annuity Archives - Hanover Mortgages

Apache is functioning normally

May 28, 2023 by Brett Tams

Last Updated: April 27, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner – 3 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The following is a sponsored post.

Retirement is the most complicated time in your life, financially. That’s driven by many factors, including: (1) you don’t know how long your retirement will last, (2) you won’t have a traditional salary coming in the door, and (3) you might not have the same mental capacities as you do now to make financial decisions.

The complicated nature of retirement has increased over time as life expectancy has increased — from around 60 years in 1930 to closer to 80 years today — and pensions have gone away. Maybe your parent or grandparent has a pension? That pension, which might not seem like a big deal when you’re young, makes a big difference in retirement. It fixes all three issues listed above by providing you a continuation of your salary for as long as you live. Now, not only are employers not offering them, but many of us don’t have traditional jobs with benefits in the first place.

Still, for all of us DIYers out there who know how to take control our financial lives and make things happen, there are solutions for us. To make sure we’re financially comfortable and safe in retirement, we need to be aware of the risks and take the right steps to be protected. This of course means thinking about this and planning ahead years before we expect to retire.

Here are the 4 best tools to keep you safe in retirement:

1 – Social Security (I’m serious here…)

Social Security is the golden child of retirement planning. It is THE BEST option we have out there to keep us safe. It’s basically a pension provided by the government. Here’s how it works: While you’re working and paying taxes, you earn Social Security credits. As long as you’ve earned at least 40 credits (1 credit for every $1,320 you make, max of 4 credits per year), you’ll qualify to receive benefits in retirement. The more credits you earn, the more your benefit, which is a monthly paycheck in retirement, will be. That monthly check can start between ages 62-70 and will continue for life, each year potentially increasing for inflation. The longer you wait to start it, the more your benefit will be.

To take full advantage of Social Security, do the following:

Maximize your credits by making sure your reported taxable income is at least $5,280 every year. (This number is based on the 2018 credit value of $1,320 which does go up over time.)
Plan to delay the start of your Social Security to the maximum age of 70. You’ll get an 8% increase in your benefit each year you delay them past full retirement age (67).
Keep track of your Social Security benefit by creating an account. Knowing how much you’ll be receiving each month will make it easier for you to plan how you’ll cover the remaining expenses that exceed your benefits.

2 – Blueprint Income’s Personal Pension

Employers have decided to stop offering pensions, instead providing better access to the stock & bond markets through 401(k)s. But, you can still get yourself the benefits of a pension — steady, guaranteed income that continues for life — independent of what your employer offers. Blueprint Income’s Personal Pension is an account you create and fund just like you fund your 401(k), IRA, or brokerage account. But, instead of putting money in the market, the money in your Personal Pension gets converted into guaranteed, lifelong income backed by insurance companies, of which Blueprint Income has 15 on their platform. (The technical product that makes this possible is called an income annuity, which is what the first generation of pensions used.)

Use the Personal Pension to supplement your Social Security so that all of your most important expenses in retirement will be covered no matter how long you live, and even if the market crashes. Here’s what to do:

Head to Blueprint Income to build a Personal Pension plan. You can set a goal for how much income you want in retirement and they’ll tell you how much to put in over time.
If you have an idea of how much your basic expenses will be in retirement, use that minus Social Security as your income goal. If you don’t know, just set it at $2,000 per month and work with their time to refine it later.
Decide where the money to open the account will come from (minimum of $5,000). You can use existing retirement savings (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k) rollover) or new savings from your bank account.
Then, keep contributing over time as little as $100 per month to build up your retirement check. If something happens, you can always skip/cancel/change contributions without penalty.

3 – Tomorrow, The Family Financial Planning App

The first two tools protect you from the risk that you live longer than expected and the risk that the stock market crashes. But, what will happen when you pass away? Not only is that emotionally challenging for your loved ones, it can also create very complicated financial situations for them. The Tomorrow app provides a super easy and user-friendly way to make important long-term financial decisions and set up appropriate wills and insurance contracts.

Here’s what you can do through the Tomorrow app:

Create a last will & testament for free. Having a will is important because it specifies who will be the guardian of your kids and pets and specifies what should happen to your assets.
Create a trust fund, which when paired with a will, has the benefit of protecting your privacy, reducing probate costs, and allowing for better distribution of your assets.
Determine and buy the right amount of term life insurance. This is the simplest form of protection for your family over the period of time that a premature death would harm them financially.

4 – EverSafe, Protection from Fraud, Scams & Financial Exploitation

At the beginning, I mentioned that retirement becomes a risky time in your life because of your potentially diminished cognitive capabilities. This reality makes seniors easy targets for financial abuse and exploitation. Elder financial abuse can take many forms, including petty theft, fraud, scams, misguided home repairs and bad financial advice. EverSafe is a personal detection and alert system that stops exploiters from taking advantage of you.

Consider signing up for EverSafe as you approach retirement, or for your loved ones who are already in retirement, to get the following services:

Analysis of your daily transactions for erratic activity and anomalies like unusual withdrawals, missing deposits, etc.
Alerts by email text, or phone to you and your trusted advocates when suspicious activity occurs.
Tools to manage and resolve any fraudulent activity.

With these tools, plus all of the good day-to-day and long term financial sense I know you already have, you’ll set yourself up for a comfortable retirement where, ideally, you never even have to think about money or risk!

Apache is functioning normally

May 28, 2023 by Brett Tams

When you first enter the workforce you have many decisions to make in regards to how you will fund your retirement years.

After years of earning an income, soon-to-be retirees also have some major decisions to make regarding how their retirement funds will be distributed once they are no longer in the workforce.

For individuals who have a pension plan in place, the decision of how they will take their pension is an important one with significant consequences.

Lately, I have met with several clients who are faced with a very important question,

“Should I roll my pension into an IRA or take the lifetime payments?”

See, pension plans can be distributed in one of two ways;

Through regular installment payments received throughout your retirement years or
Through one lump sum payment (which can be rolled into an IRA)

There are benefits and drawbacks to each option, therefore it is important to weigh each option carefully before making your final decision. Here we evaluate the pros and cons whether you should or should not take the lump sum option on your pension.

Control of the Pension Distribution

One of the potential benefits of opting for the lump sum is the additional control you have over pension funds. This can be beneficial in that most pension plans do not account for inflation when establishing what your monthly annuity payment will be in the years to come. When you choose the lump sum option, you have control over your pension funds and can invest them as you see fit, which can result in additional growth throughout your retirement years.

Control is the largest driving force that have led to most of my clients choosing to roll their pension money over. Most recently, I had a client that said, “I’ve worked for the company 31 years on their terms, now I want to take my money on mine.” Could not have said it better myself.

When you roll it over, you decide when you want your money on your terms. If you want a little extra to spoil your grand-kids on a trip to Disney World, you have the power to do it.

Having control does come with its risks.

You have to be careful to not go on a spending spree and run the risk of spending down your retirement too soon. By choosing the annuity method, you have a guaranteed paycheck for the rest of your life and possibly your spouse if your pension plan allows for it. For some that have a harder time managing money, not being able to have access to the principal may be a good thing.

I have had cases where the client opted to take the lump sum option thinking they could control their spending. Alas, they could not and blew through their entire savings in a short amount of time. Now they have little savings and only Social Security to depend on during retirement.

Security of the Pension

Choosing to get your pension in one lump sum payment, eliminates the security of receiving a monthly check for the remainder of your life, however you do know exactly how much money you are getting. Consider for example, if the company funding your pension annuity payments finds themselves in financial trouble, this may result in problems with your pension payments. There is a Federal agency; the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp) that may make up for companies that file for bankruptcy, however there are limits to how much money you will receive.

As of 2009, the PBGC has insured pensions up to $54,000 for those that retire at the age of 65. If you’re pension is for more than that and your company goes bankrupt, you might be regretting that you hadn’t taken the lump sum.

As I mentioned above, security of having all your money up front can be reassuring, but; if you mismanage it, you can go through it quickly leaving you with no security in retirement. It’s important to do a self assessment of yourself and your spending habits to make sure you don’t make this mistake.

Estate planning: Don’t Forget the Kids

Annuity payments will cease once you and your spouse have departed. By choosing to receive your pension in a lump sum payment, you can plan your estate to include beneficiaries of retirement funds that are unused during the lifetime of you or your spouse.

In essence that means that if you unexpectedly passed away and your spouse wasn’t too far behind you, all the money that you had paid into your pension goes back to the company.

Another Example of When You Don’t Take the Lump Sum

As mentioned in the first point, it can be attractive to have control of your money when you want it. I had a client meeting years ago that with a gentleman who was a state employee. He was nearing retirement, but still had a few years left. In an effort to entice some of the employees to retire early, the state was offering early buyouts to those that would retire immediately. In his case, the offer was in the neighborhood of $180,000.

At the time, he was dealing with credit card debt and some medical bills, so the offer was enticing. I reminded him that he takes the check, that he would be giving up his guaranteed paycheck in retirement. If he worked just a few more years till age 55, he and his wife were guaranteed around $2,500 per month with the pension. Just a quick calculation using simple interest revealed that in about 6 more years would be the break even point for taking the monthly payments.

Otherwise stated, that after 6 years, he was in far better shape taking the lifetime annuity payment for he and his wife. No question. In this case, taking the lump sum was not the right decision.

Should You Choose the Lump Sum?

The decision as to how you will receive your pension is one that should not be taken lightly. There are several factors to consider and the decision you make today will outline your quality of life for your remaining years. The benefits listed here could also be considered drawbacks if handled incorrectly, therefore be certain you are capable of managing your lump sum payment to ensure you will have financial security in the years to come.

If you feel you cannot properly manage your funds or simply don’t want the hassle of dealing with investments and long term planning, annuity payments might be the better option for you and your family. What is beneficial to one family may not be perceived the same for another, so make sure your decision is based on your unique situation and future needs. If you’re still not sure, be sure to meet with a qualified financial planner to asses your needs and see what direction is best for you.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 27, 2023 by Brett Tams

One of the best strategies for ensuring that loved ones will be able to carry on financially in case of the unexpected is to purchase a good, solid life insurance policy. This is because the proceeds that are received through life insurance – which is income tax-free to beneficiaries – can be used for continuing to pay living expenses or to pay off large debts. It can also be used for paying for the funeral and other final expenses of the insured. That way, loved ones will not have to go into debt – especially at an already difficult time in their lives.

When buying life insurance, it is important to consider several criteria. These include the type and the amount of coverage that you are purchasing. This is because you do not want your loved ones to have too little protection.

It is also essential to know that the insurance carrier you are purchasing the coverage from is strong and stable from a financial standpoint. That is so that you can better ensure that the company will be able to pay out its promised policy proceeds if or when the time should come. One company that made our honorable mention for best life insurance companies in the US and many individuals buy life insurance coverage from is Americo Life Insurance Company.

The History of Americo Life Insurance Company

Americo Life Insurance Company has been in the business of offering life insurance and other coverage products for more than 100 years. The growth of the Americo family of companies has built primarily on the successful acquisition of more than 15 insurance entities – each having its specific advantages.

The company has also won other accolades and has been the first insurer in a myriad of different events. For example, in 1922, a predecessor of Americo, Great Southern Life – which was initially founded back in 1909, became the first company in the United States to insure the lives of children.

In 1971, another predecessor of Americo Life Insurance Company, Ohio State Life, was the first insurer to advance death benefit payments to sustain the life of a policyholder. Likewise, in 1981, Great Southern Life led the way as one of the very first insurers in the U.S. to offer universal life insurance coverage – and more recently, Americo was also one of the very first to offer indexed universal life and annuity products.

Americo Life Insurance Company Review

Today, Americo Life Insurance Company has more than 659,000 insurance policies in force. The company has more than $6 billion in total assets, and the company’s statutory premiums have increased substantially over the years. Americo has more than $32.7 billion of just life insurance in force.

Americo is very competitive in the life insurance market – and the carrier maintains a high quality, liquid investment portfolio that consists of more than 95 percent investment grade bonds in its fixed income investments.

Personalized and trusted service is the cornerstone of Americo Life Insurance Company’s business. The company is considered to be progressive in its thinking, and it is highly solutions-oriented.

The company is one of the largest independent and privately held insurance groups in the U.S. Americo is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and it serves it sales force via more than 350 company associates.

Insurer Ratings and BBB Grade

Due to its safe, yet liquid, portfolio, Americo Life Insurance Company has been given a rating of A (Excellent) from A.M. Best Company. This rating is the third highest possible rating on an overall scale of 15 total ratings.

Although Americo Life Insurance Company is not an accredited company through the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the company has been given a grade of C. This is on an overall grading scale of A+ to F.

Over the past three years, the company has closed out a total of 19 customer complaints via the Better Business Bureau. (Twelve of these 19 complaints have been closed out over the past 12 months). Of the 19 complaints, 12 had to do with problems with the company’s products or services. Another six were in relation to billing or collection issues, and one was in regard to delivery issues.

Life Insurance Products Offered Through Americo

At Americo Life Insurance Company, there are many different life insurance plans to choose from. This variety is beneficial in helping clients to more closely plan for their anticipated needs. Americo offers term and permanent life insurance protection.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance coverage provides pure life insurance protection only, without any cash value or savings build up in the policy. Because of this, term life insurance is often quite affordable – even for a large amount of death benefit coverage.

With term life insurance, the coverage is purchased for a certain amount of time – or “term” – such as for five years, ten years, 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, or even for 30 years. During this term of coverage, the premium will typically remain the same over time, and the amount of the death benefit will remain level.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance offers both life insurance protection and cash value. The funds that are in the cash-value component of the policy are allowed to grow on a tax-deferred basis, meaning that there will be on tax due on this growth unless or until the money is withdrawn.

The funds that are in the cash value component of a permanent life insurance policy may be withdrawn or borrowed by the policyholder for any reason that they see fit – including the payoff of debts, the supplementing of retirement income, or even for taking a nice vacation.

There can be many different types of permanent life insurance coverage. These include:

Whole Life Insurance – Whole life insurance offers a fixed amount of death benefit coverage, as well as a fixed premium that is typically locked in throughout the entire life of the policy. Whole life insurance is meant to be kept for an individual entire lifetime, or the “whole” of one’s life. The cash value that is in the cash component of the policy is able to grow via a fixed and guaranteed rate that is set by the issuing insurance company. In some instances, the insurance company will pay dividends to the policyholder of whole life insurance – although these are not guaranteed. A dividend may be taken as cash, or alternatively, it could be used to purchase additional insurance coverage or to add to the cash component.
Universal Life Insurance – Universal life insurance also offers death benefit coverage, along with a cash value component. In this case, however, universal life insurance is considered to be more flexible than whole life coverage. One reason for this is because a universal life insurance policyholder can – within certain guidelines – determine how much of his or her policy premium will go towards paying for the death benefit, and how much will go towards the cash value. Also, the timing of when the premium is due with a universal life insurance policy may also be altered to better fit with a policy holder’s changing needs.
Indexed Universal Life Insurance – Over the past several years, indexed universal life insurance has become a more popular product. That is because this type of coverage can be beneficial both for its life insurance coverage, but also for the opportunity that it provides for both growing and protecting funds. In this case, the return on the cash value in an indexed universal life insurance policy is based upon the performance of an underlying market index, such as the S&P 500. If the underlying index performs well during a given time period, the cash value will be credited – up to a certain cap. However, if the underlying index performs poorly in a given period, the cash value’s return for that time will simply be credited with a 0 percent. So, while there is no gain, there is also no loss for that time. Many who are savings for retirement can benefit from this ability to grow, yet still protect their funds.

The company’s specially designed life insurance products offer unique benefits, and there are simplified issue products available. This means that an applicant for coverage may not be required to take a medical examination as a requirement for policy approval. Because of that, there may be a better chance of someone qualifying for the life insurance coverage that they need – even in the event that they already have an adverse health condition.

The face amount of coverage on most of the life insurance policies that are offered by Americo Life Insurance Company can range between $25,000 and $400,000.

Final Expense Coverage

While all individuals and families may have differing needs, most people will have at least some amount of final expenses. Americo Life Insurance Company offers a series of whole life insurance products that are designed for helping to cover the costs that are associated with funeral and burial expenses, as well as uninsured medical bills and other financial obligations that one’s loved ones may face.

These policies can offer face amounts that range from $2,000 to $30,000. There are both fully underwritten and simplified issue policies – and, those who smoke cigars or pipes, as well as smokeless tobacco, could qualify for a non-smoker premium rate.

Mortgage Protection Coverage

One of an individual or a couple’s biggest expenses in life is their home mortgage.

Therefore, if an income earner passes away unexpectedly, this could mean that his or her survivors would no longer be able to pay the mortgage – and in turn, be forced to move from their home. This occurrence can be made even more difficult, as the family is already facing pain.

With mortgage protection coverage, should the unthinkable occur, this policy will pay out an amount that can pay off the survivors’ mortgage balance. Americo Life Insurance Company offers mortgage protection policies with face amounts of between $25,000 and $400,000.

There is no proof of mortgage required, and depending on the policy that is chosen, the applicant for this coverage may not even be required to undergo a medical exam. There are also some optional riders available that can allow policy holders to customize their coverage to better fit with their specific needs.

Other Products Offered By Americo Life Insurance Company

In addition to life insurance protection, Americo Life Insurance Company also offers a wide range of other products that can help its customers to grow and protect their wealth. These products include the following:

Medicare Supplement insurance – While Medicare Part A and Part B offer a long list of coverages, there are also many out-of-pocket expenses that are associated with Medicare coverage, such as co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles. Having a Medicare Supplement insurance plan can help with covering some of the costs. There are several different Medicare Supplement plans to choose from – including a basic set of core benefits, as well as more comprehensive coverage.
Retirement Annuities – A retirement annuity can help individuals and couples to save in a tax-advantaged manner for the future, as well as to lock in an ongoing retirement income that can last throughout the remainder of their life – regardless of how long that may be.

How to Get the Best Life Insurance Premium Quotes

When seeking the best life insurance quotes, it is recommended that you work with an independent insurance brokerage. If you are shopping for life insurance coverage, we can help. We work with many of the top life insurers in the industry. If you are ready to compare, then just take a moment to fill out the quote from on this page.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 25, 2023 by Brett Tams

Last Updated: April 14, 2021 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner – 7 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The following post is sponsored by TIAA.

There are five things that I never want to run out of. These include:

Travel and adventure – I always want to be able to RV, sail, hike, and ride bikes. I love being able to explore, do new things, and see what this amazing planet has.
Delicious food – Who doesn’t love food?
Dogs to pet – This one is another no-brainer.
Time with family and friends – This sparks joy, of course!
Retirement income

And, today, I want to talk more about retirement. This is a personal finance blog after all!

Retirement is so important.

For me, I am all about saving for retirement, and my husband and I save a significant percentage of our income each month due to this.

Retirement to me means that I never have to run out of travel and adventure, or any of the other wonderful areas of my life from my list above!

Saving for retirement now is important for many reasons.

However, according to a survey done by GoBankingRates, 42% of Americans have less than $10,000 in savings and included in that 42%, 14% have nothing saved for retirement.

But, the survey found this is changing, and I think you can start saving for retirement too.

One way to prepare for retirement is with products that can provide guaranteed annuity income for life.

According to TIAA’s 2019 Lifetime Income Survey, 69% of working Americans say that having an income during retirement that is guaranteed to be paid for as long as they live as the most important goal for their retirement plan.

AND, 88% of people who own an annuity with guaranteed lifetime income say it positively impacts their confidence about being financially secure.

I know that many of us worry about running out of retirement savings, and the future can be a weird thing to think about (it’s so far away, right?!).

I’m sure that we can all relate to the experience of running out of gas, having our cell phones die, running out of toilet paper, and the list goes on, but with products that can provide guaranteed income for life you can be sure that you won’t run out of income in retirement.

Due to this, you may want to think about making guaranteed income part of your retirement plan.

TIAA provides products that provide guaranteed lifetime retirement income. To find out if you are eligible and learn more, visit TIAA.org/NeverRunOut. If eligible, you can use the Personal Pension Calculator to estimate your monthly lifetime income.

Who is TIAA?

TIAA is a leading financial services provider for those in the nonprofit, academic, research, medical, and governmental fields, with over 15,000 institutions and 5 million individuals served.

They are a different kind of financial services company, helping people in these fields meet their financial goals through their global and diversified financial services. TIAA continues the legacy built by Andrew Carnegie, who helped create TIAA in 1918 to ensure teachers could actually retire.

What does it mean to you to not run out of money for retirement?

Annuities issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), New York, NY.

Any guarantees under annuities issued by TIAA are subject to TIAA’s claims-paying ability.

Apache is functioning normally

May 25, 2023 by Brett Tams

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The savings offers that appear on this site are from companies from which MoneyCrashers.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). MoneyCrashers.com does not include all savings companies or all savings offers available in the marketplace.

Years ago, finding a bank meant heading downtown and choosing from whichever options were available there. The Internet dramatically lessened the importance of physical branches and made it possible to bank from anywhere at any time.

Virtually all banks with physical locations have online portals, but a growing number now do the bulk of their business online. Some have ties to community banks and may have physical branches in select regions. Others exist only in the digital realm and have no physical branches.

What follows is a list of the best online banks on the market today.

Best Online Banks of May 2023

These are the best online banks on the market right now.

Each does at least one thing really well, whether it’s offering a potent lineup of budgeting and money management tools or delivering savings and CD rates well above the national average. Our top pick offers the most value for the greatest number of potential customers, in our opinion.

Unless otherwise noted, all the accounts on this list come with FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per account.

Best Overall: American Express® National Bank, Member FDIC

The American Express® High Yield Savings Account has a solid yield on all balances with $0 maintenance fees, a $0 minimum opening deposit, and a $0 minimum balance. The current savings yield is 3.90% Annual percentage Yield (APY) as of May 16, 2023.

Want to tie up your money for a while at a higher interest rate? Choose from seven CD options ranging from six months to five years.

CD yields are very good across the board: 3.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on the longest-term product (60 months or 5 years) and 4.25% on the 12-month CD. Early withdrawal penalties are:

90 days’ interest for terms under 12 months
270 days’ interest for terms between 12 and 48 months (four years)
365 days’ interest for terms between 48 and 60 months (five years)
540 days’ interest for terms of 60 months or longer

Additional features:

Extensive lineup of personal credit products, including premium credit cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express
Move money between up to three external bank accounts in short order
24/7 customer service

Apply Now

Best Credit Union: Alliant Credit Union

When is an online bank not an online bank? When it’s an online credit union.

There’s no better branchless option than Alliant Credit Union. As a credit union, Alliant exists for its members rather than stockholders so they will always put you first.

Alliant has a comprehensive lineup of checking and savings accounts, like:

High-Rate Savings, a high yield savings account for goal-oriented savers (currently 3.10% APY¹)
High-Rate Checking, a checking account with competitive interest rates
Certificates of Deposit, which help you earn more with set interest rates for a fixed period of time (currently yielding 5.00% APY)
Kids Savings, a custodial account that helps you teach sound money management concepts to kids 12 and younger
Teen Checking, a joint account for kids aged 13 to 17 — there when you’re ready to loosen the reins

Additional features:

Get access to over 80,000 in-network ATMs with Alliant
No monthly service fee with eStatements
Low minimum deposit and balance requirements
Bank anywhere, anytime with the Alliant mobile app

Sign Up for Alliant Savings

Insured by NCUA

(¹For important additional disclosures, please refer to the corresponding footnote at the Sign Up link directly above.)

Best for High Yields: CIT Bank

CIT Bank offers several different accounts with category-leading yields:

Savings Connect has one of the best yields of any bank account, online or off: 4.50% APY.
Platinum Savings has an outstanding yield when you maintain a balance of $5,000 or more (4.75% APY) and a so-so yield when you don’t (0.25% APY).
Savings Builder yields up to 1.00% APY for accountholders who can meet minimum balance or deposit requirements.
The CIT Bank Money Market account has a very good yield on all balances (currently 1.55% APY) with no monthly maintenance or service fees.
Multiple CIT Bank CDs offer above-average yields, led by the 11-month CIT No Penalty CD at 4.80%

Additional features:

No monthly service fee
No early withdrawal penalty for No Penalty CDs
No ATM fees in-network
CIT may reimburse up to $30 in outside ATM fees
Earn interest on eligible eChecking funds

Sign up for CIT Bank

Best for Investors: Wealthfront

Wealthfront is a next-generation banking service that’s ideal for day-to-day money management. Its Cash Account features high-interest checking, no account fees, and a host of value-added features — and you can open an account with just $1.

But Wealthfront made its name in the investment business, and there’s where it continues to shine. Key features include:

Build semi-customized, automatically rebalanced, globally diversified portfolios of low-cost index funds optimized with daily tax-loss harvesting
Just $500 minimum to invest
Pay an annualized management fee of 0.25% assets under management (AUM) on all balances
Choose from individual and joint taxable accounts, IRAs, and 529 college savings plan accounts
Portfolio line of credit that lets you tap up to 30% of your account value once you have $25,000 or more under management
Consolidated view of all your accounts through Wealthfront’s free DIY financial planning tool

Additional features of the Wealthfront Cash Account include:

4.55% APY (variable) on all balances
$1 minimum opening deposit
No account fees
No overdraft fees
FDIC insurance on balances up to $5 million
Get paid up to two days early with direct deposit
Put your money to work in the market within minutes when you use your Cash Account to invest in a Wealthfront Investment Account
Mobile check deposit
Free bill pay and peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers
Complimentary debit card and free in-network ATM access
For a limited time, get $30 bonus cash when you open a Wealthfront Cash Account and fund your new account with at least $500 in new money. Terms apply.

Sign Up for Wealthfront

Money Crashers, LLC receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”) for each new client that applies for a Wealthfront Automated Investing Account through our links. This creates an incentive that results in a material conflict of interest. Money Crashers, LLC is not a Wealthfront Advisers client, and this is a paid endorsement. More information is available via our links to Wealthfront Advisers.

Best for Customer Support: Albert

Albert is a powerful financial app that makes spending, saving, and investing easy. It’s among the growing crop of financial solutions that offer early payday with eligible direct deposit, and its automated savings and investing features put it well ahead of the pack.

But where Albert really shines is on the customer service front. The platform has a dedicated team of in-house financial experts — called Geniuses — to help you make sense of your money. That puts it heads and shoulders above its crop of fellow digital money management apps.

Additional features:

Albert Cash. This is the place to manage your day-to-day spending money with Albert. Earn up to 20% back on eligible debit card purchases and get paid up to two days early with qualifying direct deposit. Use the Albert Instant cash advance feature to get up to $250 from your next paycheck with no hidden fees.
Albert Savings. Albert’s Smart savings engine sizes up your cash flow and sets aside funds automatically so that you’re always moving toward your financial goals. Set specific goals within the app, such as building an emergency fund or saving for your next vacation. And get cash bonuses on your Albert Savings every year.
Albert Investing. Start investing with as little as $1 using Albert’s guided investment platform. Choose your own stocks or themes, or have Albert do it for you.

Sign Up for Albert

Best for Debit Card Rewards: GO2bank

GO2bank is a low-friction online bank with a mobile-friendly bank account (no monthly fee with eligible direct deposit) and impressive yields on savings (4.50% APY²on savings up to $5,000).

Eligible electronic gift card purchases in the app earn up to 7% cash back; Amazon eGift Card purchases in the app earn 3% cash back. Terms and conditions apply.

Additional features:

No minimum opening deposit or ongoing balance requirement
Avoid the $5 monthly fee with an eligible direct deposit
Get paid up to two days early with ASAP Direct Deposit^{TM 3}
Deposit cash at participating retail stores, subject to fees and deposit limits
Enjoy up to $200 in overdraft protection with opt-in and eligible direct deposit.*
Earn 4.50% APY paid quarterly on savings up to $5,000 — over 10 times the national average savings rate²

* $15 fee may apply to each purchase transaction not repaid within 24 hours of authorization of the first transaction that overdrafts your account. Overdrafts paid at GO2bank’s discretion.

Sign Up for GO2Bank

¹Active GO2bank account required to receive an eGift Card. eGift Card merchants subject to change.

²GO2bank, Member FDIC. Interest paid quarterly on the average daily balance of savings during the quarter up to a $5,000 balance and if the account is in good standing. 4.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as of April 2023. APY may change before or after you open an account. The average national savings account interest rate of 0.39% is determined by the FDIC as of 4/18/23. Visit https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/rates/ to learn more. Fees on your primary deposit account may reduce earnings on your savings account.

³Direct deposit early availability depends on the timing of the payor’s payment instructions and fraud prevention restrictions may apply. As such, the availability or timing of early direct deposit may vary from pay period to pay period. The name and Social Security number on file with your employer or benefits provider must match your GO2bank account exactly or GO2bank will decline your deposit.

Best for No Account Fees Ever: Rewards Checking via Upgrade

Rewards Checking via Upgrade⁴ has a slew of user benefits, but its defining feature couldn’t be simpler: no account fees, ever.

That’s right. As a user, you pay no account fees — no annual fees, overdraft fees, transfer fees, or ATM fees charged by Rewards Checking by Upgrade¹.

There’s more, of course. Additional features of Rewards Checking via Upgrade include:

2% cash back on purchases at convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants, and bars, and on utility bills and certain monthly subscriptions²
Earn up to $500 cash back per year at the 2% rate
Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Get up to five third-party ATM fee rebates each month¹
You may receive discounts on loans and cards through Upgrade³
FDIC Insured up to $250,000 through Cross River Bank, Member FDIC

Sign Up for Rewards Checking via Upgrade

1 There are no account fees, overdraft fees, annual fees, or transfer fees associated with Rewards Checking accounts. Rewards Checking charges no ATM fees, but third-party institutions may charge you a fee if you use their ATM/network or if you use your Upgrade VISA® Debit Card internationally. Upgrade will rebate any ATM fee charged by another institution for debit card withdrawals in the United States, up to five times per calendar month. To be eligible to receive third-party ATM fee rebates in any calendar month for eligible ATM withdrawals made during that month, customers must have (i) an open Rewards Checking account and (ii) either maintained an average daily balance in their account of at least $2,500 in the prior calendar month or made direct deposits into their account totaling at least $1,000 during the prior calendar month. As a courtesy to new customers, Upgrade will provide third-party ATM fee rebates for up to the first 2 calendar months after account opening regardless of account activity. Some limitations apply and terms and conditions may change. Please refer to the applicable Cross River Bank Deposit Account Agreement and Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information.

2 Rewards Checking customers accrue 2% cash back on common everyday expenses at convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants, and bars – including deliveries – and gas stations, as well as recurring payments on utilities and monthly subscriptions including phone, cable, TV and other streaming services, and 1% cash back on all other debit card charges. 2% cash back is limited to $500 in rewards per calendar year; after $500, customers accrue 1% cash back on all eligible debit card charges for the remainder of the year. Some limitations apply. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information.

3 The interest rate on a new loan or credit line through Upgrade may be up to 20% lower than would otherwise be applicable without this discount, as long as you have an active Rewards Checking Account. Additional terms may apply. Please refer to the applicable Truth-in-Lending Disclosure and Loan Agreement.

4 Upgrade is a financial technology company, not a bank. Rewards Checking services provided by Cross River Bank, Member FDIC. Upgrade VISA® Debit Cards issued by Cross River Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Personal Loans made by Upgrade’s bank partners. Personal Credit Lines are issued by Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. The Upgrade Card is issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.

Best for Automated Budgeting: Douugh

Douugh is a money management app that makes it easy to stay on top of your day-to-day financial obligations while saving for a rainy day — and happier days too.

A single mobile-friendly dashboard makes it all possible.

How? That’s down to Salary Sweeper, an AI-enabled feature that automatically allocates income to two protected “jars”:

Your Bill Jar, complete with a virtual card of its own
Your Savings Jar, which is actually a customizable array of single-purpose savings buckets

The rest is yours to spend as you please using a debit card accepted by millions of merchants worldwide. Best of all, you never have to give manual budgeting a second thought.

Additional features:

Enjoy a free checking account with a Mastercard debit card
Use Apple Pay, PayPal, and other payment apps to make purchases online and IRL
Lock and unlock your card and change your PIN within the app — without calling customer service or visiting a branch.

Sign Up for Douugh

Best for Debt Refinancing: SoFi Checking and Savings

Need to refinance the student loans you’ve been carrying for years with no end in sight?

Open a SoFi Checking and Savings account, then head over to SoFi’s student loan refinancing portal to check out your options. SoFi is a category leader in the education loan refinancing business, with incredibly low rates, flexible terms, and an array of reasonable repayment options.

And since you’re also in the market for a new online bank, you’ll enjoy these great SoFi Checking and Savings perks and features:

No minimum opening deposit or balance requirement
Rate discounts on SoFi loans
Free peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers
Customized financial planning
Member-exclusive offers from SoFi partners
A referral program that pays up to $310 per successful referral
Up to 3.75% APY on eligible balances

Plus, for a limited time, sign up for SoFi Checking and Savings and earn a $250 opening bonus when you set up direct deposit of at least $1,000 into your account

Sign Up for SoFi Checking and Savings

Best for Teens and Young People: Copper Banking

Copper is a banking solution for teens age 13 and older — and their parents too.

It’s built around the Copper Card, a personalized debit card that leverages Apple Pay technology to facilitate seamless online and in-person transactions.

The Copper App allows parents to monitor spending and instantly send money in seconds. For teens, its Automatic Saving feature encourages saving — a lifelong financial habit — by automatically setting aside a portion of each paycheck or inflow.

Additional features:

Copper has a wealth of financial literacy content for parents and kids alike — it’s one of the best financial education tools around
Withdraw cash for free at over 55,000 ATMs
All Copper Accounts are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through Evolve Bank & Trust

Sign Up for Copper

Best for Potential Returns on Savings & Spending: PrizePool

PrizePool is a truly unique financial app — the only FDIC-insured deposit account provider that offers users the chance to earn serious money based on your saving and spending habits.

PrizePool offers two ways to win:

Savings Balances: Get 1 ticket for PrizePool’s prize drawings for every $1 on deposit in your savings account, every day. So if you have $1,000 in your account, you get 1,000 tickets every day.
Debit Card Purchases: Earn 30 tickets for every $1 spent, plus get the chance to have your purchases reimbursed.

PrizePool holds a weekly drawing every Friday. There are almost 6,000 cash prizes every week, including a $10,000 grand prize drawing at least once every six weeks.

Additional features:

Earn 0.30% APY on eligible savings balances
Deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000
Refer new users to PrizePool and get 10% of their prize winnings forever

Sign Up for PrizePool

Best for Freelancers and Self-Employed People: Lili

Lili offers a totally free checking solution with a slew of value-added features designed to simplify your financial life.

Its core product is built with freelancers in mind, but it’s appropriate for a range of use cases, from solopreneurs to folks who supplement 9-to-5 income with side hustle revenue.

With powerful, automated tax savings and expense categorization tools, Lili eliminates the need to juggle separate bank accounts for business and personal needs — it’s just one deposit account for your entire financial life.

Additional features:

No minimum opening deposits or ongoing balance requirements and no account fees
Pay virtually anywhere with a Visa debit card that’s accepted worldwide

Lili’s Tax Bucket tool automatically sets aside funds earmarked for income tax payments
Utilize expense management and categorization tools that simplify business budgeting, cash flow management, and year-end accounting
Get real-time alerts for every transaction (and other account activities too)
Make mobile check deposits through the Lili mobile app
Make cash deposits at more than 90,000 retail locations across the U.S., including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid
Get paid up to two days early with early direct deposit
Enjoy fee-free withdrawals at about 38,000 ATMs nationwide

For $9 per month, Lili Pro adds even more valuable features:

A premium Visa Business Debit Card that delivers cash-back rewards
BalanceUp, a fee-free overdraft solution that covers up to $200 in would-be overdrafts
Advanced expense tracking that helps business owners maximize their tax deductions
A savings account that pays interest

Sign Up for Lili

Best for Savers: Quontic Bank

Quontic Bank got its start as a New York City community bank that catered to thrifty types.

Today, Quontic’s branch-based banking options represent just a small fraction of its offerings. With a nationwide digital footprint, Quontic delivers category-leading checking and savings yields for consumers and small-business owners from all walks of life — all with no monthly service fees:

Cash Rewards Checking: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on qualifying debit card transactions after meeting the $100 minimum opening deposit.
Bitcoin Rewards Checking: Earn 1.5% Bitcoin on qualifying debit card transactions. The minimum opening deposit is $500. This account may not be available in all states.
High Interest Checking: Make 10 or more qualifying debit card point-of-sale transactions of $10 or more per statement cycle to earn interest at competitive rates based on account balance. The minimum opening deposit is $100.
High Yield Savings: Earn interest at category-leading rates (currently 4.25%) after meeting the $100 minimum opening deposit.
Money Market: Earn solid yields (currently 4.75%) after meeting the $100 minimum.
CDs: Quontic CDs have terms ranging from six months to three years and competitive yields that generally increase in proportion to term. The minimum opening deposit is $500. Early withdrawal penalties may apply.

Additional features:

Tap to pay with the Quontic Pay Ring — the first wearable debit card
Choose from an array of home loans, including community development loans that go beyond your traditional credit profile
Take advantage of special loans for foreign nationals and recent immigrants

Sign Up for Quontic Bank

Best for Borrowers: Discover Bank

Discover Bank is a full-service online bank with a wide range of deposit accounts. It’s a great (almost) one-stop shop for your digital financial needs.

Discover Bank’s real differentiator is its comprehensive lineup of secured and unsecured credit products. That includes unsecured personal loans, which many online banks don’t bother with due to perceived risk.

You’ll find home loans, home equity products, student loans, credit cards, and personal lines of credit here too.

Discover Bank’s deposit account options include:

Cashback Debit: This checking account has no yield, but you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in qualifying debit card spending each month. There’s no monthly maintenance fee.
Online Savings Account: This account has a very strong yield on all balances — currently 3.90% APY. There’s no maintenance fee or minimum to open.
Money Market Account: With a minimum opening deposit and balance requirement of $2,500, this account has competitive yields on all balances. Its two balance tiers cleave at $100,000, but yields on higher balances barely exceed those on lower balances. Enjoy a free, optional debit card, and no maintenance fee. There’s also no minimum balance fee, despite the minimum balance requirement.
Traditional CDs: CD terms range from three months to 10 years. Yields range widely, peaking on longer-term CDs. You need $2,500 to open any CD.

Additional features:

Structure any money market or CD as a traditional, Roth, or SEP IRA
Or roll over your 401(k), 457 deferred compensation plan, annuity, or IRA from another institution
Enjoy a coast-to-coast network of 60,000 fee-free ATMs
Enjoy 24/7 support by phone, live chat, and email
Make mobile check deposits from anywhere
Enjoy free, instant P2P money transfers

Sign Up for Discover Bank

Methodology: How We Select the Best Online Banks

We use several key factors to evaluate online banks and surface the very best ones for our readers. Each relates in some way to the overall user experience, and you’ll see many represented in our “Best For” categories above.

Available Account Types

The best online banks offer a range of different deposit account types: free checking, savings, CD, and money market accounts, among many others.

Truly comprehensive online banks go even further, with less-common account offerings like savings IRAs, jumbo CDs, and more. More accounts doesn’t necessarily mean a better banking experience, but it’s helpful if you’re looking for a one-stop financial shop.

Interest Rates

Online banks tend to have higher yields — interest rates paid to the account holder — as well as lower interest rates on certain types of loans, if offered.

You shouldn’t count on that though. It’s important to shop around and choose an online bank that consistently offers significantly better rates. Not all do.

Account Minimums

The best online banks have low or no minimum balances and low or no minimum opening deposit requirements on checking, savings, and money market accounts.

CDs generally do have minimum deposit requirements, even at the best online banks, but there’s lots of variation. Look for deposits at or below the $1,000 mark, if possible.

Monthly Maintenance Fees

Free is always better than not free, right?

Not necessarily. Some of the best online banks around charge modest monthly fees. In exchange, they offer a wealth of value-added features and services that can earn or save you money (and sometimes both at the same time).

That said, we do give preference to banks that don’t charge monthly fees at all. Because everyone could use a break.

Other Account Fees

The trusty monthly maintenance fee is just the most visible bank fee. Others include:

ATM fees (in-network and out-of-network)
Wire transfer fees
Excess transaction fees
Early withdrawal penalties
Minimum balance fees

Traditional banks are notorious for nickel-and-diming their customers. By contrast, most online banks do charge at least some fees, but they’re predictable and clearly disclosed on their websites and applications.

For example, many online bank CDs come with early withdrawal penalties. These can be equivalent to as little as one month’s interest on shorter-term CDs but may range up to 24 months of interest on very long-term CDs.

All else being equal, we prefer online banks that charge few if any fees — and hidden fees are a dealbreaker.

Investment and Tax-Advantaged Options

Many online banks stick to core banking services, like checking and savings. But a growing number of online banks offer a wider array of options for people who’d like to be able to do all their banking in the same place.

We’re particularly fond of online banks that offer tax-advantaged account options, such as savings IRAs and CD IRAs. We also like online banks that have in-house investment platforms — whether they’re self-directed brokerages like Ally Invest or low-cost robo-advisors like Wealthfront.

Credit Options

All online banks have at least one deposit account product. That’s what makes them online banks.

A smaller but growing number make loans or issue lines of credit — including credit cards — as well. Common online bank credit products include:

Mortgage loans, including purchase loans and refinance loans
Home equity products, including home equity loans and lines of credit
Auto loans
Student loans and student loan refinancing products
Personal loans
Credit cards and other types of credit lines

We don’t hold it against online banks that don’t make loans — it’s a big step for many a lean bank. But we do look out for banks that have taken the leap.

Budgeting and Money Management Features

Budgeting is hard to do right. That’s why we’re big fans of online banks with built-in budgeting and money management tools.

The more automated these tools are, the better. In fact, some make our list of the top budgeting apps on the market. Truly “set it and forget it” money management saves the typical consumer hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year.

Online Banking FAQs

Still have questions about online banks and managing money online? We have answers.

How Much Does Online Banking Cost?

Online bank rates, yields, and fees are subject to change at banks’ sole discretion. For up-to-date information about specific accounts and bank policies, check their websites or call customer service.

That said, online banks are generally more affordable than traditional banks. They’re less likely to charge monthly maintenance fees on checking and savings accounts, and many have fewer hidden fees too.

What’s the Interest Rate on an Online Bank Account?

That also depends on the individual bank. But many online accounts feature higher yields relative to those of traditional banks.

That’s because online banks have less overhead than traditional banks. They don’t need to pay to keep big, centrally located branches open or pay people to work at them. Their operations are more efficient, which allows them to pass the savings on to customers via higher rates and lower fees.

How Do You Enroll in Online Banking?

It depends on the bank and how its website or app is structured, but it’s usually straightforward. In fact, with an online-only bank, enrollment is usually automatic. You don’t have to complete a separate application or even click a button to activate your account.

However, you will need to create a unique username and password to get started. You may be asked to do this as part of the initial application process or once your account is approved. You’ll also need to link at least one external funding source to transfer money into your account.

Can You Get a Mortgage From an Online Bank?

Some online banks offer home loans (mortgages) and other credit products. These banks tend to be larger online banks with high name recognition, like Ally Bank and Capital One Bank. Look for a “Mortgages” or “Home Loans” tab on the homepage or in your account dashboard.

Be aware that some online banks outsource mortgage origination to other companies. In other words, if you apply for a mortgage through your bank, your loan officer might actually work for someone else. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it could mean a different level or style of service than you’re used to.

And don’t expect your online bank to offer better mortgage rates than other lenders. The mortgage loan business is highly competitive, and direct lenders with even lower overhead may be able to undercut online banks.

How to Choose the Best Online Bank — Or Several

The institutions on this list offer a great combination of FDIC-insured banking products, solid yields, open access, and helpful customer service.

Before choosing one, take a closer look at the features that set it apart from the competition: rewards checking, flexible withdrawal terms for CDs, particularly high account yields, a socially responsible corporate philosophy, and so on.

And remember that, unlike in the old days, your banking choices aren’t bound by geography or other restrictions. If you can’t settle on a single online bank, why not open accounts at multiple banks and compare your experiences?

Brian Martucci writes about credit cards, banking, insurance, travel, and more. When he’s not investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, you can find him exploring his favorite trails or sampling a new cuisine. Reach him on Twitter @Brian_Martucci.

Source: moneycrashers.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 24, 2023 by Brett Tams

In Best Low-Risk Investments for 2023, I provided a comprehensive list of low-risk investments with predictable returns. But it’s precisely because those returns are low-risk that they also provide relatively low returns.

In this article, we’re going to look at high-yield investments, many of which involve a higher degree of risk but are also likely to provide higher returns.

True enough, low-risk investments are the right investment solution for anyone who’s looking to preserve capital and still earn some income.

But if you’re more interested in the income side of an investment, accepting a bit of risk can produce significantly higher returns. And at the same time, these investments will generally be less risky than growth stocks and other high-risk/high-reward investments.

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Determine How Much Risk You’re Willing to Take On

The risk we’re talking about with these high-yield investments is the potential for you to lose money. As is true when investing in any asset, you need to begin by determining how much you’re willing to risk in the pursuit of higher returns.

Chasing “high-yield returns” will make you broke if you don’t have clear financial goals you’re working towards.

I’m going to present a large number of high-yield investments, each with its own degree of risk. The purpose is to help you evaluate the risk/reward potential of these investments when selecting the ones that will be right for you.

If you’re looking for investments that are completely safe, you should favor one or more of the highly liquid, low-yield vehicles covered in Best Low-Risk Investments for 2023. In this article, we’re going to be going for something a little bit different. As such, please note that this is not in any way a blanket recommendation of any particular investment.

Best High-Yield Investments for 2023

1. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)

Let’s start with this one, if only because it’s on just about every list of high-yield investments, especially in the current environment of rising inflation. It may not actually be the best high-yield investment, but it does have its virtues and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Basically, TIPS are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to accommodate inflation. They do pay regular interest, though it’s typically lower than the rate paid on ordinary Treasury securities of similar terms. The bonds are available with a minimum investment of $100, in terms of five, 10, and 30 years. And since they’re fully backed by the U.S. government, you are assured of receiving the full principal value if you hold a security until maturity.

But the real benefit—and the primary advantage—of these securities is the inflation principal additions. Each year, the Treasury will add an amount to the bond principal that’s commensurate with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Fortunately, while the principal will be added when the CPI rises (as it nearly always does), none will be deducted if the index goes negative.

You can purchase TIPS through the U.S. Treasury’s investment portal, Treasury Direct. You can also hold the securities as well as redeem them on the same platform. There are no commissions or fees when buying securities.

On the downside, TIPS are purely a play on inflation since the base rates are fairly low. And while the principal additions will keep you even with inflation, you should know that they are taxable in the year received.

Still, TIPS are an excellent low-risk, high-yield investment during times of rising inflation—like now.

2. I Bonds

If you’re looking for a true low-risk, high-yield investment, look no further than Series I bonds. With the current surge in inflation, these bonds have become incredibly popular, though they are limited.

I bonds are currently paying 6.89%. They can be purchased electronically in denominations as little as $25. However, you are limited to purchasing no more than $10,000 in I bonds per calendar year. Since they are issued by the U.S. Treasury, they’re fully protected by the U.S. government. You can purchase them through the Treasury Department’s investment portal, TreasuryDirect.gov.

“The cash in my savings account is on fire,” groans Scott Lieberman, Founder of Touchdown Money. “Inflation has my money in flames, each month incinerating more and more. To defend against this, I purchased an I bond. When I decide to get my money back, the I bond will have been protected against inflation by being worth more than what I bought it for. I highly recommend getting yourself a super safe Series I bond with money you can stash away for at least one year.”

You may not be able to put your entire bond portfolio into Series I bonds. But just a small investment, at nearly 10%, can increase the overall return on your bond allocation.

3. Corporate Bonds

The average rate of return on a bank savings account is 0.33%. The average rate on a money market account is 0.09%, and 0.25% on a 12-month CD.

Now, there are some banks paying higher rates, but generally only in the 1%-plus range.

If you want higher returns on your fixed income portfolio, and you’re willing to accept a moderate level of risk, you can invest in corporate bonds. Not only do they pay higher rates than banks, but you can lock in those higher rates for many years.

For example, the average current yield on a AAA-rated corporate bond is 4.55%. Now that’s the rate for AAA bonds, which are the highest-rated securities. You can get even higher rates on bonds with lower ratings, which we will cover in the next section.

Corporate bonds sell in face amounts of $1,000, though the price may be higher or lower depending on where interest rates are. If you choose to buy individual corporate bonds, expect to buy them in lots of ten. That means you’ll likely need to invest $10,000 in a single issue. Brokers will typically charge a small per-bond fee on purchase and sale.

An alternative may be to take advantage of corporate bond funds. That will give you an opportunity to invest in a portfolio of bonds for as little as the price of one share of an ETF. And because they are ETFs, they can usually be bought and sold commission free.

You can typically purchase corporate bonds and bond funds through popular stock brokers, like Zacks Trade, TD Ameritrade.

Corporate Bond Risk

Be aware that the value of corporate bonds, particularly those with maturities greater than 10 years, can fall if interest rates rise. Conversely, the value of the bonds can rise if interest rates fall.

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4. High-Yield Bonds

In the previous section we talked about how interest rates on corporate bonds vary based on each bond issue’s rating. A AAA bond, being the safest, has the lowest yield. But a riskier bond, such as one rated BBB, will provide a higher rate of return.

If you’re looking to earn higher interest than you can with investment-grade corporate bonds, you can get those returns with so-called high-yield bonds. Because they have a lower rating, they pay higher interest, sometimes much higher.

The average yield on high-yield bonds is 8.29%. But that’s just an average. The yield on a bond rated B will be higher than one rated BB.

You should also be aware that, in addition to potential market value declines due to rising interest rates, high-yield bonds are more likely to default than investment-grade bonds. That’s why they pay higher interest rates. (They used to call these bonds “junk bonds,” but that kind of description is a marketing disaster.) Because of those twin risks, junk bonds should occupy only a small corner of your fixed-income portfolio.

High Yield Bond Risk

In a rapidly rising interest rate environment, high-yield bonds are more likely to default.

High-yield bonds can be purchased under similar terms and in the same places where you can trade corporate bonds. There are also ETFs that specialize in high-yield bonds and will be a better choice for most investors, since they will include diversification across many different bond issues.

5. Municipal Bonds

Just as corporations and the U.S. Treasury issue bonds, so do state and local governments. These are referred to as municipal bonds. They work much like other bond types, particularly corporates. They can be purchased in similar denominations through online brokers.

The main advantage enjoyed by municipal bonds is their tax-exempt status for federal income tax purposes. And if you purchase a municipal bond issued by your home state, or a municipality within that state, the interest will also be tax-exempt for state income tax purposes.

That makes municipal bonds an excellent source of tax-exempt income in a nonretirement account. (Because retirement accounts are tax-sheltered, it makes little sense to include municipal bonds in those accounts.)

Municipal bond rates are currently hovering just above 3% for AAA-rated bonds. And while that’s an impressive return by itself, it masks an even higher yield.

Because of their tax-exempt status, the effective yield on municipal bonds will be higher than the note rate. For example, if your combined federal and state marginal income tax rates are 25%, the effective yield on a municipal bond paying 3% will be 4%. That gives an effective rate comparable with AAA-rated corporate bonds.

Municipal bonds, like other bonds, are subject to market value fluctuations due to interest rate changes. And while it’s rare, there have been occasional defaults on these bonds.

Like corporate bonds, municipal bonds carry ratings that affect the interest rates they pay. You can investigate bond ratings through sources like Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch.

Fund	Symbol	Type	Current Yield	5 Average Annual Return
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund	VIPSX	TIPS	0.06%	3.02%
SPDR® Portfolio Interm Term Corp Bond ETF	SPIB	Corporate	4.38%	1.44%
iShares Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond ETF	HYGH	High-Yield	5.19%	2.02%
Invesco VRDO Tax-Free ETF (PVI)	PVI	Municipal	0.53%	0.56%

6. Longer Term Certificates of Deposit (CDs)

This is another investment that falls under the low risk/relatively high return classification. As interest rates have risen in recent months, rates have crept up on certificates of deposit. Unlike just one year ago, CDs now merit consideration.

But the key is to invest in certificates with longer terms.

“Another lower-risk option is to consider a Certificate of Deposit (CD),” advises Lance C. Steiner, CFP at Buckingham Advisors. “Banks, credit unions, and many other financial institutions offer CDs with maturities ranging from 6 months to 60 months. Currently, a 6-month CD may pay between 0.75% and 1.25% where a 24-month CD may pay between 2.20% and 3.00%. We suggest considering a short-term ladder since interest rates are expected to continue rising.” (Stated interest rates for the high-yield savings and CDs were obtained at bankrate.com.)

Most banks offer certificates of deposit with terms as long as five years. Those typically have the highest yields.

But the longer term does involve at least a moderate level of risk. If you invest in a CD for five years that’s currently paying 3%, the risk is that interest rates will continue rising. If they do, you’ll miss out on the higher returns available on newer certificates. But the risk is still low overall since the bank guarantees to repay 100% of your principle upon certificate maturity.

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7. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending

Do you know how banks borrow from you—at 1% interest—then loan the same money to your neighbor at rates sometimes as high as 20%? It’s quite a racket, and a profitable one at that.

But do you also know that you have the same opportunity as a bank? It’s an investing process known as peer-to-peer lending, or P2P for short.

P2P lending essentially eliminates the bank. As an investor, you’ll provide the funds for borrowers on a P2P platform. Most of these loans will be in the form of personal loans for a variety of purposes. But some can also be business loans, medical loans, and for other more specific purposes.

As an investor/lender, you get to keep more of the interest rate return on those loans. You can invest easily through online P2P platforms.

One popular example is Prosper. They offer primarily personal loans in amounts ranging between $2,000 and $40,000. You can invest in small slivers of these loans, referred to as “notes.” Notes can be purchased for as little as $25.

That small denomination will make it possible to diversify your investment across many different loans. You can even choose the loans you will invest in based on borrower credit scores, income, loan terms, and purposes.

Prosper, which has managed $20 billion in P2P loans since 2005, claims a historical average return of 5.7%. That’s a high rate of return on what is essentially a fixed-income investment. But that’s because there exists the possibility of loss due to borrower default.

However, you can minimize the likelihood of default by carefully choosing borrower loan quality. That means focusing on borrowers with higher credit scores, incomes, and more conservative loan purposes (like debt consolidation).

8. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

REITs are an excellent way to participate in real estate investment, and the return it provides, without large amounts of capital or the need to manage properties. They’re publicly traded, closed-end investment funds that can be bought and sold on major stock exchanges. They invest primarily in commercial real estate, like office buildings, retail space, and large apartment complexes.

If you’re planning to invest in a REIT, you should be aware that there are three different types.

“Equity REITs purchase commercial, industrial, or residential real estate properties,” reports Robert R. Johnson, PhD, CFA, CAIA, Professor of Finance, Heider College of Business, Creighton University and co-author of several books, including The Tools and Techniques Of Investment Planning, Strategic Value Investing and Investment Banking for Dummies. “Income is derived primarily from the rental on the properties, as well as from the sale of properties that have increased in value. Mortgage REITs invest in property mortgages. The income is primarily from the interest they earn on the mortgage loans. Hybrid REITs invest both directly in property and in mortgages on properties.”

Johnson also cautions:

“Investors should understand that equity REITs are more like stocks and mortgage REITs are more like bonds. Hybrid REITs are like a mix of stocks and bonds.”

Mortgage REITs, in particular, are an excellent way to earn steady dividend income without being closely tied to the stock market.

Examples of specific REITs are listed in the table below (source: Kiplinger):

REIT	Equity or Mortgage	Property Type	Dividend Yield	12 Month Return
Rexford Industrial Realty	REXR	Industrial warehouse space	2.02%	2.21%
Sun Communities	SUI	Manufactured housing, RVs, resorts, marinas	2.19%	-14.71%
American Tower	AMT	Multi-tenant cell towers	2.13%	-9.00%
Prologis	PLD	Industrial real estate	2.49%	-0.77%
Camden Property Trust	CPT	Apartment complexes	2.77%	-7.74%
Alexandria Real Estate Equities	ARE	Research Properties	3.14%	-23.72%
Digital Realty Trust	DLR	Data centers	3.83%	-17.72%

9. Real Estate Crowdfunding

If you prefer direct investment in a property of your choice, rather than a portfolio, you can invest in real estate crowdfunding. You invest your money, but management of the property will be handled by professionals. With real estate crowdfunding, you can pick out individual properties, or invest in nonpublic REITs that invest in very specific portfolios.

One of the best examples of real estate crowdfunding is Fundrise. That’s because you can invest with as little as $500 or create a customized portfolio with no more than $1,000. Not only does Fundrise charge low fees, but they also have multiple investment options. You can start small in managed investments, and eventually trade up to investing in individual deals.

One thing to be aware of with real estate crowdfunding is that many require accredited investor status. That means being high income, high net worth, or both. If you are an accredited investor, you’ll have many more choices in the real estate crowdfunding space.

If you are not an accredited investor, that doesn’t mean you’ll be prevented from investing in this asset class. Part of the reason why Fundrise is so popular is that they don’t require accredited investor status. There are other real estate crowdfunding platforms that do the same.

Just be careful if you want to invest in real estate through real estate crowdfunding platforms. You will be expected to tie your money up for several years, and early redemption is often not possible. And like most investments, there is the possibility of losing some or all your investment principal.

Low minimum investment – $10
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10. Physical Real Estate

We’ve talked about investing in real estate through REITs and real estate crowdfunding. But you can also invest directly in physical property, including residential property or even commercial.

Owning real estate outright means you have complete control over the investment. And since real estate is a large-dollar investment, the potential returns are also large.

For starters, average annual returns on real estate are impressive. They’re even comparable to stocks. Residential real estate has generated average returns of 10.6%, while commercial property has returned an average of 9.5%.

Next, real estate has the potential to generate income from two directions, from rental income and capital gains. But because of high property values in many markets around the country, it will be difficult to purchase real estate that will produce a positive cash flow, at least in the first few years.

Generally speaking, capital gains are where the richest returns come from. Property purchased today could double or even triple in 20 years, creating a huge windfall. And this will be a long-term capital gain, to get the benefit of a lower tax bite.

Finally, there’s the leverage factor. You can typically purchase an investment property with a 20% down payment. That means you can purchase a $500,000 property with $100,000 out-of-pocket.

By calculating your capital gains on your upfront investment, the returns are truly staggering. If the $500,000 property doubles to $1 million in 20 years, the $500,000 profit generated will produce a 500% gain on your $100,000 investment.

On the negative side, real estate is certainly a very long-term investment. It also comes with high transaction fees, often as high as 10% of the sale price. And not only will it require a large down payment up front, but also substantial investment of time managing the property.

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11. High Dividend Stocks

“The best high-yield investment is dividend stocks,” declares Harry Turner, Founder at The Sovereign Investor. “While there is no guaranteed return with stocks, over the long term stocks have outperformed other investments such as bonds and real estate. Among stocks, dividend-paying stocks have outperformed non-dividend paying stocks by more than 2 percentage points per year on average over the last century. In addition, dividend stocks tend to be less volatile than non-dividend paying stocks, meaning they are less likely to lose value in downturns.”

You can certainly invest in individual stocks that pay high dividends. But a less risky way to do it, and one that will avoid individual stock selection, is to invest through a fund.

One of the most popular is the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrat ETF (NOBL). It has provided a return of 1.67% in the 12 months ending May 31, and an average of 12.33% per year since the fund began in October 2013. The fund currently has a 1.92% dividend yield.

The so-called Dividend Aristocrats are popular because they represent 60+ S&P 500 companies, with a history of increasing their dividends for at least the past 25 years.

“Dividend Stocks are an excellent way to earn some quality yield on your investments while simultaneously keeping inflation at bay,” advises Lyle Solomon, Principal Attorney at Oak View Law Group, one of the largest law firms in America. “Dividends are usually paid out by well-established and successful companies that no longer need to reinvest all of the profits back into the business.”

It gets better. “These companies and their stocks are safer to invest in owing to their stature, large customer base, and hold over the markets,” adds Solomon. “The best part about dividend stocks is that many of these companies increase dividends year on year.”

The table below shows some popular dividend-paying stocks. Each is a so-called “Dividend Aristocrat”, which means it’s part of the S&P 500 and has increased its dividend in each of at least the past 25 years.

Company	Symbol	Dividend	Dividend Yield
AbbVie	ABBV	$5.64	3.80%
Armcor PLC	AMCR	$0.48	3.81%
Chevron	CVX	$5.68	3.94%
ExxonMobil	XOM	$3.52	4.04%
IBM	IBM	$6.60	5.15%
Realty Income Corp	O	$2.97	4.16%
Walgreen Boots Alliance	WBA	$1.92	4.97%

12. Preferred Stocks

Preferred stocks are a very specific type of dividend stock. Just like common stock, preferred stock represents an interest in a publicly traded company. They’re often thought of as something of a hybrid between stocks and bonds because they contain elements of both.

Though common stocks can pay dividends, they don’t always. Preferred stocks on the other hand, always pay dividends. Those dividends can be either a fixed amount or based on a variable dividend formula. For example, a company can base the dividend payout on a recognized index, like the LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate). The percentage of dividend payout will then change as the index rate does.

Preferred stocks have two major advantages over common stock. First, as “preferred” securities, they have a priority on dividend payments. A company is required to pay their preferred shareholders dividends ahead of common stockholders. Second, preferred stocks have higher dividend yields than common stocks in the same company.

You can purchase preferred stock through online brokers, some of which are listed under “Growth Stocks” below.

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Preferred Stock Caveats

The disadvantage of preferred stocks is that they don’t entitle the holder to vote in corporate elections. But some preferred stocks offer a conversion option. You can exchange your preferred shares for a specific number of common stock shares in the company. Since the conversion will likely be exercised when the price of the common shares takes a big jump, there’s the potential for large capital gains—in addition to the higher dividend.

Be aware that preferred stocks can also be callable. That means the company can authorize the repurchase of the stock at its discretion. Most will likely do that at a time when interest rates are falling, and they no longer want to pay a higher dividend on the preferred stock.

Preferred stock may also have a maturity date, which is typically 30–40 years after its original issuance. The company will typically redeem the shares at the original issue price, eliminating the possibility of capital gains.

Not all companies issue preferred stock. If you choose this investment, be sure it’s with a company that’s well-established and has strong financials. You should also pay close attention to the details of the issuance, including and especially any callability provisions, dividend formulas, and maturity dates.

13. Growth Stocks

This sector is likely the highest risk investment on this list. But it also may be the one with the highest yield, at least over the long term. That’s why we’re including it on this list.

Based on the S&P 500 index, stocks have returned an average of 10% per year for the past 50 years. But it is important to realize that’s only an average. The market may rise 40% one year, then fall 20% the next. To be successful with this investment, you must be committed for the long haul, up to and including several decades.

And because of the potential wide swings, growth stocks are not recommended for funds that will be needed within the next few years. In general, growth stocks work best for retirement plans. That’s where they’ll have the necessary decades to build and compound.

Since most of the return on growth stocks is from capital gains, you’ll get the benefit of lower long-term capital gains tax rates, at least with securities held in a taxable account. (The better news is capital gains on investments held in retirement accounts are tax-deferred until retirement.)

You can choose to invest in individual stocks, but that’s a fairly high-maintenance undertaking. A better way may be to simply invest in ETFs tied to popular indexes. For example, ETFs based on the S&P 500 are very popular among investors.

You can purchase growth stocks and growth stock ETFs commission free with brokers like M1 Finance, Zacks Trade, Wealthsimple.

14. Annuities

Annuities are something like creating your own private pension. It’s an investment contract you take with an insurance company, in which you invest a certain amount of money in exchange for a specific income stream. They can be an excellent source of high yields because the return is locked in by the contract.

Annuities come in many different varieties. Two major classifications are immediate and deferred annuities. As the name implies, immediate annuities begin paying an income stream shortly after the contract begins.

Deferred annuities work something like retirement plans. You may deposit a fixed amount of money with the insurance company upfront or make regular installments. In either case, income payments will begin at a specified point in the future.

With deferred annuities, the income earned within the plan is tax-deferred and paid upon withdrawal. But unlike retirement accounts, annuity contributions are not tax-deductible. Investment returns can either be fixed-rate or variable-rate, depending on the specific annuity setup.

While annuities are an excellent idea and concept, the wide variety of plans as well as the many insurance companies and agents offering them, make them a potential minefield. For example, many annuities are riddled with high fees and are subject to limited withdrawal options.

Because they contain so many moving parts, any annuity contracts you plan to enter into should be carefully reviewed. Pay close attention to all the details, including the small ones. It is, after all, a contract, and therefore legally binding. For that reason, you may want to have a potential annuity reviewed by an attorney before finalizing the deal.

15. Alternative Investments

Alternative investments cover a lot of territory. Examples include precious metals, commodities, private equity, art and collectibles, and digital assets. These fall more in the category of high risk/potential high reward, and you should proceed very carefully and with only the smallest slice of your portfolio.

To simplify the process of selecting alternative assets, you can invest through platforms such as Yieldstreet. With a single cash investment, you can invest in multiple alternatives.

“Investors can purchase real estate directly on Yieldstreet, through fractionalized investments in single deals,” offers Milind Mehere, Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Yieldstreet. “Investors can access private equity and private credit at high minimums by investing in a private market fund (think Blackstone or KKR, for instance). On Yieldstreet, they can have access to third-party funds at a fraction of the previously required minimums. Yieldstreet also offers venture capital (fractionalized) exposure directly. Buying a piece of blue-chip art can be expensive, and prohibitive for most investors, which is why Yieldstreet offers fractionalized assets to diversified art portfolios.”

Yieldstreet also provides access to digital asset investments, with the benefit of allocating to established professional funds, such as Pantera or Osprey Fund. The platform does not currently offer commodities but plans to do so in the future.

Access to wide array of alternative asset classes
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Alternative investments largely require thinking out-of-the-box. Some of the best investment opportunities are also the most unusual.

“The price of meat continues to rise, while agriculture remains a recession-proof investment as consumer demand for food is largely inelastic,” reports Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns, a platform for investing in private agriculture companies. “Consequently, investors are seeing solid returns from high-yield, grass-fed cattle notes.”

16. Interest Bearing Crypto Accounts

Though the primary appeal of investing in cryptocurrency has been the meteoric rises in price, now that the trend seems to be in reverse, the better play may be in interest-bearing crypto accounts. A select group of crypto exchanges pays high interest on your crypto balance.

One example is Gemini. Not only do they provide an opportunity to buy, sell, and store more than 100 cryptocurrencies—plus non-fungible tokens (NFTs)—but they are currently paying 8.05% APY on your crypto balance through Gemini Earn.

In another variation of being able to earn money on crypto, Crypto.com pays rewards of up to 14.5% on crypto held on the platform. That’s the maximum rate, as rewards vary by crypto. For example, rewards on Bitcoin and Ethereum are paid at 6%, while stablecoins can earn 8.5%.

It’s important to be aware that when investing in cryptocurrency, you will not enjoy the benefit of FDIC insurance. That means you can lose money on your investment. But that’s why crypto exchanges pay such high rates of return, whether it’s in the form of interest or rewards.

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17. Crypto Staking

Another way to play cryptocurrency is a process known as crypto staking. This is where the crypto exchange pays you a certain percentage as compensation or rewards for monitoring a specific cryptocurrency. This is not like crypto mining, which brings crypto into existence. Instead, you’ll participate in writing that particular blockchain and monitoring its security.

“Crypto staking is a concept wherein you can buy and lock a cryptocurrency in a protocol, and you will earn rewards for the amount and time you have locked the cryptocurrency,” reports Oak View Law Group’s Lyle Solomon.

“The big downside to staking crypto is the value of cryptocurrencies, in general, is extremely volatile, and the value of your staked crypto may reduce drastically,” Solomon continues, “However, you can stake stable currencies like USDC, which have their value pegged to the U.S. dollar, and would imply you earn staked rewards without a massive decrease in the value of your investment.”

Much like earning interest and rewards on crypto, staking takes place on crypto exchanges. Two exchanges that feature staking include Coinbase and Kraken. These are two of the largest crypto exchanges in the industry, and they provide a wide range of crypto opportunities, in addition to staking.

Invest in Startup Businesses and Companies

Have you ever heard the term “angel investor”? That’s a private investor, usually, a high net worth individual, who provides capital to small businesses, often startups. That capital is in the form of equity. The angel investor invests money in a small business, becomes a part owner of the company, and is entitled to a share of the company’s earnings.

In most cases, the angel investor acts as a silent partner. That means he or she receives dividend distributions on the equity invested but doesn’t actually get involved in the management of the company.

It’s a potentially lucrative investment opportunity because small businesses have a way of becoming big businesses. As they grow, both your equity and your income from the business also grow. And if the business ever goes public, you could be looking at a life-changing windfall!

Easy Ways to Invest in Startup Businesses

Mainvest is a simple, easy way to invest in small businesses. It’s an online investment platform where you can get access to returns as high as 25%, with an investment of just $100. Mainvest offers vetted businesses (the acceptance rate is just 5% of business that apply) for you to invest in.

It collects revenue, which will be paid to you quarterly. And because the minimum required investment is so small, you can invest in several small businesses at the same time. One of the big advantages with Mainvest is that you are not required to be an accredited investor.

Still another opportunity is through Fundrise Innovation Fund. I’ve already covered how Fundrise is an excellent real estate crowdfunding platform. But through their recently launched Innovaton Fund, you’ll have opportunity to invest in high-growth private technology companies. As a fund, you’ll invest in a portfolio of late-stage tech companies, as well as some public equities.

The purpose of the fund is to provide high growth, and the fund is currently offering shares with a net asset value of $10. These are long-term investments, so you should expect to remain invested for at least five years. But you may receive dividends in the meantime.

Like Mainvest, the Fundrise Innovation Fund does not require you to be an accredited investor.

Low minimum investment – $10
Diversified real estate portfolio
Portfolio Transparency

Final Thoughts on High Yield Investing

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Notice that I’ve included a mix of investments based on a combination of risk and return. The greater the risk associated with the investment, the higher the stated or expected return will be.

It’s important when choosing any of these investments that you thoroughly assess the risk involved with each, and not focus primarily on return. These are not 100% safe investments, like short-term CDs, short-term Treasury securities, savings accounts, or bank money market accounts.

Because there is risk associated with each, most are not suitable as short-term investments. They make most sense for long-term investment accounts, particularly retirement accounts.

For example, growth stocks—and most stocks, for that matter—should generally be in a retirement account. While there will be years when you will suffer losses in your position, you’ll have enough years to offset those losses between now and retirement.

Also, if you don’t understand any of the above investments, it will be best to avoid making them. And for more complicated investments, like annuities, you should consult with a professional to evaluate the suitability and all the provisions it contains.

FAQ’s on High Yield Investment Options

What investment has the highest yield?

The investment with the highest yield will vary depending on a number of factors, including current market conditions and the amount of risk an investor is willing to take on. Generally speaking, investments with the potential for high yields also come with a higher level of risk, so it’s important for investors to carefully consider their options and choose investments that align with their financial goals and risk tolerance.

Some examples of high-yield investments include:

1. Stocks: Some stocks may offer high dividend yields, which is the annual dividend payment a company makes to its shareholders, expressed as a percentage of the stock’s current market price.

2. Real estate: Investing in real estate, either directly by purchasing property or indirectly through a real estate investment trust (REIT), can potentially generate high returns in the form of rental income and appreciation of the property value.

3. High-yield bonds: High-yield bonds, also known as junk bonds, are bonds that are issued by companies with lower credit ratings and thus offer higher yields to compensate for the added risk.

4. Private lending: Investing in private loans, such as through peer-to-peer lending platforms, can potentially offer high yields, but it also carries a higher level of risk.

5. Commodities: Investing in commodities, such as precious metals or oil, can potentially generate high returns if the prices of those commodities rise. However, the prices of commodities can also be volatile and subject to market fluctuations.

It’s important to note that these are just examples and not recommendations. As with any investment, it’s crucial to carefully research and consider all the potential risks and rewards before making a decision.

Where can I invest my money to get high returns?

There are a number of places you can invest your money to get high returns. One option is to invest in stocks, which typically offer higher returns than other investment options. Another option is to invest in bonds, which are considered a relatively safe investment option.

You could also invest in real estate, which has the potential to provide high returns if done correctly. Finally, you could also invest in commodities, such as gold or silver, which can be a risky investment but can also offer high returns.

What investments can I make a 10% return?

It’s difficult to predict exactly what investments will generate a 10% return, as investment returns can vary depending on a number of factors, including market conditions and the performance of the specific investment. Some investments, such as stocks and real estate, have the potential to generate returns in excess of 10%, but they also come with a higher level of risk. It’s important to remember that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results, and that all investments carry some degree of risk

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 21, 2023 by Brett Tams

A New Year, A Financial Lifeline?

How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions and goals? Are you still on track? Many take no action and expect different results. Why do we keep doing the same things over and over and “hope” things will mysteriously “change”? Hope and change are more than words. They can win elections, but the proof is in the results. Are you getting the financial results you desire?

As finances affect almost every area of our lives, stewardship should be one of the areas that capture our greatest attention in the New Year. Yet as a portfolio manager and financial advisor for the past 16 years, I am finding this is the area most people neglect. They get “too busy” or “uninterested” or even “unsure” how to plan ahead.

With the troubled economy, many financial problems that were covered over during the prosperous times have now been exposed. It’s not difficult to survive when jobs are plentiful and credit is easy! However in today’s economy smart money moves are a hot commodity!

Now as important as it is to make wise decisions with your money, it is just as important to avoid the bad money mistakes. These money mistakes are what cause people to go deeper in debt, not save enough for retirement, and lose money in the stock market to name a few.

In 2011, this is your year to make things right! Out with the old and in with the new. If you’ve already started saving for your future, this is the year to supercharge your savings. If you haven’t started, well this is the year to start! In order to plan ahead, we have to make sure we have a plan to combat the four deadly forces that wreak havoc in our finances.

To Win The Battle, We Need A Game Plan!

To win at the money game, you will need to be aware of the dangers that lie ahead. You can never be bullet proof, but having plans in place can soften the blows that are sure to come. Let’s look at four problem areas that have the potential to blow up a financial plan.

Problem Area # 1: Ignoring Inflation

Inflation erodes your future purchasing power over time. $100,000 in 2011 will not buy less products and services in 2012, never mind twenty years from now Are equities the best investment choice during inflationary periods of the market? Quite often, the answer is “no.”

What about bonds? Think again! These usually do not do well either. So what’s the magic answer? When inflation appears, the assets that tend to perform the best are alternative investments such as private equity funds, real estate investment trusts and commodities. These may not only help you diversify your portfolio, but also help you fight the effects of inflation on your invested assets.

Interest rates are starting to rise and I believe hyper-inflation (high inflation) is right around the corner. As you invest, you’ve got to recognize the impact that inflation can have on your investments and plan accordingly.

We Are Planning Ahead Right Now!

At FaithBasedInvestor.com, we are loading up on investments that do well during inflationary periods:

• Precious metals: We will continue to hold investments that have inflation protection. Gold and silver should continue to be hot commodities.
• Agriculture: We will continue holding companies and investments that have exposure to the food industries.
• Energy: We will continue to hold and look for opportunities in the energy sector: coal, oil, and alternative energy solutions.
• Foreign Currencies: We will diversify our domestic exposure (US Dollars) by using foreign currencies like the Yen, Swiss Franc, and Aussie Dollar.
• Dividend Stocks: We will look to hold and seek out companies paying dividends. This will help us with cash flow and outpacing inflation.
• Inflation-Protected Bonds: We will continue to hold U.S. and foreign bonds that have inflation protection.

Problem Area # 2: Ignoring Investment Fees

Investment fees represent the second wealth killer. These fees can add up to thousands or even millions of dollars over decades of compounding. 401(k) management and administration fees, mutual fund fees, and annuity expenses wipe out investor’s wealth each and every year. The Department of Labor recently showed that even a 1% increase in your fees can wipe out as much as 28% of the value of your 401(k) over time. Also look at your mutual funds. The average cost of most funds is north of 3% annually! (1.6% average expense ratio and 1.4% SAI Fees) For more on fees check out this article on 4 reasons why mutual funds are lousy investments.

Problem Area #3: Ignoring Taxes

The big appeal of 401(k)’s and IRAs is the ability to defer taxes, right? However, with the United States’ $14 trillion worth of debt, which likely direction do you anticipate future tax rates will go? 401(k)s, IRAs, and annuities are ticking tax bombs! The biggest problem with deferring taxes is this:

Let’s say you are successful managing your investments and grow a HUGE nest egg. Congratulations, right? Yes, it’s great to have more money! However, at retirement age when you pull this money out, all that growth and your tax deferred contributions now become fully taxable ordinary income when withdrawn. Say you save $5,000 and it grows to $100,000. The entire $100,000 is fully taxable. At a 40% tax rate, that’s $40,000 in taxes! The government allowed you the initial tax deduction of $5,000 for $40,000 or more in the future. Not a bad deal FOR THEM!

Now don’t hear we wrong. I’m not saving you shouldn’t have any tax-deferred investments. I just wouldn’t put all your savings here. I would have a combination of tax-deferred, tax-free, and taxable savings. It’s simply hedging your tax exposure.

Problem Area #4: Taking Far Too Much Risk For Too Little Of A Return

Many people tell you to buy an index fund and hold it forever… Or take a look at mutual funds with good five and ten year track records and you will do great! Good in theory, bad in practice for most investors. If you put $100,000 into an S&P 500 index back in 2000, that would be worth about $114,000 – a gain of nearly 14% in the S&P 500 fund from January, 2000 to January of 2011. Wow! 14% for 11 years worth of a roller coaster! Was this little return worth all of those sleepless nights?

Instead choose investments that are in line with your faith and values and you know inside and out. Most investors hand off their money to “someone else”, be it a mutual fund, advisor, broker, or money manager, without understanding what they are investing in, how much risk they are taking, what values they are supporting, and how liquid or illiquid the investment is.

Make This The Year To Get Educated

Don’t just take my word for it. Do the research, do your homework! Make this the year you will read up on finance and start making wiser decisions. What are your thoughts?

Source: biblemoneymatters.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 17, 2023 by Brett Tams

A qualified terminable interest property, or QTIP, trust lets a person control where their assets ultimately go if their spouse outlives them. When the first spouse dies, the trust supports the surviving spouse; when the surviving spouse dies, the remaining assets go solely to the first spouse’s chosen beneficiaries.

QTIPs are estate planning tools that couples can use for two primary purposes: to protect certain beneficiaries financially if a surviving spouse remarries or has other children, and to reduce estate taxes (though estate taxes typically apply to large estates only).

QTIP trusts are a type of testamentary trust, which means they take effect once the grantor — the creator of the trust — dies. The income the surviving spouse gets from the trust generally isn’t subject to estate tax. They’re also irrevocable, meaning they can’t be changed after they’re signed and funded.

Pros and cons of a QTIP trust

Advantages
Provides for a surviving spouse. QTIPs ensure a spouse continues to have income for life.	Irrevocable. QTIP trusts can’t be changed, which can be a drawback if your family or financial situation changes significantly.
Protects inheritance for beneficiaries. QTIP trusts preserve assets for the grantor’s children, even if the surviving spouse remarries or has children from a previous relationship.	Can be complex for the trustee to manage. The trustee of the estate must file tax documents accordingly and manage the assets according to the grantor’s wishes.
May reduce estate tax. This trust delays estate tax until the second spouse dies because it qualifies for the marital tax deduction.	Restrictive. This may be a benefit in some cases, but a QTIP trust limits the surviving spouse to the income of the trust assets; it doesn’t allow them access to the principal.

Best for: Ease of use. Cost: One-time fee of $159 per individual or $259 for couples. $19 annual membership fee thereafter.

Best for: Users who want an all-inclusive experience. Cost: $99 per year for Starter plan. $139 per year for Plus plan. $209 per year for All Access plan.

Best for: State-specific legal advice. Cost: $89 for Basic will plan. $99 for Comprehensive will plan. $249 for Estate Plan Bundle.

What is the purpose of a QTIP trust?

QTIPs have three main jobs.

1. Financial security for surviving spouses

QTIP trusts provide income to a surviving spouse for life while preserving the rest of the inheritance for the grantor’s original beneficiaries (usually children from a previous marriage). Both spouses can create QTIP trusts, though only one will take effect for the surviving spouse.

2. Estate tax reduction for high net worth couples

QTIP trusts qualify for the IRS marital estate tax deduction, which allows the surviving spouse to receive assets without paying federal estate taxes. The estate tax is assessed (if the estate is large enough to trigger estate tax in the first place) after the second spouse dies.The federal estate tax ranges from rates of 18% to 40% and generally only applies to assets over $12.06 million in 2022 or $12.92 million in 2023.

3. Certainty

Because a QTIP trust is irrevocable, the surviving spouse can’t change the amount they receive or take the principal out of the trust and give it to other people. Generally, the surviving spouse receives the interest earned on the assets in the trust only; they usually will also have access to any houses or property in the trust, but they won’t be able to sell the property. The principal and property ownership are reserved for the first spouse’s intended beneficiaries.

How do you set up a QTIP trust?

To create a QTIP trust, you’ll make a QTIP election on IRS estate tax return form 706. List the chosen assets (called the “qualified terminable interest property”) and their value on Part A of Schedule M.

There are a few requirements:

The surviving spouse must be a U.S. citizen. If they are not, you might be able to set up a Qualified Domestic Trust instead.
The surviving spouse must receive income from the QTIP trust at least once a year.
You must appoint a trustee to manage the trust. The trustee can be a family member, attorney or other trusted person. Due to the purpose of a QTIP trust, it’s best if this person isn’t your spouse.
If the assets in the trust aren’t generating income, the surviving spouse has the right to require the trustee to convert them into “profitable property” (i.e., something that does produce income).

QTIP trust vs. Grantor retained annuity trust

The main difference between a QTIP trust and a grantor-retained annuity trust, or GRAT, is who inherits the assets and when. A GRAT is an irrevocable trust in which the grantor puts assets into a trust that pays an annuity back to the grantor.

When the grantor dies, the GRAT’s assets and capital gains go to the beneficiaries. Because the trust is irrevocable, it’s technically not part of the grantor’s estate and so the grantor’s death typically doesn’t trigger estate tax (if one is warranted).

Best for: Ease of use. Cost: One-time fee of $159 per individual or $259 for couples. $19 annual membership fee thereafter.

Best for: Users who want an all-inclusive experience. Cost: $99 per year for Starter plan. $139 per year for Plus plan. $209 per year for All Access plan.

Best for: State-specific legal advice. Cost: $89 for Basic will plan. $99 for Comprehensive will plan. $249 for Estate Plan Bundle.

QTIP trust vs. marital trust

The main difference between a QTIP and a marital trust is when non-spouse beneficiaries inherit the assets. A marital trust divides assets between a surviving spouse and other beneficiaries (usually children) when the grantor dies.

A QTIP trust, on the other hand, only passes assets to final beneficiaries once the surviving spouse dies. Also, a marital trust gives the surviving spouse more control over a portion of the assets; a QTIP trust typically restricts the surviving spouse to the income generated from the assets.

Source: nerdwallet.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 15, 2023 by Brett Tams

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Assurity Life Insurance Company has been in the business of offering coverage and protection to its policyholders for well over 100 years. This company’s heritage dates back to the year 1890..medrectangle-3-multi-638border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important

Throughout the years, the company has grown and expanded.

According to a recent Gallup Poll, Assurity Life Insurance Company has also been ranked in the 91% of all life insurance companies in the Gallup survey when it comes to employee engagement.

Assurity Life Insurance Company Review

Assurity Life Insurance Company has a strong set of financials. As of year-end 2015, the company had nearly $348 million in surplus – which is $17 million more than what the company had for the year 2014. It also had approximately $2.5 billion in total assets.

For this same time frame, the company had more than $190 million in insurance premiums and deposits, as well as more than $38 million in operating income. In addition, as of the end of the year 2015, Assurity Life Insurance Company had paid out nearly $196 million in benefits to its policyholders.

The company also declared nearly $17.5 million in policyholder dividends. While dividends are not guaranteed, they can be a nice benefit for policyholders, as they can be taken in the form of cash or alternatively, they may be used for purchasing additional amounts of insurance, or for adding to the cash value of a permanent life insurance policy. This can help the cash in the cash value component of a permanent life insurance policy to grow and expand even further – without being taxed at the time of receipt.

Today, Assurity Life Insurance Company is well known in the insurance industry for being socially responsible to its employees, the community, and the environment overall.

Assurity is also known for being involved in the communities that it serves. This includes assisting people through difficult times – by not just serving the company’s customers, but also via meaningful commitment to strengthening the community overall. The associates of Assurity Life Insurance Company spend countless hours helping and serving, as well as volunteering. Just some of the events that are taken on include blood drives, collections for the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, the holiday giving tree, the Special Olympics, and Junior Achievement.

In addition, the company is also known for being high-tech – which includes combining the most sophisticated equipment and processes with the flexibility to anticipate future advances in technology. This includes ensuring the ultimate safety of the company’s customer information.

Ratings and Better Business Bureau Grade

A.M. Best Rating: A- (Excellent)
BBB Rating: A+

Life Insurance Offered Via Assurity Life Insurance Company

Assurity Life Insurance Company offers a variety of different life insurance options. This can help policyholders to better customize their life insurance coverage to meet their specific needs.

Life Insurance Options Available

Term Life Insurance
Whole Life Insurance
Universal Life Insurance

Term life insurance provides pure, death benefit protection only. In fact, term life is considered to be the most basic form of life insurance that is available in the marketplace. Making the premium that is charged for term life insurance can oftentimes be very affordable – even for a large amount of death benefit – if a person is young and in good health at the time that they apply for the coverage.

With term life insurance, a policy is purchased for a certain period of time, such as ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, or even thirty years. In many cases, the amount of the premium will remain level throughout the term of coverage.

A term life insurance policy can be a good solution for someone who is seeking to cover “temporary ” needs, like the payoff of a mortgage balance, or the funding of a child’s or a grandchild’s college education. This type of coverage can also provide the protection that may be needed during various events in one’s life, whether it be marriage, buying a new home or business, and/or the birth or adoption of a child.

Whole life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance protection. This type of life insurance is intended to last for the entire lifetime of the insured. It offers a guaranteed death benefit and a cash value component where the funds grow at a tax-deferred basis. Meaning no tax will be due on the growth of the funds unless they are withdrawn.

This cash may be withdrawn by the policyholder for any purpose. While the cash does not have to be paid back, it is important to know that the amount of unpaid cash balance at the time of the insured death is counted against any amount that will be paid out to the named beneficiary.

Another type of permanent life insurance is universal life. This form of life insurance also has a death benefit and a cash value portion. However, universal life is considered to be somewhat more flexible than a whole life insurance plan, since the policyholder can decide how much of the premium will go towards the death benefit and how much toward the cash value. Also, the policyholder may be allowed to change the due date of the premium.

Other Products Offered Through Assurity Life Insurance Company

In addition to life insurance protection, Assurity Life Insurance Company also offers a number of other coverage products, including:

Disability Income – With a disability income policy, you can obtain a monthly income if you are sick or injured and you are unable to work. Having a disability income plan can help you to better ensure that your living expenses can be paid – without you having to dip into your savings, retirement plan, or other financial assets.
Critical Illness Insurance – When you have a critical illness insurance policy, if you are diagnosed with a covered serious illness, you will be able to obtain a lump sum payment. These funds can be used for paying your medical expenses, or any other need that you see fit.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Coverage – AD&D coverage will provide a cash benefit if a loss of covered life is caused by an accident, as versus by illness or other types of natural causes. The premiums on the Assurity Life Insurance Company AD&D coverage are guaranteed – and the benefit will be paid out, regardless of what other types of insurance you may hold.
Retirement Annuities – Today, due in large part to longer life expectancy, many people are worried about outliving their income in retirement. But, by having an annuity, income can be paid out for the remainder of your lifetime – regardless of how long that may be. With a deferred annuity, the funds that are accumulated are allowed to grow on a tax-deferred basis. This means that there will be no tax due on the growth of these funds until the time they are withdrawn.

Assurity Life Insurance Company offers a number of different plans that are available via the worksite. These could be offered as a part of an overall employee benefits plan. In many cases, the premium can be paid via paycheck withholding.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

May 14, 2023 by Brett Tams

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Transcript follows below….

This is Jeff Rose, goodfinancialcents.com. Welcome everybody! I have a little neat, exciting thing to share here. I was interviewed by Laura Adams a.k.a. The Money Girl. She is actually a contributor to the blog, goodfinancialcents.com so be sure to check for her articles. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by her for a little Skype interview that we did. This was our first attempt. We had a little static near the end but we are learning. I’m getting all my technical glitches out of the way. She interviewed me about interviewing a financial planner for your own services. At the end I shared some tips of the five mistakes to avoid when saving for retirement or financial planning. Be sure to check out the interview. Hope you enjoy. See you later.

LAURA: Hi everybody. This is Laura Adams from The Money Girl podcast and author of Money Girl: Smart Moves to Grow Rich. Today I am here with Jeff Rose. I am so excited to be interviewing him. He is a financial planner. He has a business that is called Alliance Wealth Management. I thought it might be a good idea to find out from Jeff what some of the typical questions are that he gets about financial planning. Jeff, why don’t you start out and just tell us what you do and what type of customers you have?

JEFF: Sure. I have been a financial planner for just over eight years or so and along the way I’ve helped many different types of clients. Being younger, I got started in the business when I was 24 so I had a lot of younger clients that just wanted to start saving for retirement, start saving for their kid’s college education. Also, I had a lot of the baby boomer generation that were approaching retirement and had a large nest egg like their 401K or their pensions that they’d been saving into their entire lives and now they had the biggest decision money wise to make in their lives what to do with it. They entrusted me to basically devise an income plan for them with that money so that they wouldn’t out live it. That is really where, I wouldn’t say my focus has turned, but just my clientele has turned that way through referrals and through all the different events that I do. Right now I service probably about 80% of the baby boomer plus generation. Most of these individuals I would say are people that know they need to be invested. They know they need to be in the market in some way just to keep up with the cost of living and to keep up with their desires in the golden years. They just don’t have the time and they really don’t trust themselves with that amount of money so they want to rely on an expert like myself. I say expert. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but they want to rely on a professional to take care of them.

Who Needs a Financial Planner?

LAURA: Absolutely, yeah. I’m curious what your opinion might be about whether everyone needs a financial planner. Does everyone need one or are some people able to do it themselves?

JEFF: That is a great question. I actually just took a poll of my email newsletter because I was really curious. I just had a hunch. I talk to people all the time that don’t have a financial advisor. They’ve been doing it on their own or they are not doing anything at all. I really was just curious so I emailed my subscribers just curious to know the feedback. The questions I asked were: Do you have a financial advisor. Yes or no. Why or why not. Of all the people that responded there was only about 30% or so that had a financial advisor. That was kind of my hunch thinking that most people don’t. The most common reason was trust. They didn’t trust them. They maybe had some bad stories from friends or family members or they had a personal experience where they had a financial advisor that sold them something that shouldn’t have been sold to them, and they just didn’t trust that direction. Other people just didn’t know if they needed one yet. They didn’t feel like they had enough money to get started. I think in all those situations, maybe you don’t need a full-time financial planner to manage the investments on an ongoing basis, but I think it’s like a doctor relationship. You don’t need to go to the doctor every single day, but it’s always advisable to go in at least once a year to have your annual checkup. Why wouldn’t you do that with your financial life just to make sure that what you have in your 401K is where it needs to be. Make sure that whatever investments you’ve been doing in your own brokerage account are in the right funds, stocks, or ETFs. Make sure you have enough life insurance. I think everybody needs to have some type of advisor, maybe not an ongoing basis, but at least someone to checkup on and give them that annual checkup.

Different Types of Advisors

LAURA: Yeah, that’s a good way to put it. What are the different types of advisors that people might find out there if they go online and do a search for somebody? Tell us a little bit about the different types of advisors that people maybe would or wouldn’t want to use depending on their situation.

JEFF: It gets so confusing now because right now everybody is a financial advisor. Everybody has that title. They used to be a stock broker, investment advisor, insurance agent. Right now I talk to everybody and they say I’m a financial advisor. I’m like what does that really mean? The different types would be if you go to a financial advisor at an insurance company or insurance agency. It has just been my experience that they are just going to lead in with some type of insurance product. That could be an annuity. It could be some type of whole life or cash value life insurance. Personally I’m not a big fan. I don’t want to start harping down on that, but those are the ones that I would stay away initially. I’m not saying life insurance is bad. Just be conscious of what their pitching to you and what they are trying to put you into. If you go to any type of big brokerage firm it could be anywhere from a commissioned advisor where they are going to sell you a mutual fund or an ETF, and they are going to earn a commission off that product. They also could have a fee-based relationship or advisory relationship where you are paying an ongoing fee, a percentage of your total investments with them. Just make sure you are clear on that. Where the waters get muddy there is you might pay an ongoing fee for your account with the firm, but there also might be transaction charges within the account. There could be internal expenses within the investments that you own. The next thing you know you think you’re paying 1% and you’re really paying 2½% and that really starts eating away at your money and it’s hard for you to grow it. That’s why my heart goes out to the consumer because there is so many different ways. If you don’t ask the right questions, if you don’t know what to ask, you’re just basically at the mercy of this advisor. Just be abreast of that. The last one -we talked about doing the annual checkup- there are a lot of fee only advisors that basically just charge you by the hour. These are the folks that will just meet with you and analyze your situation and give you a game plan. I think maybe even a financial coach maybe would fall in that category of someone just giving them guidance on where they need to be.

LAURA: Great! So what type of advisor are you? Tell me a little bit about how you or your firm charges people. What’s a typical customer’s fee structure, or what compensation do you get for a typical customer?

JEFF: Sure. That’s a great question. Just to give you an insight, I worked for the big brokerage firm so I’ve been that direction. I know that structure. Then we left and we started an independent firm. When I became independent I had the ability to do commission, and I had the ability to do fee. I was doing that for about three years, and the conversations got so confusing because it depended on the client and their situation. I liked it because in some cases maybe a commission relationship was better for the client if they weren’t doing a lot of active trading. They just bought one thing every once in a while. The majority of my clients I did on the advisory relationship, the fee based where I was managing their portfolio helping derive income stream. Whenever I was having that conversation with people I was like here I’m doing this and here I’m doing this. I just got frustrated with it and really wanted to have a more stream lined presentation or approach when talking to people. Recently, I just created my own registered investment advisory firm where now it’s completely a fee-based relationship. The fee ranges anywhere from 1-1½% as my ongoing fee. That is all encompassing. There’s no more transactions charges. There’s no IRA fees. At this time that covers doing a financial plan for the client and updating that on an annual basis. Basically the client can call me, not preferably on the weekends, but they can call me whenever they need to if they have a question about anything. I help clients figure out how much they need to save for their kid’s college. I’ll take a look at their 401K. That’s not even part of what I’m managing, but I’m going to take a look at it for them just to make sure it’s where it needs to be.

The Big Misconception

LAURA: Excellent! That actually sounds like a pretty good deal compared to some of the fees that I’ve heard. As a registered investment advisor what type of responsibility do you have to the client? There’s a lot of confusion in the market place about what is a financial advisor’s responsibility versus a broker’s responsibility in terms of recommending a stock or an exchange-traded fund. I think it’s important that people get to know an advisor who can give them some level of responsibility versus just throwing out a stock here and there as a good pick that they think is hot right now.

JEFF: The big thing, the consumer may never understand this, I know the profession or our industry is trying to do a better job of making them understand, but basically the two key words here are suitability and fiduciary. With the previous relationship it was more of a suitability issue where I would take a look at a client’s situation and then I would recommend an investment that I felt was suitable for their needs. It may or may not have been the right thing, but that is what I felt based on the situation. Now as a registered advisor, as a fiduciary I am solely responsible for my client’s best interests. I have to make sure I am doing what is absolutely right for them and I am absorbing that role. Before I did an RIA I saw that word thrown out there a lot and know a lot of other RIAs were throwing it out there and I’m like what does that really mean. Now that I finally get it and grasp it it’s really important to me. When I talk to other attorneys and other professionals and you talk about the word fiduciary to them they get it. They understand what that means and that client-advisor relationship. There’s a tremendous level of respect for it.

Women and Investing

LAURA: Yeah, I come from the real-estate world years ago and fiduciary relationships with clients were very important in that industry as well. So yeah, I want to make sure everybody gets that. If you go to a broker, they may or may not have a responsibility to look out for your best interest basically, but a registered advisor (RA or RIA), that’s part of the title. That’s part of the designation, that they have a higher level of responsibility. I think that is a great designation to look for in an advisor.

Also Jeff, I wanted to ask you maybe a little bit about the differences you see in men and women that come to you. I get a lot of questions, different types of questions from men and women about finances and planning, and I am wondering if you see a big difference working with a couple or just a husband or just a wife. Is there a big difference in the way that men and women approach money and financial planning?

JEFF: Yeah, there is much more to it with women and financial challenges. Not to say it’s 100%, but it’s so funny when I look at my baby boomer generation of husbands and wives versus the Gen X generation of clients husbands and wives. In my baby boomer generation I have husbands that worked 10-12 hour days, and the wife was the homemaker where they basically have relied on the husband to make all the big money decisions. I always make sure I bring in both clients. She’s still a part of the equation because that is the root of happiness or unhappiness if we haven’t had the proper discussion. I want to make sure I want to understand what her thoughts and concerns are. For the most part they’ve relied completely on the husband. Whereas my Gen X I’m seeing more of the wives now having more of a say in the money matters. The experience I’ve had in my own office is where wives are now saying we need to do this, we need to do this. I think that sound good, that sounds good, but I see more of a leadership role than I have ever seen before, especially with the baby boomer generation. I think that is neat to see that.

LAURA: Yeah, it is. I do a lot of one on one coaching with folks and the majority of them are women who tend to be, like you said, taking more of a leadership role for whatever reason. Maybe they are going through a divorce or they’re just waking up and realizing hey, I need to be involved. I need to know what’s going on for my best interests. I think it’s great that younger women and younger couples are approaching money much differently than older generations, and it’s a really good thing.

JEFF: Another thing I will say I have noticed, and I think it is pretty well universal is that women generally tend to be more conservative in their investment tolerance. Even in that leadership role the husband wants to make 12-15% return whereas the wife generally is more on the conservative side, which could be good or bad. I just want to make sure we’re where we need to be. That’s another thing I have noticed is that women are generally more conservative.

LAURA: Yeah definitely. I think women have that bag-lady syndrome fear that we always hear. Sometimes women are really afraid of the consequences of poor planning. That’s a wonderful thing, but you can take that to an extreme where you don’t invest aggressively enough and therefore, you’re not going to hit your retirement goal. I think having a balance there between a man and a woman’s perspective really probably ends up helping overall if you blend both of those perspectives. That’s great if people work on money together.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

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