Dad! – 2021

Christine was an only child and now that her Dad was getting on in years, she wanted him to move closer to her and the grand kids. In fact, they had a bedroom with its own bathroom and closet at their new home which is one reason why she and her husband bought the house. This room would be for Dad.

Dad was delighted to move and be closer to the kids and great grand kids who adored their “Pops.” He loved spending time with them teaching them, long-forgotten board games. Christine’s other main concern was healthcare for Dad as she played the ‘what if’ game in her head. At 87, he wasn’t getting any younger; even though, currently, he was in good health at his age.

As she had just turned 65 and gone through the process of getting Medicare and researching plans, she knew exactly who to call for help in researching a health plan for Dad. American Retirement

As I answered her call, I asked the same question I do several times a day “How can we help?”

After explaining her situation, she volunteered Dad’s prescription medications and what healthcare concerns she had. At 87 years old a Medicare Supplement would be awfully expensive, so she asked for help in selecting an all-inclusive Medicare Advantage plan. In seeing her address, we immediately saw that there was an Advantage plan that offered multiple medical services all in one place that was literally a few blocks away. Plan convenience included a primary care doctor, specialist, optical, hearing, urgent care, and even a drug store in the lobby to fill prescriptions on the way out if a doctor wrote Dad a new script! Not only that, the plan offered dental, and a $200 allowance toward new glasses each year. The plan also included an allowance towards hearing aids. All of the local hospitals were on the plan’s network.

Christine was pleased that she was able to find the exact answer for a health plan for Dad in one phone call! “You made this so easy!” she exclaimed. The advantage plan also covered the six maintenance medications that Dad took daily, and they all had zero copays! As we were ending the call, I could hear the kids in the back- ground laughing about the new board game Pops had taught them. “Chinese Checkers”! As I hung up the phone, I tried to remember the last time I played that game myself!

Got a question? Call us! We can help!

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Close Encounters – 2021

If you ask someone if they have ever had a close encounter, they’ll probably want to know more specifics about your question. “Close encounter with what?” they may ask. But whatever close encounter you’ve had in your life and how you reacted makes you…. you!

Your close encounter may have been with an unexpected chance meeting with a wild animal, a close call with a traffic accident, or maybe you dodged a medical issue that potentially could have been a life-or-death situation. But at that moment you reacted either with fear, panic, or anxiety.

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My! Have you had a close encounter with mother nature? I’ve had a few since I’ve been an avid hiker, horseback rider, and camper. Everything from venomous snakes, bears, large game animals, and even a mountain lion. I can tell you on several of these occasions my blood pressure was up!

When I was young and camping with some teenage friends, we decided to hike to an open area so we could star gaze and pick out the constellations. There was no moon, and it was pitch black. Three or four of the guys had flashlights but I had left mine at home. We came to a fence that bordered a large pasture and it offered a great view of the stars. As we stood for several minutes, we were quietly talking and pointing out different things we recognized in the beautiful night sky.
Suddenly, we hear thundering hoofs and snorting of a large animal. As I turned towards the noise, I stood frozen…. instinctively facing whatever was coming toward us. I had no idea what it was because everyone had turned off their flashlights to star gaze. Panic filled me as it got closer and closer, but I didn’t move away from the fence thinking it would stop whatever was coming. As it came closer and closer it came to a stop just in front of me on the other side of the
barricade. While I could not see it, I inhaled what must have been a dirt cloud and the overwhelming smell of a Bull! After I finally found my voice, I asked could someone turn on a flashlight. There was no answer……. I finally hear off in the distance the other guys calling my name.

They had left me by the fence alone within a few feet of an exceptionally large, annoyed Bull! The next day we all had a good laugh at the terror we experienced the night before. While I was annoyed that they left me in the dark, I learned a lesson and I never forgot to pack my own flashlight. So, what was your experience? Who were you with and more importantly how did you react? I hope it was a temporary situation and had no long-lasting negative effect. But whatever your experience was, it made you …. you!

Make sure you have no panic or fear of what to do with retirement issues. Got questions? Call us, we can help

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New year: New opportunities – 2021

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.22"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.4.4" hover_enabled="0"] 2020 was a year of challenges and change. You know the adage, when thrown lemons, make lemonade. That’s what we did! My personality is rare according to folks such as Carl Jung, the father of modern psychology. I process information using all four areas of the brain simultaneously. He said most people use one quadrant at a time. The good news is I intuitively know the questions folks will ask of me before they ask and I have formulated a solution, as well. (By the way, Nancy Ball, who runs our financial department has the exact same personality type. She is super smart!) Some of my personal interactions come off as arrogant or condescending. I do my best to wait for folks to process their question, verbalize their question, and wait for a response. So how does one use the gifts they were given for the good of all those they meet? Simple; provide solutions to everyday challenges. If you know what is going to happen and you know how to fix the obstacles folks will encounter, the next steps are to put in place tools to use to overcome the problems they will face, even if they don’t yet know they exist. Where is this going you ask? Our business is solving challenges for people. We know when someone approaches their 65th birthday, they will be inundated with biased sales pitches to buy this, that, or the other. Annually, the same ads pitch amazing things. Some are real, some are a stretch. Comedians and football players are even selling Medicare these days. The sales information is inescapable. It is everywhere: TV, radio, newspaper, lobbyist groups monthly publications, Facebook, YouTube, even in your email inbox and mailbox. When someone approaches retirement, the ads on all media naturally become more relevant. Most ads are pushing the same thing they sell to folks in their working years, just re-packaged to look like stuff for retirees. We see it every time we turn on any electronic device. We look at the ads and it breaks our hearts every time we see how folks bite and move their lifelong savings with the hopes of great things, only to be disappointed. 2021 will be a watershed year for our clients. More folks than ever before will retire. More folks than ever will need to have a steady, reliable income to replace their working income. More folks than ever before will need health insurance outside of their employer. As always, we will work in our client’s best interest (the definition of fiduciary). As always, we will be answering the phones with a smiley human (yes, you can hear a smile). As always, we wish you a healthy, prosperous, and safe new year! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Half a Win! – 2020

Switch Please!!! – 2020

We get this question of switching from plan to plan on a regular basis, especially with folks that develop insulin dependency.

Gordon has been our client for years and called one day out of the blue with a big question. He had developed insulin-dependent diabetes and his co-pays on his current Medicare Advantage plan were awfully expensive for the insulin quick-pens he wanted to use. He first wanted to know if he could switch to a Medicare Medigap (Supplement) with a Part D drug plan. I reminded him that he cannot switch to a Medicare Medigap if he has a permanent chronic condition. “Well, then, what are my options,” he asked?

If an individual develops a permanent insulin dependency, they can then make a switch to a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) the very next month! These are not offered by all carriers.

After reviewing all available plan options, we found a Medicare Advantage SNP plan that offered $0 co-pay for diabetic supplies and had only a $9 co-pay for his insulin pens. Gordon could not believe the difference in the benefits of the new Medicare Advantage (SNP) plan vs. the Medicare Advantage plan he was currently enrolled in.

We explained that not all Advantage plans are the same. This is exactly why you should shop for plans every Annual Election Period from October 15th to December 7th, with your new plan starting January 1st of the new year.

Gordon was a bit ecstatic when he saw that his co-pay for his insulin pens was going to drop from $69 to only $9 and his diabetic supplies were at no co-pay. The other benefit was that this new SNP plan also assigned Gordon to his very own diabetic specialist to work in concert with his Primary Care Doctor. Keep in mind that these Medicare Advantage SNP plans are not available in every county across the U.S.

Some Advantage plans cover hearing aids, some cover dental, some offer pick-up service to take you to your doctor’s appointment if you cannot drive, some offer paying for glasses, etc., etc., etc. Not all Medicare Advantage plans are created equal. It’s up to you, the consumer, to choose. And oh, by the way, there are 56 Medicare Advantage plans to compare in Maricopa County alone. Would you like a Fairy Godmother or Godfather helping you shop and compare?

Call us we can help!

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Is gold and silver a good investment? – 2019

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"] It’s OK to like shiny things but are they good invest- ments? You can invest in gold and silver by buying the actual physical products, or, through ETFs and stock in gold mines or mutual funds. But, I keep seeing commercials on TV; Mr. So ‘n So thinks it’s a great idea and can’t lose. He’s an actor, so I’m sure he knows a lot about investing. He makes gold sound like a ‘can’t lose’ proposition. Not so much! How about silver? The commercial also seems to think that’s a ‘can’t lose’. How are they getting away with this deceit? Buying gold is the oldest type of investing. The reason why gold cannot be an investment, is because it belongs to a class of investments that will never produce anything. Growth in its value depends entirely on the belief that someone else will eventually pay more for it. Gold is an unproductive asset. A pile of gold will always be just that, a pile of gold. An equivelent amount of money deployed into a business can generate actual wealth and grow larger in a fundamental way. The value of gold has always been driven by the fear that other assets will lose value. Does this mean that nobody should invest in gold or other precious metals? No. Not necessarily. It can have a place in a diversified portfolio, but understand, it’s not all that the commercials make it out to be and it’s not a sure thing. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version="3.0.101" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Gold-chart-1.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" force_fullwidth="off" show_bottom_space="on" /][et_pb_image _builder_version="3.0.101" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/silver.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" force_fullwidth="off" show_bottom_space="on" /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Can you dream it – 2018

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.0.101"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"] Where do you see yourself in 20 years? No, I’m not kidding. Advancements in medicine have folks living much longer lives. Close your eyes (after you finish the paragraph). What is it that you (want to) see yourself doing in 5, 10, 15, and 20 years from now? Is it a trip to another country, a cruise, moving closer to family? Retiring? Fund a grandchild’s education? Be honest. Now, what will your assets and income allow you to do? Maybe all of it, maybe none of it. What we here at American Retirement Advisors try to do, is to incorporate as much of your dream as possible into your plan. We also understand that you don’t want to run out of income before you run out of time. The stock market today, depending on if your speaking with a bull or a bear, is either pumped up and will be forever, or it is going to crash. I say, it’s not that simple. The market is, by nature, cyclical. It ebbs and flows with market “tides” so to speak. We are stretching the common flow by a couple of years now. As you look at the ups and downs as a wavy line, we are at the crest now. A six year old can complete the pattern with a downward stroke of a crayon. Our clients, for the most part, can’t afford to lose any assets. They are in the income phase of life, not the growth (take more risk) phase. Invest for return and safety, not aggressively. This doesn’t mean that a percentage of your portfolio shouldn’t be in the market. It should for most people. But, it should be invested cautiously and with a portfolio manager who will watch it. Some folks like mutual funds because they come with built-in portfolio managers. The problem is that the fees are just too high. Even if you are using a no-load fund, there are internal fees. One of my issues with them is that the fund portfolio manager doesn’t know you. He or she is trying to make a name for him or herself. Portfolio managers with mutual funds become rock stars on the financial circuit. The problem is that they can have a great year then a terrible year. Our portfolio managers aren’t trying to gain fame. They are just trying to give our clients a reasonable return with as little risk as possible and as low a fee as possible. In other words, Mutual Fund managers have the bottom line in mind [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Retired AND Happy – 2018

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"] So, you did it! You finally made the big decision and retired! Boy, oh boy, do you have a list of stuff you want to do and a list of stuff you don’t have to do anymore! Some folks have planned for this day for years and others just had a moment when they were at work and just decided on the spur of the moment “I’m done,” as they gave their boss a two-week notice. After meeting with thousands of retirees, we see happy folks, and, believe it or not, some unhappy folks. I was assisting Michael (a pilot) with his retirement plan, and he was lamenting that at 65 there was a mandatory retirement for pilots at his company. He loved to fly and was still in great health and he was unhappy to be retiring. He went back to school and got his instructor’s license so that he could now teach, which will allow him to continue to fly! Another retiree, Renee, said she was unhappy because once she retired she lost focus. Until retiring, she didn’t realize how much of a routine she had been in and how much of her life was spent involving her career. She now had lots of free time and wasn’t quite sure how to fill it. She had fallen into sleeping late and not being very enthusiastic about getting out of the house and doing activities. She had a list of “stuff” she wanted to do but realized that all the items on her list had something to do with work. Now that she was retired, her list was obsolete. Another client, Benny, had a funny reaction to retirement in that he said he felt for the first time in his life he might be deemed a loser, because now when people asked, ‘what do you do,’ he had no answer. He felt funny saying ‘I’m retired and don’t do anything’. For the first time in his life he had no responsibilities. He simply said, “It’s weird”. Most folks are thrilled they are retired and can’t wait to play golf, travel, and spend more time with the grandkids! Many are turning to teaching or volunteering and feeling useful in our society. Some love the fact that they can now spend time on a favorite hobby. One client had a 1969 Corvette stored in his garage for the last ten years just waiting for him to retire and rebuild. He couldn’t wait to get started on fixing up his baby! Being happy in retirement isn’t just about money. It more about what your life is going to be about while in retirement, and how to make yourself happy. You do want to be somewhat worry-free about medical and financial concerns, but sometimes you just need someone to assist you with an overview of what exactly will your retirement look like? So, if you have questions about retirement, Medicare plan selection, Social Security benefit questions, or anything that has to do with retirement? Call us! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Time Machine 2018

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"] As life events happen, we find ourselves going to family and friends’ birthday, anniversary, retirement parties, and such. While attending these events, do you ever think to yourself “Wow, where did the time go”? When you have one of the moments, who was with you, what was the event, where were you? These memories are what make You…. you! I recently attended an anniversary party of some dear friends in Los Angeles who have been married for 30 years. I was their Best Man and my wife was the Maid of Honor at their wedding. When we received the invitation to the party, I could remember their wedding distinctly, as they were married in Hawaii on a beach in a small chapel with stained-glass windows. It was a beautiful day, and we stood there in our tuxedos with our ladies in beautiful gowns. I was struck by my memories of small details, such as the Hawaiian flower lies in the women’s hair and how wonderful the air smelled. Our daughter was 5 at the time and in her flower girl dress, was excited about being on the beach, and the memory of how she was fascinated by the Hawaiian Priest in his flowing white robe and long hair. All these memories flashed by as I greeted friends at the event in present time. As I stood there getting ready to raise a glass of champagne for a toast to the happy couple, I distinctly had a conscious thought of…. where did the time go? What better way to measure time is when it comes to children. Either your own child, or a niece, nephew, or neighbor. We see them born and watch the magic of time as they grow older right before our eyes. “What do you mean they want to get their driving learner’s permit”? “A boy wants to take you to the Junior/Senior Prom”? “You want to borrow the car”? All of a sudden, we think …. where did the time go? They can’t be this old! I distinctly remember reading Jules Vern’s “Time Machine” at an early age. It filled my young head with ideas of time travel. What the surprising revelation for me was the thought of not only going back in time but also going forward. I remember sitting in class in my senior year of high school thinking, what will my life be like at age 50 in the year 2005? Wondering if we would have rocket cars, ray guns, and space travel. Would I have kids, where would I be living, and who would I be married too? Would I be married? Lots to ponder at age 17. As I meet with folks who are nearing retirement and we are assisting them with their selection of Medicare plans, retirement financial planning, Powers of Attorney for financial and health, etc., many times we hear clients utter this same phrase ….

where did the time go? Don’t let time get away from you. Plan now. Need help? Call us!

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The Truth and the Other Truth 2018

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.101" background_layout="light"] Good news first; Medicare premiums for 95% of Americans will only cost $1.50 per month more in 2019 than in 2018. Social Security will go up considerably more than the increased cost of Medicare. Bottom line, most folks will see more money in their bank accounts. Medicare Advantage plans will see increased competition and lower co-pays across all plans for 2019. Medicare supplements in Arizona are seeing increased competition as well, with the lower rates available now than in late 2017 and early 2018. For the 5% of single folks on Medicare with incomes above $85,000, or married folks above $170,000, the surcharges have been adjusted again. All will see different surcharges on parts B and D. The other news… It’s voting season. The ads are driving me crazy. Some ads say, “VOTE YES to save the preserve” the opposing ad says, “VOTE NO to protect the preserve.” That one made me more nuts than the third-party ads stating that one candidate wants to raise rates on healthcare for seniors. Math is a very exact science. Folks over age 50 (boomers and seniors) vote in greater numbers than folks under age 50. We can all agree on that mathematical fact. The ad agencies got one thing correct. They correctly targeted the people that will cast a vote. Unfortunately, most folks get so frustrated with the outright LIES and deception they just shut down to the election. I listened to the Arizona debates on public radio. I listened until I couldn’t bear the BS. The candidates were very civil, well-mannered, and followed the rules of the program. They politely remained within their allotted times and made their points and I was impressed for a while in the professionalism. Then everything changed, not in the tone, but in the OUTRIGHT LIES. One candidate stated that she did not approve ads that FALSELY accuse her opponent. She agreed that the AD WAS A LIE. Then she went on to separate herself from her party and the political action committee that placed the ad. In my mind, you are either a member of a party or you run as an independent. Not both. When she lost her cool, I called BS. I understand why a normal person (not a billionaire) would associate with a party. It's simple. Funding. A billionaire self-funds a campaign. Like Mr. Bloomberg did when he ran for Mayor in New York. Our president self-funded, until he was taken seriously by the party and then reimbursed. My point, politics is a complicated game of cat and mouse or chess. You trade one thing for another to get what your constituents hopefully want. Some folks do it with honor and will not bend from a code of conduct. Some folks do whatever they must to get to the next level. You really must hand it to the folks that put themselves out there to run for public office. The rewards may be vast but the public scrutiny for the candidate and their family is also a high price to pay. Look at the President and his family. The first lady never signed up for the job. She was a happy socialite in New York surrounded by friends and was content raising her son. The President’s son-in-law is probably not very happy that his personal taxes, or potential lack of paid taxes, are now out in the open. His favorite daughter’s line of clothing and shoes are no longer in stores. Have you tried to find a “TRUMP” necktie? They were my favorites, all gone. My point is please do your own research. Don’t consider television or radio NEWS, it’s propaganda. Dig into the facts and read the ballots, they are written deliberately to be confusing. Call the candidates’ offices directly to ask your questions. Then, most importantly, BE AN AMERICAN, perform your duty and VOTE. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]