Questions Las Vegas retirees ask us most

It is a contract with an insurance company. In simple terms, it is designed to protect the money you put in from market losses, while still letting it earn interest linked to a market index in the good years, up to limits the insurer sets. Many of these contracts also offer an option to turn your savings into income that can last for the rest of your life.

A fixed indexed annuity is not a stock market investment and is not a security. It is not FDIC insured and not bank guaranteed, and its guarantees rely on the financial strength of the insurance company that issues it. Charges such as surrender fees can apply if you take out more than allowed in the early years. Whether one makes sense depends entirely on your situation.

The strategies we focus on are built around principal protection, meaning the money you set aside is not directly exposed to market losses. The goal is a dependable floor under what you have built, so a bad year in the market does not erase years of saving.

It is important to be clear that these protections come from the issuing insurance company and rely on its financial strength and claims-paying ability, not from any government guarantee.

Yes. Many of these contracts offer an optional lifetime income feature that, once started, is designed to keep paying you a set amount for as long as you live, even if the underlying account is eventually used up. That income is guaranteed by the issuing insurer.

How much it pays depends on the specific contract, how much you set aside, and when you choose to begin. We walk through real numbers for your situation when we meet.

A bank CD or savings account is FDIC insured and pays a set rate. The trade-off is that in low-rate periods, the growth can struggle to keep up with inflation, which quietly chips away at what your money will buy.

The strategies we use are not bank products and are not FDIC insured. They are backed by the issuing insurance company. In exchange, they aim for stronger growth potential than a fixed bank rate while still protecting your principal from market loss. They also tend to ask you to leave the money in place for a set period, so liquidity works differently. We talk through whether that trade-off fits you.

It depends on the contract. The most common one to understand is a surrender charge, which can apply if you withdraw more than the allowed amount during the early years of the contract. Some optional features, like a lifetime income benefit, can carry their own charge as well.

None of this should be a surprise. Before anything is ever put in place, we go through the specific costs of the specific contract together, in plain language, so you know exactly what you are agreeing to.

Not entirely. Most of these contracts let you take out a portion each year without a charge, often around a set percentage, and full access becomes available after the surrender period ends. The details vary from one contract to the next.

This is exactly why these strategies are meant for money you will not need all at once in the near term. Part of our conversation is making sure you keep enough set aside in more liquid places first.

Generally, the growth inside these contracts is tax-deferred, meaning you are not taxed on the gains each year while the money stays in. Taxes typically come into play when you take money out.

Taxes depend on your personal situation, and I am not a tax professional. We coordinate with your accountant or tax advisor so the tax picture is handled correctly for you.

With most of these contracts, any remaining value passes to the beneficiaries you name, and it can often pass to them directly. The exact death-benefit features vary by contract, so it is something we confirm clearly when we review your options.

No. I am a licensed Life and Health insurance agent, and I work as a Retirement Income Specialist. I am not a securities-licensed advisor, I do not sell stocks or mutual funds, and I do not manage market investments. What I focus on is the protection-and-income side of retirement: helping you keep what you have built and turn it into dependable income.

No, and I will tell you honestly if it is not a fit for you. These strategies suit some people very well and are wrong for others, depending on your goals, your timeline, your health, and the other income you have coming in. The point of meeting is to figure that out, not to push a product.

Nothing. The first step is a free 15-minute call with no obligation. If it makes sense to go further, we sit down, look at your full picture, and talk through your options in plain language. You will get straight talk, real numbers for your situation, and zero pressure.

This is a family practice that has served Las Vegas for two generations. Most of the people we work with are neighbors and folks they referred. That only works if people leave glad they came in.