I hear a lot of things during conversations with people about retirement. But one phrase comes up more than any other: "I wish I'd done this sooner." Not after signing paperwork. Not after buying anything. Just after having the conversation.
Why "sooner"?
Not because they missed a deadline. Because they'd been carrying a question — is there enough? what happens to my spouse? what if the market drops? — for years without an answer. The relief wasn't in the product. It was in finally knowing where they stood.
A woman in her late sixties put it best: "I thought the meeting would make me feel worse. It did the opposite. I'd been imagining a problem that was bigger than the real one."
What usually happens on the call.
- We find the income gap. Sometimes it's zero. Often it's smaller than people feared.
- We identify what actually needs protecting — and what can keep growing.
- We check the things people forget: beneficiaries, Social Security timing, how a spouse would be covered.
- We decide whether an annuity even belongs in the picture. Sometimes it doesn't.
That's it. No signing. No pressure. Just clarity on where you are.
The honest version.
The only thing "sooner" costs is 15 minutes and the mild discomfort of looking at your own numbers. The thing "later" costs is harder to measure — the years of carrying a question you could have answered.
If you've been reading these emails and nodding along, you already know which one you'd rather pay.
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Author of Indexed Annuity Secrets and founder of Pacific Ridgeway Insurance Solutions in San Diego. Navy veteran. Licensed financial professional, CA #4132743.
Fixed indexed annuities are insurance products, not investments. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial, investment, tax, or insurance advice.