Posts by Dustin Casebolt
The Retirement Monster Your Clients Don’t See Coming
As Halloween fast approaches, I think about the scary movies that creep me out the most. The movies that freak me out are the ones with monsters/creatures/etc., that are sneaky or stealthy. The ones you don’t see coming. Think about it. In the movie “Aliens,” there is a scene when the monsters are in the…
Read MoreLet’s talk about tax, baby
Ben Franklin once said, “…in this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Ben Franklin also said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin was a smart man. Let’s hold off on the beer quote for now, although I would love to talk on that point…
Read MoreHow Much is that Annuity in the Window?
I’m sure you have seen all the promotional emails lately about products from a variety of our annuity carriers. A special limited time offer for a 30% premium bonus with Allianz; a 54% participation rate on the straight S&P 500 with American Equity; and other top carriers with annual point-to-point caps over 5%. All of…
Read MoreTime in vs. Timing
Update (8/22/18): It has now been 3,453 days since the S&P 500 hit a low of 666 during the 2008 financial crisis. This is now the longest bull run in history. Let’s take a quick look at what happened after two other historically long bull runs. October 1990 – March 2000: Climbed 417% before having…
Read MoreUpdate: Bonds vs. FIA’s
Recently, I wrote a blog post about bonds and other vehicles vs. fixed indexed annuities. I focused on a whitepaper that I wrote that illustrates a case study on retirement income. More recently, there was an article on Kiplinger’s, which you can find in the references below; the article discusses several different points, but the…
Read MoreUgh….Millennials
As I near my 35th birthday, I reflect on the years that have brought me here and the years I have in front of me. I am, I hate to admit, a millennial. By two years. Millennials are defined by those born between 1981 and 1991. Millennials face a unique challenge when it comes to…
Read MoreBonds vs. FIA’s
I remember my first bond. And no, I’m not talking about a spy movie. My first bond was given to me by my grandparents. It paid a healthy rate, 6%, and I held it to maturity and cashed it in, because rates had dropped significantly. And really, that’s where rates have stayed. Near historic lows,…
Read MoreIt’s All About the Process
As we wrap up Week Two of the NFL season and Week Three of the NCAA football season, I start to think about all the preparation and work the players and coaches have put in since February. The players nurse their battle wounds, they hit the weight rooms, they practice their position skills. The coaches…
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