December 21, 2022

Many people are sitting down to look at their financial portfolios and investment strategies to reconsider their options. In a weak bond market, many people are looking into options such as ETFs, or fixed-indexed annuities, especially as there is the possibility of an upcoming recession. The uncertainty of what might happen in 2023 can be alleviated by focusing on proper planning strategies with your financial professional.

Many people today are using a 60/40 portfolio, which is made up of 40% bonds and 60% equity. For a long time, this has been the primary focus of a solid retirement security approach. However, rising interest rates have made for an underperforming bond market. This means that the average 60/40 portfolio is struggling. There are ways that you can meet with your financial advisor and discuss how to realign your portfolio so that it still performs strongly when times are good, but also has minimal downside impacts when the market potentially crashes.

One option is fixed index annuities. These can be used in a few ways, including as an income tool, as an accumulation tool, and even with an optional long term care writer, which gives you peace of mind for healthcare expenses should that become necessary. Another option for building a stronger portfolio is buffering exchange traded funds.

You can purchase an underlying asset connected to an index, but returns are typically capped at a certain percentage. A buffer is applied to these ETFs that helps absorb some of your losses. Discuss your options for using buffer ETFs as part of your retirement and income savings scenario. We can meet with you to discuss your current strategy and risk tolerance and how that can be adapted if you wish to alter your plans.