Table of Contents

Owen Schrum: Game Planning for Your Retirement

Stan Haithcock
May 23, 2023
fwa owen schrum may 2023 thumbnail

About Fun With Annuities Episode #146

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. I specifically remember my father, the head coach at a Junior College at the time, draw-up a play/way to beat a full-court press late at night before a tournament finals game. It worked so well that his team beat that opponent like a drum in the championship. Those memories and experiences definitely left a positive scar as an aspiring athlete growing up in rural North Carolina.

Game plans are great, but the great college basketball coach and legend at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dean Smith, was once asked the question, “How do you game plan for your opponent?” His answer has stuck in my brain since the day I heard it. He responded that he never game-planned for opponents because if his team did what they were supposed to and were taught to do, they would win. Game. Set. Match. That answer should also pertain to your retirement planning as well. If you do what you are supposed to do and know that’s rationally right, then you will win the retirement game. Don’t worry about things you can’t control, focus on those you can control.

My good friend and fellow North Carolinian, Owen Schrum, joined my Fun With Annuities podcast to discuss how he handles his clients, just like the great Dean Smith handles his team. On a side note, Owen was my first guest when I first decided to have celebrity guests on my podcast years ago. Not because he is a friend and former partner at Morgan Stanley but for the sole reason that he is one of the smartest minds in the financial services business, and that is a fact.

His firm www.schrumpw.com handles individual clients across the country at a very high IQ level but in a fun and informative way. Even though his IQ could allow him to take that path, Owen doesn't talk down to people. As you listen to this podcast and my conversation with Owen, ask yourself if your current advisor sounds like Owen. Do they have the knowledge base like Owen? Do they explain current issues like Owen? If not, then why aren’t you talking to Owen about your non-annuity holdings?

We covered a ton of current topics during this podcast, and Owen factually hammered every single one of them. Inflation. Markets. Volatility. Politics and money. The FED. You name it, and he covered it like a weighted blanket on a snowy day.

All I can say is that Owen Schrum is a star. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, he manages clients’ money like no one else I have ever met. The question is, why isn’t he managing your retirement assets? Enjoy the podcast. I know I did.

"Not one of those things are standalone items, particularly inflation and interest rates. They are all directly related. It's like some big puzzle, you pull out one log, and the whole thing may collapse." — Owen Schrum

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Owen Schrum discuss:

  • The interconnectivity of financial structures
  • How a hard recession could be avoided
  • Annuity companies are more regulated than banks
  • Positive trends in the economy

Key Takeaways:

  • Inflation, the debt limit, the Federal Reserve, and the markets are not standalone things. They are all directly connected and related. Being careless with one part can cause the whole thing to collapse.
  • If the chairman of the Federal Reserve says that they’re considering lowering the rates based on the numbers that they have, then it might prevent a hard recession. The market will take care of the rest.
  • Annuity companies and banks buy the same bonds but the difference is that annuity companies are not forced to sell them. There can be no run on annuities because they have regulations in place that prevent that.
  • Inflation is getting back under control. Also, despite inflation being 10%, both small and large businesses’ earnings held up better than people thought they could.

John Mack talks to Wharton class about Morgan Stanley default: John Mack on Saving Morgan Stanley, Inside the Bunker

Connect with Owen Schrum:

Website: Wealth Management Expertise. Exclusively for those Approaching, Transitioning, and in Retirement.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-schrum-24319417/

Twitter: SchrumOwen

YouTube: Schrum Private Wealth Management

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.

Learn More