Posted by Ray on July 6, 2009 under Annuity News, cnbc, Main | 
OK, there are lot’s of things we could say about Mr. Cramer, but you know what I kind of like what he does. Before you get the wrong impression I do think he is dangerous and makes some bad calls, i.e. the housing bottom, but he does get people interested in stocks which is a good thing.
Even though I strongly disagree with most of his views he brought up an interesting idea tonight. He says that the government should issue a 30 year bond paying 5% which he shamelessly called the Cramer Bond. The general idea is interesting, but who would give the government money for 30 years only to receive 5%? Now, he did say make it tax free, but still that is betting that inflation will stay below 5%, which it really has never done.
He says you will double your money after 14 years, plus a few months, and they should be offered directly to the public with no fees. All good ideas, but Jim a product already exists like that.
There is a product that is rated AA that guarantees to double your money in 10 years, without taxes until you withdraw the funds. It is not right for college planning, but it is perfect for retirement planning. Not only that it allows you to participate in the market and you could, potentially, do much better than a simple doubling of your money. You have different investment options and a guaranteed fixed account, sounds better than 5% doesn’t it?
There is a catch, there are fees and you have to buy it through a broker. What is it? It is a variable annuity with living benefits. You can choose a guaranteed minimum account balance option or a guaranteed income benefit, but nonetheless it is better than your proposal. I know it is not as sexy as a high tech stock or some other off the wall investment, but it meets the needs of investors, period.
Say what you will about annuities, there simply is no other investment that can do what they do. Yes, you will take a risk through both investments, but that is mitigated through guarantees, but also the risk of the insurer. However, I feel much better about insurers risk than I do about the massive debt being issued by our government. Not only that, inflation will be an issue so 5% is not good enough.
Good idea, one of your better ones, but as usual you miss the obvious. I cannot wait until I get the tell all book written by one of your employees. Should be an interesting read!
Subscribe to Annuity IQ's Feed
LS Blogs
Sphere: Related Content
Posted by Ray on July 28, 2006 under Annuity News, Main |
Syracuse, NY (PRWEB) July 26, 2006 –- Annuity IQ, www.annuityiq.com, releases 10 variable annuity tips to the public. This short guide is designed to help people make an informed decision on the purchase of a variable annuity.
Annuity IQ, on the forefront of rating variable annuity contracts and benefits, has released another free information book. “We are dedicated to helping people and brokers find the best product for their needs or their client’s needs. 10 Tips is another extension of our efforts to educate and inform people on what to look for in a variable annuity. We released ‘Living Benefits Explained’ a month and a half ago and saw tremendous interest in that information. 10 tips is an expansion of that information,” Scott DeMonte, owner of Annuity IQ, said.
Mr. DeMonte went on to say; “We offer a lot of free and informative information on our web site, www.annuityiq.com, but we realized we were missing something and that is where 10 Tips came in. These are just basic tips on what to look for in a variable annuity product and designed to give the consumer an edge in examining variable annuities.”
Annuity IQ’s main line of business is rating variable annuity contracts and their benefits to help consumers and brokers locate the best variable annuity product for either their or their clients’ needs. Over the past 3 months, Annuity IQ has seen its popularity skyrocket with the main stream public and brokers. It is believed that their unbiased and independent approach in examining variable annuities is the main reason for the rise in popularity.
“We also believe that there is a lot of misinformation on variable annuities in the market place. Based on articles we have read, we concluded that most people write their opinions on Variable annuities and largely ignore the real facts behind these great products. Variable annuities are not perfect, but what investment is?” Mr. DeMonte said.
annuities have been shrouded in secrecy or myth over the last 15 years or so with no one place to view comparative, side by side, unbiased information. That all changed in April of 2006 when Annuity IQ went live and was greeted with open arms by the public and brokers a like.
10 Tips, as it is referred to by the people at Annuity IQ, is a short informative web based resource and available to everyone. The way the piece opens was of particular interest:
‘There are no devastating secrets behind annuity products. There are no “must have” Annuity tips. When you see these ads, the person responsible for them is simply trying to gather your information to follow up with a sales call.
Worse yet, if it involves some type of secret or hidden truths no one wants you to know about, it is a product that is geared to benefit one person and it is not you. We are not saying these people are trying to scam you, but they are trying to sell you a product, their product. They may then follow it up by trying to sell you an annuity product. In other words, all these “free e-books” are sales pieces designed to grab your attention and hopefully get more sales.’
“We felt we needed to open the book up in that fashion. We wanted to grab your attention and it has been effective. We see all of these must-have secret books being sold and it drives us crazy. If there were secrets so devastating to the industry, why isn’t the mainstream media on it instead of Joe Blow from Timbuktu writing about it? We want and do provide real information, honest information….’The annuity Report’ was not a project we sat down and hammered out over a weekend in our underwear. This project took a full year to prepare and implement.” Mr. DeMonte said.
It is clear that Annuity IQ and Scott DeMonte are passionate about what they do. It is also clear, based on sales and reach of the people visiting the site, that there is a strong need for an independent and unbiased company to review and rate variable annuity products. Keeping their work untainted, annuity IQ refuses to sell any Annuity product. They feel that if a commission is on the line, it is impossible to be truly unbiased and independent.
Subscribe to Annuity IQ's Feed
LS Blogs
Sphere: Related Content
