JLP wrote:
- quote -

Are we then NOT to accept eyeglasses from an Optomotrist who
pays less for them than he charges you?
Are we NOT to accept a mortgage from a LEGAL Bank, simply
because they are charging you more interest than their ACTUAL
expenses?
Am I to assume (and you know what that spells) that you are
under the impression that an Annuity provider should be a
non-profit organization?
I doubt that the original post by Brent ever alluded to the fact
that an Annuity of any kind would be FREE.

Cal Lester CLU

Brent D. Gardner, ChFC writes:

"There are no "charges" on most fixed contracts (over 99.9%), so the
above
warning is without merit and out of place. The subject is fixed
annuities,
NOT variable."

Excuse me, but there ARE charges on fixed annuities. It's just that
they are hidden. The charge is the difference between the rate the
annuitant is paid and the rate that the insurer can get by investing
the money. You make it sound as though fixed annuities are free.

Do you suppose the National Association of Fixed Annuities is an
unbiased source of information regarding fixed annuities? Who do you
suppose pays for that site?

Now, I'm not saying that fixed annuities (or any other annuity, for
that matter) are bad. I'm just saying that the buyer must be aware of
what they are buying.

JLP

http://AllThingsFinancial.blogspot.com

"JLP" <AllThingsFinancial[at]hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1106226090.803720.59040[at]z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
- quote -

There are no "charges" on most fixed contracts (over 99.9%), so the above
warning is without merit and out of place. The subject is fixed annuities,
NOT variable.

- quote -

This article cites sources that have nothing to do with fixed insurance
contracts (i.e., NASD). The pikers at the NASD are jealous of the success of
an insurance contract that they cannot envelope in their totalitarian
regime.

There are two really good sources for Fixed Index Annuity products:

http://www.indexannuity.org/
http://www.nafa.us/

Brent D. Gardner, ChFC
Chartered Financial Consultant
http://www.brentdgardner.com/
http://www.gardnerfinancialgroup.com/
http://www.topgunproducers.com/
http://www.creditfixinc.com/

Si vis pacem para bellum!

"Be ever questioning. Ignorance is not bliss. It is oblivion. You don't go
to heaven if you die dumb. Become better informed. Learn from other's
mistakes. You could not live long enough to make them all yourself." - Hyman
George Rickover (1900-86), Admiral, US Navy, advocated development of
nuclear subs & ships

The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant
(ChFC), designations owned and exclusively offered by The American College,
signify the highest standards of academic study and professional excellence
in the financial services industry.

HW "Skip" Weldon writes:

""Relative safety" is like "somewhat pregnant". <grin> Whenever
someone uses the word "safety" around me - regardless of the adverb
preceding it - I ask them to define safety.

Usually the answer is "I don't want to lose any money." That prompts
the second question, which is, do you mean that you don't want to lose
principal, or purchasing power? Or both?"

You raise a very good point. Most people don't realize that there is
no free lunch. If you don't want to risk losing any principal, you are
damning yourself losing purchasing power. People who promise high
returns with "no risk" are taking you for a ride.

If you are into doing this stuff by yourself, read some books. Read
"Stocks for the Long Run" by Jeremy Siegel and the "Intelligent Asset
Allocator" by William Bernstein.
JLP

http://AllThingsFinancial.blogspot.com

"Brent D. Gardner, ChFC" <bgardner20[at]cox.net> writes:
- quote -

Eww. Why the quickserve link?

ING Direct is easy enough to find at
http://www.ingdirect.com

That said, the OP might also want to consider US Gov't Savings
Bonds - different from regular treasury bonds (or the bonds in
any bond fund).
Series I Bonds are paying 3.67%, and adjust with inflation
Series EE Bonds are paying 3.25% and are based on
the yields of 5-yr treasury bonds (and also adjusts).

They may be redeemed after 1 year, though if redeemed before
5 years, you give up 3 months interest.

Moreover, no state taxes on the interest, and no taxes are due
on the interest until redemption.

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/...nds_glance.htm
and
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/...nds_glance.htm




--
Plain Bread alone for e-mail, thanks. The rest gets trashed.
No HTML in E-Mail! -- http://www.expita.com/nomime.html
Are you posting responses that are easy for others to follow?
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/2000/06/14/quoting

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 15:34:34 CST, "johnrosoff[at]msn.com"
<johnrosoff[at]msn.com> wrote:

- quote -

"Relative safety" is like "somewhat pregnant". <grin> Whenever
someone uses the word "safety" around me - regardless of the adverb
preceding it - I ask them to define safety.

Usually the answer is "I don't want to lose any money." That prompts
the second question, which is, do you mean that you don't want to lose
principal, or purchasing power? Or both?

Investors will recognize this as the beginning of a conversation that
leads to "there's no such thing". The goal is to set more reasonable
expectations - something lacking in many/most investors today.

So, what do you mean by safety?

-HW "Skip" Weldon
Columbia, SC

You can find it, but for how long do you want to tie it up for?

<johnrosoff[at]msn.com> wrote in message
news:1106165976.991597.186410[at]c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
- quote -

Before you purchase an annuity, make sure you know how much you are
being charged. Also, you may want to read this:

http://www.weatrust.com/wea/weamain....256ED10052B757
JLP

http://AllThingsFinancial.blogspot.com

That's an interesting site. Send me an email from my blog. I'm going
to bookmark your site.

JLP

http://AllThingsFinancial.blogspot.com

<johnrosoff[at]msn.com> wrote in message
news:1106165976.991597.186410[at]c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
- quote -

ING Orange is paying 2.35%, with no fees, no minimums.
http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-1604247-10124087

Send me your email and I'll show you how to get $25 just for opening the
account.

Fixed Annuities are paying as much as 5.60%, depending on how much you can
invest, what your time frame for retirement is, and how much liquidity you
want.

Fixed Index Annuities can guarantee a minimum 3%, with as much as 100%
participation in the upward movement of an equity index. In modern history,
nobody has lost any money in these. Jack Marrion has an outstanding offer of
$1,000 cash to anyone that can document a loss in a fixed annuity, and there
hasn't been any takers (the offers been public for about four years now).

Brent D. Gardner, ChFC
Chartered Financial Consultant
http://www.brentdgardner.com/
http://www.gardnerfinancialgroup.com/
http://www.topgunproducers.com/
http://www.creditfixinc.com/

Si vis pacem para bellum!

"Be ever questioning. Ignorance is not bliss. It is oblivion. You don't go
to heaven if you die dumb. Become better informed. Learn from other's
mistakes. You could not live long enough to make them all yourself." - Hyman
George Rickover (1900-86), Admiral, US Navy, advocated development of
nuclear subs & ships

The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant
(ChFC), designations owned and exclusively offered by The American College,
signify the highest standards of academic study and professional excellence
in the financial services industry.

This will be hard to find. Try to look at some international bond
funds, but few currency jolts here and there can scare anyone in those
funds.
Cash is king today. Don't extend your duration to grab the extra yield.
You may lose the principal if you try to do that.

http://therealreturns.blogspot.com/2...or-sp-500.html

I'm afraid you are going to have a hard time finding something that
pays that kind of yield in this environment.

Aren't ALL TIMES considered "unsettling times"?

JLP

I don't know if this is considered an advertisement or not but I'm
going to post a link to my blog: http://AllThingsFinancial.blogspot.com

What alternatives are out there for USGovernment Bonds? In general what
would you consider in these unsettleing times. I'm looking for some
investment with a 5-6% return and relative safety.
Thanks for responding,
John