Articles

Pension Decisions, Part 2: Lump Sum, or Annuity Payments?
Articles

Pension Decisions, Part 2: Lump Sum, or Annuity Payments?

October 29, 2020

A little while back we told you about a way to take your maximum pension benefit option while potentially mitigating the income risk to your spouse with a life insurance policy.  That technique is called “pension maximization.” If you have a pension, it’s just one of the decisions you’ll be faced with when it’s time to take your benefits. Another decision you may have is whether to take your benefits in the form of an annuity or a lump sum.  Which option you select can have a large impact on how much money you ultimately wind up with in retirement.  Factors such as current interest rates, future inflation, and your own investing abilities may all come into play.
A Strategy to Maximize Your Pension Payments
Articles

A Strategy to Maximize Your Pension Payments

October 22, 2020

If you’re the owner of a traditional pension plan, you need to be aware of an important rule when the payments start: unless your spouse elects to sign a waiver that allows otherwise, your pension benefits will be paid out to the both of you in the form of what’s called a “qualified joint and survivor annuity.” In other words, the amount you’ll get will be reduced during your lifetime, so that your spouse will continue to receive at least 50% of that amount if you happen to die first. You could both elect instead to receive the higher single-life annuity payment, but the payments, while significantly higher, would stop at your death and not continue for the surviving spouse.  This can be a real dilemma for people who want the higher payments, but are reluctant to lose that income if the pension owner doesn’t outlive the spouse. There is a potential solution to this problem, though.  Is it possible to have both the larger payments AND provide an income for your surviving spouse? 
401(k) Rollover Decision Kit – 7 Vital Factors to Consider
Articles

401(k) Rollover Decision Kit – 7 Vital Factors to Consider

July 23, 2020

While our grandparents may have worked one job their entire lives and retired with a company pension, those days are long gone. It’s more likely that you’ve worked for a variety of different companies throughout your career, leaving a trail of old 401(k)s that you really don’t know what to do with. Do you leave them where they are?  Do you move it into your personal account, or to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA (a “rollover”)? What about the tax implications? Before you make a decision about what to do with your old 401(k) or 403(b) accounts, or whatever retirement plan you have at work, you need to understand what your options are. To help you out, we’ve created a free decision kit that addresses these (and other) issues. In this e-booklet, we talk about what we believe are the Seven Vital Factors you need to consider when you’re trying to figure out what to do with the money that’s in your old company retirement plans. Whether you’re headed into retirement, or you’re moving on to a different job, either way, you’ve got some important decisions to make. Allow us to give you some guidance.
Questions Regarding the Partnership with LPL Financial
Articles

Questions Regarding the Partnership with LPL Financial

May 1, 2020

We are really excited to announce that LPL, the country’s largest independent broker-dealer firm, will be partnering with Lucia Capital Group later this year. A broker-dealer is a company that provides regulatory compliance and support to registered investment advisor firms, and acts as the buyer and seller of securities for its customers. In addition, LPL will also act as Lucia Capital Group’s clearing firm that will custody our brokerage and advisory assets.