Here’s how sitting down with father-son duo Bill and Brody Fiesler can help you enjoy gains associated with the market but be protected from losses

By Mitch Allen

Every few days another postcard arrives in my mailbox from a financial planner inviting me to an event to discuss my retirement savings. These mailers started when I turned 50, and now in my 60s, they’re even more prevalent.

I don’t mind. It’s nice to know so many people are interested in my financial security.

The truth is, on some days I just don’t want to think about it. On other days, I’m tempted by the photo of the big, medium-rare, center-cut tenderloin filet I’ll enjoy for free if I show up to the seminar/dinner.

But usually I worry it’s going to be a sales pitch, or I’ll have to answer awkward questions about my finances in front of other people. Or worse, I’ll have to sit there and pretend I actually know what my Sharpe Ratio is.

I’d prefer a more casual conversation, in plain English, in private.

Meet Bill and Brody
That’s exactly what Bill and Brody Fiesler do. This is the father-son duo behind the popular Annuity & Estate Planning Concepts. These guys offer many different products and services, but specialize in fixed index annuities—

Wait!

Don’t turn the page! This is just a fancy term for a simple concept: An annuity is anything that makes a periodic payment to you, and an index annuity is one tied to an index (like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq) instead of being tied to a fixed rate.

That means you don’t earn some low rate in a savings account; you share in the upside of the stock market, BUT—and here’s the kicker—it can never lose value even when the market tanks.

Say what? How can this be? Here, I’ll turn it over to Bill and Brody:

Protect Your Savings…and Sleep Easy
“The biggest concern people have about their retirement savings is losing it,” Bill explains (he’s the dad). “When you see a 20% drop in your 401(k), for example, it’s scary. When will the losses stop? When will the value go back up? How quickly? This is stress you don’t have with an annuity because the insurance company gives you a contractual guarantee that your money will stay put and never experience a downside market loss.”

“In other words,” Brody adds (he’s the son), “while your friends are freaking out over a sharp decline in the market, you’re sleeping easy. That’s one reason we call index annuities ‘sleep insurance.’”

Years ago, variable annuities got a bad rap because they weren’t protected from losses. But today’s index annuities are protected. That’s making them very popular right now.

The Value of Independence
Bill and Brody are independent. “That means we don’t represent a single company offering only their limited number of products,” Brody explains. “We have access to hundreds of different products offered by many different companies. Our job is to sit down with you, discuss your goals, and recommend options that are right for you, not cookie-cutter options that are right for the insurance company.”

And unlike firms that charge a fee to manage your money, Bill and Brody’s services are offered at no cost to you. “The insurance company compensates us,” Bill says. “Not you.”

You Don’t Need a Lot of Money
Bill and Brody don’t recommend putting all your savings into an annuity, but it’s a good idea to put a nice chunk in one to protect your savings. The less money you have, the greater share you should protect.

“If you have a million dollars, sure, go ahead and put a lot in the stock market because you can afford to lose some of it,” Brody advises. “But if you have, say, $180,000, you should protect a larger share of it because a big loss would really hurt.”

Spend Wisely
Of course, a stock market decline is just one way to lose your money. Another is to spend it.

“Keeping your hands off your own savings is difficult,” Bill cautions. “Paying cash for a new car, taking an expensive vacation, remodeling the house. These are all very tempting but can dwindle your limited savings quickly in retirement. Plenty of our customers choose an annuity so their savings stays safe and secure. And unlike, say, a CD, where you cannot access the funds without paying an early withdrawal penalty, with most annuities you can access up to 10% each year without paying any penalty at all.”

Personal Service
Bill and Brody offer full service. Unlike brokers who sign you up and disappear, these guys are always with you. “If we need to discuss reallocation, we do that anytime,” Brody says. “If you need to make a withdrawal, we do that for you. Our clients become our friends. I can’t tell you how many adoptive grandparents I have. I may take them withdrawal paperwork, then, while I’m there, help them hang a picture. We’re in this business to establish and cherish long-term relationships.”

If you’d like to know more about whether an index annuity is right for you, schedule your own sit-down with Bill and Brody. There’s no hard sell. They aren’t pushy. And if you’d prefer to meet them at a nice restaurant instead of at the office, well, they’ll do that, too.

“But lunch is on us,” Bill insists.

To schedule a no-cost consultation with Bill or Brody, call 216-503-1779. Annuity & Estate Planning Concepts, LLC is located at Corporate Plaza One, Suite 160, 6450 Rockside Woods South, in Independence.