My blog coach advises novice writers like myself to give readers an eye rest. A fellow blogger astutely determined that there's not much that's easier on the eyes than Kate Walsh.
In today's retirement game, the real question isn't about whether your plan is a tradional IRA or a Roth IRA. The question isn't about Modern Portfolio Theory, asset diversification or the host of available investment options including mutual funds, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds, government bonds, annuities or any of that. No, in today's retirement game, the real question is "Will you be able to generate enough income from the money you've saved to let you focus on the fun part of your retirement, and when you turn that income stream on, will it return the favor?"
So, when you are considering making changes to your retirement plan, don't forget to think about it in terms of income. Many fixed-index annuities today include what is know as guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits. They are structured so that if you were to move a portion of your retirement savings into one at say 45 years of age, you would know exactly how much income, at minimum, you could count on when you were 60 or 65 years old. It could easily be compared to setting up your own pension.
