Ask anyone and even if they don’t know a thing about investing they’ll say, “oh, real estate is a great investment!” Well, it can be if you approach it in a smart way that works for you and your financial situation.

Life insurance has existed for nearly two centuries as essential planning tool that protects dependents from the risk of a breadwinner’s untimely death. However, given the unique investment properties of life insurance, financial planners are finding a number of ways it can be used in other ways to enhance portfolio returns while reducing risk.

Investment to Watch: Smart Home Technology

by Steven Sundberg on

The term “smart home” sounds like something out of a movie on Syfy or a place where intelligent people go to converge. Yet, the concept isn’t new by any means. John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, referenced the concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1999.

A home is a place to rest your head, to create memories, and to cook dinner. It’s where your pets are—your family. What people most often forget about their home is that it’s also your most valuable financial asset. And, if one of your financial goals includes a testamentary gift to charity, while also receiving substantive income tax deductions, this asset is important.

Annuities have provided retirees with a safe and secure retirement solution for generations.  Deferred annuities have been a solid way to accumulate retirement assets on a tax deferred basis, and immediate annuities are still considered to be the soundest way to generate a dependable, guaranteed income for life, or for a specified period.

Game of Life: Financial Planning At Every Age

by Steven Sundberg on

If you’ve ever played the Game of Life board game, it becomes clear that compressed into the colorful path there are various stages of life. Each stage holds its own major financial challenges as well as prospective profits in addition to surprises (new baby!) and forks in the road.

The annuity industry must have studied the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears because, after recognizing that investors weren’t very keen on low fixed yields or the vicious volatility of the stock market, they came up with a product, that for most people, would seem to be just right – Indexed Annuities.

Retirement Success

by Steven Sundberg on

 

 

Retirement can invoke a mix of conflicting emotions from anticipation to fear, excitement to anxiety. It’s one of the biggest life changes we experience in our adult lives. Most of us anticipate and save for it for decades. But, going from receiving a paycheck for most of your adult life...

Financial Planning for Young Professionals

by Steven Sundberg on

You’re 25 and feeling alive. You’re settling into life after university, paying off your debts and slowly figuring how to “adult”. But with the responsibility of bills, rent, and even keeping up social appearances, prioritizing financial planning is something far too often pushed to the side.