Retirement Planning with Fixed Annuities

By Mari Cates

How can annuities build up income or savings?

Who sells annuities? Insurers market them because they combine investment and insurance features. Two common reasons people purchase them is to save for a long term goal, or to assure income later. So even though people tend to associate them with retirement income, they can also be used for other reasons.

You will also need to decide how you want to fund your cash account. In general, there are 2 ways.

Immediate - This means that a lump sum is put down to build up the cash value. After that, it starts generating an immediate income for the owner. You would probably want to consider this solution if you had gotten a lump sum distribution from a retirement settlement.

Deferred annuities do not pay out right away. In fact, the owner may have to pay a penalty if he or she takes out cash before the term that is specified in the contract. There may be exceptions for this in the case of a severe illness, etc. Some may be funded with a large payment, or they may accept cash contributions made over a period of years. These are intended for people who are trying to plan for an event that is some time in the future.

How do you get paid? There are a variety of different options for getting money back. A lifetime payout may guarantee income for life. But some people accept payouts for less time, like 10 years, or for the lifetime of either spouse (joint survivorship). They payout that you would choose would depend upon your needs and the cash value of the account.

If you are not sure that you will need the income, consider a flexible payout option. You can use this account to put aside money that could be used for an emergency if needed, or can be left to heirs if not needed.

Many people like annuities because of the favorable way that the IRS tax code treats them. They can grow in a tax deferred manner. They may be qualified or unqualified, which will affect the tax treatment of income payments.

Another advantage is the safety of fixed products. Fixed products may pay at a contract rate, or they may be pegged to a market index.

Consider one common market like the S&P 500. In good years, when the index goes up, the cash account will grow at a rate that is pegged to that market index. In down years, when the index is down, the cash account will be guaranteed not to lose money. It may either be set to remain stable, or even to earn a set rate like 2%.

Now that you understand a little bit about annuities, you probably want to know how long you can get payments for. You probably also want to know how large those payments will be. Of course this depends upon your accumulated cash value, growth rate, and the type of product you have. - 23218

About the Author:

We want to help you find the annuity products that can help you reach your goals. Use our Free Online Annuity Quotes to find the best retirement plan for your own needs. If you want more help, go here: Explain Annuities

Some Real Estate Points I Want To Share With You

By Paolo Koster

Sometimes it is not enough to shop around for credit cards based of what they offer. More often than not, it pays to understand the terms of what the credit card offers before you getting the card. You must also take time to review the disclosures of terms and fees might appear on credit card offers you receive.

Although a business credit card has more requirements and has higher interests compared to other types of credit cards there is, contrary to the common conception, t can be very helpful if used properly.

On the same lines, you could use internet to search for the real estate investment avenues. In fact, you would be astonished by the number of real estate investment opportunities you are able to locate on the internet. Not only that, searching for real estate investment opportunities (i.e. property for sale) is much easier on internet than anywhere else.

It really pays to go to the bank when one applies for a credit card to get the chance to answer all immediate inquiries. But since business credit card is for business people who are always on the go, many business credit card issuers offers online applications for business credit cards.

When one applies for a business credit card, there is no need to visit the bank. There is also no need to wait in the queue just to talk to a bank representative. When you apply business credit card online, all you have to do is to select the business credit card option that would perfectly suit your small business or corporate credit requirements right from the comforts of your home or office.

Customized company logos and access to instant cash are also available on line. Other business credit card online offers detailed reporting features for easy monitoring and access.

Some of these business credit cards offer small businesses a line of credit up to $100,000 at a competitive APR as low as prime + 1.99% for both cash and check purchases; 100% of the line is available as cash and no collateral is required.

Whether you opt to go directly to the bank or apply for a business credit card online, a number of premier business credit card suppliers are there to help you find the right credit card product as easy and convenient as possible. - 23218

About the Author:

Apart fromarticles I write about real estate and mortgages, I also ownsome website about financial topics. These you can find here: same day loans and lenen

How to Easily Pay Off Your Debts, No Matter How Many Times You've Failed

By Sean Payne

A significant majority of people who are in debt have made at least one attempt to pay off their debts. Unfortunately, most people who try to get out of debt end up getting deeper in debt.

So, why do all these people end up getting deeper and deeper in debt? The answer lies in the approach that they use to get out of debt. Those who take on more debt in an attempt to get out of debt are only putting a patch on the problem. Debt consolidation loans may work for a short while, but the underlying habits that created the debt problem in the first place will work against them.

The answer lies in correcting the underlying habits that create the problem of debt. The easiest way to do this is by using a debt repayment plan that won't allow you to indulge in those old habits.

What are the steps of the debt repayment plans that won't allow you to indulge in self defeating habits?

The first step is to build up a "buffer" between you and overspending. When you're running low on money, even a small financial problem can make you go back to using debt. What exactly is a buffer? This is a small amount of money that you save, somewhere around $500 to $1000, depending on how much money you make. Your buffer should be enough money to fix your vehicle if it breaks down, hire a plumber if a sewage pipe breaks, or pay your bills if there's a delay in getting your paycheck.

The second step is to incur no new debt. That means no debt consolidation loans, no second mortgages, or any other kind of loan. People who take out second mortgages in an effort to pay off credit card debt are substituting a secured loan for an unsecured debt. The problem with that it is that if you can't pay off your debt, you lose your house.

The third step is to make a plan for paying off your debts. The order in which you pay off your debts makes a huge difference. Do if wrong, and you'll lose your motivation to pay off your debts. Do it right, and you'll pay off your debts quickly while becoming more and more motivated to get out of debt.

The fourth step is to carry out your plan. The easiest way to do this is to automate your debt repayment plan. One way to accomplish this is to use an automatic bill payment service, such as the kind offered by most banks. Once set up, a bill payment service will keep you from incurring late fees. Most bill payment services are free, so this is awesome if you want to get out of debt.

The final step is to stick to your plan. After a while, you will have developed a little bit of momentum, and this will become easier. Once again, choosing the correct debt repayment plan can make a huge difference.

There you have it: You now know how to pay off debt even if you failed last time and every time before that. All it takes is the right approach. - 23218

About the Author:

Sean Payne has helping people learn about personal finance and how to get out of debt for over a decade. To get more information about how to pay off debt, check out Sean's informative free course on debt reduction management.

Forex Strategies Money Management

By Chris Green

When looking at forex strategies, a good one to adapt is one called money management. It may sound simple enough, but it isn't. One of the most important strategies in forex is managing your money properly. Knowing the amount of your trading account to keep tied up in a trade is very important. It is never a good idea to put all of your money into one trade, this is a very high risk bad move. You may luck out and make a huge profit, but it won't be long before you find yourself angry with an empty trading account or even worse, debt!

Money management is one of the first forex strategies you should get mastered. Without proper money management, it can make the difference between powerful trades and bad trades. At any given time it would be good to only use a maximum of half of your account on trades. When it comes to how many trades you should be doing, it would be recommended that you do what you are only comfortable with.

Learning a few forex strategies first, or even just starting off with money management is very important for any trader. Getting this mastered is not hard, once you do trading will be at a lowered risk level. Being in over your head, frustrated with too many trades is never a good position. This should not become a habit, once in this situation, it is never easy to recover.

When trying to find more forex strategies to add to your skill set, it is always a good idea to talk to people in the industry. Ask them what strategies work for them, everyone is different. Test out new strategies you hear of with a smaller investment. Dont forget to give it some time, you cant test a strategy in one day, it can take weeks to figure out if it is really working for you. Once you are certain a strategy works, stick with it, and repeat by testing out other strategies.

In a matter of time, your forex strategies will be a tested proven result that you are certain with. Once you build a good handful of good strategic angles down, you will soon find trades to become easier and your profits will start to soar. Another way to get yourself soaring sooner than ever is adding this ultimate strategic approach that could double your profits! There happens to be an ultimate strategic approach to forex that few people know about. - 23218

About the Author:

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Tips On How A Penny Stock Listing Make You Rich

By Malcolm Torren

There are stock market sites and blogs that tell you how you can earn from just a small cap investment. Of course, anyone who wants to get rich would understandably jump at the opportunity. But getting rich is not a quick scheme and no get-rich-quick books will tell you that it happens overnight. It does not happen overnight. Even if you think you have the most reliable penny stock listing in the world, it still does not guarantee financial wealth.

It is not about luck. Or else, luck simply has only a little to do with it. It's all hard work. There are even people who life a low profile lifestyle but have fat bank accounts. Then there those who claim that they got rich because they have a dependable penny stock listing and they want you to try it.

Be cautious of this hype. Today there are so many opportunists who would do anything to get a piece of your savings. The penny stock market is one of the attractive avenues for them. If you want to get rich from your penny shares, follow these tips:

- Do not overspend. Always keep in mind that the general rule of thumb is always to buy shares at low price. When the value appreciates and when the time is right, sell it. But do not use up too much of your savings. Just allocate portion of it. A safe margin would ten percent. And spend only for the list that you personally picked and not from those who suggested it to you.

- Know the basic terms, language, and the major concepts of the trade. Any penny stock listing is useless if you don't know how to translate them. And to do that, you have to understand the back and front ends. Along that path you will be encountering so many stock market terms that may be alien to you. Terms like the PE ratio, ticker signs, liquidity, etc. Understand them and learn them by heart.

- Be reasonable about committing your investment money. Your stock list is supposed to showcase the hot stocks to bid. However, the list can change overnight. What is hot today may not be hot tomorrow and that happens all the time. Always double check on which penny stock you think is most likely to expect profit for you.

- Learn about the trade continually. Your penny stock listing cannot exist alone. It needs partners. Because in this business, the survivors are not the rich, the smart, and the strong. The successful investors are those who keep track of constant changes. These are the stock market trends.

In reality, what makes you rich is not because you have a penny stock listing that guarantees success. What success means is dependent on how much work you are willing to put in your business. The ingredients to success are knowledge, rational analysis, and a roster of facts. If you want to be rich is really all up to you. - 23218

About the Author:

Understand the best penny stock listing to assist you in penny stock pick. Understand more.