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Regardless of what you know about annuities, you’ve probably heard an opinion about them. This investment tool, like any other, can be good or bad for your personal retirement plan, but is it? Well, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about annuities recently because of all the market volatility. People are looking for ways to create reliable income and the annuity will always be a product that comes up in the conversation. So we want to use this episode of My Smart Retirement to educate you about how they work, why people choose them, and what our experiences have been. Maybe the biggest thing we want to stress throughout the conversation is to do your homework. Ignore what you’ve heard about annuities and take the time to get the facts and become informed. They might not work for your goals but they might be exactly what you need. Every tool is valuable if used correctly and that’s no different with annuities. One thing we’ve found is that the majority of people who need annuities are usually approaching retirement. The ages we normally see are between 55 and 75 with the peak around the early 60s. But when you get to this age, don’t just look up information online. This is such a nuanced product with so many different options that you need to take a detailed approach to planning. That’s something we would be happy to work with you on. Give us a call and take advantage of our complimentary retirement plan. Use the timestamps below to hear a specific segment. 1:08 – Why we’re talking about variable annuities today 2:09 – Annuities for many people are emotionally-driven 4:01 – Investments as a tool   6:41 – Get the facts and then form an opinion 8:11 – Annuities have been evolving from income to growth 11:20 – Indexed annuities 12:24 – First thing you need to decide 15:37 – Planning becomes key 17:06 – Look deeper into annuities 18:33 – Who needs an annuity?   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://www.flemingfinancialservices.com/ 

If we’ve learned anything over the course of 2020, it’s that health needs to be a priority for all of us. The focus goes beyond the pandemic, which is obviously at the forefront right now. But mental health issues have risen through the year and the usual causes of death are still as prevalent as they always are. It’s great to see that more and more people are paying attention to their health because it plays a huge part in your finances and retirement. On this episode of My Smart Retirement, Sean and Nancy will talk about the role health plays in our lives. This topic isn’t one that we’ve spent a lot of time on the show but we want to change that because there’s no retirement to enjoy without good health. We feel retirement is about being relaxed and enjoying life and it all starts with taking care of your body and your mind. Over the course of the show, we’ll talk about a few different areas of health in retirement, beginning with nutrition. It’s easy to look at the cost of eating healthy and the time it takes to cook nutritious meals, but think about how much it could save you over the course of your life in healthcare bills. Then you have to talk about exercise as the next piece of the process. People can become complacent in retirement and lose the drive to stay active without a job to go to every day. Exercise doesn’t have to be over the top either. It can be an hour walk each day or gardening or even Pickleball. As long as you stay consistent and active, it will pay dividends over time. We’ll also talk more about life insurance and the role it plays in a plan. Decisions will be impacted by your health, as will your options, so this is something else to think about when taking care of yourself. Health should always be a priority but it’s easy to overlook when life gets busy. Hopefully this episode will help you refocus and remember what’s important. Use the timestamps below to hear a specific segment. 0:32 – Health issues are at the forefront right now.   3:26 – What’s the cost of not getting correct nutrition? 6:27 – Other leading causes of death   8:04 – Along with nutrition, pay attention to exercise   10:27 – Retirement is about being relaxed and living a long life. 12:42 – Life insurance    15:30 – Ways to have a healthier, longer life 17:40 – Stress management   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://www.flemingfinancialservices.com/ 

“Am I ready to retire?” If it’s not the most common question asked during retirement planning, then it’s definitely near the top. Everyone wants to what kind of shape they’re in financially and if they are in a position to transition to that next chapter. Everyone’s answer is going to be different and it depends on a variety of factors, but there are some questions you can ask yourself to get a better sense of where you stand. That’s what we’ll do on this episode of My Smart Retirement. Join us as we lay out five questions and tell you why each is so important when it comes to your retirement. We’re covering spending, assets, budgeting, investing, and income planning. These are all key pieces of a comprehensive plan and it’s why this is good starting point. If you don’t do as well on this quiz as you hoped, we’re here to help you build a plan that will give you the confidence you need to retire. Connect with us and set up a time to meet and we’ll run through all of these areas and more. Speaking of investing, you probably saw how the market reacted to positive vaccine news this week. We all welcome the progress towards getting the pandemic under control and investors showed that. Sean and Nancy will lead off this show with their reaction to what we saw from Wall Street this week and what it could mean for value stocks and interest rates. It’s going to be a busy show but hopefully you’ll get a lot of valuable information along the way. Use the timestamps below to hear a specific segment. 1:03 - Vaccine announcement was big news for the market 2:03 - What does this mean for interest rates? 3:10 - The DOW was up as well 3:57 - ‘Dumpster Diving’ in the market 6:29 - Are you prepared for retirement? First, do you know how much you have?  8:53 - Do you know how much you spend? 11:59 - Do you know how much risk you have?  13:58 - Do you know what you’re paying in fees? 15:21 - Do you know what your retirement income streams will look like?  For more on this show and additional financial planning resources, visit our website: https://www.flemingfinancialservices.com/

As if 2020 hasn’t been volatile enough, now we’re left sorting through election results days after voting has ended. Although it appears Joe Biden is set to become the 46th President of the United States, plenty of questions remain about policy and the financial impact it could have on investors. So as we wait for the dust to settle, let’s try to answer the questions, what now? Nancy is flying solo on today’s episode of My Smart Retirement and she wants to provide updates for those that are slow to act while things remain in limbo. The first thing we’ll talk about is what could things look like if all the results hold, meaning Democratic president, Republican Senate, and Democratic House. Divided government is typically positive for investors as it likely means taxes won’t see significant changes in the near-term. That’s the item many people have questions about immediately because it affects every single one of us. It’s also a part of the financial planning process that we target as adjustments are being made. The other areas Nancy will update you on the during the show are stimulus, policy, interest rates, and more. There’s a lot to be factoring in and it’s important to remain proactive with your financial future. That’s what we can help you with and hopefully this show will provide you with a little more clarity after an unsettled week. Nancy will answer all these questions, plus tells you about an exciting finding scientists have made on the moon! Use the timestamps below to hear a specific segment. 0:39 - Exciting announcement from NASA 1:44 - What we know about the election right now 2:48 - If Republicans hold the Senate, what we need to know about taxes 4:22 - Fiscal stimulus & other spending 6:18 - What we’re looking ahead for when building retirement plans  8:28 - Divided government could mean a positive for investors 9:43 - What recent history tells us  11:26 - Financial achievements for President Trump 13:15 - Prop 208 in Arizona  14:39 -  Change will always happen so be proactive   Contact: Website: https://bit.ly/31DO9OW Phone Number: 480-632-8770

On today's show, Sean and Nancy give their take on where the major financial markets currently stand. They address some common concerns they have heard from their clients and give advice on how to navigate those challenges. Contact: Website: https://bit.ly/31DO9OW Phone Number: 480-632-8770