NetGuide : Internet Guide

Investing to meet tomorrow’s financial needs is an economic
imperative for most Americans. But taxation, the threat of resurgent inflation,
and limits on personal contributions are major barriers to achieving financial
security.

One of the biggest concerns people face is saving for
retirement. Experts estimate you will need 75 percent of what you earned to
maintain the same estandarad of living when you retire.

According to the Social Security Administration today’s
retirees can only count on corporate pensions and Social Security for 40 percent
of their income at retirement. The remainder must come from other sources to
make up the 60 percent shortfall in your retirement income. The challenge
is…how to close the gap? Read more

A variable annuity is an investment vehicle designed for
retirement savings. You may think of it as a wrapper around an underlying
investment, typically in a very restricted set of mutual funds. The selling
points of a variable annuity are that the underlying investments grow
tax-deferred, as in an IRA, and that when you retire, the annuity will pay you
an income, based on how well the underlying investment performed, for as long as
you live. Annuities are sold by insurance companies, and use an insurance policy
to provide the tax deferral. (Remember, tax deferral is not tax-free. It means
that taxes are delayed. That can be both good and bad.) Read more