A Family Saved from a Retirement Shortfall

Life is full of uncertainty. We don’t know what’s ahead of us and we certainly don’t know what the future holds.  Though we don’t want to think about it, unexpected illness or death of a providing family member can turn a financially stable situation into a crippling one. Thankfully, there are ways to protect yourself and loved ones, as one couple fortunately figured out.

Lance and Diane Wilson of Tustin, California, were well on their way to retirement with a 401 (k) plan and a teaching pension when they realized it wasn’t going to be enough for them to retire in their home town in Orange County as they had originally planned. They began to discuss their options, which included postponing their retirement and moving to a more affordable location, none of which they wanted to do. Not happy with their solution, they chose to meet with retirement planning expert Steve Sousa to see if anything could be done. As managing director of Advanced Savings Concepts in Tustin, Steve created a financial plan that not only maximized their current retirement funds, but also reduced any market volatility and reduced taxation.

Under Steve’s financial plan, the Wilson family significantly increased their retirement income. Not only were they able to retire with more income, but they also were able to retire earlier than first thought, all while remaining in Orange County! When Lance announced his early retirement, his co-workers couldn’t believe the difference the new financial plan had made in his retirement.

Not long after announcing his early retirement, Lance suffered a health diagnosis that would prevent him from working any further. Had the Wilsons not taken the steps to improve their retirement when they did, their financial stability would have been in jeopardy. Without the ability to work, they would not have been able to retire when they did and where they did.

The Wilsons credit Steve Sousa with the success of their financial stability. By creating a plan that resulted in significantly increased retirement income, reduced taxation, and reduced market volatility, the Wilsons were able to retire at a time when they needed it most. They are forever grateful to Steve and the financial security he provided their family.

"If it weren't for the financial strategies developed by Steve Sousa, we would not have been able to retire in Orange County near our children and grandchildren" - Lance & Diane Wilson

It pays to be prepared. With so much uncertainty in this life, it’s a relief knowing that you and your loved ones are financially cared for. 

If you are approaching retirement and are concerned about how market volatility or rising tax rates may affect your retirement, please call or schedule an appointment to learn the unique strategies that we have developed to help you protect and accelerate the growth of your retirement savings.

Steve Sousa has been helping Southern California families protect and grow their retirement savings since 1978. He was motivated to help friends and family innovate and enhance the way they saved money for things like real estate, college tuition, weddings and retirement. He also has wanted to see his friends and family pass more of their wealth onto their families. Watching families lose money in the market in 2001, 2002, 2003 and finally in 2008, inspired Steve to develop the most innovated strategy yet. This strategy not only protects families from losing money to stock market volatility, it also eliminates the burden of paying income taxes when you want to access your money. To learn more about this revolutionary strategy, schedule a free consultation. 

Wall Street Journal: Gamble the market or convert to cash. Really?

After reading the Wall StreetJournal’s article "As Stock Prices Keep Rising Should Investors Moveto Cash?” I was stunned to find that investors fall for such black-and-white thinking. 

I understand the perspective of those investors who are either approaching or are already in retirement. With little time to recover from a significant market loss, their viewpoint makes sense. However, these are not the only two choices people have.

It's one thing to consider cashing out of the market. It's an entirely different thing to let that cash sit in the bank earning less than one-tenth of a percent. However, due to low interest rates, we are seeing some of the lowest returns in history.

Another conservative option would be to invest in a fixed indexed annuity. This option would allow you to get a better return than CD's and money market accounts without sacrificing principle. Your gains would be locked in rather than your retirement being gambled away in the stock market. This strategy also allows you to create a tax-free retirement income.

Investors looking for a guarantee alongside some level of liquidity may want to consider dividend-paying whole life. The returns are quite conservative, but you can still maintain access to a portion of your cash via tax-free policy loans. The downside to this strategy is that you sacrifice the ability to earn higher returns in exchange for more guarantees.

The strategy that has the most upside potential is indexed universal life. Although it has the least amount of guarantees, it has historically out-performed the other two strategies by a minimum of 2 points. This strategy has a guaranteed minimum return of 0% to 2% (depending on the insurance company). Because this is the most versatile strategy available, it is essential to work with a financial planner who is experienced in designing and managing this type of strategy. This strategy also allows you to access a portion of your cash through tax-free policy loans. It will typically produce the highest potential retirement income. 

If you are approaching retirement or are already in retirement, these strategies could help you eliminate the uncertainty of market volatility and provide you with a tax-free retirement income. To learn more about any one of these strategies you can attend one of our free one-hour private financial education workshops in Southern California. To check for availability call 1-800-546-2499 or click on the link below.