Alba Insurance, LLC

Today's topic: The benefit of a permanent policy.
I got a call recently from a client I had inherited while in California. He wanted to cancel his universal life insurance policy. When I asked him why, he said he did not need it. He was retired, his wife was about to retire and the house was about paid off. Their kids were all grown, out of the house and they did not see themselves paying for the policy. He tried to impress me by saying they were retiring with almost $2 million dollars from their 401Ks. He was surprised when I asked him what his tax rate was. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Yes,” I answered, “what will you be paying in taxes when you start drawing from your 401K?” “Oh, I don’t know,” he responded. He said he had not even considered that. “How would you like to keep all of it?” I asked. “Can you do that?” he asked. “I don’t know,” I said. “Let me run the numbers and I’ll get back to you.” It turned out he had a big enough policy with a sizable cash value accumulated that would allow him to pay from his policy the taxes due on his 401K withdrawal, year to year. I called him back with the news. “Yes, you can pocket all your 401K withdrawals and use the funds from this policy to pay Uncle Sam his share.” “Are you serious?” was his question. “Yes, I kid you not. Plus, when you do die, your heirs will still receive the benefit from the policy.” He was highly excited and thanked me over and over again. He chose not to cancel the policy so he could continue to pay off his taxes, year after year. I must admit, I too, was left with a glowing feeling, knowing I had been able to help someone make the best of their hard earned money. It highlighted one of the benefits of having a permanent life insurance policy in place. This could not have been done with a term policy, regardless of what Dave Ramsey or Zuse Orman say.

Today’s topic: Rule of 72
Most adults I know are very familiar with the sentence: “E = mc2”. I have yet to meet someone outside of a scientist or math teacher who knows what the sentence is or what it does. I personally have never had the need to use it nor do I know anyone who has. Nonetheless, it is one of those formulas drilled into our minds from years of schooling. It is one of Einstein’s formulas dealing with energy and mass and speed that led to the discovery of the atom bomb. Considering the time and effort spent on teaching it in schools, one would figure it to be of great value, with daily application in our lives. I mean, it’s from Einstein, so it must be good, right? Well, I venture to say most folks go to their graves without ever a need to put it to use. I fail to see the importance of this formula in our daily lives, when there are other formulas that Einstein himself discovered with a more direct impact on our lives and can lead to a more stable foundation. One of these is the rule of 72. How familiar are you with it?
This rule has more direct application in our lives and can greatly improve our financial picture, yet, I dare say, most folks go to their graves never having heard of it. Einstein discovered that, when you take the amount of interest you are getting for your money, as a percentage, and divide it into 72, the result reveals the number of years it takes for your money to double. As an example, suppose you have an account worth $10,000, and you are getting 7% annually; dividing it into 72, gives you an answer of 10, rounded off. That means that in ten years your money would grow to $20,000. Ten years later, at the same rate, that same money would grow to $40,000, and so on. At 10%, your money doubles every seven years; at 12%, every six years. Being familiar with this rule is the foundation on which you can chart your financial growth; you can make plans as you know how much you will have by when. It adds more significance to your well-being than E = mc2, especially when it comes to your finances. In today’s world, however, it is difficult to find a place that earns you high rate of interest. Wall Street, over the last 20 years or so, has actual returns, not average returns (as covered in an earlier blog), of just over 5%. At that rate, it would take 14 years for your money to double. What if you could get double digit returns on your money?
There are several companies, with different plans that allow you to earn 10%, 12% or more, without the risk of loss of the market. These plans enable you to grow your money faster. Imagine your money doubling every seven, six or les years!! They can also be set up to provide tax free cash flow, when you need the money, even for retirement. With these plans, you can retire with dignity. Call or email me today to begin to put the rule of 72 to work for you. Watch your money grow quicker and receive proceeds tax free, if you so wish. Learn about other money tips, besides the rule of 72 by joining my face book page at Alba Insurance, LLC. You’ll be glad you did!

Today’s topic: Renting vs. Owning.
If what you were taught to be true turned out not to be, how soon would you want to find out? Since the 1970’s, we have heard the chant: “Buy Term, Invest the Difference (BTID).” It seemed to make so much sense, back then. So much so, that it has created confusion around the subject. Which is the best approach?
In the insurance business, we liken insurance with housing. There are a lot of similarities. Most people, as they start out in life, rent for a few years before buying their own home. Why own a home? People buy homes for a variety of reasons, including security, as an asset, equity build up, etc. There’s a lot more you can do when you own your home than when you rent. It may seem cheaper to rent than to own, yet, in the long run, it gets more expensive. Not only because when you rent, you have one guarantee: the rent will go up (so much so that the rent gets so expensive you have no choice but to move out), but because after all those years of paying rent, when you move, you walk out with nothing to show for it, other than the stuff you bought along the way. Even if “you’re not paying much”, say $1,000 a month, after just five years, you’ve paid $60,000! And you have nothing to show for it. Similar comparison can be made for term life insurance.
Initially, term insurance premiums are cheaper, compared to an asset-based, or permanent policy. You are basically renting the product for a determined period of time, say ten, twenty or thirty years. Beyond that, yes, you can renew the policy. The premiums, however, will rise exponentially, year to year. Or you can get another, for another term. However, you would have to qualify medically before you get it. That may not be as easy to do being that at that point you would be older and prone to medical issues. Nonetheless, at the end of each term, you have nothing to show for all your premiums paid. There are a lot of weaknesses in this type of coverage beyond the scope of this writing. Some of these, however, include the fact that, historically, most people end up buying term and spending the difference. All this, in the long run, can short change your financial picture. Not so with a permanent life insurance policy, especially the newer type introduced in the mid 90’s.
Asset-based policies are permanent. They include a side account that can earn you interest, based on the economic environment. These are akin to owning your home. Not only do you have your own safe shelter, you are also building equity. It’s a commodity—you can sell it, trade it, refinance it, do whatever you want with it. You have more options than when you simply rent, or have a term policy. Plus, no matter when you die, whether tomorrow or a hundred years from now, you are covered—your heirs will get the proceeds from your policy. No money goes to waste. One of these is Universal Life (UL), introduced in the 1970’s to offset the high premiums and rigidity of whole life policies. The economic environment of the time allowed for interest rates on these policies to be higher than 12% per year. Things have changed drastically. So much so, that the last time I checked I was hard pressed to find one that paid more than 4%. The one introduced in the mid 90’s was similar in most respects, except in one way. Called an Index Universal Life policy (IUL), it does not offer a fixed rate of interest. Instead, the side account uses and index, like the S&P 500 (among other countless indices), to credit your account. Though there are numerous forms of it, the basic premise is this: when the index used grows, your account is credited the increase; when the index drops, you lose nothing—your gains are locked in. You make nothing that year, but, more importantly, you lose nothing. This allows you to have safety AND growth. There are variations of this and different companies offer different options. For example, some cap the amount of the growth, others do not; some offer a minimum, guaranteed interest, most offer zero for a “floor”; some participate fully in the growth of the index, while others limit it. In addition to this, there are riders that can impact your growth. Again, different companies offer different riders. In other words, it has a lot of moving parts—it is NOT your grandfather’s insurance. Because of all these components, it has truly become a specialty within the insurance industry. This is beyond the scope of the Suze Ormans or Dave Ramseys of the world. You need to talk to an agent who is not only licensed but well versed in all the intricacies of this product to use each option to your advantage, to maximize your bottom line. How would you know such an agent? One way is to ask him/her to find you an IUL company that has NO SURRENDER CHARGES. If he/she argues with you that all policies have surrender charges, go elsewhere, or contact me at [email protected]. While I consider this policy to be the top of the line in terms of accumulation, any permanent insurance product is far better than a term policy. Like I would recommend highly you buy your own home, I would recommend you buy and own your own life insurance policy. Stop throwing your money away. For this and other cash building ideas, contact me at [email protected] and/or subscribe to my facebook blogs at Alba Insurance, LLC.

Friends, I would like to apologize for the delay in issuing these posts. It has been a busy month involving a couple of weddings, a couple of funerals and hospital stays. Now that that is behind us, I hope to resume these blogs on a more regular basis.

Today’s topic: Loans.

We are all familiar with them, right? Personal loans, student loans, auto loans, home loans, business loans, credit cards, lines of credit, etc. All of these carry an interest rate, based on your FICO score. The majority of these, if not all, report your payment history to a credit bureau. In addition, these have inherent in them, a recourse clause, meaning that if you default, or fail to pay the loan back in full, they can come after you for repayment. At times, this process can involve the courts, at additional costs and fees.

There are also closed-ended loans and open-ended loans. The most common loans are closed-ended. For example, a home loan, auto loan, student loan, etc. This type has various implications. First off, they are one directional; in other words, you can only pay, you cannot withdraw from them, without refinancing the terms of the loan. Secondly, the amount of the loan is set at the onset. Once approved, you cannot raise the amount without renegotiating the loan. They are also based on an amortization schedule, meaning that payments are fixed, from month to month. Even if you pay extra in any given month, a regular payment is due the following month, until the loan is fully repaid. An open ended loan is slightly different. To start with, these loans are not amortized. Interest is calculated daily, based on the outstanding balance at that point. Money goes in, as in the form of payment, and you can withdraw, as needed, based on the limit on the account. Credit cards and lines of credit accounts are good examples of this. Depending on the amount paid extra, a monthly payment may be missed, if enough money was paid prior to the due date. All of these report to a credit bureau and, except for a home loan, they all carry the same recourse clause mentioned above. Very few loans have a non-recourse clause.

Most states in this country have a form of no-recourse program for home loans, called anti-deficiency sates. When you default on your mortgage, your house is foreclosed on, you lose your home, your credit is affected, and if you owe more than the value of the home, the balance is forgiven—the lender will not come after you for the difference. The only true no-recourse loan I know of is one through a Universal Life Insurance policy; more specifically, an Index Universal Life (IUL) policy. There is no credit bureau involved and no one will ever demand you pay the loan back, while you are alive. Your policy serves as collateral for the loan. The loan can serve any purpose: as a down payment on a home, buy a car with, take a vacation, pay medical bills, etc. No questions asked, no credit check required, the loan requested will be in your bank account 48 to 72 hours later. In fact, I have heard of some people taking a loan out from their IUL, then, rather than paying the loan back, put that same amount, or more, towards the accumulation on the policy. On an IUL, you can earn as much as 10, 11, or 12% a year, depending on the company chosen, on the money accumulated in your policy. Sure, an interest rate is tacked on to the loan, yet the arbitrage involved will work in your favor. Banks use this process every day—they borrow money at a real low rate and lend it out at a higher rate (I covered this on an earlier blog). In this case, the typical interest rate on a policy loan is 4%. For interest on the accumulation, I know of some companies that historically have averaged more than 7% per year. So, for example, say you have $10,000 on your accumulation and you borrow $5,000. Then you turn around and deposit that same $5,000 towards your policy. You will be charged 4% on the $5,000 loan; you will also be credited more than 7% on the $15,000 you have accumulated in your account. How many times can you do this? You decide. So you can, in essence, borrow your way to wealth! Arbitrage is the key. It’s all legal and it’s all tax free.

For a clearer explanation and other insights like these, send for your FREE book that shows you how you can grow your money safely. I only have a limited amount of these paperback books on hand. Once they are gone, they are gone! So make your request now, at [email protected]. Find out how you can retire with dignity. Request your FREE book today.

Today’s topic: To 401K or not?
In today’s environment, the average consumer is left confused on retirement options. The most prevalent choice and seemingly, the only plan available, is the 401K. Does that mean it’s the best? That would be a tough argument, in view of its history. Even its founder, Ted Begna, has said he created a monster. There are several reasons for this. In another blog, I covered one risk--the high fees associated with 401(K) s. Today I will cover another risk of such plan. The other common plan, the IRA Includes these risks, as well.

Market risk. This risk is the most obvious and the most commonly known. In fact, we have gotten so used to it, that it almost seems a non-issue. Yet the difference it makes on your accumulation, and, ultimately, your income, is huge. Being that there is no compounding in the market, interest is earned according to market results, the growth from one year to the next is always in limbo. You hope and pray the market goes constantly up. While hope and pray are great spiritual activities, hope and pray have never been an investment strategy. We have seen on past blogs how the growth has to be greater than the percentage of loss just to get back to your starting point. I suppose to a certain degree, we all know that going in. So, why do we still go through with the 401K? I venture to say that most, if not all 401K participants, have such plans because it was the only one offered through their employer—there was no other choice. Are there alternatives?

The good news is that, yes, other options are available. There are some index products that 1. Are safer. 2. Have reduced market risk to nearly zero, with 3. Compound interest, thus 4. More predictable returns, that offer 5. Income for life, as well as being 6. Tax free upon withdrawals, with 7. No age restrictions, or 8. Mandatory distribution requirements. Which is the right one for you? Only an assessment by a financial professional can answer that. Take the market risk off the table, start earning a reliable retirement fund, enjoy income for life, tax free. Request a free e-book detailing this and other safe strategies for your hard earned money, so you can retire with dignity. Request your free materials, including a free assessment here. [email protected]

Today’s topic: Circulation of Money.
Don’t banks own most of the tallest buildings in any major city? Have you ever wondered how they make so much money? For one, they do not let money stagnate; their money does not “just sit there”. They recognize that money in motion creates more money. They sweep their clients’ accounts every night and put as much as they can, right away, into accounts that earn them money. They turn that money over and over; that money is always at work. Money making more money, day in and day out, 24/7. This is a big clue for those who want to make more money with the money they already have: turn it over and over, or circulating that money. It only makes sense, right? I mean, how useful would it be to stuff a coffee can with one hundred dollar bills and burying the can in the back yard? Not only are you not earning any interest on it, you are de-valuating it, due to inflation; you are going backwards. To a certain degree, isn’t that what you are doing with the equity in your home? When it comes to money accumulation, home equity is like that can in the back yard. This may seem contrary to the advice we have been raised in, to have our house paid off, but it’s not. Once you have accumulated enough money rather than build a tall building, you can pay off your mortgage, or once you reach a point in your life where cash accumulation is no longer your goal, then home equity becomes your most valued and valuable possession. Until then, it is suggested you circulate that money as often as possible. You may even be able to retire sooner than you thought. When your goal is to grow your money, then putting that equity to work for you in safe, reliable products is the recommended approach. As of this writing, there are no safer products--without risk or speculation--than annuities and life insurance WITH cash accumulation properties. Can you use that money to speculate on Wall Street? That depends; it is NOT an automatic yes or no. Your age, health, assets in your possession and other factors can determine whether Wall Street is a viable option for you. That can best be ascertained by a financial professional. What is important is that you put that money to work; put it in circulation in order for it to grow.
Call, text or email your request today for your FREE e-book that details this and other ideas on how to start thinking like a bank and grow your money, safely. Call, text or email your request today to learn ways to make your money work as hard for you as you work for it, so you do not have to work until the day you die. Request your FREE e-book today.