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069 Mr. FIA-X: More Index Annuity Secrets

Table of Contents

069 Mr. FIA-X: More Index Annuity Secrets

Stan Haithcock

August 10, 2021

069 Mr. FIA-X: More Index Annuity Secrets

About Fun With Annuities Episode #69

Mr. FIA-X joins us again on the Fun With Annuities podcast for episode #69 this week to reveal the secrets of how the “annuity sausage” is made. His first appearance set records for listeners and viewers, and the demand for more of his insights was overwhelming. Of course, I always listen to my Annuity Man followers, so he’s back!

On this podcast, we dug even deeper into the brutal truths about Fixed Index Annuities. Bad chicken dinner seminar agents, beware! We just blew up that misleading sales pitch.

Mr. FIA-X and I discussed in detail how upfront bonuses work and the truth behind them. We also covered index’s made up out of thin air and the misleading sales practice of showing “back-tested” return numbers. Mr. FIAX explains, "Think about a magician… with sleight of hand, they distract you while they’re pulling your watch off. That’s exactly what bonuses are that they wiggle for you to miss the other things."

Like the last time he joined the podcast, Mr. FIA-X is wearing a mask, and we altered his voice to protect his identity. Yes, what he reveals is that serious. Bonus, FIA salespeople hate it when Mr. FIA-X is on the Fun With Annuities podcast.

You are going to love our conversation. Turn it up!

Who is Mr. FIA-X, and why is he hiding his identity?

He's now retired from the fixed index annuity business but was there from its inception. He has been at the secret annuity carrier meetings and knows the confidential information. FIAs are monster business attached to Godzilla-sized bankrolls. Mr. FIA-X revealed never shared before details that he knew the consumer needed to know. But, they were facts that FIA carriers really don't want consumers to know. That's why we had to protect his identity.

PS- Don't email me and ask me to reveal who it is or confirm your guess. Not gonna do it!

In this episode, The Annuity Man and FIA-X discuss:

Upfront bonuses on annuity and other bonuses to be wary of
Looking for contractual guarantees in annuity contracts
Uncapped products and other “modifiers”
Monthly sum - what they’re actually saying

Key Takeaways:

Buying an annuity for the upfront bonuses is like buying a car to get the stereo
Stay smart out there. Companies are never a charity unless they state it, you’re never going to get free money. When someone is selling something for free, or saying they’ll give you money, be wary of that person.
There’s no way you’ll find an uncapped product with 100% participation rate with no fees, where you put your money in them and just let it run. There is always a catch.
Think about the downside. In a monthly sum, the downside is unlimited. They make it pretty, but you need to think about the facts.

Fun With Annuities® Podcast is hosted by America’s Annuity Agent®, Stan Haithcock, The Annuity Man®. Hear brutal annuity facts with no sales pitches from the top independent agent in the country, licensed in all 50 states. Author of 7 books, Stan dives deep on all annuity types and strategies. It’s fun, learning the contractual truths on how annuities actually work and if they’ll fit your personal retirement lifestyle.

Listen in on how you can be livin’ the reality, not the dream®. Listen and subscribe on Libsyn, Stitcher,Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Spotify.

Stan The Annuity Man: Happy Birthday To QLACs

Stan The Annuity Man: Happy Birthday To QLACs

With QLACs, SPIAs, and DIAs, there's no annual phase. There's no market attachment; it’s a straight transfer risk. You're saying to the issuing QLAC company, here's the money, and you are on the hook to pay me, or me and my wife, or me and my husband forever as long as one of us is breathing, but you don't get to keep a penny.

Stan The Annuity Man: New Realities of Annuity Recommendations

Stan The Annuity Man: New Realities of Annuity Recommendations

"My grandfather always told me, ‘If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.’ That is our business model." — Stan The Annuity Man.

Fixed Index Annuities Pros and Cons thumbnail

Fixed Index Annuities Pros and Cons

Today's topic is Fixed Index Annuities, pros, and cons.

059: FIA Insider Wears Mask to Protect Identity and Share Industry Secrets

059: FIA Insider Wears Mask to Protect Identity and Share Industry Secrets

I know every week, I'm out here gushing how awesome the celebrity co-host is, but THIS guy is a "can't fricken' believe he agreed to do this" kinda score.

MYGA vs. Fixed Annuity

MYGA vs. Fixed Annuity

Welcome back. I'm Stan The Annuity Man. Today we're going to talk about Multi-Year Guarantee Annuities versus Fixed Annuities. What you're really going to find out today is what a Multi-Year Guarantee Annuity is as opposed to just a Fixed Annuity, or are they the same thing?

Jamie Hopkins: Retirement Planning And The Why That Makes You Cry (TAM Classic)

Jamie Hopkins: Retirement Planning And The Why That Makes You Cry (TAM Classic)

Would you give up all your money if it means that you’ll be happy for the rest of your life? Most people would say yes - that’s what we’re aiming for. Dollars are a means to an end.

Marcia Mantell: Cookin' Up Your Retirement Plan

Marcia Mantell: Cookin' Up Your Retirement Plan

The key to financial success in retirement, in my humble opinion, is not what products you have or how great your investment strategy is. It's knowing how much you spend.

Andy Panko: Financial Planning Demystified and Unemotional (TAM Classic)

Andy Panko: Financial Planning Demystified and Unemotional (TAM Classic)

Most people can do accumulation well; it’s the decumulation where things get a little more tactical and complicated.

How I Really Feel About Indexed Annuities

How I Really Feel About Indexed Annuities

Index Annuities are contracts; we will go over the details of Index Annuities. You're going to hear about how I really feel about Index Annuities. That is guaranteed. The other thing guaranteed is that I will tell you the brutal truth about what they are.

Terry Savage: The Savage Truth For Your Money in 2024

Terry Savage: The Savage Truth For Your Money in 2024

There is one annuity that you might have that will keep up with inflation and it’s called Social Security.

Christine Benz: Avoiding Blind Spots in Your Retirement Portfolio Planning (TAM Classic)

Christine Benz: Avoiding Blind Spots in Your Retirement Portfolio Planning (TAM Classic)

If you're looking for something that will zig when your stocks zag, you probably want to ensure that your portfolio includes that cash and treasury bonds.

Chuck Jaffe: Top Money & Life Topics for 2024

Chuck Jaffe: Top Money & Life Topics for 2024

Keep in perspective where money is supposed to be. You didn't make it to save it. You didn't make it to be buried. The richest man in the graveyard is not the happiest man before he got there.

Income Riders Attached to Fixed Indexed Annuities

Income Riders Attached to Fixed Indexed Annuities

This is part of the Fixed Indexed Annuity blogs I've done on the product, which will help the consumer understand what's being pitched out there. Today, we're going to talk about Income Riders attached to Indexed Annuities. Why? When? How? What? And does it make sense?

What Happens to an Annuity if the Stock Market Crashes?

What Happens to an Annuity if the Stock Market Crashes?

Are Fixed Index Annuities good against a stock market crash? What if the insurance company backing it goes under? What's your protection? Let's take them one at a time.

Stan The Annuity Man: The Annuity Man Predictions for 2024

Stan The Annuity Man: The Annuity Man Predictions for 2024

If you're in chapter two of your life in retirement, I want you to maximize the day. I want you to start structuring your day for fun and for relaxation and for reflection.

Tom Hegna: Don't Worry, Retire Happy! (TAM Classic)

Tom Hegna: Don't Worry, Retire Happy! (TAM Classic)

They found that the happiest people in retirement were those people who were surrounded by their families and friends, and had guaranteed paychecks every single month.

Who Sells Hybrid Annuities?

Who Sells Hybrid Annuities?

The question is, who sells hybrid annuities? Let me rephrase that. Who sells Indexed Annuities? The word hybrid is overused in the industry to sell Indexed Annuities because they're Indexed Annuities. I don't know why they're creating another word. Oh, by the way, I'm Stan The Annuity Man, if you hadn't caught that, America's annuity agent.

Moshe Milevsky: Learning from History with Annuities

Moshe Milevsky: Learning from History with Annuities

When you have a product that is meant to help people that are eventually going to cognitively decline, there's a higher burden of care there because you got to make sure that they understand what they're buying and they continue to understand what they're buying.

Are Hybrid Annuities Safe?

Are Hybrid Annuities Safe?

Are hybrid annuities safe? First of all, the short answer is they are a Fixed Annuity, and they are safe from a principal protection standpoint. But a bigger question is, you didn't come up with the word hybrid. Somebody used that in a sales pitch to you and said the word hybrid, which made you type in hybrid, which made you read this blog.

John Lenz: The State of The Annuity Union

John Lenz: The State of The Annuity Union

In this episode, The Annuity Man and John Lenz discuss laddering MYGAS, reasons for buying a QLAC, suitability regulations and more.

Jack Lenenberg: Long Term Care & Rising Interest Rates

Jack Lenenberg: Long Term Care & Rising Interest Rates

A standalone, traditional long-term care insurance works just like health, auto, or homeowner insurance. You own a policy, and if you need long-term care, the company will pay the benefits, and you will stop paying premiums.

Stan The Annuity Man: The Only Thing Complex About Annuities Are the Sales Pitches

Stan The Annuity Man: The Only Thing Complex About Annuities Are the Sales Pitches

This is a simple, simple industry with simple, simple solutions. The people that are making it complex are the agents and advisors selling the products in a complex way, instead of stripping it down to the basics.

Are Hybrid Annuities Too Good to Be True?

Are Hybrid Annuities Too Good to Be True?

Now, what you're looking at today and the reason that you clicked this blog, Are Hybrid Annuities Too Good to Be True? First, because you're using the word hybrid, you typed in the word hybrid, and it attracted you, which only means one thing. It means that some agent, some advisor, has pitched you what they're pitching you as an Indexed Annuity.

Bill Black: Life Insurance Facts You Need to Know Now

Bill Black: Life Insurance Facts You Need to Know Now

Bill Black is the President of W.H. Black and Company and has been in the pension administration business for over 40 years. He is also responsible for the marketing efforts of PensionSpecialist.net – a full-service pension administration company that helps advisors nationally with the sale and administration of qualified pension plans.

Stan The Annuity Man: The Psychology of Buying Annuities

Stan The Annuity Man: The Psychology of Buying Annuities

The biggest psychological hurdle to buying an annuity is the fear of missing out. You need to overcome the fear of missing out on market returns and replace it with the fear of missing out on your chapter two, where you should live the life you have earned.

Kerry-Pechter:-Annuities-For-Dummies-with-Kerry-Pechter

Kerry Pechter: Annuities For Dummies

Annuities are a bunch of products that have as much that are unalike as they are alike. Each one is a tool for particular kinds of people in particular kinds of life for different kinds of risk management.

Fixed Index Annuity: Do FIAs Get Stock Market Returns?

Fixed Index Annuity: Do FIAs Get Stock Market Returns?

Stan The Annuity Man, America's annuity agent, here to talk about those beloved Fixed Index Annuities that everyone loves to go to the bad chicken dinner seminars. And if it sounds too good to be true because it is.

Adam Van Wie: Fee-Only Planning Done Right

Adam Van Wie: Fee-Only Planning Done Right

The difference between “Fee-Only” and “Fee-Based” financial planning is like night and day or apples and oranges. With your non-annuity assets, you need to ensure you are using “Fee-Only” because that advisor’s interests align with yours. That’s the pure definition of what a fiduciary should be.

Larry Kotlikoff: "Maxifi" Your Retirement Planning

Larry Kotlikoff: "Maxifi" Your Retirement Planning

Larry Kotlikoff is one of the most fascinating guests I’ve ever had on my Fun With Annuities podcast. Because I’m a perpetual marketer and brander, I was astonished by the value of the software products that Larry has developed and offers to both consumers and financial advisors.

Stan The Annuity Man: Simple Explanations of Every Annuity Type

Stan The Annuity Man: Simple Explanations of Every Annuity Type

There’s a lot of annuity products out there. Not all of them are great. Not all of them are perfect, but all of them are contractual. So you have to look at the contractual guarantees of the policy. I always tell people don’t buy the dream, because you’re gonna own the contractual reality.

fwa branislav nikolic june 2023 thumbnail

Branislav Nikolic: Looking Forward With Fixed Index Annuities

I have always said that the annuity industry has earned a bad reputation, and it continues to create an unneeded black mark with how many current Indexed Annuity products are sold. For the record, I am a huge fan of the Indexed Annuity strategy. It was created in 1995 to offer potential "better than CD" returns while offering full principal protection. FIAs (Fixed Index Annuities) are not market return products but are pushed that way by too many agents showing overblown and misleading back-tested return scenarios to convince retirees to buy.

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Owen Schrum: Game Planning for Your Retirement

As you may know, my parents were college basketball coaches at one time. My sister won 3 state championships as a great player in high school, and I played Division 1 college basketball as well and set shooting accuracy records that will never be broken. Growing up, there were always discussions around game plans and how to beat the upcoming opponent or team.

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The Truth About Fixed Index Annuities

Hey, can you handle the truth? Can you handle it? As Jack Nicholson said, can you handle the truth about Fixed Index Annuities? I'll tell you what, there needs to be some truth out there. Many pitches are flying through the air, radio, TV, the bad chicken dinner seminars, about Fixed Index Annuities.

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Marty Parlato: Factually Ranting on Investing Now

Martin “Marty” Parlato is a star. He is controversial. He is smart. And he seems to be always right about the markets. As a warning, he is not politically correct or woke. This is not a soft-landing spot or a warm-fuzzy-feeling podcast guest. This is how you would like politicians and market pundits to talk. Brutal. Factual. Not mincing words. The only proof that the world is not fair is that Jim Cramer is the lead mouthpiece for CNBC, not Marty Parlato. He’s that good.

terry savage chicken money strategies that work thumbnail

Terry Savage: Chicken Money Strategies That Work

I loved having Terry Savage back on Fun With Annuities to discuss the current financial environment. In volatile and chaotic times like these, it’s time for professionals to weigh in, and Terry is definitely a pro.

Stan The Annuity Man....Off The Annuity Cuff thumbnail

Stan The Annuity Man....Off The Annuity Cuff

Stan The Annuity Man®, a.k.a. Stan Haithcock is known as “America’s Annuity Agent®” and the top independent annuity agent in the United States. Licensed in all 50 states, he is recognized as one of the top thought leaders in the annuity industry. He is the founder of The Annuity Man® LLC, with office locations in Florida and Nevada.

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John Lenz: The Banking Crisis & Annuities

Unless you have been living in a cave, there has been a little banking crisis recently that continues to concern anyone that’s not buying the media or political spin. So, of course Stan The Annuity Man has to give you the absolute facts and bring in an objective expert that would provide the brutal truth. John Lenz is just that person. The “annuity architect” himself agreed to help me hammer this important topic.

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Jay Zawatsky: How Debt & Energy Connect

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Mark Iwry: Retirement Visionary & QLAC Champion thumbnail

Mark Iwry: Retirement Visionary & QLAC Champion

Mark Iwry has been called “A UNIQUELY POWERFUL Washington wonk.” A hero of our retirement system. A pension rock star. One of the world’s 30 top financial players. A legend. An inspiration.

Pam Krueger: Your Wealthramp to Fiduciary Advice thumbnail

Pam Krueger: Your Wealthramp to Fiduciary Advice

As nervous investors watched their account balances plummet, viewers of MoneyTrack, Pam Krueger’s weekly PBS TV series deluged her with requests asking how they could find a truly trustworthy financial advisor.

Terry Savage: The Savage Financial Truth in 2023

Terry Savage: The Savage Financial Truth in 2023

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Bob Carlson: The Essential Guide to Retiring in 2023 thumbnail

Bob Carlson: The Essential Guide to Retiring in 2023

If there were a czar of the retirement planning and advice world, it would be Bob Carlson. I was so happy when Bob let me know that his new book, “Retirement Watch: The Essential Guide to Retiring in the 2020s”, was unavailable to all of us, and I had to have him back on the podcast to talk about it.

Jay Zawatsky: What really is money thumbnail

Jay Zawatsky: What really is money?

Jay Zawatsky is one of the most fascinating guests I’ve ever had on my Fun With Annuities® podcast. He is a professor, lawyer, researcher, radio show host, podcaster, and incredibly high IQ “unicorn” that knows much more than he revealed during our recording.

Steve Parrish: Decoding Annuities in the Consumer's Mind

Steve Parrish: Decoding Annuities in the Consumer's Mind

The great part about Steve’s message is that he has brought it down to “our level” so the consumer can understand the value proposition that annuities offer the retirement planning consumer.

Mr. FIA-X: The Truth About Fixed Index Annuity Returns

Mr. FIA-X: The Truth About Fixed Index Annuity Returns

The infamous and anonymous Mr. FIA-X joined the Fun With Annuities podcast once again to shine the light on Fixed Index Annuity returns factually.We started off the podcast with both of us going on the record that we are fans of the FIA strategy.

Marcia Mantell: What’s the Deal with Retirement Planning thumbnail

Marcia Mantell: What’s the Deal with Retirement Planning?

If I had to choose a smart person to hang out with and drink a cup of coffee with, it would be Marcia Mantell. She is the definition of “glass half full” when helping out retirees, pre-retirees, and baby boomers.

Michael Finke: Why Annuities Make Sense Right Now

Michael Finke: Why Annuities Make Sense Right Now

In the world of retirement research and common-sense annuity strategies, Micheal Finke is one of the four faces on Annuity Mount Rushmor along with mine, of course. The ongoing work and effort to help consumers make better retirement decisions is a legacy Michael should be very proud of.

Rick Ferri: A Fighter Pilot’s View of the Markets

Rick Ferri: A Fighter Pilot’s View of the Markets

Rick Ferri is an absolute unicorn in the world of financial advice. He is one of the best financial advisors in the world, a leader of the Boglehead investment community, and a retired fighter pilot.

Fixed Annuity Example –Viewer Question on Dave Ramsey

Fixed Annuity Example –Viewer Question on Dave Ramsey

Today's topic is on a fixed annuity example, but first, let's talk about Dave Ramsey for a second. He does a lot of videos. He did one on annuities that he got some right, and he didn’t get a lot of others.I commented on what he was saying.

Branislav Nikolic: Annuities Are Math

Branislav Nikolic: Annuities Are Math

There is some serious math IQ on this Fun With Annuities podcast as Branislav Nikolic joins me as my newest celebrity guest host.

Martin Parlato: No B.S. Insights About Markets & Inflation

Martin Parlato: No B.S. Insights About Markets & Inflation

Martin Parlato’s name should be as well-known as Jim Cramer from CNBC. In my opinion, he can run factual rings around Cramer when it comes to all things about the markets and money.

Fixed Index Annuities - Pros and Cons

Fixed Index Annuities - Pros and Cons

Anytime the market's gyrating a little bit, and now that COVID is lifted a little bit, you're starting to get those invitations in the mail to go to the local, very nice, high-end restaurant to have the steak dinner and then hear a sales pitch on the scariness of the markets.

Terry Savage: The Savage Truth about Rates & Markets

Terry Savage: The Savage Truth about Rates & Markets

I always joke with Terry Savage that when she walks into most rooms, she is the smartest person there. I’m not kidding. Throw gender out of the window because only a select few match her financial IQ.

Bill Black: New Strategies for Life Insurance in 2022

Bill Black: New Strategies for Life Insurance in 2022

Bill Black is a nationally recognized triathlete, 6’ 8” tall, and oh, by the way…the top life insurance expert in the country.

Fixed Index Annuities- Explained

Fixed Index Annuities- Explained

How does a Fixed Indexed Annuity work? The panacea product, the too good to be true, the greatest product since sliced bread. Let's talk about Fixed Index Annuities. The history of a Fixed Index Annuity used to be called equity index annuities, but not anymore, is in 1995 when they were designed and introduced to compete with CD, typical, normal, normal CD returns, not the time of this taping.

Mr. FIA-X: Don't Fall For These Indexed Annuity Sales Tactics

Mr. FIA-X: Don't Fall For These Indexed Annuity Sales Tactics

Mr. FIA-X is arguably the most popular and most requested Fun With Annuities podcast guest in our roster of financial superstars. He wears a mask because the truth and facts he provides on the Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) category can be very controversial.

Ellie Saul: New Benefits Revealed by Mama Bear Medicare

Ellie Saul: New Benefits Revealed by Mama Bear Medicare

Fun With Annuities Podcast Celebrity Series

Elliot Raphaelson: The Godfather of Financial Journalism

Elliot Raphaelson: The Godfather of Financial Journalism

A few years ago, I drove to Winter Park, Florida, to have lunch with one of the most respected syndicated columnists in the country who writes about personal finance. I have been a fan of his for a long time because he is truly helping the consumer, and I hoped to become a resource for him concerning the complicated world of annuities.

Owen Schrum: Managing Inflation and Risk in Volatile Markets

Owen Schrum: Managing Inflation and Risk in Volatile Markets

One of the best personal money managers in the country is anonymously based in Raleigh, North Carolina, in a nondescript office with long-term loyal staff. His name is Owen Schrum.

How Does A Fixed Index Annuity Work

How Does A Fixed Index Annuity Work

Hot topic. How does a Fixed Indexed Annuity work? Some people think it is the too good to be true product. I’m here to set the facts straight. A typical call I get is, "Hey, Stan, The Annuity Man®, I went to this seminar. I got this nice invitation in the mail, and we got the steak dinner.

Tom Hegna: Talking The Annuity Talk & Walking The Annuity Walk

Tom Hegna: Talking The Annuity Talk & Walking The Annuity Walk

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Steve Vernon and Naomi Karp: Proactively Addressing Cognitive Decline

Steve Vernon and Naomi Karp: Proactively Addressing Cognitive Decline

There was some serious IQ on this Fun With Annuities podcast when Steve Vernon and Naomi Karp joined me as celebrity guests. They and their associates are pioneers in researching how to plan for and the effects of cognitive decline.

John Lenz: Annuity Insider Strategies for Rising Rates & Inflation

John Lenz: Annuity Insider Strategies for Rising Rates & Inflation

When I started calling John Lenz the “Annuity Architect” a while back, I couldn’t have picked a better description of this mad-smart superstar. First of all, John has the best baritone voice of all time.

How To Get Out of a Fixed Annuity

How To Get Out of a Fixed Annuity

So the question is, how to get out of a fixed annuity? The easy answer is to die, but that's not a very good strategy and undoubtedly not replicable. I love it when people use the word "annuity" as all-encompassing. There are so many different types. So let's just look at the fixed annuity types.

Bob Carlson: The Good & The Bad About Social Security in 2022

Bob Carlson: The Good & The Bad About Social Security in 2022

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Free Annuity Report Bait & Switch Lead Mills

Free Annuity Report Bait & Switch Lead Mills

Boy, these ads are starting to pop up, aren't they? Free annuity report. As they say, be careful when it's free, right? You got to dig a little further than that. The annuity industry has earned its bad reputation and sales reputation.

Mr. FIA-X: The Truth About Current Fixed Index Annuities

Mr. FIA-X: The Truth About Current Fixed Index Annuities

Mr. FIA-X is one of the most popular guests on my Fun With Annuities podcast because he is an indexed annuity insider, truth teller, and factual flame thrower. He has unique and high-level insights into what’s happening in the FIA industry.

Marcia Mantell: Lasagna Style Income Planning

Marcia Mantell: Lasagna Style Income Planning

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Moshe Milevsky: Learning from History with Annuities

Moshe Milevsky: Learning from History with Annuities

When Moshe Milevsky talks, the entire financial industry listens. I’m not kidding. He has been recognized as one of the 35 most influential people in the U.S. financial advisory business during the last 35 years.

Martin Parlato: How Politics Affects Your Investments

Martin Parlato: How Politics Affects Your Investments

This week’s Fun With Annuities hosts one of the most talented on-air personalities I’ve ever heard, Martin “Marty” Parlato. Marty hosts one of the most entertaining and educational financial radio shows I’ve ever heard, called Lighthouse Financial Hour.

You Won The Game! Why Are You Still Playing?: Shootin' It Straight with Stan®

Shootin’ It Straight with Stan®

You Won The Game! Why Are You Still Playing?: Shootin' It Straight with Stan®

Today's topic's a good one. If you've won the game, then why are you still playing? I was on a call the other day, and yes, you can schedule a call with me at theannuityman.com. You can also run quotes on our proprietary calculators and get my books and watch videos and all that stuff.

Sheryl Garrett: Financial Planning On YOUR Terms

Sheryl Garrett: Financial Planning On YOUR Terms

The pioneers take all of the arrows, as the saying goes. Sheryl Garrett is a “20-year overnight sensation” in the complicated world of financial planning. Starting her career in the traditional financial planning model decades ago, Shery always knew it could be done better.

Adam Van Wie: Safely Surfing Through Volatile Investment Waters

Adam Van Wie: Safely Surfing Through Volatile Investment Waters

One of the rising young stars in the Fee-Only financial planning world is Adam Van Wie. Having previously worked for several Fortune 500 companies, Adam brings a Mechanical Engineering degree to managing money.

Mark Skousen: Achieving True Freedom With Your Investments

Mark Skousen: Achieving True Freedom With Your Investments

Mark Skousen has pretty much done it all in the world of money and economics. He is a former analyst for the CIA, author, columnist, professor, economist, entrepreneur, visionary, father, husband, and overall entertainer.

Roger Whitney: How To Rock Your Retirement

Roger Whitney: How To Rock Your Retirement

Roger Whitney is known across the country as The Retirement Answer Man® and hosts one of the most popular podcasts in the country under the same name. He is the author of the Rock Retirement Bookand founded the Rock Retirement Club.

Heather Schreiber: Social Security Hacks & Insider Secrets

Heather Schreiber: Social Security Hacks & Insider Secrets

When it comes to knowing the ins and outs of Social Security, Heather Schreiber is in a league of her own. She is the go-to source for the financial services industry to train advisors on the fiduciary approach to advising clients on how to maximize Social Security for each specific situation.

Rick Ferri: Core-4 Portfolios for Simplistic Success

Rick Ferri: Core-4 Portfolios for Simplistic Success

Rick Ferri is a fighter pilot, entrepreneur, visionary, 40-year husband, Boglehead leader, Rhode Island Ram, Former Marine, Investment Advice Expert, Financial Services Pioneer, CFA, MBA, fiduciary…and all-around good guy.

Dana Anspach: Be Aware of Financial Biases

Dana Anspach: Be Aware of Financial Biases

So happy to welcome back Dana Anspach to the Fun With Annuities podcast. She is one of the top fee-only financial planners in the U.S., and the founder of Sensible Money, LLC.

Fixed Indexed Annuities Explained

Fixed Indexed Annuities Explained

No, this isn't going to be a two-hour-long rant. Still, it could be if I was going to explain every nuance of Fixed Indexed Annuities, indexed annuities, hybrid annuities, whatever you're being pitched.

Ted Benna: The Inside Scoop From The Founder Of The 401k

Ted Benna: The Inside Scoop From The Founder Of The 401k

There are not too many people that can say they changed the majority of American's lives for the better, and be able to show a dollar figure to prove it. Ted Benna is one of those unique people.

Amanda-Jo Wilt: Making The Most of the Years You Have Left with "The Boomer Nutritionist"

Amanda-Jo Wilt: Making The Most of the Years You Have Left with "The Boomer Nutritionist"

Having money and being financially secure is a great thing. But if you don’t feel good, it really doesn’t matter. Nod your head.

Steve Vernon: How To Avoid Going Broke in Retirement

Steve Vernon: How To Avoid Going Broke in Retirement

Steve Vernon is one of the most sought-after retirement experts in the country. He is the president of Rest-of-Life Communications, where he speaks, writes, and conducts research on the most challenging aspects of retirement, finances, health, and lifestyle.

Paul Merriman: 7 Things You Should Be Doing With Your Retirement Portfolio

Paul Merriman: 7 Things You Should Be Doing With Your Retirement Portfolio

Paul Merriman’s 60-year legacy of helping people with their money is unmatched. His “tell the truth” passionate approach should be the benchmark for all financial advisors and is the obvious foundation for the current march to all things fiduciary.

Peggy Nicholson: Preparing for Death Without All The Information You Need

Peggy Nicholson: Preparing for Death Without All The Information You Need

Margaret “Peggy” Nicholson is one of a kind. A unicorn. She might be the most unique celebrity guest host of all the guests I’ve had on my Fun With Annuities podcast. She is a 78 ½-year-old dynamo and a world traveler.

Charles Rotblut: What Individual Investors Need To Succeed

Charles Rotblut: What Individual Investors Need To Succeed

Charles Rotblut is a Vice President and Financial Analyst at the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) and the editor of the AAII Journal. He is also the creator of the PRISM Wealth-Building Process.

101 Andy Panko: Financial Planning Demystified and Unemotional

101 Andy Panko: Financial Planning Demystified and Unemotional

Welcome to Fun With Annuities episode 101 with Andy Panko. When he started Tenon Financial in 2019, he designed the flat-fee-based firm exactly how he thought a retirement planning advisory service should work.

100 Michael Finke: Retirees Should Calculate to Not Be a Loser

100 Michael Finke: Retirees Should Calculate to Not Be a Loser

Once again, Michael Fincke brings the factual goods to my “Fun With Annuities®” podcast. Even though Michael & I are the top 2 fan-boys of QLACs (Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts), we showed our self-control to not go down the QLAC rabbit hole.

099 Terry Savage: 5 Ways to Get Out of the Financial Mess You Don't Even Know You're In

099 Terry Savage: 5 Ways to Get Out of the Financial Mess You Don't Even Know You're In

Financial royalty joined my “Fun With Annuities” podcast when Terry Savage agreed to share her financial tips for 2022. Below is her direct outline and insight into those five financial nuggets.

098 Bill Black: Life Insurance Trends - Are Your Affairs In Order?

098 Bill Black: Life Insurance Trends - Are Your Affairs In Order?

Bill Black is considered the top life insurance expert in the U.S., and his over four decades of experience is unmatched.

097 Allan Roth: How A Second Grader Beats Wall Street

097 Allan Roth: How A Second Grader Beats Wall Street

What a treat to have Allan Roth on the podcast to share his insights into retirement planning. Allan’s decades-long approach can be summarized by his company’s website www.DareToBeDull.com.

096 Owen Schrum: Crypto, The Fed and Other Things Not Said

096 Owen Schrum: Crypto, The Fed and Other Things Not Said

When you are one of the top personal money managers in the country, you have access to some of the top minds in the financial world. Owen Schrum’s status allows him to have conversations with the movers and shakers on Wall Street, which he then uses that insight to the benefit of his main street clients.

095 Gary Baker: Hot Buttons Being Pushed by the Annuity Industry in 2022

095 Gary Baker: Hot Buttons Being Pushed by the Annuity Industry in 2022

What a treat to have Gary Baker from CANNEX back on the podcast. I tease Gary that his nickname should be “Gary Baker…the Annuity Dream Maker” because he is literally behind the majority of lifetime income annuities purchased in the United States.

Retirement Withdrawal Strategies With FIAs

Retirement Withdrawal Strategies With FIAs

Hi there. Stan, The Annuity Man. America's Annuity agent® is licensed in all 50 states. Today's topic is Retirement Withdrawal Strategies. We will talk about Fixed Index Annuities, FIAs, today regarding retirement withdrawal strategies. Fixed Index Annuities are very popular, and often, they're mis-sold, over-hyped, and over-promised.

094 Jeff Miller: What's New With Social Security In 2022

094 Jeff Miller: What's New With Social Security In 2022

Jeff Miller continues to be one of our most popular guests because of his expertise on the Social Security topic. This podcast did not disappoint and is filled with incredible insight into what is happening with Social Security in 2022 and Jeff’s predictions for the future.

093 John Lenz: What You Need To Know About Annuity Laddering in 2022

093 John Lenz: What You Need To Know About Annuity Laddering in 2022

I consider John Lenz one of the top annuity minds in the country. His depth of knowledge is something that I respect and rely upon. I was so happy to have John on the Fun With Annuities Podcast again because we covered annuity laddering, a topic and strategy that people need to be aware of.

092 Ellie Saul: Mama Bear Speaks The Truth About Medicare

092 Ellie Saul: Mama Bear Speaks The Truth About Medicare

Thanks for joining us for another week! For a long time, I have been looking for a credible source for Medicare. I have found that person, so please help me welcome Ellie Saul to Fun With Annuities for podcast 092.

Is An Index Annuity Fixed Or Variable

Is An Index Annuity Fixed Or Variable

The question is: is an indexed annuity fixed or variable? There's a lot more to it than just the short answer. I would like to go through what a fixed indexed annuity is, an indexed annuity, and a variable annuity and tell the differences in both.

090 Michael Finke: Keys to Goal Based Retirement Planning

090 Michael Finke: Keys to Goal Based Retirement Planning

C'mon man! This week's co-host is wearing a QLAC hat. YOU KNOW we're going to love what he's got to say. Welcome, Michael Finke, to the Fun With Annuities podcast for episode 90. He is a Ph.D. and professor of wealth management at The American College of Financial Services.

How Do Interest Rates Affect Annuities

How Do Interest Rates Affect Annuities

Everybody is asking me this, how do interest rates affect annuities? Now, you just can't say they affect all annuities the same way because there are different types of annuities. What we're going to do is we're going to go through every single type that's out there, and I'm going to tell you precisely how interest rates affect each one of them.

089 Mr. FIA-X: The Empty Promises Behind Fixed Index Annuities

089 Mr. FIA-X: The Empty Promises Behind Fixed Index Annuities

Back by popular demand once again, Mr. FIA-X joins me on Fun With Annuities episode #89. Without a doubt, he is one of the most popular guests I have on because people are so interested in the FIA (aka: Fixed Indexed Annuity) topic and want to know the brutal truth.