Market Freestyle or Annuity Lifestyle

Today’s topic is a good one: Market Freestyle or Annuity Lifestyle.

Think about it. At the time of this taping, the stock market is going up. You can throw a dart at it and make money. Everybody’s making money. That’s great, but for people like me who’ve seen markets go up and down, we know it’s a cycle. Things will happen.

I wish you all the best if you’re 100 percent in the market, going 100 miles an hour, throwing darts at crypto and everything else. That’s great. That’s called Market Freestyle.

But remember, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You’re at the mercy of geopolitics, no matter what side of the political fence you’re on. Things are chaotic out there. Market freestyle is fine for a portion of your money, but Annuity Lifestyle is where you can lock in guarantees so you can go live your life.

The Two Chapters of Life

Chapter one of most of our lives is work, work, work, grind, grind, grind. Then you hit that cliff called retirement, and you’re looking for a parachute. Can I get an amen?

Chapter two of your life should be about lifestyle.

If you don’t believe me, ask your spouse. I’ve been married to the lovely Christine for 37 years. She does not want market freestyle. She wants annuity lifestyle. She wants to know the guarantees, how much we’re going to make on a guaranteed yield, or what the guarantee of lifetime income will be. She wants to know that when I’m gone, the income will continue uninterrupted and unchanged so she can visit our two daughters and grandchildren.

That’s annuity lifestyle. It’s taking care of yourself and your family. It’s making sure the bills are paid with guaranteed income sources like Social Security, the best inflation annuity you’ll ever own.

If you hate annuities, you really can’t hate them, because you already own one. It’s called Social Security. If you’re lucky enough to have a pension, that’s another annuity. Then you fill the gap with another lifetime income annuity so you can live that annuity lifestyle.

Building Your Income Floor

Here’s the good news. I call it the income floor.

When you put that income floor in place, Social Security, pension, annuities, dividend stocks, side hustles, rental properties, whatever income streams you’ve got coming in, that’s your foundation. If that income floor covers your bills, your travel, your fun money, and your castle tours in Europe, then you can do some market freestyle.

You’re a better investor when you have your annuity lifestyle covered. But if you’re all in on market freestyle, what happens when it goes down, way down?

Lessons From Experience

I hear it all the time. “Stan, I don’t see it going down. I’ve done my research, my advisor’s been great the last three years.” Of course, they’ve been great the last three years, anyone has been. But that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have money in the market; you should. But as you get older, more goes into an annuity lifestyle.

Think of it like this: The younger you are, the more freestyle you can afford. The older you get, the more you need lifestyle.

When you’re young, you’ve got time to make up for losses. But when you’re retired or close to it, you don’t have that luxury.

I remember in 2008 when the market tanked. People called me and said, “Stan, I’m never letting that happen to me again. I’m locking in guarantees.” But people forget. Their memories fade when things go back up.

Lock In the Lifestyle

I’m begging you, take some profits off the table from your market freestyle and lock them in contractually with an annuity lifestyle. I know it hurts. You feel like a market guru right now. You’re on a roll. But trust me, when the market corrects, you’ll be glad you locked in part of your gains.

That income floor will keep you steady. You’ll have guarantees, principal protection, and peace of mind.

You’ll still have market freestyle, but not the kind that makes you want to throw up when things crash.

The Neighbor Test for Market Corrections

People always ask, “Stan, when do you know the market’s really correcting?”

You’ll know when your neighbor walks outside, stands on their lawn, and vomits right there, projectile vomit. That’s a market correction. And when it happens, you’ll be fine. You’ll have your annuity lifestyle in place. You won’t be panicking. Maybe your mouth will water a little bit, but you won’t be throwing up.

That’s how you know you’ve set it up right.

The Bottom Line

That’s what I call shooting it straight. Taking the facts, adding a little humor, and making you think.

Take some of those market profits and lock in your guarantees. Build your income floor. Create that annuity lifestyle so you can live chapter two of your life with peace of mind.

Go to The Annuity Man to schedule a call with one of my great team members, or maybe even me if I’m walking through the office eating a cookie. Let us help, let us listen, and let us put you into that annuity lifestyle lane so you can enjoy life on your terms.

I’m Stan The Annuity Man. See you next time.