The uncomfortable questions you need answers too...
"I can't believe how little my pension will actually pay me..."
What is your pension really worth? How much will inflation decrease it's value? Will there be a gap between what it pays and what I need to live on when I retire? How will I fill that gap?
"I wish the nice sales rep had told me it was possible to lose so much money right before I retired..."
How much am I losing in fees? Are my retirement funds at risk if the stock market collapses? Am I properly diversified? Will I end up paying any money in taxes? What happens if I leave the school system? What happens to my savings if I retire? Will what I save and earn by enough to fund my retirement?
"I couldn't believe how much money I was losing to fees..."
What your 401(k) really invested in? How much are the fees costing you? How much could you lose if the stock market collapses? How much will the federal government force you to take out when you retire?
"When the market crashed I lost most of what I'd made..."
Variable Annuities that are in many 403(b) plans are often a terrible deal for teachers. How much are you paying in extra fees? How much stock market risk is your retirement exposed too?
"I didn't earn as much but at least I didn't lose it in the market..."
Fixed annuities can be the wrong solution for some teachers. How long is the surrender period? Does the company provide a bonus that covers it? Are you able to take more stock market risk?
"I was surprised to learn that there were better policies..."
Many teachers either have too little or too much life insurance. Are you paying too much for the coverage you are getting to protect your family? How will your life insurance impact your retirement?
"I never thought this would happen to us, but it did because..."
I surprising number of people end up becoming disabled for a variety of reasons. Do you have a health or workplace situation that might result in you or your spouse becoming disabled? What kind of policy should you get?
"I just wish my husband and I had talked about this sooner..."
There are ways to maximize your social security benefits. These aren't hard to figure out but you need to think about them before retiring. Have you talked about this with your spouse? What could you be missing that will cost you money?
"If only we had done planning rather than just our pension..."
Many teachers find comprehensive planning overwhelming. It's why we help you go step by step - starting with answers to simple pension or 403(b) questions. What questions do you have?
"I just got confused. Thank you for answering my questions..."
What's in your IRA? How exposed are you to stock market risk or high fees? There are so many things you could or should not do. Do you know what those are?
"It feels like a big game where insiders win and I lose..."
Stock market investing is not for the faint of heart - or people who can't stand to lose money. When will the next crash come? Will your investments and retirement survive it?
"I don't understand why anyone invests in mutual funds..."
Many mutual funds are terrible retirement vehicles. Many funds in most 401(k) plans perform terribly and are so confusing most people will never find out. Is your retirement in a mutual fund? Probably...
"So glad for the advice on health insurance..."
You may have pretty good health insurance now, but how does that change and what should you do if you leave teaching or retire?
"I didn't know I could save for retirement and college funding..."
How can you pay less for your child's education? How can we get maximum scholarships? What are the bad types of student loans to avoid? Can I really borrow money from my life insurance policy at a lower rate than a bank would loan it?
"I had no idea I had up to 60 credit scores..."
Did you know you have many credit scores? Which ones are used for mortgage lenders, car dealerships, and student loan companies? How can you fix your credit report? How much will that save?
"That was a great discussion. I might try this..."
Being your own bank by using life insurance is a hotly debated topic in investment circles. How does this work? Should you do this to fund retirement, home improvement, car purchases, vacations, or to pay for college? Will it help or be a disaster?
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"Frank's advice saved our family thousands of dollars..."
How much will you be taxed on your retirement savings? On your 403(b)? On your spouse's 401(k) or IRA or stock market investments? Will you be taxed on your life insurance payments? Get simple answers to these and other complicated questions...