“Make Your Money Last a Lifetime.”

That’s the title of a December 1, 2010 article by personal finance expert Jane Bryant Quinn in her most recent AARP Bulletin column “Financially Speaking.”

On a personal and professional level, I’m always drawn to articles about retirement planning in hopes of gleaning some new nugget of wisdom I can use for myself and our clients. But, frankly, I’m usually disappointed.

After all, how many times do we need to read about the basics of saving more, spending less, diversifying investments and cutting up credit cards? If it was only that easy, right?

But the last few paragraphs of this particular article caught my eye because the author describes the Income Floor Strategy as one of three popular methods of creating a lifelong stream of income.

According to Ms. Quinn, the Income Floor Strategy allows you to:

” . . . provide for your basic income needs by buying an annuity with lifetime payments that start at the date you expect to retire.”

She goes on to identify a 2010 study by Gallant Distribution Consulting Research which:

” . . . found that more than half of financial planners now prefer the bucket (another method she describes in the article) or income approach.”

Since I was unable to turn up a copy of the study she referenced after a cursory search of the Internet I cannot speak to any methodology used or even its authenticity; however, this conclusion tracks with a number of other studies we’ve written about in the past.

NOTE: For further reading, you may also like some of our archived newsletter posts:

• Live Longer . . . Buy Annuities
• Too Old for Financial Security?
• Annuities Are The New Black

One thing that cannot be denied: People crave financial security!

Our firm was founded with a commitment to helping people achieve long-term financial stability in their lives. We’re proud that the structured settlements and related specialty annuity products and services we offer have played a vital role in helping translate that goal into a reality for many.

Please call anytime we can help YOU secure YOUR future! Wishing you the happiest of holidays and best wishes for a prosperous year ahead.