Feeling the heat? Yah, I know, it’s hot outside. Some retirees feel the heat all year long. I’m talking about the heat when your monthly bills come in. Gas, cable, internet, phone, water, insurance, and, for the next several months especially, the dreaded electric bill will be there
without fail.
The problem is that, usually, the only income that you get monthly is Social Security and pensions, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Your investments usually don’t throw off regular income. Wouldn’t it be nice if they did? Stock dividends come quarterly. Nice, but it’s not that convenient. Stocks also have share price volatility as well as fluctuating dividend amounts. What if there was an investment that could provide a monthly income that wasn’t a part of the broad market. Maybe something that had less volatility than, say, the S&P or the Dow? Well, you could use REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). REITs are super income-friendly assets. They are, however, not completely risk-free. Don’t get me wrong. They are usually a great fit for retirees. BDCs (Business Development Companies) are a great monthly income alternative as well but have a slightly higher risk profile than REITs. ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) do a good job of providing monthly income too. But ETFs bring us back into the broad stock market which, in turn, can bring more risk.
So, if you are like most, you would like something that can have a market-like return, provide a stable monthly income stream that you can never outlive, have access to account values, transfer those assets to your heirs without probate fees and time delays, has very low or NO fees, and has absolutely ZERO market risk. Am I right? Well, you’re in luck. That product does exist. It’s called a Fixed or Fixed-index Annuity. Yes, you read that correctly. Fixed annuities are fully insured savings programs, not investments. There is no one-size-fits-all. At American Retirement Advisors, we use actuarial services to identify every Fixed Annuity that matches your specific need. Again, there is NO one-size-fits-all. Most folks should have a healthy mix in their retirement income portfolio.
Ask your American Retirement Advisor to design a retirement income plan for you. Of course, there is never a fee to meet with your advisor. Stay cool!