debts are paid when they pass away.

Portfolio Diversification Options for Retirement Income Planning

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 18th, 2011

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No matter how stable you think your nest egg is, it is foolhardy to not diversify your portfolio properly and update your investment allocation as part of your retirement income planning.

Savings Accounts and other Investments

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 17th, 2011

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When it comes to planning your finances for retirement, you will need to know about the benefits and disadvantages of savings accounts and other investments to be able to allocate your cash properly.

More on Variable Annuities Explained

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 16th, 2011

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If you are a senior investor who wants to purchase additional investments to help boost or support your retirement income, you may need products such as variable annuities explained.

Buying the Best Fixed Annuities Explained

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 16th, 2011

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Using some of your retirement money to buy fixed immediate annuities can be a good way to help you generate stable lifetime income. Once you have paid for your annuity, you will be receiving income for your entire life, regardless of how long you live.

Essential Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 6th, 2011

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Chances are, you will want to retire someday - life insurance for seniors can help you fund the type of lifestyle that you and your family are accustomed to.

Why Buy A Retirement Annuity

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 5th, 2011

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There are a variety of reasons one may want to buy a retirement annuity. These products are insurance policies, with the insurable event being your retirement.

The Benefits of Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 4th, 2011

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Although it is best to purchase insurance as soon as possible for lower overall costs, purchasing life insurance for seniors can still be a good deal at virtually any point in your working or retired life.

How to Purchase Senior Life Insurance Coverage

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 3rd, 2011

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Prior preparation prevents poor purchase, to paraphrase a military adage and make it applicable to buying senior life insurance.

Checking Your Retirement Finances

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 3rd, 2011

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Regularly checking your retirement finances is essential so you can make any changes in the way you invest or withdraw from your funds to ensure your nest egg will last you throughout your golden years.

Americans See A Gloomy 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 2nd, 2011

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A Pew Research Center poll recently found that Americans predict a gloomy 2011, with job stability, living costs, and the state of their retirement savings among the most significant concerns.

Equity Indexed Annuities Explained

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 1st, 2011

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The Equity-Indexed Annuity or EIA is a fairly unconventional type of annuity. In the period that the annuity accumulates gains after its investment of your lump-sum or series of annuity payments, your account is credited with returns that depend on how an equity index changes, although there are still minimum guaranteed returns.

Retirement Account Contributions and other Retirement Income Planning Tips for 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Dec 1st, 2011

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Better retirement income planning starts with rethinking your budget and cutting down on your monthly expenses, after which you can place your surplus cash into other investments or increase your retirement account contributions for substantially-increased distributions in the future.

More Retirement Income Planning Tips for the New Year

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 30th, 2011

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The New Year ushers in a wealth of opportunities for active saving and moneymaking, requiring a lot of retirement income planning to take advantage of the opportunities that can help you build a bigger nest egg.

Better Life Insurance for Seniors and other Retirement Planning Tips

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 29th, 2011

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In this day and age of fluctuating markets and the need for investment risk in your retirement portfolio, you will need to support your basic retirement planning strategy with back-up that includes better life insurance for seniors and other tools to help you cope with unforeseen events.

Affordable Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 28th, 2011

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Affordable life insurance for seniors is not as difficult to obtain as some people might think. Today, insurance providers can issue coverage to older individuals at reasonable cost, and help them reach their retirement objectives, including helping fund their retirement, taking care of family expenses, and generating financial aid for beneficiaries when the policy holder passes on.

Why We Need Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 27th, 2011

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Have you considered buying life insurance for seniors? Still weighing the pros and cons? There are quite a few things that life insurance can do for your family once you have passed on.

Life Insurance for Seniors: Rates and Coverage for Older Retirees

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 27th, 2011

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Older retirees are likely to need the specialized provisions available in life insurance for seniors 70 years of age and above.

Better Income Planning with Retirement Savings Accounts in 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 26th, 2011

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One of the best income planning tips that will enable you to save more money for the future is maxing out contributions to your retirement savings accounts to obtain maximum employer matches and increased retirement savings.

Stock Exposure for the Near Retiree

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 25th, 2011

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The near-retiree has to manage portfolio risk and have just the right amount of stock exposure for a good chance at sizeable profits and decreasing the possibility of investment loss that he or she cannot recover from.

Checking Your Retirement Finances

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 24th, 2011

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Regularly checking your retirement finances is essential so you can make any changes in the way you invest or withdraw from your funds to ensure your nest egg will last you throughout your golden years.

Deferred and Fixed Annuities Explained

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 23rd, 2011

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If you want manage your retirement finances effectively, and are looking for guaranteed ways to make money and offset the risk you undertake other retirement investments, you may need deferred and fixed annuities explained.

Retirement Income Planning Guidelines for a Stronger Nest Egg

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 23rd, 2011

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To ensure that you will have enough money to live comfortably during your golden years, your retirement income planning strategy has to incorporate finding how much you will spend at that time.

Buying Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 22nd, 2011

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Life insurance for seniors is a necessity for seniors whose financial needs become more demanding as they age. For example, a retiree may no longer have the benefits of a regular paycheck, and instead depend on earnings from his investment portfolio to establish enough funds to leave behind to beneficiaries.

Using a Retirement Annuity to Ensure You Are in the Clear

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 21st, 2011

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The retirement annuity is the product of our current economic times. In recent years we have seen retirees returning to the workforce in numbers never before seen.

Why You Need Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 20th, 2011

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As a retiree or near-retiree, you may think that you no longer need senior life insurance. The kids have left the nest and you may have already finished all your mortgage payments, so you no longer see the importance of this kind of coverage.

Stages of Retirement Planning: Ten Years to Retire

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 20th, 2011

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Making sure that you have enough money to last your golden years requires thorough retirement planning that goes through different stages; from a few decades away from retirement to the point that you retire and start life as a retiree.

Longevity Planning and Annuities Explained

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 19th, 2011

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Life expectancies that go beyond the average couple of decades virtually require the senior or near-retiree of today to think about longevity planning, and have the benefits of products such as annuities explained.

Tips on Saving Money on Senior Life Insurance

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 18th, 2011

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To get the best type of coverage that suits your requirements, you need to learn as much as you can about senior life insurance before buying your policy.

Retirement Income Planning Tips on Saving for Your Nest Egg

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 17th, 2011

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Saving enough money towards financial stability in your golden years may be accomplished with the proper retirement income planning strategies.

Life Insurance for Seniors to Help With Final Expenses

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 16th, 2011

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There are those among us still wondering if we need to invest in life insurance for seniors. The truth of the matter is that, unless you are independently wealthy or have been extremely meticulous in planning for every eventuality in your financial affairs, life insurance is probably a good investment.

Retirement Planning Resolutions for the New Year

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 16th, 2011

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No matter how much or how little you may have in your nest egg, you can always improve the management of your finances with a number of retirement planning resolutions for the New Year.

Risk and Your Retirement Investment Strategy

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 15th, 2011

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Your retirement investment strategy needs to be tailor-made with your financial capabilities and retirement goals in mind, and has to involve just the right amount of risk based on your own risk tolerance.

Importance in Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 14th, 2011

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There are a variety of reasons that life insurance for seniors is very important to you and your family. You would not want to leave your family to foot your funeral bills, or the debts you have not had a chance to pay off.

Is Paying off Your Mortgage Good for Retirement Income Planning?

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 14th, 2011

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One way to make your retirement income planning is eliminating as many expenses as you can while you still have the benefit of a regular paycheck so you will end up with less expenses and more resources in your golden years.

Transferring Wealth through Health Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 12th, 2011

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We all want to leave something to our families when we pass on, and the perfect vehicle for that might just be life insurance for seniors.

Making the Most out of Your Senior Life Insurance Policy

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 12th, 2011

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Cash-strapped seniors and near-retirees, as well as those who simply want to stretch their budget and get the most out of their purchases, can benefit from an in-depth knowledge of senior life insurance to ensure they get the best coverage for their money.

Using a Retirement Annuity to Ensure Your Comfort

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 10th, 2011

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The retirement annuity is a product of the economic today climate. The unfortunate result the economy today is that record numbers of our retirees are coming out of retirement and going back to work.

How You Can Benefit from a Retirement Annuity

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 10th, 2011

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One of the newest products in the retirement market is called a retirement annuity. These relatively new products are designed to supplement your existing retirement accounts such as your traditional IRA, 401(k) and Social Security benefits.

Factors that Affect Income Planning for Retirement

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 9th, 2011

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While you work at your nine-to-five, you will need to start your retirement income planning efforts and save up for your golden years. However, saving enough money to build a stable nest egg is only half of the equation; you will also have to identify a sustainable rate at which you can draw from your funds after you have cashed in the last paycheck from your employer.

Bulk up Your Portfolio in Ten Years

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 9th, 2011

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Retiring in ten years or less means you have relatively little time to bulk up your portfolio, especially if it has been clobbered by the bear markets and turned your nest egg into one that is probably going to be inadequate for retirement.

401K Problems for Workers Changing Jobs

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 7th, 2011

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Senior workers who have been changing jobs throughout their careers may run into some financial problems due to their 401K.

Eliminating Your Retirement Debt

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 6th, 2011

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To accumulate more than enough money for your golden years, you need to eliminate retirement debt first.

Mistakes You Could Make with Your 401K

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 6th, 2011

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Your 401K plan is not a sure-fire way towards a comfortable retirement; it is simply a tool that can help you make good money to add to your nest egg; that is, if you do not make mistakes.

The Lack of Fiduciary Standards and Other Threats to Retirement Security in 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 5th, 2011

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The lack of fiduciary standards, possible defunding of the new law for health reform, and unemployment are just some of the threats to retirement security in 2011.

Should You Get a Retirement Annuity?

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 4th, 2011

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One of the newest products designed to aid people in their retirement is a product called the retirement annuity. A retirement annuity is an insurance product, designed to compliment your existing retirement plans.

Investments to Increase Cash Flow for Stronger Income Planning

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 3rd, 2011

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Hitting the optimum mix of investments to allow for enough liquidity and ample investment income potential may be the best approach to income planning for retirement.

Emerging Market Bonds and Foreign Government Bonds

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 2nd, 2011

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If you are looking to diversify your portfolio and get relatively higher fixed income from bonds, you could go with emerging market bonds and foreign government bonds.

Considering a Retirement Annuity

Posted by Katherine Smith on Nov 1st, 2011

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When we are planning for our retirement, a fairly new option that we have to consider is called a retirement annuity.

Retirement Income Planning Tips from an Investment Advisor

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 31st, 2011

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One of the most important things you need to figure out in terms of retirement income planning is how much you will have to save so you will not run out of cash in retirement.

Keep Working for Your Retirement Plan

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 30th, 2011

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Retirement plan benefits are one of the reasons why some employees keep working with their current employers or move to a different company.

The Basics of Universal Senior Life Insurance

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 29th, 2011

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When shopping around for additional coverage, you may have come across universal senior life insurance. This kind of life insurance for elderly policy holders is a variant of whole life insurance that allows the plan holder more flexibility in terms of premium payments and coverage benefits.

Why You Need Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 29th, 2011

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Many people are under the impression they do not need life insurance for seniors. Still others think that seniors cannot get life insurance.

Better Income Planning for Retirement via a Diversified Portfolio

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 28th, 2011

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For a more fortified nest egg that will last you throughout retirement, you will find that a well-diversified portfolio will serve your retirement income planning efforts well.

How Life Insurance for Seniors Can Help

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 28th, 2011

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Life insurance for seniors can go a long way toward protecting your investments, or providing your family with an inheritance.

Retirement Income Shortfall and the Middle Class

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 27th, 2011

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An average worker from the middle class is bound to suffer a retirement income shortfall after quitting the workforce.

Stock Market Strategies and Current Performance

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 26th, 2011

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Investing in stock means that you should constantly be in the lookout for stock market strategies that work.

Assets and Target Date Funds

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 26th, 2011

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The relative lack of success of target-date funds for the past couple of years have been understandable since there were hardly that many investments that withstood the brunt of the economic crises and thrived.

A Guide to Changing Policies and Other Tips on Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 25th, 2011

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Many elderly policyholders think of changing their insurance coverage and buying another policy from a different company that provides life insurance for seniors. In some cases, they may have found their current coverage inadequate or too costly, while other seniors may have been convinced by an insurance agent or broker.

Retirement Income Planning Tips on Beating Inflation with Annuities

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 24th, 2011

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There are many ways by which you can strengthen your retirement income planning strategies and buffer your funds against inflation with the use of annuities and other insurance products. You may invest a part of your savings into immediate annuities to augment your retirement income, after which you can receive a good payout in the form of monthly checks.

Your Retirement Annuity Benefits

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 23rd, 2011

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A retirement annuity can be classified by how payments are made to the annuity holder. Fixed annuities and variable annuities, for example, are defined by guaranteed returns regardless of market conditions and potentially higher return rates based on the market, respectively.

Reassess Your Income Planning for a Comfortable Retirement

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 23rd, 2011

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An updated income planning strategy that diminishes risk and allows for maximum investment growth is what many of the retirees of today need to live well in their golden years.

Retire with a Stable Nest Egg

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 22nd, 2011

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If you want to retire with a stable nest egg that can last you throughout the rest of your life, there are some relatively easy ways to do so.

How a Retirement Annuity Works

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 19th, 2011

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A retirement annuity can be a good way of diversifying your investment portfolio and lowering the degree of risk it has, making it a popular insurance product for the typical retiree who is averse to risk.

Senior Life Insurance and Your First Policy Purchase

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 18th, 2011

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Most people can rest easier knowing that they have some form of life insurance at any point in their lives, but this should not push you into picking up a senior life insurance policy without careful planning and consideration.

The Basics of Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 18th, 2011

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As an older worker or near-retiree, the importance of setting up safeguards such as buying life insurance for seniors becomes even more important to your retirement planning strategy.

Senior Life Insurance and Additional Coverage for Older Retirees

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 16th, 2011

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Senior life insurance is a valuable tool that can help retirees strengthen their nest eggs and guard these against depletion during retirement.

Statistics on Annuities and Retirement Income Planning Concerns

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 16th, 2011

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It is surprising that many financially unstable near-retirees are not taking advantage of the abundance of retirement income planning tools and investments available to the average investor.

The Importance of Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 15th, 2011

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Life insurance for seniors is just as important as it is for anyone else. There are a variety of reasons that you, as a senior, would benefit from life insurance, not the least of which is to be sure that your estate is taken care of in the event you should pass on.

Retirement Income Planning Tips for 2011

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 14th, 2011

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The best retirement income planning tips are usually not that complicated. Many of these methods to help you stretch your purchasing power and save more money towards a more substantial nest egg may be accomplished with tools you already have, and routines that are not that hard to implement.

Investing after Restructuring Your Retirement Plans

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 14th, 2011

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Reinvesting your money in speculative investments and upping your portfolio risk is not always a dependable way to boost the efficiency of your retirement plans.

What Exactly is a Retirement Annuity?

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 13th, 2011

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Many people are wondering what a retirement annuity is. In these tough economic times, many of us are unsure about whether or not we have enough to retire.

Cushioning Your Nest Egg With a Retirement Annuity

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 12th, 2011

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A retirement annuity may be the answer to our questions about our retirement. In recent years, we have seen very bad things happen in our economy. These things have led to our doubting our retirement accounts; and with good reason.

What is a Retirement Annuity?

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 12th, 2011

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A retirement annuity is like having insurance for your retirement. It actually takes the form of an insurance policy, and the action required for the benefit to pay out is the day you retire.

The Issue of Social Security Privatization

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 11th, 2011

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Many financial analysts thought that the issue of Social Security privatization was dead, but a recovering stock market could prod lawmakers into bringing it back to life.

What is a Retirement Annuity and What Can it do For Me?

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 10th, 2011

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A retirement annuity is an insurance product that is used, generally, to fund your retirement. Like life insurance, the policy insures a specific occurrence in your life. In the case of a retirement annuity, that even will be your retirement.

Bigger Yields from Dividend Paying Stocks

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 9th, 2011

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Dividend-paying stocks are an income stream that the senior can use to increase the diversity of his or her portfolio and strengthen funds for retirement.

A Primer on Retirement Annuity Types

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 9th, 2011

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A retirement annuity can be a great investment for the risk-averse retiree, as this insurance product provides guaranteed and steady income for the holder upon the completion of his or her payments into the annuity with very little possibility of investment loss associated with growth-oriented investments.

Types of Life Insurance for Seniors

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 8th, 2011

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Life insurance for seniors is available in various kinds, with policies being divided into two major categories: temporary and permanent life insurance. Temporary life insurance, as the name says, only provides insurance coverage for a specific and fixed duration, while permanent life insurance gives the insured individual coverage for the rest of his or her life.

Variable Annuities and Municipal Bonds

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 7th, 2011

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Guaranteed sources of income such as variable annuities and municipal bonds are essential to the senior who wants to ensure investment payouts and diversify his or her retirement portfolio towards less investment risk.

Best Financial Resolutions for Baby Boomers

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 6th, 2011

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If you are one of millions of Baby Boomers who are nearing retirement, you should establish a set of financial resolutions, aside from the usual ones, and strive to follow them at the onset of 2011.

Living Overseas for a Comfortable Retirement

Posted by Katherine Smith on Oct 4th, 2011

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Many seniors today are considering downsizing their homes (along with their retirement lifestyles) and moving to another state where some taxes are low or not imposed, but not a lot of retirees are thinking about living overseas for a comfortable retirement.