How would you feel about investing all of your retirement dollars in the stock market? Most would not like the idea of potentially losing their money while others would believe they could beat the house. Personally, I am not comfortable allowing my hard-earned money to be subject to the rapid fluctuations in today's volatile market. If you were to tell your parents, spouse or friends that you were going to Vegas to play the odds, what would you expect their response to be? I would assume...

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For most people, the beneficiary designation is one of the easiest questions on a life insurance application. However, there are a few common mistakes we see on a regular basis and your agent may not be aware of how to correctly structure your beneficiary and ownership designations to accomplish your goals.

1. Ownership: who owns the policy?

If you own the life insurance policy, you may face a federal estate tax. Your estate is a compilation of: your investment and retirement...

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Section 151A has been at the forefront of our discussions for insurance agents and our industry in general for sometime now. Unfortunately for our clients, the bill recently passed on December 17, 2008. Rule 151A intends to classify equity indexed annuities (EIA's) as securities. This ruling will penalize consumers along with the responsible insurance agents that have helped their clients weather a massive financial crisis without the massive loss that most people have...

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With all of the financial market mess everyone has had to endure, is there any single solution that will be provided to address the financial concerns that most people are facing? Unfortunately, no, everyone's situation is different, however, there are financial strategies and products that can assist you with the correct vehicle to navigate through these murky waters. If you are concerned about your investments and just not sure which direction to look, you may want to consider an...

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