Here to Help – August 2022
Remember the old days. Three TV networks. The local paper and maybe the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. That was it. You called a local business and folks answered the phones in three rings. A soda fountain in the local Woolworths or corner store was a thing.
Ah the good ole days.
I remember good old-fashioned customer service where folks knew your name. When was the last time you walked into your local bank and the person who helped you last time was still there?
I have good news for you.
There is a little retirement planning company with a few offices here and there that understand what service to the customer looks and feels like. Where you are greeted with a friendly smile when you enter. You may even find your name in lights in the lobby. A kind person offers you a warm or cold beverage. They happily help you whether you are meeting someone or dropping off something.
Yes, I guess I’m talking about us. American Retirement Advisors and all of our companies. I guess you folks recognized our dedication as well. In Arizona we have been voted by the public through the Arizona Republic and AZCentral.com as The BEST of the BEST for Medicare Planning and Financial Planning. Do you realize how many companies are in our business? On the planning side, Edward Jones, JP Morgan, Raymond James, were all nominated, but our little firm won not just once but four times. As for the Medicare planning side, we actually don’t have any competitors. We are the only Medicare Fiduciaries and Certified Medicare Planners®. All other players in Medicare are either the insurance companies, agents who work for the insurance companies, or brokers. We built our company to help folks get the most out of what they have. Eliminate sales
gimmicks and provide the most value possible.
It has certainly paid off for our clients all over this great country of ours.
Thank you for being a fan!
Why Am I Me?
It was a Sure Thing. (Yeahhhh right).
[spacer height="20px"] [spacer height="20px"] Sure Thing? Shoo-In? All Sewn Up? Forgone Conclusion? Open and Shut? Surefire? [spacer height="20px"] It’s funny how we sometimes look at an opportunity on the surface and think to ourselves Wow! That looks like a sure thing! But in retrospect it turned out not to be so great? [spacer height="20px"] As you review your life and look forward to life over the next 10-20 years, what were the sure things in the past, and what are the sure things in your future? [spacer height="20px"] More importantly what made them sure things? Did you learn the difference between sure things and bogus sure things? [spacer height="20px"] For me, sure things in the past were I knew that, no matter what, I wanted to be the first of the three boys in our family to graduate from the university. I did!! I wanted to be the first to learn to drive and get my driver’s license before my twin brother. I did!! I knew I wanted to be married, have children, and be a successful businessman by age 30. I did!!! [spacer height="20px"] Now the sure things going forward are a tad bit fuzzy because we all know that nothing is for certain except death and taxes. I know I want to continue to do a bit of traveling after retirement, enjoy a few dinners out with the wife, and give some occasional financial assistance to family members without feeling the pinch. In general, just maintain my lifestyle to a certain degree of expectation. [spacer height="20px"] While there is rarely a sure thing, most of us have learned by this point in our life, that a little elbow grease or due diligence is always required when making a decision. More than once I can remember my mom telling us boys that the “devil is in the details” when making a serious decision about something. Do your homework! [spacer height="20px"] When making decisions about what to do with retirement funds, I get folks asking me all the time about this product or that product, or which fund is the best of the bunch, or is a bank or insurance product better than another? [spacer height="20px"] What most folks don’t realize is that you have to decide what you want your funds to do first! [spacer height="20px"] With thousands of retirement products on the market which one is best? There is no one answer. The correct answer is which product is most appropriate for what you need the fund to do for you in your portfolio! [spacer height="20px"] When building a retirement plan, it’s best to look at what you already have and see if you can keep it and use it for a purpose in retirement. Many financial products are for accumulation, not distribution. The minute you task a financial fund or product with paying you income in retirement instead of just accumulation, you have changed the entire expectation of that fund. [spacer height="20px"] Many of these accumulation products you had while working and adding to your retirement funds via a paycheck were great for long-term growth, but the minute you try to take income, and the market takes a downward turn after you have retired, what happens? You’ve now lost money and no longer have a paycheck coming in to replace the principal you lost! So you really can’t afford to gamble! [spacer height="20px"] Most folks will outlive their retirement funds because of one thing. They didn’t do their homework, and more importantly, they didn’t seek professional assistance with their retirement funds. Statistics currently state that over 70% of retirees will need long-term care at some point. Have you planned for this occurrence? Long-term care is the #1 cause of bankruptcy of retirees. Over 80% of Mutual funds will underperform and only the top 10% will perform better than expected. In layman’s terms this means most folks will outlive their retirement funds! [spacer height="20px"] Don’t be one of them!!! Don’t you want a sure thing? Get professional help with your retirement plan! There are multiple ways to address long-term care than just purchasing a policy! There are great products on the market that are just for creating guaranteed income for retirement! Want to know what your sure things are for retirement? Call us! We know a team of folks who can help! [spacer height="20px"]
David S. Edge
Healthcare & Retirement
Planning Professional
Utilizing fact-based decision making to protect your retirement lifestyle!
Follow this link for the full version of the August newsletter:
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https://americanretirementadvisors.com/monthly-newsletter/American Retirement Advisors Earns A+ Rating from the BBB
American Retirement Advisors is honored to receive an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau in regards to our exceptional customer service, ethical business practices, and conducting business with full integrity. This respected accreditation is important to American Retirement Advisors because we continuously strive to develop and build strong relationships with our clients based on transparency and trust. Our hope is that this highest accreditation from the BBB will solidify this for those who are unfamiliar with our practices. [spacer height="20px"] Factors that earned American Retirement Advisors the A+ rating include advertising honestly, remaining transparent with clients, and consistently honoring promises and acting in good faith. It is also based on being responsive to clients in a timely manner, along with the protection of all data collected by the company. [spacer height="20px"] This A+ rating is among several milestones and recognitions that have been accomplished by the company this year. We continue to strive to provide consistent and quality services for our clients and are thrilled to possess this A+ rating in order to acknowledge it. [spacer height="20px"]
