Plain answers, tradeoffs first
Short articles on retirement income, life insurance and estate coordination. Each one names its author, shows when it was last reviewed, and lists its sources.
Retirement income
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Caps, participation rates and surrender charges, explained
The terms that decide how a fixed indexed annuity credits interest and what it costs to leave early, explained in plain English with simple examples.
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Fixed vs. fixed indexed annuities: what you give up for what you get
Fixed indexed annuity pros and cons, set beside a plain fixed annuity. What each one credits, what each one limits, and who each one tends to fit.
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When an annuity is not right for you
Annuities trade access to your money for promises from an insurer. Here is when that trade does not make sense, and what to look at first.
Life insurance
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How much life insurance do you actually need?
A plain walk-through of the DIME method (debt, income, mortgage, education) for estimating how much life insurance your family would need.
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Term vs. permanent life insurance, honestly
Term vs whole life and other permanent coverage: what each costs, what each gives up, and how to tell which one fits your family.
Estate coordination
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The beneficiary mistakes we see most
Out-of-date forms, minors named directly, no backup beneficiary. The beneficiary designation mistakes we see most, and how a simple review catches them.
Free printable checklists, no email required: Beneficiary review checklist (PDF) · Documents to gather (PDF)
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