Dynamic Management
The managers below were selected for their innovative common-sense strategies to be able to position defensively when risks are higher, and more aggressively when market conditions are more favorable. Don’t take our word for it. Follow the links below to see just what they can do.
Managing Liquidity
Retirement income is often managed by piecing together a portfolio of dividend and interest-bearing stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The income they yield is rarely enough, so you eventually find yourself selling parts of your portfolio to make up the difference. That’s okay when the markets are strong. But what do you do when the markets retreat?
We suggest you manage for liquidity, by segmenting part of your portfolio into low-risk assets, and draw them down according to a plan that you designed with your financial advisor. The links below will take you to examples of managers and strategies that could help make a difference in protecting your retirement income.
Safeguarding Assets for Elder Care
Long-term care insurance started out as policies designed exclusively for covering the cost of care late in life. These policies had many shortcomings, and insurance companies have innovated to create more flexible solutions that have overcome many of the earlier pitfalls.
Today, long-term care insurance is also available as hybrid products that are combined with life insurance or annuities. These offer greater flexibility in policy design and benefit options.
If you are late in your working career or early in retirement, this may be a good time to talk with your financial advisor about your options for long-term care insurance.
Ensuring Lifetime Income Throughout Retirement
Not everyone is comfortable taking on the uncertainty of investing in the stock and bond markets. It may be important to guarantee a part of the income you expect to need in retirement. Variable annuities were designed specifically for this. When you buy a variable annuity, you transfer the risk of uncertain market performance to the insurance company. In return for taking on this risk, the insurance company charges you an ongoing fee.
Variable annuities may offer other features through add-ons referred to as riders. Riders can provide for guaranteed death benefits, and spousal income benefits. Your financial advisor can provide a more complete review of the features of variable annuities.
Wealth Transfer
Just as it is important to have a plan for building wealth and managing distributions for retirement income, your heirs may appreciate your efforts to plan for the transfer of your wealth. Without the proper provisions, your estate will likely be passed to your heirs through the probate process. This can be a time-consuming and costly experience. Several options exist to more efficiently share your wealth with your heirs. Consider the options below:
- Life Insurance
- The death benefit of an annuity contract
- Beneficiary IRAs
- Transfer on Death (TOD) provisions for brokerage accounts
The next time you talk with your financial advisor, be sure to ask about the wealth transfer options for your accounts.