Rick Alford

Rick Alford, CRP, President
Office 972-731-2539 | Cell 214-762-1905 
 Newsletter
October 2017
 Edition 
Dear Friends,
 
Our world seems to be moving ever faster with each passing year, bringing more uncertainty and challenges along the way.

Perhaps  now is the time to  "get off the fence" about your retirement plans.
 
As your Certified Retirement Planner, I am here to address your questions and concerns. I will introduce you to new, innovative, and time proven solutions, designed to meet your individual retirement needs.
 
Let's meet to discuss the many possibilities available for you and your family. Together, we can bring stability, confidence, and certainty to your retirement portfolio, not to mention  peace of mind.

   -Rick Alford
Call for a no obligation appointment today at 972-731-2539.
Taxes Can Be a Real Threat to Your Retirement
When people are asked what the biggest threats to their retirement plans are, they offer a host of responses:
  • outliving their wealth
  • health insurance costs
  • nursing home expenses
  • having to help their children/grandchildren financially

All of these can be major threats to retirement plans, but there's one big one people tend to forget: taxes.

 
Having no clear plan to deal with higher taxes is one of the most serious threats to retirement-minded people.
In This Issue
What happens to
Social Security Benefits when a spouse dies?

On average, wives out live their husbands by 14 years. More often than not, many are unprepared for the changes which will occur to their Social Security benefits.

We are offering a free
Social Security Planning Event, where we'll discuss:
  • Widow(er) Benefits
  • Spousal Benefits
  • Ex-Spousal Benefits
  • And Much More
Stay informed and know what to expect with your Social Security benefits.

Tuesday, October 17th
at 6:30pm
Haggard Library in Plano

Wednesday October 18th
at 6:30pm
Schimelpfenig Library
in Plano

Call (800) 898-3572
and give
RSVP Code 374525
The Accounting Professor:
Show Me the Money...

The standard definition of the intrinsic value of an investment is the sum of the expected cash inflows discounted at an appropriate rate.

Investing is indeed all about cash flows. Yet, figuring out a company's cash flow generating capacity takes some serious analysis.
Life Insurance Can Be a Great Retirement Planning Tool

Most retirees and advisors would agree that a comfortable retirement includes knowing that basic needs will be met and a nest egg will be available for unplanned expenses.

Life insurance can be an important part of the retirement income strategy, by diversifying income-tax, balancing risk and providing flexibility. 
Do Boomers know how to handle RMDs?

Boomers have been saving toward retirement for years-but while they may be somewhat prepared financially for retirement, that doesn't mean they know what to do about  Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
The money in tax-deferred retirement accounts amounts to some $10 trillion. Once boomers turn 70½, they have to start taking RMDs-and paying the taxes on all that money.
But that could hit many of them hard, tax wise, if they're still working-and they may not understand the ramifications of such withdrawals on their overall financial situation.
Why do Index Annuities need volatility controlled strategies?

The Simple answer is: They Don't! Index annuities, by design, are volatility controlled. The worst indexed interest rate a consumer can receive is ZERO. By its' very nature, a Fixed Index Annuity is designed so a consumer won't lose money when the market index that their interest rate is linked to is negative. This is the ultimate in volatility control.